DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Unknown Frontier
HTML https://unknownfrontier.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Canterlot
*****************************************************
#Post#: 2358--------------------------------------------------
A Night to Forget
By: Foxtrot Date: April 26, 2017, 3:31 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The sun started to shine through Foxtrot's window, the rays of
light creeping through his curtains to illuminate his room. The
unicorn rustles through his sheets, poking his head up to look
around. The sleep was good, so there was no need to stay in bed.
He gets up, completes his morning routine, and finds himself in
his study. Papers from work offer some distraction, but what
draws his focus was one thing. A flash drive, given to him from
the INS, rests on his desk. He hasn't checked it out since.
There's was always an excuse, a reason to do it later. But
that's not the case. He knew he was afraid; afraid of what he
might find. Fox sighs and walks over, picking up the flashdrive
and turning on his small laptop. Within minutes he sees the
folder on the screen. He takes a deep breath and presses on. A
list of files, dated and marked, detail locations and
individuals he vaguely remembers. It's a list of all of his past
assignments. Some he recalls, most he doesn't. With each one
viewed, flashes of things he's done, places he's been to, people
he... hurt. Foxtrot's head started to ache. He stops and steps
away from the computer. Midway to his bed, a spike of pain jolts
through his body as a familiar voice echoes in his mind.
[I]'Foxtrot. You need to remember. Stop running from this.
Memory is the key.'[/i]
"S-shut up..." Foxtrot says to the empty room around him. His
legs tremble as the room begins to spin.
[I]'You need to face this. What you've done, what we have done.
We can't continue like this. We can't take this anymore, you
know it!'[/i]
"Shut up! Shut the f-" Foxtrot is cut off as his body locks up,
his eyes glowing bright.
[I]'I can't control you, Foxtrot. But I can, I will show you
what we've done.'[/i] The unicorn slightly spasms before falling
to the floor, unconscious. [I]'You'll see, Foxtrot. Not all of
it, not right now, but soon. Knowledge can conquer fear, and
right now, I'm very afraid.'[/i]
Foxtrot would wake up much later in the day, the evening to be
exact. His head aches, but he's well rested. His dreams, or
nightmares, were filled with memories of the work he's done
without his knowing. Work he's done while he was activated.
There's parts missing, blurs and shadows, but perhaps that was
necessary. Regardless, the stallion remains silent as he grabs
his jacket, bits, and badge. Heading out, he ventures to the
nearest tavern. Luna only knows how much of a drink he needs.
#Post#: 2360--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Shadowed Mesa Date: April 26, 2017, 9:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The mid-morning sun shone down brightly on the river running
east of Canterlot. This particular river was famous for the
treacherous rapids that marred its smooth surface. The most
well-known spot was fed by the run-off water from Foal Mountain
to create 30-foot mountains and gullies of cold river water:
Discord’s Gut. It was the peak time of the year for Discord’s
Gut, water coursing violently through the narrow canyon. Almost
everypony agreed it was pure madness to do Discord’s Gut at this
time of year, in fact, it was paramount to suicide for the
inexperienced rafter and near impossible to find a guide…
because there was only one that would do it.
“SIT YOUR FLANK DOWN, AND STAY THERE!” Roared a brown pegasus.
She was in the back of three rubber rafts lashed together, the
only pony in that particular raft as she sat atop the bench and
held tightly onto a single oar that acted as a rudder. The water
tossed the rafts deep into a watery gully. Almost everypony else
in the rafts was hunkered down low, clutching tightly to the
ropes attached to the sides. The exception was a a teenage colt,
who was fully standing with a reckless grin on his face.
The pegasus mare let out a low growl. “Oh, for Celestia’s sake!”
Locking the oar handle into position so it would keep them going
in the same direction, Shadowed Mesa flew over and full on
tackled the teenager, forcing him to the floor of the raft. She
had to yell in his ear in order to be heard of the roar of the
rapids. “DO NOT MOVE FROM THAT POSITION UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!
IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?” The colt, grin gone, nodded meekly. Mesa
returned to the back raft, but before she could sit down, a
particularly large wave smashed into the rafts with the force of
a slow-moving freight train. The back raft flipped under the
others, catapulting Mesa into the water.
After a painfully long moment, the pegasus surfaced, gasping for
air. With strong strokes, she swam over to the raft and dove
under it, forcing the raft that was being held under the others
back into its proper position. Grabbing onto the ropes, Mesa
managed to pull herself into the back raft, only for another
wave to very nearly force her back overboard. She forced herself
to her hooves and rushed over to the bench, grabbing the oar
handle just in time to steer the watercraft away from the side
of the canyon.
“EVERYPONY HOLD ON, WE’RE ALMOST THERE!” Mesa yelled. A final,
positively enormous wave reared up ahead of them. “BRACE
YOURSELVES!”
And then they had crested the wave, and they had made it. Much
smaller waves moved them along, and Mesa shook her head rapidly,
clearing the water out of her ears and sending droplets every
which way. “How’s everypony doing?” She asked, her volume
quieter as the roar of the rapids faded. She was met by complete
silence and wide eyes, before the group of adrenaline addicts
leapt up, cheering. “That was amazing!” “Let’s do it again!” “I
thought we were going to be smashed against the bucking canyon
wall… That was great!”
Mesa let the calls of excitement wash over her, and she grinned.
She let out a sharp whistle, and the ponies quickly quieted.
“Now if everypony will look ahead…” She pointed. “Canterlot!”
[center]*****[/center]
Morning had faded into afternoon, afternoon into evening, and
Mesa was trotting up one of Canterlot’s streets. She was alone
now, having said her goodbyes to the group and receiving her
bits. The group, exhausted from the trip, had practically
collapsed when they had finally made it to the inn. But Mesa
wasn’t ready to call it a day yet. She had a strict no-alcohol
rule for both herself and the ponies she guided during the
entirety of a trip and Mesa was looking forward to a good drink.
The rental equipment had been returned, and all Mesa had was her
usual weapons belt, crossbow, and saddlebags holding her few
worldly possessions.
Mesa finally reached her favorite tavern, a small but clean
place in the heart of Canterlot. She pulled open the door and
was immediately met by a cheerful call from the bartender.
“Mesa, lass! It’s been months, how’ve you been? I’ve missed your
tales of adventure!” Mesa smiled and made her way to the
counter, taking a seat on one of the wooden stools.
“It’s been an amazing day,” she sighed happily. And it had been.
A day full of adventure, danger, and not a single whisper or
shadow that wasn’t really there.
#Post#: 2364--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Foxtrot Date: April 27, 2017, 11:48 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Foxtrot strolls down the sidewalk of Canterlot's streets. The
skies once again are clear. Seldom few trot by towards their
destinations. For this particular unicorn, he would reach his
destination at a local tavern. Walking in, he's given a nod from
one of the bar's patrons. It was a welcome sight, much better
than some of the establishments he's visited in the past. The
smell of fresh food hung in the air as the sounds of drinks
bubbling is heard in the background. Foxtrot makes his way to
the counter, sitting a few seats away from the bartender and
mare. He appears distracted, glancing over the wall of bottles
on display. Some had an odd, glowing circle in the middle.
[I]'Wait... that's not part of the bottle. What- what's that
glowing? Why is it just in my left eye? Wait... Yea, what the
hay?'[/i] He retains the appearance as if nothing is wrong, just
another customer looking for a drink.
#Post#: 2366--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Shadowed Mesa Date: April 28, 2017, 12:26 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
“Glad to hear it!” The bartender responded. “What can I get
you?” “Jack Daniel’s on the rocks, please,” Mesa requested. As
the bartender prepared her drink, he spoke. “So where are you
coming from this time?’ “Neighagra River,” Mesa said happily,
resting her forelegs on the counter in a relaxed position. “Ay,
I’ve heard there’s some good backpacking around those parts.”
“Oh no, we didn’t backpack. We were on rafts.”
The stallion almost dropped the bottle. “Don’t tell me you took
a group over the falls, lass!” He cried out, shocked. Mesa
looked indignant. “Of course not! That would be suicide.” The
bartender had just started to relax again when Mesa chipped in,
“No, we rappelled down alongside the falls.” “Rappelled down?!
You’re going to get someone killed!” He told her worriedly as he
presented with her drink. Mesa just shook her head. “I’ve never
lost anyone on a trip. Absolutely zero fatalities. I’m careful.”
Suddenly, a voice whispered very close to her ear. “Zero
fatalities, huh?” Mesa, who had just picked up her glass,
started so violently that she tossed it over the counter, the
sound of shattering glass quickly following. She turned her
head. Sitting on the stool, between her and another stallion at
the counter, was a pegasus. He had rather dull coloring, the
same plain brown coat as Mesa and a shaggy black mane.
Mesa stared at him, face white. If the stallion a few seats down
had happened to be looking Mesa’s way, he may have mistaken the
disturbed expression on her face as being meant for him, but in
reality, the mare wasn’t looking further than a seat down. The
bartender looked on in concern. “You alright, Mesa?” He followed
the direction of her gaze and saw the stallion. “Oh! I’m sorry,
I didn’t see you there.” He stepped over the broken glass and
made his way down. “What can I get you this evening?”
Mesa was lost in a world of her own. She knew her father wasn’t
real, she knew it. Why did he have to show up now, when she was
having such a good day? The hallucination spoke again. “I find
it interesting that you think your hooves are free from blood,
Mesa dear.” The word wasn’t used with any amount of fondness or
even sincerity. Mesa ignored him, tearing her gaze away and
looking resolutely down at the counter.
#Post#: 2369--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Foxtrot Date: April 28, 2017, 7:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The shattering glass certainly broke Foxtrot from his stupor.
His eyes glance over to find the pony in question giving him a
ghastly stare. It seemed familiar, the expression. But before he
could delve more into it, the mare turns away to the counter.
Foxtrot looks over to the bartender, "Rum and coke, please. Oh,
and I'll cover her next drink. Poor thing looks like she needs
one." The unicorn moves one seat closer, leaving just one
between them. "Hey, are you alright?"
A classic, vintage car of black tint and silver rims parks in
the lot next to the bar. Two stallions in grey, pin stripe suits
unbuckle their seatbelts and gather their things. "Are you sure
he went here?"
"Positive. But are you sure that this is the right guy? I know
this came from the top, but it just doesn't make sense."
"Don't matter of makes sense." The driver exits, chewing some
gum on the way out. "There's things that they ain't tellin us
until this one agrees. We're just here to ask. But first were
gonna have a drink." The passenger chuckles as he heads to the
entrance, the driver following right behind.
#Post#: 2371--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Shadowed Mesa Date: April 28, 2017, 10:12 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The bartender nodded and quickly got to preparing Foxtrot’s
drink. Mesa’s ear swiveled to face the stallion as he moved a
bit closer, but she didn’t turn, just continued to stare at the
counter. Her dead father leaned forward to hiss in her ear, “Go
ahead, Mesa. Go ahead and tell him that you see me. Tell him
that you’re mad.”
“Oh, I’m fine.” Mesa finally said, though she still didn’t turn.
She couldn’t look her hallucination in the eyes, or she knew she
would have to leave before she lost it in public. Maybe… maybe
her father would just go away if Mesa ignored him.
The bartender slid Foxtrot’s drink over to him and turned to get
a rag to clean up the mess Mesa had made, and the mare only just
seemed to realize what she had done. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she
apologized, and reached into her bags to get the bits for her
spilled drink. “Do you want any help cleaning that up?” The
bartender just smiled and shook his head. “I’ve cleaned up
worse, trust me. And keep your money, I could tell it was an
accident.” Mesa hesitated before returning the money to her bag.
The kindly stallion finished and turned to Mesa. “You’ll be
wanting another Jack Daniel’s, then?” She shook her head. “I
think I’ll be needing vodka tonight. Any vodka.” The bartender
look surprised, but shrugged and turned to pour it.
Mesa realized that she hadn’t heard anything in her ear for a
bit, and she tentatively turned towards Foxtrot. Her father had
vanished, and Mesa’s shoulders sagged in relief. She met
Foxtrot’s eyes. “I’ll be even better once I have a drink in me,”
she said, with a smile that looked almost… haunted. “I’ll try
not to, uh… throw this one.”
#Post#: 2377--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Foxtrot Date: April 29, 2017, 9:15 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"Right... just be sure to throw the glass after it's empty." He
chuckles before finding the look he got from the bartender,
"Just joking. But yea, sometimes you get those days where things
take an unexpected turn." He takes a sip of his drink, still
trying to ignore the glowing circle in his vision. "Sometimes
that turn just... sucks. Yet you find a way to pull through."
The unicorn takes another drink, the glowing circle dimming and
brightening in his eye.
#Post#: 2382--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Shadowed Mesa Date: April 30, 2017, 1:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Mesa gave an slightly forced-sounding chuckle at Foxtrot's
suggestion, then nodded. "Yeah..." The bartender gave the
pegasus her drink, and the she took a sip. It burned on the way
down, but Mesa didn't mind it. She looked at Foxtrot. "You sound
as if you speak from experience... rough day?" She tried to
relax and focus on the conversation, but her distraction was
evident as her eyes kept flicking around nervously, just waiting
for her father to appear again.
#Post#: 2390--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Foxtrot Date: April 30, 2017, 8:35 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"Yea, you could say that. The whole thing is kind of a blur."
Foxtrot takes another sip, keeping his eyes forward. "Now I got
this nagging feeling in the back of my head."
"Then just take some aspirin," one of the suited stallions
advises to his partner. "You knew working at the Blue Goose for
a while would do that to you." He takes his glass of gin and
takes a swig. The other pulls out a piece of paper. Taking a
minute to look it over. "Anyway, if this goes well we can
scratch two problems off the list."
#Post#: 2396--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Night to Forget
By: Shadowed Mesa Date: May 1, 2017, 2:48 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Mesa nodded, turning forward and picking up her glass to take
another drink.
"Mesa..." The voice whispered very close to her again, and
ironically, Mesa flung her glass once again as she flinched.
"Son of a-" she started to swear before recovering. She turned
around, eyes glancing over the other patrons, including two
dapper-looking stallions, before her gaze settled on her father
standing behind her. Her ears drooped slightly.
"Don't you wish you had a blur to remember?" Her father said in
conversational tone. "Instead of remembering nothing at all
concerning the whole thing?" Mesa knew exactly what her
hallucination was talking about, but she ignored him and turned
away to look at the now slightly exasperated looking bartender.
"Sorry..." Mesa said softly, tone miserable.
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page