Equestria Route Zero

Act One, Scene Two – Sparkle Household

Whilst in this line of work, there was always one odd deal or delivery that was a little too good to be true. Had I’d offered to take all those Princess Celestia chairs from that old man, I’d have probably found out that they were really good looking copies & not originals. Hell, Granny Smith would've had my head had I gone for it & dropped my delivery at the time.

I got out of the truck, Winona following this time & not jumping out before me. I left the engine running; I didn't believe it to be much of a long stop. I pulled the old TV from the back of the truck, still questioning why I had this in my possession. Looking around the foot of the hill, a dense & eerie fog coloured my surroundings with an almost pale & yet opaque shade of brown. Closer to the hillside stood a lonely street lamp, its dim light shining out a beacon for my eyes in the soup of the fog. Walking to it, I noticed the silence of the area, only broken by the sound of the truck’s engine & the occasional hoot of an owl, just being audible above the low rattle of the engine.

“Pretty dark out here, huh Winona?” The dog sat by the lamp, taking refuge in the light. “Maybe you’d better stay down here where it’s lit.”

Looking around, I found a dirt path that looked un-trodden for many a year, leading up the hill. I followed, assuming the farmhouse to be located up on the hill. If not, I could use it as a vantage point & get a good look of the area to find the blasted place. To my surprise, it is up on top of the hill, its dark body appearing from the fog with each step I took. Located near the house are a peculiar mix of objects, a old rocking chair that Granny Smith likes to snooze on, a water pump that looks dry to the bone, a car that really needs a new paint job.

But what sticks out the most is the graveyard. Like all graveyards, it holds a horrible aura, a spooky aura, but not in a sense of great danger. Looking closer, the headstones appear to have been aged not too long but enough that they look like they have had hardly any attention over the years. The singular names of “Night”, “Velvet”, & “Sparkle” stick out like a sore thumb, as they are the only defining feature of each of the headstones.

“This place just gets weirder & weirder…” I thought. Taking note of my tired arms, I remembered the TV that I was here to deliver & grabbed back on the hope of finding the Zero. The front porch welcomed me as I went to the front door. I gave a slight knock to the door. No reply. I tried again, this time harder. No reply. With no doorbell in sight, I wondered if there was another way in.

Around the back of the house was a wooden staircase, looking as old as the house itself, it’s unnaturally white paint fading into the natural wood. Glancing upwards, there was indeed a second doorway into the farmhouse but this door was wide open, a curtain from the nearest window gently swaying in the breeze, caught in the tiny jet stream. Going in, all I could see was pitch black. I fumbled for a light switch, thinking, assuming that light switches appear naturally next to doors.

My hunch was right, the powerful light bulb hurting my eyes. I shielded them, to regain composure from the brightness & to remove the fuzziness caught in my eyes. Looking back up, the face of a young woman shocked me back to reality.

“I was just thinking what a lovely house we have. Do you like it? Have you been here before? Did you happen to see an owl?” Her quick speech caught me off guard, let alone the idea that she has probably been standing here for a long time without a single light on. Realising she was waiting for a reply, I answered the last question she asked with a slightly louder than usual gulp.

Unable to remove the lump in my throat, I said “Uh, I didn't see any owl.”

“I know. I saw it out the window once. Big, ugly thing. All sound & fury. Well, it’s gone now.” Looking at the girl, I guessed she was in her early twenties. She wore a purple sweater over a white shirt, a black skirt down to her knees, some smart white heels & a pair of glasses that accentuated her young features.

She continued her side of the conversation. “There used to be another house here. But we had it destroyed. & we built this one. It was very expensive & we got quite under water.” At least, I think it was a conversation with me.

“What do you do for work? Is it too difficult or do you like it very much? I was once a mathematician. Are you looking for something in particular here?” Her questions sounded like that of a genius. Heck, the old guy was right when he said she was a reader. Probably spends too much time in books, hence the number of questions she asked me.

“I drive deliveries for a small antique shop.”

She replied immediately. “I believe it’s hard times for a small antique shop. It’s hard times everywhere, even out here on our little farm. My parents stopped paying the bank a while back. I shouldn't even be here. But I just stayed.” She moved towards a window, her continually blank look gazing outside, as if waiting for something.

“I have some notebooks. I'm only a little bored. I might prefer to watch TV occasionally.” Mention of watching television bought me back to reality, or what ever I was currently involved in.

“Actually, I have a TV that I think belongs to you.” Setting it down on a nearby desk, the girl’s attitude perked up at the sound of it’s plastic body hitting the wooden tabletop, a hint of colour in her eyes at last.

“Will you please set it up? Then I can explain to you how to get where you’re going.” I look at her questioningly. “The Zero. I know.” Her blank gaze continued, this time at me. Could she be reading my mind? I shrugged the thought off & proceeded with the job at hand.

Being an older TV, it was a simple set up. I’d seen enough of the older models to understand what goes where. Looking out the window, I could see horses grazing in a nearby field, a huge battered barn towering over them. The TV sprung into life, the black & white image blare brightly onto the desk. An image of a cave was the only thing on.

“That’s not how it’s supposed to look. You've made a mistake setting it up. Is it a foreign object to you? Which of your parents wouldn't allow you to watch television?” Again with the questions. Although Ma used to say she heard voices in the static, that didn't sway me from missing out on the latest chart singles.

“I know how to set up a TV.” My annoyance couldn't be more obvious. This time, she looked me over.

“OK. I’m sceptical.” Really? She looked at the back of the set, to look at my work. “You have it all backwards. I’m not surprised; are you? Have you been paying attention? I don’t think you have. It’s time to start paying attention now. Look closely at the television.”

Pointing to the stagnant & unmoving image of the cave, I moved in to look. Nothing happened. Looking closer, I felt a slight twinge, something new. I lost all feeling, almost as if I were flying or at least floating. Everything started to dim the longer I stared into the growing void of the cave. Was this-

“Hey. Hey, wake up. You spaced out a minute there…”

Slowly, I opened my eyes, the girl’s voice arousing me from a slumber that felt like an eternity on my eyelids.

Blinking, I said in a coarse voice “The picture on the TV…”

“That picture is picking up the wrong signal. My brother Shining Armor would know more about it. He fixes TVs for a living. Well, he used to… I think the new models are giving him trouble.” I hope he isn't much trouble.

“So… I really need to get to the Zero.” I couldn't sound more desperate to leave & complete my job.

“Honestly, I'm not convinced you should bother with the Zero; I’d much rather you find my brother & fix my TV. But I’ll get you headed the right away.” For a girl into books, she really wants this TV back up & running.

“So, it’s pretty easy: get back on sixty-five heading north, then take the first right after the artificial limb factory. You should find a old mine in a hillside on the same road. From there, your arrival at the Zero is basically… inevitable.” The pause left me with a stale feeling. I made to leave with a stone look on my face.

“Nice to know you, Big Macintosh. Keep your eyes open. Especially in the dark!” Confused she knew my name, I turned to inquire. But she was gone. My superstitions were being answered quicker than I would have liked. Exiting, I descended the stairs more confused than when I climbed them. Reaching solid ground, I see that the car is now gone. Maybe not all of my superstitions about the girl have been confirmed yet.

Making my way back down the hill, the fog surrounding the farmhouse gets lighter & lighter as the truck comes into sight. & instead of an owl, I can now hear some traditional folk blues being played, the joyous voices of the singers piercing the still apparent fog, & lifting my mood slightly. I find Winona still at the street lamp, the old dog taking a much needed sleep.

“I just met the strangest lady.” She awoke to my voice. “She seemed pretty nice. I hope we see her again.” We make our way back to the truck, the vehicle still humming its own song in the darkness. Leaving the Sparkle Farmhouse behind, I drive north as the girl said, passing what I assume is the factory, turning right & arriving at an on-ramp with the road continuing into a rocky outcrop in the hillside. I pull in, hoping that I have at last found the Zero.