Apocolyptria

Spade woke up to the feeling of water trickling on her lips. She gasped and opened her eyes wide. She sat up fast, her heart beating fast, and looked around. "It's awright miss!" The Britmane accented pony said. Spade looked around and saw a green unicorn with red eyes and a very long black mane. Spade jumped up fast, backing up against the wall.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Spade demanded, still backed up against the wall. "It's awright!!" The green unicorn repeated. She levitated a cup full of water towards Spade, wrapped in a sparkling red aura. "Answer me!" Spade demanded more loudly. "Stop the yelling! I'm trying to sleep!" a Mexicolt accented stallion from another room yelled.

"Jose! The mare woke up!" The unicorn shouted back. Spade began to slowly relax, but was still tensed up against the wall. "Forgive me." The unicorn spoke again, drawing Spade's attention. "My name is Nylon. Nylon Strings." She said, holding out a hoof. Spade cautiously took Nylon String's hoof in her own, still backed up against the wall.

"And you awe...?" Nylon hinted slowly. "Spade..." Spade said, releasing Nylon's hoof. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was lying in a small room painted... Well, there wasn't really any paint. Just metal boards. Spade was in a shack, handmade. It felt like a refugee's shack. A beautiful 1975 acoustic Martin guitar was in a stand, by the foot of the bed. The wood was dark, glimmering in the pale light of the lantern, which hung from the ceiling.

Spade drew her gaze from the guitar and back to the green unicorn. Spade just saw that Nylon's cutie mark portrayed an acoustic guitar. "Nylon Strings..." Spade whispered. "Like the type of strings you put on a guitar!" Spade said, grinning at her statement. Her grin disappeared when Nylon rubbed her eyes. "Cap' n' obvious, I presume?" Nylon murmured as she rubbed her eyes. Spade blushed and sank down into a sitting position, her back still against the wall.

Nylon raised her head and smiled at her. "Well, welcome to the li'l shack o' mine." Nylon said, obviously trying to change the subject. "We tried to make it a li'l nice, but the ol' thing's a bit 'ardah to work wit'." Nylon said. "I live wit' a Mecsico't named Jose. 'E reallay doesn't mind company, but the ol' bat's a wee bit grumpay when I find unknown strangers 'ike 'ou.."

"Well, now you know who I am." Spade said curtly. She leaned forward and started to get off the bed. "I don't think dat's a good idea, puppet." Nylon said, gently laying a hoof on Spade's shoulder. Spade slapped her hoof off. "I don't like to be touched."

Spade proceeded to get off the bed. She tried to stand, but sat back down quickly when a blinding dizziness washed over her. She sat there, waiting for it to pass. "What did I tell yew?" Nylon said, rubbing it in. "Just shut up." Spade grumbled, rubbing her temples.

"Awright, when yew finish your attitude, we can get yew some water and medicine. Then I could take yew to town, if yew want." Nylon offered.

Spade stopped rubbing her temples and looked up at Nylon. She forced a smile at her. "I would love that." She said as politely as she could.

Nylon got up from her position by the bed and walked over to a cabinet by her guitar.

She pulled open a drawer and grabbed a bottle of aspirin. Twisting the lid open, she levitated a single pill out and floated it towards Spade. Spade cautiously took it in her hoof.

Nylon passed her a cup full of water, which Spade took gratefully. "How did I even get here?" Spade asked. "We, well I, found yew in the desert, passed out under a DragonFruit bush. Yew seemed delirious, and kept crying out. So, I carried yew back here, where Jose le' me bring yew in. Yew woke up 'bout an hour later, and now here we awe." Nylon replied. "Oh." Spade said, trying to remember but failed.

They sat there for a little while longer. "Who's Jester?" Nylon asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "Wait what?" Spade said turning to look at her, surprised. "I said, 'who's Jester.'" Nylon repeated. "What... Where did you hear that?" Spade blubbered. "Yew kept yelling 'is or 'er name out while I carried yew back, and again while you thrashed 'round in your fevered dreams." Nylon said.

Spade looked away quickly, trying to hide her panicking face. "N-n-n-nopony!" She stuttered. "Suuuuuuure..." Nylon said, rolling her red eyes. "What? He isn't important!" Spade blubbered again. "So it's a he?" Nylon replied matter-of-factly. "No!! I mean yes! I mean... look, Jester is somepony I used to know. All you need to know is that he is gone." Spade grumbled. "I thought I said I was sleepin" another voice said from the entrance to the room.

Spade looked over to the door. In the door frame stood a red stallion, maybe in his twenties, glaring back at them. Well, Spade assumed he was glaring. It was kind of hard to tell on the account he was wearing black glasses. Spade couldn't see the scowl he probably had on either. A peachy colored plain bandanna was tied around his mouth.

"Jose! You scared the living-" Nylon began, but was cut off when this 'Jose' stallion interrupted her. "Who is she?" Jose demanded, pointing at Spade. "I's the mare 'e rescewed from the desert." The green unicorn replied.

Jose stepped the rest of the way into the room, which became more cramped with the stallion inside.

Jose rubbed back his black hair, which was slick back and shiny. "I'm guessing she's not familiar with my sleeping schedule yet." The Mexicolt snorted gruffly.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it because I won't be staying long." Spade retorted.

Jose eyed her dangerously, then snorted with laughter. "Feisty, aren't we now?" Jose sniffed. Nylon rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.

"Yeah, and she probably isn't interested in someone like you." Nylon pointed out. "Then again, nopony was really ever."

"Shut up, Nylon." Jose snorted.

"Make me." Nylon brushed some of her long black mane out of her eyes.

"Don't make me make you." Jose warned.

"You can try." Nylon flashed back.

"Whatever. Just please be courteous and let be sleep." Jose yawned.

Spade, who watched the argument quietly, finally spoke up. "And he must be...?"

"That's the Mecsicolt, Jose." Nylon responded. "He can be a grump at some times."

"Oh." Spade said distantly. Even though she asked, she still only listened to have of what Nylon said.

"So, we should probablay leave Jose alone. How's 'bout a good walk inta town?" Nylon asked Spade.

"Uh..." Again, Spade was only half listening.

"Ahem." Nylon nudged her, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, what?" Spade asked. Nylon sighed. "I asked if yew wanta go inta town."

"Sure. But wait, are you sure I'm fit to go?" Spade questioned. "As fit as an alicorn!" Nylon reassured her. "The aspirin would have kicked in by now."

Cautiously, Spade scooted off of the bed. Nylon stood back to give her some room.

When Spade wasn't met with swirling dizziness or painful nausea, she stood up. Her hooves felt sore. Really sore. Looking down, Spade choked back a gasp as she just then saw the dried, caked blood that lay between cracks in her hoof that weren't there before.

"I see yew just noticed your 'ooves. Wasn't sure 'ow that all 'appened, I just assumed yew stepped onna rock or somethin'." Nylon said. "If yew awe feeling too weak to walk, yew can stay 'ere 'n we can go anotha day."

"No, no. I'm fine. We can still go. It just..." Spade looked for the right word. "...surprised me, is all. Not everyday you see your hooves caked with blood." Spade choked out what might have been a laugh but sounded like a dying cat.

Nylon rolled her eyes and started walking by her guitar. Spade thought she was going to play it. Instead, Nylon reached down and picked up a saddlebag that was hidden from Spade's view. "Awright. Let's get out of 'ere b'fore Jose comes back."

Spade followed Nylon as they walked out of the room.