R.E.M. - (Prologue)
It only took a few seconds of falling from an infinite height before I came back to myself. Such a thrilling sensation, but it only lasted for a second at the most. My eyes hurt and strained as they adjusted to the light. Problem was that I lived alone and there was nopony living within a mile or so of my apartment, so that could only mean one thing.
“She really wants my attention, doesn’t she...” I yawned and played with my mane for a little bit. Somepony would’ve probably thought I looked like a drunkard, or maybe a homeless scavenger. One of those abandoned apartment dwellers. They were rare, but annoying, and I’m no scavenger. What was I talking about? Ah yes, the lights. With no energy to spare within me, I rolled off my bed and my face said hello to the hardwood floor. “Ughh...” My muzzle was sore, and the floor was dusty. Kinda smelled like rotten apples. I could’ve really gone for some ripe apples at that moment. I remembered that I had hooves and slowly stood up, turning around to see the Daring Doo themed alarm clock on my nightstand. I had it since I was a colt, don’t judge me.
“Three in the... oh, she better have urgent news for me.” It was three in morning, which meant that it was Sunday and no longer Saturday. “I hate Sundays!” Maybe she heard me from the other room, but it didn’t really matter. Princesses have no sense of timing. Still groggy, I stumbled over to the opening between the bedroom and the kitchen. I say opening because, well, I didn’t install any doors in my apartment aside from the front door obviously. Don’t blame me too much, doors are expensive. I looked around, squinting through the harsh light that illuminated the flat. “Did she really need to turn all the lights on?”
“Is there a specific reason why I shouldn’t have?” Oh yeah, it was her...
“Because it’s three in the bloody morning, on a Sunday, and I’m not in the mood for this, Luna.” I rubbed my temples again as I replied to her. Couldn’t quite see her, but her presence was felt to be sure.
“Sorry for the inconvenience then, but this really is urgent.” I felt her smile, sincerely although only slightly playful. That meant there was something seriously troubling her.
“Alright... Alright, I’ll listen, but only because you’re... you know...”
“No need for the awkward pauses, Pluto.” Of course she used my nickname, always the nickname. My eyes finally adjusted, and then immediately wished they hadn’t. The kitchen area was a dump, cramped and dirty from nights upon nights of take out dinner. The “dining” table was a square monstrosity, its foundation a little crooked to the left. Looked top heavy, but it was functioning. You’d never think a member of the Royal family would be spending any of her time in such a place, but there she was, drinking from a fancy looking little cup. It obviously wasn’t mine, or was it? I was snapped out of my train of thought when I heard her speak up. “Would you like some tea, agent? Made it myself.”
“Um, well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. At least you called me an agent that time.” I got up on the chair opposite of the princess and sat back on my haunches. A tea cup was in front of me, and if it had eyes I bet a week’s earnings it would’ve been staring into my soul. I gripped it and hesitantly took a sip. “Huh.”
“Hmmm?”
“Surprisingly sweet, not gonna lie.” All of a sudden I felt like not going back to sleep, and my ears perked up, waiting for Her Majesty’s next words. Luna was notorious for being a cryptic mare, but she knew just how to talk to the right ponies, whether it be foals or one of her employees, with me fitting in the latter of those two categories.
“I’m glad you like it. Now, as for why I’m here, I must ask you a question.” She was staring at her tea cup, her mood rapidly changing. Probably had something to do with children. The princess of the night always had a soft spot for children, foals, teenagers, and for some reason she always got especially upset if a kid is in a sticky wicket.
“Let me guess, you have a case for me?”
“Sort of, but it’s more about...” Wait for it! “Tell me, how well do you get along with children? Do you like them, dislike them, or are you apathetic towards them? All this time and I’ve never bothered to ask you that.” I would’ve made a witty comment right then, but it wouldn’t have been worth it. A punch to the nuzzle hurts like spending “quality” time with in-laws. Luna broke her nonexistent staring contest with her tea and looked up at me, and I could tell that she was genuinely worried about something.
“I don’t mind them, really, but does that have to do with a case? If it is, I’m listening.”
“Good, because this is going to be the first case you’ll receive involving a filly.”
“...I’m sorry, come again?” I wasn’t the right pony for this, yet she was going to me to handle it. Why? Either the other agents rejected it or she came to me first.
“I’m referring to a certain filly, who also happens to be Scootaloo’s friend.”
“Scootaloo? Heh, I know that girl. She’s cool in my book, if just a bit reckless.” Okay, she was very reckless, but give the kid a break for being adventurous. But this wasn’t about her, and not to give the kid a hard time or anything, but she’s got only so many friends. “Can’t be Apple Bloom... maybe Twist?”
“No. The patient is Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s younger sister. You’re familiar with the Element of Generosity, correct?” Luna just kept staring at me, and I wasn’t sure if this was a chit chat between friends or an interrogation.
“Kinda. So the patient is Sweetie then?”
“Yes. She’s not showing major symptoms yet, but...”
“Oh, so there’s no need for you to come talking to me about this.” A little rude, but this all seemed very weird to me at the time, you gotta understand that.
“I’ve been in a few of her dreams, agent, and she’s already developing rogues.” I leaned in closer to the princess to see if what I heard was right.
“Rogues? But if that’s the case, then she would already be sedated!”
“I know, that’s why I arrived here. She only has a small amount of time left before she goes into a coma and the rogues start to fight amongst each other. She’ll be alive, definitely, but there will be nopony at the figurative controls of her mind once she slips away.” My boss frowned and looked at me with pleading eyes. “We need to start the eradication soon, agent. Her life is at stake even as we sit here, drinking tea.” She looked much more bothered by this than normal. We’ve dealt with many patients who went through exactly what she mentioned, and they turned out fine. At least, for the most part. That’s why she has guys like me under her wing. I completely forgot about my own tea cup.
“Alright, I’ll get on it, starting tomorrow. If it really upsets you that much-”
“It isn’t about me, Pluto! It’s about Sweetie Belle!” The princess coughed, rubbing her eyes, and looked at me apologetically. “Sorry about that, but this really is important.”
“Okay. Just a quick question, though...”
“Yes?” Her ears perked up a bit.
“You said that you’ve been in a few of her dreams, right? What did you see in there, exactly?” Probably not the best time to ask that, but my curiosity was a stubborn trait of mine. Luna hesitated and got off her seat, landing on all fours, and looked back at me.
“What were you feeling when you were around the age of say... twelve, agent?” That seemed like a random question, coming from the princess of the night, but I went with it anyways.
“Well... I was confused, definitely. A little scared. Puberty was not kind to me, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Puberty. That’s the keyword, agent. And Sweetie Belle was terrified. The rogues had already manifested, and they were abusing her. I can’t tell you in what ways, not right now at least, but... we’re already running out of time. They were aggressive, even towards me when I was there, and they’ll only continue to torture her until she snaps.”
“So... if Sweetie Belle is twelve, and if she’s going through...” My mind was racing to put the pieces together. Damnit, Luna was far too cryptic at times with her statements, but she was still right. We were running short on time. “I’ll see you tomorrow, or later today I guess, to discuss this further, right?”
Luna only walked towards the front door, her mane blowing in the nonexistent wind. Then she turned around, smirking ever so slightly.
“Yes we will, agent. Oh, and one more thing before I go.” She walked towards me in that royal strut of hers, and looked into my eyes. “You always seem to forget this whenever we have these meetings.” Right then my face went from worried to puzzled in about half a second. I noticed her horn beginning to light up with magic.
“Forget about what?”
“You're still dreaming.” The tip of Luna’s horn appeared to have exploded, a clash of thunder is heard in the distance, and the explosion lit up the entire kitchen with its blinding presence. I felt something big, heavy, and very powerful hitting me square in the chest, and that was when I drifted back into unconsciousness...
R.E.M. - (Chapter 1)
The sunlight broke through the window and was hurting my eyes. As much as I love being alive, waking up in the morning was the worst part of the day, by far. It wasn’t even a contest. I groggily turned over in my bed to look at my nightstand. There was no Daring Do alarm clock that I thought was the bane of my existence. Planting a hoof on the soft and delicate bed sheets, and then observing my surroundings, I realized that this wasn’t my house. House?
“Could’ve sworn it was an apartment...” Everything felt like I had seen it before, and yet nothing felt familiar to me, which could only mean one thing. I had gotten stuck in limbo again, which means I was an inch away from having my brain “fried”. It was a big risk every time, and if I wasn’t careful it would’ve turned me into a vegetable. These happenings became more common over time and only then did I realize that maybe I should rethink my sleeping habits. Slowly I got up, rubbed my eyes, and took a survey of my bedroom, which was vastly different from how it was the night before. If it turned out that I was in limbo again, I’d really have to make some rearrangements, which also took a lot of work.
No alarm clock, no crummy wallpaper lining the place, and there were actually doors that separated each room from the others. Looking over the side of my bed, which I decided was much more fluffy and comfy than it was before, I noticed the lack of hardwood floor paneling the foundation of my home. My bedroom was carpeted, which was nice, but that only seemed to make things more confusing for me. I looked back over to my nightstand and took notice of one item on its top. An envelope, with a big bold L attached to the front. I gently opened the envelope, which basically meant ripping it apart like I was a little kid, and took out a letter which was short but told me everything I needed to know. I proceeded to read it out loud to myself.
“Dear Pluto,
Please talk to Rarity this afternoon regarding Sweetie Belle’s condition. Ask questions and try to sound serious, but not too suspicious. Give this letter to her to prove that you are an employee working under the orders of myself. I’ll arrive tomorrow for the operation if the situation escalates to the point where Sweetie might become incapacitated. Her life is in our hooves, and I have every bit of confidence in you to close this case.
P.S. Make sure to change your dreamscape as soon as possible.
Signed, Princess Luna.”
“Huh, so I really did get stuck in limbo. Count on a princess who co-rules an entire nation to compose such a short letter.” I really needed to learn to stop talking to myself at moments like this, but damn it teaching an old dog new tricks can be a real challenge. Not that it mattered much, I just needed to learn to control myself. Along with appreciating my home town. I live in a town? Right, yes, of course. The more I thought about it, as I brushed my teeth and combed back my short mane, the more I realized; having a crappy apartment in the middle of nowhere as a dreamscape seemed really impractical, considering the place I currently lived in. My house was so clean and colorful, it would have almost made me happy to know it was my real home if it weren’t for the fact that it felt so unfamiliar.
Designing a dreamscape was a time consuming process, because by the time you got the details down pat you’d have to start all over again. It was a frustrating ordeal, but for an agent like me it was a necessity. The dreamscape functioned as a second home of sorts, except even more private. Only myself and Luna had access to it, and without R.E.M. it was impossible for anypony else to enter what was essentially my inner factory. The factory that produced all my thoughts, true emotions, all that jazz. I decided to take some time to get adjusted to my new and quite spacious surroundings.
So I got washed up, freshened up, and ready to do my job. Except for one thing... The sun must hate me, because it was that time of the day where it was shining right through the front door opening and into my eyes. That and it was a Sunday. I hate Sundays. A lot. Trying not to complain too much, I trotted out of my pastel colored humble abode and ventured out into... where the heck did I live?
“Who thought it was a good idea to build a park here?!” I yelled to myself, although there were ponies around me and they might’ve heard. There were mares pushing their foals in cradles, children playing with each other on swing sets and other playground attractions. Yeah, I lived right next to a park. Right in the middle of dense activity. I honestly couldn’t remember why that was, because I was never a very social individual. Even so, I took in the area, and it must’ve been one of the newer built sections of the town. The central clock tower was a very far distance away from where I was. The old clock tower was barely even visible, but I still saw the top of it from my viewpoint, and well, times do change.
Nostalgia was a feeling that was quite alien to me, because believe it or not, I wasn’t in Ponyville very often. Ponyville? Yeah, that was the name of the town. How generic. But it did hold a special place in my heart, now that I was remembering it, or at least trying to. With the job that I had, you weren’t in the town you grew up in very often, if at all. However, it wasn’t a bad feeling, getting back into contact with my birthplace. It gave me a vague sense of being home again.
I remember when I was just a colt, and Ponyville was so much smaller and rural than it was now. Not that it’s really a city or anything like Manehatten or Fillydelphia, but the town did progress rather quickly. Kind of impressive actually, but I couldn’t admire it as my fellow citizens were just staring at me.
“Um... sorry! Just had a rough night is all. Nothing to see here.” With that, the mares and the children and the few stallions ignored me and continued to go about their business. They acted as if I never even existed, which was fine with me. I sighed with relief and readjusted my saddlebags.
I wasn’t sure how Luna managed to sneak the letter into my house without my noticing, but knowing that mare, she could be very elusive at times. Paying it no more mind, I traveled through the park as the warm air of July surrounded me. The trees were doing a decent job at providing shade with their wide branches and healthy leaves. The Carousel Boutique was my destination, and if anything hadn’t changed too much from when I last saw it, in an older part of town. I say this because as an agent for the princess, I was traveling abroad, mostly to neighboring cities, solving cases. I wasn’t a detective, and I wasn’t necessarily a doctor either.
After a while the outline of the Boutique came into my view, its well kempt and radiant stature still holding up after years of service and mishaps. There was a small chance that Sweetie Belle would be there, seeing as how it was summertime and school was out, leaving her to do whatever she felt like. Despite that possibility, there was also a very good chance that Rarity was the only soul occupying the workshop at the time, so I took a chance and trotted up to the Boutique’s front door, and slowly opened it.
There was an ominous air in the shop’s atmosphere. The Boutique felt somehow hostile and uninviting, but I wasn’t sure as to why at the time. Looking around, I tried to detect the unicorn’s presence, and while I did realize this wasn’t a work day, I did sense that she was in the workshop. Before too long, I noticed a bent over figure in the distance. It was Rarity alright, and she was working at a sewing machine. From what I could see, she was probably getting the fabrics together for one of her latest pieces. Seeing her do what she does best reminds me of how dedicated Rarity was to what she cared about. Sure, while fashion was never my favorite hobby in the world, although the mare’s work ethic was commendable.
Even from where I was, I could tell that the mare was distressed; her mane in a bit of a frizzy state. She looked as if the smallest interruption would’ve set her off, which didn’t leave me with many options. Not wanting to frighten her too much, I went to the nearest wall and tapped on it with my hoof three times, mimicking somepony knocking on the door.
“Wha-huh?” She gasped a little and looked up, noticeably startled.. Not much to my surprise, Rarity started scanning the boutique to see if she got an unexpected visitor. “I wasn’t expecting customers today, so if you could please-”
“Sorry, Miss. Didn’t mean to do that, but I’m not here to buy dresses.” I bent my head slightly to the side and observed her reaction.
“Oh, you... aren’t?” Rarity turned around and faced my direction, and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was tired. She was trying her best to not appear as such, but I sensed that she was hiding a few things from me, and not just her exhausted demeanor.
“Well, you see, I’m kind of a... how do I say this?”
“Secret admirer?”
“No! Not like that! I’m... ugh!” I was struggling to find the right words, and it didn’t help that the unicorn mare in front of me was gorgeous. There was only one thing I could’ve done, so I reached into my saddlebag and took out the letter that Luna wrote to me. Rarity was being skeptical of me, for I could feel her eyes analyzing my figure. It wasn’t the most comfortable feeling in the world, and I could tell she was waiting for me to make a move that gave an unfavorable impression, so I had to act fast. She probably thought I was some weird fanatic of hers or something along those lines. “I was ordered by Princess Luna to come here. Just read the letter, please? It’s a bit urgent.”
Rarity’s horn glowed and she snatched the letter from my hoof with her magic. Levitating it in front of her, her eyes were going through what I already knew, but I suspected that it should’ve been enough proof for her.
“Hmmm...” As she continued reading, I saw her face become more emotive, her eyes tensing up as she went on. “This is definitely legitimate. That’s the princess’ writing, as elegant as ever. No offence to ponies who have to write with their mouths, of course.” She gave the letter back to me and sighed. “So you’re here for Sweetie aren’t you, darling?”
“I’m just here to ask a few questions, Ma’am.” Assuming she would’ve let me do so, that is. The idea was to see if Sweetie was experiencing any signs of pre-R.E.M. symptoms. If she was, then that meant she was bound to slip into unconsciousness very soon, which in turn gave me very little time to work with. “I’m guessing that you’re aware of your sister’s abnormalities?”
“Well... she’s been acting unusually scatterbrained lately. She would become easily distracted by things that aren’t really there, and...” She rested her chin on her hoof and sat back on her haunches. The mare was trying to remember anything and everything useful. “I’m worried that she’s becoming what your profession might call ‘delusional’.” She appeared to be slightly disgusted by that word, but continued on anyways. “At first we thought she was just having a rough time going through the change that fillies at her age go through. That’s why mother and father sent her over to the boutique for the summer. But maybe it’s not just that...” I may as well have seen the gears in her head turning, because she was trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together as quickly as she was able.
Yes, there it was. The sign, or should I say the main sign that Sweetie Belle was in pre-R.E.M. condition. I waved my hoof to show Rarity that I wanted her to continue, when a creaking noise interrupted her. The door to the Boutique once again opened, and there was a hesitant sound in the air, maybe it was a whimper or a murmur. Somepony had entered the Boutique, although I sensed that they were questioning whether should be there or not. Rarity looked over my shoulder to see who it was, and immediately she looked concerned.
That was when I turned around and saw her...
