The Box (Unedited)

Author's Note:

Just a silly little side story me and Heart thought about.

The Box

I flip to the next page of the book as I sit in my recliner. Smiling as I imagine the going ons of Daring Do in the story. Though also grimacing at some parts that shows the dangers that could happen should she lose. Knowing that Daring Do is real really changes how one looks at the series.

“Really hope one of these days, that those villains get caught and sent away for their deeds...” I turn to the next page as more thoughts come to mind. ‘How could a pony’s greed be enough for them to sell out to monsters that would harm the world they live in?’ I then sigh as I think back to my original race. ‘Though, I don’t know if it’s much worse than what any human could possibly be capable of doing..’

I was soon knocked out of my muse as I hear a rapping at my door. A steady knock of three and nothing more. I closed my book and set it aside, hopping down from the recliner to the floor. ‘Huh, who could be knocking at my door?’

I walked over to the door, wondering who it could be. I look to the clock as I do, noticing it is only just about past three. Stopping at the door, I look over my self in the mirror to see if I’m presentable. Running my hoof through my mane to try and make it look better than the crows nest it is right now.

I then nod to myself, fixing my mane the best I could. Only to look over to the door as I would only walk over towards it and open it slowly. I look out to whoever it was at the door. To my surprise, it was my good friend Wholeheart, who should have been on duty right now. “Heart? Hey, I thought you would still be on duty at this time? What’s up?” I looked him up and down, thinking he would have been in his armor or work gear, and he was. His was wearing his golden day guard armor and helmet. It look recently shined and clean.

“Are you just going to work now?” I then looked over to the package beside him, wondering what was in it, and what it is for. “What’s the deal with the package, Heart?”

He would begin to smirk and lift his hoof up before tapping the package. “You know Sketch, you ask a lot of questions don't you... As for what it is, I'll let you find it out... And yes and no... I'm on my break right now, currently trying to get away from the nobles at the moment.”

I would nod as that makes sense. Seeing how the quote on quote “nobles” act in show and real life, I could understand why he would want to be away from them “Hm, alright. I understand why so, Heart. So, you have time to talk a bit, or you got to go now?” I asked, genuinely curious as I do want to talk with him about some stuff about the guard.

“I do have some time to talk, I got about another fifteen minutes to talk.” I smile and nod, inviting him in and starting off our chat. “ So Heart, I wanted to know, how is it being a Day Guard of her royal highness? I kind of always wanted to be in the military, but things got in the way sadly.”

He looks to me with a sigh before saying, “Do you want the long version or the short version?” I give it a thought before saying, “I guess the short version then.”

“Well… To be frank about it… Rather awful honestly… The guards here are… Weak. Too forgiving… I honestly don’t enjoy it, but hey… Someone needs to teach them how to harden up and stand up for themselves… Let’s not forget how they got pushed over not that long ago.”

I nod in agreement, grimacing and the memories of all the time the guards, and even other branches of the military, like the Wonderbolts, seem to be easily taken down. I then look up to him and sigh before saying, “You’re right. To be honest, I think the many years of peace in the land has caused us ponies, and the guards to become way too soft in how things should be. Like, I doubt we would have a chance if some other more brash or war like species fight us, the guards won’t be able to fight back any better than any other civilian.”

As we begin to continue talking about the subject of the military, the time continues to slowly pass on, and it would already be almost time for Wholeheart to leave. I would come to an end of a tangent, before Wholeheart holds his hoof up to stop me.

“Sketch, I’m sorry to interrupt, but my break time is almost over and I should really be leaving. It was nice chatting with you again. You really seem passionate about bettering off the military. Maybe you should join politics?” He would get up from where he was sitting and soon makes his way to the door.

I would blush, but also nod. A bit embarrassed for going on a tangent again. “S-sorry for that Heart. I guess I’m just a little too thoughtful about the guards. Mostly because they are one of the few things that are protecting us from any evil out there.” I would sigh and walk with him to the door. “Maybe next time, when you are off from work, we can go out to Sugarcube Corner and talk about other stuff over drinks. Sounds good?”

Heart would hum and nod, before putting his helmet back, and walking out the door. “Sounds good, Sketch. I’ll see you later, enjoy the gift.” He smirks before flying off.

I would nod and yell out goodbye to him before closing the door. Looking to the package in the living room. I walked over to it and inspect it over, looking all around it for any clue of what may be in the box. It was a big box wrapped in a plain brown paper wrap. There was no sticker or indicator of what it may be.

After checking it out all around, I then start unwrapping the box. Neatly taking it off before folding and putting the paper wrap away. The box was, like the paper wrap, plain brown without any indicators on it. Huffing a bit, I then get a box cutter and soon open it up. Opening the flaps and looking inside the box. There was a bunch of packing peanuts, and something blue inside.

I shift some packing peanuts about and pull out what was inside. To my surprise, it was an almost one to one replica of a plushie of me. It was only slightly shorter than me, but it was pretty good in quality. “I wonder why he got me a plushie of me?” I pondered, checking it over more before placing it down. I then look inside the box once more and start shifting all the peanuts around, eventually soon just dumping them out on the ground. As I did so, a letter soon fall on the bunch of packing peanuts. It must have been on the way bottom.

Picking it up, I soon opening it. Putting on my glasses before trying to read it. It read ‘Dear Sketch, Here is a plushie of you. Have fun. Your pal, Wholeheart.’

I look to it confused. “That’s it? Huh, It’s nice he got me a gift, but I wonder why he got me a plushie of myself.” I would look over to the plushie for awhile, before shrugging. ‘Oh well, mama always said to not look a gift horse in the mouth.’ I thought before cleaning up the packing peanuts.

After I finished, I then look over to the box. ‘Hm, I wonder what to do with you.’ I thought as I walked over to the box. I had a strange thing with boxes. Always played with them when I was just a young lad on earth. ‘Hm, I wonder if it’s fun to play with as a quadruped.. I know I’ve seen videos of cats, dogs, and even lions playing and sitting in boxes. I wonder why they like it so much.’

After pondering about it for a moment, I then hover up and over the box before lowering myself into it. Once I do, I started to feel.. Different.. Calm and then sleepy. I then lay down in the box, burying myself in it as I let my head rest on the edge of the box. “M-mmmrr.. T-this feels… nice.. Is this why cats and dogs like to lie down and sleep in boxes?”

I slowly close my eyes as I feel a calmness rush over my body. Just being in this box, I feel nice, calm, even safe. I try to think about why I feel all this, but as I continue to lay in the box, my eyelids get heavier and heavier, and everything was getting darker as I was soon losing consciousness. It wasn’t long before I soon fall into a deep sleep.

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