Synch

by sunnypack

29 - I've Always Wanted to See the World

Not entirely true, Gruff was still a nice guy and the following only confirmed it.

“So Gruff”, I began, trying to eye on opening. “How’s this going to go down?”

My act was mostly false bravado, after all, Gruff was a bigger figure than me and I had lost the element of surprise. The atmosphere was tense and I could feel cold sweat beading down my forehead. Gruff seemed to tense and I reacted by tensing up as well. This could very well be the fight of my life. It was going to be a clash of the titans. It was going to be an epic battle of good versus evil. It was going to be-

“Take me with you!” he pleaded, unexpectedly and I figuratively face-planted. Well played, Gruff. Well played. It seemed Gruff was fully capable of taking me by surprise.

“What?” was all I could respond with and I winced internally. That’s got to have lost me some ‘hard line killer’ points. I shrugged.

“Why?” I followed up with, wary now more than threatened.

“When you told me about the world I was curious”, he spoke, voice rough and full of emotion.

Well I'll be... An aspiring adventurer. But what could an adventurer want with me in particular?

“I'm not wanted here, not appreciated here. I’m always a drifter… I want something more, something only you can seem to give”, he explained, putting a clawed paw behind his head.

“I don't understand”, I stated, uncomprehending. “What does that have to do with me? What could possibly be something only I can give?”

He opened his mouth and shut it. His claws swung and paused in mid gesture as he tried to explain himself. It seemed he had difficulty trying to frame exactly what gave him the push to consider me as a means for his escape. An escape he had simply dreamt of, now tangible in the form of a human.

I threw him a bone, figuratively speaking of course.

“Gruff you are the one who decides your own fate, not me. I am a stranger you have met for less than a week and you trust your life… your whole future to me? Freedom is not something you can gain from someone else. It’s something you seek for yourself. Just because I told you about the world doesn't make me qualified to show it to you. You're your own dog, you can fetch the information yourself. Strike out independently, find a new job, start a new career, visit universities and read books of knowledge. Do whatever you want”, I lectured, though not unkindly.

He pointed an excited clawed ‘finger’ at me.

“That is what I'm talking about!” his gravelly voice grumbled elatedly. “Your manner, your explanations, you're you!”

Gosh, I think I inspired a diamond dog to become a student. In no time he'll be a scientist or an engineer or both, like me.

“You want to learn more about the world?” I asked soberly. He nodded bombastically reaching an uncomfortable arm around my shoulders.

“Teach me”, was all he said while drawing me into a hug.

I hesitantly returned it. After threatening his life he was just going to hug me and forgive me for that? I was at a loss for words.

He reached behind himself as I drew away and revealed a hook and rope he had been keeping tied around his belt.

He pointed at the furnace and pushed past me to get at the opening.

“Let’s go”, he offered, swinging the hook up the small chimney.

Well, I wasn't complaining. I followed him, expecting to see surprised faces.

I was not disappointed.

As Gruff clambered out he was immediately met with suspicion as Lightning gave him a hard look. Gruff put up his paws in a placating gesture and backed away from the standoffish stallion. As I brought up the rear Lightning looked at me in surprise and I returned the expression.

“I thought I told you to leave without me”, I said wryly.

Solid and Iron trotted up.

“We decided we weren't going to leave you alone, although Hardy flew off to get some help”, Solid reported as Iron nodded.

“It only takes one pony to send a message”, Iron commented.

Twilight scuffed a hoof on the ground.

“I think I've misjudged you”, she began but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.

“Oh come off it, if anything I should be apologising to you. Sorry for slapping you on the flank, that was very rude of me”, I replied, running my fingers through my hair in embarrassment.

Iron, Solid and Lightning collectively had to pick up dropped jaws from the ground. Unhygienic I tell you, jaws shouldn't be on the floor.

Gruff grumbled a laugh.

“Not bad”, he said, drawing the attention of all the ponies.

Lightning rounded on me.

“Why is he with you?” he asked demandingly. I could feel his interrogating stare bore into my soul.

“He wanted to see the world, apparently. He is now Gruff the student and I am his Master”, I declared airily, earning me suspicious looks from the majority of ponies except Pinkie who was already shaking Gruff’s hand.

“Hiya Gruff!” she cried out in delight. “Nice to meet you! I'm Pinkie Pie, but you can call me Pinkie, all my friends do!”

“Except when they're calling you other things”, I said under my breath, Twilight heard my less than subtle statement and shot me a glare in the defence of her friend. I mouthed an apology. That was definitely unwarranted.

Pinkie finished shaking hands with Gruff and somehow ended up piggybacking around Gruff’s shoulders, hooves around his neck. Gruff didn't mind and appeared to be smiling pleasantly around the energetic pink party mare.

I leaned in to Twilight and whispered in her ear.

“Looks like Gruff made his second friend”, I said conspiratorially. Twilight smiled, she seemed to accept Gruff when Pinkie went out of the way to make friends with him.

“You can never have too many friends”, she replied philosophically. I pondered the statement for a while.

“I'll let you know if I ever do”, I shot back and Twilight giggled.

“That'll be the day”, she agreed and cantered forward, leaving me behind.

I followed the purple-coated mare thinking devious things about what it meant to have too many friends. I paused mid-step as I considered a weird thought.

I thought of home.

You can never have too friends but...

I thought of Dmitri, Paul, Angel, Emilia and even Dwayne.

You can always have just enough.

Author's Note:

I don't know why but I decided to have a warm chapter, ah toasty. I needed to get away from the dark insinuations that the other chapters have brought up. I think, to keep this dynamic I might cut away to some easy dialogue and slowly reintroduce plot elements.

In other words there may or may not be a diamond dog skirmish.

Next chapter: Gruff gets angry for once, Pinkie makes an exploding pie and Twilight turns Solid into a vampony. Will the madness never end?

Did you know?
Dmitri was ex-KGB. Oh and Martin used to be part of a cartel. Angel also had abusive parents. Two of these are true, one of these are false. Want to know more? I guess you'll have to read on!

As always, thanks for reading!

Comments

[Vadelent]

Martin did not belong to the cartel. That is what I am calling now. Or maybe he is still part of the cartel either would work to make my assumption true.