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Post by Splitshift on Dec 6, 2011 18:33:13 GMT -5
How long has been since her hooves felt the soil of this lake beneath them? How long since she had breathed in the sweet scent that rolled off the lake with each gust of wind?
The wind. The scent. A trigger.
Her red eyes widen as a memory flashes through her mind. It is broken and twisted, a puzzle to piece together, but for an instant what the lilac mare scented on the wind was not sweet, but rotten and sour, the scent of death.
Letting out a shrill cry, the mare rears back onto her hind legs,shaking her head and sending her stripped mane flying. It is a mane twisted with colors of brilliant pink and deep purple. It falls down to her shoulders, the ends choppy as if cut by a blade and her long tail matched. Soon the memory begins to disappear, sinking in a pool of black and the unicorn's ire fades, allowing her to resume her walk along the edge of the lake.
The lake, at least, seemed the same. But would everything else be as it was? As she remembered? Did...did she remember? Or had it all been a dream? Was she dead? Was this heaven? Perhaps...yes, perhaps it was hell.
Again, the mare shook her head, violently this time, her lips pulling back into a snarl as frustrating, broken memories filled her mind once more. Why did she care so? Why was she working so hard to piece things back together? She, Splitshift, had returned, and if they did not accept her back then she would merely leave once more.
Besides...she had already been gone more then a year, had she not?
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Post by Cheerilee on Dec 6, 2011 18:46:07 GMT -5
If this was hell, then it was hardly what Ms. Cheerilee, resident schoolteacher of Ponyville, would expect. It was a bit boring for hell. Day in and day out, working her flank off to provide an education to young foals, doing the job nopony else was. She loved her job, sure, but it could be difficult. Still, she would muscle on, for the foals of Ponyville!
Today was one of the days she had off; the foals had four day school weeks, so Cheerilee could have enough downtime to prepare their lessons as well as enjoy herself. And even though she only worked four days a week, she was by far one of the hardest working ponies in Ponyville. After all, almost all of the time she had off was spent preparing their lessons, making each and every one special, even sometimes taking funds out of her own salary to purchase them new supplies or the means to go on a field trip somewhere. Last year, the big field trip had been a pegasus-chariot ride to Cloudsdale for the earth ponies; the pegasi had enjoyed it just as much; they adored showing their classmates the city, explaining how life worked up there. It had been a learning experience even for Cheerilee.
Today, she was wandering about Lope Lake; tomorrow's lesson was on Biology and ecosystems. It wasn't very advanced, of course, the larger, more in-depth courses taking place in Canterlot. But she intended to find a place to take them. The reason why she was such fun for the foals was, in part, because of her hooves-on approach to teaching and learning. Why explain to them that the sun made grass grow, which they in turn ate, when she could take them here and show them? It simpyl made sense to her.
Sighing, she sat down by the lake, looking down into the water - her face reflected back at her, the crystal-clear surface glittering beautifully in the sunlight. She sighed and smiled happily.
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Post by DuMourne on Dec 6, 2011 18:49:51 GMT -5
"Dammit, stupid Stalliongrad ponies!" DuMourne grumbled, picking up his equipment from the floor. "Why can't they bloody leave me alone?"
The earth pony yawned, he barely got any sleep last night as usual, and began to dust off the mud and dirt that had caked his once clean equipment. It was times like these he wished nothing more than to be back home, resting in his warm, nice bed with a hot cup of cocoa. But none the less, he had a job to do here in Ponyville.
Only trouble was, he was in Lope Lake and it was a while to get back to the clinic. There was no way he could continue on with dirty equipment, but replacing it all would be a nightmare. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Maybe if he dunked them in the lake quickly that'd get the dirt off. No, that would never work only soak them.
As he picked up a can of aid spray, his eyes focused on a pony on her hindlegs.
"Wait, is that...?" he said to himself, shocked.
The pony looked familiar to him. She was lilac with a purple mane and tail. What really got to him was the eyes, they were on fire almost with rage. Only one pony in Equestria was like that.
"SPLITSHIFT!!" he shouted, galloping over to her after grabbing all his stuff. "SPLIT!!! It's me, DuMourne!"
DuMourne made it to Splitshift, panting like mad and stopping in front of her, a huge smile on her face. unfortunately, he'd totally forgotten that a purple Splitshift either meant she was in the mood for some dirty fun, or ready to rip a manticore to shreds.
"Oh my gosh, it's been so long!" He panted, pulling her into a tight hug. She felt soft, just like the last time he'd hugged her. She hadn't changed in appearance or something which was a good thing. "You haven't changed one bit, how are you?"
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Post by Drearilee on Dec 6, 2011 21:50:36 GMT -5
The year had not been so inactive for other ponies; the liveliness of a platinum pegasus had vanished with the previous summer's end, and though he'd waited most every week, the winter had been cruel. Bridle Beach was still seldom visited by ponies even with the monsters that roamed it slain or chased off, but the pegasus habitually returned to those wicked shores every weekend, only to listen to the taunting whisper of the wind. Today's visit to Lope Lake had simply been to clear his mind; recently he'd been anxious. Over what, he had no idea; there'd been an excitement that he simply hadn't been able to shake off, and he figured visiting Lope Lake would ease his mind of whatever had been bothering him.
"SPLITSHIFT!!"
The voice wasn't from too far away, and he very well knew it was DuMourne. Had he gone insane? Drearilee thought he had at one point, but he figured he'd never quite be able to do crazy. Chuckling softly, he rolled his eyes. For a moment, he thought he'd caught a glimpse of a familiar friend in the corner of his eye. Not DuMourne; he wasn't that color.
It couldn't have been, could it?
Drearilee was frozen for a moment, focusing on the equine figure in the distance. For a moment, he wanted to burst forth and tackle the mare, but before he was off the ground, his thoughts began to come fully to him. That mane... Had he suddenly appeared and tackled her, he'd likely be torn asunder. Instead, he approached, although trembling slightly with excitement, more calmly. His strides were stretched, and he felt as if he couldn't approach the mare soon enough, but he also had to restrain himself. Remaining a fair distance away, he looked to the lilac mare; would she even remember him? He hadn't changed in appearance much beyond a bit of height and a slightly more toned body from his working with Necrose somewhat frequently, but could not expect somepony else to keep hold of the past, especially the way things had been not too long ago for all of Equestria. Most ponies didn't refuse to let go, did they? Perhaps Splitshift was just like most everypony else? She hadn't been last he knew her, or at least he thought she was more complex than simply being another in the crowd, but time has its ways with the mind...
"Splitshift?" Drearilee began, speaking softly, but his excitement caused him to speak a bit more loudly than he'd wished, "Splitshift..."
Now that he'd finally seen her, he hadn't the slightest idea what to say! It had to be that he was insane. He'd hoped all this time to meet her again, and now he had nothing to say. Gingerly trotting closer to the mare and pausing within normal conversational distance, he resumed.
"Welcome back, Splitshift. Are you alright? It's Drearilee, if you recall me," Drearilee stated, fluttering his large wings and nervously awaiting a response.
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Post by Splitshift on Dec 10, 2011 16:42:25 GMT -5
The sound of her name on the wind jerks the mare out of her darker thoughts, and also jerks her head upwards, slitted eyes thinning as she watches the medic pony run towards her. For a moment, she flinches but her memories swirl and a name to go with that face pops into her head.
"Du..Mourne..?" Her voice is soft, and it breaks slightly, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.
Yes...yes she knew this pony! Such a revelation caused her heart to flutter and her body to relax, even as the overly enthusiastic stallion hugged her tightly.
The simple action, a hug, caused an odd sensation to flow over her. It made her body tingle from hoof to horn. How long had been since she made physical contact with someponyelse? How long...had she...?
Such musings however were once again cut short at the approaching of a platinum Pegasus, Drearilee he called himself and that name rang true as well.
These...these two, they were her dearest friends! They had been there on that day...the day she had died.
Blinking, she shakes her head, as if trying to force such thoughts from her mind.
"Yes...yes this Splitshift recalls you both.." Her horn was glowing slightly and while her mane and tail had not changed completely, the pair could see the pink in her hair beginning to fade to a light green.
Was it fate or a cosmic joke that the first ponies she was to encounter would be the two dearest to her heart? Being shunned, being chased out of Ponyville, being snuffed, these things she had been prepared for. But a heartfelt reunion..? No..this had sent the slightly deranged pony reeling.
"What...happened..?" It was all the lilac mare could think to say.
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Post by DuMourne on Dec 10, 2011 19:15:43 GMT -5
DuMourne began to laugh, his eyes alight with joy as Splitshift spoke. He was relieved, overjoyyed to see the mare again.
"Haha, you remember me! That's brilliant!" he shouted, hugging tightly.
The Earth pony was extremely happy, he hadn't been this happy or excitement since before his sister died. Every bit of his brain was looking for memories of their times together, piecing together information so he could remember Split well. Once he pulled back from the hug, he smiled at her.
"Wow, you still do that mane colour change thingy like before. That's awesome! Well, nothing really has happened, everything's pretty much the way it was before you left. Well, we have a few new houses in east Ponyville but that's about it." He said with a smile.
Another pony, a pegasus he knew as Drearilee, approached the two. He'd heard the mare's name and wandered over, wondering if it was THE Splitshift. DuMourne nodded and nudged his head towards the unicorn.
He smiled, almost bouncing at the thought of the times they had and will have together. He and she had loads to catch up on.
"Split, where did you go? I can't remember why you left. Hell, i totally forgot about you, no offense or anything."
"Sorry, i'm just so excited, it's great to see you again."
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Post by Drearilee on Dec 11, 2011 1:19:36 GMT -5
"What...happened..?"
If only Drearilee knew himself. He couldn't agree with DuMourne; things had changed, or at least things had changed for Drearilee. Splitshift's absence had been quite the cause of worry for the platinum pegasus, and with Equestria restored and the Princesses back in Canterlot, he'd feared the lilac mare was but a spectre of the past. All the effort in the world wouldn't have been able to wipe his memories of the mare from his mind. In fact, it seemed he'd thought more about last summer than DuMourne had, though likely due to the guilt he felt over Split's injury and then seeming death.
"Split, where did you go? I can't remember why you left. Hell, i totally forgot about you, no offense or anything."
Drearilee shot the stallion a glare at the statement. How in Celestia's name could he not remember? Had he not considered himself a friend of the medic... Sighing , he took notice of Splitshift's change begin to change color but said nothing about it. Splitshift was back! It still hadn't fully been taken in by the stallion, and he would have hugged her had he not felt he'd been partially to blame for the past summer anyway. He could have done something -- anything-- differently back then, couldn't he? Had he the power to prevent her expulsion from Ponyville back then? Whatever the truth of the matter may have been, he felt he'd failed. Lowering his head for a moment, he extended a wing to the mare, feathers barely touching her shoulder.
"Splitshift... I apologize for failing you," Drearilee stated almost inaudibly, looking to meet the mare's gaze. "It's wonderful to see you again. Ponyville hasn't changed all too much, as DuMourne said, but it's changed enough where it counts."
Drearilee drew nearer the mare slowly before extending his forelegs and hugging her. He hadn't intended to hug the mare, but he couldn't resist. It was, unlike DuMourne's, a much softer hug, and he pulled away after a short moment, a weak smile on his face.
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