The Recluse

by Live Light

Chapter 36: Lost

The Recluse

Chapter 36
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Live Light dreamt dreams of darkness. He felt slightly panicked, but he wasn't sure why. He looked around this empty environment, but it only served to make him feel lonely. To make matters worse, it felt as though he couldn't move his legs. He waited for something to happen. Anything. Even something impossible, and he'd at least know he wasn't dead.

He waited.

He continued to wait.

He kept waiting.

He woke up.
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Light slowly opened his eyes, and the light was blinding. He waited for his eyes to adjust, and he was looking at a white ceiling. He sighed. Inside the hospital again... Maybe getting wounded is my real special talent, and there's something about my cutie mark I'm missing...

Once he was content and relaxed, he looked around the room, and, it seemed he was alone. He wasn't hooked up to anything, but he was in a white hospital bed. Besides him, there was another pony in another hospital bed, but Light could only see their silhouette, as it was behind a white sheet. He started to wonder why hospital interiors were either coloured white or a kind of green.

Then his mind went on to more important things such as, What was that castle in the Everfree Forest? How did I wind up in the hospital? Why do I not remember arriving at that castle? Why was it familiar? And why is nobody telling me anything?

He listened for the sound of trotting. He heard it, but it wasn't coming close to the room's door. Even after the dream had ended, he still had this feeling of loneliness. Sure, Fluttershy, and maybe her friends too, would check up on her, but he wasn't sure when that was.

There was nothing left to do now but think about all that had happened. He thought back to the time he was a huge introvert. Never leaving his dusty old house. Nopony really paid much attention to him because he wasn't really seen enough to be heard of, and that was just the way he liked it. Then, a little bunny entered the place, and he'd met Fluttershy for the first time.

It was nice, having someone like Fluttershy. She has a nice personality, and can be very confident, after all she's been through. She's tamed Manticores and Dragons, conquered fashion show-biz, a weird... mismatched Dragon-y being of Chaos, and went up against an army of Changelings. Fluttershy was the best marefriend a pony could ask for.

Light's been through a few ups and downs himself, after the Cutie Mark Crusaders 'cleaned' his house. He was nearly out of debt, fought some weird... large changeling, and... helped some sort of alien Time Lord... and... some weird goo brought his written creations to life...

...

It was only now that he'd thought of something... he's been through things he'd never imagined he'd done. And while it seemed like he'd be relieved that he survived those things, right now, he was feeling disturbed. Why have these things happened to him? How did they happen? Do they make any sense at all?

Why is it the Cutie Mark Crusaders picked a random home such as his to clean?

Maybe because it looked a bit worse for wear...

What are the chances of a Changeling suddenly deciding to attack?

Well, it's rather plausible, isn't it? It could happen.

Why did he make strange characters with names he wasn't satisfied with, and didn't sound like they belonged to him, and then they got brought to life when he went on an adventure with a weird person who has this time-machine that's bigger on the inside?

I'm not saying it's aliens... but it's aliens.

But something else he thought was strange was the fact that he'd been almost completely unheard of during his time calling himself 'Lone Light.' He had nearly no reputation. Surely some person would be like, 'That pony lives by himself and eats spinach,' and start spreading that rumour around. That hadn't happened at all.

Does the universe truly hate me? Was there some point in me being born? Is there a chance some godly hand is going to destroy this hospital? Are these things happening to me because they can? Am I just a little hobby of the universe as I slowly shrivel into uselessness?

...

You know, maybe I'm thinking too much about this. I'm probably just bored. Maybe I'm just an exciting guy. But I do hope I get to have at least a quiet amount of time to myself.

Light sighed.

"Huh?"

Light's ears pricked up. He looked at the pony behind the sheets, and he was pretty sure he was looking back at him through the sheets. And now that he was paying attention to the shape of the silhouette, the pony looked rather familiar.

"That you, Light?" The pony asked.

Light smiled, as he realized it was his old friend.

"Hey, Greg." Light said.

"Uhh... d'you think you could call me my real name from now on? Your writer friend thinks that name makes me an alien, and now I'm kind of agreeing with him..." Green Flare requested.

Writer friend? I don't know any other writers... personally anyway...

"'kay," He just agreed. He was going to assume that nothing eventful would happen, and there's no stalker of his trying to foalnap him.

"How've you been?" Flare asked.

"...Busy, Flare. Busy..." Light replied. He was slightly disturbed by the fact that they were still talking through the white sheet. "After that Changeling incident, me and Fluttershy fell out for a while, made up, and... yeah, that's about it." He didn't want to mention his dimension-travelling adventure. Not only was that head-ache worthy, and frankly, unbelievable, it reminded him too much that the universe was apparently laughing at him. "You feeling any better?"

"Yeah, the doctors say I'll be out tomorrow," Flare said. "It's been a while since I've moved my legs."

Light nodded in agreement.

"What're you in for, anyway?" Flare asked.

Light thought about his answer. Looking for castles made no sense, but he couldn't think of an explanation. He wasn't even sure what wounded him, or if he was wounded. His head hurt a little bit, but it wasn't anything distracting. "...I went to the Everfree Forest," He answered. It's mostly the truth. But the castle had to be real. Fluttershy even saw it.

"...Uh... why?"

"Because... I was getting something for Fluttershy..." Light replied, trying not to sound suspicious.

"Uh... alright. Was it a plant?" Flare asked.

Light rubbed his eyes. "Uh, yeah, a flower, really. I don't think I found it, though..."

"I understand you love Fluttershy, Light, but you went into the Everfree Forest for a flower you wouldn't find easily?" Flare asked, rather incredulously. "Were you thinking straight?"

"Well, I certainly hope so, Flare..." Light answered. "Otherwise, I've got no excuse."

Flare sighed. "Well, at least you're living right now. Just don't go out there ever again, unless it's a good reason, and you're sure you can manage. Got it?"

He's got a point... Light thought, I did go out there to the castle for... some reason. Did I recognize it? I don't remember it...

"Alright, Flare," Light agreed, "I'll stay away from there."

"Good. I don't want you all cut and pierced like I was," Flare said, "Or worse."

Finally, the door opened, as a doctor walked through it, into the room. Light felt as if some sort of miracle had happened, as if that door would never opened unless it was that doctor.

"Mister Light," The doctor began, "Are you feeling well?"

"Yeah. Got a bit of a headache, but other than that, I'm fine..."

"Alright. We'll have you in here for one more day, then we'll let you out, just to be on the safe side. You were found unconscious in the Everfree Forest. It's a miracle you were found."

"Who found me?" Light asked.

"Well, it was a Miss Fluttershy, and some writer who said he was a friend of yours," The doctor answered, "He prefers not to give his name. He's rather skittish."

I don't know any 'skittish' ponies...

"There's something else you should probably know..." the doctor added, "Recently, your house was rebuilt, so you may return to it once you've left the hospital."

Light let the information sink in, and, upon realizing he could go back to his house, he let out a happy grin. But it faded, as he had another realization. The only reason Light moved in with Fluttershy in the first place was because the house was destroyed. After having developed a relationship with Fluttershy after all this time, he didn't want to be in a separate house.

"...That's okay, I think I might be moving soon..." Light answered. He was a bit sad to be leaving his house behind. But somepony would probably take better care of it than he did.

"Alright then..." The doctor said, smiling, "Anyway, I should tend to my other patients. I'll let you and your friend catch up." He then walked out.

...

...

...

"I'm a bit tired, I think I'll go to sleep," Green Flare said.

"...Alright," Light accepted.

...

...

...

I've got nopony to talk to again...

Horseapples.

Author's Note:

Hello again, everyone. Sorry it took so long to make.

If you're wondering why I skipped out on Fluttershy and Funny Bones finding Light, it's for a very good reason. Well, kinda. It's explained in the next one.

I was gonna change this thing entirely. But uh.

No, that's not a good idea. I decided to just leave the story as it is.

Maybe I'll end it. I don't know. I don't have many ideas at the moment.

I mean, more than 30 chapters seems like a good time to end it, doesn't it?

I don't know. But we'll see. In the meantime, let's see if you enjoy this chapter.

...Also, I gave Green Flare his normal name because... the human name... didn't sound like a good idea anymore.

Comments

[Ermita]

IT BE BACK!!!!!!11one

[Rainbowblitz]

the recluse must live on dont end it yet wut i would do is read books and other peoples stories for ideas like u obviously did for it u can also watch tv and movies too

[Kerberos]

this fic is too happy for what I was hoping for me

[Rainbowblitz]

so when do u plan on updating recluse

[Betoran]

5774652

... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... .... ..... ...... you know someday the cutie mark crusaders are going to burn the world and lets end it whit that xD

[Meadow Feather]

So is this dead??