In which the Sunlight lasts forever
“I belong to no one, no one but you!”
The breath came hot and heavy, the writhing of the forms wrapped in naught but the deep shadows. Sheets long forgotten amongst the detritus littering the floor around the bed smelled faintly of lilies and vanilla.
A knock, shattered the peace of the deeps. The forms separated, one moving from the frame to take up residence within the deeper recesses. The other, oozed, to the door. A flash of light as it opened, a gruff command said with the weight of a world and the door once again came to a close. Casting the forms once again into the darkness.
“You belong to the wide, the deep, the deepest blue.”
In a corner, alone in the world sits a form. It is in this form that something has taken root. Gone, gone from the world in which it inhabits. Save for a screen, and the words upon it. Ears, scan those lines which bind it to this place.
This form sighs, and buries its head in it’s sweater. It smells of summer, of honey and baking bread, of declarations whispered and promises shouted.
There’s an intrusion, a presence intrudes upon this forms world. It speaks of honor, of duty and of love. The intrusion recedes, in its wake, the smell of summer, dissipates.
“We belong to the sky, to fly, to soar!”
Two forms, one smelling faintly of summer, the other of lilies and vanilla sat. Cups of warmth held between their hooves, their eyes locked over the steam rising from the warmth they share.
Summer, that is, the scent of, spoke first.
“Did they tell you why we’re here?”
A snort, and a groan as the chair rocked back, the sickly sweet smell of sweat permeated the air over the tiny table.
“No, can’t say they did.”
Summer nodded and dropped their eyes to the mug before bringing it quietly to their lips. A rush of warmth, the taste of perfectly ground coffee, a wave of clarity burning across the mind.
“I see.”
“In this place… we belong, upon, upon the floor.”
“Simply put, you two are what we are looking for.”
The room smelled faintly of antiseptic, a sort of lemon, with just a touch of burning hair. Above, a soft hum radiated from the duct as somewhere a fan began to push air into the room.
“Why us?” Summer asked, the stump of an ear twitching against the warm cap upon their head.
“Because, we need two, specifically, two whom have been identified as being in…”
“In what?” Asked sweat.
A cough, and a rustle came from behind the wide desk. “I don’t put much stock in the notion myself.”
Summer leaned forward, “I want to know, all the same.”
A gentle tapping of the hoof and a creak. “True Love.”
“Forward! Forward! Who can ask for more?!”
“This is absolutely ridiculous. How can it be true love? We don’t even know eachother.” The gentle hum of the vents filled the tiny space.
“Maybe it’s a metaphor?” Summer shrugged.
Sweat groaned, “A metaphor for what?”
“I’m just spitballing here. I have no idea.” Summer sighed and dropped their head to their hooves. “Look, They didn’t even tell us what this was for. They just went off about true love and how important it was.”
Sweat smacked a hoof on the table. “Of course they did! It was written all over that bastard's face!”
Summers stump of an ear twitched under the cap. “I guess we’ll find out hunh?”
“Seems that way.” There came a scraping as a chair was lifted from the floor. Y’know, I’ve never been good at following directions.”
“Don’t do anything stup-”
There came a tremendous crash as the chair struck something solid.
“As with love - In this place, we begin, as we began, before.”
“They’ve escaped, Colonel.” The short stallion spoke softly, his mane cut close to the quick. A hint of aftershave lingered about his person. A gift perhaps, or maybe the stallion didn’t enjoy his own scent.
“Excellent.” The Colonel pushed back her hat with a touch of magic. “Now we need do naught
but wait.
The stallion shuffled from hoof to hoof. “You… don’t want us to capture them?”
The Colonel chuckled and plucked a cigar from a pine box, it’s pungent aroma mixing with the sweet of the wood. A touch of magic from her horn and smoke curled from its end. “No, lieutenant. I don’t want you to capture them.”
“As you say, ma’am.” The stallion who smelled of aftershave turned to the door, and with nary a sound. Stepped through it.
The door, it’s hinges well oiled and knob well maintained, made not a sound when it locked into place.
The colonel sat, in silence. Smoke, rising from that instrument held in her magic. A phone, sat before her. A light, blinking, slowly as if in anticipation of it’s answer.
She sat forward, and tapped that button.
“No Peace! No War! As we began, we begin - before!”
“We need to go!” Sweat pulled Summer along, the clatter of hooves filled the corridor.
“Where are we even going?!” Summer ran blindly ahead, following the crazed Sweat.
“I don’t know! But anywhere is better than here!” A crash as a pair of double doors slammed open.
The pair came up short, Summer gulping down great breaths as Sweat paused for a moment. “Ok… So there’s this huge thing in the middle of the room. It looks like an elevator out of here.”
Summer quickly nodded. “Let’s do it and get out of this place.”
The pair came to the object and Sweat helped Summer inside. The cage, smelled of ozone, of… toast.
A commotion, the sound of booted hooves and the chuckle of a mare casually chewing on something foul.
“Ah… I see you two have made your way here on your own accord.”
Sweat smelled of something new now, a slightly acidic sort of smell. Fear.
“We have done no such thing! We are taking this elevator out of this crazy place!” Spittle flew from Sweats lips, the sound of the tiny droplets against the cage, deafening in the ensuing silence.
“Of course you are, you two are what we were looking for after all. For you see-”
From somewhere within Summer something stringy, snapped. “I’m blind you Asshole!”
“Quite right. Well, then what say we make this brief. You two are going to help us keep the sun from setting. And you’ve already moved into your designated positions. So you’re going to help us whether you want to or not.” There came the sound of chewing from the direction of the voice and the pungent odor of a cigar.
There came a cough, “Uh… Colonel. Do you want us to flip the switch?”
The sound of the chewing intensified. “Yes. Flip the switch, let’s be done with this. Our Queen won’t wait forever, and as you know. The Sun waits for no mare.”
A click as a button is pressed.
Sweat, all energy expended, sat. “Why?”
“Because she wishes it so.” came the curt reply.
Summer took a step forward, nose mere inches from the cage. “But why?”
“Because, love conquers all and I… love My Sun.”
“Begone, Begone from this place. Let that which sleeps below the horizon lay, for the moon, she must sleep - during the day.”