The walk back into town was easier than before. I wasn’t sure if that was because the muscles in my leg were becoming less stiff, or if it had anything to do with my mood improving from the meeting with the goddess of cellos. Either way, I didn’t find myself wincing as often as I limped back into Ponyville.

Vinyl walked me back, although I wasn’t sure if that was because she felt obligated to, or because she was trying to get away from the lecture Octavia was giving her at the time. Either way, she trotted alongside me, her surgical mask and shades back on her face.

The sun was beginning its slow descent towards the horizon as we entered the town, and the shadows were starting to lengthen. Ponies were drifting from the marketplace towards the residential areas of town. Foals raced along the path, heading for the playground or to a friend’s house.

As we walked along, I glanced down at Vinyl. “So, you’re both living in Ponyville now?”

“Eeyup,” Vinyl chirped. She pranced along the side of the road, swaying in and out of the tall grass that lined the lane. “It’s a nice change of pace, actually. I’ve been living in busy cities for so long that I completely forgot how good it feels to live out in the quiet countryside.”

“No regrets?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Well, there is the struggle of none of the shops being open at night,” she said after a moment of consideration. “I’m used to sleeping during the day, so I had to adjust my sleep schedule so that I could do my shopping during the day. Still, that’s a small price to pay.”

“Oh, poor you,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “How much you must suffer.”

“Yeah, yeah. Yuk it up, brony,” Vinyl sniffed. “It just so happens that living in Ponyville now also means I’m closer to you, so I can keep an eye on you easier.”

This caused me to pause. “Wait, hold up. Why do you need to keep an eye on me?”

Lowering her shades, Vinyl peered up at me. Her red irises glowed eerily in the sunlight, while the black scleras seemed to absorb all light. “Well, seeing as the first human I ever met from your world tried to throw ours into chaos, forgive me for wanting to keep a closer eye on the second one.”

“I thought you said that I, uh… what was it? Had a good heart or something like that?”

“Princess Luna has a good heart as well,” Vinyl said with a shrug. “Look what happened to her a thousand years ago though. A good heart doesn’t mean you’re incorruptible.”

“I’ve told you ponies dozens of times already,” I growled. “I’ve told you again and again. I’m not looking to hurt anyone. I’m not going to do anything evil. I’m just trying to live my life and enjoy the ride. Why can’t you fuckers believe me?”

“Words,” Vinyl replied. “You can say you won’t all you want, but in the end, those are just words. Little breaths of air from your lungs. Meritless. Meaningless. For instance, I could say I won’t kick you in the shins, no matter what.” At this, she suddenly cocked a hind leg, aiming it in my direction.

I immediately stepped back out of striking distance.

“Why did you move?” she asked. “I told you I wouldn’t kick you, yet you still moved. Why? Don’t you trust me?”

“Alright,” I grumbled. “I get it.”

“Just having a good heart doesn’t mean you won’t destroy the world around you,” Vinyl said as she lowered her leg. “Some of the greatest tragedies in history were caused by somepony believing they were doing the right thing, for the right reasons. As the saying goes, the road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions.”

“So, what?” I asked as we started walking again. “You’re just planning on following me around from now on, making sure that I don’t go insane and become evil? Always be in the shadows in case I slip up?”

“Nah,” Vinyl chuckled, shaking her head. “I plan on hanging out with a friend, while also making sure he doesn’t make any more stupid decisions.” Her mask twitched as she smirked. “Looks like I might have my work cut out for me.”

“Friend?” I gave her a bemused look. “We’ve only seen each other… what, like three times?”

“Eh.” She shrugged. “It’s Equestria. Friendships can spring up overnight. It’s best to not question it.”

“Riiight,” I said, but the corners of my mouth twitched upward.

“Besides, I’m sure Twilight won’t mind having another pony with some sense around to wrangle you up,” Vinyl chuckled. “After all, I’m pretty good at knocking heads together. Oh, and speaking of which…” She paused and removed her glasses again to give me a stern look. “I was being serious earlier when I said you needed to blow the stink off. You might not be able to smell it, but you’re beginning to smell like a brewery. My nose might be extra sensitive, but I’m pretty sure other ponies will start noticing soon if you keep this habit up. The only reason your other sanguinarian hasn’t said anything yet is that her senses are dulled by the painkiller. Regardless though, you really need to cool it with the alcohol.”

“I’ll take it under advisement,” I said cooly.

She gave me an even look but said nothing. Instead, she replaced her glasses and we walked in silence for a few minutes.

As the library came into view, a shout caught my attention. Turning, I watched as Ebony trotted up. She had a smile on her face and her saddlebags were bulging with her purchases.

“There you guys are,” she said as she reached us. “I was wondering where you went. I looked all over town but couldn’t find you, so I figured I’d just head back to the library. And here you are!”

“And here we are,” I repeated. Adjusting Primrose’s shades, I peered down at Ebony. “So, did you get what you were looking for?”

“Yes!” she said happily. “They didn’t have as large of a selection as the Battlemages have back at the Academy, but I managed to find a few good ones.” Turning around, she lit up her horn as she looked into a saddlebag. “I’ve got some basil, lavender, aloe vera, mint, rosemary, thyme, catnip, valerian, motherwort, passionflower, and some stinging nettles!”

“Jesus,” I whistled. “Did… did you clean them out?”

“Oh, no,” Ebony said, shaking her head. “I just picked up a few things to get started. I’ll be going back later this week to pick up some more seeds. They even offered to special order a couple of speciality seeds I was looking for that they didn’t have!” Giggling, she bounced up and down. “Oh, this is going to be great! I can’t wait to start growing things again!”

“Wow, somepony’s excited,” Vinyl snickered.

Sticking out her tongue, Ebony blew her a raspberry.

“Hey, you do you,” Vinyl said quickly. “I’ve got nothing against it. In fact, if you’re looking to make a little money, let me know. I’ve got some… special plants I’ve been looking for somepony to grow.”

“Of course…” Ebony sighed, shaking her head.

Vinyl huffed. “Hey, hey, do you know how hard it is to grow blood moss?”

“Blood moss, hmmm?” Ebony rubbed her chin. “We’ll discuss this at a later date. I’d like to at least get the garden growing first before having to tend to special requests.”

“Fair enough,” Vinyl said.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped around Vinyl and made my way towards the library. As I opened the door, Vinyl called out. “Well, I’ll catch you later, brony! I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before heading back and dealing with Tavia.”

“Good luck,” I called back. “You’re going to need it.”

“Don’t I know it,” Vinyl muttered before wandering off.

I watched her go for a moment before glancing down at Ebony. “You said you got catnip? Why would you plant that? We don’t even have a cat!”

“I got it for the medical properties,” she explained. “It also acts as a repellent for certain insects.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” I said as we walked inside. “We aren’t getting a cat, Ebony. We’ve got too many creatures living here already.” Not a second after the words left my mouth, I was promptly tackled by Pyresteed.

“Packmate safe!”

“Sonofabit—”

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that night, I was seated on the couch in the darkened library. The others had all gone to bed already—Avera, Primrose, and Ebony into the basement, and Pyresteed dozing upon her plush cushion bed. She was curled up in a ball, her face hidden behind her chaotic mess of hair.

The only light was the faint moonlight that came from the waning crescent moon outside. It streamed through the thin curtains, the beam of pale light splashing across the floor in long strips. Occasionally, a few fireflies would drift past the window, but for the most part, the world was still.

Silently I sat there, staring at the half-full bottle of rum in my hands.

I didn’t want this. It had started off simple enough: a drink here, a drink there, something to help with the pain and take my mind off it. Now, though, it had somehow evolved. Others were beginning to notice, beginning to voice their concerns. Even Twilight was becoming worried.

It should be easy, right? All I had to do was put the bottle down and stop drinking. No more rum, no more whiskey, no more anything. Just a few days and I’d be back on track. Twilight would be happier, and I’d probably feel less like shit. All I had to do was put the bottle down.

If only it were so easy.

My grip around the bottle tightened until my knuckles turned white and my hands trembled, causing the amber liquid inside to slosh around. I had already drank half of it already; I could feel the fuzziness slowly enveloping my senses already. That was enough, right? Just a light buzz? Something to help take the edge off and help me sleep? That’s all I really needed…

...right?

I stared at the bottle for a few more seconds before raising it to my lips and draining the remaining liquid in a few, heavy gulps. Wincing at the burn, I got shakily to my feet and headed for the stairs. My bed was calling me, and I could only stave off the lure of sleep for so long before it claimed me by force.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The earth was trying to consume me. Ankle-deep in the blood-soaked mud, I struggled to escape even as I sunk slowly deeper and deeper into the sludge. I clawed at the wall of dirt in front of me, trying to climb out of the pit I found myself in. It was in vain though, the walls too slick with blood for me to find purchase. I just slid back down, sinking further into the quagmire beneath me.

All around me, the distorted sound of howling rage and laughter mixed together in a cacophony of wailing. The noise filled my ears, drowning out my own cries for help. It was as if a hurricane were present above the pit, the wind tearing down into the pit and sending mud flying everywhere.

And even through all the chaos and noise, I could still sense her.

Pausing in my struggling, I looked back. There—in the center of the pit—she stood. Unmoving from her position in the center of the pit, she only watched me, her emerald eyes boring into me with such ferocity that it almost felt like I was being physically stabbed by her gaze alone. Her skin was pallid, almost hauntingly so. The only color present came from the plethora of freckles that covered her cheeks and nose.

And the red and purple ring of bruises around her neck.

She didn’t move, even as her fiery red hair whipped around in the whirlwind. She said nothing, even as she glared accusingly at me. She did nothing, even as tears of blood slowly dripped down her cold, pale cheeks to join the bloody marsh below.

Unable to escape her gaze, I collapsed into the mud. Curling up, I covered my face with my hands as I repeated the same plea over and over again, sobbing into my soiled flesh. “P-please... I didn’t know…

“I didn’t know…

“I didn’t know…

“I didn’t know…”

Author's Note

There's a reason to the madness. But sometimes the answers you seek can't be found at the bottom of the bottle.