In Twilight

by Kentavritsa

Reprieve: 5

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Since the wind had shut all the doors on this floor closed, I had to open the door out of the room; before I could exit, in order to trot back to my kitchen. I leave the rest of the doors closed, and close the door behind me, before I continue, on my way to the flight of stairs up.

“Yes, I still have a door to the basement, below me. All assuming, that is indeed what is behind this door!” I observe.

I open the door, to the stairs up. I step in, continuing up the flight of stairs. I find myself unexpected ly eager; to trot up, away from this floor. Sub-floor.

This time, I actually do close the door behind myself. Maybe I feel an unexpected urge, to distance myself from this floor, to close it of behind me.

As I reach the top of the flight of stairs, this door is still open. I leave it open, as I am leaving the flight of stairs. I am still in the basement, the first level of the cellar. Considering, I actually do have at least three levels in this basement.

I continue up, the next flight of stairs; reaching the ground floor, as I am finding myself in the cloak-room. Everything looks normal, the way it had as I left fr the basement.

“Normal? As if anything could be considered normal, in this house?” I ponder.

At least, I am in the same module; as I had woken up in, as opposed to the one that is my basement. I suspect there is another module, the one I had not yet explored. I had left the exploration, called back by the urgent lunch I am desperately looking forwards to.

I ignore the cloak-room, and the wardrobe; in search for the kitchen I had left behind as I went down to explore my basement. The exploration had dragged out, due to the larger space. Now I am back, looking forwards to my lunch.

With the cloak-room behind me, I eagerly trot through the living-room, and into my new kitchen. Everything is, where I had left it. It is almost, as if I had never left, at all.

The potted plants I had retrieved from my garage, just hours ago; still stands in the window, where I had left them. I nip a few blossoms, and leaves; from the daisies, but just enough to improve the salad, I am looking forwards to. Not enough, to harm the plants, or ruin the general experience of the plants in my window.

While I leave the vegetables on the table, I open the fridge; extracting the salad. I open a door to pick up a bowl, in which I deposit the entire salad I had intended for my lunch, including the daisy-blossoms and leaves.

I pull out the drawer, extracting the fork I had intended to use, when I am eating my salad. Once I had pulled out the chair, I sit down and once more pick up the fork.

Siting down, I relax; stabbing the vegetables, with the fork. I only open my mouth, as I lift the fork up; chewing the fresh, green vegetables.

“Delicious!” I ponder, as I chew down the meal.

“Had I not been so lonely, I could have been enjoying myself, quite royally!” I consider, while I am finishing the meal off.

“While I have not reached the end of the adventure in the basement; maybe I should explore the next floor, above me!” I mumble, to myself.

“This is the floor directly under my bed-room, so I don't need to explore that again! I have already seen that!” I mumble.

I open the door to the fridge and store away the rest of the salad; before I dish the bowl, fork and glass, after myself. Once I had cleaned up, after myself; I step out of the kitchen, and continue through the living-room, back to the cloak-room.

“Maybe I should step out, for some fresh air? After dinner, should be fine!” I mumble.

I trot up the flight of stairs, and out into the hall; from there, I open the door to the next flight of stairs. As I reach the top of the stairs, I open the door, to the next floor.

As I enter the room, I find myself in a very different building. Nothing like the western layout. I had found myself in the traditional Japanese era. How strange.

“While the Human standard had been strange, but it was fairly close to the Equestrian style I have been used to!” I point out, to no-one in particular.

As expected, there is no response, and no reply. I am alone. No Pony, and no Human or alien creature to be seen.

I had stepped out on hard wooden floor. True to the style; the wood had still been coated with the same, thin layer of clear rubber. If the clear rubber is intended to preserve the building, or if it is an adaptation to my needs; I have no idea, and no prof is forthcoming.

I can see a line of indoors boots lined up, on the floor, and a line of outdoors boots, just below on a lower level. This is, exactly what you should have been expecting, from this style. I did not know what to expect, this is not a familiar style of home I had even read about in any of my precious books. No books in my original library in Ponyville, neither in the castle of the two sisters, or even in the royal castle in Canterlot. It is not mentioned, in any book in the library, in the Crystal Empire, either. Even if I had not had the opportunity to go over these.

Too many books, and too little time.

“Should I try on these indoors boots?” I inquire; even if I harbour no hope of any response, what-so-ever.

No answer had been forthcoming before, so why expect one now? Maybe I could ask my petrified Sapphire statue self in the basement, if I was eager enough to return to her. I could, because this is my best chance; if I hope to find the answer, to anything.

Unless I found a book, on the topic of interest; that is. Maybe this book is in my study? Maybe I should have been paying more attention, to that room?

“Too late, I am here now; I want to see what is on this floor, right now!” I mumble; “Not later!” I add.

“Rice-paper, like windows indoors!” I realize.

There is a wardrobe, identical to the one I have below; only this is lacquered in bright red. Since I have the indoors and outdoors boots out, I am expecting nothing to be in the wardrobe. Yet, in curiosity; I pull the door up, just in order to confirm what I think I know.

Once I had opened the door, the wardrobe is identical to the one in the cloak-room below. Just made in the Japanese style. I have three sets of boots, identical to the once downstairs. With the one exception, the used set had already been adjusted to my hoof-size. It is, as if I had been downstairs, but everything had been changed into the Japanese style, while I had been exploring the basement.

I have a cold shiver down the entire length of my spine.

Wait, there is one significant difference here. I have a beautiful, delicate silken Kimono hanging in the wardrobe.

“So delicate, and so beautiful!” I ponder.

I reach for the one single garment, extracting it with great care; knowing Rarity would have killed me instantly, if she learned of me harming this garment. I could not bare the image.

After a moment of consideration, I put it on. I just had to try it on. The silk had been dyed a bright blue, electric metallic blue, in a deep hue. There is a pattern on the blue back-ground, in a deep, shimmering purple.

“Rarity would have loved this one!” I ponder, as the image brings her back to me.

Maybe I had not lost my elegant friend, after all. I just need an item, or image; to bring her back to me, if even for a brief moment.

“Maybe I should try the red boots now; it does feel appropriate, and should go well with the style!” I ponder, considering the red door to this wardrobe.

I pull out the set of red boots, stepping right into them; just as before, these boots are contracting around my hooves. A perfect fit, as if painted on. Maybe the looks is closer to hoof-polish? Besides, now the red is deep and reminiscent of fire-ruby. Like the one Spike had been holding on to, for a special occasion; only to give it to Rarity, just because she had asked him so kindly.

For a moment, I imagine I am seeing Spike by my right side. The image is holding rarity on my left; but the image can only last for so long, before it is evaporating into thin air. It is but an image, a memory; from a time and place to which I can't return.

Maybe I could find an entrance, to my old Equestria? Could I teleport to my old home? Is there a book, explaining how to get back, or could the statue of me explain, how I should do? Why? Why should she tell me that, all assuming she even knew.

Even if discord had crafted that room; I doubt even he could, or would explain that.

With the set of ruby-boots on, I am trotting towards the living-room, only stopping to open the door; before I cross the threshold, and step into the room.

At first, it is identical to the living-room below. Yet, it is also very different. I have a new LED TV, of the latest model in Japanese. I have a cherry-wood table, lacquered in the same Japanese style as the door to the wardrobe in my cloaking-room. Behind the table, I see cushions, in the same style. Exquisite silk, in a traditional pattern. Purple, on royal blue.

As I look out, through the window; I see leaves of cherry-trees, shading the room.

“Whoa!” I exclaim, “They really did put in an effort, in maintaining the style here!” I mumble.

At least, no bothersome, human style door-handles on this floor. The door-handles would have clashed; with the Japanese style, too, of course.

“I will have to be careful, here; not to push my hoof through the delicate raise-paper windows, of the doors and walls!” I ponder, in curious confusion.

At least, the cherry-wood is not too delicate.

In the kitchen, everything is much lower than in my part of this building; even if I had been expecting it, from the experience in the living-room.

The fridge and freezer had been lacquered, in the same stylish, deep red; apparently favoured by the Japanese, who inspired the style of this floor. Inside, the fridge and freezer is generally the same as on my floor, but with small differences I just can not quite put my hoof upon.

“Everything on this floor, is very different from what is on the previous floor; as if it had been a different architect, drawing it up and had it built!” I ponder.

Still it is built for me, from what I could see.

“It feels, as if different bricks had been put in the same pile!” I ponder; not quite realizing the meaning of the revelation, just yet.

This is the third module of this doll-house I am exploring. Isn't it? I can't count that room, where the statue of an alternative me was standing.

“This is clearly a Human building, so how does an equine Pony fit into this?” I ponder.

“The people who use to live in this style seems to love tea!” I realize, as I am exploring the kitchen.

“Is this their kitchen, or mine?” I inquire, with no real hope for an answer, forthcoming.

Of course, no answer is give, exactly as I had been expecting all along. Why expect an answer, when you know you are utterly alone? Unless you count the statue, I have not seen anypony here, or outdoors, for that matter.

I make due, with brewing myself a cup of tea. I just pour up boiling water into the cup, after I had placed the fresh, green tea-leaves in. I watch the water turning a yellowish green, before I am extracting the leaves.

Now I just have to wait, for a moment; as the water is cooling of, enough for me to take the first sip.

Once the tea is cold enough, I take a sip; finding the brew much more bitter, than I had been expecting. This is after all Japanese tea, and I have never tried this before. I should have expected more difference, than I did.

I end up, sipping the tea much slower, than I had initially intended; but I do drink it, without adding any sugar.

“Should I have been adding sugar, or anything else?” I ponder, as I finish the cup.

Before I leave, I clean the cup; before I could possibly leave. I had to do the dishes myself; since I haven't seen anyone else, who could have done it for me. Of course, then there is none; who could take offence, if I had forgotten. Maybe it is Rarity, who is rubbing of on me.

Once I had cleaned up, after myself; I step out of the kitchen, in my exploration. I notice that I have a shower, and a mare's room, adjusted in the same manner, as everything else on this floor. It is still in the Human style, however.

Now I continue, opening the hard-wood door up to the next floor. I continue up the flight of stairs, only to find the same Japanese style walls. Otherwise; everything looks exactly as it had, on my floor. A mare's room, too.

As I step into my bed-room, I notice that my bed is already here; made, as if I had been sleeping here, the previous night. Everything is mirroring the room, in which I had woken up, earlier in the morning.

“Maybe I could, or should sleep here? Not now, and maybe not tonight; but I definitely could sleep in this room!” I mumble.

The rest of the bed-rooms are identical to the once I had already seen; just in the Japanese style, and still quite life-less. Why do I have the feeling, these rooms are merely there; in order to fill up the floor-plan, rather than indicating I could invite a guest to live with me?

“I guess I have seen my home, in Japanese too, now!” I mumble, to myself.

I step out of the room, and trot back to the door to the flight of stairs. Now I continue back down, finding myself in the cloak-room once more.

“Now I want to see, how this building looks; from the outside, and explore my Japanese garden too!” I mumble.

The porch had been lacquered, in traditional Japanese red, but is still coated in clear rubber; just as I had been expecting, from what I had been getting used to. Everything seems to be coated, with this clear rubber. Everything. Absolutely everything.

“Everything, except my food; that is!” I ponder.

I step out, as I had opened the door before me. There is a path to the street, of course. Only this path is organized pebbles, black stone, coated with rubber. These pebbles do not require to be maintained; because the rubber is keeping them, in perfect order.

“Now I don't need to go out, taking care of keeping these pebbles in order!” I mumble.

I do not have a gardener, who could have been maintaining the garden; I would have been expected to do this, all by myself. The garden would have been left, in disarray; since I could never have maintained it, by myself. I am lacking experience, and education.

As I continue further, down the path towards the street; I notice, that it is not laid with asphalt like I had been expecting. This is after all a rural, Japanese village.

Now I am stepping out on the lawn of my Japanese home, trotting over the luscious green grass.

Alone, without even the accompanying squeaks from my hooves; since I am wearing these boots, I still enjoy the sensation of grass under my hooves. As I continue, I soon come across the Cherry-trees I had seen through my windows. Green, and devoid of blossoms. Yet, it is at least the very same, Japanese Cherry-trees.

I continue, trotting over the grass, further and further. On the back, I find a Japanese Rock-garden. Curious. Even these stones had been coated, with the very same crystal-clear rubber-coating. Then again, it is what I had been expecting; based on my previous experience, in my new home.

As I continue, I find a garage behind my home. This time, I trot all the way around, to the closed doors on the front. I open the door, before I am trotting in, inside of my garage.

Since I had opened the door, manually; before I had trotted in, I do not find any plastic replications of what I should be finding in the garage. Thankfully.

“Okay!” I exclaim, as I see the bushes, ready to be planted outside.

“I will just have to take the time, planting them outside; after I have made up my mind, where I want to plant these!” I mumble.

There are other vegetation potted, awaiting me. I will just have to plant them in my garden, or carry the pots in, so that I can place them into the windows. I have to do that, and I can't wait for too long; or they will all expire, and wilt. I could not have that, now could I.

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