Bore Of Insanity

Blue Biscuit didn’t have any way of healing him, but apparently, she knew someone who did, and it was at this moment Tarbuck realized that the former noble was quite upset. They were talking about it when they were coming back from collecting dinner when the matter of where he was going to get his right eye cleaned came up. They were in the back of the Frontliner’s herd about to be let back into the Hell pit.

“You want to send me to Ezpurrelda?!” Tarbuck sputtered.

The look of satisfaction that crossed Blue Biscuits’ muzzle truly told Him how much he fucked up.

“No, I don’t need that big a favor yet, more like she knows a good Doc” Her yellow eyes flashed up to the gate and Tarbuck’s eyes followed.

The Royal Templar normally found every reason to hold them back, and she was staring at them. Her slit eyes, however, had guided her face into something approaching neutral, a look that was tested when she saw that his eye was still weeping blood. His hollow eye met her slit ones, and she blinked first, and they passed under the gate with ease.

They held their conversation until they were further away from the gate. The frontliners calmed down now that there weren't any guards breathing down their necks. There still formed a noticeable circle around the two of them leery of approaching the mad pony.

“Plus, she gives me a noticeable discount whenever I send you, if you weren't such a big baby about it, we could make a lot more profit” The teasing lilt finally came back to her voice. Good.

It wasn't that Ezpurrelda was a bad merchant. She couldn’t hold the location she had looking over the pit if she made no money. The bipedal feline just had an odd… fascination with him.

“Look can't we just go to Mange he is a good enough doctor, isn't he?” He pleaded.

“Yes, he is a good enough doctor but I'm going to him tonight I broke some bones remember?” Said the pony walking perfectly fine.

“But- “he tried to say something else.

“Look stop being a bitch about this and go see the horny cat lady” she said the sentence with the finality of a judge delivering a verdict.

Tarbuck turned his head and started sulking his one eye finding the final section of the line the 7th line was for the middle-class novels the work horses of the solar empire accounting transportation that where these ponies landed. The 8th is where all independent nobles stop no matter how rich they are, they almost never get past this point. Their tents look more like houses with how long they've been there.

The ninth line was where the powers that be like to rest their heads there were six different plazas for each main house the Blue Bloods Taking the Plaza closest to the commander's tent. Next are the Apples that took the farthest position away from their compound handling food and had a hoof in the magical jam business. House Hayseed, the main producer of the Magical Jam has their compound right next to the Apples.

Those are the reasonable houses the ones that most ponies understand, the House of Enlightened Science on the other hand was strictly a cult as every single member of this group wears a mask that has the visage of Dawnbreaker sleeping peacefully and no one knows what they do and frankly Tarbuck hopes he never finds out.

He's been dragging his hooves taking deliberately slow steps so that it would be longer till he went to his execution.

He had reached the second section, so Tarbuck got off the path and into the bazaar that started up every night.

Maple Dent, a yellow Hippogriff mare that cheerfully greets everyone who enters the market who didn't blink twice at his bleeding eye.

“So which mare to piss off this time” she said

“Blue Biscuits” He muttered and received a pitying look.

“Yowch”

“Tell me about it”

“Well good luck with your girlfriend” she said to Tarbuck’s retreating form.

Lines 4 through 6 were far more spacious as they had actual ground that wasn't made of trench Lines. Miss Ezpurrelda had her tent in the Fourth Line, the inequine line so it was always interesting approaching her tent. Hestir the Minotaur gave a friendly wave from his Bread selling tent. Their lack of last names was something he was always curious about, but it wasn’t time for pleasantries.

He saw Teeth-Clack the dragoness blacksmith And That was the sign that he was getting closer he started shuffling on his hooves the awkward air was already building and he hadn't even entered her tent. He slow walked for the last few minutes and before him stood the odd-looking tent. It had a ball shape and it looked like string was falling off the top of it, in short it looked like a knitting ball.

A shorter feline was manning the front of the tent, his orange fur striped with white showed his erratic nature causing his sight to bounce from each potential customer. Before locking onto his very recognizable black fur, his orange eyes widening and to Tarbuck’s dread he called back to the tent.

“Madam, coal mountain spotted” Mittens squealed out.

A hiss came out from the tent and Tarbuck vaguely recognized it as their home language. Mittens hissed in reply and put as bright of a smile on as he possibly could. He beckoned with one of his paws at the coal stallion and Tarbuck was seriously considering just leaving but the lecture he would get from Blue Biscuits wouldn't be worth it. So, he swallowed his anxiousness and approached the smaller cat.

His natural black fur had hidden how bad the damage was to his eye because Mittens let out a higher pitch hiss and the lower throatier hiss of his Madam struck out and the black cat in question stuck her head out of the tent flap, oil to make her fur shinier only a quarter applied. Deep despair ripped her normally pleasant expression open, and she rushed out and cupped his muzzle in her paws.

“Who has done this!” She cried out her pink eyes starting to shed tears.

This was the reason that his partner in crime had directed him here. The tears that cascaded down her face struck his heart more than any lecture from the noble could ever do. The fact that she genuinely loved him and was concerned for him made his guts twist in a way that nothing could replicate. This love was the main reason he never came up to do business with her.

Better that she does not love a dead pony.

Without his realizing she was already tugging around his neck and pulling him towards her tent, and he let her guide him inside. A few quilts hung on the tent wall showing a cat larger than a river diverting the very waters he is compared to. She directed him to sit on a cushion, and the black cat started flitting about her tent, sticking her head out the tent flap Ezpurrelda hissed something to her servant out front and Tarbuck could hear his feet scamper away.

Better to pull out the blade than let it get infected.

“I did this” The feline had gathered antiseptic into her paws and had her back turned to him. She continued as if she didn't hear him, her paws collecting a roll of bandages that was just lying about. Taking the things she had gathered she placed them on a metal platter that looked quite expensive.

“Ezpurrelda… I did this to myself” Tarbuck Repeated and the Feline denied it with her heart again.

“My Dear, the villain who did this will surely pay” She swore her paws shaking the plate as set it on a small table and sat on a cushion across from him.

“Blue Biscuits would have died if I did nothing” he said.

Her paws stopped trembling, and a cool look came across her face jaws losing their clench.

“And maybe that would have been for the better” Her pink eyes narrowed at him.

“W-what?” Came his stuttered voice.

“Your two years have already passed, you can leave.” It was a statement that sent more ice into his hooves than anything he had heard. The roaring of a dragon Heliborne held no candle to those soft words.

“The only reason you do not leave is because of your friendship with the Dishonored Noble” She spat the word noble as if vomit had been shoved down her throat.

“I- “she slowly reached out one of her claws and it met nothing in his right eye the organ almost completely eviscerated. Then she lowered it to below his eye and wiped at the stream of blood that refused to stop. The Purple lamp that hung in the corner of the tent to give the place a mystical vibe caused the Ichor staining her claw to glisten.

Tarbuck felt hollow.

Ezpurrelda’s red rimmed eyes refused to be closed by her tears.

“Would you engage in such a Dangerous game of smuggling illegal goods If your ‘good’ friend Blue Biscuits didn’t push you to it?”

She pressed her face closer to his.

“Would you have to watch your own be butchered like fish If it wasn’t for Blue Biscuits.” It wasn’t a question.

He turned his head away and tried to stare at anything but the person who loved him giving genuine advice, A world of illusion would be better.

This was the world that the Feline Tried to shatter.

“I have my Vista for your land completed. Why not leave with me?” She spoke the words and turned his head towards her. Her pink eyes speak with nothing but Honesty and with it she could already see his choice.

“I See” Ezpurrelda did see.

She pulled away fur flush against her skin when she got to her feet with ease the red remained around her eyes, but no more tears fell.

“The Offer will remain open to you” She stretched her arms wide out “Now and forever more.”

Either with timing of an actor knowing a play was about to end or with respectful silence Mittens showed in an older male zebra. Tarbuck sat silently not even bothering to ask the name of this new person. His One remaining coal black eye watched as she quietly slipped away deeper into her tent whilst the zebra doctor worked on his eye. It was about an hour or so later when he had finally finished.

The zebra said nothing to him, and he left into the night and Tarbuck was about to follow his lead when Mittens stopped him holding something in his paws. It was a piece of cloth with a string attached to both sides the image of a pink cat’s eye on the center of it. An eyepatch.

“I uh, made it for you while uh...” Mittens stumbled over his words but seemed relieved when he took it from him.

“I hope I see you later” He meekly waved at the Giant pony as he walked into the night.

Tarbuck was a ghost, he went back into the market half of the world lost to him, was it wrong to have given it up so easily? Friendly calls entered one ear and exited the other and soon he passed by Maple Dent again the hippogriff having gone to town on a piece of corn.

“Suppose it didn't go well” Her cheerful chirping was another nail in his ears.

“No” Was the response

“It's still pretty nice night though.”

“No” the beak of the hybrid turned from her corn and for once shut up. She turned her yellow head and saw him crying from his one working eye.

“No”

“No”

“No”

This is what he muttered as he trudged down back to the front lines and to the hell of his own choosing. The first three lines didn't have much room so they had to improvise building connected rooms underground and only earth ponies would enjoy being underground. He went to the hole he dug that interconnected with the mess hall. Losing one of his eyes didn't bother him much down here in the dark, only the occasional lamp to guide ponies down to where they should sleep.

He heard the main area far before he ever got there.

“Can you believe the idiocy of that pony, who would willingly walk into a blade?” He recognized that voice, how could he not.

No

“Of course, he had to go try something and just made the whole situation worse!” Laughter followed this statement and the bellowing jeers of his fellow Liners.

No No No No No No No No No.

He turned the corner Blitzing around in the dark cold tunnels the voices only becoming clearer.

“I mean really the Jackass thinks he can order us around what does he know about command?” It must be a changeling there isn’t any chance that… She would say those things.

He saw the far distant light of the mess hall He picked up speed he’d kill the bastard, Tarbuck wouldn't let someone damage her image anymore. The Giant stallion roared into the mess hall like a wrecking ball knocking aside rickety tables and sent those sitting scattering against the dirt wall. The roof of the cavern was higher than one might expect and that allowed the few Pegasi to take to the air.

Blue Biscuits sat calmly her cup of soldier’s tea flown to the wind as she turned in her seat as if a guest had just politely knocked at her door.

“I See the Oaf of the hour has come at last” The fake said.

He saw red his hoof slamming down and breaking her chair, The mare had formed blue circular platforms that she hopped onto.

“Back From your Foreign Whore I see, tell me how the bitch was?” She tutted as if he was naughty schoolboy.

His rage snapped and went cold. An empty feeling started creeping through the room telling everyone plainly the best way to end themselves. Maverick Tone Realized that if he slammed his horn just at a right angle it would crack, and his brain would be sent into shock. Grow Vile Realized that all he needed to do was stop flapping his wings and the angle would have his neck snap on impact.

Blue Bis—Tarbuck focused harder trying to pierce the strong veil this changeling had.

Blue Bisc

Blue

Blue

Bl

B

…….

Blue Biscuits Realized she needed to stop him from understanding that it was her.

Burned by the knowledge the destructive feeling retreated into him he shrunk back from the light and all the destruction he caused. Looking all around him he saw the angry hoard around him.

“He’s Nothing but a Brute”

“What can you expect from a masochist that Stayed on after their time was up”

“If ya wnt ta tel meh how ta kill meself at least do it ike a Stallion”

“WHY IS HE STILL HERE”

“Are you done with your temper tantrum?” The Real Blue Biscuits said hovering down into the herd the ponies splitting for her.

He ran and the Herd parted for him as he dashed back up the path to get anywhere but here.

“Look at him can’t even stand his ground”

“Maybe the Blade gave him a Lobotomy”

“I Don’t know it seems like it gave him some wisdom”

With all the attention focused on Tarbuck no one saw the single tear streak down Blue Biscuits’ face as Her Best Friend thundered away.

His thudding hooves soon were the only noise he could hear and for a whole minute all he saw was the occasional Lamp, an odd wooden support till finally he found an exit point of the Cave system and burst out into the trench. His head drunk with despair Tarbuck fled into the Night.