Have you ever had that voice in your head… a tiny little whisper telling you to do the wrong thing? A sudden push to stab your friend in the back? Or a sudden urge to push your friend off of that ledge? I could say I've had a bit of a problem like that… Except it’s much, MUCH worse…
‘Oh come on, we've been together for years now. I've always had your back and you’ve always had… well technically we share a back… but you get the point.’
Yeah that’s him, the voice that isn't so tiny.
‘I have a NAME!’
Oh, I forgot names, well if I'm going to tell you a story I might as well start off with our names. I am Red Jekyll, and HE is Acid Tongue. Im a unicorn, grey coat, silver hair. Me and Acid, we have a very… special, relationship.
‘We kinda hafta share a skull.’
You see when I was a really young, just starting out at preschool, I started hearing him. At first I had thought it was somepony playing a prank on me, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.
‘Oh the two of us had been chums ever since, don’t you remember all of the good times we had together?’
He’s talking about all of the times he’s gotten me into trouble. Right from the start he tempted me to get into a whole mess of trouble. At first it was small stuff, like stealing candy from other fillies while they weren't looking. Eventually it got out of hoof though.
And then, later I met a girl, unicorn with a white coat and beautiful purple mane, who had brought in a few gemstones. She was showing off that she had just found her cutie mark, and everypony else was getting hyped. Acid told me to steal the gems; I didn't want to do it at first… I mean she was probably my first and only childhood crush. However he finally coaxed me into his little plan.
She put them down and during the few seconds she wasn't looking I made my move. Things didn't go as planned…
‘And then she handed you your own ass on a silver platter like the little wuss you are.’
Any and all chances between me and her were instantly flattened, rolled up, and thrown out the window. It was from that point on that I decided I wouldn't do anything else that he told me to. For a while, I managed to hold out. I talked to my parents about it, and they were worried. They sent me to psychiatrists, doctors, Anypony that might be able to help.
‘You weren't getting rid of me that easy.’
As you could probably tell, he didn't 'go away' like everypony said he would. In fact, he kept on getting louder and louder, and he tempted me to do worse and worse things. But no matter how much he yelled at me, I ignored him. And I became more and more glad that I was the one in control. The things he would do if he had a body… frighten me.
‘You're leaving out the part again.’
It’s a part I would praise Celestia to forget.
‘You're on a trip down memory lane; you shouldn't leave out a stepping stone like that.’
…
‘Go on’
I… wasn’t always in control. I slipped up once, ONCE… and my life was ruined forever.
Acid Tongue wasn't taking kindly to the fact we were trying to get rid of him. He would keep me up at night, yelling at me to do something… HORRIBLE. I shouted back at him in my mind. I would suffer agonizing headaches, one night was worse than the rest. His shouting was becoming deafening; I fought back with all of my power but I blacked out. My body started moving without me telling it to, he had gotten control. No matter how much I yelled and screamed I didn't make a sound. I tried to kick but I couldn't move my own limbs. He made me watch what he did next…
In full view I watched him use my body to…
I won't go over the details… but when he finally gave me control back, I had to leave town. I ran away, far away. I tried to run away from him, but how can you run away from your demons when they live right inside your head. I ran for a day and he kept on taunting me. I had made it into the Everfree when I finally ran out of breath; I plopped down and was in all honesty ready to die, right then and there. He realized that I was really going to go through with it.
‘Let me take over for a second here, it was here that I realized that hey… me and Red, we share the same body… and if he kicks the bucket, I'm going to be shooting up daisies as well. So me and him, we struck a deal; I wouldn't take over, EVER again, and we would fight to live.’
So I found the strength to fight on, and that’s what we did. I managed to survive around three months, until I found a witch. She lived in a hut all the way out in the Everfree, and she took us in as if we were family.
‘She had a really annoying thing about rhyming, always ticked me off.’
I told her about my… predicament… and she said she could give me a little insight. I don't quite know what she did, what magic she used, but she looked deep into my soul, and she saw the conflict deep within me. She said that I was the good half, the soul of light. And that Acid was the evil, a demon of blight.
‘Do you have to do that rhyme every damned time?!... Shit now you've got me doing it!’
Anyways, she told me that the two of us, were in fact separate entities. No amount of medicine or psychiatric work was going to change that. Sadly I was going to have to live with him for the rest of my days. However she would be able to prevent me from losing control… and as much “trust” as I put into Acid, I took her offer. We did the spell… and whether it worked or not, I have not been taken over since.
It’s been years since then, and I've been wandering from town to town. Sure my “relationship” with Acid makes life difficult sometimes, but it’s not all that bad. I settle down doing whatever odd jobs I can and make enough money to eat a good meal, and eventually move on to the next town. Acid Tongue has been getting better recently. Sometimes, if he’s been really good, I let him decide where we go next.
And that leaves us where we are now… We're in line at the train station and about to move to the next city.
Would you like to do the honors Acid?
‘Oh? Have I been a good little demon Red? Do I get to choose where we go?’
Yes, yes, we’re almost at the front of the line. Hurry up and pick already.
‘Fine~Fine, how about the least expensive one, eh?’**
Sounds good enough…
I walk up to the mare at the desk, purchase the ticket, and board the train.
‘Heh…’
What are you so smug about?
‘Just excited that were going back home.’
You… this is the first time we've been there in years. I’m sure they stopped looking for me, but… how will I face it?
'In your stride, you pussy.'
...Fine…
The train finally leaves the station and we head off… next stop, Ponyville.
Chapter 1: Returning Home
Chapter 1:
As the Train nears its destination I wiped a bead of sweat that had formed on my brow… It’s been so long since I've last been to Ponyville. I don't even know if they're still looking for me. Will anypony even remember me? Probably not… I mean my family wasn't exactly the talk of the town, but then again I have no idea what’s been happening since I left. Looking out the window I see the Village closing in… it would only take a few minutes now.
‘So Red, what’s the plan when we arrive? Are we going to get a job right off the bat, or can he hit the local bar?’
Actually, I think I’m going to look around, see what the place looks like nowadays.
‘Aw… I never get to have any fun.’
Catching back up to reality, the doors opened and the train car was almost empty spare a few families struggling with their luggage. Slowly I levitated my bag and exited onto the platform, and at first my view was filled with a crowd of ponies of all shapes and sizes, but as the crowd dispersed I could finally see ponyville with my own eyes.
The endless blue sky was filled with painted clouds, parting ways for the rise of the golden sun. A cool breeze was a welcome respite from the summer heat. Birds harmonized in a beautiful chorus as they flew overhead. The townsfolk themselves beamed with joy; in fact I would find it hard not to be… considering how today was just… perfect.
‘Yes, you can paint a million-bit masterpiece later, just get a move on.’
“If you don't want to enjoy the scenery for even a little bit, fine by me” I muttered under my breath. It always felt easier to actually speak to Acid Tongue; it always felt like he was right next to me. Sometimes I slip, however, and speak to him out loud in public. Usually I go unnoticed, but sometimes I get a strange glance from a passerby. I don't care much though, seeing as I usually keep to myself.
Shaking my head I start walking, I want to see how much has changed since then. The town certainly has grown, but everything feels as if it had been here forever. The more recently built cottages looked Identical to the ones from 20 years ago. The library, town hall, Sugar Cube Corner, it was all the same. As I glanced into the window of the shop I suddenly met eyes with a pink mare, and as our eyes met I could see some kind of… sparkle in hers. She raced out of the door faster than a wonderbolt and came, literally bouncing, towards me.
‘Oh Celestia… this can’t be good.’
Shut It
‘What, you afraid I’ll offend her?’
No it’s just…
I was unable to finish my thought as the mare landed three feet from my face, that same sparkle in her eye as she started talking. “Hi, I saw and I didn’t recognize you from around town so that must mean your new here because I know everypony around here. So I raced out here and thought I’d say hi Hi HI! I’m always glad to meet a new friend, my names Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?” She stopped for just a moment and began eagerly awaiting my answer.
“Um… Red…” I managed to stammer out, caught off guard by her energy “Red Jekyll”.
Before I could continue she began cut me off, as she continued she began to talk faster and faster, eventually words strung together until I could barely make them out. “OhHIRedgladtomeetyamaybeI’llthrowyouagreetingpartylatersothatyou’llfeelwelcomeandsoyoucanmeeteveryponyYeahthatseemslikeagreatideaItwouldbeagreatwayforyoutomakeawholeBUNCHofnewfriendsINfactImgonnagostartplanningthingsrightNOW!Comestopbysugarcubecornerlater!” When she finished she raced off, leaving me dumbfounded in the middle of the street. “OOOH I’m so excited!”
‘Well, that was ear wrenching and annoying… and so much for keeping a low profile.’
Wait, you understood some of that?!
‘One of us has to pay attention around here; honestly why can't I be the one in control?’
Because you would land us in jail the second you were.
‘Guilty as charged.’
Letting out a long sigh I resumed my tour of ponyville, hoping to avoid another encounter like that. As I walked I passed into a street that had more new buildings, like one shop I just couldn’t recognize. Stopping I looked over its sign that read “Carousel Boutique”. Looking it over I shrugged and continued onward, the day was still young so I had plenty of time to find a job and accommodations. Besides, if worse came to worse I still had some money saved up, I could buy a hotel room for a day or two.
‘So now, about that job… what do you have in mind?’
I was thinking that I might be able to get a job as a store hand or maybe-
‘Yeah no, we are NOT working anywhere near that pink freak.’
Fine, if you're going to whine like that how about we check to see if we can get a job at the library. Better?
‘Better.’
When I arrived at the giant tree that served as the local library I knocked a few times and waited patiently. Time passed without answer so I began to look around at the ponies as they passed, none of them were really paying me any mind, and a after a few minutes I began to hum a merry little tune. Suddenly I saw a brown stallion sitting at a nearby diner with a grey Pegasus. He was staring directly at me, but when he noticed that I was looking he turned back to his companion (who looked a bit funny herself) and began talking to her as if nothing had happened.
‘Great, not two hours here and you have a girlfriend on fast forward AND a delightfully creepy stalker. How long until you think somepony chains you to a wall? I give you three days.’
Honestly shut… wait what was that about a girlfriend?!
‘Oh nothing.’
At that moment the door to the library opened, cutting us both off.
“Yes? How can I help you?” Standing in the doorway was a Purple unicorn; she was using her magic to flip through a few books while she waited for me to answer her.
“Oh, hello, I’m new in town and... was hoping I could find some work. you wouldn’t have any openings, would you?”
“Sorry, I have all the help I need with my number one assistant over there.” Looking past her I saw a baby dragon struggling with a load of books, attempting to get them all onto the shelf at once.
‘Ouch, talk about adding insult to injury. She not only shot you down, she would rather have that pipsqueak as a helper.’
“But I'm sure you Applejack over at Sweet Apple Acres could always use another helping hand.”She happily gave me directions to the farm and turned back to her “Number 1 Helper”, levitating the books out of his hand and placing them on the shelf, shutting the door behind her.
‘You're going with manual labor? You know you aren't exactly the strongest around.’
We’ll come to that when we come to that, it’s still a job, why waste the chance?
‘Because you’re going to make a fool of yourself, and by extent me.’
And you’re worried about your public image?
‘More like OUR public image, damnit… you're getting a drink after this…’
If I promise you that will you calm down?
‘…’
I’ll be sure to get the strong stuff
‘Fine.’
--later, at Sweet apple acres—
It took a little longer than I had expected, but I finally reached the farm without any other sidetracks. I could see several ponies of all ages working hard plowing in the field and applebucking in the orchard. One Ancient green pony was sitting in a rocking chair, I would take three guesses she was in charge. Walking up to her I cleared my throat and asked “Hello, I’m new in town and was wondering if I could get a job…” Without a word she hushed me and began looking me over.
“Ya don’t quite look the type… but then again ya can never quite tell with the whippersnappers these days…” She called over an orange mare in a cowboy hat. “Applejack, could ya come over here?!” As Applejack finished the tree she was on she trotted over as the granny came back to me. “Yer welcome to give it a shot… now of course you’ll be paid in bed and breakfast… If ya make the cut.”
‘What?!’
“R-really?”
“Course, lunch and dinner if too. We’re always happy to have another pair of hooves around to help.”
“Um… Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” She finished as Applejack finally came in.
“What’s all the hollerin’ about Granny?”
“This here rascal would like to help out around here, thought ya might be able ta show… er…”
“Red.”
“Show Blue here the ropes. See if he’s up to the task.”
Applejack chuckled as we walked away from Granny (who I’m pretty sure had immediately fallen asleep) and towards the Apple orchards that surrounded the farm. She grabbed one of the many large buckets that were lying around and picked out a good tree.
“Ah-K sugarcube, just to test your mettle we’re gonna start off easy. Just see how many apples you can buck from the tree is all.”
“That’s all?”
“Eeyup” a male voice answered from behind me. Caught off guard I turned around to see a red earth pony with an emotionless face staring directly at me.
"Creepy..."
Neither of us moved for several seconds until Applejack broke the silence.“Oh, that’s Big Mac; he’s not much of a talker.”
“Nope” Big Mac turned around and walked back to the fields he had been plowing. Shaking off the surprise I turned back to the tree and got into position. I began pulling back my hind legs, gathering as much strength as I could muster into this upcoming kick.
‘TEST YOUR MIGHT’
Ignoring Acid’s thoughts on the situation I kicked the tree as hard as I could. I had put all of my strength into that kick, so I eagerly turned back to see how I did... and was surprised with the results.
