Rotwhite chapter 9

“Come on Snowy~ you’re lagging behind!”
>”Will you just wait for a damn whil- are you even listening?”
>Your wife giggles happily while flying away from you
“Not my fault you’re so slow”
>You join your wife by her side
>”Or you’re just too hyperactive”
>Your wife gives you a playful pout
“Are you calling me a screwball? I’ll hate you”
>Your wife does a goofy sad face at you before laughing a bit and landing
>You land next to her as she looks around
>”Yeah yeah yeah”
>You give her a grin as she pokes you with her hoof
“Hey you should listen when your wife is talking”
>You poke her back and soon enough to two of you are tumbling on the ground, wrestling playfully
>You climb on top of your wife and give her a smug smile
>”I win again. Are you even trying?”
>Your wife grins and suddenly lifts up her head and plants a kiss on your lips
>You completely loose focus due to it and your wife quickly turns the tables around
“A-ha!”
>You sigh as your wife beams proudly on top of you
>”Ok let go of me now”
>You stare at your wife as a blush forms on her face and she starts giving you bedroom eyes
“You know, about that foal...”
>Your wife nuzzles her face against your chest as you start to feel uncomfortable
>”I’m not sure if I’m ready...”
>Suddenly there’s some rustling coming from behind a few trees
>You try to pry your wife away from you
>”Did you hear that?”
>But your wife is, as sad as you are to admit it, stronger than you and starts planting kisses on your neck
“You’re not getting out of this one so easily~”
>”No I re-“
>The creature suddenly rushes towards the two of you from behind the trees and swipes at you
>You fly to the side as all air is knocked out of your lungs, but you quickly get up and open your eyes to look and your mouth to call out to your wife
>But all you can see is her unmoving form, ripped in half as the rot-bear gnaws on her lower half
>You wake up in panic and fall off the bedding you were lying on
>There’s cold sweat all over your body and you gasp for breath as you calm yourself down
>That’s...not something you want to recollect...
>You get up and wipe your face with a rag before glancing around
>it’s clearly night-time now, but almost all of the ponies are busy
>But then you notice something else of interest and make your way to it
>the ladder
>You look at the impressive thing the ponies have put together
>It’s almost done
>You get the attention of one of the ponies building it
>”Is this the ladder?”
>The stallion stops working and gets up
“Yeah, we’ve been putting together everything we can to make it, and I think it’ll be done tomorrow”
>That takes you by surprise
>”That fast?”
>The stallion rubs the back of his head and laughs a little
“Funny how fast things get done when there are monsters breathing down on our necks and everypony wants to escape as fast as possible”
>”Yeah...”
>the stallion returns to building the ladder as you walk to the pony who took charge of planning the whole construct
“Oh, uh, hi there sir”
>You give the pony a nod, trying your hardest to not feel awkward when being called a sir
>”Is to going to work?”
>The pony nods and starts explaining the whole ladder, and most of the technical stuff flies straight past your head, but you do get the gist of it
>all in all it’s just a really big ladder that folds into three parts so it forms a bridge of sorts
>But then the pony says something that catches your attention
“Though I have to admit the way things are looking out there I can’t wait to get this done se we can all escape”
>”There’s something going on?”
>The pony nods
“Maybe you should head to the roof and take a look”
>You decide to do just that and start heading towards the roof
>As you make your way there your antennae pick up a familiar scent and as you walk into the flat roof of the library You find Soothing Plume and another pony keeping watch near the edge
>But your attention is instantly drawn to something else as you make your way towards her
>Mushrooms
>Giant, white, pointy mushrooms
>You walk to the edge and survey the village, Soothing Plumes words falling to deaf ears as you’re overwhelmed by the sudden change
>The rot has spread more, caking almost all the houses entirely in the white fuzz, and these gigantic mushrooms have grown from the ground, rising up and already past the roofs of most houses like menacing white trees
“Eerie isn’t it?”
>you’re shaken back from being shocked and amazed by Soothing Plumes words that finally start to register into your mind
>”Yeah...”
>That’s the only thing you can get out as you are left practically speechless
>Just earlier today the village still looked like a village...now it’s starting to become some alien landscape
“If you stare at them long enough they look like they’re growing right before your eyes. They even might be, I’ve never seen anything grow that fast...”
>You look at Soothing Plume and find her looking at you with a worried expression
“The ponies that went to scout are not back yet. I’m getting worried”
>Makes sense, they’d probably have woken you up right away if they were back
>”Me too, they said something about being unable to use torches to light their way?”
>Soothing Plume nods
“I haven’t seen it with my own eyes but supposedly that white stuff burns easier than old paper”
>Suddenly there’s some yelling coming from straight down, at the entrance of the library, and even before the two of you can glance over the edge the other pony rushes out of the roof
“It’s the scouting party!”
>You and Soothing Plume rush back inside as well
>As the two of you arrive near the window from where you climbed in too all the ponies are gathered near it as the ponies who went out to scout crawl in
>But, there’s one extra pony with them
>As they are being showered in questions you make your way to them and the new pony looks at you with a glare
>But your attention is stolen by one of the ponies as he steps forward and speaks to you
“We’re back, almost didn’t make it. Those things have changed again”
>the other ponies go silent as they listen to the news as well
>”Changed? How? Are they even faster now?”
>The pony shakes his head
“No, but they look more creepy, their faces...it looks so pony-like now, not to mention those large spongy things have really grown, they almost look like wings”
>That’s concerning, but first things firs-
“What about the wall of rot? Did you find a spot where we can climb over?”
>Thank you random pony, you were just about to ask the same thing
“We did, and we’ve gotten lucky. It’s by the wall at the edge of the northern forests edge, almost a straight run from here”
>Just then the new pony takes a step towards you and speaks up
“Snow. Is it true you are thinking of escaping the village with these ponies?”
>The large unknown dark-colored stallion stares at you with an expression that does not seem too happy
>Who is this pony? Does he know you?
>”Yes.”
>You can hear a few ponies asking that from the scouts, and their answer surprises you
>Mosscoat
>A name you recognize isn’t that one of the ponies Barna-
“A word in private.”
>The stallion, Mosscoat, just turns around sharply and starts walking away
>Soothing Plume gives you a worried look but you follow Mosscoat
>Maybe he can shed some light to things around here
>The two of you get as far away from the other ponies as possible and then Mosscoat turns to face you and starts speaking
“Are you insane? What if they somehow find out? We can kiss our careers goodbye if that happens”
>you just stare at Mosscoat with an expression that must perfectly portray the emotion of not having a clue what the fuck the other pony is talking about as Mosscoat raises an eyebrow
>”Find out what?
>Mosscoat looks shocked for a brief moment before collecting himself
“What’s wrong with you? What do you mean what?”
>You lift up your hoof to silence this stallion
>”I got done in by an Amnesia Blossom. I can’t remember anything about this village or what has happened in it”
>Mosscoat just stares at you, and then pulls you in close and starts speaking in a hushed tone
“What do you know?”
>”Just what Barnacle has told me”
“Is he still alive?”
>”...no...”
>Mosscoat shakes his head
“Probably got himself killed somehow, that idiot. Keep talking, though that’s not important”
>You do feel a bit weirded out by this Mosscoat not being more fazed by Barnacles death, Barnacle was a very friendly pony and you had the impression that this squad you belonged to was made out of ponies who were friends with one another
“How far back does your amnesia go?”
>”Far before I even joined this little...whatever we were”
>Mosscoat just nods
“So what did Barnacle tell you?”
>”He told me that I had just delivered a message for assistance because of this thing that’s happening in this village”
“How much do you know of this thing?”
>”Just that we all came here to research onto the lack of flying ability that was going on around the village, and then suddenly white rot and Amnesia Blossoms started to appear”
>Mosscoat glances over his shoulder quickly before speaking
“We can’t let these ponies leave just like that, some of them might have information”
>”About what?”
“The truth. Snow, this all your fault”
>You just stare at the pony
>”Really? I’m responsible for turning this village into this?”
>Mosscoat does not look like he’s joking at all, in fact his expression just grows more serious
“You and I discovered pretty fast that the reason was white rot, some weird rot strain this village had found, and they were cultivating it for Amnesia blossoms. You do know how many bits they pay for those rare plants right?”
>You take in the information while nodding
“Well you decided to strike a deal with the ponies responsible for it and talked me into it too, talking about how it’s going to change out lives for the better”
>that...does sound like something you could do...at least the old you
>you pull away from Mosscoat
>”Wait, Barnacle told me I was a changed pony, how do I know you’re not just trying to push the blame on somepony else?”
>Mosscoat snorts
“You should know better than anypony else that that’s not who you are. I don’t know under what sort of a delusion you’ve been under about yourself but you’re not a very nice pony”
>What he speaks is true, you...you’ve been a pony who’s not too proud of himself
>But...you still can’t believe this Mosscoat, you refuse to believe it
>The way Barnacle spoke of you, the way you have been feeling, it can’t just be make-belief, something life changing must have happened to you that you can’t remember
>You can’t just be that same pony who you were before...
>”What of the filly, Honey Mug? I heard she-“
>Mosscoat interrupts you again
“You were only playing friends with that filly to keep her mouth shut, she saw what we were doing”
>Mosscoat takes a step forward
“I don’t know about you but I can’t let this be the end of me. Gah if only those ponies could have kept it under control and not screw up and end up infecting the whole village. Snow. Listen to me, there’s no rescue party coming. You did not send that message, you could not send it. You knew it as much as I did that it would destroy our lives. Why did I let you talk me into helping to keep it a secret?”
>You push Mosscoat away
>”No, that’s not true!”
“It is true!”
>Before you know it you have punched Mosscoat and he flies to the floor
>He gives you a glare while he gets up
“Like it or not that’s how it is, and I can’t let it ruin my life! I have a wife and kids! We need to-“
“Is everything all right?”
>Both of you stop talking and turn to look at Soothing Plume who’s looking at the two of you with worry
>Before you can answer Mosscoat walks past her while muttering “nothing”
>Soothing Plume watches him walk off and then turns to look at you
“Did you two have a fight? Isn’t he your friend?”
>”Friend? What makes you think that?”
>Soothing Plume shrugs
“When I saw the two of you around the village you seemed like a couple of friends”
>You gulp and start walking towards where you were sleeping
>”I need to think about...tomorrow’s escape”
>You pay no attention to other ponies as you sink deep into thought
>All this new information...it could make sense
>but you do not want it to, all this time you’ve been under the impression you’ve been a better pony, maybe even getting your life back on track
>but now you are unsure
>What Mosscoat said about you makes sense as well
>You are that kind of pony, you have been for so long
>but you...longed to change, even if you did not want to admit it to yourself
>hearing that you did just made it easier to accept it
>You shake your head
>Even if what Mosscoat said was true, you are not going to run away from it
>But at least for now you can not accept it
>You need to get to the bottom of this after you’ve made out from this village
>As you arrive to your sleeping area you find Honey Mug lying there awake
>She notices you and gets up
“Hi...”
>You sit down next to her, and then the two of you just sit there, neither looking at the other
>”Did you want something?”
>Honey Mug shakes her head
>”Do you remember anything about me, at all?”
>Honey Mug glances briefly at you before answering
“No, nothing. Sorry...”
>You shake your head
>”No, it’s not like I had high hopes for it anyway”
“Oh...”
>And the silence returns
>Honey Mug starts kicking her hooves in the air as they dangle from the edge of the makeshift bed
>”Do I seem like a...”
>Honey Mug looks at you again as you struggle to find the right words
>”...nice pony?”
>You look at Honey Mug who stares at you with surprise on her young face before she breaks the eye contact and starts talking
“You’re...grumpy, and angry a lot...”
>You let out a little chuckle, expected as much
“...but, it feels safe around you, and it’s easy to speak with you. And I seem to want to be near you a lot”
>You can’t help but to crack a little smile, but just for a few seconds
“I can’t explain it easily...”
>”It’s fine”
>And the silence returns
>Soon Soothing Plume walks over to the two of you
“Honey, there’s some nectar still left if you want any
>Honey Mug hops off the bed instantly and makes her way to the area with all the rations
>Soothing Plume smiles while looking at her hurry
“It’s her favorite drink”
>Soothing Plume turns her attention to you now
“What were you fighting about?”
>You give her an odd look
>”I was not fighting with her”
>Soothing Plume looks surprised for a moment, before laughing
“Not her silly, with that stallion, was his name Morse-cow or something?”
>You smile at her version of the stallion’s name
>”Nothing important, just some...guy stuff...”
>Soothing Plume gives you an understanding nod
“I’ll pry no further”
>You give her a fake smile back, you can’t let anypony know what Mosscoat told you, especially when you have no idea if it is the truth or not
>Soothing Plume sits down next to you
“It still surprises me how much she’s opened up to you after loosing her memories”
>”Were we close before?”
>Soothing Plume nods
“Definitely, she’d play with you a lot and try to be around you a lot. I was suspecting you could even have been her first crush, but if nothing else she thought of you as one of her best friends”
>”That’s...surprising, I’d think her best friend would be one of the other kids at the village. Not to mention I don’t really get along with kids”
>Soothing Plume sighs
“She’s had a lot of trouble making friends, that’s why I was so surprised how easily it seemed like the two of you became friends, before all of this happened”
>Then Soothing Plume gives you a kind smile
“And I think you would do very well with kids, at least based on how you were with her
>”Good enough to be a father?”
>Soothing Plume nods while smiling
>You give her a sad smile
>”Did you know me, you know before I lost my memory?”
>Soothing Plume shakes her head
“Not really, we exchanged a few words every now and then but most I know about you is things what Honey Mug told me.”
>”I...had a wife”
>Soothing Plume nods and waits for you to continue
>”She wanted kids and I did not feel I was ready, and maybe...if I would have gone with it when she brought it up she would have been knocked up on that day and stayed home, and maybe that accident would not have happened”
>You have no idea why you are telling her this
“Did she became unable to conceive after this accident?”
>You shake your head
>”She lost her life”
>Soothing Plume suddenly gives you a hug and you freeze up
>”...why are you hugging me?”
>Soothing Plume breaks the hug and pulls away while blushing a bit
“Sorry, but you looked like you were about to cry”
>You give her a sad little grin
>”I’ve cried about it enough, it’s in the past”
>Soothing Plume says nothing for a short while
“Do you blame yourself?”
>You let out a little laugh
>”You don’t need to worry, I’ve dealt with those problems a long time ago. Your comment just took me by surprise”
>of course that’s a lie, not a single day goes by when you don’t blame yourself for what happened to her
>Soothing Plume giggles a bit while looking a bit embarrassed
“Sorry about that, but you did get so well along with her, the two of you even had some big secret you wouldn’t let me in, no matter how much I asked. That had me a bit worried at one po- are you ok?”
>You almost ask what she means but then you notice that you’re letting the shock be visible on your face
>”Y-yeah, I must just be tired...”
>Soothing Plume inches her face closer to yours
“You’re not getting sick or anything? We still don’t know if all these spores and that spreading white rot can make ponies as sick as the other kinds”
>You turn your head away
>”No, it’s nothing, please, I think I need to rest up a bit so”
>Soothing Plume backs away and gets down from the bed
“Well, in that case I need to go and see what Honey Mug is up to. Please get all the rest you need”
>You give her a wave and watch her go before turning around and lying on the bed
>A secret
>Mosscoats words echo in your head
>You were only being friendly with the filly because she found out
>could it really be?
>You struggle with these thoughts, feeling like they are about to swallow you up, but then you remember Honey Mug, and how she’s been around you after the memory loss
>You doubt she’d like you that much if the case was just you pretending to be friends with her
>There’s got to be another explanation
>but... children are naïve, weak...easily fooled...
>and the facts they...
>You just don’t know
>You shift on the bed and stare at the library ceiling
>you can hear various ponies snoring, all exhausted form all the work they have done today
>You struggle with your thoughts while lying there
>maybe you should go and look for some booze to knock yourself out
>but... you probably need to be in top shape tomorrow...
>You abandon the idea and just lie there until sleep takes you by surprise