Blade

        Melvin Lowe, who was known as Mellow by most of the townsfolk, sat in a waiting room in the psychiatric ward downtown. To his closest friends, he was simply called Mel. One of the select few that called him Mel, Lyra Heartstrings, also sat in the waiting room. She was next to him and next to her was Bonbon Sweettart, her partner of five years and whom Lyra believed to be her soul mate.

The trio sat silently, waiting to be called in. They were visiting Rarity Germane, who had been checked in two days previous. Mel and Lyra had known Rarity since they were children of six, first meeting each other in school. Melvin and Lyra had been best friends for an extra year and Rarity had just joined the curriculum due to her being five, a year younger but only by seven months.

Not quite outcasts, the three foals simply didn’t like the others like they did each other. They spent most of their time in the Everwhite and Everfree forests, two places they came to know incredibly well. Rarity was the idea guy. She’d always think of something to do. Sitting around bored, she would be the one to suggest they go hiking or throw stones into the river. Rarity held a place in their hearts that was more than special. It was practically sacred. So they waited in silence, hearing nothing but the clock tick at a pace closely resembling that of a snail’s lazy stroll.

After getting sick of it (and boy was he), Mel looked around the room, making sure of something. Then he reclined and pulled a pack of cigarettes out from his sweater’s thick sleeve. He turned a sly grin toward Lyra.

“There ain’t a ‘no smokin’ anywhere I can see, ah?” He chuckled, breaking the silence.

He grasped a cheap cigarette, sticking it in the corner of his mouth, then reached over, offering one to Lyra.

“Grant ya a grant?” He grinned.

Lyra frowned, tempted, and even leaned in slightly but she was stopped by Bonbon’s voice.

“Lyra! You promised me.” She scolded.

Lyra sighed. “Sorry, Mel. I promised.” She said, accepting defeat.

Mel pulled the pack away and shot her an understanding look, though obviously disappointed.

“Yea, yea. More cancer for me, right?”

Lyra nudged him with her elbow. “Hey,” She smiled. “At least she still lets me drink.”

Melvin and Lyra laughed out loud as Bonbon rolled her eyes teasingly.

Bonbon didn’t know Rarity very well. The only time they mingled was during the holidays. But still, she was a friend and she would always make sure anything that was important to Lyra was important to her.

Mel reached into the pack again. He had smoked enough of the pack to be able to fit his lighter inside of it to make it more convenient, which he promptly pulled out.

It was a zippo that was given to him by Rarity on his twenty third birthday. Silver plated, it also had his name engraved on the front, a surplus that Rarity had spent fifty bits on he discovered after prying enough. With it, he lit his stog and inhaled until its tip glowed. He snapped the zippo shut, but didn’t put it away. The engraving had caught his eye. He looked at it and frowned, then sighed. Smoke flooded out of his mouth and he closed his eye, letting his head hang.

Lyra saw him and the lighter. She gently patted him on the back.

“There, now.” She said comfortingly.

Mel sat up and opened his arms, looking at her sadly. Lyra accepted the embrace without pause and they both rested their chins on each other’s shoulders.

“This is real fucked up, Lyra.” Mel said, close to tears.

Lyra shushed him. “She’ll be alright. That’s what this place is for.” She consoled.

Mel pulled away quickly.

“Look at this. Look!” he said, upset. “It’s a nuthouse! A fucking nuthouse, Lyra!”

“Mel…” she tried.

“A loony bin! A funny farm, a wacky shack! Jeezum crow, they locked her up, Lyra! Ole R’s in the fucking asylum!”

“Stop it!” she shouted.

Mel stopped.

“She’s sick, Mel. She’s very sick. She didn’t do this when you got tossed in the hospital cause a your stomach flu. This is the same goddamn thing! She needs us right now and it’d murder her if we aren’t able to get a hold of ourselves! Cause somepony’s gotta get a hold of her!”

Mel turned and looked back at the lighter. He remembered the look Rarity had when he said how much he loved it.

He paused. “You’re right. This is for her.”

“There ya go, Mel.” Lyra calmed.

Several minutes past before a rather fat mare entered the waiting room and called their names. The three stood up, entered the hall, and after a short walk, ended up at Rarity’s cell.

Rarity was seven again. She was running toward the Everwhite with something hidden away under her mane. She had to keep her balance though, or it would fall out. She was smiling, but very, very nervous at the same time. If she got caught before making it into the brush, somebody would call her parents.

Past the bushes, past the trees, and she was home free. She could do whatever she wanted now. The forest was no-man’s-land. She could yell and cuss or whatever she wanted, it was their domain.

Now free, she galloped forward two hundred paces. She counted in her head.

1, 2, 3, 4…

It was fast in her head but somehow it was slow all the same. She always liked how the mind worked. She didn’t think about it much, but it would fascinate her with what the mind could do that the body couldn’t.

As she got to one hundred and ninety, she saw the swing. Lyra and Mel had hung it just the other day. She couldn’t be there that day, she had a fever and her mother hadn’t let her go to school even. When she reached two hundred, she stopped so fast she nearly skidded. She looked around practically ecstatic.

“Mel! L!” She called around her.

They weren’t there yet. Maybe they were, only playing hide and seek or something.

Rarity heard a creak, like metal.

Lyra and Mel dropped down from the trees, tackling her. They were laughing wildly when they brushed each other off.

“Hey!” Rarity greeted.

Lyra was smiling, but she hesitated.

“Hey, Rarity.” Lyra said.

Rarity felt a bit unsettled by the way Lyra said it. She was smiling brightly like usual, but her voice sounded upset and just the smallest bit frightened.

“Are you alright, darling?”

“Yea. Yea, I’m fine…,Rarity.” Lyra said in the same tone.

“Hey, Rarity.” Melvin said then.

“Hi, Mel.” Rarity said perkily. “Say, is Lyra alright? Does she have a cold or something?”

“No. Everypony’s fine.”

“Good… That’s nice to hear.”

Rarity shifted her eyes, making sure no adults were spying.

“Hey…” She whispered to them. “I’ve got something.”

“You do?” Mel said, confused.

Rarity reached into her ruffled mane and pulled out three cigarettes. She had the most mischievous grin spread over her face.

“I stole them from mother. She’ll never know.” She giggled.

“Oh…” Mel said, sounding disappointed. “So them’s lung darts, ah? I remember this…”

That wasn’t right…

Melvin was supposed to say Whoa! No way!

She remembered. That wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.

“No…” She grumbled to herself. “That’s not right…You didn’t say that…”

Mel furrowed his brown and titled his head a bit.

“Huh?”

“That’s not how it works, you said something else…” Rarity groaned.

Her head gave a volt of pain and she hit the floor. The Everwhite slowly faded when stars ate it up and turned it all into black. She forgot all about it and reset. It’d be right the next time. She knew it would.

“Rarity Germane. Here it is.” Said the fat mare.

“Thank you, nurse.” Bonbon said.

Bonbon wanted to wait outside. For the first bit she wanted to provide support, but the sounds of the other patient’s howls and barks and chirps had frightened her a good bit. Lyra and Mel were the only ones going into the cell.

When they stepped inside, they saw Rarity. She was on a cot. When they looked around, they saw that there were morbidly crude drawing made with what they guessed was black marker all over the walls. Melvin could have sworn one of them looked kind of like a swing.

Mel turned to Lyra to see if he was reacting properly. Lyra’s brow sunk and her mouth drooped open. Melvin saw a shine in her eye before she clasped her mouth shut with her hooves.

“Oh god…” She muttered despairingly.

Rarity was tied down. Plastic straps wrapping around her body like seat belts trying to keep her from flying out the windshield during a crash. Across her face was a sick, evil grimace. It was far too wide and her eyes were par too peeled. They looked like they had been open for days. Her coat was rustled and dirty and her mane was even worse.

She was counting quickly under her breath.

1, 2, 3, 4…

They approached. Why, they didn’t even know. Both of them were secretly horrified.

Rarity’s head twitched suddenly and she started searching the room.

“Mel! L!” She chirped.

The nurse creaked the metal door open and poked her head in inappropriately, in order to make sure there was no trouble.

Rarity miraculously found her friends and focused her pupils on them.

“Hey!” She greeted.

Lyra hesitated. She looked away for a moment and then sighed.

“Hey, Rarity.” She moaned.

Rarity tilted her head to an unnatural angle and put on a confused smirk.

“Are you alright, darling?”

“Yea.” Lyra tried to reply. “…yea, I’m fine…,Rarity.”

Lyra turned away quickly, muttering another quick 'oh god'.

The tables had turned. Melvin had to take action now. Maybe he was better readied. He didn’t know, he just did it.

“Hey, Rarity.” He said.

“Hi, Mel.” Rarity said perkily. “Say, is Lyra alright? Does she have a cold or something?”

“No. Everypony’s fine.” He lied.

Rarity untwisted her neck.

“Good…That’s nice to hear.”

Rarity shifted her eyes around the room sloppily and violently. Mel tried his best not to be startled.

“Hey…” She whispered, looking back at him again. “I’ve got something.”

Mel went with it. Like Lyra had said, it wasn’t about him. Though, he was a bit thrown off.

“You do?”

Rarity brushed her mane with an invisible brush. After a couple of seconds, she held up a small amount of nothing. She had the most terrible grin spread over her face.

Mel wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be at first.

“I stole them from mother. She’ll never know.” She started giggling.

Mel remembered. It was the same as the day they had started smoking when they were seven years old. The puzzle finished in his head and he let out a relived; “Oh…”

“So them’s lung darts, ah?” He assured. “I remember this.” He said to himself aloud.

Rarity stopped smiling. She looked around again. Then, without warning, she lifted her head and smashed it on the cot.

Melvin jumped back, alarmed.

“Nooo….” She moaned quite sadly.

*SMACK*

“That’s not right…”

*SMACK*

“YOU DIDN’T SAY THAT!” She screamed.

*SMACK*

Mel freaked out. He grabbed her before she could hit her head again.

“Rarity! Rarity! Knock it off, kid!”

He was shocked when he was thrown aside by the fat nurse and landed on his ass.

“Hey!” He shouted once he had realized it. “Get offa her!”

Melvin tried to push the mare aside again but he was easily pushed right back down.

Lyra was crying loudly. Bonbon was holding her.

“You leave her alone!” Mel yelled, tears involuntarily running down his cheeks.

“Sir.” The fat nurse said calmly. “She needs to be sedated or she could seriously harm herself. Please.”

The nurse pulled out a syringe and stuck it into Rarity’s neck.

She flinched for a moment, making a very childish whine. Then she settled down and stared back up at the ceiling, breathing very softly and then closed her eyes.

She forgot all about it and reset. It’d be right the next time. She knew it would.

Right around twenty years before that, Pnova’s father and Mizmahl were sitting in the Ponyville Quarry’s cave system at the Dog’s tribe bar. Mizmahl was having a ground ruby cocktail and Pnova’s father was having a straight vodka bottle.

Pnova’s father was born Clericlad. Clad, being the most common name suffix in the culture was Clericlad’s least favorite title for a pack leader. So, he changed it to Floisähutt when he assumed control of the quarry.

Mizmahl had just completed signing a treaty with the quarry, lifting a embargo they’d had on each other for a time due to bad blood.

Mizmahl took a big gulp of his drink and slammed his glass down on the bar.

He chuckled. “I’ll tell ya, Floise… your guys serve a mean brew.”

“I know.” Floisähutt replied proudly.

They both sipped simultaneously.

“Things is gonna be different with yous and me.” He promised.

“I know it, pally.” Mizmahl replied. “Our dads? Ha! Fuck em.”

“So long as I get more diamonds and gets rid of them rubies that’s been stackin’ up round here.”

“Aaay, I got diamonds up the ass at back at the lake, man. Take em all for all I care.” Mizmahl welcomed.

They clinked glasses and laughed loudly while the bartender covered his ears in annoyance.

Floise leaned in.

“Hey.” He said. “Wanna see somethin’ sweet?”

“Why ya gotta ask, man? Just fucking go when you wanna show, eh?”

Floise stood up and led Mizmahl to the top of the hills where they sat and stared up at the stars. It was childish, but quite amusing when drunk.

An old Gem Hound legend told that stars were just heavenly gems and brave warriors were allowed to partake in when they died.

“Beautiful ain’t it?” Floise asked, dazed.

“I’ll hand it to ya, man. You got it nice up here too. Just a little less cause a that pony town down there.” Mizmahl replied staring up with his hands buried in his pockets.

“They ain’t bad, them ponies. They never come up heres anyway.”

Floise interrupted himself when he suddenly snickered.

“Hey… Mizmahl…” He snorted.

“What is it, Floise?”

“Ponies have this thing, right? Where they wish on these stars…”

“Ha! What?”

“Yea, I know!” He guffawed. “And see, if the star falls, the wish comes true…”

“Heh heh. Ain’t that somethin’…” Mizmahl sniggered himself.

A star shot across their view.

“Hey! Look! Speak a the devil, eh?” Floise pointed.

Mizmahl grinned impishly. He nudged Floise.

“Hey, hey…I wish I had all the gems in the world…”

They burst out laughing. Floise almost fell over and he might have, if he hadn’t stopped when it happened.

An awesome light burst infront of them. It was far too bright to look at. They had thought it was an explosion at first and shielded their faces.

When it cooled, it had turned into a vortex of stars. They looked at it in awe as it spun slowly. No words came to mind, so they just stared at its brilliance.

Out from the nova came a grey and very sickly looking old unicorn. He was dressed in a royal blue robe decorated with stars and wore a hat lined with bells. On his face was a twisted and odd beard and out from it hung a sharp tooth that might be found in normal circumstances on a large tiger. The horn on his head was twisted and periwinkle, much like the mythical Capricorn. His eyes glowed yellow with blood red pupils and he was grinning a sharp toothy smile.

Mizmahl drew his revolver on reflex and shot at him. The bullet bounced and flew into a rock next to the portal pony.

“What a friendly greeting.” He smiled.

The two dogs stood, legs shaking with fear. The old pony looked them in the eye.

“Business is a must, of course.” He said. “I am Starswirl: A very, very opportunistic employer. How would you fine dogs like to have all the gems you could ever want, hmm?”

They slowly turned to each other in shock.

Floise waited for a moment.

“Hey, Mizmahl…” he said. “I’m startin’ ta think that ponies ain’t so full a shit…”