Fractures

Sebastian was unsure of where he was.  This seemed all so familiar, the cave, the roots, the statue on the pedestal, it was foreign and Sebastian was unsure why but it all seemed like a memory.  As he glared at the statue the room begin to spin and everything melted together into one dull gray blob swarming around him.  The room was ice cold then the statue glowed with a white hot intensity as if it were a small sun and the room felt as if it were on fire.  The statue got brighter and brighter, glowing whiter and whiter, and the room hotter and hotter.  He couldn't take this intense brightness and he covered his eyes but the glow was still there as if it were phasing through his.......hoof?

He awoke with a gasp and realized he was lying on his back in an unfamiliar place.  He instantly sat up to observe his surroundings.  He was in a field of sorts, a flat plain that extended as far as he could see.  The field was littered with white flowers and in the distance he saw a small town.  He realized there was a heavy weight on his stomach and he looked down to see a small statue of what appeared to be a pony hunched over and covering their eyes with their hooves.  The mare that was the statue was very beautiful and looked almost familiar but he couldn't remember for the life of him.  He stood up and stretched feeling as if he had been asleep for years.  His joints popped and he his muscles scream in protest of the sudden movements.  The pain was nothing compared to what he had felt in the dream.  He picked up the small statue and decided to go investigate the town.

The town, while it looked small from a distance, was actually quite large and ponies were crowded in the town square walking between tents and talking to vendors.  He walked down the dirt road catching snippets of conversations here and there.  Bartering was being made as eager ponies tried talking bored vendors to lower their prices to which some agreed.  Sebastian was walking past a tent when an older gentlecolt's voice caught his attention, " Hey pal, fancy trinket ya got there, looks to be worth a pretty penny, I'll buy it from ya if you're interested. "  Sebastian faced the pony, a maroon stallion with salt and pepper mane and tail and yellow eyes that scared Sebastian.  He looked at the statue in his grasp and considered the offer, but something about the trinket made letting it go seem impossible and he refused the stallion's offer.  The older stallion looked disappointed and Sebastian felt anger welling inside the older stallion.  " 300 bits, " the stallion offered and this trinket seemed less important, but Sebastian wasn't interested in selling this strange relic and politely refused.  " 600, " the stallion said with a fierce determination.  Sebastian was starting to consider the offer, after all this statue was worth quite a fortune and he could use the money.  Alas Sebastian wasn't interested and shook his head firmly.  " 1,000, highest I'll go, take it or leave it. "  This caught the attention of several on lookers who and a dreadful silence filled the air of the farmer's market.

" I'm sorry but no means no, " he said with annoyance in his voice.  He was tired of this stallion's shenanigans.  " I don't wish to sell this item as of now, perhaps another time? "  The angered stallion huffed, " Fine, that's o.k., we can discuss this another time, here's my card, " he said giving Sebastian a business card.  He grabbed the card, thanked the gentlecolt, and walked off without a second glance.  Something about that stallion didn't sit right with him and he really wanted to know more about this strange architect.

He made his way across the market until he found open roads that led to many different buildings, most of which were houses.  A house, Sebastian needed to find one to stay in but first he needed to know where he was.  He wandered around and started having the sinking feeling he was being followed and trotted faster.  He turned many corners and zig-zagged between many ponies in a desperate effort to shake the feeling.  He didn't dare glance over his shoulder, something told him to keep going and he looked for a place he could get lost in.  Who ever was following him must have gotten lost because he didn't feel that spine-chilling fear from earlier.  He spotted what looked to be a giant gingerbread house to which he assumed was a bakery of sorts.  His stomach growled and he realized just how hungry and tired he was.  He decided to skip lunch and look for a hotel or an inn but then something hit him, he had zero money.

He regretted not selling the stone figurine at the market realizing how heavy it was.  Despite it's half-foot size, it was quite heavy and he didn't know how he had been able to carry it this far.  he wiped some sweat from his brow and continued his search fora place to rest.  Fortunately, nopony was really interested in him and didn't speak to him which was fine in his opinion.  After what felt like an hour of aimless walking, he found a shady tree in which he could sit under and rest a moment.  He sat down against the rough bark of the tree and watched the ponies walk past, he never noticed it but he was rather tired and he drifted off to sleep.  He must have slept for a few hours when a voice woke him up.  " Excuse me sir, are you all right?  It's late and you should be heading home. "  he sat up and faced the stranger.

The pony in question was a beige colored mare with a honey colored mane that was curled and a matching tail.  She had the bluest pair of eyes he had ever seen and a smile that warmed his heart.  He didn't answer her right away and continued to observe her.  She was wearing a gorgeous silver necklace with a red, heart-shaped gemstone in the center.   He looked back up at her

" Beautiful isn't it?  Just like that pretty statue of yours, " she said as if she had known he was interested in her necklace.  He simply nodded and she asked him again, " It's late, shouldn't you be getting home?  Or do you not have one? "  He simply shook his head.  " I have an extra room in my house you could stay in for the night. "  her offer was very tempting and a bed seemed more comfortable than the ground.  " Also, you look half starved, " she continued pointing out how skinny he really was.  He hated to admit it but she was right, he was tired, hungry, and needed a bath.  " I'm Honey Suckle, " she said holding out a hoof to help him up.  He grabbed hold and she helped pull him up.

" I'm Sebastian, " he replied.

"  Nice to meet you, let's get going, it's late. "  He agreed and she escorted him down the road.

" So Sebastian, where you from? "

" I...uhh, I don't know, " he admitted.

" Ohh, umm, well, how long have you been here? "

" It's my first day, i woke up in the fields outside the town and ended up here. "

" Ohh I see, what do you remember before that? "

He thought hard on that question.  " I can't remember.....it's all a blur. "  She looked concerned.  " I can't remember anything....only my name and this statue, " he said holding up the valuable object.

" Oh, we should take you to the doctor, " she replied.  Something told him that wasn't going to help and he shook his head.

" No please, you've already been this kind, I'm sure I'll figure this out on my own. "  She said nothing and nodded, agreeing with him but he could feel her uncertainty.  The rest of the walk was quiet and he wanted to say something, but feared breaking the silence.  When they arrived at her house, he didn't even take time to look for it, he asked that she show him to his room and he went straight to bed, letting the blackness or sleep swallow him whole.