Jaxler woke up. His entire body ached and his head stung like crazy. He felt a small sting in his chest, as if he was burnt there, and the light in the room was horrible. He sat up, and looked around, he somehow managed to end up in the hospital. What was more odd what the fact that he saw Marilee sitting in the room with him. He didn’t have any idea how he got there. What was even more odd was the fact that the little pony was shivering.
As Jaxler sat up, Marilee threw her forelegs around him, holding him tightly. After a long moment of silence, She managed to squeak out, “Y-You’re awake...”
Jaxler was surprised by the sudden hug, but still kept shaking as if he had fallen through the ice on top a frozen lake. “Um, yeah... how’d I get here.” he then returned the hug, still trembling.
“Y-You drank too much. M-Miss Panacea said you went into shock.” She pulled away from Jaxler, looking into his eyes. “When they c-came to tell me, I-I thought... I thought y-you were already...” She broke off, burying her face in his shoulder.
“I... I had already died...”
Marilee nodded weakly, not taking her head from his shoulder.
Jaxler put his forelegs and wings around his love. “I... I’m sorry...” he still couldn’t stop his shaking.
Marilee raised her head again, looking into his eyes. “Jaxler... you got lucky this time.
really lucky. What... what’s going to happen if this happens again?”
Jaxler still was trembling, as if something was haunting him. “I... I’d probably die.”
Suddenly, Jaxler’s world went spinning as Marilee smacked him hard across the face with a forehoof. “H-How can you
do that!?” She cried, tears streaming down her face. “H-How can you be s-so
calm about this? D-Do you not even c-care whether you l-live or die?”
Jaxler was speechless. He never expected this in his life.. He didn’t say anything for what seemed like forever. He still tried to pull Marilee closer to him with his wings and legs, as if he was afraid of her leaving him. the markspony only managed to shake even more. “I-I-I...” he kept quiet until he finally realized something. “I-I.. I need my crossbow.”
“Your crossbow is safe, I made sure of that. I promise you’ll get it back later. But not now. First, we need to talk.” Marilee got up from the bed, going to the door. “We
all need to talk.” She opened the door, stepping out briefly to speak to somepony outside.
Jaxler felt a bit of fear surge through his being as Marilee got up and left him. He didn’t object to not having his crossbow, which was odd, and instead pulled the bed’s covers over him in an attempt to fend off the cold, but he still kept on shaking.
After only a few moments, Marilee came back into the room, holding the door open behind her.
Flux steps through, looking relieved that Jaxler is still alive. "Um, hi Jaxler"
Stiletto stands just behind Flux. She smiles at Jaxler, but her eyes hold sadness.
Jaxler sat up again, still trying to keep the covers of the bed over him. “Marilee... what’s going on?”
"Jaxler, honey... this is an intervention"
Jaxler gave marilee a stressed look. “Um... okay... before we do this, can I have my crossbow, and a few more blankets please...” the pony was still shivering.
The Crossbow was probably out of the question right now, but Flux saw no harm in some more blankets for his friend. He grabs an extra blanket from a cabinet and lays it over Jaxler.
“F-flux can I have more than just one more blanket?”
Stiletto floats a blanket to Flux from the cabinet, who smiles in thanks at her before laying it over him as well.
“T-thanks.” Jaxler kept on shaking, but the blankets helped, but not much. “W-what exactly is a-an intervention?”
Stiletto looked to Flux and then to Marilee. The large Alicorn then looked at Jaxler. “We are intervening on your behalf to help you with your problem.”
“Okay then...” Jaxler didn’t complain and just sat there, shivering and trying to feel some level of warmth in the new sheets.
Marilee sighed, stepping forward. “Jaxler, I know you promised you’d try and slow down your drinking, but, well... we can all see that’s not working out.”
Jaxler remembered promising her he’d cut back, and how he didn’t follow through. He realized he had told a lie. after how many years had of nothing but the truth, he told a lie... he actually felt sick about it. “I-I’m sorry for lying Mari...”
Marilee laid a hoof on Jaxler’s shoulder. “You didn’t lie to me, Jaxler. I know you really thought you could do this. But the truth is, it’s just too much for you to handle alone.”
Jaxler hung his head down and didn’t say a word. He still felt badly for lying, and for some reason the bed sheets weren’t working
Stiletto stepped closer and put a hoof on Jaxler’s withers, opposite to Marilee’s hoof. “Jaxler, we have come to help. We will keep watch over you and work to keep the alcohol away from your muzzle.”
Jaxler kept quiet again, and and tried his best to sink into the sheets.
Flux nods. “We’re not trying to blame you or make you feel bad... we’re trying to help you, Jaxler.”
Jaxler kept quiet for a while before speaking. “I feel cold...” The pegasus continued to shiver.
Slowly and carefully, Stiletto placed her foreleg around the shivering black furred and red maned pegasus.
Marilee followed suit, draping a wing over her little pony’s shoulders.
“is... is it normal to actually remember dying... or at least when my heart stopped...”
Flux lays a hoof on one of Jaxler’s. “I... don’t know? I never met anypony who, um... died before...”
“All I felt was cold.. there was no heaven or hell, just soul crushing cold...” Jaxler tries to get his covers more snugly around him. “I didn’t know what was going on.. but I thought I was never going to see you all again... the only thing I could sense was cold.” Jaxler starts to shiver more.
Marilee pulled Jaxler a little closer. “I don’t know where you went Jaxler, but you’re here now, with us.”
“Was that hell... after everything... am I still damned... why the hell can’t I make the cold go away...”
Marilee eased her grip on Jaxler. “Maybe you should have something to eat, or a warm drink? Tea, of course.”
“I don’t want to go to hell”
“Jaxler.” Marilee pulled back, taking Jaxler’s chin in her hoof and gently raising his head to look her in the eyes. “You are not going to Hell. Not if we have anything to say about it.”
“Okay... “ Jaxler was feeling a little bit less cold now that he had everypony around him. “I still feel cold though...”
“I’ll go get you that tea, see if that helps.” Marilee stood up to leave, giving Jaxler a kiss on the forehead before stepping out the door.
Jaxler nodded and tried to bring the blankets tighter around him. “Stiletto, Flux... why can’t I stop feeling so cold...”
Stiletto put a wing around Jaxler and hugged him close “I am sorry, but I do not know.”
Jaxler sighed and allowed to hug him, but still tried to keep the sheets as tightly around him as he could. “I don't want to go to hell” Jaxler wanted another blanket more than anything else right now.
Moments later, Marilee returned, a tray and teapot balanced on her back and two woolen blankets draped over her wings. She set the tray down beside the bed, and carefully draped each blanket over Jaxler.
Jaxler grabbed the new blanks and put them as tightly on his as he could manage. “I don’t want to go to hell... I don’t wanna go to hell...” Jaxler closed his eyes and leaned more into stiletto and kept on shaking.
Gently, Marilee crawled up onto the bed beside Jaxler, snuggling up to him.
“I don’t want to go to hell!” after his outburst Jaxler sighed, and laid down, trying to keep his blankets as snugly around his as possible.
Marilee just snuggled closer to Jaxler, providing silent support. She poured a steaming cup of tea and offered it to him.
Jaxler sat there and sighed and accepted the tea. “why did they send me to hell...” Jaxler shook some more. “Am I evil... am I not good enough for heaven...” he sipped some of the tea and lowered his head.
Stiletto stroked Jaxler’s mane, trying to comfort him in the only way she could think of. The amethyst Alicorn knew nothing of Jaxler’s beliefs in the gods of his people.
Jaxler put his forelegs around Marilee and held her as tightly as he could, and as if he was afraid she’d leave him forever. “I don’t wanna die... I don’t want to go to hell... and I don’t wanna be alone...”
Flux stands next to Jaxler’s bed, unsure of himself. He didn’t know what to do about Jaxler being cold, but he could at least try to lift his spirits. “I... I don’t think you went to hell, Jaxler. It’s supposed to be hot, isn’t it? I think... the Sisters put you, um... nowhere, for just a moment. Because it wasn’t your time yet. You’re a good pony, Jaxler. Remember your song? All the hardness and sorrow... it’ll make the happy ending all the better.”
Jaxler nodded, and even smiled a little bit but kept quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “Please don’t leave me Marilee...”
Marilee hugged Jaxler tightly, stroking his mane with a forehoof. “I won’t leave you, Jaxler.”
“I don’t want to go back there... I don’t want to be anywhere without you...” Jaxler hugged Marilee tighter and rested his head on her shoulder.
“You’re not going back to Hell, Jaxler. And I promise I won’t ever leave you.”
“can you not let go of me then... please?”
“I won’t.”
“Okay... is there anypony else here right now? I mean waiting for me?”
“I think I saw Midnight.” Stiletto spoke with quietest voice she could muster. Her forelegs hugging Jaxler to try and give him warmth.
“Okay... then can you please let them in...” Jaxler stopped shaking, but was still feeling a little cold.
“I’ll go get him.” says Flux, letting Stiletto and Marilee try to keep Jaxler warm. He heads to the door and looks around, then motions in anypony outside.
Amor enters the room along with four other ponies, she proceeds to one side of the wall, beside Jaxler’s bed. “How are you feeling Jaxler?” The mare takes a peek at the mound of blankets that made up her friend.
Midnight walks in behind Amor, with Rose following beside him. The pony looked tired and a little stressed, even so, he wore a warm smile on his face as he looked at his cloth cocooned friend.
they stopped a few feet away from Jaxler’s bed and kept quiet, letting Amor talk without interruption.
Granite broke the silence by stumbling his way through the doors. A tree branch was stuck in his mane but he didn’t seem to notice it. “Ugh... Is, is Jaxler okay?” He asks to the crowd of ponies.
“I’m feeling better, Granite and Marilee...” Jaxler then sighed. “everyone, after talking with Marilee Flux and Stiletto, I’ve chosen to get sober...”
Both Midnight and Rose look to Jaxler with a surprised expression. “Really?” Midnight asks “You mean it?” Rose adds as they both smile wider. The mason-pony’s ears fly forward at the news, she was ecstatic, but unsure if Jaxler could do it.
Granite stares at Jaxler almost dumbfounded. His best drinking buddy ever decided to stop drinking, he frowned slightly. But then he realized something, and that frown turned into a smile. Granite’s eyes flashed with happiness as he finally took the tree branch out of his mane. “Jaxler, I should be pissed at you, you know? You would always drink with me, but I guess that’s going to change, and I think that it will be a good change...” Granite pauses. “Because that means you can spend more time clear headed amongst the ponies that care about you instead of waking up in some random section of Dawnpick. I’m... I’m happy for you Jaxler, I truly am. But I’m still pissed that you’re leaving me to drink alone!”
“Granite... please... I can still be with you while you drink. I’d never leave my son, if you’d prefer, I can still spend most everyday with you while you drink, and I can just be eating out with marilee or talking with Flux while I sit with you and you get drunk, or just me and you.”
Granite sighs. “I guess I can accept that... for now... at least...”
“All excess is ill, but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and un-mare mares. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous and mad. She that is drunk is not a mare, because she is, for so long, void of reason that distinguishes a Little Pony from a beast.” Amor spouts out at Granite. “This could be a good time for you also to quit.”
“Amor... please don’t do this now... I’d like to be able to help Granite
when he quits and I can’t do that right now...” Jaxler then sighed. “Can we please just focus on trying to get me off the bottle right now?”
Feeling scolded the Unicorn mare hides it well. “You're right that this may not be the best time, but being so close to your vice might be foalish. I am only looking out for you. Honest bread is very well.” She says pointing a hoof in green mane pony’s direction. “It's the butter that makes the temptation. Anypony else have anything that would help?”
Granite looked at Amor. He opened his mouth but promptly closed it. He made his way to the exit. “Yeah, I’m gonna go clean myself up a bit and come back later I guess... good luck on quitting the bottle Jaxler... sorry for bailing out when it started getting awesome!”
Jaxler froze for a second... “um... okay then...”
Midnight and Rose both watch Granite as he departs. Midnight quickly turning to look at Jaxler before walking up to him. “... Jaxler, thank you, for doing this... I know it’ll be tough, but.” Midnight sets a hoof against Jaxler. “I’ll help you, I’ll do what ever I can to help you get through this.” Midnight says before moving up, hugging Jaxler tightly.
Rose walks up to them. “Me too... If I may. Seeing this... Seeing you breaking your need for that poison... It'd be wonderful.” Rose says as she smiles down at Jaxler, then she moves up beside Midnight, and joining in on cuddling up to both of them as best she could manage.
Jaxler sighs as more ponies started to hug him. “I... you all...” Jaxler then closed his eyes, and finally started to feel warm again. “Okay, if we are going to do this, then you all need to know that the moment I stop drinking, I’ll get depressed. Really, really, depressed and I shouldn’t be allowed alone with myself
at all until I’m starting to feel better... and I’ll need you guys to do that for me. I know there is magic to fight withdrawal so I’d like to drop drinking immediately and just go cold turkey.”
Midnight tightens his hug. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave your side as long as I can help it...”
“No, we won’t, none of us will” Rose adds. “We’ll keep you safe, jaxler, I promise.”
Amor was glad that her friend was quitting and more then happy provide companionship in this trialing time. “You have my company, anytime you may need it Jaxler.
Stiletto nods “I promised I would be here for as long as you need me.”
Flux smiles at Jaxler. “I won’t let you down, Jaxler.”
Jaxler Gave marilee a nuzzle. “thank you all... and well, I don’t really know how to say this but I love all of you...”
Author
Topic: Dawnpick (My Little Fortress) (Read 229904 times)