Chapter 10 - Unwell
It was quiet in the local bakery of Ponyville. Nothing but the silent whispering between ponies and the occasionaly click of a floorboard or a mug of whatever beverage was set down, eagerly as a random guest licked their lips gleefully at the sweet nectar.
To my delight, they were all looking up at me. Well, they had to, I was sitting on a stool up on a stage. I kickstand at my foot for personal comfort as I hefted the well-crafted piece of mahagony onto my knee and swung the strap over my shoulder. As soon as I was comfortable, I scracthed at my black, short beard in thought.
Oh, damn. It was one of these again.
I glanced up at the group of slightly buzzed but still quite happy crowd of ponies throughout the bakery. The bakery that had been turned into a make-shift bar for the occasion.
What was the occasion? I didn't know nor did I care. I had to think, the guitar was in my hands, the strings were tight and the pick was ready to strum. I just needed a song to play.
Since when did I own a guitar? Since when do I know more than four chords?
My internal questioning was cut short as I looked up and saw a pleasant sight to my eyes. Almost right next to the stage sat Applejack, sitting there behind one of the standard circle-based tables on a chair, in solitude. She wasn't lonely, however, I could see it in her emerald rimmed eyes. Respectively, she was taller than I had come to know as, being a filly in reality. Though, she did in fact seem a tad and a half younger than her appearance in Friendship is Magic. With that in mind, I gave myself a once over and found that I was very much the same, most likely in my late teens, maybe even 19.
It mattered little really because once I saw her and she smiled up at me friendly with such admiration and affection, I grinned back down at her as I knew exactly what I was going to play.
I looked up and saw the microphone keeping still by an arch-like stand and being pointed directly at me with anticipation. "Hey, everypony" I spoke into it, causing the more occupied guests to turn their attention to me. "This-uhh, this is song called 'Unwell' and..." I nudged the guitar up my knee a bit. "It goes a little like this."
Deaf. D, E, A, F#m. One, two, three, four. D, E, A, F#m. It was second nature.
"All day, starin' at the ceiling, makin' friends with shadows on my wall.
All night, hearing voices tellin' me that I should get some sleep cause tomorrow might be good for somethin'.
Hold on, feeling like I'm headed for a...Breakdown and I dunno why."
As I sang, I closed my eyes blissfully and grinned with not a care in the world. I strummed out the pause longer than I should've and opened my eyes again and was happy to see the usually timid, young, butter-yellow pegasus hover over to Applejack's table and took a seat next to her.
Huh? Fluttershy? But how is-? When did-?
Her head ducked away from my gaze slightly but that did little to hide the nervous yet cheery grin she had plastered on her muzzle as she waved a hoof up at me briefly. Applejack turned to look at her and I swear I saw a sudden intense sterness take over her features before she smiled friendly at the pink-maned pegasus.
I smirked at the sight, took a breath and turned back into the microphone. I was pleased to see some of the crowd stomping around the bakery in rhythm with the strum of the steel strings.
"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.
I know, right now, ya can't tell.
But soon enough, you're gonna think of me.
And how I used to be.
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired.
I know, right now, ya don't care.
But soon enough you're gonna think of me.
And how I used to be..."
I paused, looked down at Fluttershy and Applejack. Their gazes were filled to the brim with admiration and slight affection. Applejack raised her mug to me and took a quick skull before staring back up at me. Fluttershy sat there, up right and looking proud as she continued to gaze up at me with those adorable cyan eyes of hers. I swear I felt a tear stream down from my right eye and seap into my beard.
I strummed the steel strings one more time. "...Me."
That's when the sudden and intensely loud ringing of my alarm clock went off. My eyes groggily opened and I grimaced at the early-morning sunlight piercing through the windows. Immediately, I blinked away the crust in my eyelids and slammed my hand down on the snooze button. It was annoying but necessary to buy as of late, this wretched thing but I couldn't just sit here and bash the Hell out of it.
With a groan, I sat up and made my way over to the shower across the hall. After giving myself a quick once over, I dried myself with a prestine white towel. One that was a tad bit smalled than I would've liked, would've been easier to dry my hair with something larger too, damnable stuff was painstakingly tiresome to dry completely.
Though, from what I've been told in the past...and even recently.
I look damn good with my hair wet...apparently.
Anyway, let me back up a little here. Since handing Applejack the money she needed to go to Manehatten, it's been little under a month, give or take. i was there when she left a crying young Macintosh and Granny Smith, smiling all the way as she trotted away from them and over to me with a red and white checkered blanket wrapped tightly around a stick resting on her shoulder. I stood a litte ways down the pathway and she walked right up to me and said; "Thankya again for this, Kyle."
"No worries, AJ." I smiled down at her but I knew it looked a little forced before I looked up at the grieving family that turned their backs on us and started trotting up to the house. "L-let's go, ay? I'll see you off." She simply nodded.
I walked with the filly Applejack though town to the station and I was there as sheshe bought the ticket with the biggest beam on her muzzle and I had ever saw, with her's and my money. We took a seat by the railway on a lone bench in the middle of the platform. We didn't speak that much while we waited but it mattered little as soon, the train sailing right for Manehatten chuggered up to the platform, smoke gushing from the nozzle above the engine, almost dangerously.
Applejack's excited grin could make Pinkie run for her money.
Ponies started to board the vessel and AJ hopped down and followed suit, I stood there and watched. I swear a tear almost cropped up in my eye at seeing the young filly leave. I really hoped it was the right thing to do.
It wasn't until she turned and looked up at me did I see the first uncertain look come across her features that day. Before anything else happened, Applejack ran as fast as her little legs could carry her back over to me, swerving through the crowd of staggering ponies boarding the train. Confused, I knelt down instinctively to talk to her but to my surprise...
The tiny orange filly wrapped her hooves tightly around my neck, propping herself up on her hind legs. Her mane tickled my skin as she buried her face into my neck. She squirmed a little, almost like she was struggling to hold me tighter than she already was.
That's when the unshed droplet cascaded down from my right eye. I chuckled a bit and hugged her back, tightening our embrace even further.
"Ah'm sure gonna miss ya, pard'ner." she muttered sadly.
"Me too, AJ, me too." I stroked her blonde mane affectionately. "But hey, don't forget about me when you're living like a superstar in Manehatten, kay?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Not a chance." she promised as she gave one final squeeze. I loosened my grip, wishing that it could've gone longer but she had a train to board. I placed my hands on her shoulders and stared into those emerald-rimmed eyes that I may never see again for months.
"Now you go live the dream, okay?" I breathed quietly, assuringly. Her nose scrunched up sadly and she nodded in affirmation. At that, I couldn't help but think back to what was written on the side of the box little over a week ago when I opened it. The memory is still fresh in my mind, even now.
I watched as she stepped onto the train car, waved at me with a glassy look in her eyes and the small sad smile that wormed it's way onto her muzzle. I waved and grinned back and continued to do so until the train was out of sight, chuggering off into the distance, on route to the city.
"She'll be back soon." I told myself. "She'll be alright, this is how it's meant to be...." I sighed again. "She'll be home soon."
I kept telling myself that in the past few weeks since then and it helps, sometimes.
Anyway, I should probably mention that I got a job after that. Bet you all saw that one coming, ay?
Seriously though, after Applejack had left Ponyville, I had gotten around to talking to Mrs. Cake later that day. It was nice to see that barely anypony gave me more than a quick uninterested glance before turning back to whatever they were doing. The cyan mare smiled at me when I pressed by the swinging door and gestured for me to sit at a nearby, free table. I nodded with an appreciative smirk and sat down at it, she came around the counter and immediately greeted with a; "Well, hey there, Mr. Mercer, what can I get for you today?"
I twiddled my thumbs nervously. "Reckon I'll just have a choc-chip muffin if anything." I answered, she made to turn but I gently grabbed her shoulder with an outstretched hand. The azzuro mare turned back to give me curiously look. "But-uhhh, Mrs. Cake? There was something I wanted to ask you?"
I let my hand drop from her as that same warm beam worked it's way onto her muzzle. "And what would that be, Kyle?"
"Do you..." I began nervously. "You two wouldn't happen to need an extra set of hands around the place, would ya?" I asked, anxiety almost steaming my from ears.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, with Applejack on her way to the Orange's and with everypony going back to school tomorrow, I reckon I'll need something to keep me occupied." I reasoned. "Plus, I'd rather not mooch off the Princess for my only source of income for the rest of my life." True that she had only given me a single payment but the last thing I wanted to do was ask her for more or live on the streets by the time I had to pay the mortgage on the damn place.
That's right, I've had to pay mortgage since I was 15. I'll touch more on that later on.
Mrs. Cake put a hoof to her chin in thought and looked back towards the kitchen. She hummed briefly, rubbing her hoof along the fur of her muzzle. "Well..." she muttered. "With the business suddenly booming the way it is, we just might, indeed."
I perked up at that. "So, ya reckon I could help out around here?"
She paused for a moment before speaking. "Yes, we'll start you off with some part-time work and see how it goes from there, we can discuss your hours tomorrow." she said, assertively. "That is if my husband agrees but..." she looked me up and down once and grinned. "I think you're a fine young colt, I'll see what I can do." she said friendly.
I beamed at her. "Cheers, Mrs.Cake."
"Not a problem." with that, she quickly served me a muffin to go and I was on way home.
So, as you can probably guess, I've been working at the gingerbread house bakery part-time ever since. It was more work than I was used to but maybe that was just the fact that it was my first job. Also, I should probably mention that I now have a more expansive wardrobe.
It was about time too, the stink was going to kill me sooner or later and guess who got me the new set...and it's not Rarity.
Apparently, before the alabaster mare took on the Boutique and began making clothes for almost all of Equestria, there was a pre-cursor, of sorts, running the fashion in Ponyville.
Get this, her name is Athena.
I had met her on a pretty random day, actually. Ironically, Rarity was the first to bring me to her store. Just me doing my average thing; chilling on a park bench after my shift at the bakery with a ginger beer in my hand and my hood pulled over my head. It wasn't until the sweet, squeaky voice of the young Element of Harmony broke me out of my random musings that I looked up from my stupor and saw her kind expression. I smiled at the alabaster filly and gestured for her to take a seat. She did and we got into a bit of a conversation.
Rarity began telling me all about the "biggest project of her fashion career", which was really just that crazy fruit pajent that she had to design costumes for.
Oh, to tell her of the things that she'll do later in her life would've been so satisfying for me. She made such a big deal out of the show but I suppose it was sort-of cute in a way. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
She inquired more and more about me, personally and I was more than happy to answer her innocent questioning, no matter how tiresome it might've become. Rarity looked almost drunk on excitement and slight jealousy when I mentioned my friendly relationship with the Princess. Damn, the way she tugged on her mane like she had in the Season 3 premiere was adorable.
It was only a matter of time before she began to talk about clothes. She rambled on about her dreams of becoming a fashionista and inquired fluently about Earth's own clothing styles.
"Uhh, I dunno much about that sort of jazz, lass."
"Well, how can you not? Not once have I ever seen you without clothes on around Ponyville."
"Well, yeah but that's because of the whole 'cultural thing' I told you about earlier." I dead-panned.
"I remember but I always thought that it was because your specific attire was a smash hit back in your world."
I looked down at my bare feet. Up to me black, red and white-striped trackpants. Then to the thin silk singlet that parted my open white and stained hoodie. "Not really, Rarity. I was at home when I got sucked here, these wouldn't even be called 'casual', I look like a bloody slob."
"Oh, I hardly think so." she complimented and smiled up at me. "Course if you continue to wear clothes all the time, you could wear something else once in a...." she trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished. That is until- "...Ideaaaahh!!"
Guess she's been doing that for longer than I thought.
"What?"
"I bet Athena could fashion you up something!"
"...Athena?" I stifled a laugh.
"C'mon then, let's not dally." Rarity then bit firmly into my hand to get me to stand up. It was more the surprise of teeth digging into my flesh that I shot up off the bench.
"Argh! Rarity, steady on." I groaned as she released my hand and grinned innocently up at me as I rubbed the bite mark. She said nothing and gestured for me to follow her, I sighed and unsurely complied.
Rarity lead me up to one of the random home businesses around town and looked up at the sign on the door. "We're in luck, she's open today." she said excitedly.
"Oh, joy." I muttered. With a quick look up, I caught sight of the title above the doorway.
Clothes over Bros
...Seriously?
I shook my head and followed Rarity inside.
So, apparently, Athena was actually quite familiar with the little white filly, at least, more so than I had thought. When hse looked at me, her eyes were more focused on my clothes than anything, it was odd seeing this pony stare me down critically behind those slanted glasses. She had a tan-like colouration of her coat and high-contrasting blonde mane, styled into something that I really couldn't quite describe, not that it was out of the ordinary all that much but I'm not a full-on hair professionalist.
Anyway, she had decided, much to my surprise to create an outfit for me. Athena began rambling off minor suggestions suddenly. It was only now that I had noticed her to be a pegasus and she started soaring around the establishment, picking up pieces of paper, quills, fabrics, you name it.
I could see where Rarity got her workmareship style from as I watched her set up her station at a table.
So began a seemingly endless amount of time of questions, answers, sketches and more inquiries.
Eh, 'least she was nice.
Finally, Athena decided that this last design was just right, at least for a start. She rolled up the sketch, smiled up at me and said; "I think we've go it, course because this is a far cry from anything else I've designed, I'm not sure when it'll be ready." she said with a slight apologetic hint.
I shook my head, dismissively. "Nah, lass, it's fine. I'm not in a full-on rush, anyway."
She seemed thankful at that. "Well, thankyou for dropping by, Mr. Mercer. I say, you're not quite the pony I expected you to be." she beamed.
"Man, Athena. I'm no more a pony than you are a stallion." I corrected, recalling my first meeting with Cadence some time back.
She giggled at that. "Well, anyway, it was pleasure to meet you." she looked down at the filly by my side. "As always, miss. Rarity." she said daintly, Rarity nodded at her with a touch of upper-class charm.
I walked to the door and pushed it open half-way before turning to wave. " I should be off then, catcha, Athena."
"Goodbye, Mr. Mercer." with that, I smiled at her and Rarity scampered up to me before I shut the door behind us and we walked out onto the street again.
I slipped into the newly acquired and the very same threads I had purchased the exact mare. Truthfully, they had a bit of a early 1700's feel to it but I wasn't going to turn away clothes that actually fitted me. I had made it a point to craft a hood into the outfit for personal preferability. I was a fan of hoods back then, even if I didn't wear them often.
Anyway, after having a quick bowl of cereal, a brand that I barely recall as it went out of business a fair while ago, I locked the house up and set off to Sugarcube Corner.
Life just seemed to become more care-free everyday now. Blissfully, I trudged through town with as much ease as anypony else around me. I was glad to see some of the ponies that ran the various stands or tended mirthfully to their gardens wave friendly at me as I walked by them. I waved back gleefully.
When I stepped through the door to the bakery. Mr. Cake nodded knowingly at me and gestured for me to come behind the counter as he went back into the kitchen.
I barely got through taking down my first order of the day before Mrs. Cake bursted in from somewhere and popped by my side. "Why, hello, Kyle. Early again, I see."
I smirked at her. "Ya know me, MC." she nodded and returned behind the swinging doors to the kitchen. I chuckled to myself and turned towards the counter again. The morning was slow, perhaps because it was indeed quite early or maybe it was one of those lazy Saturday mornings, the time for most ponies to sleep in.
Thankfully, because it was a Saturday, the school week had just ended, leaving the young fillies and colts with the remnants of the weekend to themselves to their leisure. Naturally, I waited around the bakery for Lyra, Rose, Rarity or Hell, a regular customer would've been nice. Meeting friendly new faces was always enjoyable.
Though, to my utter surprise and quite a bit of shock, the first face I recognised stroll through those two-way swinging doors was an alicorn. A pink alicorn mare, several hues laced into her tied up mane and tail; yellow, lavendar and magenta. Her slanted and expressive violet eyes locked onto me and a shimmer of recognition of her own shone through them aswell, not to mention that the beam on her muzzle got a litle wider upon seeing me.
"Kyle!" She skipped on over to the counter and I grinned at her, in slight amusement. "Hey." She greeted happily.
"Howdy, Cadence!" I returned, just as gleefully. "What's up? Whatcha doin' here?"
"Aunty Tia thought it was high time to-"
"I thought it be nice to see how you're doing." I looked up from Cadence and to add to my surprise, there stood Princess Celestia, regal as ever, standing behind her neice and looking down on me slightly with a knowing smile.
"Auntyyyy!" Cadence whined. "Stop cutting me off like that!"
I laughed at that and Celestia herself giggled into an up-turned hoof lightly aswell. "My apologies, Cadence but I can't help myself sometimes." she teased.
The future empress grumbled bashfully at that. "Well, anyway, it's great to see you two. How's it been?"
Before the conversation could go on, I heard the voice of Mrs. Cake from the kitchen. "Kyle? Who are you talking to-...?" was all she managed before she fell silent upon seeing the two princess out as she walked out from the swinging doors.
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Uhhh, MC? These are some friends of mine; Princess Cadence..." I gestured to the shorter alicorn. "And I reckon you might already know Princess Celestia over here."
Mrs. Cake was, for the most part, utterly stunned. Her lips quivered as they parted seemingly forever, as if trying to say something but all she managed was gaping at the two royal ponies in her bakery. Fortunately, Tia trotted without a care up to the cyan mare and yet with still that regal nature she always held around her. "Hello, ma'am." she greeted simply.
That seemed to jar the baker from her episode. "Wha...? Oh, your Majesty! Pardon me, Princess, it's just I'm not quite used to having royalty in this place." she nervously said with a light uneasy chuckle.
"It's quite alright...MC? Was it?" Celestia innocently asked. "I could only imagine that stands for something-"
"Mrs. Cake!" she quickly exclaimed, still looking unsure of yourself.
Tia just smiled warmly at her again. "Well, then, Mrs. Cake. I would like to purchase one of your finest cheesecakes, please." she asked, simply. The blue mare nodded and turned to head on into the kitchen, probably dying to tell her husband the odd but exciting news. However, she suddenly turned back to look up at the princess inquisitively.
"Would you...would you like anything written on it, your highness?" she asked.
Celestia raised her head a little higher, now bearing that half-lidded knowing smile that just screamed secrecy. "Yes, may it say..." she then turned her head to me with a rather teasing grin. "Happy birthday, Kyle."
...
"Happy...birthday?" I drawled out confusedly. I looked to my side at Cadence who just beamed at me in slight excitement and scratched my head. How long has it been? What's today's date?
That's when my eyes suddenly sprung open in realisation. "Hold up! What's today date?!" I asked, frantically.
"Why, it's the eighth of December, Kyle." Cadence somewhat sang from beside me.
Huh. Well, fuck me gently.
"Damn, I just turned fifteen and didn't even know it." I chuckled to myself half-heartedly. "How the bloody Hell did I forget my own birthday?"
"I suppose we all have those moments." Celestia commented comically. She then looked down at the cyan mare who had her mouth open slightly in what I could only tell was awe. The alicorn cleared her throat, audibly. Mrs. Cake shook her head and nervously grinned up at the Princess before practically jumping into the kitchen where Mr. Cake was still obliviously working.
His own reaction was amusing.
Anyway, the two Princesses and I gathered around one of the few but nearby tables in the bakery. With all three of us, even Cadence slightly, being larger than most ponies, it wasn't the most spacious environment. Of course that didn't matter to me, I was just happy to see these two alicorns since the past month.
We began chating quite idly amongst eachother, the solar princess inquiring about how I was settling into my house and Ponyville, in general. Cadence then decided to ask where I had acquired my latest ensemble from. I answered their questions lightly, feeling more relaxed than had been for a while. It wasn't long into our conversation that Mr. Cake strode in with a decently sized cake for the three of us. When I caught sight of the size of the chocolate coated glory, I couldn't help but feel as if somepony was missing here.
I kind of missed Lyra then...aswell as Applejack.
Of course, I'd always imagine that my first birthday in Equestria would be hosted by Pinkie. Just to see her pull out that party cannon and obliterate the entire room in streamers, balloons and confetti like it was the most normal thing in the world. To here her laugh, joke, chat and sing all on the same day as we made merry of the festivities. A man can dream, i suppose. As for her, she needed to someday look up and the see the rainbow that would forever change her life. The event that would make her the mare that I knew, the mare that would come to Ponyville, work at the bakery and become the element of laughter amongst Twilight and her future friends.
I felt nostalgic, wishful, proud and excited at that thought. One day...one day, I'd be able to meet her and damn, mate, we'll party.
"You okay, Kyle?" Cadence asked, concerned. "You look kinda...out of it."
"I-I'm cool, Cadence. Cheers, though." I waved her off, smiling at her, although it might've looked a little forced. Right as Celestia began cutting the cake into a few modest slices, curiousity got the better of me. "Hey, Tia? How'd you know it was my birthday?"
She stopped and stared at me for a moment. Her gaze was blank but I could see something behind it, something deeper. Maybe I was finally able to read her unbreakable poker face! Though, there was little time to decipher anything else as she quickly let a knowing smile onto her muzzle. "You mentioned it the last time we spoke, Kyle."
Did I?
"Uhh, alright then." I said with a shrug and nodded gratefully at her as she levitated a piece of cake supported by a thin plastic plate over to me.
It was delicious.
Of course I could barely suppress laughing as I saw the alabaster alicorn demolish her icing-topped treat like a steam-roller. Guess the Bronies were right about that, Celestia sure as Hell loved cake. Cadence seemed to fare no better than me, each glancing at eachother's perky-cheeked face as we tried to contain our laughter. Through bites, we talked again. I had asked Cadence what she did in most of her free time and her answer was that School took up alot of it and she occasionally did a lot of babysitting. This, of course, was no surprise or unheard news to me but I smiled and prompted her to continue. Celestia was less talkative though, having her muzzle nearly bursting at the seems with baked, chocolate goodness.
The cake didn't last too long.
I patted my stomach as I leaned back on the chair with satisfaction. "Only the best at the Corner, I reckon." I commented.
"I'll admit it, you've got a good point there." Cadence said with a half-hearted and tired sounding giggle.
"I agree." Celestia began. "I think I'll have another...for the road."
We all laughed at that.
"Oh, pardon me." I cracked open my eyes and settled my jaw as I spotted Mrs. Cake standing by the table. "But Kyle, your shift ended half an hour ago."
My eyes widened at that. "Aw, damn, sorry, MC. I'll pull double tomorrow if it will-"
"Oh, no, no, there's no need for that." she dismissed, smiling friendly. "Besides, if I had know it was your birthday, I'd let you take the day off, anyhow."
I gave her a stricken look. "Really?"
She just nodded. "Might as well have given a gift of some kind." she reasoned.
"Well...cheers, Mrs. Cake but I dunno if that means much now." I laughed. "I kinda already slacked off to have some cakes with some shelas. Who, might I add, are great friends." I gave both Cadence and Celestia a warm smile, the white alicorn nodded and grinned appreciatively.
Cadence...actually blushed a bit. She returned the look nonetheless, however albeit with a hint of shyness I hadn't previously seen from her.
"Even so, you don't need to worry about it." she said in earnest.
"Well, cheers, MC." the cerulean mare nodded understandedly again and left the three of us once more. Cadence, Celestia and I were left in companionale silence for a little while after that. It was in this moment that I had time to think or rather, lack of. Right now, there was little to care about and I took comfort in advance for that. I tapped the table and leaned back on my chair nonchalantly. "Ya know..." I began. "This is nice."
"Yeah." Cadence agreed with a light tone in her voice and a slightly dazed beam on her muzzle.
Silence once more fell and I assumed that nopony was uncomfortable in the slightest.
I chanced a glance at Celestia, the al-powerful sun goddess sitting a merely right next to me. She was quiet, probably silently contemplating whatever she had to in that old mind of hers. I couldn't help but feel safe around her and that prompted a thought that had not only once crossed my mind.
Should I tell her? It might be the kind of therapy I need. She's seen me broken down before and I can't help but completely trust her, so should I...?
It had been nagging me for a while now. These dreams...they weren't normal. No, no, they were something else. I had a feeling that maybe Celestia would know. That she would know as much about dreams as her sister did...as her sister does, in fact.
Not only that though. I hadn't seen the Rake in weeks. I've taken to calling it that now, I suppose it fits until I can come up with something else.
Who knows...maybe someday it'll tell me it's name.
I took an audible breath before speaking. "Hey, uhh, Tia?" I began.
The alabaster alicorn perked up and turned to look at me, questioningly. "Yes, Kyle?"
"I've uhh...been havin' really strange dreams since coming to Equestria." I said before glancing over to a confused-looking pink mare. "Actually, I kinda woke up from one when Cadence and I first met." I explained and gave her a harder look. "That's why I was screaming, lass."
The princess of love actually had a look of recognition on her face before being wiped away by sympathy and slight concern. "Oh, you were having a nightmare, weren't you?" she asked, in the corner of my eye, I swear I saw Celestia's face fall greatly at the mentioning of that word. A pang of remorse on her behalf stung at my heart at that.
"Well, yeah, I have those sometimes but..." I trailed off, thinking how to best describe it. "Some of the others I get are...really weird, like visions or something." I vaguely explained. "I just thought you might know somethin' 'bout that, Princess." I mentioned to Celesia.
She was quiet again. Perhaps too quiet. Perhaps eerily too quiet.
Finally, right before I was to ask of her well-being, she piped up and gave me a sympathetic look. "No, Kyle. I'm afraid I don't have an answer as to why you're having these dreams."
Fan-tucking-fastic.
"Oh...well, no worries then." I smiled up at her. "I'm sure they'll pass, they've been kinda easin' up lately anyway so don't worry about it."
She seemed displeased with my dissmissing nature towards her but soon nodded understandedly and let a small smile adorn her features.I couldn't even get another word in as she sat up abruptly. There was a quick exchange of solemn looks between the two princess briefly before they silmutaneously stood up from the table. "Well, it seems it's time for Cadence and I to return to Canterlot, Kyle."
I closed my eyes and breathed audibly once more before grunting and rising back to my feet. I swear I caught a slight stunned pink mare in the corner of my vision as I rose to my full-height again. Guess she'd forgotten, silly alicorn.
"Ah, no worries, Tia. It was great seein' ya again." I grinned up at her and turned to her neice. "You two, Cadence." I chuckled as I rummaged her mane a tad with a free hand. She scoffed and batted me away but she couldn't hide the flustered beam on her face as she turned away, bashfully. I looked back up at the white mare. "Well, guess I'll see ya later, ay?" Celestia bowed slightly and we share a quick hug, me wrapping one arm around her neck and her doing the same with her hoof around my waist.
We seperated and she had a rather dazed smile on her muzzle. "We'll meet again soon, Kyle." she assured.
I nodded and looked back at Cadence. "A'right, lass, cheers for comin' by-"
Cadence cut me off with a tight but soft embrace. It wasn't bone-crushing but it was rather intense, something that I merely chuckled at and hugged her back, running a hand over her triply-hued mane, of which, she had freely let drop mid-way through the cake-consumption. I could've sworn that she was muttering something under her breath as she buried her face in my chest but I couldn't make anythign out of it. When she finally released me, I smiled blissfully at her and the look she gave was all the more heart-warming. "See you later, Kyle." she said lightly.
"Definitely."
Once again, I find myself reclined comfortably on the couch within the cozy little cottage I called home. Again, I sat there alone with a calm smile and a drink in my hand. Although, the drink in question wasn't just any beverage. This wasn't some half-passable soft drink or anything of the sort, no, Oh no.
As a birthday present to myself, I had sneakily managed to hide the truth of my age from the manager that ran the bar in town, a little ways down the road from Sugarcube Corner. So, as an act of celebration, I squashed the inhibitions that fogged my mind with reason and care and bought some of the Apple family's home-brewed bottled cider.
Oh, yeah and it was the alcoholic edition.
From what I've heard, they sell the stuff in bottles much like Carlton: Super Dry but the stuff they put on market shleves are a far cry horror of a drink compared to the product they mix and sell every year during Cider Season to the goods folks of Ponyville.
Heh, guess that explains Dash's obsession with the stuff.
Anyway, there I was, relaxing back in the confines of the cottage. Only now turned fifteen, a six-pack by my side, an alcoholic drink in my hadn and an ever-growing row of books on the shelves. There I was, thinking and casually taking quick sips of the bitter liquid but every time it hit my taste buds and I recoiled at the burn, I remembered what my older brother used to say.
Well, older step-brother, anyway.
"Little piece of advice, Kyle." I recited his words with a small nostalgic grin. "Being drunk is awesome but getting drunk bloody sucks." I took a long gulp at that.
I didn't care if I had lied or that I was underage. I needed a moment and this was really my first time full-on drinking, so I was enjoying myself, anyway. I looked out the window by the, now securely locked, wooden door at the front of the house and saw the nearly pitch black sky outside. The stars twinkled from between the trees around the cottage and the moon's light cascaded a shadowy outline of the darkened clouds in the sky. Every night, I had forgotten that in this time, Luna was still Nightmare Moon, still trapped within the object of her duty.
Her destiny.
I had always forgotten that it was Celestia's night, not her sister's.
That thought always seemed to get to me for some reason. I knew that she'd return, that Twilight and her newly-found friends would unite, form the Elements of Harmony and return the princess to her rightful place of royalty and divine duty beside her sister.
It was only a mtter of time.
Think about the two siblings just brough up memories of that lovable idiot that I had known for the better part of my life. I chuckled at the thought of him and I just sitting beside each other, playing some good old fashion Star Wars: Battlefront 2. It was truly my fondest memory of us, we were a team most of the time.
"Marcus..." I breathed, staring at the half-full bottle of amber liquid. "You son of a bitch...I miss ya, man." I blinked rapidly, my eyes were beginning to fog up. "Oh, if I could see you right now...I'd punch you straight in the face and yell at you for not being there as much anymore." I licked my lips as they suddenly felt quite dry and took another mouthful of the cider, with every gulp, it became easier to take, maybe I was losing my sense of taste already.
Living alone wasn't very interesting or fun but that's what I did for the last month and that was looking to be what I was to do for a good time to come around. So, with that, I found myself talking to...well, myself, probably more than I should've. "Course I could say the exact same thing to Dad...bastard." I lost count of how many chugs I took between sentences. "Ya'd think he'd forgotten 'bout me, with as little as I saw him, why the fuck did he have to move to Broome?!"
I sighed heavily. "Kyle, now you're pissed, in both ways." I chastised myself. "Besides, my name's 'Mercer' now, right? Can't go ahead and flip off the man I named myself after...Love ya, Dad...sorry."
Was that it? Had I seriously drunk that much? How long had it been? There was still one left and it was half-full, I stared at my reflection and grinned rather goofily. It was then when a familiar tune entered my head and I ended up singing it out loud, quite loud, barely caring if I slurred hit the wrong notes with it or even sang the wrong lyrics.
"I'm fifteen for a moment!
Caught in between ten and twenty and I'm just dreamin'! Countin' the ways to where you are!
I'm twenty-two for a moment!
She feels better than eve-and we're on FIRE! Makin' our way back from Mars!"
I stood up, nearly tripping and falling over myself as I did so and danced merrily, drunkedly with my own slurred and uneven symphony.
"Fifteen! There's still tiiime for you!
Time to buy and time to lose!
Hey fifteen!
There's never a wish better than thissss...."
That's when I fell back down on the couch, suddenly feeling rather tired.My brow furrowed as I stared into the amber liquid once last time, feeling a quick twinge of hate burning in my stomach...before groggily sitting up, moving to the kitchen with the pack and empty bottles in my arms. I tossed the garbage into the bin with such disdain that I could barely keep myself from growling. I then looked at the half-empty bottle one more time and proceeded to dump the contents into the sink before tossing it in with it's horrid bretheren. I stumbled around a little bit as I made my way upstairs and into the bedroom, my cozy bed waiting patiently for me.
"When you've only got a hundred years...to live."
There was no holding back the tears anymore, I let them freely cascade down my face as I lay there, sniffling quietly.
"Yep, I'm never drinkin' again."
With that finally said, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep once more, barely caring about the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. The pestering itch that spoke to me, sending me a message.
A message saying that I was being watched.
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Gah, now I can't recall how the Mane 6 got to ponyville, exactly. I'm thinking first was Applejack comes back from Manehatten. Then Fluttershy drops in, literally, and Rainbow Dash follows her of course. Pinkie Pie wanders in around this time as well due to the sonic rainboom...
Then... there's some unknown amount of time as the five ponies grow up, they each get a place to live and... Rarity kicks out Athena? Well, probably not kick out. More likely Athena moves elsewhere. I bet Athena mentors Rarity to be a seamstress!
And am I seeing things or is Cadence falling for Kyle? That'll muck up things if she doesn't get love-dovey with Shining Armor first. Not that things aren't slightly broken right now with the cottage being owned by Kyle and taking the job at Sugarcube Corner from Pinkie. Still. He did have to give AJ a lot of bits so she could take the train. If he wasn't there, she wouldn't have been able to get to Manehatten. This doesn't jive with canon because she should have been able to without his help. Augh! Something is wrong with the continuity. I'm gonna blame The Rake for trying to go back in time and mess up events so the Mane 6 would not meet and become the Elements of Harmony who go an defeat all sorts of world-ending, or reality-twisting, baddies. As long as Kyle is there, he'll make sure things proceed according to plan. (I'd almost say Celestia's plan because she loves those kinds of chess games that last generations and the pieces have no idea they're all pawns in her cosmic-level shenanigans)
I'm with 3515205 on this one. There are far to many twists and turns for this to have gone the 'right' way without Kyle. Here's hoping he doesn't mess something up in the process.
Keep up the good work. Deus teucm.
SPOILERS
P.S. Did you know that the 'rake' is an utterly made up monster? It was designed on a 4-chan forum under the title 'hey /b/ let's make a new monster.' Just food for thought.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSMlfUjMYQo
Such a sweet sad chapter.
A main event huh? Sonic rainboom time I hope
Hmm, it seems like Cadance has the hots for Kyle. Well, this is getting interesting.
Kyle is kinda acts mature at a young age of 15. He can live on his own, and he also got a job.
I like it.
3582456
No, I don't play PC, I own a PS3
Hence the Cole Macgrath art on my Profile
"Why, it's the eighth of December, Kyle." Cadence somewhat sang from beside me.
Hey. That's my birthday. XD