"Hey, Totty!" A familiar voice roused Todomatsu from a comfortable sleep. He let out a cutesy yawn, rubbing his eye as he sat up. He looked at the source of origin of the call, eyes focusing as they adjusted to the sight of the conscious world. An almost mirror image of himself looked back, a young man in his early twenties with neat brown hair that tucked behind the ear. Two small strings of hair stuck up from the ends. They donned the same pale blue pajamas with white buttons as Todomatsu did, too.
Except this man wasn't Todomatsu at all, but rather his brother. Well, one of them at least. Todomatsu was the youngest of six brothers, all identical in almost every aspect. Yes, they were sextuplets- which as one can imagine was very tough on the parents in their younger years. Nowadays they still lived with those parents, without any jobs, girlfriends, social lives, or really anything important.
"Good morning Osomatsu.." He greeted his brother sleepily, offering a light, affectionate smile. Inside though, he festered with a dark hate. "Why the hell are you waking me up, Osomatsu?" Todomatsu thought to himself distastefully.
The young man before him offered a sly grin. "Choromatsu and I are going out to play some Pachinko, do you wanna come, Totty? I feel like I'm gonna win some big money today!"
"Oh, no thanks.." Todomatsu replied. This was the reason he was woken up? What a tool. He didn't feel like putting up with Osomatsu or Choromatsu, who was the third oldest brother of the Matsuno family. Choromatsu acted smart, but he wasn't all that much. He was just a lonely virgin inside, hoping to score big in life.
"Ah, shoot," Osomatsu sighed. "Guess you're busy.. As long as you're not getting another job and abandoning us like you did at Sutabaa..."
"Ah-ha-ha..." Todomatsu halfheartedly laughed. Sutabaa, the place that held dreams of so many potentials. Yet when his brothers found out he was working at a high class coffee shop without them knowing first, and worse, going to a get-together with a few female co-workers and not inviting them along... Well, let's just say he didn't work there for very long after they caught wind of his secret job.
Osomatsu stood up. "In any case, I'm going to get dressed. Have fun, Totty!" he said before going off. Todomatsu sighed. No use going back to sleep now, he supposed. Maybe he'd go out and take a walk through town. From what he could feel in the small bedroom and the sun shining through the window it was a pretty good day today.
He stood up, stretching, before getting dressed. He wore a white shirt with a pink tie that matched pink pants, hanging down to his knees. He put on a light brown fedora with a pink lining in the middle over his head, feeling good. But what is an outfit without a bag to match for a nice walk? He picked up a long strapped bag, slinging it over his shoulder with a content smile. He felt good.
Stepping out of the room, he entered the living room and looked at the three remaining brothers that were watching TV, a few bags of chips were strewn out in front of them.
"Hello, buruzaa!" Karamatsu, the second oldest, greeted Todomatsu with a grin. He gazed out behind cheap sunglasses, his hand posed on his knee as if he were in a modeling session. In his smile held kindness, a deep love for the brothers who surrounded him, and for himself. Todomatsu ignored him.
"I'll be going out guys, see you in a bit!" He said with an air of cheerfulness.
"Uh-huh," Ichimatsu mumbled without even passing a glance. His gaze was fixed on the tv, where a small orange cat was following a singing dog that was packed with attitude and sausages around its neck. He frowned lightly when the dog outpaced the cat, as if a crime was committed before his eyes. His hair was messier than everyone else's, as he was always uninterested in things. Or so it might seem, but Todomatsu knew better.
"Bye-Bye Totty!" Jyushimatsu, who was the second youngest after himself, happily said. His unfocused eyes and wide, unwavering grin faced the youngest brother. Jyushimatsu was a mystery all right, even to the brothers. His never-ending energy and odd antics were almost frightening. Todomatsu couldn't help but wonder what sort of dark secrets he held within, if he even had any.
"I'll come back before dinner!" Todomatsu said before heading out the door. The fresh air felt nice, and the smell of grass pleasantly greeted his nose. He moved onward, smiling contently to himself. Where should he go today? Maybe he could walk to a restaurant and pick up some breakfast, but that would cost money... He could go to the park, but he didn't feel like chatting to anyone he might run into. Making up his mind, Todomatsu decided to do something new and he headed outside of town.
A tranquil forest spread out before him, birds tweeted back and forth in the trees above, which casted shadows that dappled the cool earth below. It really was a nice day, and Todomatsu could enjoy it all to himself. Or so he thought...
The sound of a crash could be heard nearby, like something running into a large bush. "Oww!" A female voiced exclaimed from not far away.
What was going on? Todomatsu went to investigate, curiosity piqued. What he saw made him gasp in utter shock. There, sprawled on the grass, was a small, oddly proportioned horse. Her flank was pink, almost like Todomatsu's tie and pants, as well as her unruly maine. A tattoo looking thing with balloons stood out on both sides of her rump. A pair of wide, sparkling blue eyes met his own. He couldn't help but think of how strikingly beautiful they were...
"Hey..!" He gathered his senses and asked with concern, stepping over to the pony and helping her up. "Are you alright? What happened?" The animal let out a giggle, a sound as welcoming as the soft tinkle of coins in a purse. Todomatsu blushed, having such a beautiful creature right next to him like this...
"Im ok Silly Billy :D" Pippi said, extending her hoof to the to the young man. "I miiiightve accidentally crossed into the human realm by accident, whoopsey doodles amiright?" She laughed. Todomatsu relaxed and took her hoof, its warmth spreading through his hand.
"Well, things happen, don't they?" He said, giving the hoof a shake. His brothers would sure be jealous if they knew what he was up to! "I'm Todomatsu, but my brothers call me Totty. What's your name?"
"I'm'm Pippi! So nice too meetcha! :DDD!" She responded in her enriching voice. Todomatsu knew this was going to be the start of a great friendship.
Little did he know then that this fateful encounter would set in motion a tragedy of epic proportions. The wheels of fate were turning, and they couldn't be stopped once they started rolling...
Pippi and Todomatsu spent a long time together in the forest. They joked, they laughed, and, most importantly to Todomatsu, they liked each-other equally. They sat down underneath the trees, side by side as they listened to the soft rustling of the leaves. He learned that she too was part of a group of six, though not of siblings, but rather friends.
"..We're liek, suuuper close 3" Pippi was gushing. "WE are always hanging out togeeether, and sharing seeeecreets, and having soo much super duper fab fun!"
Todomatsu smiled. "My brothers are trash," he said in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Aww don't say that :( ur btrothers are probs real cool, like u Toddy-'matsu.." Pippi said with a tone of light sadness.
Her compliment brought forth a blush, but the thought of his brothers being actually cool made Todomatsu laugh. "No, Not really, they mess up a lot for me,"
Pippi frowned, then gasped. "Let me meet them!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh, c'mon, they're really not interesting," he said with a dismissive wave of the hand. He really didn't want her seeing them, if they ruined his relationship with Pippi for him...
The pink horse before him pouted unhappily. "Well, ok..." She said dejectedly. Todomatsu couldn't help but feel a little bad, but he was adamant about keeping Pippi a secret for now.
"Maybe I'll take you out shopping later or treat you to some coffee," he offered as compensation, as well as a distraction from the topic.
Pippi smiled with a regretful look in her big ol' eyes. "I'd love-love-loove that Totty! ...But I just remembered I gotta go back to my Equestrian Realm. MYabsence there might cause a disturbance, I'm am hte element of laughter y'know!"
"Oh..." Todomatsu slumped. Was his new friend really going to go so soon? The first girl he's ever hung out with alone in a long time, and she was so pretty, too... "Well, be sure to visit, ok Pippi?" He asked, hoping for a 'yes' in response.
"Well of course, Silly Philly!" She beamed. "I can come back waiting for you right here next week!"
Next week? He couldn't help but frown, a light :c that graced his features. "Well, I guess you gotta be at home with your friends, huh? I'll see you next week then, Pink!" He said pleasantly, not wanting to force the lovely foal to stay.
And with that, they parted ways. Todomatsu could see the pink horse disappear amongst the undergrowth. He felt a deep sadness fill him at the thought of not seeing her for an entire week more. The grass turned to paved pathways and the trees turned to buildings as he went back to town. The light pink sky was fading as blackness of night overtook it. Was he really out that late? The brothers were sure to heckle him for this, he thought unhappily.
When he went inside the walls of his own house, his siblings were sitting around the table, sharing a pot of fish and soup. There was often fish involved in their meals, bought as an act of love for their good friend Totoko, whose family had a fish shop. Yet Todomatsu found that, upon the thought of said girl, the sparks of affection that he usually had were gone. He couldn't help but think back to Pippi, and suddenly he was craving a cupcake over fish..
"You're finally back, Totty!" Osomatsu called over, snapping the youngest one from his thoughts.
"Yeah, I, uh, was helping Chibita with a broken wheel on his stand", he hurriedly formulated an excuse as he sat down amongst them, completing the circle of six same faces around the pot of soup.
"But we saw Chibita after our pachinko game," Choromatsu said as he passed a bowl to Todomatsu, eyeing him curiously.
"Yeah, we did see him, and we talked for awhile after Chorofappyski lost all of his money during the game!" Osomatsu laughed.
"Stop calling me that stupid nickname!" The aforementioned Fappyski retorted hotly. "In any case, you lied to us, Totty!"
Five pairs of eyes were all on him, all of the identical faces gazing intensely. He could feel himself starting to sweat under the pressure. "Ah, well, you know.. Hey, do I really have to share everything I do with you guys?" He folded his arms unhappily.
"Yes you do we've been over this before!" The oldest brother responded.
"What's this?" Jyushimatsu suddenly said, leaning over to Todomatsu and pulling a long, pink strand of hair from the sleeve of his shirt.
His brothers gasped in shock. "That's.. That's a girl's hair!" Choromatsu said in awe.
"You were with a girl, weren't you," Ichimatsu growled, giving Todomatsu an icy look.
"N-No, not at all," he stuttered in response, smiling nervously.
"Come on brothers, do not fight!" Karamastu interjected, voice full of justice as he skillfully swept his hair dramatically. "The soup is getting cold, like the hearts of a fighting family!"
"Jyushimatsu!" Osomatsu called sharply, totally brushing Karamatsu off.
The yellow sweathered man stood up, smile unwavering. "YES!" He answered eagerly.
"Oh please don't Jyushi-AHHHH!" Todomatsu cried as he was seized and forced into a very painful octopus hold. "STOP, JYSUHIMATSU!"
Osomatsu approached him, an accusing look on his face. "You WERE with a girl, weren't you!?"
The pain was almost unbearable, he could feel his bones groaning as they were being pushed in awkward directions. "OK,OK, I WAS WITH A GIRL!" He exclaimed finally, feeling the bitter taste of defeat.
His tormentor slacked his grip on Todomatsu. "Totty has a girlfriend?" He asked excitedly.
Murmur broke out around the table.
"How did he manage to meet up with a girl?"
"Who would have thought, our youngest brother.."
"We should burn him at the stake for betrayal.."
"Totty has a girlfriend!"
"No fair, getting a girlfriend behind our backs, that sly dog!"
Todomatsu felt his face redden with embarrassment and anger. "What's up with you guys!?" He shouted with exasperation. "She's not my girlfriend, and even if she was I wouldn't be able to see her for awhile because she left!" He let out a breath of air, glaring his brothers around him. "Seriously, I can't even make friends without facing repercussions?"
They looked at each other, quieting with light frowns. Osomatsu looked at Todo with an apologetic smile. "Hey, we didn't mean any harm, Totty," he said with a softer tone. "So, what's she like, is she a nice friend?"
He looked away crossly, speaking back disdainfully. "It doesn't matter what she's like, I sure wouldn't introduce her to any of you!"
"Can we play baseball?" Jyushimatsu shouted suddenly, making the motion of swinging a bat. "I bet she's a girl who loves baseball!"
"Do you think she'd be a Karamatsu girl?" The leather jacket wearing man asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"I don't know and I don't care," he retorted with salt. "You guys don't even deserve to meet her."
"But Totty.." Todomatsu didn't stick around to listen, heading over to the bedroom. When he got into his blue pajamas and slipped into bed his anger started to fade. Maybe he had been a little harsh on his brothers, but they just got so far under his skin sometimes. He wondered if Pippi would be disappointed, as she had really stressed the importance of being nice to friends. The thought made him feel bad, maybe later he would apologize. But, that would be for another day. He found that he was exhausted after today's excitement. So now he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep...
-
The next morning brought a fresh new feeling for Todomatsu. He sat up, looking at the shapes lying next to him underneath the blanket. It seemed like he was the only one awake right now. At least he wouldn't have to deal with any apologies for the time being. He stretched his tired muscles, taking his pajamas off and putting on his pink hoodie- one that matched with all of his brothers, except for the varying colors of course. Pink was just so cute in his opinion. Maybe that's what made Pippi so attractive...
He stretched a brown beanie over his head after his shirt was on. Quietly, he slipped out of the room, grabbing a poptart to go (strawberry flavored) and stepping outside. The air was much cooler than yesterday, and Todomatsu found it to be refreshing. Unwrapping the poptart, he strolled ahead, lightly nibbling on the contents of the tart.
"Ahhh...~" he said to himself. "So good..."
"Is it really?" A familiar voice greeted him, making Todomatsu spin to face it with surprise.
"Pippi!" He exclaimed with delight as he saw the horse walking over to him, hooves clopping pleasantly on the walkway. "What are you doing back so soon?"
"Well, I dunno!" Pippi replied. "I tried going home, but for some silly nilly reason i j|^ust couldn't like... Go back! It was like somethin was holding me back, keeping me stuck here.. Oh well ¯\_(?)_/¯"
Todomatsu gave her a sympathetic look. "You were out here all night? .. Well, why don't you come inside and have something to eat? We have more poptarts," he offered. He didn't care much for the idea of having his brothers fawn over her, but she looked like she was tired, even with all her energy. He felt sorry for her.
"I'd LOVE taht!" Pippi exclaimed before bouncing right into the door. "Owie," she whimpered. "Whats up with this door?"
Todomatsu laughed. "Silly Pippi, you need hands to open it!" He turned the knob and opened it for her in demonstration, leaving her to gape in amazement.
"I sure wish I had hands!" She said before they both went inside. Ichimatsu and Choromatsu were eating breakfast already, looking over with surprise.
"Totty..." Choromatsu whispered as he held Pippi in his gaze. His cheeks grew red, clearly stunned. Even Ichimatsu looked awed, mouth open as if about to say something, searching for any sort of word to go off from.
"Woow!" Pippi gasped. "They DO look exact like you :O!"
"What's going on?" Osomatsu asked, walking in with a yawn.
Ichimatsu looked over at him. "Totty's girlfriend is here..."
"Hah?" Osomatsu asked before looking to the door. He stood there, silent for a moment. Without warning, he grabbed Todomatsu by the collar of his shirt. "WHERE DID YOU GET A GIRL LIKE THAT!?" He demanded, shaking the young brother.
"We met.. In the forest!" Todomatsu gasped. He knew they wouldn't take her presence well, curse these brothers of his...!
But to Todomatsu's surprise Pippi seemed utterly elated. "Look at u all 333! Its so neat!" She cheered with a grin, bouncing around the room. She poked Ichimatsu in the cheek with her hoof, grinning. "Why do you have such a boo-boo face? Turn that frownsies upside downsies!" She attempted to rub at his lips. Ichimatsu got up, clearly in a fluster.
"I.. Have to go," he made a quick excuse and hurried into the bedroom. "Typical Ichimatsu," Todomatsu thought to himself.
Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu walked out of the bedroom, curious after Ichimatsu's sudden entrance. Jyushimatsu's face suddenly lit up.
"Pippi!" He exclaimed, bouncing over to the horse as if greeting a friend from long ago.
"Jyushi! Hiiii!" Pippi beamed back at the lad.
"How do you two..." Todomatsu began, when a darkness fell across the room.
Jyushimatsu's face grew deadly serious, his voice deep with concern. "Did you return the stone of Xaoc to the 26th dimension, Pippi..?" He asked.
"Of course I did.." She responded sullenly. "There were some complications as the Karacks attacked the mothership, and we lost Yumi, but we managed to get the stone back where it belongs for good..."
Jyushimatsu gave her a stern nod in response. The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Yet the darkness passed as soon as it came, their smiles returning. "Yaaay!" Jyushimatsu cheered, lifting his arms up.
"Umm," Choromatsu began, only to be interrupted by the horse.
"Whose this guy? I looooOoOOove your jacket!" She asked Karamatsu, who looked rather shocked.
"You... You like my jacket!?" He asked, eyes wide. They began to fill with tears, and he pulled his sunglasses over them to keep his cool persona in front of the lady. "Thank you, brilliant horse of pink!" He wept.
Pippi smiled pleasantly and faced Todomatsu happily. "Your brothers are great! I can'"t go home right now, so mayb I could stay here with your soupr awesome family until I can cross back tomy realm :3c?"
YESSSSSS! Todomatsu couldn't be more elated. She invited herself to stay? The angelic woman before him wanted to stay here? "Play it cool Todo," he thought to himself, taking a mental breath. "You want to stay here?" He began. "Oh, I dunno, it gets kind of hectic, and sometimes there's drafts in here..."
"I love hectic! AND drafts! " She waggled her haunches in excitement.
"C'mon Totty, let her stay here with us..!" Osomatsu pleaded.
"I agree..." Ichimatsu, who was peering behind the door, added in.
Todomatsu looked around at the smiling faces around him before his gaze rested on Pippi. She looked so hopeful, and he couldn't just leave her hanging long. "Okay, why not?" He finally responded.
"Hooray!" Everyone cheered, happy to have such a wonderful new addition to have fun with. At least, for a short while. What they didn't know that having her stay with them was the equivalent to signing a death wish...a signature that couldn't be taken back.
About a month had passed since Pippi joined the Matsuno residence. She fit in quite nicely, and Todomatsu was glad to see she enjoyed it a lot, but he couldn't help but notice her growing concern for her home. One day, while sitting in a small cafe alone, he brought it up to her.
"Have you ever found out what's preventing you from going home?" He asked his quadruped friend. They were sharing a lovely smoothie, pink of course, and had been spending quite a bit of time together, much to his delight. He truly enjoyed her company, beyond her beautiful appearance.
"Nope," she responded, smiling. Though he could see through her smile that she was bothered by it, by the way her ears twitched uncomfortably and she fidgeted a lot more than usual. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Of course he loved having her around, and so did everyone else, but she had friends and family to return to, who must be worried sick...
"I sure hope you find your way home, Pippi.." Todomatsu told her, lightly frowning. "But you'll always be welcome here with my family.."
Pippi gave him a warm look. "Thanks, Tod-matsu..." Her hoof slid over his hand, warm and hard. He grasped it tightly. "Y'know, you've always hte best to me... Ur... Moar special thn any1 in the whole wid world..." She spoke in her sultry voice, gazing at him with such a quiet intensity.
Todomatsu's heart fluttered in his chest. He realized just how hopelessly in love with this horse he was. "You're special to me too," he whispered. "Now's your chance, Todomatsu, tell her how you feel.."He thought to himself. Inhaling deeply, he looked his pink friend in the eye. "Pippi.." He began, when suddenly his phone began to ring. Damn it, who would be calling him now?
Frustrated, he pulled his hand back. "Hold on a sec," he said before looking at his phone. It was a call from Choromatsu it looked like. He sighed before answering. "What?" He asked unhappily.
Choromatsu's voice sounded panicked, frightened even. "Totty, you need to come home right now, you and Pippi.."
"What for? I'm busy," Todomatsu responded, hovering his finger over the end button before his brother's voice pierced through the phone.
"It's Osomatsu!" The voice cried. "He's.. He's.. Oh god, Totty, please come over..."
An unsettled feeling grew in his gut. "Wh-What happened to Osomatsu nii-san..!?" He demanded, but Choromatsu's only response was a low, miserable sob.
"Just come over.." He spoke before ending the call. Todomatsu gazed at the cellphone, feeling utter dread. Choromatsu never sounded that upset before.. He glanced at Pippi, who was giving him a concerned look.
"What happed?" She asked, tilting her head. The worry on his face must have been showing, because she was frowning deeply. "Is..Osomatsu ok?"
Todomatsu sighed. "I.. Sure hope so.. Let's go check..". And so they left the cafe, after paying of course, and began the walk home, not knowing that there was no turning back from what they would see...
-
The house was unsettlingly quiet when the twosome walked in. Light sobbing could be heard from behind the doors of the bedroom, and the bad feeling in Todomatsu's gut was growing strong enough to devour him whole. He approached the door, hand shaking as he put it in the doorknob. Slowly, he opened it up...
"Hello...?" He began before freezing up. His brothers looked over at him, tears dripping down their faces. They were sitting around Osomatsu, who appeared to be sleeping in their bed. That is, if it wasn't for the blood that was pooled around his torn open throat, bright red against his pale, dead skin. His eyes were open wide, glossy and unseeing. His hand was lying on his chest, covered in red as if he had been holding his throat, like he could have stopped the bleeding and saved himself...
Todomatsu screamed. "OSOMATSU!" He collapsed to his knees as the shock hit him like a train. What was happening? This couldn't be real, right? It wasn't real, it was a dream, Osomatsu couldn't be dead, he was their oldest brother...
Pippi gasped, holding her hoof to her mouth. "Oh... My god..." She whispered, staring at the corpse with her large blue eyes. "How did this...happen?"
"We don't know, there are no traces of anything left behind...We just...he was.." Ichimatsu's voice broke, trailing off as he rubbed a crying Jyushimatsu's back. He was staring at the floor, unable to look at his dead brother directly.
"Why... Why did this have to happen.. He's too young to be dead.." The now oldest brother, Karamatsu, sniffed, clutching Osomatsu's hand to his chest.
Pippi began to weep. "I wish I couldve got to know im better there were so manry games we could pplayed.."
Todomatsu crawled over, looking down at his stiff, cold, cadaver of a brother. "What does this mean for us...?" He ventured timidly, looking at his family.
"I don't know..." Choromatsu whined, eyes red and puffy. "This clearly wasn't an accident..."
"Osomatsu nii-san was murdered!?" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, looking alarmed.
"What if he did that to himself though.." Ichimatsu suggested.
"He wouldn't! At least, I don't think so.." Karamatsu muttered, looking at Osomatsu's bloody hand.
"No!" Todomatsu cried out. "Osomatsu wouldn't do that to himself! Who would claw their own neck out like that, if they were sane..." A silence fell over the group as they thought of the possibility of murder. If Osomatsu was targeted, then why? It wasn't random, considering that it was in their own locked house, so he must have had an enemy hateful enough to resort to this. Unless it was for some other reason...
"Hey," Choromatsu broke the silence, looking at them. "We should probably call the police..."
"I cando. That..." Pippi answered. "You guys shuld probably just stay with your brother.." She got up and left, curly pink tail disappearing out the door. Her voice could be heard as she spoke on the phone, talking to the police. Nobody slept in the bedroom that night...
-
Several days passed by. Osomatsu's body was taken and buried, and a long, miserable funeral was held. The police investigators were utterly stumped, as there were no traces of anything unusual in the room. Life was forced back to normal, though there was always a lonely gap where the sixth brother had always been...
They were sitting at the table as they ate lunch, quietly, uttering only a few words when necessary to pass salt or food. Pippi looked around at them. "C'mon guys," she said. "Cheer up..I don't think Oso would've want you guys to be sso sad :("
Ichimatsu shot a glare at her. "Cheer up? Is that what you want? Disgusting horse... Our brother died and you want us to cheer up?" Pippi winced, hurt.
"Ichimatsu.." Choromatsu began, looking sad.
Todomatsu cut him off, enraged. Nobody could get away with making Pippi feel bad like that! "How dare you call her disgusting! She's only trying to help!" He yelled. "What are you doing? What do you ever do, Ichimatsu!? Maybe you should just..."
"Totty, stop," Pippi grabbed his arm. "I don't want u 2 fight wit ur brothers..."
"But... He said bad things about you..." He replied, looking at her. She looked sad, uncharacteristically so.
"It doesnn't matter, toddy..." She whispered, blue eyes watering.
Ichimatsu let out a long sigh, staring down at the table. "No, he's right..." He began. "You didn't mean anything, Pippi... I just...miss Osomatsu..." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, visibly upset.
"Nobody is blaming anybody," Karamatsu spoke out. "We have to care for each other more than ever now, we lost a brother... Everyone is upset, and we.."
"We couldn't have lost Osomatsu," Jyushimatsu suddenly said.
"Eh?" Karamatsu responded.
Jyushimatsu looked at him. "Osomatsu nii-san said he would play baseball with me over the weekend. He wouldn't go back on a promise!" He was smiling, but tears were dripping down the sides of his cheeks. "Is he in denial?" Todomatsu thought.
Karamatsu's eyes welled with tears. "Oh Jyushimatsu!" He cried, wrapping his arms around the lad in a tight hug. Jyushimatsu only blinked in response.
"Hey," Ichimatsu said. "Where did Choromatsu go?" Todomatsu looked around. That idol-loving nerd wasn't anywhere to be seen! And he was just here a minute ago...
"I have bad feeling abot this!" Pippi said nervously. "We should fidn im'..." The gang nodded in agreement. They all split up, searching around until they heard a scream. It was coming from the basement! Everyone gathered down there, mentally preparing themselves for what they would find. It wasn't good...
"Choromatsuuuu..." Karamatsu was crying, kneeling underneath a dangling body, crying. Todomatsu clung to Pippi, letting out a horrified scream.
Choromatsu's hands were tied to a ceiling fan. Tape was plastered over his mouth, and his stomach had a large, deep gash in it. Sticking out of it was a piece of paper, as well as a few other long, pink things that made Jyushimatsu puke.
"What the hell is going on!?" Ichimatsu said through gritted teeth.
"I dunno but...but what is that?" Todomatsu managed to say without fainting, pointing to the paper. Pippi was the one to get it out, unfolding it and shaking the blood off.
"It's a note.." She muttered, reading over it. Suddenly she gasped, dropping the note as her face grew white.
"If you won't read it, I will," Ichimatsu muttered as he picked up the paper. "It says...You left our friends, you made them die, so I'll kill your friends, Pippi..."
Everyone looked at the horse, eyes wide. "Pippi... What... What does this..mean.." Todomatsu stammered. Pippi wasn't some kind of a murderer, was she...? What danger had he brought to this family by taking her in...
Pippi began to sob. "What happened at home while I was away!?" She wept. "I've been trapped here... What happened to my friends in Ponyville? Who is doing this to my friends Here!?" Her questions couldn't be answered. The Matsuno brothers gave each other sad, worried glances as they listened to the cheerful pink horse break down in front of them.
There was one question strong in their minds. What would they do if their killer decided to strike again...?
Nobody knew what to do, that was the true answer. Todomatsu and Pippi were sitting in the bedroom, a soft light filtering through. Pippi was curled up, staring at the wall with a miserable expression. He looked at her, pain in his chest. "Poor Pippi," he thought. "She must feel responsible for all of this.. Which she is but.. How could she have possibly known? She couldn't even get back home.."
Pippi looked his way, noticing him staring. "U ok, todddy :c?" She asked.
"I dunno, are you..?" He answered, drawing his knees into his chest. "I mean, that note said.."
"Oh, I'm... Fine.." She quickly replied, clearly not wanting to discuss the note. He shut his mouth, glancing away.
"I'm so sorry, Pippi..." He whispered.
"Totts..." Pippi moved closer to him. He flank was touching his side, making his cheeks redden. "No sorry.. U so good 2 me,! Ur.. Always there for me even tho all this happen.." She gazed at him.
Their eyes met each other, and he stared into her deep, thoughtful blue eyes, that sparkled like a cup of Sutabaa's Freshly Brewed Starlight Special™ (sold June 21st through September 21st as part of a summer sale). Todomatsu really missed working there. Pippi lightly took his hand into her own hoof. He didn't know how she managed to grasp it, but he never wanted her to let go...
Now seemed like the perfect chance to reveal his feelings. Gathering his courage, he spoke softly. "Pippi... There's something.. I need to tell you. And.. I don't know how many days I have left to live, so... I might as well get it out now."
Pippi was gazing intently at him. Was that a twinkle of.. Hope in her eyes? Or was it just his imagination? "Yea?" She murmured in her canorous voice.
Todomatsu took in a deep breath. "Pippi.." He began, feeling his heart throb with the anticipation. "I..I love you!" He managed to get the words out, face as red as Choromatsu's stomach was the other day.
She gasped softly, her own cheeks pinker than usual. "Oh Tody"... She whispered.
"I can understand if you don't feel the same, I mean, you're probably under a lot of pressure right now and..mmph..!" Todomatsu's breath was taken away as the pony pulled him into a deep, amorous kiss. She ran her hooves through his hair as he relaxed, slipping his arms around her waist. "Pippi.." He whimpered, letting his eyes close.
"Oh Totty..." She whispered huskily, burying her muzzle into his neck as she nibbled at his sensitive skin.
"Ahhh...~" he breathed.
"AHHHHH!" Someone screamed from another room.
"Please.. Never stop loving me..." Pippi murmured into his neck.
"PLEASE, STOP HURTING ME!" The voice cried.
Todomatsu gripped Pippi's back tightly, feeling his breathing quicken. "I hope this never ends..." He spoke in a soft tone.
"I HOPE THIS ENDS SOON!" It yelled again.
"Oh for the love of.." Todomatsu grumbled, lightly pushing his horse girlfriend away. "Who keeps doing that?"
Pippi stood up. "Oh.. I think someone is being murdered!" She gasped.
"Aww, now?" He pouted unhappily. His damn brothers always ruined everything for him... "We better go see what's up.."
The twosome made a dash for it. The screaming sounded like it was coming from the bathroom. Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu were standing outside of it, seemingly discussing business politics.
"Oh, the protagonist is here," Ichimatsu noticed, glancing at Todomatsu.
"Why were you just standing out here?" He asked, looking at his brothers.
"Well, you see," Jyushimatsu explained. "The rules say we had to wait for the main character of this story to come before we do anything rash. This provides the reader insight to all of the plot occurrences, since this is written in a third person limited point of view, with only Todomatsu's view is being seen. Therefore we, the secondary characters, can only wait as our brother is being viciously murdered so that the reader will be happy."
"This story is enough shit as it is, who cares about the reader!" Todomatsu yelled. "They're probably already unhappy with this fanfic! Come on, we have to save Karamastu!" The four of them barged into the bathroom, ready to confront their killer.
A purple children with matted fur was pinning Karamatsu to the ground. Knives surrounded him in the air, suspended by magic, and were slowly cutting into his flesh. He cried out when he saw his rescuers burst in. "My brothers, oh my brothers! You came for me!"
The children spun to face them, a psychotic grin on her face. "Tommy and Annika :OOO!?" Pippi exclaimed, eyes wide.
"That's right, Pippi," the children named Tommy and Annika laughed. "Are you surprised to see me here? And not DEAD, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!?"
Pippi whined. "T..Twiley, why are you doing this.. We're.. Wehere friends, aren't we..?"
Tommy and Annika snarled, rising away from Karamatsu. "Not anymore... After you left us, Discord attacked ponyville again... He slaughtered everyone... And we couldn't stop him without the element of laughter... Without YOU, Pippi!"
The pink horse gasped. "But...But I thought Fluttershy became his frend, I tought he was reformmed..!"
"I thought so too... We all did... But he was waiting for a chance to strike... So he could rule our realm..." The children sneered. "But I managed to kill him. I made him pay for what he did to my friends, my family, to Princess Celestia! Oh yes, I killed him too! And I absorbed all his collective power, all of Equestria's power. I am unstoppable..." She laughed maniacally.
"No... This can't bettrue.." Pippi whispered, eyes watery.
"Don't believe me? Why don't I show you!" Her former friend cried as a black magic glowed from her horn. Suddenly everyone was teleported out of the Matsuno bathroom to a dark, eerie land.
Todomatsu took in his surroundings. Bodies of horses, unicorns, pegasi, and all sorts of other creatures were lying around. Blood spattered the ground and walls of houses, which were broken down, and black clouds drifted in the sky. He felt very, very sick. "You.. You take us back home right now!" He shouted to Tommy and Annika, only to realize she was no longer there.
"Where is she!?" Ichimatsu asked, alarmed.
"Thsi is all my fault.. All my fault..." Pippi sobbed, burying her face into her hooves. Jyushimatsu pat her on the back, but she hardly seemed to notice.
The deep whirring of a motorcycle could be heard in the distance. Clouds of smoke were rising up, and music was playing loudly.
?Now dance, fucker, dance Man, he never had a chance ?
"What's going on here? What is that?" Karamatsu said, standing up despite his injuries.
?And no one even knew It was really only you?
The motorcycle came into view. It was pitch black, the bloodied skull of Discord was stuck in the front of it.
?And now you steal away, Take him out today, Nice work you did, you're gonna go far, kid?
Tommy and Annika was riding at the front, and a trail of blood followed behind the vehicle. John Arbuckle was sitting in the side cart, holding an AK-105 rifle. He stared out at them behind black, soulless shades.
?With a thousand lies and a good disguise, Hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes?
John Arbuckle fired shots at the gang. Jyushimatsu let out a scream as his arm exploded, his baseball throwing arm, and blood spattered onto Pippi.
"Jyushimatsu!" Ichimatsu cried, before a bullet shot through his kneecap and he collapsed to the ground, in pain.
?When you walk away Nothing more to say?
The motorcycle swerved to a stop in front of them. Tommy and Annika stepped out, grinning wide.
?See the lightning in your eyes See 'em running for their lives?
"You can turn the music off, John," she said to her henchman. John nodded and switched off the radio.
"Please, stop this!" Pippi demanded, Jyushimatsu's blood dripping down her cheek. "These guys had nothing to do with any of this... They're innocent.."
"So was everyone in ponyville!" Tommy growled. "So I decided I would take the innocent lives of your friends, starting from the oldest to the youngest. The youngest being your precious boyfriend!" She laughed evilly.
"Wait," Todomatsu interupted.
"What?" She replied, looking at him.
"You said you were going from oldest to youngest right? You got Osomatsu right, but Karamatsu is the second oldest, not Choromatsu. You did it wrong.
Tommy and Annika pulled out a notecard, examining it. "No?" She said, pointing to Karamatsu. "That's Choromatsu isn't it? Karamatsu was the nerdy one."
"You are wrong. I am Karamatsu," the man said.
"Oh damn it all! Who cares, you guys look the same anyway!" She grumbled, throwing the card away.
Jyushimatsu clicked his teeth in disapproval. "How unprofessional," he noted.
"It kinda is, boss," John Arbuckle added.
"Shut up, John," Tommy and Annika whinnied with disgust. "It doesn't even matter, I'll kill you all anyway!" She cried out, shooting a beam at Ichimatsu. The boy's torso was severed in half by the pure light energy, and he screamed halfheartedly.
His upper torso dragged itself over to Tommy and Annika, taking her hoof and shaking it. "Thanks," he said before he died.
"You..You killed Ichimatsu!" Karamatsu gasped, face pale. "What kind of a monster are you!?" He began to cry.
Pippi clung to Todomatsu, crying. He felt hopeless, and afraid. Stepping in front of his lover, he stared down Tommy and Annika. "I don't care if you kill my brothers or me," he said, which was a lie. "But I will defend Pippi with every last ounce of strength I have!" He yelled courageously.
"That won't be necessary.." Jyushimatsu suddenly spoke, looking back at him. His eyes were full of tears, but his smile was still beaming.
"Wh..What do you mean, Jyushimatsu?" Karamatsu queried.
Jyushimatsu closed his eyes for a moment, letting a tear drip down. "I won't let anyone else I love die.." He muttered before looking to Tommy.
"Aww, how heroic," Tommy laughed before shooting another beam at him.
"NO!" Todomatsu shouted, but Jyushimatsu's body simply absorbed the beam of light.
"What the..!?" Tommy exclaimed.
Jyushimatsu began staggering towards her, slowly. "Muscle... Muscle..." He was muttering.
Tommy desperately shot beams at him, and John Arbuckle fired rounds of his AK-105 at the boy. His body exploded into chunks of flesh, only to reform each time. He was glowing with a brilliant light.
"Juicematsu..!?" Pippi gasped.
"...Hustle... Hustle..." Jyushimatsu was panting, breaking into a run. "MUSCLE MUSCLE, HUSTLE HUSTLE MUSCLEMUSCLEHUSTLEHUSTLEMUSCLEHUSTLEMUSCLEHUSTLEMUCLEHUSSTLLLEEE!" He screamed, launching himself at them. He tore John Arbuckle's head off with one strong punch, grabbing onto Tommy.
The horse barely had time to scream ad Jyushimatsu self destructed, a force of enough power to completely obliterate the world they were in. Blinding white light surrounded them all, and Todomatsu felt himself losing consciousness, blackness overtaking the white as he passed out.
-
When he woke up, he was in his own room. Pippi was holding him gently, smiling with relief when he woke up. "You're ok...!" She said happily.
He sat up, rubbing his head. "What happened?" He asked, confused.
Karamatsu answered him, having been sobbing. "Oh sweet little Jyushimatsu," he choked out. "He sacrificed himself for us and sent us home before that realm disappeared forever. Oh poor, poor Jyushimatsu..." He resumed his crying. Todomatsu felt himself tearing up as well. What a heroic guy...
Pippi sniffled, sounding worried. "What are we gon do now Tod..?" She asked, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "Ur broths dead... My home gone.. Hat r we gonna do..."
Todomatsu faced her, looking her in the eyes. A gentle breeze flowed through the window. "You are going to be ok Pippi, I promise," he told her, lightly rubbing her head. "I pinky promise..."
Pippi smiled at him, tears flowing down her cheeks. A promising light was shining over them in the room, a light that brought forth new hope. She gazed at Todomatsu with her crystal blue eyes before answering him.
"ok..."
_
Three months later Todomatsu and Pippi realized they just weren't meant for eachother. Pippi went on and married Karamatsu, while Todomatsu adopted 3 healthy children with his childhood sweetheart, Chibita.
THE END