Chapters Why is he here?
I can't run from him.
The corridors all lead in the same direction.
I glance back, he still persists. The time seems to fly, but the clock doesn't tick.
He is slowly gaining on me.
I can't escape.
NO-ONE. Can escape. He doesn't give in.
His spindly limbs.
His twisted face.
The way he smiles.
It's all demonic.
Why he chases, I don't know.
How he chases, I don't know.
Will he continue to haunt me throughout my life?
I don't know.
He's getting closer. I can hear his footsteps behind me.
I push myself, but my body won't cooperate.
I start to slow down.
I can't right now, not when he is right there! Come on legs, you can do this, just one final burst of ener-
No.
I start to jog.
He's right behind me.
He grabs me, and I finally glance upon his face for the first proper time.
I wish I had closed my eyes.
I stare into his eyes.
He stares back.
He leans in. He whispers in my ear.
"I know what you did."
I wake up with a jolt, cold sweat staining my body. The bedsheets are a mess, half on the bed, half off. I look myself over, i'm fine, no injuries. I glance around my room.
The Chandelier is moving.
The closet door is open.
Someone was here.
I sit up as fast as I can and put on some slippers, I need air. And I need it now.
The air is thick and warm, as I walk down the dark corridors, the hot oxygen escaping into my trachea like trying to swallow a frog. It is dark outside. How I like it.
Reaching for the door handle at the end of the corridor, a pull downwards and let the cold air wash all over me. It feels so good, so calming. I step outside into the cold and start making my way down to my favourite place to unwind in the early hours of the morning. The castle courtyard.
I start to jog through the dense bush of the shortcut to my destination, some pesky nettles stinging my skin like fire bursts. After a minute of so I reach my destination, the air quiet and peaceful.
Just the way I like it.
I slowly make my way to the centre of the courtyard, taking a moment to admire the intricate pattern of design used on the grand Canterlot castle structure. Many ingravings of pegasi and earth ponies going about with their days are shown, along with the two royal sisters placed at the top of it all. It truly is mesmerizing.
I stop a second.
"It really is rude to eavesdrop, your highness." I say.
"How did you-"
"I am trained," turning around and glancing apon the princess. "How so, is none of your concern, sister of the night."
Luna smiles at me, her cheeks mildly reddening.
"What are you doing out here anyway?" I ask her.
"We have a break in the night court, and I sensed trouble. I have the ability to monitor dreams, and yours seemed troubled."
"I assure you, I am fine."
"Then why are you standing in the castle courtyard at midnight? We assure you that thou does not consider that fine."
I take a moment to admire her old tone of voice.
"So, I had a bad dream. So what?"
"So what, is the fact that when we attempted to enter your dreams to see if everything were alright, I was greeted with a white plain. Nothing can prevent the royal sisters magic, except for another royal sister. Sadly, we learnt that the hard way."
"Get to the point your highness."
"What we are saying is, we are here for you. If there is anything you need to talk to us about we are willing to listen."
She says this with a sense of pure concern on her face. I consider telling her the events of the night's dreams, but my piece of common sense decides against it.
"Sorry, but I think this is something 'we' can handle on 'thou' own."
She chuckles at my use of old tone of language, and turns away.
"Very well, I trust we shall meet soon again. In the meantime, please try to get some rest. You will thank thou for it later."
And with that, she took off into the night.
"That's the problem, your majesty." I say out loud to myself.
"I can't rest."
Again, I slowly make my way out of the courtyard and towards the barracks me and my squadron reside in. The journey is longer this time, as I want to take in the details of the most recent conversation I have had with the princess.
How can she enter dreams?
Will she be able to enter my dreams, and will I be aware of it?
And, most intriguingly, why was she not able to enter my dreams in the first place?
I decide on leaving these thoughts for another day as I reach the door to the barracks. Twisting the knob and stepping inside, I am greeted with the all too familiar hot stuffy air I have had to reside in for the last couple of months, ever since the spire raid as we refer to it now.
I walk into my room, set up the covers, open a window and prepare for the rest I deserve, if I can get it of course. Atleast it is not as stuffy in here anymore.
I climb into bed, pull the sheets up to my neck and tuck myself in. Reaching over to turn the bedside lamp off, I had failed to realize something.
Right before my eyes.
Was a long, spindly shadow.
It all started with bacon
I wake up groggy. Again, well, at least there was no chase in this dream, if I had one, may I add. Sitting up again, quicker this time than in the middle of the night,I let my feet touch the soft carpet of the barracks. Cheap it may, be, but it still is able to take my weight and be mildly comfortable at the same time. Guess I need every sliver of comfort I need now-a-days, considering where I am. I walk over to the small window in the middle of the farthest wall, next to the closet. Pulling away the curtains a little TOO fast, I have to shield my eyes from the excessive magnitude of Celestia's sun. After letting my eyes get used to it, I pull my hand away from my face and turn around.
Wait a minute.
I swear there was something behind me for a split second.
My eyes scour the small room in a fruitless attempt to interact with what ever was behind me, but after a couple of minutes, my brain decides that I have just woken up and it probably can't handle things properly yet, so I open the door and slowly make my down to the mess hall.
Now, when I say mess hall, it's not really messy, actually. It's a royal dining room, with some of the finest chefs cooking for us. I just like the word mess hall. I rambling about mess halls. See how much I have to do everyday? I wonder why I ramble......
Now I'm rambling about rambling. Okay, back to the story before I go insane.
As I walk towards the mess hall/dining room, a familiar scent makes it's way slowly up to my nostrils. I haven't smelled this smell in months! No, it couldn't be, but it is!
"BACON!" I scream as I run at approximately Mach 5 down the corridors, waking several of my squad mates as I go.
I finally reach the table, take my seat at the head and look down before me at the amazing pink strips of heavenly pork that have not been eaten by me for about two months.
I stop my drooling for a second and think. I just ran down the corridors of an army barracks, where many people and ponies are sleeping, screaming the name of a pork treat. I'm going to give it three seconds.
Three
Two-
"Some people are trying to actually fucking SLEEP here!" I hear the familiar voice of Daniel shout down the corridors, waking up anypony who wasn't awake at the time before.
I start to hear heavy footsteps make their way down the hall, and I soon see Rhod's head pop up from behind the door frame.
"Did somebody mention BACON?"
I chuckle and point to the table.
"It's right here buddy."
"Hold up," I stop for a second, dropping the fork I was using. "Ponies are herbivores. How in sweet holy Jeebus are we having bacon?"
"I," said a motherly voice. "Have the answer to that."
Looking up for the third time, annoyed that I have had to be delayed from eating pink pork strips again, gaze upon the sweet-smiling face of Princess Celestia.
"Can people please just stop randomly appearing out of nowhere? Carry on."
"I, personally, had them shipped from the griffon kingdom, as they are carnivores. As our finest fighters, you four and you four only are entitled to bacon once every two months."
"TWO MONTHS?!"
"Do not be greedy, for you are lucky to even receive this in the first place. Equestria is not on substantially good terms with the Griffon empire."
Annoyed at the fact that I will not get bacon very often and I may have the prospect of going to war with the people who are supplying my bacon I look down at my plate again, only to be interrupted for the fourth time after only taking a few bites by the newly elected briefing officer of the barracks, Silver Shade.
"Report to briefing room immediately! Changeling runners have hijacked a train heading straight for the Canterlot National Train Station. T Minus thirty minutes until they arrive, move your flanks!
"Better get Dan and Con up and awake then." I say in a frustrated manner.
"Bacon, you will have to wait until another day."
"Hurry, get those sandbags set up over there!" I shout to Cyclone, who is busy carrying tons of cover to protect us from the plasma blasts.
T minus ten minutes left, we have to get the cover up quickly otherwise many of our brave pony warriors will die fighting in a supreme and awesome way.
Wait, did I say brave pony warriors? Cyclone is only carrying two sandbags and he's slower than a snail with glue stuck to it's ass. Go figure.
Once we have the cover set up, I let the tripod down onto the bags and wait. Ten minutes may seem like a short amount of time, but trust me, in this situation, you have to be on edge all the time.
I start to see smoke coming over the tree line, and my heart beat speeds up.
"Rhod," I mutter into the headset that is dangling half on-half off my face. "Get a target on the driver. Chances are as soon as they get into the station they are gonna blow themselves and the cargo to oblivion"
"Roger that."
I hear loud cracks, ripping through the air lie a hot knife through butter. I see the ejected casing from the rifle Rhod is used to using roll in my direction. The smell of smoke is a one I pleasure for some reason, and many other arsonists will agree with me.
Taking out my binoculars, I take a look into the drivers cabin of the fast incoming train. It's hard to see much, as the bluey green cocktail of changeling blood takes up half of the windscreen. That is not the problem though.
"Rhod, the train isn't stopping!"
"Fuck, what are we gonna do?!"
I ponder my decisions quickly, not having the time I would have liked to consider my ideas in the first place. Then, it hits me."
"Rhod, line ip your sights with the brake lever. Shoot it. Should activate the brakes."
"You are nuts, dude!"
"Rhod, trust me. Better than sitting here doing nothing and waiting for a fiery explosive death!"
"Fine. Lining up...."
I hear the deafening crack once more, and as I expected, the train starts to slow down. The sparks coming off of the tracks set fire to some of the nearby vegetation, and I see that there are changelings scrambling to the roof of the vehicle and charging up their horns.
"Targets on roof. All engage."
I fire my own weapon this time, and over the sound of gunshots I hear the creak of bowstrings being pulled back, probably from my unicorn counterparts. My bullets strike two of the creatures, sending them off of the train roof and into the burning grass below. I look to my right, and see Rhod taking pot shots at the train. Daniel is next to him, binoculars out, taking cautious measurements. Connor is next to him also, firing and spraying wildly, most of his rounds impacting the ground before the train, kicking up spouts of brown dirt.
Before long, the train is stopped, in the station as well.
I see changelings trying to sneak out of the carriages trying to get to the drivers cabin to activate the charge, but me and Connor easily pick them off. When we assume that all changelings are dead, I hear a call from Daniel over the headset.
"Woah," the shaky message starts out. "This is odd. There are bio chips sticking out of the back of their necks! This is advanced tech too. Alex, see if you can grab a few and bring them back to me for analysis."
"How am I gonna get them out?" I reply.
"You can borrow my Bowie Knife?"
"Aww, man... this is going to be disgusting."
I slowly make make way along the concrete station platform to where Daniel is crouching. He hands me a shiny silver blade, with the engraving 'Die for Piece' near the handle.
"You engrave this yourself?"
"Yep."
I smile at his dedication to our cause and slowly make my way to the closest body. I kneel down over it, a terrible smell reeking from the carcass, fresh blood still trickling out of the wound in the middle of the chest. Must have hit the heart. At least it was a quick death.
I hold the knife in my dirty hands, admiring the weight and feel of it. Time to get down to the job at hand.
I slowly slice open the neck, green blood staining the once clean tool of death. Making a circle around the chip poking out of the body's neck, I drop the knife and grab hold of the chip and pull, until a perfect circle of flesh is ripped out, along with the bio chip.
"Guys, this is disgusting."
I wait a few seconds. No answer.
"Guys?"
I turn around. All of them are gone. the sandbags also. I turn to face where the train was, but that is gone too. All the bodies have now disappeared also.
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
"I," a deep and unsettling voice answers. "Can tell you that."
I turn around slowly. The figure that has been stalking my dreams is standing right before me. I want to punch him, but my arm won't move. I'm paralysed.
"Before I allow you to ask any of your stupid questions, let me introduce myself. I am Spartacus, lord of darkness. It is my job to bring terror and unease to all ponies; and in this case humans, and I do believe myself to be very talented at my profession. Now, you may ask me your stupid questions."
"W-why are you hear?" I ask, my voice croaky and shaky from all the fear pulsing through my veins.
"Why, to haunt you my dear boy! Was it not that obvious? I have the power to do whatever I like, it's just that I choose to haunt you, and eventually KILL YOU."
He says these last two words leaning in, his face almost touching mine.
"Next question." He says with annoyance in his words.
"What are you?"
"Boy, I thought answered that before? I introduced myself, but you need more, don't you, you little thieving bastard, If you must know, I am what you escape from in your nocturnal realm. I am what causes nightmares, the stories are my struggles to break free of the strangleholds sleep puts me in. But I have broken that barrier, and now all that have imprisoned my entity, not worshipped it, will pay with their lives. Now, I think I have answered enough for one day with you, puny human. We will meet again, I ensure you, but that time, I will not be so lenient."
And with that he disappeared. I feel my eyes start to feel heavy, so I let them close and feel sleep take over me once more.
"Alex, Alex?!" I hear, blurry as my vision slowly comes back to me. Daniel, Rhod and Connor are all standing over me, and I see my squad members standing back, their spears at the ready for any oncoming threat.
"W-what happened to me?" I stammer out.
"There was a changeling left, it's beam struck you while you were dissecting that other changeling. We killed him, but he took a chunk out of your left torso."
I look down. Sure enough, there is a gaping hole where my side used to be, blood flowing profuriously from the newly created orifice.
"We need a medic over here!" I hear Connor shout.
Looking over to my right, unable to look at my missing body for any longer, I gaze upon Spartacus once more, about ten metres away.
"I'll be back." He says.
Shortly after, I pass out.
I think many other people can agree with me when I say that hospitals smell like shit. I know to some people it gives respite from the dirty, unclean mess of everyday life, but to me, hospitals just seem a little Too clean. If health and safety didn't exist I bet this place wouldn't have the stench of disinfectant every single room and hallway I walk into. It doesn't help that I have to stay here for a month and a half for my wound to heal.
Also, the lumps on my back that started to appear a couple of weeks ago are starting to leave me writing in agony, not to mention I have to sleep on my side, staring at the door.
On the bright side of things, Rhod, Connor, Daniel and Cyclone came to visit me. Rhod explained that the ponies I was in charge of before have been transferred, and I am only in charge of them and Cyclone now. To me this was kind of a relief, for I never liked having to take command of 10 ponies, no matter how much power I would be given. Now it was just us, Rhod, Connor, Daniel and Cyclone.
Cyclone then found a way to make my mood do a U-Turn.
He said that if he were still alive, Shockwave would have joined us.
I remember the way he was impaled, just after saying the motto that me and my friends hold dear to heart.
At least the bitch who did it is dead.
Twilight and Lyra also came to visit. Lyra was ecstatic to see me, as we had last met when guards were taking me through the town and she was escorted away. Twilight also brought the Element Bearers with her, the last line of defence to Equestria as I found out. Their names were:
Applejack,
Rainbow Dash,
Twilight (as I already know),
Fluttershy,
Pinkie Pie
and Rarity.
Applejack left me a basket of freshly picked apples as a kind of "Get Well soon" gift, and Rainbow Dash left me a pink ball with her signature written on it.
"I personally used this when I was bored in hospital when I broke my wing. I signed it as well, so you know you have a custom item from the best flyer in Equestria."
I took it she wasn't the modest type. I still have no idea how ponies write without hands, especially on a curved surface as Rainbow had done.
Twilight gave a book (no surprise) entitled Daring Doo and the Sapphire Stone, which she said Rainbow read herself. I assume she said it in a mocking tone, but I didn't pick it up at the time. I was too busy holding back moans of pain as Pinkie kept trying to poke my missing body part.
"I don't understand how it could have taken out half of your chest! I mean it must have been really-super-duper-ultra-mega-massive powerful!"
"Stop touching it."
"Where could it have gone? I don't see it anywhere in this room."
"Stop touching it!"
"Maybe we should go on a scavenger hunt for i-"
"STOP TOUCHING IT!"
She finally withdrew and went back to her group of friends, who were all glaring at her.
"What? I was trying to help him!"
She then looks at me with a beaming smile. I just roll my eyes.
"Terribly sorry about that dear," says a very posh tone of voice. "Sometimes she gets ahead of herself. Silly Pinkie."
She finishes this with a sigh of contempt.
"Anyway darling, I do so hope you get better soon. It must be dreadfully painful with all the stitching and all."
I found out that the pony speaking had just popped into view, Rarity. And though she is a pony, she was pretty damn cute. I had to tell my brain to stop it before squeaking out a very quiet 'Thanks' to her.
"No worries, once you are out of the hospital I could always take some measurements of you. Twilight says you have no other clothes than your combat attire, and we simply can't have you wearing just that all the time could we?"
"I'd love to." I say quietly.
"Thanks, but we must now make our leave. Come on girls, lets leave this poor soul to get some air."
And with that her and all the other people and ponies left the room, apart from a certain yellow pegasus. Fluttershy.
She looks over at me for a few seconds, then asks me a question.
"Could you let me see your wound? Oh, only if you don't mind that is.."
Considering this for a second, I think that if she is so timid, she wouldn't do me any harm. I reach over to the other side of the bed and pull, revealing the biggest wound I have ever seen in my life. It has stopped bleeding, but the wound is still open.
She comes closer and glances over, and I can see her wincing at the sight. She leans even more closer, so that she can identify every single detail of the wound.
"It may look bad, but you are going to be fine. Just stay in bed for as long as you can, and you should be good as new soon!"
She finishes with a chirpy voice and a big smile, lifting her head into the air.
"I work with little critters all the time, so I know what to do once you get out. Don't stress that part of the body, otherwise the stitch could rip, and we wouldn't want that."
"Thanks for your concern." I say, with a smile on my face.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go and see my friends. Whenever you are free, come visit me. I live just outside of the Everfree Forest, in a nice little cottage. You can't miss it. Bye, Alex!"
"Bye Fluttershy."
She walks out quickly, and I can hear her timid hoof steps pitter patter down the hall.
And with that, I am all alone again.
Sitting in a boiling hot bed for day after day after day is not an enjoyable thing. No matter if you are turned on by the strong scent of cleaning products or the constant sedatives being pumped into your veins, what situation I am in is worse than all of that.
I am not even allowed to stand up or walk. I feel like in a week when I'm discharged I may need to go to a physiotherapist to actually make my legs work again.
Propped up against my pillow, eyes barely open, I can see that Fluttershy, the pony who examined my wound on my torso, has sat down on one of the three black leather chairs against the wall opposite me. Opening my eyes to stop squinting, I address her.
"Hi Fluttershy. What are you here for?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?" she asks in a concerned tone.
"..... Nothing spurred that on."
"Ooopsie.."
"That put aside, why are you here?"
"Well, I spoke to one of the nurses that is assigned to look after you, and she said that your are going to be able to go home tomorrow. She had to go to another patient, so I came here to tell you the news."
I'm being discharged tomorrow? FUCK YEAH! No more lousing around, and I can finally get back in the fight.
"Thanks Fluttershy," I say. "I'm sick of this place as it is."
"No worries. But for now, I recommend that you get some rest."
"Are you a practising nurse or something? You seem to know all about what I should do in this situation."
"No, I'm a veterinarian. My house is full of little animal creatures that I adore so much. You could visit sometime!" She raises her voice to emphasise the final sentence, but I guess she realizes what she just did and shrinks back down to her normal position. "oh, only if you, um, want to that is."
"I'd be honoured." I say with a smile.
This seems to lighten her mood, and she starts walking towards the door.
"Goodbye!" she chirps, waving her hoof at me through the door frame.
"Bye."
Leaning back further into my white pillow, I take Fluttershy's advice and my eyes close, eager to enter the realm of sleep.
I thought that once you fall asleep you are not aware of what is happening in the dream you having unless said dream is lucid. But this is all too real.
I am in a completely black space, and the floor is invisible. It is like glass, but if I were to jump, it would stay intact. Wait. If I can jump, it means I am in control. Well, not completely, but at least of myself.
I don't know what to do. All around me is empty and there is no signs of it changing. So I decide to walk. Not my idea of course, but my natural instincts give me a gut feeling that it is the right idea. I have covered about 50 metres when I feel like there is a separate set of footsteps behind me, walking at the exact same pace I am.
I quickly stop, and so do the footsteps, so I continue. But I can still feel the floor vibrating more than enough for only one person to create. I turn around really fast, in a fruitless attempt to catch whatever was following me. It proves useless. I turn back around, and I am greeted by the horrifying smirking face of Spartacus.
"Boo!"
"PISSNUGGETS!" I scream, flailing my arms wildly as I fall backwards, landing on my ass in a rather pathetic manner.
"Scared you, did I?"
I try to think of a clever sarcastic response, but nothing comes to mind. So instead of embarrassing myself, I just say nothing. Man, my ass hurts.
"I'm sorry, I believe I asked you a question. If you know what's good for you..." He teleports so he is an inch from my face. I can feel his hot sticky breath. "I suggest you answer it."
His mouth is actually dripping blood. What is this guy? Like an outtake from a shitty Hollywood horror film?! I swallow a huge chunk of my pride, and reply.
"Yes, you sadistic bastard."
He gets up from his crouching position and so do I. He starts to walk in the opposite direction, and I hear him mutter something about filthy language. But I decide I need my questions answered.
"Why in flying fuck are you here now?"
"Hmm?" He turns around and slowly walks towards me. "I said I will torment your every sleeping moment, and I am just doing my job, to be frankly honest."
"But, why not all my other moments in hospital? It would have spiced things up a bit." I say, still glaring up at him. I hate how small I am compared to him. He must 10 feet tall.
"I have other subjects to appear to, not just you. I couldn't be bothered to speak to you either. You actually seem quite barbaric. Well, at least compared to the pretty pony princesses I usually visit."
"You visited Celestia?!" I say this in a concerned voice, as I was sworn to protect her from anything the moment I was admitted into the Royal Guard Unit. Plus, she managed to give me bacon.
"And Luna." He says in a smug tone. "I am in the process of turning them both against you, and I say it is going tremendously well so far."
"What? I protect them, why would they ever turn on me?"
"Tell me Alex, did either princess ever visit you in hospital when you were incapacitated?"
He's right. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right.
"No. They didn't. It was probably because they had other duties to attend to, such as-"
"Quiet, you despicable fool! Neither of them came because they don't want to see you! They hate you! They DESPISE YOU!"
"I bet neither of them came for you either." I say with a smile.
"What was that? You little shit? Huh?"
"Language, foul mouth."
He frowns in a way that could kill someone. But it also means I win.
"Why do you hate me?" I ask. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Do you know who I am?"
"The Lord of Darkness, Spartacus. You told me a while ago."
"Do you know who I was?"
Where is he going with this?
"No..."
"Here let me show you."
His face starts to morph quite disturbingly, his features becoming even more twisted and distorted than usual. Until it finally settles as a human face. I face I recognize.
"Holy shit..." I mutter under my breath.
"That's right. I am Charlie Merit. The person who hated you the most, and the person who you hated the most. Now, I bet your new marefriend wants to see you. Oh, and those stumps on your back? They are wings. Go figure. Hope this isn't too shocking. Bye now."
He starts to walk away, and the area around me starts to deteriorate.
"What?!" I scream in utter bewilderment. "WAIT!"
I wake up with a start. I am still in the hospital room, thank god. I am caked in sweat, as usual. The early morning wisps of sunlight are peeking through the window. Just as my breathing starts to reach normal speeds, Fluttershy walks back in.
"Hey Alex, the nurse says you are ready to be dischar-....... oh... my...."
I look down.
Holy shit, I have hooves.