Extremely Loud, Intensely Bright, Drastically Tense, Exceedingly Tight

by h4ns

Chronicle

Chapter 59: Chronicle

"Your life force?"

"My life force."

"Your...life force...?"

"Yes, my life force."

"Life...force...?" Rarity asked a third time.

"Yes, life force," replied Bryce.

There came a moment of silence between Bryce and the ponies. Bryce took the time to look them over.

The entire time, Rarity hadn't taken her eyes off of him; even when Bryce would look back. It was uncertain if she did it out of concern for his pasty complexion, out of worry that he might keel over from the lightest breeze, or out of fear.

Fluttershy was not able to allow herself to look up at Bryce, or at anything for that matter. She instead kept her gaze on the white bunny rabbit held in her hooves. Angel had never been the easiest pet under the timid mare's care, nor had he been the kindest, but after all the time she had put into him she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Every so often, Fluttershy would turn Angel around with care, trying to find the slightest hint of of a bite mark, a puncture wound, any evidence that Angel had came close bleeding out. But there was nothing. Whatever this life force was, it had left Angel without a blemish.

Pinkie Pie had likewise kept her head turned down, but more so that she could see her meal. It had been a fair amount of time since Bryce healed Angel, but the mare's stomach had yet to cease its grumbling. In her mind it meant that she must be very hungry.

As Bryce began to pour himself another cup of coffee, and add four cubes of sugar to the brew, Rarity spoke up. "Bryce, forgive me, but what exactly was that?"

"I told you: Life force."

"I get that, but I guess what I'm asking is: What is it?"

"Life force," Bryce said.

Rarity facehoofed. By Celestia, dense is dense, but this...! She thought to herself.

I told you that already.

She looked back up to Bryce. "I know you did; don't rub it in!" What she found was Bryce, but he was busy drinking his coffee.

After placing his cup down, he asked, "Don't rub what in?"

She raised a hoof in his direction. "Didn't you just say... Oh, nevermind." She took a deep breath, then let it out. "Bryce, will you please tell me what life force is?"

Bryce started to explain, but was interrupted by Pinkie. "Life force is the stuff that resides inside every living being. The stuff that keeps our souls inside our bodies. You're born with it, but over time the membrane that keeps it inside your body becomes weaker and weaker, until *poof*, your life force leaks out and you die." She went back to devouring her meal.

Bryce and Rarity looked to the party mare in shock. "Right... That's about the gist of it," Bryce said as he swirled the contents of his mug.

"Oh... Okay, now I guess my next question would be how did you do...that...?" She said, waving a hoof towards Angel.

"Well, it's something... Something I inherited."

"You...inherited...?" Rarity asked, not taking full grasp of the human's words.

Bryce shook his head. "No, that's the wrong word. It more like..." Bryce took a pause to think. "It's like backwash. You know, when you have a little bit of food in your mouth, but then you go to take a drink. A bit of the food washes back into the glass. Backwash."

"So, you're saying this...ability? You can bring your life force to the surface because...? Why?"

"I can do it because it was backwashed to me." The look Rarity gave made it clear she wasn't getting it. With little else to give as an example, Bryce clapped his hands together, getting Pinkie's attention. With his palms held together, Bryce rubbed them lengthwise. Again a pale glow came from within.

When Bryce separated his hands, Rarity found the glow's source. It was from a small mass. This mass looked to be in a constant flux between different states of matter.

She was uncertain, but seeing this glob filled Rarity with a feeling of bottomless joy. A feeling of being a young filly again with her baby sister on Hearth's Warming Eve. Rarity would tease with a candy cane she kept well out of reach of the little foal sister. Rarity would lower the 'J' shaped treat close to Sweetie Belle's toothless mouth. But before the foal could grab it with her gums it would be snatched up by a a blue aura. It may have been rude of Rarity at the time, but it did fill the mare with such joy.

Then, just as fast as the glowing glob had appeared it sank back down into Bryce's palm, and the feeling of joy left with it. Looking into Bryce's grey eyes brought Rarity back to the present. "I can do this because someone did it to me," Bryce explained.

"Somepony did that to you? You mean like you did to Angel?" Bryce gave a nod. "So, does that mean Angel...?"

Bryce shrugged. "I don't really know if he can. I don't know all the rules behind it, but there is a chance, but it is a small one. He has a better chance of it improving the abilities he already has. It depends upon where you put it. For it to work on you, for example, I would need to rub my life force onto your hooves."

"Uhm, I don't think I would like that."

"Well, even if you wanted it I wouldn't do it now. I need to build my life force back up." He ended this by downing the remainder of his coffee mug.

"Is that why you're drinking coffee?"

"Yes. It's like Pinkamena said: 'Life force resides in every living being. But there are other things, as well. Things high in sugar or glucose and the like are the best. Any food can, though they tend to have more in them the fresher the ingredients, and if they don't contain very many artificial additives."

"So right now you're trying to replace what you gave away, so to speak?"

"Exactly. You see, in every living thing there is a membrane, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. It's a lot like a balloon: The more time that passes since it was inflated the more the air inside sweeps out. When we eat we are refilling the balloon, but with life force instead of air. But over time the membrane becomes weaker until it can't hold it in any longer. Think of it as if you fill a balloon with so much air it just pops. It's like that, but this membrane is instead becoming too weak to hold in our lifeforce. It usually gives out whenever it's your time to go."

"You said 'usually', can it be released in another way?"

"Well, yes. Whenever someone becomes too sick or sustains a really bad injury the membrane gives and the person or thing dies."

"But how were you able to heal Angel?" Rarity asked.

At mention of her pet's name, Fluttershy left the room to place Angel into bed.

Once she was out of the room, Bryce answered, "My life force replaced his blood and sealed the wounds. The actual 'how' though I can't say. There's a theory that as blood holds oxygen life force holds life. But it's impossible to test."

"But you yourself called it life force. I would think it's self explanatory."

"Well, that's just one name for it. It also goes by aether, spirit, ka, akasha. It's more along the lines of the essence of all living things."

"Then where did it come from?"

Bryce raised his shoulders. "We just don't know."

By then Pinkie had finished eating, but her stomach continued to rumble. Regardless of how much she filled the void her tummy gave out a roar. She held a hoof up to her chin as she stared it her stuff gut. Hmm, I guess it didn't mean I was hungry. But Bryce already did something neato. What else could it be?

"Well in any case," Rarity said, "I would say you've had more than enough sugar and coffee. I think you've talked to me more today than you ever have before."

"What, me?" Bryce said in a quick tone. "I never talk. I'm always the quietest one. I can be quiet. I'm always quiet."

Rarity levitated the sugar bowl and coffee can out of Bryce's reach before he could fill the mug. "Your skin tone seems to be returning rather nicely, if I do say so myself. So after that mug, no more."

Bryce rapped a knuckle on the table in defeat. "If you say so. I don't even like the taste. I mean, it's like a drug. I just got a taste of it and I want more."

"Well you're not getting any. But I want to ask one more thing. How many more humans can do what you can do? How many can use their life force in such a way?"

"Not very many. Less than a percent of a percent of a percent of a percent."

"Then are there any other abilities?"

Bryce sat up straight. "No, uh, why would you ask?"

"You said you, uh hem, 'backwashed' that ability from somepony. I was just wondering if there were more."

"Well, no. There aren't any others."

As Bryce finished his sentence Pinkie's belly let out an audible groan in response. The party mare took her food baby belly in her fore legs. "What's the matter, belly? You're already full, what else can there be?"

Her belly roared again.

"Bryce did something neato."

The party mare's belly gave a longer, rolling groan.

"Pinkie, what is it telling you?" asked Rarity.

"I don't know. I can't speak Belloni very well. I can speak Candi but not Belloni."

Her belly groaned, causing her body to quake.

If what Pinkie had told him was true, then Bryce could think of one reason why it now growled. He didn't need to be an expert in Belloni to know what it found neato.

Bryce opened the front casing of his watch. "Well, it's getting late. I guess I should be getting back to the farm." He stood, picking up his coffee mug as he did so.

"Are you sure, Bryce? You haven't had anything solid to eat," Rarity stated.

"Well, I think I'll wait until I get back to the farm."

Pinkie's stomach let out a roar. "What's that? Bryce can do what?"

"I...can to get back to the house. It was nice seeing you al-"

It roared again, this time sounding like a growling dog. "I didn't quite catch that last part."

Bryce stopped when he saw Fluttershy coming down the hall. She still had a sad mother's look on her face. "Well, I'm gonna get going, Shy. I'll bring your mug back if I don't for-"

Bryce was cut off again by Pinkie's stomach, which growled loud enough to rival a clap of thunder by itself.

Bryce balled up his fists and turned to face Pinkie. "Would you shut that thing up! It's getting on my last-"

Before Bryce could finish, Fluttershy let out a yelp. Rarity looked to her in concern. "Fluttershy, what's the..." She trailed off from what she saw.

Pinkie, who had had her back turned, looked back and said, "Oh, that is neato!"

Bryce was dumbfounded by the three mares' expressions. Hearing Fluttershy's scream was one thing, but now that the two remaining mares were speechless he knew something wasn't right.

He took a look down at his hands; his empty hands. Where was the coffee mug? Bryce thought back. He'd had it when he got up from the table, and when he was close to walking out the door, but when he had turned back to yell at Pinkie... Bryce felt his stomach drop, and his pupils shrink. No, not now! He thought to himself.

Biting down on his lip, and turning around to face Fluttershy, Bryce found his coffee mug.

He was still holding it, but not in his two now shaking physical hands.

The mug was being held in midair, jerking about like his hands were now. It was a wonder none of the coffee had spilled out.

Bryce felt it hard to breathe.

He looked back to Rarity and Pinkie, who were shocked and surprised, respectively.

The room felt like it was spinning.

His telekenetic hold on the coffee mug was loosened enough that the porcelain cup fell to the floor, shattering to pieces.

He saw Rarity's mouth move, but if she said anything Bryce couldn't comprehend her words.

He said, "I think I should be getting on home."

Rarity jumped up and got in Bryce's way. She again spoke in mute words. From her face she looked gravely concerned.

he felt something trickle out of his nose. Wiping his hand under his nose he found a crimson stain left behind. "Rar... Rar... Rarity, I think I may stay for a little while...longer..."

Bryce felt himself go weightless; the room fading to black as fell to the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The timber wolves were coming, and within seconds the pack would be upon the earth pony, the human, and the mare-sized canine.

Applejack, however, wasn't sure which she wanted to get at first: the fifteen timber wolves coming their way, or Bryce, who up until now she had thought had taken on a timber wolf single handed and won unscathed. Although in truth she couldn't be too mad at him for this; she hadn't felt like asking for the means in which he had beheaded the wooden pooch then. But now that she knew, the confidence she had of them all getting back to the house alive was greatly diminished.

Applejack had been no stranger when it came to ruffing up timber wolves. In fact, she'd done so on numerous occasions. But all the times before there had been around five, eight wolves at the most.

If the number of the timber wolves were five, or even ten then maybe maybe they had a chance, but there were fifteen. And with that great a number, and with the apple mare being the only one capable of taking on a pack, the chances were slim in Applejack's mind. She wasn't even sure how, if through any means, they could take on a pack that had the numbers to flank them from all sides at once.

Regardless of this, Applejack looked to her side to see Bryce, the shovel he'd brought held out to keep his foes at a distance, and Corn, whose fur was standing on end and teeth were bared. Despite her doubts, if they were to go down she knew it would be a good fight. Staring back into the orchard, Applejack narrowed her eyes in determination, prepared to turn on her hooves and buck the first walking pile of fire wood that came at her.

She didn't have to wait long as the first wooden pooch came sprinting at her at top speed. In a heartbeat, Applejack turned and rammed her back hooves into the timber wolf, sending its individual pieces scattering in all directions.

Fourteen...

At the same time, Bryce swung his shovel at a wolf. He sliced deep into its bark carapace and dismembered one of its legs. Retracting the blade from the timber wolf's side, Bryce took a knee, while planting the handle into the ground behind him, and thrust the shovel into the plastron of a timber wolf about to pounce him. With the wolf still caught on the shovel, Bryce swung the tool around, sending it flying. Using the momentum while he still had it, he then spun around and lopped off the left side of a third wolf's face sending it to the ground with a loud yelp. He then took the time to ensure it stayed down by impaling the shovel through its neck, extinguishing the green glow in its eyes.

Eleven...

Corn, however, was not being as fortunate. The German Shepherd had been no stranger himself when it came to fighting wolves, but these 'wolves' were showing to be more difficult for him. Currently, he had one pinned down on its back, biting into its throat. But whenever Corn bit down his maw was filled with painful splinters. Ignoring of the pain, Corn bit at the wolf under him. He stopped after the wolf fell crumbled into lifelessness.

Ten...

Applejack, who had retreated a short distance away before any timber wolves could get the jump on her, saw all of this happen. She was beyond belief. From her experience, the human had always seemed like a big statue; unmovable and hard to take down. But from what she had just seen that was far from the truth. She didn't take too much time to think about this as a wolf came charging at her. Stepping to the side at the last second, her attacker crashed head first into a tree, not shattering it but leaving it disorientated. Applejack took advantage of this and bucked out the wolf's head.

Nine...

Bryce was quick to realize his folly in his last action. His weapon had become lodged in the ground and refused to give up its ground. It was at that moment a pair of timber wolves noticed the human's plight and came running at him. With a much greater effort, Bryce pulled at the handle. By the time the two wolves reached him he pulled the shovel out with a whip, knocking away one. However, Bryce wasn't able to ward off the second wolf as it forced him down on his back. He barely had the time to place an forearm into its mouth. With his free hand, Bryce felt around for anything to smash into the wolf's skull. What he found was beyond ordinary, but the still snapping timber wolf head did the trick as it gnawed into its pack member. Holding up his shovel, Bryce beat the pair relentlessly into the mud.

Seven...

Corn was in a faceoff with his second opponent. The splinters that had gotten lodged into his mouth made it difficult, almost impossible for him to continue on. When Corn went for his next bite the pain in his maw was too much to bear. His opponent had no sympathy for the canine as he made a move to attack. Its attack was cut off when he it was sent away in pieces.

Six...

Corn's brown eyes looked over to see a familiar freckled face. "Corn, yuh better get on back ta the house, sugarcube. You're too hurt ta help anymore."

He was about to whine in protest when Bryce cried, "Do what she says, Corn." He stopped to smack another timber wolf away. "You're too hurt to be of any use. Get going while you can." Bryce jabbed the blade into the wolf's exposed underbelly and twisted it around for good measure.

Five...

Corn was reluctant to do as he was told, but he knew his boy and Applejack were right. Running in the direction of the house, the sound of Bryce and Applejack's battle died in the sound of rainfall.

Back at the clearing, Bryce and the orange mare had formed up back to back.

The five remaining timber wolves began to form a tight circle around the pair until they were each a little more than ten feet away from them both.

Bryce and Applejack were winded from their experience thus far. Between breathes, the mare said, "Yuh seem ta be holding yourself up nicely there, Bryce."

"Well, you shouldn't have underestimated me. I've got more secrets than you could ever know."

Applejack gave a chuckle. "Yeah, like what?"

The few timber wolves around them took a single step closer to their prey, snarling in hunger and hatred.

“No time; wolves.“ Bryce answered.

In an instant, four of the five wolves charged forward in unison, three at Bryce and one at Applejack. The larger pack leader held back.

Applejack, instead of spinning around on her hooves, charged into the one closest to her. The timber wolf hadn't expected this and was knocked into the air, falling a short distance away. Applejack took the chance and gave another swift buck into its wooden cranium, vaporizing the life from its timbered form.

Four...

The apple mare wasted no time in turning back to help Bryce, but as it turned out he didn’t need it. She found that Bryce had already taken down the three that had been after him and was now staring the largest of the pack square in the face.

One...

But instead of Bryce holding the shovel out to defend himself, he had placed it in the ground behind him.

For seconds the timber wolf stared back at Bryce, snarling as he did so, but Bryce remained statue still.

Eventually, and this was something that puzzled Applejack more than anything, the timber wolf whimpered in fear before turning around and high-tailing it out of there.

For a minute, Bryce did nothing except stare off to where the timber wolf had retreated, then over to Applejack. "Are you hurt?" He bluntly asked.

"Ah... Ah don’t think so."

Bryce made his way over to her. “Go and walk around a bit to be sure." Applejack moved around the clearing a few feet. With each step of her right back leg the apple mare let out a hiss. "Do you think you'll be able to make it to the house?"

The apple mare leaned against a tree. "It hurts, but not enough ta make it unbearable. What about you? Did you get-" To Applejack's horror, a fair amount of blood was seeping out of the teeth marks in his right arm. "Bryce..."

"It's nothing. It barely hurts."

"It looks horrible!"

"Well, it looks worse than it feels. There's nothing that can be done now."

"Yeah, but-" As Applejack scratched the back of her head she expected to find her Stetson, but all she found was her blonde mane. "Gosh darn it! Did yuh see where my hat went?" Bryce nodded over to a far off apple tree. Hanging on a tree limb was the Stetson. Applejack let out a sigh. "Bryce, Ah'd hate ta ask this of yuh in your condition, but could yuh-"

"Yeah, I'll get it." Taking the shovel in his left hand, Bryce poked at the Stetson in an attempt to coerce it down.

"Hey!" Applejack yelled. "Try and be careful with it. It's...important ta me."

"I'm trying; it's the hat that won't cooperate."

"Well, just...be careful, please." As Bryce continued to poke at the Stetson, Applejack asked, "Hey...Bryce. Ah'm... Ah'm sorry about what Ah thought about yuh. It's just...Ah was so-"

"It's alright." Was all Bryce said.

"Wha...? But...all Ah said..."

"Well, let's just say attempted murderer isn't the worst thing someone's ever called me."

Applejack shook her head. "Ah just don't get yuh, but after everything that's happened Ah think it'd be best ta just accept it."

"Well, you'll save time that way. H, I don't even understand some of the things I do."

"Well, Ah'm still sorry for it; for saying that and doubtin yuh. Ah still can't get over how yuh took on them timber wolves. Ah've faced my fair share and Ah could never have taken'em with that kinda work." Applejack then asked something that had been bugging her. "Hey, what happened with the last one?"

Unbeknownst to them, the remains of fourteen timber wolves had scurried away into the orchard.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah don't understand how yuh scared'm off. Ah mean, yuh didn't even move but it still ran off like you were about to light'm on fire."

"Well, maybe that's what it thought. Who knows? All I know is that it won't be gone for long, so keep a lookout." With a few more careful pokes, the Stetson came loose from the tree, only to be caught in a burst of wind once again. "Damn it all!" Bryce yelled. Despite her injury, Applejack ran after her Stetson. "AJ, wait!"

Applejack didn't hear Bryce call out to her, and ran after her hat. When she found it laying on the ground her mind was still on it. If she had looked past it, she would have noticed the pair of green glowing eyes directly above her, but all she could see was the Stetson.

At her approach, a large wooden paw blocked her path, forcing her to skid to a halt. Her heart leaped into her throat as she sized up the wolf, which suddenly seemed much bigger than she remembered. Applejack nostrils were filled with the scent of its breath: a mixture of road kill, mold, and soggy wood. For whatever reason her body refused to react as the timber wolf lowered its head, giving her a good view of the smoothed white bones and red tinted fur of whatever poor woodland creatures had been unfortunate enough to be called a meal.

The timber wolf was going to enjoy this meal. For years it had been the leader of its pack, and his size was a message to that. And all of this had been disrupted by this little pony and a creature none of his kind had ever seen before. Yes, his pack was gone, and now made up his new, much more powerful form. He was going to get back at them both for killing his brethren, starting with this one. Yes, he was going to enjoy this meal.

Something gummed up the works on this plan. Without warning the timber wolf found the ground underneath him being pulled away. He tried to kick out for something to catch onto, but was only met with air. Something was causing this; some unseen entity was making him float off the ground. It didn't have the pleasure of finding out why before he was thrust to the side, smashing into a tree. The tree suffered a fair amount of damage but not as much as the timber wolf alpha, whose individual pieces went flying in all directions.

But all of this wasn't right in Applejack's mind. This wasn't what had happened that night. Everything up to this point was true. She would remember something like this happening, but she didn't. Bryce had come up from behind, his shovel prepared to strike the timber wolf. He had missed his mark, however, and instead knocked Applejack in the head, sending her into unconsciousness. They'd both lived, and returned back to the house no worse for wear.

For whatever reason she had had the same exact dream of the same night. Not every time she went to bed, but enough to where she could tell what would happen next. Like now: Any second now she would turn around to see Bryce, with his shovel prepared to strike her across the head.

And as she remembered it, that's how it happened. Applejack heard a branch snap directly behind her causing her to look to the source. And there was Bryce, with his spade prepared to strike her across the head. And then he uttered the words, "I'm sorry," and knocked her on the head.

Applejack shot up, crying out. She felt a great weight pull itself off her chest. As she breathed heavily she looked around, seeing the orchard. Not the part from her dream, but the apple orchard, nonetheless.

All around there were apple trees, just like the one Applejack was lying under now. She didn't do this very often, but her recent dreams left the apple mare feeling drowsy in the middle of the day. For whatever reason she found herself feeling drained no matter how much she slept; like something was taking her energy as she dreamt that same dream.

As the stars in her vision cleared Applejack grabbed for her head hurt from bring hit by a shovel. This would only last for a few seconds before receding into nothingness, like it'd never occurred, but the mere thought still clung to Applejack's thoughts. Why do Ah keep dreaming of that? Ah know what happened, and Ah'm sure it was an accident. Then why does it keep coming back?

Taking a look to the sky, Applejack saw that the summer sun was a scant few hours away from meeting the Western horizon. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she prepared to get back to work. There were too many apple trees that still needed bucking to think about it now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Bryce opened his eyes the room was dim. When he began to move he heard Pinkie say, "You guys, he's awake!"

At the pink mare's notice, both Rarity and Fluttershy came running over to check on the human.

"Bryce, are you alright?" Rarity asked, trying to contain herself.

Bryce looked about the room as everything came into focus. He saw he was lying on Fluttershy's sofa. "I- I don't know. How long was I out?"

"Only for a few hours. You fell down, do you remember?"

Bryce rubbed at his head. "I...do... I think I do..." He began to grab around. "I... I had a coffee mug. Did I-"

"You don't need to worry about that now." She levitated a plate over containing a sandwich, a few slices of cheese, and as many crackers. "You should try and get something in you besides coffee. I doubt the amount you consumed did you any favors."

Bryce took the plate, sending away the blue aura. "Thank you, Rarity." He bit into the sandwich. It was a lettuce and tomato sandwich, quite generous with the mayonnaise. "It's good. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. This was Fluttershy's doing."

"Well, thank you, Shy," Bryce said to the buttercup mare. She looked him in the eyes for a split second before looking away, not giving a response. "Is everything okay?"

Before Rarity could explain, Fluttershy turned away, taking a seat as far away possible in her small cottage.

"Shy?"

Rarity place a hoof on his shoulder and came in close. "I think you should give her time, darling. She hasn't said much since... Angel."

"Oh... How is he?"

"He hasn't done much either. Though after coming so close to meeting your maker in such a way I don't know of anypony who would."

"I'm sure he'll come around. He's got too much spite in him to curl up and die. Well, you know what I mean."

"Yes, well, I think I'm more concerned now about you," stated Rarity.

Bryce placed a slice of cheese on a cracker. "I'll be fine. I've given more life force on myself than that when I was at the hospital. Well, that and I helped my roommate with his heart."

Bryce had gone back to eating when Rarity said, "Actually, that's not what I'm concerned with. Do you remember what happened? Specifically, do you remember what happened when you tried to leave?"

When he heard that, Bryce stopped eating mid-munch. Still shots of the events that transpired before his fall ran across his vision: Pinkie's rumbling stomach; his eagerness to leave; the mug. Bryce almost choked on a cracker when that came up. "I- I don't remember much. Uh, what did you see?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure, but it looked to me that your mug was floating."

"Floating...? Well, you must have been seeing things. Unless there's a ghost here with us. Right now." Bryce looked around the room, hoping that if there were ghosts they would make themselves known. Either through spite or nihility the ghosts held their peace. DAMN IT ALL!!!

"Bryce...?" Rarity cooed.

He looked away. "Rarity, please."

"Come now, can it really be so bad?"

"You just...won't understand..."

"Maybe not, but I'll try."

He rolled back over, staring Rarity straight in the eyes. "Rarity, it's not something to be proud of." But one look from her eyes made it certain: She wasn't letting him get away without an explanation. Bryce bit down on his lip and exhaled. "Rarity, you have to promise me one thing."

"I'm listening."

"What I'm about to show you you can never tell to anyone."

"Okay, I promise."

"I mean it, Rarity. This is something I've wanted left hidden."

"I promise."

"It's just... Rarity-"

"Bryce, I promise I won't say a single-"

"That's not good enough! This is something best not knowing... You have to Pinkie Promise me."

"Pinkie...Promise...? Surely it cannot-."

Bryce shoved a finger into Rarity face, his teeth gritted. "Promise me, or nothing."

"Bryce... Since this means so much, I guess I could-"

"Up up up," Pinkie butted in. "If you're going to Pinkie Promise you have to do it right." She went through the motions. "Cross your heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in your eye."

Rarity stood opened mouthed. "I... suppose..." She did the movements as she said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake..." She said the remainder under her breath, not daring to stick a hoof into her own eye.

Pinkie gave the white mare a smug glance. "I'll hold you to that, Miss Priss." She used her hoof to throw up her curly mane.

She furrowed her brow as she looked to Bryce. "Will that suffice!?" Bryce gave a light nod. He went about clearing what was left on his plate. "What on Equus...!?"

"Please, bear with me," he said with his mouth full. He did his hardest to draw out his meal, hoping she would drop it if he wasted enough time. But it seemed she wouldn't be swayed as she narrowed her eyes with each bite.

Then the time came.

The plate was bare, save for a few crumbs.

Taking in a deep breath Bryce placed the plate flat onto his palm and stared it down.

For a few seconds he did nothing, but then he began to curl his fingers up so that the plate was supported by the five digits.

Then what happened next made the white mare's jaw drop.

With the plate still being held up by his fingers, Bryce moved the thin appendages close until they were clumped together.

Bryce held the plate this way for a few seconds before removing his thumb. The plate still held. Then he lowered his pinkie. His ring finger. His index finger. This left the plate held up by only Bryce's middle finger.

And then, just like the four fingers before, Bryce remove this finger. But the plate still held its place.

Taking a trembling hoof Rarity tapped the glass plate. Though it shifted about a few inches it still floated. In disbelief, Rarity put her hoof under the plate, all around the edges, even over it, thinking there were strings she couldn't see. But there were none.

"Bryce... H- How...?"

Bryce released his telekenetic grip and grabbed the plate before it hit the floor.

Rarity stared at Bryce at a loss for words.

"Golly..." Pinkie exclaimed. "That was so COOL!!! Oh, oh, do me next. Make me float in the air." She began to jump up thinking Bryce would catch her.

"Pinkamena," said Bryce, "I'm not doing that."

"Ahh, come on. Please."

"No. It's not a play thing."

Rarity cleared her throat to get Bryce's attention. "Excuse me, but could we get back to the part where you explain what the hay is going on?"

Bryce got himself in a sitting position on the couch. "Rarity, I wasn't completely honest.

She rolled her eyes. You don't say! She thought.

"Yes, I do say. I do have other abilities. What you saw just now was one of them."

"And what is it?"

Bryce held the plate in the air again and released it. As before it floated with no intention of falling. "This is telekenesis. And unlike my ability with life force I have had it since birth."

"Okay. Is there anything else?"

Bryce scratched the back of his head. "Well, I also have telepathy. I can read and control minds."

Rarity rolled her eyes again. Honestly, I think he's doing this as a-

"Believe me, Marshmellow, it's not a joke."

She looked to the human in surprise. How did he know-

"What you were about to say? I told you: I can read minds." As if to prove his point, Bryce said, "My word, he might actually...be... Okay, that was all luck." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Alright you've had your fun, now will you please... Honestly, Bryce, this is beginning to be... Stop it! Bryce, I said-"

"-stop it!!!" Rarity shouted with her own voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay, so you can. Is there anything else?"

"There is. Sometimes I have visions. Visions of of the future."

"Oh... Are you having any at this moment?"

Bryce shook his head. "No. You can tell whenever I am. I get a feeling in the back of my head that goes all the way to the top. It happens when I least expect it. Usually it involves something I'll be involved with or a certain place I need to be. Sometimes it's a death or other misfortune I can prevent. And that's about it."

"So let me get this straight: You can makes items float, read minds, control minds, use life force to heal ponies, and see visions of the future?"

"Yeah," was all Bryce said.

"Why would you keep this hidden? Don't you see us as friends?"

Bryce cradled his arms in front of him, rocked himself back and forth, and wiggled his toes in his usual way. "Rarity, I didn't do it to be mean. These powers, they are a very dangerous thing."

"Dangerous? They seem rather tame. I mean, what's the worst that could happen if you used your life force to heal somepony or see the future or, Heaven forbid, read somepony's deepest thoughts... Okay, maybe that last one can be a bit invasive, but the other things can't be as bad as you believe."

Bryce looked down to his feet, not wanting to meet anypony's gaze. "Rarity, they are dangerous. Yes, I can lift things with my mind but that's not all. I can do things to people the weren't meant ot be done. I mean, with just the wrong thought I can squeeze somebody's head to the size of a Chinese takeout box. If not that, then I could leave them off as nothing more than a vegetable sitting around, waiting to die. I could make a man take a gun and stick to his own head. Make him feel unimaginable pain before he finally can't take it anymore and blows his fucking brains out all over the damn place!!!"

When Bryce finished he realized he had his own hand in that same position. He lowered his hand. "You just don't understand it until you've experienced it."

Without a single worry, Rarity walked over and placed a hoof onto the human's shoulder. "Bryce, maybe I don't understand, but I know you would never do something so heinous to anypony."

Bryce couldn't bring himself to look at Rarity. If only you knew.

While still holding a hoof on Bryce's shoulder, Rarity said, "I'll still keep my word, though. I don't understand it but if that's the way you feel I'll honor your feelings." She jumped up and wrapped her hooves around the human's thick neck. "I promise not to say a word to anypony."

"Do you Pinkie Promise?"

Rarity gave a smile. "Of course, darling. I cross my heart, hope to fly, I'll even stick a cupcake in my eye. But not that last part. I mean, a promise is a promise, but that's a little much."

Bryce took a hold of Rarity's hoof. "Rarity, please please do." He looked over at Pinkie. "I would like the same from you, Pinkamena." She answered by giving Bryce a salute. Bryce looked to Fluttershy. "And...Fluttershy?"

The pegasus did not return his gaze.

"I don't know if you've been paying attention, but I'd like it if you did the same."

She gave a nod as she stared down at the floor.

"Well, if there's nothing else I think I should be getting back to the farm. For real this time. It was good seeing you all." He walked over to Fluttershy and took a knee. "And I'm sorry about what Corn did today. I don't know what got into him, but I'm glad I could help. I'd do anything for you, Shy."

This caused Fluttershy to shed a tear. "Bryce..."

"Yes?"

Then she did the unexpected. With a leap, Fluttershy jumped up and wrapped Bryce in a strong hug. It was surprising enough to knock the human on his back. "Bryce, thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!!!"

"Shy..."

"I don't know what I would have done without you. Angel may not be the best animal I've ever cared for, but he's still my bunny." She released her hold on Bryce's neck and pushed herself up so she was standing over Bryce. "I don't care what you have or what you can do, I'm just happy you were able to save my baby." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Bryce's heart skipped a beat. His face turn a deep red.

Rarity faces turned the same shade of red.

Pinkie's heart was fluttering as a smile spread across her face. Ha, I knew those two were a match.

When she removed herself from Bryce's cheek, she looked him in the eye. For a minute they could do little except stare back at the other. Then, after realizing what she had done, Fluttershy jumped up and ran upstairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Bryce looked to Pinkie and Rarity. "Guys, what the H just happened?"

Comments

[BrianPony]

Well....that just happened. Mind = blown!

[Doctor.whooves]

[Xenomorpher]

This whole chapter feels out of place.

[PinkiePieFox]

Bryce looked to Pinkie and Rarity. "Guys, what the H just happened?"

Herems, Herems everywhere!

[JohnIsOffline]

6067138 horse have a harem in our world.
What about other universe, It everywhere when female population so freaking high. The war will never show up. And female will rape the boy.

[PinkiePieFox]

6078455 I dont think Rape is much of a problem in Equestria... I mean it could be... But... Well, they have magic... And magic can do anything....

[JohnIsOffline]

6078818 Let me guess....A mare have a magic cock.

[Pixel Berry]

I don't know why, but so far this is the best(and longest) chapter in this book that I like. ^w^