The Reason I Survive

[eroded_earth]

Characters: Terra & Open [but ask first because I don't want TOO many responses to this XD]
Time: Late Evening
Location: Lobby
Content: Dream Sequence + Reaction
Format: Prose
Warnings: Angst?

Comments

[sailorgenerous]

On the whole, Rarity was really rather irritated that her sleep was constantly interrupted by these horrible nightmares. Honestly, they didn't even make any sense - why would she be the one casting a shadow over Ponyville? Everyone there loved her! Of course, she did get carried away at times, but never anything so awful as that.

She'd been headed back down to that lovely JoAnn's store she'd found to restock on some of her favorite colors when she paused, recognizing a spiky brown hairdo over the top of one of the chairs. Of course Terra would be out and about too. She trotted around the side of the chair, mouth open to greet him, when she noticed he was sleeping - not peacefully, no, but sleeping nonetheless, a rare occurrence nowadays. She left him be, opting instead to head towards the kitchen for a plate of leftover cookies and a glass of milk, which she magicked with her over to the hotel's gift shop to pick up a blanket. She may as well have something to help him sleep and something for when he woke up.

Unfortunately, it seemed he'd already woken up by the time she returned. If he'd looked restless sleeping, he looked nothing less than completely miserable awake. She even thought she'd heard him sob, a sound that distressed her in turn. Oh, she couldn't bear to see her friends hurting like this!

Setting the cookies and milk down on a nearby table, she used her magic to lay the blanket over his shoulders. "Normally I'd recommend you get more sleep," she started, tone much more quiet than usual, "but that just doesn't seem to be helping at all." She came around front and laid a hoof gently on his knee, trying to be as comforting as she could. It was no use asking what was wrong - it was in all likelihood the nightmares, and there was very little she could do about that. "Terra, dear, if there's any way I can help you feel better, do let me know."

[eroded_earth]

Terra heard the clopping sound of hooves and straightened up, removing his hands from his face. He was a little disturbed to see Rarity look so sadly at him. Maybe it was the fact that a small, unicorn was looking so sad. Terra hated seeing her like that almost more than he hated what the nightmares were doing to him. He pulled the blanket more over his shoulders, Rarity's kindness was doing more to comfort him than the actual blanket.

"No," he said in a soft voice, not his usual confident self at all, "no it hasn't helped me for a long time now." He blinked when she put a hoof to his knee. She really was worried about him it seemed. "Thanks. You're doing a lot right now, trust me." He thought about giving her a hug but he wasn't quite sure how to do that. "How are you holding up?"

[sailorgenerous]

"Oh, I'm perfectly alright, but this isn't about me." That statement was a strong testimony to just how concerned Rarity was over Terra's well-being. It took quite a bit to get Rarity to place her own petty concerns aside, but her worry over Terra's distraught state was more than enough reason to do just that.

She moved a bit closer, looking down and back up again, trying to figure out logistics that, she realized after a few moments of contemplation, simply wouldn't work. The only thing left now was to be direct about it. "Terra, be a dear and lean down," she requested. "I want to give you a hug, but you're simply too tall sitting up like that." Because a hug was a simple and direct form of comfort, and as far as Rarity was concerned this situation definitely warranted one.

[eroded_earth]

Well, it sounded like she was doing okay at least. Terra looked a little relieved. He shouldn't have been surprised though, Rarity was tougher than she looked and, not to mention, Terra didn't think she could have possibly carried the darkness inside that he did.

"Huh? Oh." Terra actually appeared bewildered by the request, especially since he had just been considering the problem himself. It was hard, but he did manage a smile before getting out of the seat and kneeling in front of Rarity. Without saying another word and without trying to give it much more thought on logistics, Terra pulled the small unicorn pony into a hug.

[sailorgenerous]

Honestly, a hug wasn't that strange of a request, was it? Though if Terra had never seen a pony before arriving in this world, it stood to reason that he'd never been hugged by one either. There was a first time for everything, and this was as opportune a moment for this particular first time as any.

Usually a hug was a simple endeavor, as easy as placing a foreleg over somepony's shoulders and pulling tight. Terra was built very differently from anypony Rarity had ever met, and so this required a bit more consideration. She scooted in as he knelt, standing up on her hind legs and laying a foreleg on each of his shoulders. She felt his arms around her - evidently hugging a pony wasn't so strange an idea to him that he'd refuse to do it - and rested her chin on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright," she said quietly. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that it is - you can be certain of that." She'd heard the people in charge of this city rarely listened or cared; on the other hoof, she sincerely doubted they'd ever met anypony with her particular brand of tenacity. If it would make Terra - and whoever else was affected by the nightmares - feel better, then she would simply have to make them listen somehow. She felt herself completely up to task on the matter.

But at the moment, her friend needed a hug. That was more important right now.

[eroded_earth]

Terra hadn't realized how much he had needed a hug at this point until he was getting one from a small unicorn. He could contemplate the ridiculousness of it later, right now it was not ridiculous at all but something he had desperately needed: Comfort.

"Thanks Rarity. But don't get into too much trouble just trying to help me," he said.

[sailorgenerous]

Terra was the one who looked completely exhausted, and he was warning her about trouble? Someone had things backwards. "It'll be no trouble at all," she assured him. "You're my friend, Terra, and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you."

[eroded_earth]

Somehow that made Terra feel better. He had no idea what Rarity was going to try, but she seemed the type who would not give up on her friends no matter what. "Thank you again," he replied, not sure what else to say to the pony. What could he say, after all, to let Rarity know how much he appreciated her dedication to his problems even though they had not been friends that long.

[sailorgenerous]

"Certainly," she replied, hooves on his shoulders and leaning back a bit so she could catch his eye and he could see her smile. "That's what I'm here for. Now, how about we find you something to help you relax?"

[eroded_earth]

It was still odd. Being hugged by a pony. But, really, it wasn't bad and Rarity didn't seem to mind being hugged by a human and she must never have done that before.

He nodded at her suggestion, "Okay. Any ideas what might help?"

[sailorgenerous]

That was either a very good thing to ask Rarity or a very bad thing, depending on one's tastes. She was highly opinionated and very particular, after all, and she realized her activities of choice didn't necessarily suit everypony's tastes. That, however, was not going to stop her from trying.

"Well," she replied thoughtfully, "I know whenever I'm feeling stressed, a spa date is just the thing to get me back to my usual grace and charm. Now, I'm sure there's a good spa around here somewhere, and Fluttershy and I are overdue..." She trailed off, evidently considering their options, then nodded decisively, eyes lighting up at the prospect of being pampered again after missing it several weeks in a row. "All right then, it's decided: we'll have a spa day! It'll be just the thing for you - a good massage will make all your worries simply melt away. I just know you'll love it."

[eroded_earth]

Terra was not sure what advice he expected from the pony but "spa date" was probably not on that list. He knew they were supposed to be relaxing environments but a spa was just so...well it wasn't something Terra was necessarily interested in. Wasn't it mostly for girls?

"I don't know Rarity...I'm not sure about this spa thing," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

[sailorgenerous]

It was too late for any of Terra's doubts; Rarity was already on a roll and not looking to stop anytime soon. "Oh, but Terra, you simply must come! I insist." That winning smile never left her face. Rarity was starting to realize that, not unlike Fluttershy, though likely for very different reasons, Terra found it difficult to turn her down. She believed a spa day to be in his best interest, and so she was definitely going to push her advantage. "You don't have to have a facial if you don't want one, but you must have a massage. You're entirely too tense, and a nice massage would be just the thing to help you relax. That is the point of all this, remember?"

[eroded_earth]

Rarity had a point, but still, a spa? He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. It was one thing to get clothes for a party or go shopping, this was a spa. He'd never been to one before and weren't they supposed to be super fancy or something? Plus, he was pretty sure the few times he'd even been NEAR one it had only been women coming in and out of it.

Still, it was hard to argue with the pony's reasoning, especially in his current state. He certainly couldn't be MORE miserable. "I guess if it's just a massage that wouldn't be so bad. They're supposed to feel good right?"

[sailorgenerous]

Rarity had him all but convinced - she just knew it. "Oh-h-h, Terra." She easily fit a self-assured laugh into those two words. "Done correctly, a massage is more than just good - it's divine." She smiled up at him as though he'd already agreed. "I'll let you know just as soon as I find a suitable place and time, and we can all go together."