The River: Worlds Should Never Collide

by It Never Ends

Chapter 2: The River Is Where It Begins

Raza didn't sleep well at all. Not only did the laughter, screaming, and voices return, along with the rest of the nightmare. But Lyra and Bon Bon didn't come back home. Raza didn't think too much on worrying about where they were at first, he figured that Lyra must have been showing Bon Bon more things about the river or something like that. But when the clock tower's bell rang, the morning being over and afternoon beginning, was when he started to get a little concerned. Raza was certain they would have been home by the time he came back from grocery shopping, another chore Bon Bon assigned him, sleeping on their beds, but when Raza check their rooms, they were still empty. Now he was starting to worry, what could they be doing that took a whole day? Where they ok? Did something happen to them? Could they be in some kind of trouble? Raza grunted, more questions seemed to be rising, rather than the answers and it was really aggravating Raza. He decided to call in sick for work, to spend the rest of the day looking for Lyra and Bon Bon, seeing if anypony had seen them. And he did, Raza searched all of Ponyville, for about seven hours, asking ponies if they had seen Lyra or Bon Bon, to his surprise ponies kept telling him they hadn't seen the two mares in two days. Now feeling his heart rate rising, Raza ran to all the spots Lyra and Bon Bon liked to hang out at, and again he was sad to see that they were nowhere to be found. After about two and a half more hours of searching, Raza returned now terrified at the thought that something horrible had happen to his friends.

"What the hay happened in that forest, after I left?" Raza wondered. "Bon Bon, Lyra I hope you guys are ok."

"Hey Raza." Colgate said sneaking up behind and startling the medium tan stallion.

"Ah Colgate! I mean, hey what's up?" Raza said trying to sound fine, not worried.

"Oh, nothing just thought I take the day off, to visit my sister and her roommates." Colgate answered. "And Celestia behold, here you are."

"Out of the all days she could be visiting, she had to pick today." Raza thought, worried of what he should tell Colgate and how she will react when she ask where Lyra is.

"So what you doing here? Don't you work?" Colgate asked, now Raza was worried, what should he say?

"Oh I'm... Ugh looking for a new job." Raza answered, wanting to facehoof himself for thinking of such a stupid answer.

"You got fired! Wow that's a surprise to me, you were always a good worker. At least from what I've been told." Colgate said, feeling bad for asking the question that led to this sad answer.

"Oh no no no no no! I didn't get fired. I just thought about getting a second job." Raza explained, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You know earn some extra money."

"Yeah that makes sense. But won't that mean you'll have less time to be at home?" Colgate said, pointing out the obvious flaw to his answer.

"Yeah, it's not my most thought out idea." Raza said, letting out a small chuckle, while also cursing himself in his mind. "Well I Colgate it was good talking to you, but I need to get going."

"Wait! I'll come with you." Colgate said, walking next to Raza, who immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Why!?" Raza asked, now beginning to freak out.

"Because I want to visit my sister and Bon Bon, of course." Colgate answered, giggling at the fact that Raza would ask a question, to an obvious question. "You forget Lyra's my younger sister?"

"No it's just, I mean... I'm not going home yet." Raza said, panicking on the inside now.

"Than where are you going?" Colgate asked.

"To umm... Sugarcube Corner! Yeah, that's where I'm going." Raza said, feeling pretty proud he actually thought of something normal.

"Oh ok, I'll head go there with you." Colgate said, smiling.

"But I thought you dislike sweets? You know, being a dentist and all." Raza said, hoping that reminder would convince Colgate to leave.

"Yes, being a dentist makes me more observant to downside of sugar products, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying certain snacks." Colgate explained, again unknowing stomping on Raza's attempts to get rid of her. "Besides I brush and floss every morning, evening, afternoon, and night. I'll be fine."

"Isn't it just morning, afternoon, and night?" Raza asked, that part of Colgate's sentence caught his attention.

"It's my life style." Colgate answered proudly.

"I... I..." Raza tried too hard to think of something.

"Let me stop you there mister stutterer." Colgate said, raising her hoof to Raza. "You and I have never had a chance to hang out together. What's the matter are you afraid of me?"

"What!? NO, I'm just... I don't know." Raza said, trying to figure out a good excuse.

"That's it isn't it? You're afraid of Lyra's older sister." Colgate said, in a playful manner.

Raza let out a sigh of defeat and decided to just hang out with Colgate for a while. He knew it was better to just go along with this lie, rather than continue to be humiliated.
"Alright forget it, let’s go."

"Awesome! You're buying right?" Colgate asked, looking at Raza with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" Raza said, with a shocked face.

"I'm just playing around." Colgate said, giggling. "You should have seen your face. You looked like you were about to have a heart attack."

"You have interesting sense of humor." Raza said sarcastically.

Raza and Colgate headed to Sugarcube Corner, Colgate happy to be hanging out with a friend and Raza embarrassed by what had just transpired, also eager to hurry and head to the river to look for Bon Bon and Lyra, another subject he was hoping to avoid talking about with Colgate. How would she react if she knew her little sister was missing? Raza didn't want to find out. Raza did, to the best of his ability, avoid mentioning Lyra and sticking to trivial things. Such as news, weather, jobs, ect ect. They spent about an hour at Sugarcube Corner just continuing to talk. Colgate was pretty happy to have someone to hang with, since her day off was very boring and uneventful, the most she had done was clean up her home and dental tools. Even though she was enjoying Raza's company, she couldn't help but feel that something was... Off about him today. When they she talked to him in town, he seemed real keen on getting away from her. What could be bothering him so much? Could it be something serious? Colgate started to think maybe she was just over exaggerating, for all she knew he was just nervous about being around her. Than a thought came to her. What if it has something to do with Lyra? Over exaggeration or not, Lyra was still her sister and if Raza knew Lyra was in some kind of trouble, Colgate needed to know.

"Hey Raza, can I ask you a question?" Colgate asked, circling her straw around her drink.

"Ugh... Sure, what's in your mind?" Raza said, not sure if he was going to regret agreeing to answer Colgate's question."

"Is Lyra alright?" Colgate asked, in what Raza thought sound like a mixture of firmness and concern.

Raza was now really worried. What should he tell her? "Couldn't say, she went into the forest with Bon Bon to a river and has been missing for two days now." Yeah right, Raza knew he would die someday but he prefer if it was not today. Colgate was a nice, friendly, and reasonable pony but this was her younger sister they were talking about. Sibling’s wellbeing for one another was important, if one knew the other was in trouble there was no telling what they would do. The idea of Colgate doing something unpredictable, didn't give Raza a good feeling in his soul. Telling the full truth was out of the question.

"Yeah. As far as I know she's fine." Raza said, actually being somewhat truthful.

"What do you mean by "As far as I know?" That doesn't give me a comforting feeling." Colgate said, now with a firm tone, in her voice.

"I mean she's hanging out with Bon Bon somewhere right now. You know how when I'm busy those to like to do things together, to pass the time." Colgate said, little drops of sweat fell down his coat, as he was afraid Colgate was catching on.

"Oh ok. Sorry I sounded kind of angry there for a minute, but Lyra's my little sister you know and I'm serious about her safety." Lyra explained, calming down.

"Yeah, I completely understand. If I had any family I would be the same way." Raza said, understanding how Colgate's bond with Lyra was, which made him feel even more bad that there was a possibility something bad had happen to her.

"You still haven't found any relatives yet?" Colgate asked, wondering if Raza had managed to finally fine at least on family member.

"Not yet but maybe someday. Just have to keep my hope alive, you know?" Raza said, seeing the pity growing in Colgate's eyes. "No need to feel bad for me Colgate, I'll fine my family eventually or maybe they'll fine me."

"I know you will, it's just I couldn't imagine not having my mom, dad, or Lyra in my life. I don't know what I do." Colgate said, as she thought about her sister.

"I hope you never have to find out than." Raza said, he wanted to get out of this conversation before he said something he would later regret. "Well this has been an interesting and fun hangout Colgate, but I need to get back home."

"But what about your second job hunting?" Colgate asked, making Raza realize he had forgotten to think about an excuse for that.

"Oh I'll just pick up where I left off tomorrow. I got chores, which Bon Bon left for me to do after all." Raza said, pretty impressed with himself that he thought of a good excuse.

Raza and Colgate got up, pay their bill, and walked out. They walk a little while longer, at Colgate's persistence, despite Raza's objections. Once they were at the center of town, they stopped and decided that now was the right time to go their separate ways. Raza had to admit while nerves he did enjoy spending time with Colgate. Just to forget all the torment he had been going through for the past two days. Colgate herself enjoyed having some hangout time herself, even though she loved being a dentist it wasn't exactly the most exciting of jobs. While she had notice Raza acting strange it didn't bother her to much she was just happy to have someone to hang with. Before leaving Colgate wanted to tell Raza one more thing.

"Hey Raza, can you do a favor?" Colgate asked, since Raza was probably heading back home, she might as well have him deliver a short message.

"Sure, what do you need?" Raza asked, still a little worried but hopeful it would be something simple.

"Can you tell Lyra that I'll visit soon, when I get the time." Lyra asked, Raza was pretty calm with that question but he had to ask something that caught his attention. "And tell Bon Bon I said hi to."

"Sure, no problem but when will you be visiting?" Raza asked, needing to know if would have to be worried sooner or later.

"Not sure. Being a dentist, comes with unknown knowledge of when I can actually have time to for myself." Colgate explained, this always bothered her about her job but she put up with, since she loved her work.

"Ok, I'll let her know." Raza said, giving a fake smile but he was now a beginning to worry again, if she comes by and sees Lyra is missing she'll lose it.

"Thanks Raza." Colgate said, giving Raza a par on the back, she started to walk away but turned back, to look at Raza. "You know Raza, other ponies are right you really are reliable."

Raza thank Colgate. Now he felt worse for not only lying to Colgate but not tell her that her sister might be in some kind of trouble, Raza tried to reassure himself by mentally telling himself it was best not to worry her. Raza waited until she was almost out of eyes view. Once she was Raza ran to any other stores, restaurants, or any other place he had not checked yet, he asked everypony who was there if they had seen Lyra and Bon Bon. He was met with the same answer, no. No pony had seen them in any of the places he checked, or seen them anywhere outside of them. Raza had returned home to rest a little, his hooves where killing him from all the running he had done. What little hope he had of Lyra and Bon Bon being ok was now gone, when he looked in their rooms and saw that they weren't here. Raza walked to the recliner, Lyra had found a couple months back and fell back on it, in defeat. Raza accepted the fact, that if they Lyra and Bon Bon weren't here by now they weren't coming back at all.

Not on their own at least...

Raza gasped, he remembered this voice, and he couldn't forget it even if he wanted, his tormentor. Raza tried his best to ignore the voice.

Why have you not gone to the river?

Raza tried to pass of the voice as some kind of disturbing hallucination.

Answer me.

Raza closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep and forget it.

Answer Me!

An intense amount of horrible pain, went through Raza's head as the voice got angrier. Raza fell out of the recliner and violently struggled across the floor as he tried to deal with the pain. Raza finally accepted the fact that this voice wasn't his imagination. It was something else, something that wanted Raza to listen or suffer.

"OK! Ok! Just Stop Already!" Raza screamed out to the voice, wanting the torment to end.

Good...

Within a second the pain was gone. Raza quickly get back on the recliner and lets out a scream, that is a mixture of frustration and fear. What was this voice in his head? Why did it want him to go back to the river so much? And out of everypony in all of Equestria why did it have to choose him to torment? But Raza knew he didn't have time to ponder on these question, since he didn't know when the voice would hurt him again. What if it could even hear his thoughts? Raza hoped that wasn't true, but he didn't want to wait to find out. Raza went to the window, the sun will be setting soon and Raza already didn't want to be out there in the forest, being out in the Everfree at night would basically be a death wish. Raza reluctantly head to the river. It didn't take long for him to get to the forest but once he came face to face with it, a big chill went down his spine, which made him started to have second thoughts about this. Raza wanted to find Lyra and Bon Bon, find them, and bring them home. At the same time he didn't want to do this when he knew his better judgment made him think otherwise.

What are you waiting for?

"I'm starting to think it be better if I asked somepony else for help, in how to handle this." Raza said, he figured that since this voice was as real as the air he breathed, it made since to talk to it, when it spoke rather than ignoring it.

Help? No such thing.

"What do you mean? Lots of ponies like Lyra and Bon Bon, they'll want to help." Raza said, trying to convince the voice, getting help was a good idea.

"They'll never understand."

"They are our friends, my friends. They won't turn me away." Raza said firmly, torment or not he wouldn't let his voice talk bad about the ponies of Ponyville.

Really? Your friend Bon Bon turned away from your friend Lyra.

"What? No, no. She wouldn't have done that, not to Lyra." Raza said, he refused to believe that Bon Bon would do that Lyra, her best friend. "She couldn't..."

I was there with Lyra. I saw Bon Bon doubt her and said that everything Lyra did was craziness, is that what friends are supposed to do?

"You're lying! She would never do that!" Raza yelled, furious that the voice would tell hi, Bon Bon would do that to Lyra.

Enough Of This! Head To The River Now!

The pain Raza had experience from earlier returned, this time worse than ever, to the point Raza thought he would die. After what felt like an hour of agony, it stopped. Raza opened his, after feeling the tears falling from his face, he whip his tears away and got back up. Raza knew that this voice had dim by the throat, for the time being he would have to listen.

"Ok, I'm going." Raza said, he was angry that this voice was treating him like a dog, but he wanted to find his friends and then find a way to get rid of the voice. For the time being he'll have to put up with it.

Raza walked into the forest, trying to retrace his steps and remember where the river was, but the sun would soon be gone and night would be his only company, besides the voice. Raza felt a sense of fear taking over his thoughts, his mind kept think of horrible scenarios. One was of him finding Lyra and Bon Bon's ripped up bloody corpse or he, himself being attacked and eaten by a Timberwolf or Manticore. It felt that the closer he got to the river, the harder his mind fought with his body to turn back. Raza was starting to fear his mind more than his surroundings, that fear was forgotten when he heard the sounds of rustling coming from his right. Raza back away a few steps.

"Who's... Who's there?" Raza asked, his voice obviously trembling.

Nothing responded back. The rustling noise started coming from behind him, Raza's heart was starting to beat fast, as his mind began of thinking of the dangerous and frightening creatures that where lurking within the forest, waiting to pounce and attack him.

Your showing fear... Pitiful.

Raza didn't hear the voice. The fear of him about to meet his painful death, froze his legs. The rustling started to get closer. Raza's mind screamed at him, to run. Before he could move a figure jumped at him and tackled him to the ground, after a few seconds of waiting for whatever was on top of him to eat him, Raza opened his and looked up to see the monster that would be responsible for his end. What he saw kept his face frozen in shock. It was Colgate, with an expression that said she was furious.

"Colgate why are –" Raza's sentence was cut off when a hoof collided with his face.

Colgate hit Raza in the muzzle, not to hard but hard enough so that he would feel it, she stood there looking down at him, his expression was still shock but she knew this time it was from her hitting him. Her expression was also still the same, pure anger. She felt like punching him again, but she was able to keep herself under control. Colgate brought her attention back to the reason why she had followed Raza into the forest.

"Why did you lie?" Colgate said firmly.

"What are you –" Raza was cut off again by Colgate, this time with words instead of a hit, which he was happy about not getting hit.

"Unless you want another hit, you better answer my question!" Colgate yelled, she wanted Raza to know she was serious.

"I'm pretty sure I have a good idea at what you're talking about, but how did you find out?" Raza asked, expecting either an answer or another punch. He wasn't sure which one scared him more.

"I'm not an idiot Raza. That whole stupid looking for a new job was an obvious lie, that even a filly would have notice. But it was when I asked other ponies what you were doing, they told me you’ve been asking where Lyra and Bon Bon are. Who have been missing for two days already!" Colgate yelled out, in a mixture of anger and pain.

"Because I was hoping to avoid this, what's happening right now?" Raza explained, being truthful, he should have known that good intentions will have mix results. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Well I'm not worried, I'm freaking out! Why didn't you ask for my help?" Colgate said, Raza's answer didn't calm her down much.

"I don't know, ok! I didn't think about it, which I'll admit that it was a mistake to leave you in the dark but I swear to Celestia, I'm sorry." Raza said, tears starting to form, as he realized the mistake he made lying to Colgate. "I'm sorry."

Colgate started to feel a sense of empathy in her soul, she was still a little angry and sad that Raza lied to her but she felt that in some way she understood that he tried to spare her feeling. She could also see that he was serious when he said he thought he could fine Lyra and Bon Bon. She could also see his apology was sincere, but she still had questions that needed to be answer and she wanted to get them. She got off of Raza and helped Raza up.

"She's my little sister Raza, I'm going to help find her." Colgate said, she wasn't asking to help, she was going to help fined he sister.

"Ok, I'm not going to try and stop you, so come on." Raza said, surprising Colgate.

She will become a burden...

"Wait that's it? No angry cursing at me for hitting you? No I can handle this on my own?" Colgate asked, this wasn't the reaction she was expecting out of Raza.

"Because we need to move quickly, it will be dark soon and that will make it more difficult to fine." Raza said, looking forward into the forest.

"Wait, what will be more difficult to fine?" Colgate asked, looking into the forest trying to see what Raza was looking at.

"The River." Raza said, he started walking again, with Colgate following behind still confused as to what he was talking about.

You are a fool.

After about ten minutes of Raza explained what the river was and how it involved Lyra and Bon Bon's disappearance and then explaining his nightmares, Colgate got a good idea of what was going on... Or so she thought. Raza decided to leave the voice out of the explanation. Colgate was already giving him weird looks, the last thing he needed was her thinking he was completely insane, when Raza himself was already thinking that. Despite that though Raza continued to look for the river, which seemed to be impossible to reach. Raza couldn't understand it he had, at least he believed he'd gone the way Lyra had, why couldn't he find it... Raza saw what seemed like some kind of glow, could that be it? Raza and Colgate ran towards the glow. Once they reach it, they saw it. The River.

"Here it is. The River." Raza said, amazed by the sight of it, he didn't get a good look at it, when he followed Lyra and Bon Bon, but now here it was in front of him.

"This? This is it? Are you kidding me?" Colgate said, irritated by the sight in front of her. Raza brought her deep into the forest, promising her they fine Lyra, for this!

"What do you mean? This is it. This is how will fine Lyra and Bon Bon." Raza said, seeing the frustration growing in Colgate's eyes.

And so the cycle repeats it's self...

"You said that this would lead us to Lyra and Bon Bon. How the hay is a stupid river goining to help us fine my sister?!" Colgate yelled, she was angrier than when she had followed Raza. He was wasting her time, meanwhile something horrible could be happening to Lyra and Bon Bon.

She doubts you... Like Bon Bon did to Lyra, oh the irony.

"Why are you doing this? Wasting time! While my sister and Bon Bon, your friends! Are in trouble they need our help and you chose to waste time with this useless puddle! What's wrong with you?!" Colgate was now in rage, Raza was risking her sister's life and Bon Bon's life. Why was he tormenting her like this?

"No I'm serious, this is it! This is what Lyra showed Bon Bon, this is where they disappeared. This is where we need to start!" Raza said, pleading with Colgate to believe him. If she would just give him a chance to explain.

Maybe Colgate and Bon Bon should have been sisters, they are both blind to what's clearly in front of them. They are both ignorant and that will be your downfall.

"Why won't she listen to me? All her yelling his hurting my head. I can't think clearly!" Raza thought, Colgate's yelling and the voice's talking was causing him pain.

"This is such a waste of time. My sister and her friend need help, if you can't take this situation serious than I'm going to fine them in my own." Colgate said, turning away from Raza and beginning to walk away.

Raza was beginning to panic. He tried to plead with Colgate to stay and listen to his explanation but she ignored his pleads and continued to walk away. Raza felt like he was between a rock and a hard place if Colgate went back and told any other pony about the river and how it tied into Lyra and Bon Bon's disappearance, what would happen to him? Or that this river would lead them to Lyra and Bon Bon, Colgate was basically walking away from their best chance of finding them. Colgate couldn't deal with Raza and his nonsense. Normally am she could handle his silly nature but this was serious Bon Bon, her friend was in trouble, along with her sister. She would fine them with or without Raza's help, she did fell a little bad for acting so cold with him but Lyra's life was at stake and she couldn't take that lightly.

Must I do everything do for you?

"What do you –” Raza's was interrupted by the sound of a screaming. Colgate's screaming. "What in Luna's name?!

Raza looked and saw the water, of the river now in the form of... A hand? Raza knew this from some of the drawings that Lyra had shown him, Bon Bon, and Colgate. But now it was the river that somehow made it real. And it was using it to drag Colgate into the river. Colgate tried her hardest to fight back, but the water shape hand, had a tight grip on her, from the waist down. She tried to grab onto anything her hooves could grab onto, regardless of what she grabbed, Colgate was still being dragged. Raza ran to Colgate, once he had her in hooves reach. He grabbed onto her and pulled. It wasn't much of a struggle, despite Raza pulling Colgate with all his strength, it was still dragging both of them.

Stop fighting! Go into it with her. Into the River and you'll find your friends. Even the answers that are lost.

Raza couldn't argue with the voice, he was still holding on to Colgate, still trying to pull her out of the water hand's grasp, to no avail. Raza looked at Colgate, who had tears falling down her eyes as she looked back at Raza, she held on tighter to Raza, who refused to let go of his friend. Raza had an idea. What if the voice was rights? What if going into the river would lead them to their friends? Raza wasn't going to beat the River's grasp. Whatever happened to Lyra and Bon Bon started with this river? Either that or it lead to their deaths. Raza didn't like their chances but he had no other options. Raza made his decision, he stopped struggling and let the water hand drag him and Colgate into the river. Raza and Colgate felt the water all over their bodies and while Colgate was freaking out, Raza only thought of what the voice meant by "answers that are lost?" Soon everything went black.

Wake up...

Comments

[Phaedra]

Great! You called Bon Bon "Bin Bon" at one point, but still pretty good. I have a feeling that now Colgate and Raza will explore human world, looking for Lyra and Bon Bon, which I look forward to.

[It Never Ends]

5304694 There will be some exploring. I guaranteed that.