The Shining Descent

The Shining Descent

By: The Sentimentalism Brony

Chapter 2

Mazes and Typewriters

With everypony gone, and the Overlook Hotel feeling hallowed out, Fluttershy walked the halls with a cart bearing food under a metallic cloche. As she trotted over the mottled, marble floors of the main lobby, the cart made slight clinking sounds, as the plate and glass filled with orange juice slid ever so slightly back and forth from the force of her hooves ministrations.

Passing through the remainder of the lobby area, and entering the carpeted halls once more, the sound of her slight trot was reduced to a muffled thumping sound. Her pace never faltered as she made her way through the rest of the hall and opened the door to the room where, she, Big Mac and Apple resided during their lengthy stay. Entering the room she quietly pushed the cart into the bedroom area of the residence, making sure not to wake Apple in the room over. She stopped the cart in front of a dresser, decorated with a large mirror. The piece of intricate furniture bore ornate patterns and designs carved into it.

“Good morning, Hun,” Fluttershy said, beginning to stir Big Mac from his deep slumber. “Your breakfast if ready,” she said, placing a hoof on the dome raising it slightly, revealing the meal beneath. The meal was revealed to be two, heartily filled Dandelion sandwiches.

“Fluttershy, what time is it?” Big Mac states, starting to lift himself from the warm enveloping embrace of the bed sheets.  He groaned slightly as he did so, and stretched a long bone-cracking stretch.

“It’s about eleven-thirty.”

“Eleven-thirty,” Big Mac repeated, “sweet Celestia.” Big Mac then raised himself the rest of the way from the bed and began to rub the sleep away from his weary eyes. Placing all four hooves on the ground, Big Mac walked into the bathroom adjacent to the comforting bed.

“I guess we’ve been staying up too late.”

Big Mac, now checking himself over in the mirror that resided above the bathroom sink responded, “Eeyup, I know it.” He chuckled slightly after the thought.

Walking back out into the bedroom, he gestured for Fluttershy to join him in the dining room. Fluttershy complied with the gesture and followed Big Mac into the dining area. They then both sat at respective seats. They had been getting good at it now, too, picking up on some tips from Lyra, here and there. Although they had been getting better at it, Big Mac still struggled with the concept due to his robust size. Apple, on the other hoof, was very fortunate and fit quite comfortably within the square section of the wooden seat.

Fluttershy then piped up again, egger to speak. “It’s really pretty outside. Why don’t you and I go for a walk after you finish your breakfast?”

Big Mac picked up his glass of orange juice, grasping it tightly in his left hoof. He took a quick swig and swallowed hard. “I suppose I ought to do some writing first.” He then placed the glass back down on table somewhat loudly, abruptly. Fluttershy then looked towards Apple’s room, checking on him to see if the startling noise had woken him. Fortunately it hadn’t.

“Oh. Okay.” Fluttershy responded meekly and somewhat quietly. “Any ideas yet?” Her voice perked up at the initial asking of this question. She was extremely proud of Big Mac, and everything he has accomplished. She had read everyone of his books, front-to-back at least five times. Though she was his wife, doesn’t mean she needs to like his work. But Fluttershy did. She loved everything about them, particularly the ones about his life, his past. Even the deeply dark, depressing parts of his life, when he and Applejack’s folks had passed away. Leaving them both to take care of Applebloom for themselves.

“Lot’s of ideas, Hun. Just no good ones.” He then brought his Dandelion sandwich to his maw and took the first bite. He chewed in silent delight.

“You’ll think of something. It’s just getting back into the grove of writing things again, that’s all.”

Big Mac swallowed his chewed food before answering. “That’s all it is.” He then took another bite of his sandwich, placing it back down onto the plate. Finishing this bite of food quickly, he spoke up again. “Hun. When we came up here together and I had seen the hotel…It was as though I had been here before. I mean we all have moments of Déjà vu, but this was absolutely ridiculous. It’s almost as If I knew what was going to be around every corner.” Big Mac then proceeded to make an ‘Ooh’ noise, motioning with his hooves like Applejack had always done when she and he would tell ghost stories to their younger sister.

2…

Big Mac’s typewriter lay static on a large oak table in the middle of a gathering hall. The hall was decorated with various ancient tapestries that would render some immobile. As well, the typewriter was already loaded with a fresh, snow-white piece of Amen Pomerantz typewriter paper, ready for immediate action. Except, hoof clacks never met with the glistening keyboard. Instead a loud banging sound could be heard emanating throughout the hall instead. The sound was that of one you would get whipping a tennis ball against the wall.

While Big Mac attempts to gain insight towards his story, Fluttershy and Apple had headed off to the hotel’s famous maze.

3…

Walking towards the large, hedge maze Fluttershy spoke sweetly and teasingly to, young Apple. “The loser has to keep the whole of Equestria clean. How’s that?” The pair then started to half-gallop towards the maze, in a halfhearted race of mother and son.

“All right, mom.”

“And you’re going to lose.”

The sentiment behind the words was that of encouragement, but would sting some if they weren’t coming from his own mother.

Then the focused tone of the words became something of a game, as she started to motivate him otherwise. “I’m going to get ya’.” She said encouragingly, as she chased her son. “You better run fast.”

“You better watch out,” Fluttershy continued, “I’m coming in fast.” She was indeed gaining ground on her son, in this little game of cat and mouse.

As Fluttershy continued to chase her son into the entrance of the maze, they passed a bulletin board baring a poster of the maze, which had the layout of the whole thing pasted on it. The maze was square in shape, although slightly rectangular in execution. Many of the paths in the maze brought you to one, uniform section lying in the middle of the ponymade structure. The maze didn’t really have a proper exit, either. It was just mainly for learning the history of the hotel. The information Fluttershy’s relatives wanted the residence to know, that is.

Slipping partway into the maze Fluttershy implored to Apple. “Slow down, Apple. You win. Let’s take the rest of this walking, okay.” In Fluttershy’s older age she was losing some of the minute athletic abilities she had. The primary one being running for long periods of time. Come to think of it, she started to slow down somewhere around the time Apple had been born.

Complying with his mother’s wishes, Apple slowed down as he was told, and walked alongside his mother. Now at a steady pace, the two explorers made their way through the maze reading all the panels that lie within. Most of the panels they read related to the construction of the building, and the history of the remote area it lay on. As they continued to walk, they turned to their left and went down an out cove.

It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked Apple, still walking down the short out cove.

Apple replied with a simple, “Yeah,” as they continued to walk through the hedges.

Coming to a dead end, which had a bell for ringing if you were lost, and another sign for reading, Fluttershy and Apple turned around and trotted steadily back up from whence they came.

4…

Big Mac taking a jaunt through some of the hotel he had not seen yet, he comes across a small study-like section. This section of the hotel contained, four separate loveseats (upholstered in what looked like a faux-leather material), and a sectional filled with many magnificent books. Many of them ranging from neo-classical to post-modern. The room also had a large, darkly stained table holding up a large recreation of the maze outside the hotel. He then remembered Fluttershy mentioning something about going to the maze with, Apple, and moved upon it.

Walking over to the table Big Mac smacks the tennis ball off the floor one last time, before finally approaching the table. Looming over the table, he stares deeply into the structure. As he stares he swears he can see something. But what that something was, he wasn’t exactly sure. He lowers his head closer to the table, and as he does so, two small black silhouettes began fading into view.

Is that Fluttershy and Apple? He thought in solitude. It couldn’t be, could it?

Big Mac began to lower his head even closer now towards the tabletop structure. Bringing his head nearly just a few centimeters from the model, his vision began to clear. Vision now clearing up, the vision of two silhouettes was replaced with the presence of a small ant. Big Mac became somewhat…Agitated with the sight of the inferior creature, and began blowing down on the ant. The force of Big Mac’s breath, felt like hurricane force winds to the ant, as it scurried away in a hurry attempting to avoid the breath.

As the ant ran away Big Mac followed, blowing increasingly more on the tiny creature.

Eventually, the ant made its way out of the model, and onto the hard, varnished wood of the table. Running as fast as its legs could carry it, the ant continued to run. Big Mac, getting tired of the game he had created, lifted his hoof and sent it crashing down on the ant, squashing, and killing it instantly.

Lifting his hoof he elicited a sigh of relief, followed by a brief, maniacal chuckle. He then placed his hoof back down on the rooms’ tiled floor, and then proceeded to exit the room, returning to his previous room of study. Perhaps he now had the inspiration he needed for his novel? Or maybe he was just ready to get back to chucking his ball at the wall.

…

Fluttershy and Apple had long ago returned to the Overlook, and Big Mac had retreated back to his place of creative solitude; the large gathering hall. As he sits in the half-lit room, one can only hear the meticulous tapping of the typewriters keys. But what they don’t hear, are the words of the author. The brainstorming. The planning. The process. You only hear, or see the final product.

At the large table he sits at, he has open a gigantic dictionary, and a large cream colored lamp illuminating the keys.

Fluttershy, now entering the room, can only hear the tap, tap, tapping of the keys, as her hooves clacked against the hardwood flooring of the room. Despite the loud clacking of her hooves, Big Mac never raises his head from the keyboard; mind deadlocked on the story. The main focus.

“Hi, Hun.” Fluttershy drums up. “How’s it going?”

The typing of the keyboard quickly came to a noiseless standstill, as she makes her final approach towards the table. Big Mac then rips the paper he had been typing on from the machine, and crumples it up before throwing it into an adjacent wastebasket.

“Fine.” He replies coldly.

“Did you get a lot written today, I can’t wait to read it?”

“Yes.” He responds, equally as coldly as the first.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash said the Pegasi call for snow tonight.”

Big Mac huffs, turning his full attention from the keys to Flutters. “What do you want me to do about it? Call up Princess Celestia and have her cancel it.” He was growing increasingly annoyed. All he wanted to do was write. To have everypony leave him alone in peace.

“C’mon, Hun.” Fluttershy started up again, just as enthusiastic as before. “Don’t be so grouchy.” Flutters then nudged him with her hoof playfully.

“I’m not…Being grouchy!”  He said pushing her hoof away. His voice was now beginning to escalate in tone. “I just want to finish my work.” He was now growling, nearly as deep as a timber wolf, now.

“That’s okay, Hun, I understand. I’ll come back later with a couple of Daffodil and Dandelion sandwiches for you. Maybe I’ll be able to read something then.

Big Mac rubbed the bridge of his snout, looking back towards the typewriter. “Fluttershy…Let me explain something to you real quick.” He took a long pause for supported, obvious emphasis. “Whenever you come in here and stop me by interrupting, you break my concentration.” He then looked over to Flutters with wide eyes, striking the side of his head as he said: “You’re distracting me. And then it will take me forever to get back to where I was.” He then picked up extra papers, and tore them apart in front of her. “Understand!?”

Fluttershy, still standing next to her love, now dazed and confused, nodded and said. “Yeah.”

“Fine.” Big Mac said rolling his eyes struggling to stay seated as he spoke. “We’re going to make a new rule: Whenever I’m in here, and you hear me typing…” He then smacked the space bar furiously and out of rhythm. “…Or whatever the Fuck you hear me doing in here! When I’m in this fucking room, it means I’m working in here! And that means you don’t fucking enter the room, at all! Now, do you think you could do this for me? Can you handle it, dear?” The final word in his sentence was exaggerated harshly, cruelly.

“Yeah, I-I understand.” Fluttershy was on the verge of crying, but tried hard to keep her composure.

“Good. Now why don’t you show me right now by getting the fuck out of here?” Big Mac then rose his right hoof, and pointed it towards the end of the hall Flutters had emerged from.

All Fluttershy said before leaving the room was, “Okay.” Then she walked to the end of the hall and left quietly. As Fluttershy was halfway out of the room, Big Mac reset the typewriter, and looked back down to return to typing away.

Just as the typing had started, Fluttershy exited out into the rest of the empty hotel, dropping to the floor beneath her. Falling with a light thud, she began to weep lightly in the next room.

What is happening to Big Mac?