The Rocking Horse

Cold air swept under the stallion’s cloth, giving him a case of the shivers and forcing him to grip onto the sheets. It was a reflex though, for the stallion has long left the realm of reality. He was gone, thrown into the world of illusion which his mind has created for himself.

“I want you to promise me something” a sweet, succulent voice pleads, with a voice as soft as cotton.

The stallion smiles, letting his eyes cast a look over the mare before him. She has a gold, luscious mane that hangs down the sides of her head, with a light peach coat, and vibrant red eyes that flutter with affection, not lust. Her figure was laminated by a bright light from behind – a mirage, forged from his mind.

“For you” the stallion sighed, letting his hoof brush her silky hair, “anything.”

The stallion lets a smile slip from his muzzle- despite the temperature beginning to drop rapidly- for his dream has begun to elude him from the factors of reality.

The mare flashes a warm smile, ensuring that her feelings for the stallion were no illusion.

“Promise me, Dutch”, she began, holding onto the hoof that brushed her mane. “That someday we can…we can…”

Her voice begins to falter, bringing worry to the stallion.

“Is everything okay?” he asks quickly, hoping that nothing would try to taint his true jewel.

The mare nodded her head slowly, but her eyes were truly the window to her soul. He knew she was hurting inside and he would blame himself for it.

Dutch waited in silence, only momentarily though, because he soon came closer to the mare and wrapped her in his forelegs. He began to stroke her mane, as he began to feel her emotions pour into him, almost as if he was trying to purge her of contamination.

“We are going to leave this place” he assured, stroking her mane softly. She didn’t even have to say it for the stallion to feel her pain. This was the mare he loved, and he knew her more than any other pony.

The mare did not sob in return though. She was a strong soul, much like that stallion, which would explain their ability to stick with each other until the very end.

Instead she merely looked up at the stallion holding her with sad, fighting eyes. It was enough to sear pain into Dutch’s very core.

“You promise?” she pleaded, looking up Dutch with majestic eyes.

The stallion’s smile soon began to fade away. His eyes began to cringe as his mind began to place the pieces of his dream together.

Dutch remained in silence, finally realizing this was all but a dream and the mare before him was nothing more but a memory – a distant memory, still living within the confinements of his subconscious.

The mare continued to stare at him with patient eyes, personifying the figure that has been deceased for so long. Dutch could not decide where his mind was. He began to question what was the realm of reality and the realm of illusion…

“Dutch?” the mare called, breaking the stallion’s connection with his own mind. He looked down at her, finding her features to be so majestic and pure. He could not pass up the opportunity to indulge in a memory such as this, real or not.

With tears in his eyes, Dutch did not utter a word. Instead, he bent his head down towards the mare, bringing his lips close to hers, and began to lock himself in a compassionate kiss. It was a kiss that felt like no other. His mind went into a frenzy, processing every feel and emotion from the contact of the mare’s lips, rendering the stallion lost. He did not care where he was though. As long as he was with her, that was all that mattered.

His mind began to act on its own, letting tears slowly stream down as his face began to cringe with raw emotion.

Breaking the kiss, the stallion glanced down at the mare, which looked so innocent with her holy glow and closed eyes. Dutch could do nothing but smile, with tears streaming down his cheek.

At last, the mare’s eyes opened slowly, giving a gaze so tender it locked itself into the back of Dutch’s mind. Her eyes fluttered with assurance as she glanced upward at Dutch- her protector, her angel – with trust.

“I promise” Dutch choked, trying to fight back tears, but those final words met his breaking point. Sobbing furiously, he began to lose contact with the world of illusion, causing the bright light to slowly diminish. He began to feel a light twitch in his hooves, causing him to glance down at the mare before him.

She was now limp, unmoving. Her humble spirit departed from his mind, leaving nothing but a shell. Her innocent, petite, lifeless frame hung in Dutch’s hooves, driving the stallion to paranoia.

“No…” Dutch sobbed, trying to bring back the mare he cherished. He began to caress her cheek, hoping that would be enough to bring her back. Deep down though, he already knew she was gone. She knew she was no longer amongst the living.

Dutch would not give in to the truth, despite all evidence. He began to cry, cradling the mare’s lifeless frame in his forelegs, hoping to bring her back. He cried into her shoulder and gave her body tender kisses, hoping that would do the trick.

The smell of smoke began to sting his nostrils as he gripped tightly to the mare, not willing to let her go. He didn’t want her to go. Not yet…

The sound of sand slowly seeping began to crawl into the stallion’s ears and he began to feel the mare in his arm slowly fade away. He clenched his eyes shut and began to grip onto the mare tighter.

“I’m never letting go, I’m never letting go…” he began to chant as he felt the sound of sand intensify. He began to feel the mare fade away from his grasp, fueling his cries and pain.

“Damn it, I love you!” Dutch shouted, shaking feverishly as he gave his lover one last tight clench, hoping for nothing more but the chance to tell her that in person.

He would never get another chance.

With his final attempt to save his jewel, the mare vanished, leaving the stallion to grip onto nothing but the remains of ashes that now littered his entire body. The smell of smoke began to sting his nostrils and eyes, but he did not care. He did not dare open his eyes to see what became of his mare. His lover. His diamond. His everything…

With emotion burning inside, Dutch did not attempt to move away from the remains of his memories. He only began to rock back and forth, cradling his entire body as tears began to flow down his face. Darkness began to surround him, turning his eloquent, humble dream into a torturous nightmare.

This was no nightmare though. The stallion was only awake from his dream, rocking back and forth as tears began to stream down his face. He was now back in the realm of reality, left with the fresh memory of his sanctum becoming tarnished by the dark - the reality he referred to as a nightmare.

***

Dutch made no attempt to shield his mind from the incident that unfurled in the midst of the night. The memories of the dream – the mare, the darkness, the ash- already possessed his mind, rendering him to move about like a zombie. Not that he was ever living to begin with…

Lumbering about his home, Dutch made his way to his to the bathroom to prep himself for another day of misery. His first item on the agenda of another miserable day was work. The one thing he had no favor for, since it never brought him any other benefit, excluding the minimal wages he earned weekly.

“3 bits an hour” Dutch remarked coldly, looking into the worn down, scratch infested mirror. Despite the damage to the mirror, the stallion was able to see his red puffy eyes clearly, causing him to give a heavy sigh. He then looked down at the sink, which was not as damaged as the window, but it was far from perfect. Turning the knob, Dutch watched as cold water began to pour its way out the small pipe and into the sink. It did not matter which knob he turned – the water was, and always will be, cold. There was no complaint from the stallion though, for he was at least blessed to be given water, considering the houses’ abandoned state.

Placing his hooves under the sink, he began to let the water flourish over them and would then dab the cold droplets over his eyes and face. A shiver ran down his back side as the water seeped into his pores and a draft poured in from the cracks beneath the floorboards.

He glanced outside of the worn down restroom for a short while, trying to make out the time by looking at an old, abandoned clock, centered straight across from the restroom. He strained his eyes to make out the approximate time

6:25

‘That leaves me with twenty minutes to get ready’ Dutch noted to himself, looking back into the restroom and staring at the dirty bathtub (despite his best efforts to clean it). ‘Not that I’m going to take up a lot of time’ he continued, knowing that he would not stay in the tub for long taking a cold shower.

Stepping into the tub and turning on the cold water, Dutch spent the next two minutes swearing and dancing in the tub as he tried to rid his entire body of dirt with a soap bar he bought with his last paycheck. To top off his luck, he had no towel, excluding his bed sheets and worn down sweater which he would not use.

Simply lifting himself out of the cold, freezing water resting in the tub, he began to shake his entire body, letting physics determine where the droplets of water would scatter to. His teeth began to chatter and he could feel water drip down his beard. A shiver began to run up his spine and he began to feel his legs turn numb. It never bothered him though, for he was use to the freezing cold. Every so often he let out a harsh sneeze or a heavy cough, but other than that he tried real hard to put on a healthy image.

Dutch left the restroom once he finished drying himself off to get his work clothes from cabinets that stood by his worn down mattress. As he opened the cabinets to pull out and industrial hat and a yellow highlighted vest, he could do nothing but let out a sigh. Dutch did have a disliking to his current occupation, but what he disliked more than his job was the ponies he worked with; large massive ponies with bulky frames that worked exceptionally hard to make his job a living hell as well. Dutch knew he could handle the stallions with ease, but since these stallions had connections to the industrial owners, and this was the only steady job he could find, he could only stand back and cast hateful glares as they taunted him.

“Well, someone’s got to be at the bottom” Dutch laughed dryly, placing the hardhat over his head. He did not find the joke amusing in the slightest.

Throwing the vest over his dark grey coat, Dutch shut the cabinet drawer and turned back around to examine his household. He began to look to his right side where his bed lay, along with the sight of the grotesque wall infested with mildew and other unattractive bits. As he turned to his left side, he could make out the sight of a small round table, with two seats spread directly across from one another. Next to it, was a large, dusty piano, occupying a large portion of the room. Its once glimmering wooden frame was now beginning to deteriorate, leaving large scratches and open wounds to envelope the piano. Whether it worked or not, Dutch had no answer to that. He has never touched the piano, considering the weight of its value to him. After many nights of pressing on keys to flow with the essence of melodic notes, the stallion knew that playing would only result in the presence of keys being pressed, while the melodic notes would be absent.

Trying to evade more suffering, Dutch moved his eyes away from the table and piano. Bad enough he could rid his mind of the mare’s eloquent features that soon began to decompose, leaving nothing more but pain in his heart. The way those eyes looked up at him…they looked all too similar to the doll’s…before she departed from the world…before she drifted away…

Dutch began to wonder if buying the doll was a bad idea. His nerves began to give slight tremors here and there as he began to recall the doll’s eyes, giving such a live, warm feeling, yet she was a doll. A hollow, stuffed toy that was created to look like a pony as Dutch put it.

Glancing back at the clock once more to establish how much time he wasted fighting with himself, he realized he only had five minutes to get to work.

“Damn it” Dutch cursed, gritting his teeth. He began to grow frustrated with his thoughts but he did not say anything to himself. Knowing that would only lead to more thoughts, Dutch quickly made his way out of the front door of his house, locking it on his way out, and made his way down the street, passing under a dark blue pigmented sky that enveloped the city in shadow.

***

In the shop Vinyl rested comfortably for the first time in years. Never had she slept in her time of captivity, due to the risk of being caught by the merchant.

With high hopes though, Vinyl Scratch felt untouchable, and decided that her last act of rebellion would be a good night’s rest. She was curled up in a tight position, allowing her head to sit by her hind legs as she rested on the floor behind the counter, breathing calmly as she let her mind rest. Her wavy hair sat on the ground, lying directly next to her head which stretched out to her legs. Her blue tail wrapped around her body, protecting her frail stature from the surrounding world.

Before, Vinyl would’ve slept like an animal – snoring aloud and constantly fidgeting back and forth. Now, she rested soundly, not making the slightest stir or sound, possibly due to the absence of sleep for so long.

Although she was asleep, her mind was fully aware of her surrounding environment. So considering the shop was quiet around nighttime, her mind was able to copy the process of sleep. Vinyl, on the other hand, could not tell the difference, for her mind manipulated her into believing she was truly asleep.

That was until the sound of knobs turning began to ascend from the shop. Vinyl’s ear twitched and her eyes shot open, her mind taking notice of the noise and warning its host of the potential threat.

Vinyl quickly lifted her head as the noise of locks beginning to turn pierced her ears, realizing that there was no possibility of a threat anymore – there was a threat. Vinyl swore in her head, cursing herself for letting her mind sleep longer than expected. She began to panic now as the sounds of clicking turned into the sound of screeching, followed by a small bell ringing.

The merchant was present now and Vinyl Scratch clenched her eyes in fear, praying the serpent would not notice anything strange. Her luck seemed to be running thin real quickly though.

“Huh?” the merchant pony let out in confusion, causing Vinyl to bite her lower lip.

‘No, no, no, no…’ she began to chant in her mind as the sounds of hooves began to grow closer and closer. Vinyl was shielded behind the counter, but all tall stallion needed to do was poke his head over the counter to find his victim cowering in fear and she knew that.

So as quietly as she could, she began to lift herself up from the ground, trying to be as quiet as possible. The sounds of hooves were drawing nearer by the second, but it seemed as if the merchant was teasing the mare. Almost as if he knew she wasn’t gone for good.

Once Vinyl lifted herself to a crowded stance, she then proceeded to lie sideways, hoping to mimic the shape of a doll that would’ve appeared to have fallen off the counter. Vinyl hated the feeling of turning back into something none living. It made her feel worthless – nothing more than the item she was forged to portray as.

When the hooves came to a stop, Vinyl knew she had no time left to think about it, so she quickly fixed herself in the right position and froze, slanting her eyes slightly to mimic the same romantic gaze she was always fixed with.

As soon as Vinyl underwent her change, the merchant stooped his head over the counter, only to find his product lying down on the ground in a distorted heap. The merchant glanced down at the mare for a long while, giving it a quizzical look. He felt that her shape was not a result from a fall, for he was quite familiar with a mares shape after it fell off of something…

The merchant let out a small laugh.

“Really?” the merchant sighed shaking his head side to side as he glanced down at the small petite frame on the ground.

“And to think after all this time you were gone” he continued, moving away from counter, and making his way around the aisles of his shop. Vinyl’s mind began to race as the stallion’s hooves began to tap against the floor slowly, each step instilling fear into her mind. She couldn’t tell if he was playing with her mind or telling the truth.

The merchant was a master of manipulation, and because he was a sick heartless being, he would even talk to his victims even in their expired state.

“I mean, how many times did I really kill you?” the merchant remarked, letting a dry laugh leave the malicious grin on his face. “Was it five or six times?”

He then placed his hoof on his chin, as if actually thinking about the question he already knew the answer to. By now, the merchant was already near the edge of the counter, allowing him to peer around to see the mare lying down on the floor.

“Hmm…does it have to be seven times now?” the merchant shot, glancing at Vinyl with sinful eyes. The desire to exert pain was beginning to dwell in his gut, for it has been so long since his last victim.

“Or is it going to be six?”

A wheezing laugh suddenly erupted around the shop, giving Vinyl Scratch a burning sensation in her eyes. To be defiled in death was enough, but to be laughed at and ridiculed as well…it was just too much. Vinyl Scratch held strong though, not willing to give into the monster’s trick. He was playing mind games, and he knew all too well how to get to her very core.

The merchant began to walk in the direction of Vinyl Scratch, finally grabbing a hold of her in his hooves and lifting her off the ground. He then tossed her on the counter as he began to pace back and forth shaking his head. She bounced once, landing heavily back down on the counter as her body shifted once again.

“You know, you were always a fighter” the merchant mused glancing down at the mare. “I liked that you know. But when you stopped fighting, you began to bore me. The spark we had just…disappeared”

The merchant shook his hooves together violently to display the term spark.

“But it doesn’t matter.” the merchant mused, rearing closer to Vinyl Scratch’s frozen expression. “You’re beginning to bore me. It looks like I finally had you beat. I finally took your will to fight, the one thing I’ve wanted to get for so long”

Vinyl’s mind began to burn as mixed emotions began to cloud her thoughts. She wanted to thrash out at the stallion, buck him in the face, and give it all she had. That’s what he wanted though. He wanted her to fight, because he knew he would win. He only craved the desire to kill, and since he knew she could not die, he would be able to have a cure to his constant craving.

The merchant continued to ramble, finding this entire scenario to be one giant joke.

“I bet that friend you always use to talk about would’ve been a much better sport. Her name was Octavia I believe...”

Now he began to move to the sanctum of Vinyl’s heart, trying to push Vinyl to the edge; trying to make her reveal her disguise, so he could continue his same torturous routine as he done so many times before.

Vinyl Scratch was now hurting inside, but she could not let him have her. He may have possessed her memories, her spirit, and maybe even her, but she could not give him a reason to keep her any longer. Vinyl was no longer the ignorant, humble pony she was long ago. The merchant, in arrogance and self-appraisal, already revealed that he had no need of her if she did nothing but lay around like a plaything. She clamped down on her emotions, trying to blind them out with telling her the reward was greater than revenge. If she held on long enough, she would be free.

After minutes of bantering and taunting, the merchant looked back to find the doll had not moved. He was sure this would be enough to fuel the mare to madness, but when he found there was no sign of life in her he placed a hoof on his chin.

“Maybe you are dead” the merchant noted, examining the white pony for a long while. His voice carried no tone of disbelief, for as vile as he was, he was never willing to lie about his sport. It seemed he truly believed she was gone. And if that was the case, he knew he had no use for her.

“Well, you will sure make a good gift for that lonely bastard” the merchant chuckled, beginning to run his massive hooves over the mare’s wavy mane.

Before the merchant could do anything else to the doll, the store bell rung once again, causing him to look upward. At the entrance of the store, stood a stallion with a messy mane, dirty coat and frenzied eyes, twitching violently. The merchant could do nothing but smile at the sight of the colt, for he knew what he wanted without a second glance.

“What would it be my good fellow?” the merchant asked charismatically, a glint of excitement beaming in his eye. His greatest amount of funds came from junkies, which always poured bits over substances that provided only a fraction of the thrill the merchant got from his sins.

Meanwhile, Vinyl remained motionless on the counter, thanking Celestia for giving her the strength to survive the merchant’s trials. The emotional pain was beginning to grow unbearable though, for she wanted nothing more than to leave right away. She knew she could not fidget or move with the merchant around, so she fought back the pain, using every ounce of strength in her body. It was still not enough.

Despite her best efforts, a tear began to leave her eye, slowly descending down the mare’s cheek until it reached the surface of the counter beneath her.

She may have survived the trials, but over the years she has lost far more than she gained, and she knew there may be no way of ever getting it back.

***

“You looking for a good time?” a rather large mare asked seductively with a hoarse, raspy voice. It was enough to send Dutch a few paces back, trying to avoid the lustful stare of the harlot. The smell of cheap perfume stung his nose, but because Dutch still had a grasp of respect, he kept the fact to himself. The same could not be said for the mare.

“Your loss sugar!” she shouted, causing Dutch’s ear to twitch.

‘Keep telling yourself that’ Dutch remarked, rolling his eyes as he made a left turn down another dirty street. The city no longer began to have a dark blue hue. Instead it now had a lighter hue of blue, but the smog in the sky prohibited the city from having a welcoming glow. The streets still resumed to be gloomy, as did its citizens throughout the course of the morning.

Dutch, with his hardhat on his head and his bright vest wrapped around his frame, finally made his way to his work place; a large, industrial worksite, full of ponies who were working hard in the cold bitter temperature of the morning. They panted heavily from fatigue as the helped navigate large sums of iron rods, cement mix, and other industrial items. The smell of work and industry this early in the morning was enough to wake anypony.

“Hey Dutch!” a voice shouted from the stallion’s left, causing him to spin in that direction. Walking up to him was a dark blue pegasus, with a black hard hat resting on his head. He had a pair of golden eyes, but not the kind that were used to initiate a conversation.

“The fuck man, you’re late!” the pegasus shot, walking directly in front of the grey pony. Dutch shook his head and let a small smirk stretch across his face.

“Sorry Dieter, just ran into some sidewalk traffic” Dutch explained, throwing his hoof back towards the street from behind but Dieter quickly cut him off.

“Yeah, uh huh, whatever” the pegasus shot quickly, shaking his hoof in disapproval. “Just get to your damn post already and help the guys out with carrying the bricks up to the fourth level. They can use an extra man up there.”

Dutch nodded his head without hesitation. “Alright boss”

“Damn right I’m your boss, now get moving” Dieter quickly shot, making Dutch’s half formed smile falter.

‘Prick’ Dutch thought to himself as he walked away from the main head of the site, who was now yelling at some other pony for Celestia knows what. Passing through ponies that began to form the structure of the building, he quickly made his way to a lift which was bordered in by wooden planks, pushing the button on the lift four times, and each push bringing him to the next floor. Finally, he made it to the fourth floor and quickly unloaded himself off of the lift, allowing it to be available for the next worker who needed it.

“Well look whose here” a voice called from behind, causing Dutch to sigh. He knew the owner of that voice all too well. Sarcastic, heavy, arrogant toned voice that seemed to be said with a smirk.

“Alright, let’s just get these bricks moving” Dutch sighed, turning around as if he heard nothing. Three stallions stood before him, two of them with tired eyes and sarcastic smiles. Dutch has never seen the third one before in the construction site. They resided next to the large amount of bricks that sat on a small crane.

“You think you can help us?” a purple stallion cackled, looking at the two other ponies beside him as if to tell them to laugh. The green stallion in the middle clapped his hooves together while an orange unicorn on the left side simply shook his head with a straight face.

“C’mon guys, let’s just get this over with so we can move onto the next task” Dutch suggested, trying to flash a generous smile. The fact that he spoke through gritted teeth though was enough to show he was lying.

“Yeah, guys” the green horse mocked, trying to portray an illiterate pony, “let’s just do our work so we can start talking about things like music and love!”

The green stallion then fluttered his eyes, almost as if calling Dutch a feline. What ensued was more laughter from the two stallions, while the third one remained silent. Dutch’s patience with these snobs was typically high, but considering earlier events, his patience was beginning to grow thin.

“Look…” Dutch began but before he could say anything, the orange unicorn finally spoke.

“Alright idiots that’s enough!” he spat to the two horses sitting beside him, causing them to instantly fall silent. Dutch watched in confusion as this one colt who he did not know finally shut the stallions up.

“I think this guy has a point” he began, lifting himself off from the load of bricks he sat on. “I’m not in any mood to focus on these damn bricks the entire day, so how about we just move this fucking thing”

The two stallions now began to glance at one another wondering what to say.

“Err, okay Twin Twist” the green stallion assured, giving a puzzled look as well. The purple stallion began to look confused as well, but nodded his head without hesitation once the orange pony shot a glance in his direction.

Dutch could not believe the amount of respect this newcomer held. It was enough to both admire and fear this being. The unicorn turned to Dutch with a calm, patient smile though, making the grey stallion doubt himself.

“Sorry about that” the orange unicorn apologized, patting Dutch’s back softly. “As cool as these guys are, they don’t get a lot of work done…”

Dutch let a dry smile appear on his muzzle. ‘Yeah, cool’ he thought, giving him an urge to roll his eyes.

“Anyways, my name’s Twin Twist” the orange coated colt introduced himself, staring at Dutch with stern blue eyes. Dutch nodded his head once and introduced himself.

“Like the outlaw?” Twin Twist asked, showing some knowledge of the name. Dutch was always fond of his name, but considering its history he was never truly proud of it.

“Yeah, like the outlaw” Dutch chuckled, but he did not find it humorous. Twin Twist, who was now beginning to unhinge the crane from the flooring it rested on, trying to process the bricks as soon as possible, let out a small laugh. The two other stallions began to do the same as well, while Dutch made his way to ensure the straps around the bricks were secured tightly.

“Bet you’re a good shot eh?” Twin Twist said through gritted teeth, for he began to tighten a rope, ensuring that no bricks would fall on anypony below. The aura from his horn began to aid the unicorn in his labor. Dutch, pulling the rope as well, stood silent, not answering the stallion’s question.

After a short while of silence and a moment’s glance from Twin Twist, Dutch answered the question.

“Nah” Dutch said, shaking his head as he began to slowly began to loosen a rope that helped the bricks slowly descend downward to the floor beneath them. It was not difficult, but Dutch was not willing to risk an accident so he placed his core strength into holding the stack of bricks, rendering him silent momentarily. Once he brought the bricks up, with the aid of the crane, he let out a long sigh.

“I’m not very fond of weapons” Dutch continued, catching the attention of Twin Twist who finished performing the same process as Dutch.

“What do you mean?” Twin Twist asked, panting lightly. Dutch gave him a tired look, before turning back to the bricks to see if they were fine.

“Well…I find that to be a coward’s tool” Dutch explained, signaling to a unicorn directly across from him on a different platform. A large, yellow hue began to envelope the stack of bricks, and the crane slowly began to stir, moving the stack of bricks to the other side of the platform.

“A coward’s tool?” Twin Twist asked, stacking bundles of bricks together as he lamented small portions of cement in between each brick. Dutch continued the same process as well, this time alongside Twin Twist.

“I find any weapon other than one’s hooves cowardly” Dutch explained, stacking brick after brick to meet the standard of architectural rule. Not that safety was of any concern to the city; just as long as money seeped into the pockets of diplomats, politicians, and so forth.

“The need for a weapon shows that a stallion is not willing to fight his own battles” Dutch continued, grabbing more pieces of red blocks to place in an orderly fashion.

“What about for a mare?” Twin Twist shot, making Dutch look at the orange pony in discomfort.

Lost in thought, Dutch continued to do his job until he could find his answer, which came in a short time span. “…Same applies to them” he grunted, pressing down on a brick that seemed hesitant to stay in place. Twin Twist, who watched from the side, shook his head.

“What if it’s against a colt?”

Dutch’s face grew cold and his response was bitter.

“A colt is in no position to lay his hooves on a mare” he snapped, eyeing Twin Twist who returned a strange gaze in his direction. Despite being new, Twin Twist felt this unicorn was very different from others. Never had he seen such anger drawn from a colt due to the simple idea of a stallion harming a mare.

“No colt should ever be called a colt if he’s ever laid hooves on a mare” Dutch ranted, angrily stacking bricks on top of each other, without the slightest hint of an error.

“You have a marefriend Dutch?”

Silence.

The stallion stopped working and closed his eyes for a while. He was not willing to vent his past to a stallion he barely knew.

“No” Dutch answered, eyes still closed. Twin Twist nodded his head, finding it intriguing that he held such a great amount of respect for mares, when he in fact did not have one, so he thought.

Twin Twist was different from Dutch though, for he never endured the challenges the grey pony has faced. Still, they did show one common aspect.

“I want to show you something” Twin Twist informed, bring Dutch out of his secluded mind. Dutch looked in the direction of the orange pony that was now beginning to rummage his hooves through the bright vest’s pockets, searching for some unknown item.

Finally after second of rummaging through his pockets, Twin Twist finally pulled out a small black square item. Dutch watched silently as Twin Twist opened the item like a flip book, rummaging through sheets until he stumbled upon the page of his interest. Then the orange pony handed it to Dutch.

There on the page was an old vintage image of a mare, with a frail face, round eyes, sharp cheeks and curly mane. Dutch looked up from the image to Twin Twist, wondering what would be the reason for him showing him this.

“That’s my mare” Twin Twist explained, tapping his hoof on the image. “She’s a beaut’, ain’t she?”

Dutch nodded his head as he looked down at the picture once more, looking into the gaze of the mare which looked back into the lens with a warm cheery smile. Dutch felt an ounce of hatred reach into his mind, but he fought against it, not letting his misery infect another’s happiness.

“How long have you been together?” Dutch asked, trying to make usual conversation. Twin Twist let out a slight whistle.

“Known her ever since grade school” Twin Twist sighed, almost as if embarrassed. “Things got real after we left high school though”

Dutch did not mind though, for he began to believe this orange stallion was different from any others. He nodded his head in understanding, finding his story to be heartwarming. It’s not very often you get to stick with your soul mate…

“Where is she now?” Dutch asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Twin Twist remained quiet afterwards though, leaving Dutch to wait with the book in his hooves. It seems he may have not been the only stallion with secrets in this place…

“…She’s home” Twin Twist answered, not giving Dutch a look of any sort. Dutch lifted a brow as he watched the orange stallion stack bricks one by one.

“Where’s your home?”

Twin Twist stopped stacking bricks and took a sigh.

“Equestria…” Twin Twist informed, wiping sweat that began to perspire from his forehead. Dutch’s ear twitched at the name of that far away land. That’s where the doll he purchased was imported from, but not only that, he knew that such a place was very far from here.

“What are you doing here?” Dutch asked, but this time Twin Twist seemed to be hesitant.

“…I think we should focus on the wall” Twin Twist recommended, picking up more bricks and pointing back at Dutch’s wall which was shorter than his partners. Dutch looked at the orange unicorn work feverishly; sweat beginning to drip down his face as he stacked the bricks to the next level, leaving those above him to finish the rest of the wall for him. Dutch continued to work on his wall, making the same progress as his companion, but it took him longer for his mind was beginning to speculate how somepony from Equestria ends up in a place like this.

Dutch knew of the distant land far across the seas. It was a place of peace and prosperity, ruled by the goddess Celestia. It sounded too good to be true though, compared to a place like this.

Finally, Dutch finished his side of the wall, now waiting on the rest of his companions to finish the wall on the fourth floor. Twin Twist waited in patience, leaning on his side on the floor board beneath. Dutch did not utter a word to the stallion, knowing that he wished not be disturbed. The grey stallion has grown all too familiar with the feeling.

“Have you ever made bad decisions in your life, Dutch?” Twin Twist asked abruptly, seizing Dutch’s attention. Dutch was never beckoned with such a question, so it hit him at full force.

“Of course” he admitted, unable to deny his reckless nature. “We all make mistakes. Some more than others, but-”

“That’s not what I mean” Twin Twist elaborated, cutting Dutch short. He then let his horn glow, allowing his telekinesis to seize the book that once lay beside Dutch. The orange stallion then let out a deep sigh.

“Have you ever risked everything you love, in exchange for something so small, so worthless…?”

Dutch did not answer the stallion’s question, for it sounded almost rhetorical. He still held respect though, listening to the colt ramble as he began to open himself to a stallion he did not know.

“The reason I’m far from home, is because I got caught up with the wrong ponies. Made choices I’m not proud of, and gambled on some things I never should have. You have this feeling sometimes though, that just tells you, ‘go for it, why the hell not?’”

Twin Twist let out a dry laugh and looked directly at Dutch. “Then when the liquor runs out, you begin to realize what you’ve finally done.”

***

The shop remained dormant for a portion of the day, despite a few customers here and there, but the merchant decided to utilize the free time to deliver his product to the stallion that appeared only a day ago.

The merchant brought Vinyl Scratch to the back of the shop, prepping the box she would be delivered in, but he did not go alone, for one particular colt dropped by in such short notice.

And he was not happy with what he was seeing.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this” a black coated unicorn spat as the merchant placed the doll in a wooden crate, now back in her usual stance. The merchant, who was never expecting the unicorn to stop by, sighed.

“She is no use to me anymore” the merchant replied, turning away from the wooden crate to the unicorn, whose sleek green eyes bore into the merchant’s with strong disapproval. “Besides, she’s dead for good, and I’ve made sure of it”

The unicorn was not comfortable with the merchant’s response though. “You’re getting sloppy Lucius” he remarked, shaking his head as the merchant lifted a brow.

“Sloppy?” the merchant repeated, taking the aspect to his very core.

The tall stallion found the unicorn’s remark to be ridiculous. Lucius has carried on his sick pleasures for years and yet he has not once ever been close to getting caught.

“Yes, sloppy” the unicorn shot coldly, walking towards the stallion. “You’re actually willing to sell a dead mare to a resident-”

“She’s a doll!” the merchant chuckled, with a devious glint in his eyes waving his hoof upward. “And he’s a nobody!”

“It does not matter!” the unicorn hissed through gritted teeth. “If he finds out what the doll really is-”

“He won’t” Lucius countered, rearing closer to the unicorn.  “When I found her she was nothing but a washed up lowlife. She’s been missing for years, and no one has found her. It’s only obvious no one knew about her or cared for her. That stallion will have no clue…”

“You’ve let your arrogance blind you!”

The merchant’s stern expression soon shifted to a sarcastic smirk. “Hey, it’s gotten me this far.”

The two colt’s eyes locked with each other, the unicorn giving a stern gaze while the stallion looked back with a treacherous glint in his eyes. The unicorn could see not believe that Lucius would be willing to ditch the body as if it would not catch up with him. He has grown accustomed to the disgusting ways of the stallion – that’s how the unicorn managed to rid of some pesky thorns in his side. But to take a risk like this without any collateral…

“Look” the unicorn shot, glancing down at the crate for a second. “You’ve helped me take care of some issues, so this is what I’m going to do…”

The merchant remained silently, lending his ear to the unicorn as he explained his favor.

“When we move this…” the unicorn paused for a short while. “…Doll, I’m going to cast the same spell on this colt’s house as I did to your shop. Just in case what you say turns out to be wrong”

The merchant put a hoof on his chin, considering the unicorn’s offer. Lucius truly believed Vinyl was done for, but the unicorn was beginning to make him doubt himself.

“How do you suppose we let this colt allow you to jinx his house?” Lucius shot, bringing a wicked smile across the unicorn’s muzzle.

“You already know the answer to that my friend.”

Lucius flashed a smile in return, now fully considering his acquaintances offer. After all, it couldn’t hurt to cast the spell over the house even when Vinyl was dead. And even if all else failed, Lucius was sure he would always be a few steps ahead.

“Alright then, Thanatos” Lucius said, bringing his hoof outward to pat the unicorn’s shoulder. “I’ll accept that offer”

The unicorn sighed and shook his head, causing his ill green mane to shake from side to side. “That’s the first smartest thing I’ve heard you utter today”

Thanatos never knew Lucius as a colt of smarts though. The light grey colt before him was a ruthless, treacherous murderer. The black unicorn always helped him on his hunt, scoping out victims for his companion to prey on, but the unicorn did not dare dirty his hooves any further. The unicorn already had enough on his hooves, and the last thing he needed was to be tied up in a homicide case – despite the probability of Lucius ever being caught.

The merchant did not utter a word in response to the unicorn’s remark. Instead he merely returned to the wooden box behind him, imprisoning Vinyl Scratch behind four thick wooden walls. He then turned to the table on the side and grabbed another wooden board, placing it over the wooden box and entrapping Vinyl in darkness.

The merchant then nailed the box shut, making sure it was secure. Turning back to Thanatos, he let out a tired sigh.

“Let’s start up the delivery carriage?” Lucius asked, pointing his hoof in the direction of the back door exit. Thanatos nodded his head, informing the merchant he would be willing to lend a helping hoof. Then with that final act, the two colts stepped out of the back room, leaving Vinyl Scratch entrapped in darkness.

And once the noise of a door shutting tight rang through the room, Vinyl’s frame entire frame withered as she slumped down onto the bottom of the box, her eyes wide in fear and her mouth slowly began to quiver.

She was completely aware of the two colt’s conversation and heard every last bit. Her heart felt heavy with emotion as she recalled Lucius taunting remarks echo through her head.

When I found her she was nothing but a washed up lowlife. She’s been missing for years, and no one has found her. It’s only obvious no one knew about her or cared for her …

Although she knew Lucius was cunning and conniving and despite her hatred for the stallion, she couldn’t help but believe he was right.

After years of beckoning the question, she began to realize he was right. She felt there was truth in the sick colt’s words, despite his treacherous ways, for she has been gone for so long and she still hasn’t been found. She’s been displayed in front of the public view for years, and yet not one pony has recognized her. Nopony.

Soon, she began to weep as silently as she could, her hopes quickly drowning in the darkness enveloping her.

She began to rethink about her dreams of a reunion with her friends as she returned home, but she began to realize they were only dreams, and they will be nothing more. She began to feel her dreams turn distorted, making her bitter as tears continued to stream down her face.

‘They don’t care about me. They never cared’ she began to think to herself as she began to bang her hooves against the wooden board in anger. She did not care if she could be heard. Her rage was blinding her.

‘Why should they care? I’m nopony to them. I was a shitty friend and I never cared about any of them…’

The darkness began to fuel her thoughts as she began to imagine ponies talk to one another and at the slightest mention of Vinyl’s name they would all become clueless, almost as if they never knew her at all. She began to feel that there would be no point in running back home. There would be nothing back there for her, and in rage, she began to feel ponies would become enraged at the fact she was still amongst the living.

She banged the box with her hind leg repeatedly, clasping her hooves over her head as she began to break down mentally and emotionally. She quickly caught onto what she was doing though and tried to stop herself from weeping and making noises. She did not want to attract the attention of Lucius.

It was all too difficult for her though. She fought herself, gripping onto her legs as she tried to stop herself from kicking the box, and pressed her hoof against her mouth as she tried to fight back a sob or scream.

Soon, after seconds of holding herself, she finally settled herself into a fetal position, cradling back and forth as her thoughts began to play tricks on her. The darkness was no help either, for it left the mare’s mind to question whether her eyes were opened or closed.

‘I’m nothing’ she began to think to herself, leaning her head onto the board in front of her. ‘Nopony cares where I’m at, so what’s even the point. I might as well just give up’

Her mind was clouding Vinyl’s spirit, rendering her motionless. It began to manipulate her into believing she had no purpose. That she was nothing. It began to trick her into believing that her purpose was what she was turned into. To be nothing more than a doll.

Vinyl could not sob or cry anymore. Her strength faded away from her body and her spirit was completely gone. Her thoughts of freedom were replaced with the lie that her freedom was to be enslaved yet again- by the hooves of the stallion that bought her, never recognizing her as a true mare. She had the chance to tell him who she was, to tell him that she was real. The merchant would’ve killed them both without hesitation though, discarding their bodies to rid of all evidence of his crime.

Soon, the sound of the door opening once again could be heard but Vinyl did not pay attention to it. She simply sat down in the crate, her hind legs stretched outwards as her forelegs stood beneath her, and her head hung low, staring down at the sight of nothingness with a tired, defeated gaze.

The sounds of hooves approaching did not make her stir in any way. Neither did the change in elevation. She just sat still in the crate, letting her captors speak and joke as if they have done no wrong once in their life time – as if their hooves were clean. After seconds of lifting the barrier spell, and the noise of a door opening, leaving the sound of the busy streets to fill her surroundings, she knew she was back in the outside world for the first time in years. She did not attempt to signal anypony though, knowing not one would care to do anything. They would simply walk by as if they heard nothing, leaving Lucius to deal with her.

After lifting the crate into the back of the carriage and shutting the door tight, Lucius gave a dry smile in the direction of Thanatos.

“I told you” the merchant snapped, pointing his hoof in the direction of the crate and glancing around to see if anypony was around. The unicorn knew what Lucius was referring to. The silence in the crate was enough to prove that Vinyl Scratch was truly dead, and that she would no longer be a burden to the two. The unicorn was not willing to leave his life in the hooves of chance though, and quickly made sure to tell Lucius he was not going to deter away from his decision.

The merchant let out a chuckle and decided to carry on his conversation with the unicorn as they attached the reigns of the carriages to their backs and began to make their way to the doll’s destined location.

It was now apparent that Lucius finally broke the mare who tried to hold on for so long. She no longer had the strength to forge liberal ideas. Now, she lay still, preferring the ways of the darkness; nothing.

***

After discussing a number of interesting topics with Twin Twist, and working off his entire shift, Dutch was now beginning to check out of work. Descending down the lift attached to the skeletal frame of the building, Dutch was greeted by a dirty ridden Twin Twist who decided to take his break later than the other stallions.

“Headin’ on out partner?” Twin Twist asked bringing a half form smile on the stallion’s face.

“Yeah, my shifts up” Dutch informed, making Twin Twist to nod his head in understanding. The orange unicorn glanced around his surroundings, inspecting all the other ponies that continued to work busily.

“You may be the luckiest one here” Twin Twist remarked, letting a smile form on his face, turning his head in the direction of ponies. Dutch was not entirely satisfied with the remark, but he let out a fake smile. If he had a choice, Dutch would not wish to leave his shift so early, only to return back to his den. His four hour shift was the only manageable schedule that his employers would be willing to offer him though, so despite his best efforts to earn additional bits, he was always forced to leave early.

“No, I very much doubt that” Dutch shot with a false chuckle. Deep down though, the stallion was serious as he could be. Twin Twist flashed another smile and patted his back on the grey colt before him.

“Always the worker I see” Twin Twist remarked.

“At times when I prefer to get my mind off things”

“I can’t argue on you with that” Twin Twist responded, raising an eyebrow in understanding. The unicorn spoke very little of his past with Dutch, only releasing small bits about how he gambled himself into debt, and to prevent any harm for his loved one, he escaped the country, fleeing into a region he felt he could make a substantial amount of cash until he could pay off the debt. He’s been here for close to ten years, and has managed to stay in touch with his marefriend. Dutch admired the stallion’s decision to sacrifice his independence in exchange for the well-being of somepony he cared for. Such attributes, he felt, were long gone in this city.

“Well, I better let you go on your way” Twin Twist continued, patting Dutch’s shoulder once again. “I’ll see you tomorrow right?”

Dutch was caught off guard by the last question, for it came out of the blue, and he slowly answered it.

“Uhhh...yeah, I am” he answered cautiously. Twin Twist let out a small chuckle and nodded his head.

“Alright then cool. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” the pony said, waving his hoof in dismissal as he began to walk off, letting Dutch walk ahead a few paces before he was stopped by the unicorn.

“Oh and Dutch” he called, causing the stallion to turn his head slightly. “Walk safely” he added, giving another smile. Then without giving Dutch the chance to utter a word in response, he walked off, trotting down the ditch underlying the bottom of the building and in the center of the surrounding walls.

Dutch remained speechless for a short while, but his trance was quickly broken as ponies passed through him, carrying a large steel rod and their bitter souls.

“Move out of the way asshole!” one of the ponies shouted bitterly, casting Dutch a cold glare. Dutch returned their stare with stern eyes, but decided the issues that would follow would not be worth losing his job over. So without acknowledging the stallion or glancing back, Dutch made his way out of the construction site and back into the cold streets of the city.

Trying to make his way back to his home, he retraced his original route, passing through more ponies which he did not care to acknowledge. Some ponies attempted to lure Dutch into their grasps once again, but he was not focusing on them. Instead he was beginning to think about the unicorn Twin Twist, wondering how he would be able to define him.

To say he was a friend would be a mistake, Dutch thought to himself, for the term friend is a very strong one. To reference Twin Twist as such a thing, he would need to harbor his trust. Same applies for Twin Twist, who still has no knowledge of Dutch’s past.

The colt was like no other though. Dutch has pondered on the possibility of a pony that would be able to hold true morals. Not like the kind ponies brag about, allowing others to admire them, but the kind that says a lot about a pony – such as Twin Twist who was willing to work hard to not only pay off the debt to keep his mare safe, but also to reunite with her.

“Hey buddy” a voice called, causing Dutch to tilt his head to the left side and stray him away from his mind. There he caught a sickly green unicorn with a broad frame guarding a large wooden door, lit up by neon lights, despite the sun’s orange glow over the city. The noise of loud, disturbing, noises playing in an awry rhythm seethed through the door and the beat of a loud, heavy drum boomed through as well.

“You feel like having a good time?” the unicorn continued, giving Dutch a wink and letting a grin stretch across his face, revealing a pair of crooked, disturbing teeth.

Dutch, completely disgusted with the sight of everything before him shook his head in disapproval. The unicorn was massive though, almost twice his side, so Dutch tried his best to shield a look of disgust from his face.

“I’m good” Dutch responded weakly, glancing at the strip bar with an uneasy look. Then, before the bouncer could protest, Dutch continued onwards, descending down to the end of the straight until the noise of the horrid music left his ears.

Once he realized he was out of the scenario, he finally returned to the topic stationed in his mind, all the while making his way back to the place he resided. Dutch began to think about Twin Twist more, taking his final words into consideration. Dutch was a bit stunned from the advice of the colt as well, for he would have never expected that from anypony in the city. He always had this cynism that nopony cared about another’s well-being.

Twin Twist was not from this city though. He was from a distant land – a safe haven. This type of behavior from a resident of Equestria gave Dutch this urge to learn more about this place.

The idea quickly died down though as he realized at minimal wage, and no strength to fulfill any goals, the knowledge of this heaven would only fuel his depression, leaving him with nothing more but more broken dreams.

And with the void in his heart, he felt that no matter where he left to in the world, he would always feel hollow, cold and alone.

Just as he did as he ventured through the streets that left nothing but cold, distant memories to recycle in his mind, without any particular purpose.

***

“How long have we been waiting here?” Thanatos shot, a very tired, bored tone characterizing his voice. Lucius glanced at the unicorn as if he was sane.

“You’ve been casting the barrier spell this entire time” he snapped, pointing his hoof to the back of the carriage. Beside Lucius stood the wooden crate, still filled with sound of silence. Lucius gave it no attention though, for its contents were becoming nothing more but a distant memory that he saw as expandable.

“Exactly” the black snake retorted. “A barrier spell ain’t exactly a walk in the joint you know? It takes a good amount of time, especially when you’re trying to invest it entirely into one specific-”

The unicorn’s voice soon began to trail off though as he began to glance around, seeing ponies begin to walk around the area, admiring the colt whom only some recognized. Most knew Lucius, but none knew of his companion. Such a thing was considered a good thing to a bat like Thanatos – the same could not be said for Lucius.

“…Maybe I should’ve asked him to put his schedule down…” Lucius remarked, trying to play off his charismatic persona. Thanatos rolled his eyes, and after glancing around a second time, he snorted.

“Let’s just leave the package here and go” Thanatos groaned, seeing that the region was now free from ponies. “The sight of this colt’s house is making me sick”

Lucius let out a slight chuckle, but did not utter a word in response. ‘You’re not the only one’ he thought to himself, looking at the place the stallion resided. ‘It was no wonder this stallion may have been desperate to find such pathetic items – this stallion was beyond miserable!’

“…Wait a second” Lucius snickered, unknowingly preventing the unicorn from slipping away. Toward the far end of the street, the merchant was able to make out the view of a very distinguishable stallion. He had a broad hardhat on his head, and his vest was a very bright color. Behind the shades though, his sleek eyes were like that of a dragon’s – he could scope out any particular item within a mile’s radius. It has helped him often in many occasions…and has led to the demise of many of his targets.

“What?” Thanatos shot, fearful that some ponies may have reported suspicious behavior. Lucius quickly elaborated though, feeling the unicorn’s concern.

“Nothing bad my comrade” Lucius grinned, finding the unicorn’s behavior foolish. Despite their dark pasts and their current ranks, Thanatos stood below Lucius, for the unicorn was not a ‘risk taker’ unlike Lucius. “Just follow everything I do, and from there, we’ll have a night of celebration…”

The merchant let a dark smile creep across his face, patting Thanatos on the shoulder, but the unicorn was not disturbed by such expression.

He has seen far worse in this city.

***

Dutch began to walk carefully in the direction of his house, taking notice of an extremely large stallion accompanied with a sleek unicorn. Although the dark suit should have been enough to draw out the assumption the stallion was the merchant, Dutch’s eyes were not as sharp as they use to be. So it was not until he wandered halfway down the street, he noticed who the stallion was – and saw the crate beside him.

Dutch’s ears lifted upward for he did not expect the doll to be sent to house so quickly. He began to feel his gut tighten as well for he felt uneasy about the colt’s sight of his current home. It was enough to bring a red blemish to his face, but not enough to keep him away from the colts and his package.

“Hello there my friend!” The merchant shouted with a generous tone, catching both Dutch and his companion off guard. The merchant began to slowly walk towards the grey colt, which gave him a slight stir in his stomach. Dutch was still not comfortable around the stallion due to his massive size but he could not be rude, as he put it.

“Came back from a hard day of work I see?” The merchant continued now meeting with the stallion a few paces away from his home. Dutch sighed and nodded his head.

“…Got to work…and all” Dutch responded nervously, not really knowing how to respond to a question such as that. Dutch could start conversations, but in the case of salesponies, he always had a habit of brushing off their charismatic methods.

“Ah, I see” The merchant remarked, patting Dutch’s shoulder. The merchant’s hoof was large, but not massive. It weighted heavily on Dutch’s shoulder though, giving the hoof a massive complexion. Afterwards was a strange, unsettling silence that carried on for a minute, all the while with the merchant’s large hoof on Dutch’s shoulder.

“Well how about we cut this chit-chat and get straight to what we came for?” The merchant began, finally taking his hoof off of Dutch who had an unreadable expression mounted on his face. This surprised the merchant for a while, for he was always able to read a pony’s face, but he quickly shrugged it off and marked it as a nervous expression.

Dutch, sensing his thoughts about the stallion before him were beginning to show on his face, quickly changed his expression into a false smile and nodded his head.

“Oh, yeah sure” he muttered, giving an assuring look in the direction of the merchant. The merchant flashed a quick smile and turned back towards the carriage, facially signaling the unicorn to shift into character. Dutch followed after him, glancing around to see if anypony was around, but to no surprise, the region seemed dead.

Approaching the small crate, the merchant began to introduce the black unicorn. “I’d like you to meet my acquaintance Top Spin” he introduced, flashing his hoof in the direction of the unicorn who gave a treacherous smile. Dutch saw it as a business smile though, and brushed it off without ease. What did seem odd about the unicorn were his physical aspects; dark green slanted eyes that looked like that of a snake, with a short, combed black and green mane. Dutch managed to catch a sight of his cutie mark as well – a dark red sickle with two bits centered in the arch of the blade.

‘Top Spin?’ Dutch thought to himself, finding the name to be very unfitting for a colt such as this. Before Dutch could analyze the unicorn any further, the merchant decided to carry on the introductions.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself” he said, causing Dutch to turn away from the unicorn. “My name’s Red Ace” he lied, flashing a smile in order to verify his fake name. He then brought out his hoof to Dutch and shook it firmly.

Dutch gave the name some thought too, wondering what could have gave the stallion that name, but he quickly gave up, finding that would only waste time and leave the three in silence.

“Name’s Dutch” the grey stallion introduced, glancing at both the colts before him who looked at each other with mimed expressions. Deep down though, one of their minds was lost in thought at the name that felt so familiar…

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Dutch” the black unicorn complimented, nodding his head to show his assurance. Dutch nodded back and turned to ‘Red Ace’, waiting for what was next.

The merchant looked down at the pony before him, his eyes watching studiously behind a pair of dim shades, but Lucius decided it would be best to ponder on it later. For now, he was just eager to rid himself of evidence.

“…Here she is Dutch” ‘Red Ace’ presented, displaying the wooden case with his hoof to present his customers product. “All packed up and ready for you”

‘Top Spin’ tried his hardest to hold in a laugh that was forcing its way to come out of his mouth. He found it all too hilarious how Lucius was pulling off such a character without any troubles.

Dutch, oblivious to the lies occurring around him only listened and responded as him and the merchant began to discuss various details about his item, but as they began to reach the end of their deal, ‘Top Spin’ had one last thing that he wished to add on.

“Oh, Dutch” ‘Top Spin’ began, “If there’s anything wrong with the item, or you don’t feel comfortable with it, just be sure to drop by the shop and let Red Ace know”

The dark unicorn wanted let a smug grin spread across his face, but he knew that would blow the entire scam out from under. Dutch was a little lost by the unicorn’s words, wondering if anything happened to the doll along the way, but ‘Red Ace’ was never too far from clearing things up.

“Just in case you don’t like it or things just don’t feel right” he vaguely put it.

Dutch was now thinking about the tone of these two colts, wondering what problems he may have with just a doll, but then again, he could not deny his mind was already giving him troubles about the doll. After last night, he was not sure what he would feel after seeing the doll. Still, he paid his bits for the item before him and he was in a tired state, so he nodded his head in agreement, and shook both of the colts’ hooves, thanking them for delivering it to him.

“Oh, it was no trouble” ‘Red Ace countered, almost close to releasing a condescending tone. Then, after shaking hooves, ‘Red Ace’ signaled ‘Top Spin’ to lift the crate out of the street and onto the sidewalk, just to “help out our fine customer right here”, as he said it. The crate was enveloped in a dark green hue, and the sound of something tilting in the box caught the attention of Dutch but he did not think much of it, considering it was only the work of gravity. Once the box made its way gently onto the cold pavement, Dutch began to thank them once again and bid them farewell, which did the same in return. Moving back around to the front of the carriage, ‘Red Ace’ and ‘Top Spin’ hinge the reigns of the carriage onto their backs, said their goodbyes one last time, and began to trot off away from the broken home, leaving Dutch outside with the large wooden crate.

***

“Hahahahaha” Thanatos laughed heavily as they finally made their way down two blocks. It was the result of the desire to laugh throughout the entire act of playing the business figure.

Lucius did not laugh at all, nor did he care to acknowledge his friends reason for laughter. All he could think about was the name of that stallion, and why it sounded so familiar to him. Names never meant to him, for he never needed to know a name. It was always him that he cared for and the names that he did know where those of valuable assets as he saw as very reliable.

‘Dutch….Dutch…’ he repeated in his mind, trying to pull anything out of his mind that was relatable to his name. All he could pull out though was the file of a long deceased stallion from old times referred to as Dutch, an outlaw who killed for money and power. That description did not fit the stallion he met though, and quickly discarded the information for it was useless…

“HEY!” A voice shouted, catching the attention of Lucius who turned to his left side to see his black coated companion staring at him with a cold glare. “I asked if you know what Joint we were going to head to now?” the unicorn continued, who seemed to be having a conversation of his own the entire time Lucius was lost in thought. The large stallion was a figure who knew how to adjust quickly though, so he instantly carried on with the first thing that came to his mind.

“Pick anywhere you wish my friend” Lucius smiled, “It’s my treat”

The unicorn let a grin stretch across his face because he knew the one thing he loved more than money and alcohol were the mares. Lucius did not care about price as an obstacle. That never kept him happy. His happiness lied in the suffering of those lower than him – his thrill lied in the ability to possess the power of one’s life and destiny. It is one of his many reasons why his infatuation with power has led Vinyl Scratch to her fate. He loved the feel of possessing her, not only in body, but in mind and spirit. Once she finally departed though, the pleasure he gained from such power quickly departed with her, leaving him hollow.

He knew this left the opportunity to hunt for more sport though. Which is why Lucius let his companion picked their destined location. He knew Thanatos would lead him to a place where mares were abundant, giving him the option to scope out the one he saw as fitting for his cruel methods of torture. This is one of the many mutual benefits the merchant gained from the unicorn.

Wherever Thanatos went, death followed – and that was because Lucius was never too far behind.

***

Hours have passed since the departing of ‘Red Ace’ and his mysterious companion, leaving Dutch with the wooden crate on the dark streets. Hours have passed since Dutch has examined the item beside him, trying to devise a route to successfully carry his product up the small flights of stairs leading to the entrance of his house. Hours have passed since the stallion’s struggles and grunts of agony have shot through the silent streets, lifting the wooden crate that seemed to weigh heavier than the doll inside of it. Hours have passed since Dutch has placed the box in the center of the room, finally bringing it into his house, leaving him tired and breathless. Hours have passed since Dutch has regained his breath, finally managing the energy to examine the crate before him from afar, resting on the top of his mattress.

And nothing has changed since.

Perched upon the worn frame of his bed, Dutch watched the box in silence, letting an eerie silence take hold of the place. It would be enough to bring a chill upon Dutch’s back, but because he was completely lost within his thoughts, he gave into no factor in the world before him. Once Dutch managed to collect his thoughts and mind, placing his required uniform back in the cabinets he picked them from and taking moments to rest, he instantly felt the memories of his nightmare shift his mood.

The grey stallion began to feel a bitter emotion biting at the back of his head, telling him to return the doll, knowing its presence would only keep the dream fresh in his mind. At the same time, he could feel a humble, yet strong, emotion fighting its way into his cerebrum, trying to warn him that leaving the doll would only undo all the other internal battles he put himself through to make the decision on seeking out for this feeling of love.

But how could he replace such a strong feeling with a child’s toy. ‘On second thought…’ Dutch thought to himself, realizing the term child could not fit with an item in a store where repulsive items were abundant.

He then began to think about those eyes. Those eyes that would lure him away from the real world, allowing him to visualize a realm where all was not lost, bringing him back to a time when he had it all. Those extravagant eyes were now tainted by the nightmare though, so Dutch was locked in another internal conflict, his mind engaging in a bloody civil war to decide what next now that he has the white mare.

Finally, beginning to grow irritated with his own conscience, Dutch trotted off his bed, shaking his head furiously as he tried to move the emotions back into the core of his mind. His mane shook furiously as he began to finally feel lightheaded, assuring that all forms of emotions were gone from his head. He grew fed up with pondering and finally decided to act, letting a risk decide the fate of how he would truly react to the presence of the doll.

Quickly pacing himself towards the wooden box, Dutch began to feel his breathing intensify as he began to take notice of the ominous silence present in his home. He was determined to finally open the crate though, so despite the feel it gave him, the grey stallion continued on until he finally made his way to the box. He began to inspect it from top to bottom, examining it’s light brown pigmented boards and the wooden blotches that appeared every so often along each board. Across the crate read the warning Fragile, with the words, handle with care, underneath it. Judging by the look of the crate, it seemed to be nailed shut, and it would require the aid of an industrial tool to pry it open. Luckily considering Dutch’s occupation, such a tool was not far from his grasp.

“Now where did I leave it at?” Dutch grumbled as he turned away from the box to his room, eventually leaving the crate alone in the center of the room as he decided to actually look for the item.

***

Vinyl Scratch has remained in silence for the past few hours, but the darkness has helped her adjust to such an eerie feel. Her senses have become numb as well, and her ability to process movement has been snatched from her.

Once the sound of hoof steps could be heard though, her senses began to slightly revitalized. After that long period of silence, her broken mind began to process the ideal that her time had finally come and death would soon bring her the cold, beautiful essence of death with him.

More grumbling.

The noises were reestablishing the mare’s vitals though, so with each step, she began to feel herself slip farther away from her dormant conscience and deeper into the real prison she was encased in.

The sound of something creaking could be heard in the darkness surrounding her, instantly sending a chill down the back of the mare’s mind, but she did not dare mind. Her mind instantly began to recall events that have slipped past her, helping her realize the situation she was back into.

Reaching the home of her new owner.

The casting of the barrier spell once again.

The risk of being returned to Lucius if she dare budge once in front of the stallion.

Vinyl let out a silent scream in her mind, realizing she was back where she started. In a prison, this time broken and beat. With no way out…

The creaking noise began to grow louder, followed by the sound of struggling and grunting. Vinyl was enraged, furious, defeated, and she knew that she couldn’t allow herself to be thrown back into the grasps of Lucius.

Creak.

A hint of light gleamed into the box from a crack before her, illuminating the once domineering darkness that shrouded Vinyl. Her eyes winced slightly, but realizing there was the chance of being spotted, Vinyl froze, assuming her licensed stance as she felt an overbearing amount of sadness poor into her head. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck pick up slightly, but it was most likely a subconscious reflex, not a true one.

Crack.

The light appeared to grow brighter as the crack grew wider, searing it’s rays into the mare’s glassy eyes, but she held her position, the fear of returning back to the shop keeping her strength at bay. At the same time though, Vinyl began to wonder if any of it mattered. Either way, she was imprisoned, forced to reside under the rule of a stallion…

Finally, the sound of nails fully prying off and the loud crack of the entire wooden board brsting off its hinges shot throughout the room, leaving Vinyl Scratch to be out of the small claustrophobic torture device. The room was lit by a dim light (although to Vinyl it seemed to be surprisingly bright), and before her peering into the box was the same stallion that inspected her a day before.

Dutch looked at the mare, examining her features as he looked at her for only a few seconds, for he quickly began to toss the fragments of the crate to the side of the room, returning shortly after to retrieve the doll. Vinyl Scratch remained silent, not budging once as Dutch gained a hold of her waist and pulled her out of the wooden crate, standing her upright as he brought her out into the open world. Dutch surveyed the doll quietly, glancing around for anything that seemed to be out of the ordinary, which all seemed to be fine until he placed himself in front of the doll, noticing a strange error he could not mark out in the darkness of the crate.

As Dutch lifted an eyebrow upwards, approaching Vinyl Scratch, the mare felt tension build up in her mind. She immediately knew where this flaw could have come from – despite the rage that blinded her, she knew her mane was a mess from her breakdown.

The grey stallion never gained a thought of suspicion from the bedraggled mane though. Dutch thought it was his fault the mane was out of proportion since he was struggling to lift her into his home, and the path was bumpy, so he thought the flaw came from that. Still, the messy mane disturbed Dutch, so he propped himself closer to the doll, bringing his hoof out to comb the mare’s hoof with it. The grey stallion found it childish, but he did not wish to have an item as clean as they look like the rest of the house he resided in. Even then though, Dutch couldn’t help but feel there was more to that.

As Dutch ran his hoof through the doll’s hair, he could feel her silky hair run around his hoof and the vibrant colors of varying blue were enough to keep him entranced as he repeatedly combed the hair. Vinyl Scratch felt her gut tighten and an awkward feeling built up in her mind as she saw the bearded stallion before her groom her hair with such affection. It gave her this feeling of disturbance, a feeling similar to the presence of Lucius.

Dutch, beginning to see the hair was returning to its natural wavy form, slowly began to bring his hoof to a halt, letting it clink back down onto the ground. As the stallion began to scan over the bright hue of the doll’s hair though, a bright, mesmerizing round glow caught the attention of his eye, causing him to look into the eyes of the Vinyl. Her eyes were the same as they were the day before; warm, innocent, and pure.

Dutch’s stomach began to grow unnerving as he looked into the bright red eyes, which were perfectly mirrored by the mare in his dreams. It was enough to cause Dutch to turn away, but strangely enough, the feel of these unique irises felt different from those in the dream, and Dutch knew what this meant. Slowly bringing his hoof upwards, Dutch stretched out his hoof towards Vinyl, who was still disturbed by the strange behavior of the stallion, and gently placed his hoof against her cheek.

At first her fur was warm, adding into the inviting glow of Vinyl, but as Dutch pressed his hoof further against the mare’s skin he began to feel the warmth of the fur disappear as it was replaced by the feel of a cold, soft material. Dutch pulled his hoof back in confusion, wondering what sort of material could this doll was made from, but at the same time, the answer to his question was clear; unlike the eyes of the mare in that vivid illusion, these eyes were real. And despite any sort of memory they contained, those skillfully crafted eyes still gave Dutch that same warm feeling that kept him sane, giving him a reason to trudge through the world.

Vinyl returned her fixed gaze in the direction of Dutch, watching as the grey stallion stared into her eyes with a strange look. It was a look she never got before and neither was it a look she could remember, but it was a look that gave the mare more of a reason to be cautious with the stallion. After a few more seconds of staring into each other’s eyes, Dutch finally let out a smile.

“You are something” Dutch remarked, eyeing the doll up and down once again. The grey stallion couldn’t help but wonder how such a simple thing was able to give him this feeling that he only got from a certain mare. A feeling that told him ‘everything will be okay’. Vinyl, on the other hoof, did not take the stallion’s remark in that context.

‘Another sick bastard…’ she hissed angrily in her mind, feeling a swift pinch in the side of her head. She believed the stallion’s remark referred to her frame and nothing else.

That was always a sign of her emotions beginning to gain a hold of her actions, but Vinyl’s body felt unresponsive, almost as if it decided to leave her mind to enact on its own. Despite the emotional pain it brought to her, she was thankful that her body decided to abandon her mind for a short while, preventing her from attempting anything she would surely regret later.

As seconds flew by and eventually minutes, Dutch finally let out a sigh and began to shake his body. Glancing to his right side, he saw the clock hanging on the wall and the read the time silently to himself.

9:47

Dutch was expected to meet his shift by four a clock early the next morning, and he knew he could not stay up any longer, risking his job for showing up late on time. Dutch chuckled at the thought of how the scenario would’ve panned out.

‘I’m sorry Dieter, but I was up all night looking into a doll’s eyes’ Dutch mused to himself in his head as he began to scoot the wooden crate and all its bits to the nearest wall, trying to leave enough space in the center of his house. Finally after scooting all other items aside, Dutch finally made his way back to Vinyl Scratch.

“Sorry” Dutch apologized, lifting Vinyl up in his forelegs, not actually expecting her to talk back, “But I got work tomorrow and I can’t afford to get fired because of you”

Moving to the far end of the room, towards the wall where the crate stood, Dutch finally placed Vinyl down, letting out a light sigh as he began to pull out the broken wooden crate once again. Dutch decided it would be best to place the toy back in the crate, considering he had nowhere else to put it for now.

After minutes of shuffling items around and struggling to prevent any damage to the doll, the grey stallion finally managed to place the unicorn back into the crate which standing in the center with her playful pose. Dutch patted his hooves together and admired his work, before looking back at the clock and letting a message slip through his mind.

‘It’s not like it’s going anywhere’ Dutch thought, looking back at his mattress that seemed to be calling his name for quite some time. Despite such minimal labor, the colt felt a tightening feel clench over his backside, giving him a very tired feel. So, with everything seeming to be in order, and a final glance at Vinyl, Dutch headed to the center of his room, shut off the light, and quickly made his way to his mattress, where he would remain for a good long while, pondering on what his mind would have in store for him; another restless night, or maybe even a dreamless slumber. Dutch was unsure what his mind was thinking, for those two emotions within him seemed to still be fighting with one another, not entirely giving Dutch the satisfaction he wanted.

Dutch had no problem with the doll. Sure it was an inanimate object, but it made his home feel less hollow, and gave him this feel of company. His mind refused to accept this as sane though, which he knew was not. So he began to wonder if he already gave away his sanity, trying to fill an irreplaceable gap with an inanimate object.

“Maybe” Dutch sighed, accepting what may have been the truth to him. ‘But as long as it manages to keep me going, I’ll stick with it’ he thought to himself, possibly giving into madness. This was no madness that caused harm though. It was only madness that left the colt alive and going. It was the only option left in his mind, and the only way he saw this choice as fitting was to manipulate it to his will. He did not care for other’s concerns for no pony knew of the doll. Only Dutch knew, and that was a fact he had no problem with.

And with that, he began to feel the sandpony cast his spell over the colt, the last thing in his mind being a pair of bright gorgeous eyes, before drifting to sleep.

Time flew by as Vinyl remained still in the crate, hoping not to make the slightest stir. She did not wish to wake the stallion from his slumber, for his slumber meant her awakening. Finally after finding the stallion was now fast asleep, gone into the dream world, Vinyl abandoned her stance, slowly bringing all four of hooves down onto the crate and sitting down on her behind. She wished to wander around, enduring the freedom she had the night before, wondering the shop without the slightest disturbance.  But as the mare glanced down at the floor boards (and judging by the house), her steps would evoke a squeaking noise, waking the stallion from his slumber.

Vinyl hung her head low to act out her mental sigh, feeling she was now truly caged, being under constant surveillance in the dead of now – the time where her mind and body used to purge itself of pain. Those times were now gone though, and she was now forced to adapt to this new facility if she wanted to get through.

“At least he works though” Vinyl whispered to herself ever so quietly it seemed like she was only mouthing the words. This brought a minor spark in Vinyl’s body, providing her with a brief benefit that she would surely have time to move about freely, before finally acknowledging the list of cons that were apparent.

Her eyes began to survey the region before her, noting to herself everything she saw. She saw a mattress with a worn down frame, expired furniture, a surprisingly large table, and lastly, a piano, which caused her ears to perk upwards slightly. She hadn’t noticed the strange item before, and this left Vinyl to recount what she knew about such an instrument. Her mind began to replay memories of younger years, a time where survival was never needed. She could remember playing random keys and notes with a young Octavia, both of whom did not know each other at the time. She could recall barging into a new school one particular day, not knowing one single pony. Yet, on accidental terms, she stumbled upon her best friend on that very day.

What was once her best friend, her mind reminded, crushing her memory instantly. The thoughts died down, evaporating from her mind like a puff of smoke, now being replaced with the lies and taunts of Lucius.

Vinyl could not hang her head any lower than she did, so she lay down on her belly, moving at an extremely slow pace that strained her entire body, in order to prevent the slightest noise and creak. Resting herself downward, the mare prodded her hooves in a crossed formation under her face, watching the prison before her on ground level. She began to take notice of the room’s glow dimming, now being substituted with darkness and the silhouettes of furniture and ghosts.

She breathed gently, trying to tame her breathing as she began to reflect on the lies implanted in her head.

She began to think what might have happened had she returned to her home land, if she successfully escaped. She wished to have imagined a ceremony, a great reunion where all her friends would attend to. But instead, she began to visualize a world where ponies slipped by her, as if she was nothing but a distant figure. She could see ponies carry on their lives without her, never acknowledging her absence, or even caring to pay their respects for her. To Vinyl, it seemed as if her disappearance was nothing more but yet another news article, praised and glorified by arrogant and ruthless reporters. And it was all because of Lucius…

‘..It’s all because of him’ she thought to herself, clenching her teeth tightly as she began to fidget in rage. Her mouth began to rumble, possessing an urge to snarl in anger and ferocity, but she placed her hooves over her mouth and shut her eyes, trying to expel the memory of the demon who took everything from her.

She fought her mind and emotions, trying to hold her rage at bay and prevent herself from entering another breakdown. It was difficult, for Vinyl held out for as long as she could, clamping her hoof over her mouth tightly and clenching her eyes as much as she could. She let out a very silent whine, but it was so low, it may have only been in the mare’s head. The entire time, she kept telling herself to expel the grey stallion from her mind.

‘He’s gone Vinyl. He’s gone. He can’t get you anymore. It’s over, it’s over…’

And the internal struggle ensued for minutes, all the while Dutch remained silent, breathing calmly as his mind began to slip into the third stage of his slumber.

Finally, Vinyl became victorious, but it was no battle to celebrate her victory upon. No battle she won with herself was ever great. She has grown accustom to pain and loss over the years, but deep down, she was still but a young mare, stuck in the frame of her younger self. Age has not taken a toll on her features, despite its bodily functions. It was possible the mare could live beyond the average lif expectancy – a thought that has crossed Vinyl’s mind before. She hated the feel of living for to long, already eager to accept the feel of nothingness. Her body may have never aged, but her spirit and mind were slowly beginning to fade away.

‘Stop Vinyl just stop!’ she mentally noted to herself, bucking herself on the head as silently as she could. She could not though, for she knew it was all true.

And despite her struggle to expel Lucius from her mind, Vinyl’s new owner was still burning in her mind. She began to recount his strange behavior towards her, the sort of behavior you would expect from a nutcase. From one psychopath to another, she put it quickly, not wishing to indulge in the figure she was comparing him too.

Vinyl spoke out of hindsight though, and knew nothing of the stallion’s past. She does not know of his reasons why he is how he is, just like the stallion has no knowledge to Vinyl’s conscious body.

Her body which was now beginning to succumb to the fatigue that overwhelmed her body as a result from the flood of emotional incidents, painful memories, and the countless dreams crushed in her mind. She wanted to rest, wishing it would be enough to heal her mind and emotions for some time, but in the events of last night where her mind wandered for too long, she knew she could not risk being caught once again.

Vinyl shunned her head realizing that the only route left to take was to endure the long cold night, forced to stay caged in the crate and wait until the stallion woke up. She hated the plan, realizing her freedom was now limited here compared to the shop, a fact she found terrifyingly ironic.

Anywhere was better than that place though, so as much as she despised her life, she chose not to complain.

Lying down in silence, she merely left her eyes open, looking off into the direction of the strange musical instrument that tried to fuel her mind. Vinyl fought off each memory, but she eventually grew tired of repeating the process.

Defeated, she tilted her head to the side, trying her best to adjust in the confinements of the tight box. The darkness was overbearing in this home, and Vinyl had no urge to let her mind visualize monsters lurking in the shadows. So she closed her eyes, not allowing her mind to drift off into sleep as she felt the cold, chilling winds of the night sweep into the box, giving her a lonely empty feel, despite actually being accompanied by another living being since her fate…