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Two days earlier…
Splashsplashsplash!!
    The sound of two tiny hooves running down the wet sidewalks clamoured through the air along with the frantic and nervous baas and growls from the throat of the pony running. After such a ‘heroic’ action, the tiny raven-winged pony...didn’t seem to react the way anypony that had witnessed or come up had expected. The crowd that gathered after the large branch had fallen all murmured and congratulated the pegasus, who was still in her daze...and still staring ahead. Wally’s hand on her sore wing was the only thing that had snapped her out of her deep trance, and in doing so, jump started her mind again. She had to get out of here….she needed to leave. That...that bitch was coming. Pandie had quickly assured Wally and his two young sisters, Hazel and Macadamia, she was fine and unharmed before quickly rushing off, leaving them in the park. Pandie ignored the pain in her wing, quickly running away from the area, away from where harm could come to the the two girls again… to Wally again. As she ran towards her apartment, water began to fall from the sky once more, as though weeping for the ordeal she was about to endure.
    Pandie quickly fumbled with her keys, dropping them once in her fear before quickly snatching them up again and running into the apartment. Maybe she had time. She needed to prepare, she needed---
???: Hello, Death.
Fuck….
Pandie: ...What do you want? Why are you here?
???: You know exactly why I’m here, Death. You broke the rules, you interfered. AGAIN.
Death: ...She was just a child… a young, healthy, innocent filly!
???: And what of the others, Death? You save her, but not them? What made her so special? Attachments… guilt...or perhaps it has something to do with that boy of yours…?
Death: Leave Walter alone and out of this, Life...
    Pandie turned and growled, glaring at the taller pony ahead of her. Those golden eyes seemed to pierce into her own, glaring into her own crimson ones. Her coat was a beautiful pale brown, that got slightly darker with small gradient on her arms and hooves. The ‘pony’s hooves and hands had brilliant white gloves and socks unmarked by neither dirt nor blemish. Not a hair or feather was out of place on her body and her long sharp horn jutted from her forehead, nestled between fiery curls that reminded Pandie of the unforgiving scorch of fire.
Death: You choose an alicorn for your facade? Your ego knows no bounds, you know that?
Life: Silence! You know the rules, Death. Do not interfere, do not mess with the balances, or did you forget?!
Death: There was no reason for her to die!
Life: Death happens, or did you forget that too? That’s why you exist...
Death: But not to her, you pompous bitch!
Life: And why not her?!
Death: HER TIMELINE WAS NOT THAT SHORT WHEN I LAST SAW HER! I’ve carried this burden too long to know patterns don’t just randomly switch without reason! I know when somepony has meddled where they DON’T belong! WHAT. DID. YOU. DO!?
    Silence. The two supernatural beings stared each other down, unmoving and unflinching. Suddenly, Life let out a chuckled which turned into a full laugh.
Life: Ahahaha~ Ahhh, so you caught me. I guess you are smarter than you look. You were getting so close to that stupid stallion and his family, I had to try something to break you away and put you back to your task of watching over the boy instead.
Death: And you bitch at me for breaking rules, yet here you are stepping in my domain.
Life: Oh get over yourself. She’s alive, and little Death is a hero to the ponies and her sweet prince charming~
Death: I said keep him out of this!
Life: Oh and I seem to have touched a nerve with him. What is this all about, Death? Are you protective of him because he’s giving you something? Attention...money… the praise you so desired… oooh~ Or are you just using him for more personal, physical gratifica---
    Life needed to duck before she could finish that sentence, a black bolt of magic rushing past and smacking into the wall, spider webbing across the wall burning and searing the paint as it affixed itself to its new residence. Pandie’s eyes flickered, one sclera turning a deep inky black, before going back to normal as her glamour flickered partially.
Death: How DARE you….
Life: Why you little...wait… that look… HAH! I get it now. You’re in love with him… imagine that! Death falling in love with a mortal!
Death: Leave here, Life! I have suffered from you enough.
Life: Oh… but you haven’t. You still broke rules, Death, and that must be punished….and nopony will come to help you...I can cast mortal spells too and soundproofing a room is foal’s play…. Why else has nopony come, despite your incessant squawking?
    She hadn’t noticed it, but the door was still ajar letting out the cacophony of yelling and banging and yet...not one pony had come to see what was happening. She faltered for a moment, the feeling of dread and loneliness settling in her stomach, giving Life the chance to attack. Her arm slammed into her throat, pinning her to the wall. Pandie yelped, the pain in her esophagus and renewed throbbing in her wing causing her to growl and swipe her claws at her assailant’s face in instinct, striking Life in the face, marring that perfect image with long angry claw marks. Life let go, letting her drop to the floor before her hands flew to her face.
Life: You… You will pay for that…
    Pandie tried to get up, weakly struggling to her hooves. While mortal means weren’t enough to kill her, the pain and effects still lingered, and she was disoriented from the blow. She tried to get to the bedroom, to at least put a barrier between her and Life so she could gather herself, but the sudden pain from a hoof on her injured wing stopped her and she shrieked out in pain, barely able to turn to see the bitch of an alicorn charging up.
Life: Maybe a week’s punishment will suffice for your actions… goodnight, Death
    The world started to go dark, and the last thing she heard was the cackle of her counterpart as she faded off…
Wally...help...me…
...Pandie fell into darkness...
-----
    It’s been two days since Wally has last seen Pandie. After the events in the park, he was more than grateful that Pandie saved his sisters but wasn’t fully able to show it do to her running off so suddenly. At the time, Wally only assumed it was because it was because of the gather crowd and over abundant of social stimulus that caused Pandie to skirt back into the shadows. He had planned on showing his appreciate more when Pandie came back around, but… she never showed. Maybe she was avoiding him because of the whole death list thing. What if she thought he thought that she did it on purpose? Of course Wally would never… but what if?
    Throughout the couple days, Wally paced his apartment and mulled over what he should do. Should he give her a call? Wait… he doesn’t have her number. Oh right, it should be in her paperwork under ways of contacting her. But alas, no answer. Is Pandie mad at him? Perhaps he did something wrong and offended her again.
    Wally waited until Pandie had to come into work earlier today to confront her about it.... But she never showed. Now this was concerning. Pandie isn’t one to miss work. Even when they were fighting back when she first started working at the café, Pandie was never even late, let alone miss a day of work. Something has to be wrong. After calling in a last minute replacement, Wally took it on himself to go check out what is really happening here and headed over to Pandie’s apartment. Upon arriving, Wally went to knock on the door… only to have it swing open a little. Pushing the door open, Wally tentatively stepped into the apartment.
Wally: …. Hello? Pandie, are you here? Your.. uh.. Your front door was open so….. I…….
    But he stopped when he saw the black scorch marks on the wall. Wally’s ears folded back as he glanced around the apartment. This was his first time here, but from what he could tell, there wasn’t signs of a robbery or a significant struggle aside of some books toppled over from the coffee table and some scratches on the adjacent wall. Further looking, Wally noticed a few dark teal feathers on the ground that lead to the bedroom. Reaching out, Wally pushed the bedroom door open, only to have it stopped by something… or somepony. Leaning in, and peeking his head through the doorway, Wally let out a strangled yelp.
Wally: P-Pandie!
    He quickly darted into the bedroom and kneeled before the lifeless form on the floor of the bedroom. Wally gently repositioned Pandie so she laid on her back, only to flinch away. Despite appearing to be unconscious, Pandie’s eyes were half opened. Her pupils, usually dark black cat slits, appeared widened and faded as she stared aimlessly into nothing, almost as if she was deep in some kind of trance. The only sense of relieve Wally had was when he felt Pandie’s chest rise and fall shallowly in his arms.
Wally:...... She isn’t dead, thank the goddesses…. But what happened to you, Pandie?
    After a bit of gently trying to rouse her from her trance, resorting to snapping and nudging and wiping her face down with a cold, damp rag, nothing seemed to be working. Wally carried the limp body over to the bed and gently laid her down, as he sat on the edge of the bed and pondered on what he should do.
Wally: *rubbing his temples* …… I should… call Bubble. Maybe this is something medically related..!
    He pulls out his cell phone and pulls up Bubble’s number… but stops. He looks over at Pandie, his ear twitching.
Wally:..... But.. Pandie said that she doesn’t need to eat or blink.. What if they find out she’s not really a pony..? *shakes his head* Okay.. so maybe… I can contact someone who actually knows who she is….. Like Mako! He’s her brother, right?
    Wally flips through his phone and find Mako’s number but once again stops.
Wally: But what could he do?... What if this really is my fault because of what happened with my sisters…? *ears fold back* Oh boy.. I’d hate to be on the wrong end of Mako….. *ear fold flat against his head* ..or Claudis…. Especially Claudis…. Especially if they as over-protective of Pandie as Mako is with Bubble… *swallows* Well buck…
    Wally put his phone back into his pocket and let out a sigh. He looked over at Pandie and felt his heart sink in his chest. Was this really his fault..? Wally wouldn’t lie to himself. He’s happy that his sisters aren’t dead. After just losing his grandparents a few months ago, Wally would have no idea how that would affect his family.. Let alone his own mental stability. The lumber horse let out a shudder and rubbed his face, trying to drive the thoughts from his mind. As grateful and happy he is that gruesome fate didn’t come to be… Wally didn’t want Pandie to be fall-pony in their stead.
    The past few months have been a wild crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs both physically, what with his sickness and recovery, and emotionally. Having Pandie suddenly poof into his life was like a train to the face, with her dropping the bomb that she was the Fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse right when he was on the brink of losing his café. But without Pandie, he never would have been able to come to where he was now. For the last couple of months, even if it was unintentionally, Wally had been relying on Pandie to help push himself to be a better manager and a better friend.
    Wally gently pushed the long bangs from Pandie’s face. Friends, right.. It would be premature of him to say they were anything more, despite what their friends and his family have been insinuating. Through everything they have been through together, Wally does care for Pandie, even if he has trouble showing it when at work or out in the public eye. But now no one is here. There is no one here who can push Wally along or give him the nudge to do the right thing. What the right thing, he has no clue. But he knows one thing: Pandie needs him.
    So with that in mind, Wally did the only thing he could think he could do. He would take care of her as best he could and hope that she’ll just… snap out of this trance. After gathering a few of Pandie’s personal items, Wally took her back to his apartment so that throughout the day, even while he was working, he could come up and check on her.
-----
    It wasn’t until the next day that Wally realized the blunder in his plans. He paced his apartment, stroking his beard and mulling over his options. He could call Bubble. That was a logical option before. It still was… Except that she was currently living with Pandie’s brother, Mako. Wally didn’t feel like having his throat ripped out this early in the morning so he thumbed through the other female friends he head. He could name them off on one hand. His mother or Bubble’s mother were completely off the table. No question. For this particular situation, he needs someone who is calm and sensible. Down to earth and won’t threaten to drown him in the ocean.
    It was then he heard the knock on his apartment door, causing his ears to spring up as he frantically rushed to open it.
Wally: Rasta! That was quick..
Rasta: Well...you sounded like you were in trouble so I flew over as quickly as I could. What’s going on?
    The flustered horse lead the tiny owlbat through his apartment to the bedroom. He opened the door and revealed the lifeless form of his barista, Pandie, who had remained unmoved since he placed her there the previous night.
Wally: So… yeah.. This isn’t as bad as it looks………… I think.
Rasta: *pupils widen so they are rounded out* Is she dead?!
Wally: *waves his hands* NO nonononono! S-S-She’s not dead! I think.. She’s breathing! That counts as “living” right?
Rasta: ...I… *sighs* I guess? *fluffs up a bit* ...Wally, you brute! *hits him on the arm* You have to be gentle with mares!
Wally: Ow! I am being gent-..... OH! NO! No no no! That’s.. That is NOT what is happening here! I found her like this in her apartment when she didn’t come into work yesterday!
Rasta: You… found her this way? … Was she attacked? How long has she been like this? *goes over to the bed*
Wally: *ear twitches* I… I don’t know. The last I saw her was two… three days ago while we were in the park…. *his voice trailing off, remembering the scorch marks on the wall* …..
Rasta: Maybe you should call Bubble… or bring her to the hospital. She doesn’t look sick though…
Wally: *shakes his head* I-I can’t do that…. It’s… hard to explain. From what it looks like when I found her, I think she’s in a trance of some sort. I’m hoping that she’ll just.. wake up at some point.
    Rasta knelt down to get a closer look at Pandie. She was breathing, so that did confirm she was indeed alive. She looked almost serene, like a sleeping child nestled in warm blankets. It would have been endearing and cute, if not given the odd circumstance for her slumber. Remembering some survival skills her father had taught her when she was younger, she brought two fingers up to Pandie’s neck to check for a pulse. Pressing down a bit, she almost immediately pulled them away. The skin there felt….tender and a lot more squishy than the elasticity skin normally had. Moving Pandie’s dark fur collar away, she went to look at the skin underneath. She let out a rather startled squeak.
Rasta: Hoooly shit… what happened to her neck?
Wally: *ears perk and leans over Rasta to look* What? What happened?
Rasta: She’s bruised here, Wally. Like pretty badly! Jeez, she looks like she got walloped pretty good, but...I can’t tell. She looks unharmed except there…
    Wally’s ears would fold back as he thought about the incident in the park. Pandie did wince when he touched her wing. Maybe she is hurt and does need medical care. Wally sat on the edge of the bed and nervously fidgeted with his hands.
Wally: …. Uh.. a few days ago, we were in the park and…. A tree branch fell. You know because of the storm… It almost hit my sisters but Pandie pushed them out of the way….. I wonder if that’s what caused it..
Rasta: You mean that branch in the park? I heard about that in passing but I didn’t get details. Patrons talk, y’know? … But I don’t know if a branch, as big as they said it was, can hit somepony and not kill them. And you said you found her this way?
Wally: *nods, looking a little uneasy* Y-yeah… She got up and ran like it was nothing… Probably headed straight back to her apartment if I was to guess.. Pandie seemed kind of… spooked.
Rasta: I mean….adrenaline can make a pony do some crazy stuff, Wally, but a tree branch falling on her head would have broken her neck! I don’t think adrenaline can help you there. Hmmm… I’m not a nurse, so I can’t tell you much...which begs the question… why DID you call me over?
Wally: *face turns red and looks to the side* Well um….. She.. Pandie is… um….
Rasta: She is… what?
Wally: *grumbles and his ears folded flat against his head, still averting his eyes* Pandie is… a mare. *raises his finger to stop Rasta* Wait..! Just give me a break, it’s been a long couple of days..!
Rasta: *rolls her eyes* You got….ten seconds..
Wally: Okay, so when I brought Pandie here, I was just going to have her stay here until she woke up, you know just to check up on her and make sure she was still… you know… breathing! If anything got worse, I was going to have her rushed over to the hospital..
Rasta: Uh-huuuh… And I play a role in this...how?
Wally: Well… you are a mare. And--
Rasta: No shit, Walter! What was your first clue?! The breasts or the fact I popped a foal out my cooch two years ago!?
Wally: UGH! I need someone to change and bathe her!! Okay?! It’s not proper for me to be… handling an unconscious mare as it is, let alone take care of her hygienically! If we were… dating or married that would be a different story but we aren’t!
Rasta: You called me over here to give her a bath? I mean...I guess but why was that so hard to ask?!
Wally: *grumbles and glares at Rasta* Because it’s me… and I’m afraid that any minute either Pandie’s brother or father are going to break through the front door and throttle me for even asking...
Rasta: ...Yeah you do have really reaaaaally shitty luck sometimes. Ok fine. Go...run the bathtub and I’ll get her undressed..
Wally: *lets out a sigh* Thanks Rasta, I really owe you one...
Rasta: but you’re still gonna have to carry her in there!
Wally: *tenses and goes wide eyed* W-why me?! S-s-s-she’ll be naked! T-that’s… there has to be a law against that somewhere!
Rasta: Wally, she’s almost as big as I am! How do you expect me to carry her? We’ll… wrap a towel around her or something, you big baby!
Wally: *slumps and lets out a whine* Hrmmmm… O-okay…
    And with that, Rasta shooed Wally out of the bedroom so she could get to work on her task, however silly of one as it may be… Ok. Time to...bathe a mare she barely knew...joy. Groaning loud enough for Wally to hear her exasperation from the other room, she pulled the blankets off Pandie’s body so she could try to manipulate her into a sorta upright position. Once she had her that way, Rasta got to work until Pandie was undressed and reached for a towel or sheet. Turning to face the pegasus once again, the owlbat stopped...and tilted her head….that was odd...maybe…
Rasta: Wally! Get in here!
Wally: *opens the door* What’s wrong? Did something-- OH GOD SHE’S NAKED! *as he attempted to close the door, shutting his own face in the doorway* OW! Buck! *as Wally held his head, covering his eyes*
Rasta: ….You’re a special kinda glue-sniffer, aren’t you?
Wally: I don’t sniff glue..! And why didn’t you cover her up? It’s indecent for me to… you know.. That’s the whole reason you are here!
Rasta: She doesn’t have anything to cover up…
Wally: *ears perk, but still covering his eyes* ……. Huh?
Rasta: Walter, open up your goddess forsaken blind eyes!
    After letting out a whimper and non verbally expressing how much he strongly did not want too, Wally reluctantly uncovered his eyes and looked over to the bed. Pandie’s body was...in fact featureless. The small pegasus lacked not only nipples, but breasts entirely, her chest flat as a board. She had no navel, and while the thought of below the belt occurred, they left that alone. Both Rasta and Wally were NOT gonna look into that notion. But nonetheless, Pandie looked almost like a stallion, despite being a girl.
Rasta: So… yeah… she’s flat… nothing there…
Wally: *face turns red as he looks away again* Hrmm.. That’s… odd. But she’s still naked..! It’s an invasion of privacy and trust. It doesn’t matter if she….. doesn’t have….. stuff.
Rasta: ...Stuff? Really, Wally? This does mean you probably can do this...though it is a little odd she has nothing there… hmmm…
Wally: *starts to sweat, trying to think of an excuse of why she could be like this EXCEPT for her being the literal embodiment of Death* Hmmm…….I.. I don’t know… Odd..
Rasta: Oh! I know! Dad told me about this.~ It makes sense now!
Wally: *ears perk as he stares at Rasta wide eyed* Wait.. you know? How?
Rasta: Well she is Papa’s daughter, right? Even if she is adopted, given the tail, and fangs and other stuff, Pandie must be part dragon. Dragons hatch from eggs, so they don’t have umbilical cords and they don’t breastfeed, so they don’t really have mammaries. She must have a lot more dragon in her than I thought!
Wally: *blinks* ……… Right. That must be it…. Mmhmm.. *looks to the side again* So.. you are still going to… you know.. Bathe her and all that, right?
Rasta: Ugh… yes, Wally. I’m still gonna bathe her.
Wally: *grabs a towel from the closet and lays it on Pandie to cover her up* Okay.. um… the bath is ready so lets--
Rasta: This once…
Wally: *ears perk* W-what? Why?
Rasta: If you are this determined to help her out till she wakes up, you’ll need to buckle down and do it. Besides, I can’t keep coming over here to do so. I have a club to run, and a two year old to care for.
Wally: *ears fold back* I know that but…. I have more respect for Pandie as a pony to do that. I do care and I do want to help but… I don’t want to disrespect her when she’s weak and vulnerable like this. It isn’t right. At… At least if it’s another mare, it won’t be looked down upon as something lecturous or something...
Rasta: Wally, you’re not groping at her in her sleep! It’s great you respect her, and I’m happy you care so much about her to want to help, but it’s not lecturous like you think it is. She needs you, Walter. Something's up and Pandie can't care for herself right now. She needs you.
Wally: *opened his mouth… and then closes it* …. Yeah.. I guess you are right.. I just… hope Pandie doesn’t freak out at me when she wakes up. She...uh.. she’s kind of more old fashion.
Rasta: I’m sure she’ll understand. You mean well.
Wally: *rubs his head and groans* I try to.. But sometimes I feel like I’m just….. making things worse. Like this is somehow my fault..
Rasta: That’s cause you overthink everything. You didn’t do this, so how could it be?
Wally: *thinking back of seeing his sister’s name on the list* …. Right… Let’s just get this over with. I know you probably have a busy day..
Rasta: I left Clippy with Casey at home. Luckily, you caught me on my day off, but...you know… foals.
Wally: *shrugs as he gently picks Pandie up* I can only assume. Maybe someday, hehe~
----
    After Rasta made sure Pandie was cleaned, dry and dressed in fresh clothing, both her and Wally laid the pegasus back down, placing the blankets over her body so she could rest and recover. Even during that whole endeavour, Pandie still had refused to wake. It was starting to worry Rasta a bit now too. Maybe it was some weird dragon thing. Like a... self induced trance so she could heal. Could dragons do that? Heck if she knew… Wishing Walter the best, and making him promise to take her to a hospital if her condition worsened, Rasta headed off back home. She silently hoped something good would happen soon, and Pandie would awaken.
    Four days had passed since then. Pandie neither awakened, but she never worsened in that time span. Three more days of silence from the small mare. Three days of not a twitch or a flinch other than the steady rise and fall of her chest. It was only near the noon of the 4th day, she made a movement. A claw twitched, before going still, only to twitch again. The black abyss of Pandie’s mind was being rapidly flooded with light. It was blinding and painful and it BURNED. Her eyes could make out the lights behind her eyelids and her ears were suddenly flooded with the chaotic symphony of noise and sounds that while mellow to the other denizen of the apartment, to Pandie, sounded like a cacophony of screaming and ruckus in her ear drums that she just wanted to stop!
    Blood red eyes flew open, and she let out a startled, frightened cry as she bolted upright.
Pandie: Wally!!!
-----
Edit! Oops, I forgot the blurb at the bottom XD Who is that mystery mare and what does she have to do with Pandie's past? Find out next time on Capricorn Reef!

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Description

Two days earlier…
Splashsplashsplash!!
    The sound of two tiny hooves running down the wet sidewalks clamoured through the air along with the frantic and nervous baas and growls from the throat of the pony running. After such a ‘heroic’ action, the tiny raven-winged pony...didn’t seem to react the way anypony that had witnessed or come up had expected. The crowd that gathered after the large branch had fallen all murmured and congratulated the pegasus, who was still in her daze...and still staring ahead. Wally’s hand on her sore wing was the only thing that had snapped her out of her deep trance, and in doing so, jump started her mind again. She had to get out of here….she needed to leave. That...that bitch was coming. Pandie had quickly assured Wally and his two young sisters, Hazel and Macadamia, she was fine and unharmed before quickly rushing off, leaving them in the park. Pandie ignored the pain in her wing, quickly running away from the area, away from where harm could come to the the two girls again… to Wally again. As she ran towards her apartment, water began to fall from the sky once more, as though weeping for the ordeal she was about to endure.
    Pandie quickly fumbled with her keys, dropping them once in her fear before quickly snatching them up again and running into the apartment. Maybe she had time. She needed to prepare, she needed---
???: Hello, Death.
Fuck….
Pandie: ...What do you want? Why are you here?
???: You know exactly why I’m here, Death. You broke the rules, you interfered. AGAIN.
Death: ...She was just a child… a young, healthy, innocent filly!
???: And what of the others, Death? You save her, but not them? What made her so special? Attachments… guilt...or perhaps it has something to do with that boy of yours…?
Death: Leave Walter alone and out of this, Life...
    Pandie turned and growled, glaring at the taller pony ahead of her. Those golden eyes seemed to pierce into her own, glaring into her own crimson ones. Her coat was a beautiful pale brown, that got slightly darker with small gradient on her arms and hooves. The ‘pony’s hooves and hands had brilliant white gloves and socks unmarked by neither dirt nor blemish. Not a hair or feather was out of place on her body and her long sharp horn jutted from her forehead, nestled between fiery curls that reminded Pandie of the unforgiving scorch of fire.
Death: You choose an alicorn for your facade? Your ego knows no bounds, you know that?
Life: Silence! You know the rules, Death. Do not interfere, do not mess with the balances, or did you forget?!
Death: There was no reason for her to die!
Life: Death happens, or did you forget that too? That’s why you exist...
Death: But not to her, you pompous bitch!
Life: And why not her?!
Death: HER TIMELINE WAS NOT THAT SHORT WHEN I LAST SAW HER! I’ve carried this burden too long to know patterns don’t just randomly switch without reason! I know when somepony has meddled where they DON’T belong! WHAT. DID. YOU. DO!?
    Silence. The two supernatural beings stared each other down, unmoving and unflinching. Suddenly, Life let out a chuckled which turned into a full laugh.
Life: Ahahaha~ Ahhh, so you caught me. I guess you are smarter than you look. You were getting so close to that stupid stallion and his family, I had to try something to break you away and put you back to your task of watching over the boy instead.
Death: And you bitch at me for breaking rules, yet here you are stepping in my domain.
Life: Oh get over yourself. She’s alive, and little Death is a hero to the ponies and her sweet prince charming~
Death: I said keep him out of this!
Life: Oh and I seem to have touched a nerve with him. What is this all about, Death? Are you protective of him because he’s giving you something? Attention...money… the praise you so desired… oooh~ Or are you just using him for more personal, physical gratifica---
    Life needed to duck before she could finish that sentence, a black bolt of magic rushing past and smacking into the wall, spider webbing across the wall burning and searing the paint as it affixed itself to its new residence. Pandie’s eyes flickered, one sclera turning a deep inky black, before going back to normal as her glamour flickered partially.
Death: How DARE you….
Life: Why you little...wait… that look… HAH! I get it now. You’re in love with him… imagine that! Death falling in love with a mortal!
Death: Leave here, Life! I have suffered from you enough.
Life: Oh… but you haven’t. You still broke rules, Death, and that must be punished….and nopony will come to help you...I can cast mortal spells too and soundproofing a room is foal’s play…. Why else has nopony come, despite your incessant squawking?
    She hadn’t noticed it, but the door was still ajar letting out the cacophony of yelling and banging and yet...not one pony had come to see what was happening. She faltered for a moment, the feeling of dread and loneliness settling in her stomach, giving Life the chance to attack. Her arm slammed into her throat, pinning her to the wall. Pandie yelped, the pain in her esophagus and renewed throbbing in her wing causing her to growl and swipe her claws at her assailant’s face in instinct, striking Life in the face, marring that perfect image with long angry claw marks. Life let go, letting her drop to the floor before her hands flew to her face.
Life: You… You will pay for that…
    Pandie tried to get up, weakly struggling to her hooves. While mortal means weren’t enough to kill her, the pain and effects still lingered, and she was disoriented from the blow. She tried to get to the bedroom, to at least put a barrier between her and Life so she could gather herself, but the sudden pain from a hoof on her injured wing stopped her and she shrieked out in pain, barely able to turn to see the bitch of an alicorn charging up.
Life: Maybe a week’s punishment will suffice for your actions… goodnight, Death
    The world started to go dark, and the last thing she heard was the cackle of her counterpart as she faded off…
Wally...help...me…
...Pandie fell into darkness...
-----
    It’s been two days since Wally has last seen Pandie. After the events in the park, he was more than grateful that Pandie saved his sisters but wasn’t fully able to show it do to her running off so suddenly. At the time, Wally only assumed it was because it was because of the gather crowd and over abundant of social stimulus that caused Pandie to skirt back into the shadows. He had planned on showing his appreciate more when Pandie came back around, but… she never showed. Maybe she was avoiding him because of the whole death list thing. What if she thought he thought that she did it on purpose? Of course Wally would never… but what if?
    Throughout the couple days, Wally paced his apartment and mulled over what he should do. Should he give her a call? Wait… he doesn’t have her number. Oh right, it should be in her paperwork under ways of contacting her. But alas, no answer. Is Pandie mad at him? Perhaps he did something wrong and offended her again.
    Wally waited until Pandie had to come into work earlier today to confront her about it.... But she never showed. Now this was concerning. Pandie isn’t one to miss work. Even when they were fighting back when she first started working at the café, Pandie was never even late, let alone miss a day of work. Something has to be wrong. After calling in a last minute replacement, Wally took it on himself to go check out what is really happening here and headed over to Pandie’s apartment. Upon arriving, Wally went to knock on the door… only to have it swing open a little. Pushing the door open, Wally tentatively stepped into the apartment.
Wally: …. Hello? Pandie, are you here? Your.. uh.. Your front door was open so….. I…….
    But he stopped when he saw the black scorch marks on the wall. Wally’s ears folded back as he glanced around the apartment. This was his first time here, but from what he could tell, there wasn’t signs of a robbery or a significant struggle aside of some books toppled over from the coffee table and some scratches on the adjacent wall. Further looking, Wally noticed a few dark teal feathers on the ground that lead to the bedroom. Reaching out, Wally pushed the bedroom door open, only to have it stopped by something… or somepony. Leaning in, and peeking his head through the doorway, Wally let out a strangled yelp.
Wally: P-Pandie!
    He quickly darted into the bedroom and kneeled before the lifeless form on the floor of the bedroom. Wally gently repositioned Pandie so she laid on her back, only to flinch away. Despite appearing to be unconscious, Pandie’s eyes were half opened. Her pupils, usually dark black cat slits, appeared widened and faded as she stared aimlessly into nothing, almost as if she was deep in some kind of trance. The only sense of relieve Wally had was when he felt Pandie’s chest rise and fall shallowly in his arms.
Wally:...... She isn’t dead, thank the goddesses…. But what happened to you, Pandie?
    After a bit of gently trying to rouse her from her trance, resorting to snapping and nudging and wiping her face down with a cold, damp rag, nothing seemed to be working. Wally carried the limp body over to the bed and gently laid her down, as he sat on the edge of the bed and pondered on what he should do.
Wally: *rubbing his temples* …… I should… call Bubble. Maybe this is something medically related..!
    He pulls out his cell phone and pulls up Bubble’s number… but stops. He looks over at Pandie, his ear twitching.
Wally:..... But.. Pandie said that she doesn’t need to eat or blink.. What if they find out she’s not really a pony..? *shakes his head* Okay.. so maybe… I can contact someone who actually knows who she is….. Like Mako! He’s her brother, right?
    Wally flips through his phone and find Mako’s number but once again stops.
Wally: But what could he do?... What if this really is my fault because of what happened with my sisters…? *ears fold back* Oh boy.. I’d hate to be on the wrong end of Mako….. *ear fold flat against his head* ..or Claudis…. Especially Claudis…. Especially if they as over-protective of Pandie as Mako is with Bubble… *swallows* Well buck…
    Wally put his phone back into his pocket and let out a sigh. He looked over at Pandie and felt his heart sink in his chest. Was this really his fault..? Wally wouldn’t lie to himself. He’s happy that his sisters aren’t dead. After just losing his grandparents a few months ago, Wally would have no idea how that would affect his family.. Let alone his own mental stability. The lumber horse let out a shudder and rubbed his face, trying to drive the thoughts from his mind. As grateful and happy he is that gruesome fate didn’t come to be… Wally didn’t want Pandie to be fall-pony in their stead.
    The past few months have been a wild crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs both physically, what with his sickness and recovery, and emotionally. Having Pandie suddenly poof into his life was like a train to the face, with her dropping the bomb that she was the Fourth Horsemen of the Apocalypse right when he was on the brink of losing his café. But without Pandie, he never would have been able to come to where he was now. For the last couple of months, even if it was unintentionally, Wally had been relying on Pandie to help push himself to be a better manager and a better friend.
    Wally gently pushed the long bangs from Pandie’s face. Friends, right.. It would be premature of him to say they were anything more, despite what their friends and his family have been insinuating. Through everything they have been through together, Wally does care for Pandie, even if he has trouble showing it when at work or out in the public eye. But now no one is here. There is no one here who can push Wally along or give him the nudge to do the right thing. What the right thing, he has no clue. But he knows one thing: Pandie needs him.
    So with that in mind, Wally did the only thing he could think he could do. He would take care of her as best he could and hope that she’ll just… snap out of this trance. After gathering a few of Pandie’s personal items, Wally took her back to his apartment so that throughout the day, even while he was working, he could come up and check on her.
-----
    It wasn’t until the next day that Wally realized the blunder in his plans. He paced his apartment, stroking his beard and mulling over his options. He could call Bubble. That was a logical option before. It still was… Except that she was currently living with Pandie’s brother, Mako. Wally didn’t feel like having his throat ripped out this early in the morning so he thumbed through the other female friends he head. He could name them off on one hand. His mother or Bubble’s mother were completely off the table. No question. For this particular situation, he needs someone who is calm and sensible. Down to earth and won’t threaten to drown him in the ocean.
    It was then he heard the knock on his apartment door, causing his ears to spring up as he frantically rushed to open it.
Wally: Rasta! That was quick..
Rasta: Well...you sounded like you were in trouble so I flew over as quickly as I could. What’s going on?
    The flustered horse lead the tiny owlbat through his apartment to the bedroom. He opened the door and revealed the lifeless form of his barista, Pandie, who had remained unmoved since he placed her there the previous night.
Wally: So… yeah.. This isn’t as bad as it looks………… I think.
Rasta: *pupils widen so they are rounded out* Is she dead?!
Wally: *waves his hands* NO nonononono! S-S-She’s not dead! I think.. She’s breathing! That counts as “living” right?
Rasta: ...I… *sighs* I guess? *fluffs up a bit* ...Wally, you brute! *hits him on the arm* You have to be gentle with mares!
Wally: Ow! I am being gent-..... OH! NO! No no no! That’s.. That is NOT what is happening here! I found her like this in her apartment when she didn’t come into work yesterday!
Rasta: You… found her this way? … Was she attacked? How long has she been like this? *goes over to the bed*
Wally: *ear twitches* I… I don’t know. The last I saw her was two… three days ago while we were in the park…. *his voice trailing off, remembering the scorch marks on the wall* …..
Rasta: Maybe you should call Bubble… or bring her to the hospital. She doesn’t look sick though…
Wally: *shakes his head* I-I can’t do that…. It’s… hard to explain. From what it looks like when I found her, I think she’s in a trance of some sort. I’m hoping that she’ll just.. wake up at some point.
    Rasta knelt down to get a closer look at Pandie. She was breathing, so that did confirm she was indeed alive. She looked almost serene, like a sleeping child nestled in warm blankets. It would have been endearing and cute, if not given the odd circumstance for her slumber. Remembering some survival skills her father had taught her when she was younger, she brought two fingers up to Pandie’s neck to check for a pulse. Pressing down a bit, she almost immediately pulled them away. The skin there felt….tender and a lot more squishy than the elasticity skin normally had. Moving Pandie’s dark fur collar away, she went to look at the skin underneath. She let out a rather startled squeak.
Rasta: Hoooly shit… what happened to her neck?
Wally: *ears perk and leans over Rasta to look* What? What happened?
Rasta: She’s bruised here, Wally. Like pretty badly! Jeez, she looks like she got walloped pretty good, but...I can’t tell. She looks unharmed except there…
    Wally’s ears would fold back as he thought about the incident in the park. Pandie did wince when he touched her wing. Maybe she is hurt and does need medical care. Wally sat on the edge of the bed and nervously fidgeted with his hands.
Wally: …. Uh.. a few days ago, we were in the park and…. A tree branch fell. You know because of the storm… It almost hit my sisters but Pandie pushed them out of the way….. I wonder if that’s what caused it..
Rasta: You mean that branch in the park? I heard about that in passing but I didn’t get details. Patrons talk, y’know? … But I don’t know if a branch, as big as they said it was, can hit somepony and not kill them. And you said you found her this way?
Wally: *nods, looking a little uneasy* Y-yeah… She got up and ran like it was nothing… Probably headed straight back to her apartment if I was to guess.. Pandie seemed kind of… spooked.
Rasta: I mean….adrenaline can make a pony do some crazy stuff, Wally, but a tree branch falling on her head would have broken her neck! I don’t think adrenaline can help you there. Hmmm… I’m not a nurse, so I can’t tell you much...which begs the question… why DID you call me over?
Wally: *face turns red and looks to the side* Well um….. She.. Pandie is… um….
Rasta: She is… what?
Wally: *grumbles and his ears folded flat against his head, still averting his eyes* Pandie is… a mare. *raises his finger to stop Rasta* Wait..! Just give me a break, it’s been a long couple of days..!
Rasta: *rolls her eyes* You got….ten seconds..
Wally: Okay, so when I brought Pandie here, I was just going to have her stay here until she woke up, you know just to check up on her and make sure she was still… you know… breathing! If anything got worse, I was going to have her rushed over to the hospital..
Rasta: Uh-huuuh… And I play a role in this...how?
Wally: Well… you are a mare. And--
Rasta: No shit, Walter! What was your first clue?! The breasts or the fact I popped a foal out my cooch two years ago!?
Wally: UGH! I need someone to change and bathe her!! Okay?! It’s not proper for me to be… handling an unconscious mare as it is, let alone take care of her hygienically! If we were… dating or married that would be a different story but we aren’t!
Rasta: You called me over here to give her a bath? I mean...I guess but why was that so hard to ask?!
Wally: *grumbles and glares at Rasta* Because it’s me… and I’m afraid that any minute either Pandie’s brother or father are going to break through the front door and throttle me for even asking...
Rasta: ...Yeah you do have really reaaaaally shitty luck sometimes. Ok fine. Go...run the bathtub and I’ll get her undressed..
Wally: *lets out a sigh* Thanks Rasta, I really owe you one...
Rasta: but you’re still gonna have to carry her in there!
Wally: *tenses and goes wide eyed* W-why me?! S-s-s-she’ll be naked! T-that’s… there has to be a law against that somewhere!
Rasta: Wally, she’s almost as big as I am! How do you expect me to carry her? We’ll… wrap a towel around her or something, you big baby!
Wally: *slumps and lets out a whine* Hrmmmm… O-okay…
    And with that, Rasta shooed Wally out of the bedroom so she could get to work on her task, however silly of one as it may be… Ok. Time to...bathe a mare she barely knew...joy. Groaning loud enough for Wally to hear her exasperation from the other room, she pulled the blankets off Pandie’s body so she could try to manipulate her into a sorta upright position. Once she had her that way, Rasta got to work until Pandie was undressed and reached for a towel or sheet. Turning to face the pegasus once again, the owlbat stopped...and tilted her head….that was odd...maybe…
Rasta: Wally! Get in here!
Wally: *opens the door* What’s wrong? Did something-- OH GOD SHE’S NAKED! *as he attempted to close the door, shutting his own face in the doorway* OW! Buck! *as Wally held his head, covering his eyes*
Rasta: ….You’re a special kinda glue-sniffer, aren’t you?
Wally: I don’t sniff glue..! And why didn’t you cover her up? It’s indecent for me to… you know.. That’s the whole reason you are here!
Rasta: She doesn’t have anything to cover up…
Wally: *ears perk, but still covering his eyes* ……. Huh?
Rasta: Walter, open up your goddess forsaken blind eyes!
    After letting out a whimper and non verbally expressing how much he strongly did not want too, Wally reluctantly uncovered his eyes and looked over to the bed. Pandie’s body was...in fact featureless. The small pegasus lacked not only nipples, but breasts entirely, her chest flat as a board. She had no navel, and while the thought of below the belt occurred, they left that alone. Both Rasta and Wally were NOT gonna look into that notion. But nonetheless, Pandie looked almost like a stallion, despite being a girl.
Rasta: So… yeah… she’s flat… nothing there…
Wally: *face turns red as he looks away again* Hrmm.. That’s… odd. But she’s still naked..! It’s an invasion of privacy and trust. It doesn’t matter if she….. doesn’t have….. stuff.
Rasta: ...Stuff? Really, Wally? This does mean you probably can do this...though it is a little odd she has nothing there… hmmm…
Wally: *starts to sweat, trying to think of an excuse of why she could be like this EXCEPT for her being the literal embodiment of Death* Hmmm…….I.. I don’t know… Odd..
Rasta: Oh! I know! Dad told me about this.~ It makes sense now!
Wally: *ears perk as he stares at Rasta wide eyed* Wait.. you know? How?
Rasta: Well she is Papa’s daughter, right? Even if she is adopted, given the tail, and fangs and other stuff, Pandie must be part dragon. Dragons hatch from eggs, so they don’t have umbilical cords and they don’t breastfeed, so they don’t really have mammaries. She must have a lot more dragon in her than I thought!
Wally: *blinks* ……… Right. That must be it…. Mmhmm.. *looks to the side again* So.. you are still going to… you know.. Bathe her and all that, right?
Rasta: Ugh… yes, Wally. I’m still gonna bathe her.
Wally: *grabs a towel from the closet and lays it on Pandie to cover her up* Okay.. um… the bath is ready so lets--
Rasta: This once…
Wally: *ears perk* W-what? Why?
Rasta: If you are this determined to help her out till she wakes up, you’ll need to buckle down and do it. Besides, I can’t keep coming over here to do so. I have a club to run, and a two year old to care for.
Wally: *ears fold back* I know that but…. I have more respect for Pandie as a pony to do that. I do care and I do want to help but… I don’t want to disrespect her when she’s weak and vulnerable like this. It isn’t right. At… At least if it’s another mare, it won’t be looked down upon as something lecturous or something...
Rasta: Wally, you’re not groping at her in her sleep! It’s great you respect her, and I’m happy you care so much about her to want to help, but it’s not lecturous like you think it is. She needs you, Walter. Something's up and Pandie can't care for herself right now. She needs you.
Wally: *opened his mouth… and then closes it* …. Yeah.. I guess you are right.. I just… hope Pandie doesn’t freak out at me when she wakes up. She...uh.. she’s kind of more old fashion.
Rasta: I’m sure she’ll understand. You mean well.
Wally: *rubs his head and groans* I try to.. But sometimes I feel like I’m just….. making things worse. Like this is somehow my fault..
Rasta: That’s cause you overthink everything. You didn’t do this, so how could it be?
Wally: *thinking back of seeing his sister’s name on the list* …. Right… Let’s just get this over with. I know you probably have a busy day..
Rasta: I left Clippy with Casey at home. Luckily, you caught me on my day off, but...you know… foals.
Wally: *shrugs as he gently picks Pandie up* I can only assume. Maybe someday, hehe~
----
    After Rasta made sure Pandie was cleaned, dry and dressed in fresh clothing, both her and Wally laid the pegasus back down, placing the blankets over her body so she could rest and recover. Even during that whole endeavour, Pandie still had refused to wake. It was starting to worry Rasta a bit now too. Maybe it was some weird dragon thing. Like a... self induced trance so she could heal. Could dragons do that? Heck if she knew… Wishing Walter the best, and making him promise to take her to a hospital if her condition worsened, Rasta headed off back home. She silently hoped something good would happen soon, and Pandie would awaken.
    Four days had passed since then. Pandie neither awakened, but she never worsened in that time span. Three more days of silence from the small mare. Three days of not a twitch or a flinch other than the steady rise and fall of her chest. It was only near the noon of the 4th day, she made a movement. A claw twitched, before going still, only to twitch again. The black abyss of Pandie’s mind was being rapidly flooded with light. It was blinding and painful and it BURNED. Her eyes could make out the lights behind her eyelids and her ears were suddenly flooded with the chaotic symphony of noise and sounds that while mellow to the other denizen of the apartment, to Pandie, sounded like a cacophony of screaming and ruckus in her ear drums that she just wanted to stop!
    Blood red eyes flew open, and she let out a startled, frightened cry as she bolted upright.
Pandie: Wally!!!
-----
Edit! Oops, I forgot the blurb at the bottom XD Who is that mystery mare and what does she have to do with Pandie's past? Find out next time on Capricorn Reef!

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