The Chronicle: Arrival

Chapter 5

One Week After Arrival

He felt like he had been drifting for an eternity. He felt so empty and cold. The world was so black and empty. He could feel grass sprouting out from underneath him, tickling his sides and new appendages that had grown out of his back. He opened his eyes but could only see black.

                “Help…” he choked out and either he made no sound or he was deaf as well, but he heard nothing. “H-help…p-please…”

                He felt the ground below him and it felt hard. The dirt stuck to him; he could sense it. There was wind, throwing itself over him malevolently. There was no warm.

                Why was it so cold? Was he dead? Either way it wouldn’t matter to him. He’d rather be dead anyway.

                But why was it so cold? Was death really that cold…or that painful? Had he become yet another twisted demon in the Devil’s army? Was that his new form?

                He didn’t hurt anymore, but why did he still hurt? His worries should be gone; his misery should be missing and his doubts should be nonexistent. That’s what death was…right? A cowardly escape for a cowardly man?

                No…not even a man. How could he even call himself human anymore?

                But why was it so cold?

                Was death truly a frozen grip or was Hell simply so far from Heaven’s light that everything was cold? Was Dante right with his interpretation of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory? He surely deserved the place at the bottom of hell.

                But why did it have to be so cold? Why was there grass? And wind? And…

                Then he heard footsteps approaching him quickly. Two pairs beating against the ground.

Satyrs of Satan coming to take him to his pit to be held in place by ice made of the fires of hell. But the footsteps moved in a patterned unison, a beat that could only be created by a dog or horse.

They approached him slower when they had drawn relatively near. He heard a woman’s voice, kind, gentle, and…warm, speak to him:

                “Are you okay?” It was oddly familiar. Lovely but familiar.

                “Help me…” he choked yet again. She gasped and ran over to him quickly.

                Why was a denizen of Hell trying to help him? Even if this was a lost soul, wandering the Devil’s mazes, she wouldn’t stop to aid him.

                Then she touched him. She had hooves; he wasn’t sure how he knew what hooves should feel like, but he knew the feeling could only be hooves. She held him, cradling his head gently, in her arms…or forelegs He wasn’t sure, but she felt so soft against him; he wanted to just melt into her embrace.

                “You look terrible! What happened?!” Her words sounded so caring and concerned. He never had such a tone sent towards him in such a long time that it felt sickening.

                But he was lost in her soft embrace. He nuzzled against her chest wordlessly with a slight whimper. He tried not to injure his new, extended mouth so he set his head and closed eyes against her.

                “I’m so cold…” he whimpered, voice muffled by her soft fur. She smelled like lavender.

                He felt her wrist touch his forehead gently. “You’re burning up…”

                He felt his head hang backwards, limp and lifeless. He was fading away again.

No no no no no…Hell or not, she’s being nice to me. I don’t want to go yet.

Exactly. Every time you want something, something bad happens. Don’t let her kindness end up hurting her. She’s in hell. She’s clearly got enough misery.

But I don’t want to sleep anymore. I don’t want to hurt.

You deserve it…

                “Everything’s so cold…” he whispered placidly. He saw the slightest of colors beginning to appear in front of him. Something brown and yellow. Leaves?

                He felt the stranger lift his head and his view of dead leaves was replaced with purple eyes…

                Those eyes…he had no words for them. They were so beautiful, gazing back to him worriedly. He didn’t know if he was smiling, but he would have if he could feel anything.

                But why was everything so cold?

+++

Twilight Sparkle had no idea where she was going, but she knew that it had to be away from the library. She couldn’t face her friends and mentor. She was too scared. She simply ran forward. She ran as fast and as far as her legs could take her. She didn’t stop for anypony; she crashed through crowds to escape her fear and people were beginning to yell at her angrily.

                It only upset her more.

                She ran and ran and ran, closing her eyes for most of it and hoping she wouldn’t run into anything hard. She ran until her legs began to hurt and then she kept running. She felt herself come to a slow halt despite her desire to keep going. Her legs would only take her so far.

                Her legs began to buckle under her and she finally let herself rest against the slightly trodden path. She looked around, taking in the scenery of brown and yellow leaves littering the world around her. She took a breath inward, feeling her lip begin to quiver sadly.

                The purple Unicorn began sobbing helplessly into her hooves. She felt so cowardly running from her problems. She would never do that but… she did. She cried heavily as she gazed around the forest around her, hoping to see somepony so she might to feel so alone.

                But there was no one. She had run away from everypony. Her friends, neighbors, and even her teacher.

                Something brilliant began shining to her left, something small and barely noticeable, but somehow, by some random chance, Twilight had noticed it. She turned her head towards the direction of the twinkling, but there was nothing indicating any kind of light except the sun above. Yet, for some strange reason, she was drawn towards that direction.

                She stood slowly and trotted towards the small thicket, blindly following her instinct. She eventually came upon a strange sight far ahead of her.

                There was a pony in front of her lying on their side. She could see the thinness of the pony even from her distance. She took several steps forward. She felt a surge of worry course through her, washing away her previous fears with new ones. She heard the pony ahead of her mumble something. It was pained and disgruntled, miserable even.

                “Are you, okay?”

                “Help me,” they replied painfully.

                Twilight gasped and raced over to the pony on the ground and looked at them. It was a stallion, no older, if not a little more, than herself. His wings were curled around his shivering body. His eyes were open, revealing pale blue irises, but looked nowhere. There were dark spots under his eyes, turning his brick red fur into a disgusting purplish hue. Leaves had become entangled in his thick gray mane that was far more out of control than her own, and his face was cringed with fear and pain.

                Instinctively, Twilight reached down and cradled the stallion’s head in her forelegs. He felt so warm against her and it was so comfortable. Just holding him there made Twilight begin to feel normal again…holding him protectively was making her feel…

                Clean again.

                “You look terrible!” she cried worriedly, unsure of what had happened to him to make him look so horrid…so thin and unhealthy. “What happened?”

                He only shivered as though he were frozen and stuffed his face into Twilight’s chest like a scared child. “I’m so cold…” He whimpered so miserably that it was starting to upset Twilight.

                The purple mare reached over and placed her wrist against his forehead. He resisted only slightly and she didn’t think he intended to. He must’ve done it completely out of instinct. But whatever instinct that controlled him didn’t explain why he felt like he was on fire. He felt as hot as boiling water.

Well, maybe not that far, Twilight thought. I wouldn’t be able to hold him otherwise.

                “You’re burning up…” she replied, hoping it would calm this strange stallion in her hooves. Then, like it was queued by her words, his head hung backwards weakly and as though all support in his neck had given out. She quickly propped up his head, supporting his head even more. She looked all around hoping to find someone nearby, someone who he had been with. Maybe a friend who he had simply trailed away from.

                But there was no one but the tiny creatures in the trees who were looking down at them curiously.

                “Everything’s so cold…” he whispered plainly. He was so placid in saying it. Twilight was unsure of what he meant though. He was on fire.

                Then their eyes met. He looked up at her helplessly, life in her hooves. His entire body was limb and lifeless, but his eyes were so lively and curious despite their pale and depressing look. He smiled strangely at her after a few moments and buried his face into her chest once again.

                “You’re so warm…” he whispered, trailing off. Twilight pushed him off her chest to look at him; he had passed out.

                “Oh no!” she said aloud. “What do I do? I can’t leave you here.”

                Twilight looked up at the curious creatures above her and thought of something.

                “Hey, I need your help!” she called out. Not even a second later, squirrels, birds, and other small animals came to Twilight’s side. No, they went to the stallion’s side and stood by him protectively. Twilight dismissed it quickly and said, “I need you all to go into town and tell Fluttershy where to find us. Tell her I’m in trouble and I have a friend with me.”

                The largest of the pack of squirrels stood on its back feet and saluted Twilight affirmatively. The pack of small animals scurried away as the birds flew into the sky towards Ponyville.

                Twilight looked down at the seemingly dying stallion in her arms and saw the strange smile on his face as he slipped farther and farther into death; his body began growing colder and colder just like he had said he felt. Yet she felt so horrible, and cold as well, with him dying before her. She didn’t know what to do! It was a feeling she was unfamiliar with.

                She brought the stallion’s limp head up to her once again and began rocking back and forth, humming a tune from her childhood. She could hear him groan in discomfort, but each time she stopped humming, he would stop groaning and continue to fell farther and farther.

                If humming was keeping him latched onto something in the physical world, then she would hum until her lungs and cheeks began to hurt.

Please don’t go, she said in her head, still humming a fillyhood lullaby. She looked around her and noticed how the trees had begun curling and the sky had darkened drastically. High above her, the clouds had disappeared and stars filled the sky. It wasn’t anytime near night, so why was it getting dark out.

                Twilight was becoming more and more afraid as the darkness began surrounding her. Why was the sun gone? Where was the moon? The moon wasn’t in the sky, leaving only the stars.

I don’t want to be alone here. She listened to her own humming and felt herself become calmer and calmer.

                His breathing became very slow and in the long pause between his two breaths, Twilight thought he had stopped completely, but his slight inhale brought her needed relief. She looked down at his unconscious body with a weak, uneasy smile, unsure of what to do for him.

At least he isn’t alone.

“I won’t leave you.” She placed her head and neck over his head as she cradled it caringly. And from seemingly nowhere, he spoke through his sleep:

                “Don’t…” He didn’t speak another word.

Don’t leave. I know.

                But Twilight could help but feel that she was wrong.

+++

Twilight woke up in her bed. She felt weak and was unable to more herself. There was nothing holding her down except the thin, lightweight blanket on her, but she couldn’t get up. She inspected her room and saw that it was exactly like she had left it: scattered books and lists with an assortment of dressing accessories she had bought for seasonal weather patterns.

                But she didn’t feel different anymore. She felt normal and…clean.

                She looked all around herself to find anyone, but there was no one. The curtains had been pulled over the windows, but light still slanted in through its transparency.

                “Hello?” Twilight whispered weakly. She coughed for a moment and looked around once more, finally noticing the object on her nightstand. There was an oddly colored slinky that Twilight recognized from only a week before, a note with Celestia’s personal seal (a phoenix rising from a willow tree), and a many assortment of balloons that Twilight assumed were from Pinkie.

                Twilight pulled her hoof out from under her blanket that still managed to restrict her to the bed and grabbed the letter first. Slowly, she opened it and read it:

Dear Twilight,

We found you and your friend and I have taken him to Ponyville General. He was in a pretty rough shape with bruises and cuts so you will have to do some explaining when I return. Plus, your friends wish to speak with you about a few things, though I believe that they misunderstood what you meant by “friend”, so they will understand your lack of communication and overall change in attitude.

However, I do know that this stallion you found was a complete stranger to you. You have said nothing to me about anypony like him, so do not try to use his presence as an excuse. You and I will speak about your sudden change here shortly.

Your Mentor,

Princess Celestia

Twilight looked over the letter only once, not needing to more than one time. She completely understood all of it the first time through except what Celestia had meant by her friends misunderstanding “friend”.  What could they be thinking? Granted, he really wasn’t his friend, but they didn’t know that. Did they?

                The purple Unicorn set the letter on the nightstand and grabbed the slinky. She smiled at Pinkie’s gift and played with it in her hooves for a few minutes. She wasn’t sure why she was enjoying the metal spring so much, but it was lightening her gloomy mood.

                She just had so many questions and hoped that maybe Celestia had answers. She always did. Celestia knew everything. Well, everything within reason, to exclude things not yet discovered.

                But Celestia knew what was wrong with Twilight, didn’t she?

                Twilight, finally becoming content with the slinky, set it down beside her bed and pulled her blanket back over her shoulders and turned to her side, facing the empty half of her bed. She didn’t know she did it, but it bugged her when she slept on one side and not the middle.

                But this time it felt like someone was there looking back at her.

                And it felt nice to think someone was doing that.