Three
Chapter 2: Chapter One: Dawn of the First Day (of the Rest of My Life)
Previous Chapter Next ChapterA/N 17/10/12: Sorry, this chapter is mostly dialogue. I was kinda now getting the hang of writing this.
Walking aside the olive-green mare, it felt as if we were taking a trip down memory lane. After spending almost the entire summer apart, we had a lot of catching up to do. Room keys in our possession, a decision was made to “explore,” as Vine had so put it. The hallways were empty, save for the few students who had made the same decision as us.
“I find it dead. ‘Ghost town’ dead,” I stated. The place was not only empty, but quiet... too quiet. And you would never catch me walking around at night in a place this massive. Not only were hoofsteps on the floorboards incredibly noisy, but if you stayed still and just listened, you could hear whispers. Huh, the walls must be pathetically thin.
"Where in Tartarus is everypony?!" Kill exclaimed, not like anypony but Joy and myself could hear him.
"I don’t think school has even started yet," Joy clarified. "Just chill and enjoy the serenity. The peace and quiet, ya know?"
“Well, we still have about a day before this place gets flooded by students. Why not make the most of it?” Vinetion suggested, looking down the hallway.
“I guess. I’d hate to get lost in this big-ass school,” I said with a trot alongside the mare.
“Old habits die hard, don’t they?” Vine sighed, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I stopped dead in my tracks, glaring at her.
“You curse like a sailor, Graze. If you want to make friends, you kind of want to... not do that.” I blame, Kill. All of this, on Kill.
“Pft, so what? It’s not like we’re foals anymore, and no one gives a fu- Agh! Shit!" I smashed into something and collapsed with an audible thud. “What the hay was that?!” I rubbed my head, lying on the floor.
“It’s called a door, Graze. Schools tend to have those these days,” Vinetion chuckled and lent me her hoof. “Just watch where you’re walking, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving off her gesture. “By the way, I don’t have a sailor’s mouth, I’m just self-expressive.”
“Then you must be a freakin' artist,” Vinetion said, entering the now-open room only to pop her head back out for more “helpful” advice. “Although I’m pretty sure Ditzy loves art,” she snickered.
Upon hearing that name, most of my blood rushed to my cheeks. Thanks a lot, Vine, you’re a real help.
"Oooo, Ditzy and Graze, sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Kill mocked, laughing at my torment.
"Aren’t we a bit too old for that?" Joy added, a bit too late.
"Don’t kill my joy. It’s either you’re with me, or against me," Kill countered. "There can be only one!"
"I’m with ya." Joy sighed, rolling his eyes as he began laughing at me.
"Oh, just you wait. I’m going to lurk in the bushes and watch as karma takes you both the buck down like a gimpy gazelle," I thought, warning the two consciences hovering above my shoulders.
Following Vinetion through the doors, I entered what seemed to be the cafeteria. The vacancy of the rest of the school was nothing compared to the complete emptiness in this room. The only source of light was our princess’ sun shining through the windows, because that lone pony sitting in the corner couldn’t be bothered to flip a damn switch for some reason.
As a matter of fact, he was on the opposite side of the room from the light source. If you drew a line cutting the room in half, it would be half happy sunshine, half paranormal eeriness, and he was squarely on the eerie side.
“Graze, something doesn’t seem right about that pony,” she whispered, pointing to the dark grey unicorn sitting on the furthest side of the room. “I don’t like him.”
“I know, right? Just look at those red shades he’s wearing. And indoors, too! Dear princesses, he must be colorblind. Ugh, and don’t get me started on that black vest,” I ranted, trying to lighten up the mood. Obviously, she must not be a fan of my sense of fashion, because I just got thee most bemused of expressions.
“I’m serious, Graze. Something isn’t right with that pony, I can just sense it.” Vine stood her ground, as if the creepy figure was going to strike at any moment. Both his hooves were under his chin as if he was waiting for something. The shades may have blocked his eyes, but that didn’t mean we knew he was staring at us/
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” I urged. “Just say hello, that’s all. Since you’re such an expert at making friends, I thought you’d have known this.”
“Yeah, just be all like ‘Hiya!’” I heard a high pitched voice at my side.
“Yeah, she’s right!” I unknowingly pointed to the mare beside me. Then I noticed there WAS a mare beside me. “Holy sh-” Nevermind the curse, Vinetion was keeping an eye on me. “-hiya! Who exactly are you?”
“‘Shiya’? Is that like a new sort of hello!? I love it!” The pink, poofy mare clapped her hooves. “Shiya to you too! My name’s Pinkie Pie! What’s yours?”
“Just call me Graze. And this here is Vinetion,” I introduced ourselves.
“Um, if I may ask, do you know who that pony is?” Vine pointed to the now-empty table.
“Hahaha! There’s nopony there, silly!” she laughed. “Ooo, does she have imaginary friends like you and I do?”
“Like you and who, exactly?” Vinetion brought herself closer to the mare with a quizzical look.
“Well duh! Like me and Graze! You know, those mini-you’s!” She pointed to each shoulder, where Kill and Joy were standing. “Right there!”
"Son of a bitch. What in Celestia’s name is happening?" Kill cursed the pink sugar rush, feeling the discomfort of the situation.
"Kill! She’s pointing at me! What do we do?! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Joy panicked, anxiously.
Shaking Joy by his collar, Kill repeatedly slapped him across each cheek with his free hoof. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN! Just pretend she’s crazy."
“Nonononono! I’m not crazy, I can see them right there!” she pointed to, in Vine’s eyes, nothing.
“Well, I’ll return when the weird stuff is over,” Vinetion said, slowly backing away from the scene-creating mare. “I’ll see you later, okay, Graze? I’ll be in my room if you need me. I just need some rest, is all.” She quickly turned her back and whispered to herself, “And a therapist.”
Hearing the click of the door, I turned to Pinkie Pie and gave her my full serious attention. “How can you see them?”
"And why did you call us IMAGINARY!?" Kill demanded.
"I kind of take offense to that," Joy added. "We are consciences, you know. Good and bad, just and lawless, angel and devil? Never heard of them? Yeah, we have feelings!"
“Hahahaha! Of course I have, silly!” Pinkie chuckled. “I have them too!” She then pointed to her left shoulder, where a straight-maned, less-vibrant, miniature Pinkie appeared. “This is Pinkamena.” And then to her right, with a white-coated, yellow-maned, bubbly-pegasus. “And this is Surprise.”
"Well, what fine mares we have here," Kill stated, eyeing Pinkamena as he introduced himself. "My name is Kill, and this is my brother, Joy."
"Well, “brother” may not be the right word, but the sentiment is there. Pleased to meet you." Joy lent out his hoof to Surprise, as did Kill with Pinkamena.
"Hmm, pleasure," Pinkamena accepted his pleasantries. "I guess we aren’t the only ones, huh, Surprise?"
"Hahaha, yup! It’s great to finally meet somepony else like Pinkie!" She grabbed Joy’s hoof with two of hers, violently shaking them throughout her greeting. "My name is Surprise! Oh yeah, sorry, Pinkie already said that! Pinkamena did too, come to think of it, but I guess it’s okay. Anywho, what’s yours? Oh yeah, your name is Joy, and that’s Kill! Pleased to meet yo-"
"You’re going to kill the poor pony!" Pinkamena stopped Surprise and apologized. "Sorry, she gets really, REALLY hyper when we meet new ponies."
“Yup, that’s how they’re supposed to work,” I chuckled.
“What do you mean?” Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.
“Well, from what I’ve examined so far, two consciences make one whole,” I explained, only for Pinkie to tilt her head more. “Basically, without one, I’d only take after the other. For example, without Surprise, you would be exactly like Pinkamena.”
“Ohhhh, I get it! And without Pinkamena, I’d be just like Surprise!”
"You mean she isn’t already?' Pinkamena and Kill said in unison.
“Well, technically, a conscience acts like an equalizer to the other. Pinkamena tones down Surprise’s hyperactivity, and Joy tones down Kill’s rage.”
‘Tis the duty of a conscience! Kill saluted, getting a chuckle from Pinkamena.
“You must be really, really smart!” Pinkie complimented.
“Not really, I just spend a LOT of time listening to these two complain, bicker, argue and whine... you know how it is, right?”
"Hmmm, no, not really. I just let Surprise do most of the work," Pinkamena admitted. "It seems to make Pinkie happy, and who am I to get in the way of that?"
"That makes everything about her make sense now!" Kill exclaimed. "Which is kinda scary. You know what this is, Joy?"
"Yep, recessive-dominance."
“Recessive-domi-wha?” Sweet Celestia, how far can Pinkie’s head tilt?
“How do you not know about any of this? Haven’t they been with you your entire life?”
“Yeah, but Twilight told me to forget about it. She said it was crazy talk! Ha! I knew I’m not cra- WHOA!” Pinkie’s ears suddenly began to flop.
Hey Surprise, are you feeling okay? Pinkamena asked, her gaze fixed on the small white mare.
Nonononono! A combo’s coming on, I can feel it! Surprise exclaimed, her eyes fluttering as she did so.
“Uh, are you okay?” I asked, noticing as Pinkie's motions were in perfect synchronization with her pegasus conscience. The instant I noticed her knees twitch, the pink mare pounced right on top of me. “Hey, what’s that for?!” I demanded a response, with her on top my chest.
“That!” She pointed at the door, ‘conveniently’ being slammed open. “Ya see! I get these weird twitches, and they tell me what’s going to happen in the near future! That’s all thanks to Surprise! And when a bunch happen at the same time, we call them combos!”
Pinkie still lying on top of me as she explained, my eyes focused on the background, where the mare who bucked open the door was entering the room. My luck couldn’t have dropped any lower.
“Pinkie?”
“Yes?” she chimed.
“What’s the combo for being completely bucked?”
“GRAZE!” Pinkie gasped. “YOU JUST SAID A BAD WORD!”
“Please tell me,” I said quietly in disbelief, ignoring her previous comment.
"Maybe if we stay completely still, and don’t make any sudden movements, she won’t see us," Kill whispered.
“What’s wrong, guys? Did something happen?” Pinkie asked out of curiosity.
“Yes, that,” I pointed to a grey-coated, blonde mare slowly approaching from the doorway.
“First day back, Graze, and you’re already hitting on a mare. Typical.”
“Hey! I’m not hitting on her, she just saved my flank!” I countered.
“Oh yeah, I’ve heard that one before. And of course, you’re returning the favor,” she said with a heaping helping of sarcasm. “Right?”
“Yep!” Pinkie Pie innocently smiled. I didn’t expect her toknow what she was implying, but for Celestia’s sake, take the hint that the mare was pissed off! It’s like this mare was seeing some sort of sickeningly saccharine world. Lollipops for trees, flowers randomly sprouting as she walked by, cute animals just raining down from the sky, gifts at every pink corner of that majestic world of hers.
“I’m sorry, I should just give you two some privacy,” she said, exiting the room and slamming the door behind her.
“No, you can stay!” Pinkie Pie insisted, but the other mare was long gone by then.
“Who was that?” Pinkie and her consciences all asked in unison.
“THAT... was Ditzy Doo, a really close friend of mine.”
"You two seem more like enemies than friends," Pinkamena implied.
"I think she’s just jealous!" Surprise added.
“No, no, that’s just her way of showing she cares,” I shook my head. “When she overlooks something like this, that’s the REAL point of concern. Trust me on this; I’ve known her and Vinetion since foalhood,” I said, truthfully. “Let me just see if she’s alright, ‘kay?”
“No problem, Graze! We’ll see each other soon?” Pinkie asked, getting off of me as I stood up.
“I think I’d like that,” I smiled, watching Joy and Kill pump their hooves in success. “See you mares later,” I waved them off, and exited the room with a steed-fast gallop through the halls in search of Ditzy.
After countless hours of searching the school top to bottom, it was hopeless. In the end, the three of us came to the same conclusion: we were being avoided. With that in mind, we decided to visit Vinetion’s room, number thirty-four, for a friendly, peaceful conversation.
“--AND GUESS WHAT?! SHE THOUGHT I WAS HITTING ON ANOTHER MARE!” I exclaimed, finishing my story. “A COMPLETE AND TOTAL STRANGER! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!”
“Uh-huh, sure,” Vinetion licked her hoof and flipped the page of her book.
“I have standards! I don’t just go around banging every mare I see! I’m not even that lucky!” I admitted. Okay... the truth hurts.
“Yes, I know, because one of your best friends is a fillyfooler, while the other is...well, Ditzy,” she said, closing her book and giving me her undivided attention.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?!” I snapped.
“‘That’, that right there is your problem,” she pointed through me, not at me, but at my very soul. “You are always...Always so, AGH!” she faked a shout.
“‘Agh’? What the hell is ‘agh’?” I asked a bit confused, tilting my head like Pinkie.
“‘Agh’ is you, too much of you. Too demanding, insensitive, assertive, and everything in between.” Please don’t tell me that I’m more of Kill, that’s bad.
"Well! What’s so wrong with me?!" Kill exclaimed, resenting her statement.
"‘Agh!’ is what’s wrong with you, all of you! And if anything, Graze doesn’t need you taking more of the reins, any more than he needs ME doing it." Joy scolded. It was as if he had planned out this very speech once some lucky pony had pointed it out. All he had to do, was be patient. "It’s our duty to ensure that Graze has a healthy mind, not too easygoing and not too assertive! SO JUST CALM DOWN!"
"...holy shiya, where did that come from?" Kill said, a bit shocked by Joy’s outburst, but in agreement. "You’re right to an extent, but I’m not letting my colt get pushed around."
“Alright Vine, I hear you, loud and clear.” I completely understood everything she, Kill and Joy had said.
“Don’t feel so down, Graze. You’re not all bad, and I never said you were,” she said, placing a hoof on my shoulder. “You’re kind - in your own way - smart, independent - maybe a bit too much -and hell, you’re loyal to us and everyone you care about. You just need to tone down the rest. You don’t need to be pushy and assertive to get your point across.”
"Wow, them in between comments," Kill pointed out.
"Meh, it’s a start," Joy shrugged.
“I can always count on you, Vine,” I pulled the mare into a hug, which she returned.
Releasing the embrace, she suddenly remembered something. “By the way, who was that pink sugar rush?”
“Who? Pinkie Pie?” Vinetion nodded. “For now, let’s just say somepony a bit like me.”
“Bucked up?” Vinetion cursed, which shocked me a bit. “What? I don’t do it in public.”
“Hahaha, yeah, completely bucked up,” I laughed alongside her.
"I think I like Pinkamena," Kill randomly said, rubbing his chin. "And I know I can say the same for both Joy and Surprise."
"Oh yes! Can we visit Pinkie sometime soon, Graze?" Joy begged alongside with Kill.
"Hahaha, we’ll see, guys," I replied.
"Score!" Kill and Joy cheered, high-hoofing each other with a smack.
“Well, Vinetion, I’m going to get ready for tomorrow’s classes,” I bumped my hoof with hers as we usually would for a goodbye. “By the way, what’s first again?”
“Physics, with some teacher named ‘Charge’. Silent Charge.”
“Right... never was my favorite subject,” I admitted, twitching my upper lip with a slow trot to her door. “See ya later,” I used both hooves to open the door, stopping as something important dawned on me. “And, by the way, if you see Ditzy... tell her I’m sorry for what happened earlier.”
“Will do, Graze,” Vinetion said, waving goodbye and closing the door behind me.
Venturing down the barren halls, my mind was left to wander. Or rather, I left Kill and Joy to lead in one of their usual discussions, debates, arguments... You can never really tell with those two, actually. They MOSTLY sound the same.
"I wonder who that guy was..." Kill wondered, curiosity in his voice as he hovered beside my view. "The dude in the cafe... he just seemed so... lifeless, strange, paranormal, freaky-"
“You can stop there,”I replied outloud being alone once again.Damn, this school would have been a lot creepier without Kill and Joy supplying the extra noise. “I really don’t want or need to know, guys. Let’s just leave him alone for now, okay? We have a big day tomorrow.”
"Yeah, but Vine is right. There’s something about that guy, something that I don’t trust," Kill continued.
“Just let it go for now. We’re in a school; he most likely won’t go anywhere but around the campus. We’ll find out more about him later if it’ll put your mind at ease, but for now, all I wanna do is sleep,”I explained to the two of them.
"Well, look no further! Here we are, our new home sweet home, room number forty-three!" Joy said, invitingly at the room before us.
Unlocking the door and going through, I lazily bucked it closed again with my hind legs. The room was quite spacious, coming with a desk and a blue-sheeted bed. Other furniture needed to be purchased, of course, but a bed, a desk and a window would do for now. Maybe I could get a job... Yeah, right, I’m too tired to even think about work! I was so exhausted from today’s events, and school hasn’t even started yet!
Dragging myself onto my bed, I laid still, too tired to even move a single inch, only allowing my mind to anxiously think about tomorrow: the hustle and bustle with the students and the new teachers. First up tomorrow... Mr. Charge.
Somehow, I just have this weird feeling that my life is going to be a wreck from here on out.