Reacts: Before

Reacts
------ Before ------

Chapter 3: Advancing

He feels sluggish. There's no scene of what's up and down. He can't hear anything and a pitch black world is all he can see. There is nothing.

“So, is this what happens after you're gone? Just floating in place forever...? Sounds pretty good when I think about it.”

So you wish to be taken out of the big picture?

Quantum moves around in the black space, frantically trying to find the source of the voice. But it's like looking around with your eyes closed.

It seems you still have some fight in you.

He turns around and sees a bright light. The light starts to fade, a four legged figure stands in front of him.

Surprised?

The four legged creature's body is sparkling, transparent, and slick, like it was made by the finest crystal. There are many strange swerving markings on it's body, from the edges of it's mismatched eyes, right down to it's ice pick like legs. It's simply beautiful.

Why thank you.

Quantum gasped. The creature smirked.

As you can see... I'm not moving my mouth, so how can I speak, per say? Use your head.

Quantum blurred out a word, “t-telekinesis?”

Bingo.

Quantum shook out the sleepies out of his eyes, and is staring at the creature, eye to eye.

Now there's what you need. All you have to do is focus it, kind of like a straight edge.

“F-Focus it? Focus what?”

The creature disappeared in a flash. Quantum looked around, but just like last time, there's only black.

“W-Where-”

The creature reappears very close to Quantum's face.

“W-What's your prob-”

The creature starts spinning around the black space. Quantum is amazed that it can freely move around within this space, as if defying it's rules.

“Why can't I move,” Quantum whispered.

OH, but you can, and more! If you want it, just say it.

Quantum looks stumped by the mental suggestion. He looks at his hooves, thinking that there might be a ground. He looks up, imaging that there's a sky. He goes in a trance. Suddenly he starts to descend down.

“Whoa... Haha, I-It's working, I'm moving! This is... Cosmic!

Yeah, about that... Just thinking about it will only get you so far. You need to say it, say it with some vigor.

Quantum is starting to panic, “say!? Say what exactly!?”

The creature shook it's head in disappointment.

Oh colt. You still don't get it... Well, you're still a young one, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Quantum looks at the creature with desperation. He continues to fall like a rock in the sea. He tries to struggle, but like being within the sea, the space is slowing down and constricting his movements.

Looks like you need a hint, you are still just a colt.

The creature nonchalantly swoops down and following Quantum's fall.

Instead of concentrating on falling, try to concentrate on landing. Land like a cat, you know, on your feet... Or hooves.

Quantum struggles more hysterically, getting more panicked. The creature again shakes it's head in disappointment.

“What?! Land?! Land on what?!”

The creature bolted down ahead of Quantum's path. As it is getting out the eye distance, it suddenly stopped. Quantum looked closely and saw that it... Landed! It landed on something.

“Oh, land... Wait! I'm gonna crash! Heeelp!

The creature disappeared again.

“Help me, please!”

The creature reappeared right beside Quantum. It had a serious face.

You... want help, right?

Quantum had a blank face.

“Well... YES! I need HELP NOW!!”

The creature has a stern look on it's face, then it smiles and slowly nods.

Hmm... that will have to do.

The creature started glowing brightly in front of Quantum, thus blinding him. When the light faded, the creature is gone, and what's there in it's place is an orb.

“What are you-”

The orb shot to Quantum's chest. A bright light is shinning within the entrance hole at his chest. The light engulfed Quantum in a ball of different shades of white.

The black space is engulfed by white space.

I'm just moving the ball forward, that's all. Oh, and just a friendly little advice; don't look back, in more ways than one.

<<< 0o0 >>>

Blurred voices, hoof steps, rickety noises... Quantum could hear that and more.

He slowly opens his eyes to see a white box, presumably a window.

“Oh, you're alive...Well, might as well tell the others... Stay put...”

He turns his head to see a snow white colored male pony with a black cape and hood combo. The male pony nonchalantly turns around and walks towards a wooden door. He turns his head and looks at Quantum with little emotion.

“... Do you need anything? Water? Extra blankets?”

The male pony turns back and opens the door. There is a female pony behind the door, it looks like she was on the verge of knocking.

“O-Oh, sorry... I came to replace the bed shee-”

She looks past the male pony and sees Quantum's groggy state.

“Y-Your... EVERYPONY, HE'S AWAKE!!”

The female pony runs out of Quantum's vision, still yelling that Quantum is awake.

“It seems that whatever happened to you... It must have been awful... Well holler if you need anything.”

The male pony closed the door behind him. Quantum hears some voices coming through the wall, but it's too faint to figure out what's being said.

Quantum is too dazed to do anything. All he can do is lay down on the bed and scratch his flank.

<<< 0o0 >>>

“So... How should we handle this? Ideas?”

“I think we should take him in. Like, we're not gonna make him fend for himself out there, are we?”

“Then what are we gonna do with an extra mouth to feed? It's bad enough that we're running low on food and supplies, also the fact that the train that was supposed to resupply us is out of service, but now we have to take care of a foal that we don't know about. For all we know, he could be a part of those... what were they called again?”

“The...Klocks? You know, with a 'K'?”

“Oh yeah, thank you.”

“A-Are we seriously having this conversation?! We're talking about what to do with somepony like what to do with a... Thing!”

“You honestly can't blame us, will you? You know better than other ponies on how tough it is out there... Wind that can turn you into, no pun intended, freeze you in your tracks... You can barely see your own hoof when it gets really nasty, the creatures that roam around and wait for any unsuspecting pony to let their guard down... And to bring up what was said before, those Klocks are, not to exaggerate but... Hunting us down. So you really can't blame us for being a little, how should I word this...”

“Paranoid?”

“Yea... Paranoid.”

“Well... Hmm...”

With all of their talking and arguing around a table, they didn't notice a small pony just out of sight, listening to what is going on over here. As time goes on, he has one question in mind.

“Where am I?”

~~~ End of chapter 3 ~~~