Act II: A House Divided
I found myself stuck in that strange stage between dreams and awake. A dull ache blanketed my body. I struggled to find the willpower to open my eyes, but I was too comfortable in my half-sleep to return to the waking world. My body shifted, and I felt a weight on top of me. Covers. I smiled lightly and pulled them closer. Actual covers. Sheet and comforter and all. What did I do to deserve this small blessing?
I took in a deep breath and smelled food. Actual food. My smile deepened as my eyes fluttered open. I couldn’t remember what the smell was, just that the taste was even better. I blinked a few times, and as the room came into focus, my heart stopped.
Where was I?
I shot up in the bed, much to my body’s contempt. I had to force myself to ignore its complaints as my eyes darted around the room. Memories of last night came flooding back with each small detail of the room, and a sigh of relief escaped me. I was safe. I was free.
The early morning sun was just barely peeking into the room, lulling me to go back to sleep. I allowed myself to fall back in Lyra’s bed and stared into the ceiling. The bed was so welcoming; I nearly dozed back into a light dream, but as my body slowly woke up, so did a faint throb. Curious, I reluctantly peeled away the covers and winced at what I found.
Blood. Just a stain, but blood nonetheless. The blue denim of my jeans had been painted an ugly brown around my leg. There wasn’t much, but it was still noticeable. I searched the sheets around it and was relieved to find that it didn’t spread.
A defeated sigh escaped me. The smell of food and the sight of the stain chased off any hopes of rest. My body groaned and popped as I stretched, trying to anchor myself back into the waking world. I carefully swung my legs off the bed and stood up.
“Yipe!”
Only to jump out of my skin as the unicorn shouted beneath me.
“Shoot! Lyra, are you alright?” I winced, my heart racing. I was back on the bed, clutching my chest with a hand to calm myself down. One night of being back in a “normal” home, and everything was already spiraling out of control.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Lyra waved off with an embarrassed smile. She went back to inspecting her tail, combing it with a hoof. “It just… surprised me more than anything,” she offered with a weak chuckle.
My hand wiped away the last traces of sleep in my eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t even see you there,” I explained. “I thought you were on the other end of the bed.” My heart sank a little deeper as she kept focusing on her tail, brushing out stray hairs. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Lyra stopped and offered me a smile. “Hunter, I’m fine,” she promised. Her eyes looked to the side as an embarrassed blush took over. “And I was on the rug, but it sounded like you were having trouble sleeping.”
“Oh, no, I was out like a light,” I chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood. “The bed was great. I just toss around a bit in my sleep.”
“Yeah, you talk a bit, too,” Lyra added sheepishly.
“Oh.” That was news to me. My mind raced back to my dreams, trying to remember where my subconscious went, but the memories were already fading. “I, uh, hope I didn’t say anything too embarrassing,” I prayed with a self-conscious smile.
Lyra waved a hoof. “Don’t worry; it was all mumbled anyway.”
The door crashed open, and my heart leapt out of my chest again. Our heads snapped to greet the cream-colored mare panting in the doorway. “I heard you scream,” Bon-Bon explained as she looked frantically around the room. Her eyes locked on me and narrowed. “What did you do?” she demanded.
I held up my hands in defense and opened my mouth, but Lyra beat me to it. “Everything’s fine, Bon-Bon,” she promised. “Hunter just accidentally stepped on me. No harm done.”
Bon-Bon’s eyebrow rose. “‘Accidentally’, huh?” she asked, although it sounded more like a challenge than a question.
“I was half-asleep,” I explained, the words stumbling out of my mouth. “I didn’t see her, but I’m wide awake now. No more accidents.” I tacked on a smile, hoping it would add to the sincerity, but the nervous sweat may have made it unconvincing.
Bon-Bon’s glare lingered before her eyes fell off me and onto Lyra. The steely look melted away, but the caution was still in her voice. “I made you some pancakes, Lyra. They’re blueberry; your favorite. I need to leave soon; Gum Drop doesn’t like it when I’m late.” Her eyes flickered back to me. “Are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?”
Lyra nodded confidently. “Don’t you worry; Hunter and I’ll hold the fort,” she grinned.
Bon-Bon didn’t appear to appreciative of the answer, but she also didn’t seem to be in the mood to argue. “Just be careful,” she sighed. “Okay?”
With a reassuring smile from Lyra, Bon-Bon reluctantly turned and left us to our devices.
“Well, she seems to be warming up to me just fine,” I commented as the door shut behind the mare.
“Just… give her some time,” Lyra offered with an apologetic smile. “She just isn’t used to you yet. Once all of this ‘monster’ business blows over, and if I can convince her to visit, I’m sure you two will get along.” It sounded more like she was giving wishful thinking, but I didn’t want to crush her hopes. I carefully stood up again, allowing my body to stretch. There was a dull throb in my leg, but it was livable. Lyra noticed and looked me up and down. “How’s your leg?” she asked hopefully.
“It’s been better,” I said; the understatement of the century. “Still aching a bit, but at least I can stand on it.” I tried to prove my point by shifting my weight and bit back a wince. “Well, mostly, that is,” I hissed, gingerly lifting it off the floor.
“Maybe we can get Zecora to take a look at it before you leave,” Lyra suggested.
I nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice. The sooner, the better, too. Maybe she can whip up another miracle potion,” I joked. I took another whiff of the air. The smell of food was intoxicating, and my stomach voiced its complaint. My hand shot to cover it, and I offered Lyra a meek smile. “So… how about that breakfast?”
Lyra giggled. “Go on ahead; I’ll meet you down there.” The sheets on the bed began to float and rearrange themselves. A part of me wanted to stay and help, but the promise of food lured me back to the door.
I followed the scent across the second floor towards the stairs and paused. Bon-Bon stared at me from below at the front door. She raised her hoof to her distrustful eyes and traced them back to me. She stepped out without a word, and the soft slam of the door seemed to echo. I released the breath I was unknowingly holding and silently prayed Zecora would arrive sooner than planned. Today was going to be long and uncomfortable with that mare otherwise.
I trudged down the stairs, pushing Bon-Bon’s glare out of my head. The scent carried me into the kitchen, and my stomach groaned longingly to the small banquet that waited for me. Pancakes, hash browns, biscuits, fruits, leftover muffins… My mouth was watering. How long has it been since I have had a real breakfast?
Without wasting any more time, I moved for the nearest plate and began greedily loading them up. Half of the stack of pancakes found themselves on my plate and drowning in syrup. Hash browns were thrown sloppily to the side, and my hands grazed over the bowl of apples before claiming a pair of muffins. My parched tongue led me to the fridge, and I helped myself to a glass of orange juice.
Satisfied with my harvest, I moved back to the dining room, where a new problem presented itself. The dining table was too small; its top barely reaching my knees. The chairs were even worse. Sitting in them might as well have meant sitting on the ground. It almost didn’t sound like a bad idea, but I was Lyra’s guest, and my parents would scold me if I didn’t act like it.
I could hear Lyra coming downstairs as I sat down, and she appeared in the doorway as I finished stuffing my legs beneath the table. She hummed an odd tune as she entered the kitchen, and a plate followed nearby, collecting her breakfast as it drifted in the air. My eyes couldn’t help but watch curiously as I sat patiently. Something about unicorns and their magic… it felt unreal to watch.
“Oh, were you waiting for me?” I blinked and realized she was staring back. My stomach answered before I had the chance to. My hand moved to cover it, as if it could pull back the sound, and I offered an apologetic smile. Lyra chuckled lightly, “You don’t have to do that; I can tell you’re starving.”
“Oh, yes I do,” I snorted, turning back to my meal and prodding at it with a fork. “My folks wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I ate before everyone was seated. Drilled it into me since I was a kid.”
“Sounds nice,” she offered.
A faint chuckle escaped me. “You and I have very different definitions of ‘nice’,” I pointed out. She seated herself across from me, and I let out a sigh. “It… was nice, though,” I admitted softly.
Lyra adjusted herself and gave a warm smile. “Well, I think you’ve been waiting long enough. Dig in!”
I didn’t have to hear it twice. I plucked up the knife and quartered the stack of pancakes. They had been sitting long enough to absorb the butter and syrup that had originally slathered them, and it only made me all the more eager to steal a taste.
I had to restrain myself from swallowing it whole. My stomach waited in greedy anticipation as I rolled the food in my mouth, trying to savor every second. I eventually gave in and swallowed, and, with a sigh, set down my fork and stared at the rest of my breakfast.
“How do you like it?” Lyra asked hopefully. I didn’t answer immediately. “Hunter?” she pressed, a sliver of worry lining her voice.
“This has to be a crime,” I deadpanned, looking up to Lyra. She stared at me, dumbfounded. Her mouth moved, but she didn’t know what to say. A few seconds ticked by before I couldn’t keep the charade up any longer. My grin was starting to break free. “These pancakes are better than my mother’s.”
Lyra blinked. The gears in her head slowly turned. And as I hid my grin behind a hand, realization fully struck her. She picked up her napkin and threw it at me playfully. “You jerk,” she accused, but she couldn’t help her own smile. “You had me worried for a second.”
The air quickly lightened as we laughed. Lyra summoned her napkin back, and I was already scarfing down the rest of my pancakes. “In all seriousness, though, this food is incredible.” I gestured to what was left of the stack with my fork. “Bon-Bon made these?”
“Yeah, she’s quite the cook, isn’t she?” She chased down a bite of blueberry pancake with a sip of orange juice. “I’m real lucky to have a friend like her. Celestia knows where I’d be without her.”
I smiled. This was nice; sitting here, eating a normal breakfast with someone, enjoying the small talk. It was a pleasant relief from waking in the cold and lonely castle with only scraps of fruits and vegetables to make a meal of. The danger of being caught still hung in the air over me as I ate, but it was comforting having company to talk to rather than my split conscience. It allowed me to think of my situation from another view… and think on it some more. A small laughter bubbled inside, and I couldn’t restrain the unbelieving grin growing on my face.
“Y’know,” I started, trying to hold back the chuckle escaping me. “If you would’ve told me a couple months ago that I’d be sitting here, in a town full of ponies and eating breakfast with a talking unicorn, I would’ve called you crazy.” I got to work on my last muffin. “It’s funny how Life’ll throw you a curve ball like that.”
“Yeah,” Lyra giggled. “And if somepony told me I would befriend an alien fugitive and let him in my home, I’d say the same thing."
Everything was at ease. There was no tension in the air. Nothing felt out of the ordinary. It just seemed so... normal. This breakfast could very well have been at home or at school and I would barely recognize the difference; well, outside of the obvious.
I watched Lyra’s fork twirl in the air with an amused smile. I knew unicorns possessed some sort of an uncanny power. Too many weird things happened around them for me to think otherwise, but I never really had a word for it until that fateful night at the hospital. Magic.
It made sense… in the sense I couldn’t explain it otherwise. I never had much time to sit and think about it until now. A part of me always joked that it was magic back then, but now, sure enough, in the land of unicorns and pegasi, talking ponies and mythological creatures, magic was also real.
I guessed I shouldn’t be too surprised by now.
My fork dragged the last bite of pancake across the empty plate, trying to sponge up what little syrup was left. My stomach ached, but it was a much more welcome sensation than usual. The last time I had this much food was the night before the camping trip.
My empty plate lifted and drifted next to Lyra’s. “Why don’t you put some music on?” she offered. “I can handle the dishes. Phonograph’s in the living room.”
I rose from the table and stretched my legs. “Anything in particular?” I asked on my way out.
Lyra disappeared into the kitchen with the dishes and called out, “Surprise me!”
I knelt in front of the phonograph, trying to ignore the dull pain in my leg. A faint smile grew as I searched through the records in the bookshelf next to it. This brought back old memories; old memories of much simpler times. My fingers flipped through album after album, and I quickly realized I didn’t know any of these artists. Sapphire Shores. Blue Note Blues. Andante & Allegro. Now that I thought of it, I wasn’t sure why I was surprised I didn’t.
The list was unending, but I eventually narrowed it down to a couple of choices. I wasn’t sure who Sapphire Shores or Blue Note were, or what their music sounded like. The list on the backs of their albums didn’t offer much help. The covers were colorful, enough to catch my eye and pick them out, but I was still going in blind; or deaf, I supposed.
I sighed. “Sorry, Blue. I’m a sucker for sax, but it’ll have to wait for another day.” I retired his record back to the shelf and carefully pulled Sapphire’s vinyl out. It still had a nice shine to it; a pleasant little surprise for me. I was so used to holding them as if they would turn to dust in my hands. The record was set, spinning in place and waiting to be heard. I led the needle over it and gently let it down.
There was a soft static, and my head recoiled as a woman’s voice sang loudly in my face. I chuckled in amusement and lowered the volume before moving to the couch.
“Ooh, this is one of Bon-Bon’s favorites!”
Lyra was grinning from ear to ear as she trotted into the living room. She crawled up to the couch and, after studying how my legs rested on the coffee table, mimicked me. Her hooves had to stretch to just barely reach the coffee table. She leaned her head against the back of the couch and rested her hooves on her chest. She hummed in thought and looked up to me. “This ain’t too bad,” she smiled.
We burst into a fit of giggles, Lyra pulling her hind legs into a more comfortable position. I took in a breath and was about to release a content sigh when a scent caught my attention. I sniffed the air, trying to find where it was coming from, and looked down. Hesitantly, I pulled up my shirt and took another whiff.
“Oh God, is that me?” I asked as I recoiled.
“Is what you?” Lyra asked innocently.
“That smell!”
Lyra blinked. “Wait, so you’re not supposed to smell like that?” she pressed cautiously. I shook my head. “Oh, thank Celestia,” she sighed in relief, melting back into the couch. “I was going to say something, but I didn’t want to offend you or anything. There’s a shower upstairs if you want it.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” I asked.
She waved her hoof dismissively. “Go ahead. There should be some spare towels down in the cabinet.”
“You’re a saint!” I called, already on my way upstairs.
Everything was smaller than I expected. Although to be honest, I wasn’t sure why I expected otherwise. My head went well over the mirror. I crouched down to get a better look at myself, and the Beast of the Everfree came down to greet me. Grime still smothered my face, buried into my mangy, patchy beard and rat’s nest of hair. I realized in embarrassment that I had spent all morning looking like this.
I barely recognized the eyes in the reflection, and they bored into mine, searching for some familiarity. Something familiar burned in the back of my head.
You’re growing complacent, my inner voice warned.
“I’m about to shower,” I pointed out in a whisper. “Sorry for not being on edge.”
My reflection scoffed. This pony is making you soft, it accused. It’s not safe here.
I rolled my eyes and turned on the water, hoping to drown out the conversation from any eavesdroppers. I tore off my shirt and made my way back to the mirror. My reflection leaned in, resting its hands on the sink’s countertop.
“I’m safer here than anywhere else,” I argued, glaring into its eyes. “What, would you rather I go back to the Everfree? The wolves will kill me before I make it ten feet in there.”
You wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for her, it hissed. You were doing so well before she came in. You weren’t scared of hurting any of these ponies. And now you’re throwing away opportunities to save yourself time and pain by saving ponies from a town that hates you. And after all they did, she is still trying to make you friends with them.
“She saved my life,” I reminded it. “After all that talk of survival, I would have thought you’d appreciate that. Why don’t you trust her?”
Why do you trust her?
“She’s my friend.” I paused to let the fact settle in. “She risked herself to free me from the hospital, just like she’s been risking herself to convince everybody to give me a second chance.”
You may need to rethink your ‘friends’. We recall a few humans back on Earth you were attached to.
I grit my teeth and pushed myself away from the mirror. “We’re done here,” I growled with finality.
I bit back a wince as a headache pulsed. Oh, no we’re not, the voice pressed. You’re getting too comfortable around your enemy.
Why do they all have to be my enemy? I demanded. What’s wrong with wanting some friends in this twisted world? Why do I have to be alone?
It didn’t reply, but I could still feel in lingering in the corners of my mind. I took in a breath and slowly let it out. I was wasting Lyra’s water.
I pulled a towel out of the cabinet and stripped off my jeans and boxers. The water was scalding. My hand moved to the cold-water valve but paused as a realization struck me. I haven’t had a hot shower in over a month.
I stepped into the burning tub and waiting to adjust to the heat before cleaning. A small shiver went down my spine. After over a month of bathing in the cold river water, it was wonderful to feel this burning over my body. I ran my hands over my face and through my hair and watched as the caked-in dirt washed down the drain, as if the grime was the Everfree itself.
The thought lingered, and I began scrubbing the rest of me, searching wildly for some soap. The Everfree ran down the drain in dark rivers. I peeled away the bandages over my body, exposing the wounds and stitches to the purifying heat. Faint crimson streams trailed down to merge with the Everfree, and with each river that disappeared, I felt more and more at ease.
So, confession time, had to break this chapter in half because it was breaking 11k, and I didn't want to make you guys have to sit through that, and it's been a solid minute since I've updated 
. It feels a little small, but it was the best place I could think to place the cut. On the plus side, I have a huge head start for the next one, but I'm still working out the kinks to it. It ought to be up relatively sooner.
Hope you all enjoyed this little slice!
Coming Soon: Act II: Trials and Errors
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
1,007 users online
1,497,050 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
So, confession time, had to break this chapter in half because it was breaking 11k, and I didn't want to make you guys have to sit through that, and it's been a solid minute since I've updated
. It feels a little small, but it was the best place I could think to place the cut. On the plus side, I have a huge head start for the next one, but I'm still working out the kinks to it. It ought to be up relatively sooner.
Hope you all enjoyed this little slice!
Coming Soon: Act II: Trials and Errors
8256723
Shouldn't you make this post an author's note in the chapter? That way, you know, it doesn't get lost in the inevitable flood of comments?
8256776
Huh, fair enough
I love that the grime is referred to as, "the Everfree." Like, everything about this section makes my inner author tingle with joy. Super tasty my dude!
I've read your story before good sir and I can't wait for the next chapter, it's my favorite
Yay!!!
I'm now required to leave this here. (skip to 2:05)
Oh thank god, how longs it been, a month, a year,a decade, A MILLENNIA!?!?!?!?I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE!!!!😭😭😭😭😭
Umm... Please, Sir, may I have another?
I'm gonna be a nut and comment before even reading that chapter.
For one simple reason.
Because House is good show, yes.
I've accidently stepped on my own dog a few times when she'd sleep on the rug right next to the bed...
As for the Everfree aroma he was sporting, it did make me laugh that Lyra thought it was normal for him. Wait until he's showered and then builds up a "normal" human male scent with no access to underarm deodorants. Should take a day at the most before nose hairs start getting singed... or worse, mares like it.
It all made me recall a crackfic from many years ago that dwelled upon "ode-de-male" and how it drove some mares nuzzle-crazy like cats and you spilled catnip all over yourself. Was based on ponies being more like cats, nuzzling to mark their "territory". All in all, just an excuse for Rainbow Dash to nuzzle all over the perplexed human's face and chest who couldn't smell anything as well as ponies could. Apparently, that male scent was also irresistible too.
Pretty sure the fic's genesis was all this artist's fault, heh.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/11/29/1306003__safe_artist-colon-captainpudgemuffin_amethyst+star_sparkler_behaving+like+a+cat_captainpudgemuffin+is+trying+to+murder+us_cat_chest+fluff_cute.png
8257890
I never realized I've been saying that wrong my whole life. Thanks for pointing it out! It ought to be fixed now
UPDATE!
....
and all he does is eat and shower...
that's cool I guess
can't wait for more :D
Pinkie and Rainbowdash need to be punished..
Great chapter. Much needed time to relax and recuperate. Things are going so well.
I do hate that voice though.