"Hey, it's not all bad... I promise I'll try to get you and Krysis home as soon as possible, alright?" Stardust made a metal splint for Charlie's back, and made her put it on. She nuzzled her cheek affectionately, then fitted herself with an eyepatch and a splint for her leg.
Charlie pulled away not at all wanting to be touched. She messed with the metal spilt trying to pry it off but with each wrong turn she'd felt more pain. The amulet was useless now and it fell off around her neck and to the floor. Charlie picks it back up and tied it back on, she hoped she could possibly used the last sliver to get her home and to Red quickly.
"Charlie..." Stardust backed off, hurt by her reaction. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered as she sat in the corner farthest from her. She laid down, and cried quietly to herself...
Charlie walked away the oppisite direction till she knew she was alone. She laid down when she knew she was alone and made a small yelp when she did. She mumbled angrily at the stupid pain and tried again to get the splint off. Charlie was a stubborn mare and she lived that title proudly. She finally got it off and sighed in relief a the uncomfterably contraption was off her back.
A dark figure appeared before her, "Charlie, I presume?" It said in a deep, rumbling voice, "Do you want to go home? Do you want to see Red again?" The being softly asked. "I can make it all happen, you know... I just require one little, tiny favor... interested?" With that the being opened a portal to her home, and Red was there. He was reading a note that said: 'Please house-sit my house for me until I get back. -Charlie' "Well? Oh and I should tell you that if you refuse, or choose neither, we'll kill him..." The figure said pointing towards another portal. In this one, Red was tied up, and a chainsaw was being held to his throat. "Now... choose: Yes, you'll do the favor? or No, I'm a traitorous scumbag who sacrificed my greatest friend because I'm a bucking fool? Oh, by the way, no take backs... if you choose the favor, you HAVE to do it." The dark figure growled.
"Who the buck are you?" Charlie might as well be looking in the eyes of Death himself. "I don't recall letting you boss me around." Charlie snapped. The dark figure was shocked, he wasn't a fight against such a small pony. Charlie snarled at took a daring step to the dark creature, close enough to touch him.
An enormous grin appeared on his face, "So be it..." The image of Red tied to a table and then being ripped apart was too much for Charlie to bear, but she couldn't look away. His screams tore through her heart and then, it was over. Charlie looked around but the figure was gone. He did, however, leave his mark. 3 long, wicked cuts across her right arm burned hellishly. "Um... Charlie?" It was Stardust.
She instantly broke down into tears and te first thing she though of was that Red was gone. "No no no.." Charlie frantically used the last of her amulet trying to open another portal but only a spark would show. She yanked the necklace off and threw it far with frustration.
"Ch-Charlie!?" Stardust dropped down and pulled Charlie into her arms. She saw the whole thing, and was horrified by the cruelty of it all. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She and Charlie both cried. Stardust was also confronted, and her husband was torn apart by a motorized grinder. All Stardust wanted to do now was just give up. "I w-want to go h-home..." She sobbed softly.
Charlie laid in a ball trying to shut out the world around her. She promised to find that creature it rip him up herself , she didn't care if she would die, no reason to live anyways.
"Hey... we've gotta go..." Stardust said removing her splint, "Come on, please? Charlie, let's go... we c-can't give up yet, alright?" She told her, still crying. That loud roar was heard again, but Krysis was gone, and unable to be found.
Charlie got up, but kept her head low and her eyes still watery. She ignored the roar and kept walking.
Stardust did the same, except she'd look back every now and then. After hours of wandering, the pair found a large, intact, abandoned house. "Let's stay here for the night, ok? You need your rest, Charlie." The two searched the entire house and only found one bed, a queen-sized bed to be exact. "Um... what do we do? Are you ok with sleeping together?"
"I honestly don't care right now." she crawled into the bed right on the very edge and curled up into a ball still crying soundlessly.
Stardust crawled in on the other side, and cried herself to sleep. In the middle of the night, Stardust woke up gasping and whispering her dead husband's name over and over. "Viet... Viet... Viet..." She woke up one last time, and screamed "VIET! NO!" Charlie was staring at her this time, though...
Stardust was visibly shaking from fear, "I-I just had a nightmare about Viet, that's all..." She whispered, and scooted closer to Charlie. "I-I'm just a little s-scared, ...sorry..." Stardust said fearfully when she caught Charlie's harsh stare.
Charlie kept quiet and laid back down to sleep again facing away from Stardust, she fell asleep again
Maybe it was the close proximity of the two that gave them both a good-night's rest, or maybe, it was just luck. Either way, that morning, the two were closer than ever, literally. Charlie was gripping Stardust tightly, not allowing her to move. They woke at the same time.
Charlie woke up and relies what she was doing. She let go and because she forgotten she was was on the edge of the bed she had fallen to the floor landing on her back. "Ouch that hurts." She spoke with her trottingham accent now. "Stupid back.."
