What You Know

    The grey skies loomed above your head.

Eh, fuck it.

    No problem with you though. Back on Earth, cloudy skies meant no screen glare, and that was better for you. A refreshing gust of wind blows past your face and ruffles Octavia's dress. It was strange how quickly the weather changed just from a few pegasi. But of course they had to water their plants sometime, so its no surprise a storm was scheduled.

You hold open one of the doors as Octavia walks in.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

    You take a seat in the sandwich shop titled 'Bob’s Sandwiches'. Not very creative, but who are you to judge? You watch as a teenage stallion with a little acne and whiskers growing his chin. He has a tan coat and a mane that nearly covers his eyes. You almost chuckle at how stereotypical his look is.

    "What's up bro, I'm Point Break and I will be your server today. Oh! Sorry ma'am, I will also be your server," he says with the voice of a surfer. "So what will you guys be having today?"

"I will have a glass of water and a hay sandwich," Octavia says.

"And you bro?"

    "Hmm? Um, I'm gonna have a haaaaaaa-" Shit. That was close. No ham sandwiches for you dumbass. " -aaaa, I mean I want a lettuce and cheese sandwich, with a side of seasoned fries and a bottle of pop."

    He scribbles the last bit onto his pad," Okay bro, it'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Ok bro," you reply as he walks away in his red collar uniform and black cargo shorts.

"He was a character," Octavia says, smiling at your obvious annoyance with how indecent the guy was.

"Ha! He's nothing compared to the other lunatics I've met here so far."

"Yes, I would say thats pretty much true."

"Eeyup," you say twiddling your thumbs, then you remember what you've been meaning to ask her. "Hey when's your next concert?"

"In about a three weeks, however I have to leave a week earlier prepare with my colleagues.

"I see so you leave next week? And where's it gonna take place?"

"Yes, and in the Crystal Empire."

"Ooh, classy! Who am I kidding, of course its classy! I still don't understand how someone as refined as you is walking around with a slob like me."

"Hey! You aren't a slob, in fact you are pretty clean and chivalrous. I like a little rustic now and then. Sure you're a little rough, but what man isn't?"

"Yeah I guess thats true, because my manliness is too hard to ignore and is challenged by no one," you say with a stupid grin on your face, while flexing your arms.

    "Haha. You make me laugh."

That actually sounded pretty ominous when she said it. Probably because it reminds you of that huge ass bastard Shao Kahn.

"It’s all in the job description."

Clink! Clink!

"Here you are. Don't hesitate to ask for anything else. So is there anything else?"

"No than-" Octavia begins to say lifting her finger, but is interrupted.

    "Good!" He quickly walks away as if attempting to escape having to work anymore than necessary, which is probably the correct reason. You look down at your plate. There's a lot of fries. What are you talking about? There is no such thing as “too much fries”.

    The sandwich is probably the weak side of your meal. You haven't had meat in so long you think you may have forgotten what it tastes like. You decide to enhance your sandwich and place some fries into the sandwich and it does taste really good. You and Octavia eat your meal in silence with small intervals about the weather, her concert, or the food. After you finish your meal, you wait for your server to show up.

"Did you two enjoy your meals?"

"Yes," you both answer.

"Nice. That'll be 8 bits bro." If he says bro one more time you are going to terminate his ass. You pay for the both yourself and Octavia.

    "Thank you. I hope to see you again." The server said.

Oh, he got lucky. That bastard was about to feel the wrath.

"Thank you too." You turn to Octavia,"Lets go."

"We managed to kill an hour and 13 minutes."

"Yeah," You say glancing at your watch. "I’ts 4:32."

"Let’s go to the park."

"Alrighty then."

    You both begin to walk through town, getting your general greetings from everypony. It is a serene feeling with the rhythmic squish that happens with each step you take. The damp grass is beginning to let water slowly seep into your shoes. Well, you can only blame yourself for that considering you were walking off the side of the stone path. You casually read the signs as you walk towards the park.

"Bronzehearth's Fireplace Installation. Hey, we should get a fireplace!"

"Oh that's a great idea! Especially since its the middle of summer!"Octavia answers mockingly.

"Jerk. It would make the living room look a whole lot nicer and what about during those scheduled storms, it should help keep us cozy!"

"Sure, I'm fine with it. If you are willing to pay for it yourself," she replies with a smirk.

"Tch! With all those bits I'd think you'd at least offer a small contribution. "

"I don't care for a fireplace though."

"Well, when I raise enough bits I'm gonna install one and you'll regret it when I won't share any

and I'm nice and warm."

"Sure."

"Yeah, ok."

    You notice Octavia is starting to get further ahead of you and you jog to catch up.

You arrive at the park and take in the view. It looks like a plaza almost. In the center is a playground and all sorts of things of that nature. The border of the playground's wood chips are surrounded by a brick walkway surrounding the border. The brick walkway extends into several paths passing park benches. The park has just the right balance of weeping willows and oak trees. Off in the distance the you can see several sets of parents keeping an eye on their kids.

You had never really visited the park, mostly just passed by it, but damn you are glad chose to.

You seat yourself on the firm wooden bench. You sigh and close your eyes, letting your head rest. Next time, I eat at a place that actually offers seafood, I'm gonna ask for spycrab with a side of stimpaks.

You stop your train of random thoughts and begin to ponder through everything that's going on. For starters, a cult is after you, you will possibly never see your family again and a roommate who you still aren't sure you feel about, nice. Shit! Wait, never mind, you almost forgot that you did notify the guards. According to what you told them, you should be arriving back home around 6:30.

    You stop thinking about everything and let your shoulders drop.

Pat! Pat! Pat!

"Hmm?" Apparently you had dozed off.

    The willow tree your bench is located under manages to shield you from a large portion of the rain and your left arm is dead along with your right shoulder aching a bit. "Ugh its 5:31. Oc-," you realize the ache on your right shoulder was from the weight of her head, you watch for a moment as she breathes quietly.

    "Hey, c'mon. Wake up," you whisper to her, gently lifting her head off your shoulder. "Octavia. Today, junior. C'mon."

Damnit, no whispering, drill sergeant on her ass. Nah.

    "Hey c'mooooon! Wake up," you whine, grabbing her by both shoulders and shaking her. "C'mon, it’s starting to rain. We should get back now."

    "Sure, ok," she mumbles, while stretching and yawning and the same time.

You both walk quickly towards the house, not saying much other than her asking what time it is. The rain begins to pick up, as the drops get noticeably bigger and more constant and you look at your shirt and shit spots beginning to form all over it. You need to walk faster or you'll be soaking so much a shampow or shamwow, you can't remember, won't be able to absorb the mess.

"Let's speed up a bit."

    "I was just about to suggest that," she says starting to pick up her pace in order to keep from falling behind. You power walk down the path to your front door, giving the guards under the porch a last minute, half-assed wave, like when you are walking somewhere and you see someone walking down the same path as you and you don't where to look and whether or not to wave.

"This is so much better. I think I might be beginning to regret that fireplace decision,"she says dropping onto the couch.

"Yeah, well it is pretty chilly in here."

"I'm going to catch up on my practice. I've been slacking quite a bit."

"I think I'll go shower."

"Mmmhhh," she mumbles occupied with setting her cello up.

    You enter the shower and forget which is which.

    "Left is hot and Right is cold, I think." You twist the knob and make sure to even it out with the right knob, but your wrong so just fix the temperature. While showering you imagine yourself with the body of Muhammad Ali beating the shit out of random people you walk by who all happen to look like Mint.

The light you are able to see through your eyelids goes black. Just when had fucking shampoo on your head. Damnit! There couldn't have been a worse time for this to happen. "Perfect."

You reach for the shower head to aim in your direction and pull on something.

BAM!

    Pain shoots up all of your toes except for smallest one, causing you to open your eyes. Bad idea.

    "Fuck! Fucking shit, motherfuck, god damn," you finally grab ahold of the bastard shower head and spray water all over you making sure to get rid of the shampoo. You look, scratch that its still pitch black. You drop onto your ass, still spewing a creative combination of curse words and feel around your foot for any blood. You don't even know if you are bleeding since your whole body is wet. You shut off the water and can hear faint talking in the living room. You crawl out of the shower and reach around for a towel.

    As you dry yourself off a delusional fear of Bloody Mary begins to settle in for some reason, with mind repeating Blood Mary over and over. You open the door to the hallway with a towel wrapped around your waist, expecting to see the familiar comforting glow o the hallway lights. No, still pitch black. "This isn't your average everyday darkness, this is... Advanced darkness," you mumble.

    You finally find the door to your room and leaving the window open made it frigid and uninviting. You change into some pajamas quickly in the darkness to keep from freezing.

You almost crash into one of the guards as you walk into. The hallway, but catch yourself at the last second because he was holding a candle and the dim light gleaned off his armor.

"Sir, is everything fine?"

"Um, yes, it’s just a simple power outage."

"Of course, but with your current situation, we must be very cautious."

"I understand. Where's Octavia?"

"She's in the living room, sir."

"Thank you. Um, would you mind lighting the way for me downstairs?"

"Not at all sir."

    You feel almost as if you’re being escorted while you walk down the stairs, and then start to wonder what it’s like to be president. Nope, not gonna go off on politics, it confuses you and now that you are in a completely different world, who gives a fuck about your old government.

The guard offers you the candle as you walk down the last step into the living room.

"Thank you."

   "It’s fine, sir. I should be getting back to my post."

You turn your attention towards Octavia, who's sitting with her cello by her side. She already has her candle on set on the table. Your mind already starting to play out perverse scenarios. You quickly seat yourself, hoping to halt any chances of a tent forming.

"Sounds like you were having quite the mess up there," she mocks.

You cheeks burn a little." Well, the power went out when I had soap on my head and I'm not sure, but I think it was the shower rack that I dropped on my foot. But yeah, I fell over and possibly knocked everything over, but it hurt, so cut me some slack," You say setting your candle onto the table.

"So what do you do whenever you visit a new place for a concert?"

"Sight-see. Maybe visit an old friend."

She begins to play that same mesmerizing tone. You watch closely as the candlelight gleams off of her polished cello and bow, making the song all the more hypnotic.

"That was amazing!"

"Haha, thank you."

"Is that the solo you are going to perform?"

"Yes it is."

"That’s nice. Well, you seem busy, so I-I'm just gonna go upstairs and do I don't know what."

"Alright."

    You walk upstairs and enter your room. Twenty-five seconds have passed now. "I can't take this solitude and boredom anymore." You jump out of bed and walk back downstairs to Octavia's familiar song. She doesn't even glance at you, carried away in her music.

    "Hmmmmmm." You rub your chin until and idea pops up. Well, not so much of an idea, but more of taking any chance you can at killing some time. You step out onto the porch, immediately greeted by a strong gale force. The sky looks even darker than before and the rain has gotten a lot heavier, "Drink it in! Isn't it beautiful guys?"

"…"

"Guys?"

"…"

"Okay that's just rude," you say turning around. Hey wait, where the other guy? "Um, where's your partner?"

    "He has a lot of important business to attend to sir. We figured in a storm as heavy as this there shouldn't be anyone foolish enough to try any form of assault. They would be well worn out on there way here."

"Ah, so can I get to know you?"

    "I'm supposed to keep my communication with you to a minimum. However, I will give you quick rundown. I am Silver Lance and am a happily married man with two children one is eight and the other 17 looking to follow in my footsteps as a guard. I tell him to pursue something, that makes him happy, but he says he must carry it on in our bloodline. Hehe, he's one stubborn son of a bitch, but he probably gets his stubbornness from me anyway."

"Haha, thanks for at least letting me know something about you. It was nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine Mr..."

Back inside again. *Sigh*

"What to do?"

You drag yourself back to the couch.

"Is there a problem?"

    "Oh no, not at all I'm just so bored because, well there isn't anything to do I miss video games sooo much. When we go to the Crystal Empire, thats the first thing I'm gonna look for. By the way you should try to get to know the guards a little they can be pretty cool."

"That's nice. But, you shouldn't be bothering them on duty."

"Yeah, whatever. I think it builds for better loyalty and protection."

"Surely. I hope you don't go insane when we visit the Crystal Empire,;I'd hate to have to walk around with my a pet on a leash," she quips.

"Yeah, ok. I can control myself just fine. "

"Really?"

"Yes. And I won't need you around. I'm Manly Man. You watch, those crystal mares are going to flock all over me," you joke.

    "Haha, but I don't think many of them want an alien."

Ouch. You know she had a whole different playful meaning, but it just rubs you the wrong way.

"Haha, y-yeah, whatever. Well I don't know what I'm going to do now. I think I'll just lie down."

"Sure, I'm only going to practice for a few more minutes, then I will shower."

"Ok, if you need me I'll be in my room, moping around you," you mumble the last part.

"What was that last thing?"

    "Hmm? Nothing." You walk up the stairs with candle in hand. "I'm gonna go see the mess I made." The soft warm carpet feels good against your feet and the floor creaks a bit with each step. You open the door and examine your disaster.

    "Fuck, what a masterpiece. I love modern art." Turns out you the culprit who smashed your foot really was the soap rack and now you had an assortment of shower materials scattered across the floor. You you walk over to the shower, noticing the curtain draped over the rim of the tub. You lift it up and make sure it’s firmly reinstalled to its sockets. You lean over the into the tub and insert the soap rack back into place along with all the accursed bottles.

"WhoaAAAH!"

    You fix yourself at the last second while falling back and drop straight onto your ass, soaking the rear of your pajamas. "Ugh how many damn times am I gonna hurt myself?"You grab the towel you had used earlier and dry off the ground along with a useless attempt on your sleepwear.

After the bathroom is finally reorganized you head back to your room and throw off your wet pajamas. You glance at the clock as you cover yourself in your warm blankets it reads 8:09.

    "Huh, just a man and his thoughts... I can't sleep." You continue to toss for what feels like an eternity, but in reality was most likely about six minutes. You hear Octavia call your name.

"Whaaaaaaat?!"

" ere s ereal?"

"What?!"

" ere s ereal?"

What the hell is she saying? You jump out of bed and walk downstairs. All this backtracking is really starting piss you off. A man chooses, a slave obeys. Man

"What were you saying?"

"I was saying, where's the cereal," she says at the kitchen counter looking at you for about a second, but then looking away immediately.

"Cereal? Right now?"

"Ohhh, like you never do!" She doesn't meet your eyes once.

    "Heh, yeah I guess so. The cereal is up on in that cabinet by the window sill, only got one bran-," you stop after scratching your thigh, when you feel the edges of your briefs. This explains the draft and Octavia not making eye-contact.

    "I'm so sorry I'm only like this because I had wet myself a little while ago! I mean not that I actually w-wet myself, what I-I meant was tha-at I… fell in water earlier and I'll shut up now." You quickly back out if the kitchen and up the stairs. "Ugh, how many times am I gonna do stuff like this!?" You close your eyes and slowly drift off.

Goodnight Mr. B.

beep. beeep. Beep.Beeep! BEEP! BEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEP!

    You get up and look at the clock. "Ugh, she gets to lay in bed all she wants right now." You walk towards the alarm and slam your palm onto the stop button.

It's just one of those mornings when you don't wanna wake up because everything is fucked. You don't really know why, but you want to justify ripping someone's head off.

    After getting changed and a delicious bowl of cereal you head out for work. Outside the sky is still grey and you hear a gentle squish when you step into the moist grass only to change whenever you accidentally step into a puddle. Soon, you are greeted by the familiar sights of Sweet Apple Acres. You walk through the gate and look for AJ to let her know you’re about to start your shift.

"There you are!"

"Hey AJ."

"You don't seem very energetic today."

"Ha, what do you expect? It's Monday!"

"Guess, I can't argue there."

"Yeah."

"By the way I heard about your problem," she says softening her tone.

"I'm sure all of you have. But don't worry about me."

"Like that's possible! Just try tah stay safe. Would be kinda hard to lose our best slave."

"Har, har."

"Oh, lighten up!"

"Again it’s a Monday. What do ya expect?"

"Well, this ain't much fun."

"Yeah, well then, what's my task today, boss?"

"Clean up the fallen leaves and apples see if any are still salvageable."

"Alrighty. Imma go get my equipment."

"Ok, if ya need me I'll be in the barn."

"Oh, and is Big Mac really gay?" you say with a stupid grin. Its your turn to crack annoying jokes.

    "Har har. You know, them newspaper reporters should really find something better to do than assume scandalous things with their heads so far up their asses, they don't cover the real issues," she says with annoyance. This really made you want to hug AJ, but now isn't the time." I couldn't agree more. I guess I should get to work."