Broken Strings and BPM's

Alright. This chapter WAS gonna start with Bass waking up in the hospital, but quickly changed my mind. Once you read this, you'll see why.

Broken Strings, Chapter 16: Nightmare Nightmare

"It's good to see you, again... Bass."

I looked around, through the darkness around me, and saw nothing. I was flying. Well, more like hovering. I shouldn't have even been able to fly. Not after the beating I just took. I should've been in the hospital… but I wasn't. I had no clue where I was. I couldn't see anything, or anypony but myself. "Hello?" I called out to somepony. Anypony. But the only thing I received in return was a wicked laugh. I looked downward, and saw a steady surface to land on. Then it started snowing. I slowly descended to the ground, planting my hooves in the soft snow, below. I suppose, in an act of desperation, I brushed my hoof through the snow, hoping to find a patch of grass beneath it. I bent my neck down to get a look at what I had just uncovered. Oh, how I wish I hadn't.

"Hey, there, buddy!" Underneath the snow, I had uncovered something truly horrifying. A flat mirror surface, only the pony that was looking back wasn't me… or was it? I stared, eyes wide, at the figure reflected in the ground. He looked just like me, except with a long, black mane and tail with a single cream colored streak running down both. "Ya miss me?"

I shot back, as the image began laughing in the same sinister tone as before. In my terrified stupor, I ended up planting my rump right into the snow, and watched in utter terror as the pony pulled himself up from the ground, beneath the snow, revealing the rest of his body. He was a Pegasus like me… with the same cutie mark, as well. "Y-y-you!"

"What's the matter, Bass? Think you got rid of me for good? Don't make me laugh."

"J-just leave me alone! I don't want anything to do with you, anymore!" I was frantic with fear, as I tried to spread my wings, yet nothing happened. My muscles were frozen in place.

"So that's how you treat me, after all I've done for you? I MADE you, Bass. And this is how you repay me?"

"You killed Rhythm! You… you…"

He shouted at me, his voice piercing every part of my mind. "I gave you what you thought you'd never have. I gave you everything you ever wanted! I gave you fame, mares, and money!" The figure funed for a second, and regained his composure. "And guess what, Bass. When I come back, I'm not leaving. I'm a part of you. And though you may have been rid of me, once, you won't do it again. I guarantee it." The pony laughed maniacally, shaking even the ground beneath me.

"No! I… you can't!" the laughing didn't stop.

"Go on, Bass. We'll meet again, soon enough."

Falling. I began falling through the ground. Then through nothing. I tried to fly, but my wings wouldn't move. Then everything went black. I wasn't falling anymore. I was laying down. It was still dark... And suddenly, I was in an intense pain. My legs... I couldn't move my legs. I couldn't move anything. I was desperately battling within my mind to get a grip on reality. Then I heard voices.

"Doc, is he gonna be okay?"

"Ivory?!" I was shouting as loud as I could. "Ivory, I'm over here!"

"Look, Doc. All we wanna know is if my brother's gonna be okay!"

"Treble?! Treble! Ivory!"

"We're not going to have to put him down, are we?"

Aaand Octavia.

The pain started to subside, as I heard another voice. "He's going to be fine. He should wake up any time, now."

Almost like clockwork, a light filled my eyes, complete with blurred colors, and shapes. "Huh… where am I?"

Any other attempt for words would be silenced by a vice grip of a hug. As my vision started to focus. I saw Ivory crying, her arms wrapped tightly around my body. "Oh, Bass! I'm so happy you're alright!"

I managed a weak smile, as I struggled to look down at her, and I ruffled her mane with a hoof. "I told you I'd never let anypony hurt you."