Silent Ponyville: Last breath

by Thegodhand

Chapter 6: The truth will set you free

A word of warning before reading this chapter. There are events that some readers may not be comfortable with. Read at your own discretion.

The truth will set you free.

Sky kept his eyes closed for a moment as he became aware of his new surroundings. He was sitting on some kind of tightly wound metal grating. His coat and mane ruffled in the thick hot air that was continuously rising from the floor and his ears flicked to and fro, catching the industrial sounds of colliding metal and roaring fire that rose in a cacophony all around him. Taking a deep breath of air that smelled of blood and smoke Sky let his eyes open.

Taking a deep breath of the tainted air had been a mistake in hindsight. The traces of smoke that fogged the air burned his already overworked and abused lungs and the smell of blood and burning flesh that acted as an undertone turned his stomach. Doing his best to compose himself through the fit of coughing and gagging this caused, Sky took in his surroundings through tearing bloodshot eyes.

He found himself on some kind of catwalk. It’s blood splattered and rusted frame creaked and groaned ominously as he rose to his hooves. The catwalk lacked any sides or guard rails, the sharp edges instead simply coming to a mangled end offering no safety from the chasm below. Although the sounds of machinery could be heard clearly from all around the metal path, Sky could see nothing but an endless smoke tainted darkness on all sides and above. The only source of light was the constant orange glow coming from the pit under Sky. Lowering his head he gazed into a fiery abyss. The distant writhing flames acting as the sole source of light and also the stifling hot air and smoke that continuously rose from below.

Sky’s surroundings left him feeling overwhelmed. He had been sure he was prepared from what lay ahead but now he trembled as he found himself seemingly in the depths of tartarus. ‘I can't imagine tartarus being much better. Is this really where I’ll find Shield?’

Sky’s hooves created a rhythmic clang against the metal grate as he trudged down the only path before him. The monotony of the endless dark before him left his eyes glazed and his mind elsewhere. It felt like he had been trotting down the path for hours with no change in his surroundings whatsoever. As he walked Sky’s mind continued to worry over everything that had happened to him. He wondered if it would end here in this dark place, if he would find his brother, he wondered if he would get a chance to apologise to that dedicated pink mare he had been so rude to when he arrived.

So lost was Sky in thought as he walked that he never noticed the downward stairs as he approached them. Sky’s heart leapt into his throat as his hoof failed to land on the path and he began to tip forward. Breath catching, Sky instinctively tried to flare out his wings to catch himself, only to screech in pain from his broken wing. Sky fell forward, crashing into the stairs under his and tumbled painfully before his body fell over the edge. Just as Sky began to fall into the pit of fire below the stairs he grabbed at the ledge with a single hoof. Grabbing onto the staircase with his other hoof he struggled to pull himself up as he hung over certain death. Being a pegasus Sky did not have much natural strength in his legs, being a scrawny and unathletic pegasus had only made this worse. Wheezing and straining , adrenalin pumping through his veins, Sky slowly pulled himself up to the staircase until he was able to work his barrel and back legs over the edge.

Sky lay on his belly over the staircase, exhausted and panting from his near death experience. When he was finally able to calm down and his breathing reduced to a minor weeze he looked around. Above Sky was the metal path that had suddenly ended in the dropping stairs Sky now found himself on. Below Sky at the end of the staircase was what appeared to be a stone well. The round walls of the well continued down into the pit below with no end in sight. Carefully making his way to the edge of the well Sky gazed into it. The interior of the well was as to be expected, dark with no end in sight, however there was no sign within it of the fire the well seemed to lead into.

Sky looked around himself as if hoping an alternative path would suddenly reveal itself. With no method of flight he was not eager to drop into a mysterious pit that showed no hint of where it ended. With no other way forward presenting itself Sky slowly stepped up to the wall. Chewing his lower lip in nervousness Sky too a shaky breath, weather from his abused lungs or his fear even Sky wasn't sure, and jumped into the well, grinding his teeth to hold back a scream.

Sky again found himself waking in an unfamiliar place, thankfully not smashed to a pulp from his fall. He was laying on a cold and damp concrete floor. A rusty prison cell door took the place of the ceiling and the walls were similar damp concrete. Beyond the bar door Sky could make out what seemed to be a hallway that went left and right from his cell. It was as if gravity and been left on it’s side. As Sky began to rise to his hooves his right fore hoof slipped slightly on the wet floor and he felt for a moment before his balance was regained the floor end next to him. Turning his head to right right and gazing down revealed yet another endless pit, large and rectangular next to Sky.

By now Sky had recognised the pattern of this world. You went where it wanted you to or you died. And in this case the option was jumped down another pit into the unknown, or stay locked up in this cell and until you die. Although Sky felt much less trepidation as he prepared to jump into this hole he couldn't quite suppress a shiver as he gazed into the darkness. Taking a deep breath he once again fell.

The music was the first thing Sky noticed. Sky got to his haunches, finding himself sitting on a somewhat rotted wood park bench. He was in a large courtyard filled with faded signs depicting clowns and smiling children. The sky above him was filled with grey clouds and the occasional rumble of distant thunder. On one side of the courtyard was a large wooden door that had been boarded over. Hanging over the door, attached to the wall by only a single corner was an exit sign. Sky hopped off the bench that sat on the side of a central path from one side of the courtyard to the other. Sky walked down the path looking around in astonishment. This had not been at all what he would have expected to wake up to. Although faded with age and neglect Sky could tell this had once been a very happy place. Sky approached what must have been the entrance to the strange place. A pair of turnstiles, one marked ‘in’ the other ‘out’ stood within the mouth of an anonymous smiling clown. FLanking the clowns head were ticket booths. Their glass was murky and the contents of the booths obscured. The large fake clowns head that was built into the wall had seen better days. Sky cringed at the off putting appearance of the face caused by chipped paint and a missing plastic eye, giving it a decidedly corpse like visage. Sky pushed on the turnstile for entry only to have it not budge. On the edge of the turnstile was a slot with the engraving ‘TOKENS ONLY - ONE PER ENTRY’.

“You have got to be kidding me...” Sky Tried again with a harder push, straining as much as his battered muscles would allow. “You have got to be fucking kidding me! Just let me in damnit!” He punctuated his statement with a buck to the turnstile, only managing to produce a dull thud against it. As Sky was preparing to vent further frustration against the unmoving metal bars he was interrupted as a loud chime rang from the booth next to him along with a metal shelf sliding out from under the window. Curiously Sky trotted over to the booth and looked into the shelf, finding a small bronze coin within. Blazoned on the surface of the coin was ‘Welcome to Lakeside Amusement park’. Sky stared at the coin in shock as he suddenly remembered. “Lakeside... how didn't I recognise it?” Sky looked up to the disfigured clown face, “This is the park my brother used to take me to sometimes, I used to love this place...So why do I feel so apprehensive when I think about it? Why did I forget it?”. What Sky did not voice out loud was the most pressing question in his mind ‘And do I even want the answer to any of those questions?’.

Steeling himself Sky walked up to the entrance with the coin in his hoof and slid the token into the slot of the turnstyle. Giving the bar at barrel level a push the entrance turned guiding him in between a set of rotating bars ahead and behind him. Sky walked briskly through the ‘throat’ of the clown that led into the park. He remembered that just within would be the gift shop and ticket purchasing area to play the games and go on rides. As he exited the hall Sky let out a yell of fright, cut off quickly by the hooves over his mouth to hold the bile from rising out of it.

The floor and walls around the park had been replaced with rusty sheet metal, clumsily bolted together. In front of Sky, flanking the path through the park were a pair of charred stallion’s bodies. They stood suspended by a metal pole that come from the ground piercing their bodies from their flanks with a pool of dried blood below them. Over each corpses head was some sort of bulbous grey fleshy growth, writhing as if filled with snakes. Sky fell to his haunches at the sight, hunched over and struggling not to heave. He could only imagine the pain the stallions must have felt being impaled and burnt before they died. ‘What could they have done to deserve that, nopony deserves that’.

Sky got up and walked forward between the macabre display, being careful not to look at them. With Sky’s eyes stuck to the ground in front of his he couldn't help but notice the gleaming chef's knife that lay on the ground between the corpses. Sky’s eyes widened and he came to a stop at the knife. Temporarily too confused about what lay before him to think of the corpses around him he slowly wrapped his hoof around the handle of the blade and examined it. The blade was gleaming, looking out of place with it’s untarnished blade and smooth handle. Carefully testing the blade on his fetlock Sky found it to be extremely sharp.

Sky’s ear twitched to his left as he heard to sound of something hitting the ground. Whipping his head over he saw the fleshy orb had fallen from the corpse’s head and not lay on the ground. He could not see the underside of the orb which had a circular flexing hole surrounded by four appendages like a starfish arm. The fleshy orb quickly flipped itself over with a flex of it’s body and began scuttling toward Sky. Sky held the knife in front of his as he took a step back from the crawling thing before him. He continued to back up and was about to flee when his flank came in contact with the other body. The shock caused Sky to look up and behind him at the impaled corpse. His eyes met the underside of the other fleshy mass as it fell from the corpses face onto his own.

Sky panicked, muffled screams passing from his as he thrashed his head around and bucked wildly at the air. In his terror Sky’s instincts took hold over his judgement, leaving to to flail about like the frightened animal he was, banging his head against the ground and swinging his head back and forth in an attempt to dislodge the creature from his face.

Sky’s screaming was exactly what the creature needed however and Sky felt his panic increase ten fold as a stiff fleshy appendage slid from the hole under the creature and into Sky’s mouth, holding his jaw open as it slowly made it’s way further. Sky was so frightened he hadn't even noticed when he had lost his grip on the knife. With the creature stuck to his head instantly violating his mouth it was all he could do to begin hitting at the creature with his hooves rather than run around in a panic. The creatures strange phallus had already made it into the beginning of Sky’s throat as he continued to strike at it rapidly with both hooves. Although he could feel the flesh of the creature crushing under his hooves and it’s blood running down his chest it stubbornly continued to force itself into Sky.

His breathing blocked by the thing in his throat Sky beat against it all the more desperately until finally the four tentacles loosened their grip around Sky’s head. Feeling his chance he immediately grabbed onto the creature and pulled it off his face and threw it to the ground. The creature, still rooted somewhat in his throat caused his head to pull down with it, separated by some of it’s exposed appendage. Grabbing onto the intruding organ Sky Slid it from his throat and out of his mouth as quickly as he could and scrambled away from the creature as quickly as he could.

Sky lay off to the side gulping in as much breath as he could, keeping his eyes on the violator the whole time. The creature made no move other than the occasional twitch, which always caused Sky to let a twitch out of his own, as dark viscous blood pooled around it from it’s ruptured and broken body. As Sky calmed he saw that his vision had become blurry. he ran his foreleg over his face and looked at the wetness that gathered on his fur. He realized that his inability to steady his breathing was not because of his asthma but was a result of his sobbing that until now he had not even noticed. Sky tried to collect himself and look around.

He saw that laying about ten feet to his left was the knife he had found, thrown there in his panic. Sky lowered his eyes to the ground and grimaced at his stupidity. “If I had just used the knife then that thing wouldn't have...couldn't have...”. He couldn't bring himself to finish that statement out loud. Dragging himself to his hooves Sky took a step in the direction of the knife, then felt as something hit his back leg and wrapped its limbs around it.

‘THE OTHER ONE!’ In all that happened Sky had allowed himself to completely forget that he had been backing away from one of those Violators as he had been gripped by the other one. Sky once agan began bucking his back legs in an attempt to dislodge the monster, screaming obscenities at it the whole time. Rather than being flung off however Sky felt the creature begin adjusting it’s limbs one by one, making it’s way slowly toward his flank. As one of the limbs rose and gripped around his cutie mark Sky’s sucked in a breath and looked to the knife laying ahead of him.

“NO FUCKING WAY!”

Running to the knife and doing his best to ignore the violator creeping up his flank and getting itself into position, Sky wrapped his hoof around the handle of the blade and twisted the front of his body as best he could. Sky felt the creature tentatively probe at him from behind. “AAARRRGGGHHH!” Sky screamed out as he tensed his body and stabbed back at the bulb of the creatures body. Over and over again he stabbed it and screaming. Continuing even after it had fallen off until all that remained was a pile of unrecognisable torn flesh oozing oil like blood. Pating and crying, snot running down his snout Sky gripped the knife against his chest as if afraid it would leave him.

Feeling a surge of anger go through his Sky turned and began stomping on the remains of the violator. “You” stomp “Sick” stomp “Fucking” stomp “Piece of shit!”. Sky stood for a moment panting after he stomped down on the remains one last time. he then stepped away then fell onto his back, letting out a quiet wail of despair and doing nothing to stop his tears.

For a time Sky simply lay there, ignoring the smell of the dead violators, tears and mucous drying on his face as he gazed at the dark cloud covered sky with glazed eyes. He couldn't quite bring himself to process what he had just been through. The experience went beyond being frightening or painful. He felt weak for not having been able to kill them sooner. he felt foolish for not having run right away or using the knife when he got caught. ‘If I’m that useless...maybe I deserved it’.

Sky’s thoughts were interrupted however by the most frightening sound in existence. Sky heard something soft hitting the ground to his side, followed the the same sound on his other. Sky scrambled to stand and whipped his head back and forth, nearly passing out from what he saw. Crawling over the walls of the park to his sides was a veritable army of the fleshy monsters, falling to the ground as they came over the top. As the violators landed they began making their way toward the path in the center where Sky stood.

Sky didn't take a moment to think about what to do next. He ran as fast as he possibly could. Putting the handle of the knife in his mouth Sky sped past broken down game tables, jumping over obstacles in his path. he almost tripped in surprise as he saw a pink rabbit mascot suit laying in the road. The mouth which would act as an opening for the ponies face to see out of was soaked in blood and a nearby violator was currently scrambling toward Sky, leaving a bloody trail from the mascot. Sky deftly dodged to the side after recovering from his stumble and jumped over the mascot.

As he ran past more and more carnival game booths the need for him to dodge and evade the violators on the path became greater and greater. He couldn't spare time to look but Sky knew that they were still pouring over the walls of the park and if he didn't get somewhere safe soon he would be overwhelmed. That thought gave Sky the will to pore on even more speed. He idly wondered if you could perform a sonic rainboom while running as his hooves carried him faster than he thought possible.

Jumping another violator Sky caught site of his salvation. Ahead of him down the path was a building that looked like some sort of mansion. The door was closed but did not appear to be boarded up. Sky could only hope it would be unlocked as he made his way toward it, fleeing the horde around him.

A violator landed on Sky’s back but was jostled off by the motions of his running before it could get a grip. Sky ran through the pain in his hooves ‘almost there’ he ran through the burn in his lungs ‘almost there’ he began to serpentine in an attempt to evade the jumps of the violators that tried to grab hold ‘There!’ Sky slammed the door open and skidded to a stop on his hooves after a short distance. Turning and running back to the door as fast as he could Sky put his shoulder to the door and slammed it shut. Sky braced himself against the door as he felt impacts from the other side. Turning his head he spotted a bolt lock over the handle to the door and creatures thudding against it all the while pushed the bolt into place.

Sky backed away from the door. He could still hear them jumping against it but the door remained sturdy and showed no signs of giving to their assault. He turned and stepped down the hall only to stumble. Sky felt tired and dizzy, his body feeling as though it were made of solid lead. Sky tried to walk, to push himself but he could barely lift a leg. Falling onto his side Sky gasped for breath but could barely get a wisp of air into him. Darkness creeped over his eyes as he slipped away.

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The afternoon sun beamed into the room through the window, illuminating the table covered in papers and books at which sat two pegasi stallions. One white stallion and one younger pink stallion.

“And when you're done you end up with two numbers for answers because of that plus or minus you put before the square root, understand?” Shield finished walking Sky through his quadratic equation with a proud smile.

Sky put his pencil down and stared at the finished work solemnly. He couldn’t feel happy with finishing as his mind was on other things. He wondered as he felt the sun hitting his face what it would be like to learn these things with others. Sky wanted to know what it would be like to go to school and make friends like his brother did, instead of staying inside and being homeschooled.

Shield read the sad look on his brother’s face, a look he had seen more and more often as his little brother grew up. “Hey Sky?”

Sky turned his eyes up from his paper to look at Shield sitting across from him, giving Sky a concerned look with the hint of a small smile. “Yes Shield?”

Shield was silent for a moment before he leaned in and put a hoof over Sky’s “I can see you're upset, you know I can't help you if you don’t tell me what's wrong. So come on, talk to me.”

Sky wasn't so sure, his brother tried hard to provide even teaching Sky himself. What if Shield though Sky was being selfish? ‘What if i am being selfish?’ Sky wondered. Seeing the gentle look on Shields face however, gave Sky the courage to speak.

“I...wanted to go to a real school. I have to stay inside, since it’s not safe when you aren't with me but... if I was in a school then I would be with teachers, a whole bunch of them! And...and they would be able to keep me safe and I could learn around other’s and maybe...make..some...friends?”

Sky’s speech slowly petered off at the look on Shields face. Gone was the understanding smile, replaced by a look of pure rage.

SLAP

Sky felt tears in his eyes as he sat with his head turned slightly to the side, mouth open in shock.

Shield stood on his rear legs, leaning over the table as he put his foreleg back onto the tables surface. “You ungrateful little brat! Do you have any idea what I do for you? I could be going out after work! I could be spending my weekends relaxing, but instead I use what little time I have to make sure that you’re safe and fed and educated and this is the thanks I get for it?!”

Sky shook at his brother’s rage “But..but I just...”

Sky yelped as he was knocked from his chair and hit the floor. Shield’s hoof had struck him right in the mouth head on and Sky could feel the blood running down his chin as he lay on the floor shivering. Shield stomped around the table and stopped at Sky’s prone form. Sky watched as Shield rose his hoof into the air to strike again and Sky squeezed his eyes shut in preparation for the pain. The hit however never came, instead Sky felt Shield lay down next to him and drape a foreleg across Sky’s withers.

“I don’t like this Sky, you need to learn to be more grateful for what I give you. I think you learned your lesson, but from now on I need you to be a better pony okay?”

Sky nodded and put his head into the crook of Shield’s neck, drying his eyes on Shields coat. “I’m sorry big brother.”

Shield gave a light chuckle “And that’s what matters. Now, let’s finish up todays lesson okay Sky?”.

As the rose up Shield gave Sky a little squeeze “Hey, I love you okay little guy?”

Sky smiled and nodded looking into Shields eyes “I’m not little...but I love you too”

As Sky sat back down he gave the matter a final thought ‘I’m lucky to have such a great brother thats willing to help me stop being a bad pony.’

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Sky let out a hoarse groan and slowly flipped onto his stomach. He let out a hoarse cough as he opened his bleary eyes and waited for the images to slowly blur together. ‘I feel like somepony hit me with a truck...then backed up and did it again just to be sure’ Eyeing the bloodstained knife that lay on the floor Sky rolled back onto his hooves and grabbed the handle of the blade in his mouth. ‘I guess it feels better than feeling dead...’. Sky looked to the door he had come in through and listened. The door remained bolted and there was no sign of any violators still trying to get in.

Sky turned and walked through the building seeing signs for haunted rooms and lairs of one monster or another. Many of the displays were boarded up and those that weren't were empty. Sky could remember being terrified of the attractions in this haunted house when he was little and having fun with them as a stallion coming here with Shield. ‘Shield...’

The memory of Sky’s dream was still fresh in his mind. He had not forgotten that day or other days like it but, for some reason it seemed different looking back on it now. Was Shield really right to treat him like that? Sky had lived his whole life feeling that he at times had deserved being struck, that Shield had been doing what was best. Now however, he realized that wasn't really true. ‘Shield did take care of me, but that shouldn't have given him reign over my life. It didn't give him the right to hit me...right?’.

Sky pondered this as he trotted through the twists and turns of the haunted mansion. Something gave Sky pause after a great deal of walking. ‘The mansion wasn't this big...’

It was then Sky noticed a red glow coming from behind him that grew brighter every moment, accompanied by a buzzing sound like a thousand bees. Looking back down the hall he had walked from Sky witnessed a mass of red light approaching rapidly. All around the light was an area that seemed warped, like reality itself was being drawn into it. Sky decided quickly that he wanted no part of that...

Once again Sky found himself running. The halls of the mansion cut left and right seemingly at random, sometimes leading to an excessively long hall and other times only to immediately turn in another direction. He had not been running for too long but already he knew that the inside of the mansion was impossibly large compared to the outside. The glow was becoming noticeably brighter and Sky had the suspicion that his pursuer was becoming faster. Finally Sky turned into a strait hall leading to an open door, the outside visible beyond. Sky ran down the hall and as he got halfway down the hall...extended. Sky gaped in disbelief as he ran, once again witnessing the end of the hallway with its door to freedom fleeing from him in a sudden jump of distance. A third time of the hall running ahead of Sky had him sweating in fear. The light was nearly atop him now and he could feel the end of his tail being pulled on by the strange force around the glow. Finally Sky made it past the halfway point and seeing the door approach pushed off with his back legs and jumped through the door. As Sky landed on the metal ground outside he heard the door slam, looking back confirmed that the light had not followed and a sturdy wooden door with an exit sign hung on it was now closed.

Being outside brought the threat of Violators to Sky’s mind causing him to bring the knife he held in his mouth to his hoof, leaving him ready to defend himself. The place Sky found himself reminded him of the dark hellish place he arrived in after leaving his room. The metal floor lay suspended above a dark pit. There was no nearby light source but Sky could mysteriously see that path with complete clarity. Ahead of him at the end of the path lay a circular structure with a metal roof shaped like a tent. The sides were enclosed with chain link and just beyond the structure Sky could make out another metal patch leading to a small, square nondescript building with a spotlight shining on it from some unknown source in the dark sky above.

Sky looked between the light shined building with the foreboding cage structure between it and him, then back to his broken wing with a frown. He couldn't help but think how much easier this all would have been if he could just fly. ‘In case I haven't said it before...fuck you dad.’

As Sky walked to the circular structure Sky could see pony shaped figures in the dark interior. As he slowly approached he could see that none were moving and they seemed to be attached to a pole that went from floor to ceiling. ‘A merry go round!’ Sky chuckled to himself for being so apprehensive about fake ponies on a merry go round. They were rides foals could sit on, hardly something to be scared of.

Sky carefully walked onto the ride and stepped into the dark. Sky quickly looked behind himself, surprised that no gate or other blockade had closed behind him to trap him. Sky had come to expect these things. Trotting ahead, making sure not to bump into the ponies on either side as he walked around the middle Sky reached the doorway on the other side. Sky’s earlier prediction about being trapped turned out to be true, if somewhat early, when a row of four metal spikes slid up from the floor until they reached the ceiling. The moment they finished closing the exit the ride began to spin and the lights flicked on.

Sky screeched at the sight of the ride. The ponies on the poles drifted up and down as the ride turned. Blood dripped from the torn flesh where the pole went through their bodies. Their hairless misshapen red flesh twitched and writhed erratically, from pain or just as their natural movement Sky could only guess. The heads of the ponies were a closed flap of skin, like a bag that covered their face. Wrapping around the skin covered heads of the ponies were leather straps like some twisted version of reigns.

There was no where Sky could go that wasn't surrounded by the abominations. Although they showed no signs of hostility Sky did not wish to be any closer to them than needed. He found something else drawing his attention however when he heard the erratic clopping of hooves coming from the other side of the cylinder that acted as the middle of the ride. Stepping out into visibility was a new and terrible pony like thing. The monster was what appeared to be two stallion corpses that had each been chopped in half long ways and then stitched back together using half from each stallion. One side was clearly larger than the other, causing the creature to talk slanted to one side and the halves of its slavering toothless mouth to not line up. In it’s eye sockets were two solid orbs with no pupil. The right being green and the other being blue.

Sky refused to be caught unprepared or to picnic this time. Spreading his legs Sky rose his knife wielding hoof and got ready to strike. The beast was still a distance away and moved very slowly to boot. Sky was debating on whether to charge the creature or wait for it to get to him when the monster struck. Whipping out of the creatures misshapen mouth came a long red tentacle with black veins running along it. Before he could blink the tongue had wrapped around his neck and squeezed as it began reeling Sky in. Bracing his back hooves against the ground to slow his progress toward the beast Sky brought up his knife and with one sweep cut the body of the appendage from the piece around his neck.

The monster let out a howl of pain as its tongue sprayed blood across the merry-go-round floor before retracting back into the monster’s mouth. The piece around Sky’s neck instantly went limp and he easily removed it. Sky had no interest in letting the monster recover. Sprinting forward Sky lunged at the creature and plunged the knife into the side of its neck in a spray of blood. Again the two sided beast howled, ramming its head into Sky’s chest to knock him away, leaving the knife in it’s neck. Sky got up and saw the creature stumbling it’s way toward him, blood dripping from its neck and mouth. Turning, Sky dashed away from the creature all the way around the ride and up behind the creature. Ramming the creature in the side as he came up to it Sky sat on its ribs and pinned it to the ground. The creature was larger and stronger than Sky but he didn't plan on pinning it for long. Grabbing the knife in both hooves Sky ripped it from the beast’s neck only to plunge it downward again. The monster writhed and screamed and buckled as Sky gored it’s neck over and over.

As Sky stabbed a final time the blade of the knife broke off in the monster’s spine, causing Sky to tumble over the beast head first and land on his back before it. The monster thrashed about spraying blood from its mouth onto Sky laying before it. The thing let out one last gurgling cry before falling limp and silent, blood continuing to pool all about its head and neck.

Just as the beast went still the ride slowed to a stop and Sky heard the metal bars descending. Sky did his best to rub the blood off of his face as he walked off the ride. Looking ahead Sky could see the square building he had seen from beyond the ride, its door still illuminated. As Sky approached down the metal path he realized what he was looking at. The door in the light had a blue picture of a stallion and on a door to the side outside the light that was boarded up was a picture of a pink mare. The end of the road lead to a public restroom.

For a reason Sky couldn't put his hoof on this innocuous building gave him a greater sense of unease than anything else he had encountered thus far. Sky had to fight the urge to simply turn around and deal with the Violators in favor of opening the Stallion’s room door in front of him. Looking closely at the door Sky saw some small writing under the sign.

DON’T GO IN - Shield

“That’s what this has been for... Shield told me not to leave the apartment, but I did anyway because I realized I had to. That I couldn't just sit there and do nothing.” Sky looked at the door handle with a sense of determination. “And now he’s telling me not to go in here after all I’ve been through to get here. No, I have to move forward.” Sky put his hoof on the door and prepared to push ‘I used to hope Shield would forgive me for not obeying him and coming here. Now I’m not so sure I’m the one who needs forgiving.’

Sky opened the door and stepped inside.

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Sky closed the door behind him with a sigh. Heavy bags were under his eyes from the lack of sleep last night. Sky’s body hurt and he felt sick to his stomach...and sick of himself. Sky walked over to the dirty mirror over the sink and took in what he saw. His pink coat had lost its sheen, his mane and tail were tangled and covered in split ends while bloodshot and tired eyes looked back at him. He used to care for himself pretty well. Sky didn’t view himself as good looking but tried to look his best just for the way it made him feel. Now though, he just wanted to go unnoticed. Looking good was the absolute last thing he wanted.

Sky cringed and dropped his eyes to the floor as he heard the bathroom door open and close. Sky’s fears were confirmed when he heard the lock slide into place. Sky’s ear flipped down on his head as a warm breath flew across it, though he knew better than to shy away from the source.

“You know you were really cute when you were screaming on that roller coaster.” Shield gave a small kiss on Sky’s folded down ear. “I thought my favorite little brother might want to be comforted.”

Sky said nothing, although his breathing became faster and more shallow as Shield moved behind him.

Shield heard Sky’s breathing increase and came to his own conclusion about it. “Getting excited huh? Don’t worry, I would never leave you wanting.” Sky braced his hooves against the sink and looked into the mirror as Shield’s weight settled itself on Sky’s back.

Sky saw Shield look him in the eye from the mirror “Love you, little bro”.

Sky grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. ‘no’ He Held himself steady, hooves pushing against the sink so hard it hurt. ‘no’ Sky wanted to be anywhere else, anywhere that wasn't right here, right now. ‘No’ It would be over soon, he could tell from how it sped up. ‘NO’ He finally felt it, a horrible awful warmth. “NO!”

Sky reached a hoof behind him and leaning over slammed Shields face into the sink. Broken teeth and blood sprayed into the sink before Shield fell to the floor moaning in pain. Sky bore down on Shield holding his larger frame down with the weight of his fury and pressed his hooves into Shields throat. “IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!” Sky yelled as he pressed harder and harder into Shield’s throat. Shields concussed form only offered token resistance as his eyes rolled into his head and his white face slowly turned purple.

Sky wasn’t sure how long he stayed there like that. He only knew that they had needed three stallions to pull him away from his beloved brother...

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There was no waking up this time. Sky stood in the pitch dark space feeling as if he had always been here. Sky couldn't see him, but he knew Shield was here. This was what Shield had been so desperate about through all of this hellish experience.

“Shield...Shield!” Sky waited for a response, receiving none. “I know you’re here brother. It’s over, I don’t need you now...I haven't really needed you in a long time. It was all about you! Protecting me?! Giving me everything?!” Sky ground his teeth and tilted his head down in the dark. “I don’t know when things changed, when you stopped truly being there for me... but that brother had been gone for a very long time.”

“I gave everything for you! I loved you and you struck me down!”

“THAT WASN'T LOVE!” Sky let out a breath and looked straight ahead into the dark, eyes determined. “It’s over, I’m on my own now and I won't be punished for taking my life back. I’m my own stallion now.”

“You’re mine! You always were and you always will be mine, you ungrateful bitch! Mine!

Like a blindfold being lifted Sky could now see his surroundings. He stood in a large rectangular room. The walls and floor and even the ceiling were slick with blood and on the side walls were two spears,one on each wall, each placed in a silhouette of a pegasus stallion. And there on the far wall was his brother, Shield.

The entire surface of the wall was dominated by the face of Shield, his flesh melding into the stone itself. Two enormous green eyes glared with hate at Sky from across the room.

Shield’s mouth opened and began drawing in breath. The vacuum began to suck Sky across the room, with nothing to grip it was all Sky could do to brace himself against the floor enough to not go flying off his hooves. When the drawing in of breath finally died Sky had been sucked halfway to Shield’s gaping mouth. Shield followed with an outward breath of thick smoke. It blew over Sky and tainted the air of the room, leaving Sky coughing in the foul air.

Before Sky could recover Shield was drawing in his breath again. Sky tumbled over and found himself scrambling for purchase as he was drawn toward Shields mouth. Just as Sky passed one of the spears sticking out of the wall he grabbed hold, only for it to easily be pulled from the wall. With no time to spare Sky flipped onto his back and aimed the spear at Shield's approaching face. The spear sunk into Shields left cheek and the breath was cut off. Shield screamed in pure rage, sending Sky tumbling all the way back to the entrance of the room. Sky got up, eyes tearing from the toxic smoke and lungs burning, and ran to the other spear.

You little shit you’re in it now! I’m the only reason you aren’t dead! I protected you from all of them! Not anymore, face them yourself...

The smoke cleared away from Sky as it began gathering in the center of the room between Sky and Shield. The smoke rose up from the floor and gathered thicker and thicker until it resembled a clump of oil more than smoke. The black mass then took on the shape of Sky’s father from the hotel. Sky’s broken wing gave a twitch just from the sight of him.

The lumbering beast charged at Sky. As it drew close the beast swung one of it’s club like forelegs at him. Sky dived to his belly, avoiding the blow and rose tricking the spear into the monster's gut. The stab drove the monster back a step but it quickly recovered, charging in again and slamming into Sky. Only by rolling to the side after hitting the ground was Sky able to avoid being trampled under it’s hooves.

As the beast slowed to a stop it slowly turned, and received the tip of Sky’s spear straight through the bottom of it’s jaw and into the head. Sky withdrew the spear and trotted backwards, watching the inky black monster for what would happen.

Uagh! You’re not done! You can’t win this without me! You fucking need me!

With Shield’s words the cloud again began to reform, this time growing thinner and lankier. It formed think sharp legs and a needle like snout until a black replica of the doctor remained. There was no charging this time, only a calming sensation. Sky could feel it inside, if he just let him the doctor could make it all go away. The memories, the struggle against his brother, even all the pain that life had to offer could be gone.

Sky was tempted, so tempted to take the offer. ‘And why not? what is there to look forward to after all this? A broken mind, a broken life? I should just...’ Just as the doctor reached Sky a flash of Pink whet through Sky’s mind ‘A chance to smile? To make friends and learn to be happy?’

As the doctor lowered his sharp proboscis at Sky there was a tearing sound, and the golden point of Sky’s Spear emerged from the back of the doctor’s neck. “I’m not ready to die, and I am not gonna quit.” The smoke creature deformed completely, filling the air with it’s choking essence once more.

Wha...no, no you cant...cant do this without me. Please Sky...you need me.

Looking at Shield and gasping for air Sky realized how bad Shield no looked. Standing up to the smoke had some effect on his brother, leaving Shield’s face sagging and the flesh looking far more rotten. The Spear in Shields cheek was leaving a wound that sizzled and popped as if the spear were red hot in Shield’s flesh. Sky walked slowly up to Shield, both brother’s gasping for air at this point.

Looking up into the eyes of the monster his brother had become Sky was silent for a moment, the only sound in the room and gasping for breath. “Despite everything Shield...you’re my brother. I know what happened that night, you saved me from dad that night. And even if you haven't you always cared about me. I’ll always love you Shield.”

Good...good, I love you too little bro. We can sti-

Whatever Shield had been about to say was cut off as Sky’s spear plunged into his mouth. Tears rolled down Sky’s cheeks as he looked into his brother’s shocked eyes “I’ll always love you...as much as I’ll always hate you. Goodbye Shield.”

Shield let out a gurgle as his eyes rolled back into his head and then was still. The black toxic smoke began to pour out of the gaping mouth of Shield rolling into the room and pushing Sky back with the force of it. Sky tried to run away, get to the other side of the room where the smoke might be thinner but there was no air to breath at all. The smoke burned as he breathed it in and he could feel himself getting faint. Sky continued pacing around the room looking for any air but finally succumed to the poisoned air and fell to his side, pointlessly gasping for breath. As Sky’s vision once again began to go dark a small but genuine smile graced his features.

‘I’m my own stallion. I’m free.’

Author's Note:

Here is an image link for Big Brother