The Voices of Nobody

by BowtiesandFedoras

Chapter 8

I opened my eyes after I don't know how long, but I was no longer in Twilight's abode. I was in an endless, green, grassy pasture with a few hills here and there. It looked like it was the middle of the day, except the sky was an odd dark red.

"What? Where am I?" I asked no one.

I stood up and looked around; I was totally alone in an endless sea of green. Although, I could hear things: incoherent whispers. I double-checked and found that I was still alone. I walked around some to try and find out where the whispers were coming from, and noticed that everywhere I had stepped had changed into a patch of dead grass. I started to panic. The whispers seemed to be getting louder, no, closer! I tried to run in one direction, but the whispers kept getting closer. I ran faster, but something had brought me back to the spot I'd woken up on. How?! I had run in a straight line! I ran in a different direction, but ended up with the same result.

The whispers kept getting closer and closer until they were practically in my ears. I tried covering them up but they wouldn't go away. I held up my hands to the sides of my head and screamed, "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!"

It ceased.

I opened my eyes and slowly removed my hands from my head. Now, the sky was pure blood-red, and all the grass in the pasture was dead.

There were eight pointed, curved pillars in a circle around me. They were my height, black, and didn't look like anything I'd ever seen before. The texture looked like a cross between dead wood and stone. I warily approached one and slowly, oh, so very slowly, put my hand on it.

The instant my fingers made contact, the ground vibrated and my ears were filled with the sounds of fear. I heard the terrified screams of men, women, and children. I heard the sound of a knife piercing through flesh, the sound of a car swerving and hitting another, the sounds of crying boys and girls, a family begging for their lives, and then it all stopped.

My eyes shot open, and I was panting like a dog and sweating bullets. Everyone was gathered around me, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and someone I had yet to meet.

I was gasping between words when I said, "What... just happened? Where am I?"

Twilight put her hand on my shoulder, "It's okay. You're just on my couch; you're with friends."

"Ya took a spill by the door an' started talkin' in your sleep," Applejack told me.

And then the stranger spoke up. She was a magic being, her horn being pure white. She had purple, wavy hair and indigo eyes. She wore a white slim dress and a vest with three blue diamonds emblazoned on the left breast.

"Oh, goodness. You started shaking and mumbling for something to 'shut up' in your sleep." She spoke with a touch of sophistication and regalness in her voice.

"Who are you?" I was calming down now. I was still fearful and aware, but I was calming down.

"Oh, why I'm Rarity. Surely Twilight's told you about me."

A guilty look crossed Twilight's face, "Eheh-heh... I might have forgotten just a little bit..."

Rarity gave a quick "hmph" and crossed her arms.

I sat up more on the couch, and saw over the back that everyone from earlier was still present. The banner was up, and the party favors were still out, and everyone was whispering to one another about what just occurred.

"Hey," I asked, "What's going on?"

Pinkie Pie answered, "Well, you know how I ran into you, literally, today? Well, I knew I'd never seen you before, which meant that you were knew in town, because I've seen everybody in town, so I decided to throw you a surprise Pinkie Pie style welcome party! But it kinda didn't work out since you had a breakdown and..." her hyperactive mannerisms were not impeded by the scary fact that I actually just had a mental breakdown, but I didn't mind, "So, how about it?"

"Huh?" I had zoned out during most of her rant.

"I said, 'Do you still wanna par-tay?'"

I looked around the room again and thought for a few seconds.

"Hmm..." Pinkie's eyes grew wide with anticipation. I decided that something cheerful would take my mind off of the horrific nightmare just moments before, "Sure, let's party."

And as soon as I said those words, Pinkie exclaimed "Woo-Hoo!!" and pulled a confetti cannon (quite literally) out of nowhere and fired it into the air.

Author commentary:

I told you it would get real. Also, if anyone would like to give me a cover image for this story, they're welcome to. Just sayin'.