Chapter 4
Chapter 4
My meeting with the ‘good’ Doctor has eaten up most of the remainder of my exercise time, which meant I needed to move twice as fast to get back.
Afternoon check in with Bon Bon is four o’clock, and with her already bending to let me go out tonight I don’t want to give her reason to change her mind.
With enough terrestrial energy absorbed, as well as… a little left from Nurse Drops, I make it out of the familiar Whitetail woods only a bit winded.
Coming to a stop, just on the verge of the clearing leading to the road, I hunker down.
Lowering myself onto my knees, I breathe deep, getting control over my breathing. At the same time I listen and look around. The coast appears clear, but I am not about to chance being spotted. I’ve been lucky so far and even though I am still a ways from the town there are still those who wander out here as I do.
‘Now or Never.’
Never would have been preferential. Regardless, I bring up my arms, then quickly slam the enchanted binds together. The clang rings through the forest, causing birds in the surrounding trees to flee to the skies.
When the haze of magic clears, I look down once again at my hooves and grey coated fetlocks. The bracelets turned horseshoes still glow with a golden residual magic aura. Immediately I feel the earth energy I held bleed off through them, bringing me back to a more respectable strength.
The sensation is painless, but still disheartening. Make no mistake: I know that I am a parasite, but when holding that much extra power it makes me feel like I at least have some control over my life.
’Don't dwell on it. You still have a walk ahead of you, I relent as I pick myself up and emerge through the treeline. Falling into a brisk trot I soon reach the dirt road that leads back into town.
———————
It wasn’t long before the house came into view. Not my house, though, that was made clear from day one. I was only permitted in four of the six rooms, with a perpetual ban on her bedroom and a locked workroom that even she never went into, at least not when I was around. One thing she especially disliked was tardiness, which probably explains the look she is giving me from the doorway.
“You’re late.” She calls out cooly.
“Not my fault!” I beg as I dug my hooves in the earth to stop my gallop. I was out of breath, but I still tried to explain as quickly as I could. “Doctor…*huff*...Haythorn…*huff*...”
“...saw you. I know,” my ‘sister’ replied. “He stopped here too. Told me he wanted you to come back to the hospital.”
“Not...going...back…”
“I didn't think you would.” She ponders this for a moment, before turning her back to me and moving for the door. “C’mon. You can tell me what happened inside.”
“Lyra?” I asked.
“Out shopping for some new brushes. We’ve got a few minutes.”
Stepping inside, I dust off my hooves. It wasn’t a spoken rule, it just seems proper. The living room remained as it did when I left this morning, a modest four walls with a plush couch and coffee table. Floral curtains adorned the window, complimented nicely by a flower box that grew on the other side of the glass.
The smell of cinnamon and vanilla intermingled about the place and I inhaled deeply. During the week Bon Bon has her own shop not to far from here where she sells all sorts of candies and sweets. To date I don’t know what they taste like; I have never been offered one.
“So?” She picks up the stack of mail left on the coffee table and begins to sift through them uninterestedly.
“So?” I reply back.
"What else did he say?"
"Not much. He’s now my Doctor again.” Just saying that makes me cringe. “He wants me to come back to his ‘funhouse’. I won’t. And he is still a creep."
"Funny.” She arcs an eyebrow, ”That’s what some ponies have said about you.”
"I may feed off pieces of you all, but at least I feel bad about doing it.”
"Did something happen?" her question catches me off guard. I had hoped to omit that. “Spill it.” She warns, impatiently tapping a thick envelope against her hoof.
With a sigh, I come clean. "He drew some blood at the quarry. Or rather, he had somepony draw some blood from me. It was a set up. She got too close. I tried to warn her.”
Immediately her tone hardens, even more. “Is she alright?”
“Yes.” A pit of ice forms in my stomach as the seconds tick by. “It wasn’t my fault.” My gaze is on the ground and still I can feel her eyes boring into me.
“You can make it up to her tonight.” She finally says placing the mail down.
“Tonight? How?” The ice melts and turns to sweat.
“I received orders while you were out. We on for another run.”
A ‘run’. That’s what we call an investigation through the Everfree. There have been concerns of strange - well,stranger than usual - activity in the deeper parts of the Everfree. Thaumic Wells irradiating the area, or magic Hot Spots, if you will. My unique physiology allows me to enter these areas unharmed. The purpose is to siphon off the energy, make things safe again. It’s what was what I was paroled for. It’s by no means hard, it’s just…
“It...has to be tonight?” Thunderlane’s invite. The chance to get out of the house and be social outside of casual conversations. It had all slowly slipped away.
“I’m afraid so.” For a moment her tone seemed almost regretful. “It’s the job you agreed to do.”
She wasn’t wrong. It was something that only I could do safely.
“Think of it this way.” Bon Bon says as she passes me. “Do a good job, and there might be another chance some other time.”
“R-right.” There is no point arguing, not with her or the order. But it doesn’t ease the disappointment I was feeling now.
—————
Despite being late for check in, Bon Bon was kind enough not to put me under house arrest until we moved out later that night.
It may of been her way of making amends for being unable to go out tonight with the guys, but I was truly skeptical of that. Long before my release she had worked as an agent in a covert monster hunting organization. One of the best, I’m told. She knew how to take things down ten times her size.
It all fell apart when her cover had been blown. She never said by who, or what rather, but in the field she would have become a liability to the team. She now wore a shroud that marked her each and every time she stepped out of her door. Her only choice was to retire, hide in the populace. Just a part of the background.
As one might imagine, going from a life of adventure and gritty takedowns to selling candy to school kids didn’t quite sit right with her. No doubt this was what made her open to the idea of accepting me as her ‘long lost half brother’. It was her way back in, even if it was a ‘foalsitting’ job.
She made no illusions as to where we stood. She knew what I did, and just barely tolerated me because of it. Still, as cold as she could be, compared to the treatment at the hospital she was much kinder. At least she gave me fair warning of what she would stab me with if I crossed the line.
The park was pretty much empty this time of day, most everyone was home getting ready for dinner. My appetite was diminished a bit because of my somber mood, so I simply pull myself up on a bench and lay my head down.
‘Quit pouting,’ I scold myself, ‘It was a dumb idea anyway.’ With a heavy sigh I close my eyes and allow the quiet of the park to take over.
The silence is then broken by a ghostly wail.
“OooooooOooooOoooOOOOh! Iyee — am your conscience! Your inner voooice!”
Despite my melancholy, I can’t help but smirk a little.
“Hello conscience.” I quip, peaking one eye open. “How are you?”
“Peeeeachy Keeeeen! I just got done taaaaalking toooo a friend about soooooomething that waaaaas maaaaking meeee saaaaaaad. Now I ammmm allll better.”
“That’s nice.” It takes a second to realize that she isn’t next to me or behind me.
“Dooooo yooooou want toooo taaaaalk tooo a friend?”
Looking down I can see the formerly green grass of the ground has been replaced by a stark shade of pink. Through the slats of the bench also come a pair of bright blue eyes.
The twinkle in those eyes, the genuine sense of empathy. It’s so tempting, but there is really only one answer. With a sad smile, I give it.
“No.”
She stretches her body like taffy from underneath the bench and comes face to face with me. Her name is Pinkie Pie. My ‘bestest best friend.’ Although, she does say that to everyone. So does that even mean anything?
“Hilly,” She chides me, resting her forelegs on the armrest of the bench, looking me now square in the eyes. “Talk to me! What’s making you so sad?” She brings out a pouty lip to help coerce it out of me.
“I’m not sad,” I adjust myself on the bench in an effort to avoid her gaze. “This is just my face.”
“Nuh uhh. I’ve seen you smile. It’s great! You really need to bust it out more!” I can’t help it, even as she speaks about it, I can feel the ends of my mouth turn up ever so slightly. “That's it! Now lift those ears up!” She with a wide grin reaches over and gently prods my ears. “Up! Up! Up!”
“Pinkie!” I gently brush her hooves away, but regardless they are already twitching upward, “not that I mind, but don’t you have anything better to do than try to cheer me up?”
"You’re silly,” I flinch a bit when her hoof boops my nose, “there's nothing more important than making a friend smile."
If my smile wasn’t there before, it is now. Ever since I came here it seemed like she genuinely was happy I was there. Genuinely wanting to be friends. It felt nice, warm. I hold on to it. For a moment, it actually seems to slate my desire for magic.
It is short lived as doubt chimes in: ‘If you knew the truth… Would you be so keen on being my friend?’.
Just like that the warm feeling is stamped out. It was nice while it lasted, though.
“Thanks, Pinkie.” I owe her for that much.
I get up and brush myself off. The holes in my tunic will need attending to for tonight. It gets cold out in the woods.
“Busy?” She chirps bouncing around me.
“Riding the train tonight to Canterlot, I have a meeting with my therapist.” That was the story I was suppose to give, as was Bon Bon. There was a grain of truth in it, we were riding a train to Canterlot.
We just weren’t getting off there.
“Awww!” She laments on my behalf.
“I’ll see you around.” I begin walking, but I have no real direction on my mind. Having Pinkie to talk to was nice and all but I just wanted to be alone.
She was having none of that though, as she leapt on my back and wrapped her arms around my neck. The sudden contact all at once sends me into a barely contained panic. I can feel the binds heat up from the direct contact, fighting to keep me from siphoning her magic.
‘Hold.’ I beg to the enchanted iron shoes that hold my accursed body’s hunger at bay. ’Please, please hold.’
Regardless of my rigid form, she nuzzles in. Part of me wants to just accept the embrace, but my fear is strong. She must sense this, and she simply gives me a tighter squeeze.
“Hey,” she whispers softly to me.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly turn to face her.
“You’re going to be okay.”
It’s a rare moment for her, I believe. Pinkie Pie had a reputation for playfulness, silliness, and overall mania. It came with the job she held so proudly, to be the bouncy, perky, life of the party. I envied her ability to be that carefree, be that happy for others, to practically live off the joy of others.
If only I had that as a curse. If only.
“Thanks,” I whisper back, hoping she’s right.
In an instant I feel her pop off my back and canter ahead of me a few steps before turning. She seems okay, no bulging veins, no staggering. Further tests like that aren’t doing my nerves any favors, but it’s nice that she cares.
“So whatcha doin’ until you leave?” She bounces a bit on her hooves, glancing back at me.
Having recovered from my shock, I muster an answer. “I-I don’t know-“
“GREAT!” She appears to my side quicker than I can track. “You can come with me! It’s my turn to run the Library!”
With the zeal of a maniac and the strength of a rock farmer She hauls me back toward town. I would argue, but I doubt she would listen. Instead, I surrender myself to it and desperately try to keep my other legs moving quick enough so I don’t get dragged through the dirt.
Not edited super well. I admit I was getting punchy with this chapter (sick of looking at it.)
Edits welcome, as are constructive comments.
Also thought this song fitting:
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Tis very deserving. Now, give us MOAR!
You have "would of" twice.
*would have
Good to know there is at least some who seem to care about his well being for a change. But this still leaves me wanting for moooreee chapters!
8691968
[Fixed] Thanks!
8691997
With some luck. Soon.
8691938
Thank you, thank you.
Just saw this story on the featured tab and I think the story is pretty interesting.
I’m wondering what shenanigans Mr. Hill will get into with Pinkie.
whats with the E tag? you torture the main character. this should be teen with a DARK tag at minimum.
8692213
It wasn’t. Was T from the start. Edited the short preview, maybe hit something in the process.
Thanks for the heads up.
He can't even hug a pony without potentially killing them?! Now that IS a curse!
I wonder who bad it was in the hospital for green? I wonder how many time he has done these mission with Bon Bon, it sounds like it was more then once.
8692345
Time will tell.
I like this. I will keep up in the future. Also nice twist on the HiE genre
pinkie makes everything better
Loving this so far! Very interesting take on such a common theme
8694573
She has grown on me. Fearless in her kindness. Assuming you overlook the Zecora thing.
8695559
Thank you. Happy to have you for the ride.
Glad I came across this. I usually like the more gritty/xenophobic HiE style, even if I end up despising any number of characters or attitudes along the way.
The whole thing with the nurse still bothers me a bit. I can understand the guards to an extent, and the doctor is a wonderfully twisted character, in a 'ponies are the only species that deserve empathy' way. But the nurse herself seemed like a possible blank slate (regarding her attitude towards the protagonist), and she was clearly warned by the doctor ahead of time regarding how the siphon kicks in automagically. In the end, I suppose she was a student of some sort to the Doc, so who knows what level of selective/disinformation she was working on; I just need to learn not to get my hopes up so easily.
I'm curious if Fluttershy/Spike are presented to the story, how their attitudes/perspectives will fit into this. But then again, it looks like we already have a certain farmpony inbound to the spotlight.
Keep up the great work!
Woot. I really liked this. While the xenophobia is disquieting it isn't entirely out of order.
Kind of like a super vampire I can imagine a good number of people might be adverse to that bit of predatory unknown. At least the Princesses are allowing a deal of sorts and trying to let him have a life.
A very interesting twist. Any news on another chapter anytime soon? It is a little addictive.
Please fix your short description. It currently says "he is quit"
8741222
Thanks. Now it doesn’t say that.
8724313
Life? Not really. They force him to live a lifetime of penence and shame for the crime of existing, surrounded by ponies who hate him and are ready to exploit him because he isn't a pony. Considering the state hes in, I see no mercy in the situation.
8724313
Chapter in the works, going on 3k words. Hopeful for this weekend to wrap it up.
I love this! The tension feels amazing as I read it, the only thing i could hope for is some levity in the ponies talking and speculating about him, I always feel like a back and forth keeps tension fresh. Can't wait to read what you write next!
I feel like this song is also a good fit for the story
8847818
That it does. Thanks!
Its proven in canon that the guards are useless decoration, and celestia can't fight her way out of a wet paper bag so in truth he has absolutely nothing to worry about.
I think the feel of this fits his recent "interactions" with his inner monster better:
Monster by Skillet
(Just a little something I ran across while tracking down a different song to post in the Days of Wasp and Spider comments for its chillingly fitting lyrics... Pet by a Perfect Circle for anyone who's curious.)