The Celestial Chronicles - Just Another Day

Chapters

-/ Redemption \-
-/ Crossroads \-
-/ The Start of an Adventure \-

-/ Redemption \-

I should start from the beginning. Not the beginning of the story, but the very beginning. I was born in Kansas in 1996, making me 17 years old. I grew up in an old, rundown apartment with my abusive stepmom, Rachel. My biological mother was sweet as candy, but she died when I was three, leaving my father devastated. I was too young at the time to realize what happened, and my father told me that mom left for awhile. He married Rachel in 2003, when I was seven years old. He didn't marry her for love though, he just needed an escape from this world. Little did he know, she was a heavy drinker and drug abuser, and she hit me when he wasnt around. It started a few months into the marriage. My father had gone insane from depression and anxiety, and was forced into a mental asylum. I won't go into details, but he managed to kill himself with some piano wire located under his bed. This meant that the main source of money was gone, and she was forced to pick up work at a local bar. She would often come home at night, and beat me senseless with anything she could find. Ranging from small things like magazines, and bigger things. Sometimes, when she was drunk enough, she would slam my wrists down on the table and cut them. Not very deep, but enough to draw size able amounts of blood. This went on for many years, which brings us to the present day.

I attend Green Lakes High school, as an 11'th grader, and I'm bullied. A lot. One day, I was in a rush before I left the house. I was always in a hurry, trying to get away from mum. I had grabbed my things and booted myself out of the door. When I arrived at school, I noticed I was receiving wierd glares from the other students. This went on for awhile, before one of my other brony-friends asked me about the scans on my wrists. I looked down and panicked. I had forgotten to wear a sweater this morning, and now my scars were showing.

That was a few months ago, and I am still bullied about it.

People found out about me watching My Little Pony by my own free will. I figured people would find out eventually by my fellow brony friends, so I went with it. I wore a '20% Cooler' t-shirt, even though Rainbow Dash is far from my favorite. Apparently, there were many bronies in my school, so it was taken kindly by most of the students. I made a few friends that way. But I was still bullied for it.

But enough with the background, lets get into the story.

I sighed as I left my final class, biology, got my stuff, and left the school. I walked down the steps with my friend Jared, and we bounded towards the sidewalk.

He looked over to me, "You ready for classes today? I hear Coach Singan is letting us spar again," he said with a smile plastered on his face.

I responded with the same expression, "Yeah, I can't wait to destroy the Red team. Slimy bastards have been bragging all week."

We both took sword fighting lessens at the local martial arts academy. It was located on the top floor of the curved building, about ten stories up. Jared and I have been taking sword lessons for at least three years, and we became very good at it. It came to the the point where we developed a sixth sense. We could literally see the opponents attacks before they came. It was a helpful trick, but a hard one to master. One had to look at the muscles of their opponent and detect which strike would follow. Then deflect the attack and respond with a series of fast attacks, so the opposing fighter could not read the attack.

The rest of the walk was donned in a tense silence. I looked over at Jared, and was going to try and spark a conversation, but I knew better. He was looking a the ground, eyes focused on nothing in particular. This meant that he was thinking of something important, and he shouldn't be disturbed. I shrugged it off, and kept walking. As we continued our walk, I looked around at the familiar sights. We were walking down the main road, which branched off into smaller areas, with multiple varieties of restaurants, inns, shops and smaller things, like schools and parks. But the thing that stood out the most, however, was the Martial Arts Training Center. It was a ten story tall building with the majority of the front side covered in windows. In between the windows were smaller, white blocks of concrete, holding the building together. On top, was a huge sparring arena, for Takewondo, Karate, and swordsmanship.

Martial Arts was the main hobby of our quaint town. The MATC was the min business in the area, and many families entered their children in the program. Although I admired smaller things, like Takewondo and Karate, which I did partake in for a few months, my main passion was swordsmanship. Sometimes I would daydream in class about being a hero in a real war, saving countless life's with my awesome skills. Little did I know then....

My thoughts were interrupted when Jared nudged my shoulder, "Wake up, sleepyheads, we're here!" He said with a chuckle, pushing the door aside. I followed him in, and took in a breath of air. I would be spending the next a three hours here, better get used to it. We made our way to the elevator. A chain was sewn across the middle, holding a small note.

"Damnit," I said, making my way to the stairs, "Elevators broke again. Need to hirer a machanic or some shit,". Jared gave a half hearted life, and trudged up the stairs. I followed him, watching him with content. He was off today. I shrugged it off, excusing it as a simple bad day. I wouldn't want to bore you with my tale of walking ten stories of stairs, so lets skip ahead. Jared and I came through the door, and rested against the wall, panting. It was funny, I was the top swordsman in my class, and stairs had somehow gotten the best of me. We both gathered ourselves and entered our class.

I was hit with a blast of foul air, the scent of human sweat. I took a deep breath, and smiled. You get used to it, between locker rooms and sword classes. Everyone had already started, and were swinging away at rubber dummies, with dull practice swords. Some of the newer recruits were with one of the instructors, practicing basic moves in a combo sequence. I smirked watching the little children with wooden polls. It started like that. You went from nothing, reading books in a classroom, to wooden polls. After that, you moved to plastic one handed broadswords, filled with a little metal, so it gave realistic weight. Upon mastering the basic skills listed above, one would then be granted the pleasure of personal lessons with an instructor, with dummy blades. Dummy blades were real metal blades, but not sharpened the slightest, and the edges and tip had rubber coverings, to avoid any mishaps. After that, it was sparring fellow classmates with dummy blades, without rubber coverings. The blades were not lethal, but still left painful bruises.

Jared and I made our way over to the locker room, exchanging good lucks and a smile, and went our separate ways.

I put the combination into my locker, and opened it, revealing all its glory. I reached in and grabbed my Two Handed Scottish Claymore, and lay it onto the bench. I smiled at it, it was my profession. My passion. My life. I turned back to my locker and donned my body armor. It wasnt necessary, but it looked awesome, and everyone used it. I retrieved my grieves, bracers, and my breastplate. The armor was a creamy white, outlined on the edges in a gold trim. I set the bracers and grieves onto the bench, and looked back onto my chest piece. In the center was Princess Celestias cutie mark. I had it custom painted by Jared's father awhile back. He is a tattoo artist, and apparently he had a few requests similar to mine.

I set the chest plate next to my other armor and turned to my locker. I pulled out a Barbute helmet, which matched my armor perfectly. The Barbute helmet was similar to the one worn by Achilles, but it was bigger and more brutish, in a way. Capable of stopping a blow from even a heavy pole axe.

I set the helmet down onto the bench, and retrieved my grieves. I placed them upon my legs, and strapped the backs in, connecting the armor and fitting it snugly in place. The metal leggings went from just below my shin, to the edge of my waist. Satisfied with my work, I reached over and acquired my breastplate. I slung it over my head, reached back, and connected the back plate to the sides of the chest plate. The back plate was there to protect from swing around attacks, attacks where the enemy jumped to the side and tried for a hit to the back. Though uncommon, it was always safe to be careful. Next, I grabbed my bracers and slipped them neatly on my arms. It protected my arms from my wrists to my shoulders, connecting at the top under my armpits to the breastplate. It also came with a built in glove, making for an easier grip on my weapon, and protecting myself from the elements of nature. After everything was clipped into place, I slipped on my helmet, acquired my Claymore, and headed to the door.

I met Jared at the door, and he gave me a mock bow and a wave of his hand. "Your majesty! An honor to see you today! You always impress me!" He joked turning to the door. "Ha, very funny," I responded, following him. Jared was wearing the EXACT same armor I had, but the colors wee the opposite. The armor was a deep midnight blue, and trimmed on the edges in black. In tribute, to yes, Princess Luna. His breastplate even had her cutie mark, just like mine. The only difference in his appearance was his weapon. Or, weapons, rather. He had managed to convince Coach Singan to give him dual Spathas. Spathas were roman swords similar to the Gladius, but it was a primary slashing sword, and was not fit for thrusting. That gave it a advantage and disadvantage. The disadvantage was that the enemy would know that you could only slash. The advantage, he had two.

If I was strong enough, I would have held my claymore in one hand, and a tower shield in the other. A tower shield is a rectangular plate of metal, about the size of a refrigerator door, engraved on the front with ancient depictions. It also had its pros and cons. It's pro, it could mask your sword, leaving your opponent wondering where you will strike. It's cons, it was heavy, staining the user and limiting mobility. I realized this, and dismissed the idea. I was good enough with a sword alone, so what's the point?

We made our way into the center of the class, were Coach Singan was talking to the other higher level students. "Listen up! Today the Class A students will be sparring on the roof with their weapon of choice. Body armor is allowed, tricks are a necessity, and foul play is expected. You will choose a partner to spar with, and meet each other on the mat," with that, Jared and I looked at each other, and grinned, "You will give your regards, good or bad, and begin. Remember, two hits to the legs and arms, one hit in the torso, head and neck. First individual to reach these requirements is the victor. Please make your way to the roof, and begin when ready." He cloncluded, as he walked over to the stairs. Everyone stood up, and walked over to the stars.

As we walked out onto the roof, I saw something on Jared glisten in the sunlight. I cringed and turned away. It was simply blinding. For what seemed the umpteenth time today, I dismissed his odd behavior. Jared and I made our way over to our usual mat, on the corner of the roof, nearest the edge. We liked it that way, risking it all, while fighting for glory. Oh, how I wish I could fight for real. It was one of my fantasies. That and going to Equestria. I daydreamed a lot, feeling the adrenaline pumping through me, slicing down warriors and claiming the ultimate glory. It was a weird daydream, like I could almost feel it. Sometimes it would even take place in Equestria, fighting changelings or other ponies. It was a weird thing to say at most, but comforting.

Jared and I stood upon the mat. One of the judges clad in red and black made his way over to the mat. "Alright gentleman, you know the rules. No maiming or killing. Pushing and shoving are allowed, as well as kicks and punches. No groin shots, and no throwing blades!" He declared, "Pay your respects". Jared and I shook hands. I looked at his face, preparing to give him my regards, but his expression stopped me cold. He had a look of pure malice, and his eyes were resting upon me, in a cold glare. I blinked, and do a double take. But as soon as I did this, his expression changed, "Good luck, "He said turning away, he said something under his breath, I could barely hear it, it sounded like, 'You're going to need it'. Okay, he was officially creeping me out, he was never like this.

"Good luck!" I called. He just grunted and took a defensive stance. I did the same and took out my blade, amusing a dull scratching sound, due to the fact that my blades weren't sharp. He did the same, but his came out with a sharp SHING. I gave an uncertain look, and looked to he judge. If he noticed anything, he wasn't showing it.

I stepped back nervously and crouched low. The judge raised his hand, and brought it down, shouting "BEGIN!".

Jared lunged at me, bringing his blades down in an arch over his head. I sidestepped easily and stuck my blade out, hitting his leg. "LEG, ONE POINT GOLD!" Shouted the judge. I stepped back, it was my turn to take the offensive, I lunged at him, and thrust my blade at his stomach. He parried easily, as I expected. I brought my blade back, out of sight, and stepped to the left. He countered my move with a step to the right. I lunged again, stabbing at his legs. He made a move to block it, but I pulled out and brought the elegant claymore smashing on his helmet. "HEAD! WINNER GOLD!" Shouted the judge, signaling the matches end. I turned back to Jared, but was met with a face full of fist.

I fell to the ground, and put my hands up. "Dude! The match is ov-" I was cut off when I felt a searing pain in my left thigh. I looked down at my leg and was horrified. Jared pulled his Spathas out of my leg, revealing crimson blood on the blades. I shrieked and rolled to he side, dodging another slash of his blades. Hearing my shriek, the judge turned towards us, a look of shock on his face. The judge ran into the ring. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" He shouted. Jared turned towards him, giving me a chance to stand up. Jared lunged at the judge, piercing his chest with one of his swords, and slicing his neck with the other. Blood sprayed onto the ground, and the judge dropped to his knees, emitting a disgusting gurgling sound.

Jared turned towards me and frowned. "Why are you standing up? You're just delaying your death!" He said, and ran towards me. I brought my claymore up to block his attack, but he shoved it aside and made a move on me with his own weapons. I sidestepped and kicked his legs out from under him, and hobbled over to the door to the main area, where I could get help. I heard a clank, signaling that Jared was getting up. I looked at him, and I saw a wicked smile on his face. "We don't want the others too know, now do we?" He said with a maniac laugh. He brought his arm up and made a flicking motion at me. I saw a glint of light, and my eyes widened. I turned away shouting in horror, trying to duck. As I fell, I felt a sing of pain in my side, just under my arm. I screamed in pain as I collapsed to the ground. I heard footsteps in the distance, making their way to the door.

Jared stalked closer to me, eyeing me with a evil smile on his face. I gasped, and tried to breathe. I struggled and gained a scratchy strain of my lungs and a bolt of pain upon doing so. The bastard had hit my lungs! I crawled to the door, and leaned against it as he made his way over to me. I was a gamepiece in his sick mind. He trudged up, and grabbed my neck, pinning me too the wall.

"W-w-why are y-ou doing this?" I managed to get out. Between the pain in my lungs, and him choking me, it was quite a feat. He pulled closer to my face, and stared not my eyes. He laughed historically, rearing his head back. He moved his arm back, and looked me in the eyes.

"Here's another scar too add to the collection!" He jerked his arm forward, and I felt cold steel enter my heart. My mouth sputtered with blood, causing me too gag. I looked back a him, with all of my strength. My vision was already starting to blur. So this is it, this is death. My body was numb, and I couldn't feel any pain.

Through the blood in my mouth, I managed to get a word out. "Why?" I asked through the blood.

He looked me dead in the eyes.

"Redemption"

He stood up, leaving the blade lodged in my chest. He walked over and grabbed his other Spatha, griping it tightly in his hands. He grunted and limped over to one of the windows and smashed it out. He shambled to the edge and stood there. He turned and looked at me. For a long time we sat there, start at each other. Neither of us could notice the banging sounds from the door. He brought the blade up in his hands, holding it high above his head.

"Don't look back, Trev, don't look back"

He shoved the blade into his stomach, plastering blood onto the windows beside him. His eyes rolled back, and he gagged on blood. He stood silently for a moment, before swaying. He leaned back, and fell through the open window.

I gasped for breath, but found none. The edges of my vision crept with a haze of flickering black. The last thing I saw before leaving the world, was the door bursting open. And the horrified look on Coach Singans face.

~~~

-/ Crossroads \-

Numb. My whole body was numb.

I tried moving my arms. Nothing. I got the same result with the rest of my body, except for my eyelids and nose. I grunted as I opened my eyes. It felt like you were waking up in the morning and your eyelids weighed about a million or so pounds, and slammed down like a wall just when you think you can stay awake. I was met with similar results on my first attempt, or at least I thought I did. I raised my eyelids and was met with darkness, so I closed my eyes and tried again. Darkness. I closed my eyes and rubbed them fiercely. I sighed as I was met with the same suffocating darkness. I gave up, and tried focusing on something more important, breathing. I took a whiff of air, and my nose scrunched as it was met with a foul resistance. Somewhat of a locker room, but more damp, like it had been coated in warm, snuffy water.

I groaned in sat motionless for what seemed like hours. My mood brightened as the numbness in my legs slowly started to reside. I took it easy at first, ever so slightly twitching my leg, hoping for even the smallest of responses. Once successful, I shifted the weight in my leg, causing it too roll a bit. This went on for awhile, before I ultimately gained control over my legs. By this time, the rest of my body was free of numbness, and I could freely move.

Acquiring a smug look on my face, I started to sit up, only to be suddenly subdued by a sharp pain in my chest. I collapsed on my back, panting heavily. Right, I had been stabbed earlier. Nice going dumb ass. I managed to rest myself into the sitting position, and I titled my head down towards my wounds. I tried opening my eyes once again, and heaved a sigh of relief when I was met with the sight of my brown t shirt I was wearing before the events prior. I facepalmed, when I realized that the whole time I had actually had my eyes open, but everything around me was dark.

That's when my blood ran cold, as I realized something. I had just been fatally wounded by best friend. No way I could've survived ten inches of cold steel through my heart. I winched as I reached for my chest. I stroked the soft skin, but found no blood, or wound for that matter. But my chest still burned with immense pain. I groaned and attempted to stand up. After falling on my face, twice, I managed to make my way onto my shaking feet.

My head felt like it weighed, you guessed it, a million or so pounds. So naturally, the first thing I do it look down. I gasped, or tried to, when I saw something glint in the darkness. Which now I question the logic behind that, something glinting in the darkness, but hey, weirder things have happened. My heart practically backflipped when I noticed my elegant Celestial Armor sitting down below my feet. I was a second away from grabbing it, when I noticed my Claymore resting a few yards away, sheathed snugly inside a hip holster.

Being as paranoid and scared as I was in the dark span of nothingness. It took me awhile, and I should spare you the time, but I managed to equip my armor onto my body, and wrap the belt around my waist. The only thing I failed to find was my helmet. Shame too, I really liked that helmet, and it cost a lot of money. After donning my accessories, I decided to head in a random direction.

I shambled and grit my teeth as I trudged onward. I faded in and out of my thoughts, but I started noticing very weird things. It started as simple things I could pass off as hallucinations from me being drowsy. At first, it seamed as if birds were slowly flying around me. Completely black, but had a shimmering white outline. They flew around my body, and seemed to pass through each other from time to time, causing a ripple in the darkness. I started noticing things accruing more frequently, and they got bigger everytime. Once, their was a bush, then a tree. All with the same darkness, but a white, shimmering outline.

Then they got more detailed. After server all hours of walking, I came across a running creek. I knelt down, much to the protest of my chest, and felt the water. It was ice gold, like a glacier in the artic just melted. I brought my hand back, and gasped in horror as it was covered slowly in a dark blue aura. For whatever reason, I slammed my hand back into the creek, and found myself utterly suprised that the aura had disappeared. I got back up and kept walking, searching for signs of help.

I eventually found one, or saw it at first. I squinted my eyes as I saw a faint glow in the distance. My face brightened and I formed my first smile in what felt like ages.

I continued my journey to the light, as weird images started forming around me. At first, little images of birds formed around me. They were a deep, midnight blue, with a bright, shimmering white outline. I reached out to touch of the creatures, but my hand connected with nothing, leaving ripples in the darkness around me. I shrugged and continued onwards. I tried to block it out, but it was hard to not notice the images surrounding me became more vibrant as seconds dripped away. After about twenty minutes, I stopped. I glanced around me and I noticed that the images how now become full with color, and were vibrant with bright lights. I looked to my left and saw a few trees, swaying in a slight breeze that wasnt there. Down nearer to my feet was a small creek, about three feet across. And looked to my right to find a vast, open field, with drippy yellow grass. The suffocating air had long since disappeared, and was replaced by a newer, more familiar air.

I sighed, and continued onwards towards the light, which was now only a few hundred yards away. I continued a ways before finding myself standing on the edge of a very steep ledge. The slope was slanted at least eighty degrees downward, and had a small waterfall flowing down some mossy rocks on the right. If I had not been so paranoid and anxious. I would've sat there for hours and relished the beauty of it all. I sighed and slumber down onto my back, positioning myself on the ledge of the hill. Using my backplate as a makeshift sled, I sped my way down the slop, and emerged on the bottom with nothing but a burn mark on my backside. I reattached my armor and continued towards the light, which lay only twenty or so feet away.

As I grew near the light, I realized it wasn't like the light I thought it was. I stopped aburbptly as the light slowly transformed into a dull black, and shapped into an old, French style door. A small, red and yellow orb formed itself into a crude doorknob, and lodged itself into the door with a loud thud. I grabbed the handle of the door, and ripped it open. I cringed and slammed the door shut, jumping back from the heavenly light that had so rudely assaulted my eyes. I shook my head and recovered from the bright light and went for the door again. This time, I slowly opened it, and let one ray of light seep in. I let my eyes adjust, and opened the door some more, letting my eyes adjust again. I repeated this until the door was fully open, casting light deep into the shadows behind me. I drew my sword, and stepped through the door.

I heard a loud smack behind me, and I spun around. I was mildly shocked to see the door gone, not a hint of its existence left. I reluctantly sheathed my blade, and took in my surroundings. I stood open a tall hill, about 120 or so feet above ground level, with vast plains of dark, yellow grass surrounding me on all sides. Not a tree or creek in sight. I turned to do a 360, but was stopped midway as my eyes rested onto an odd sight. There, sitting in the middle of the vast fields, was a simple, but rather large, abandoned train yard. Multiple tracks ran various directions, even peeking into the horizon, out of vision. Some tracks ran through small buildings, where cargo was loaded on two the trains. Some of these buildings had long ago been eroded, and now lay in piles of metal and dust on the cold, dry ground. Dotted along the railroads were dark colored train cars. Some were dark red, black and a dull yellow. While others were pure gray and a misty purple. Many of the once glorified cars were tipped on their sides, and their cargo had spilled out. Many an item had long since decomposed, the elements of nature taking their toll. Tallied in large piles along the track, were coals to fuel the trains. In the center of the yard, a long and wide wooden platform sat, which a single figure sitting in a chair upon it. Despite the distance, I could make out some little features. The figure was clad in a long, dull black robe, and he sat in a ebony colored rocking chair, with a staff rested upon his waist.

I gulped and started heading towards the yard. It lay only a few hundred yards yonder, and should have been a mere thirty minute walk, due to my injuries acquired in past experiences. As I neared the crest of the bottom of the hill, I noticed something shimmer proudly in the sunlight. I sauntered over and found myself looking upon a magnum revolver. My expression changed and my fists clenched. I grabbed the revolver, gripped it tightly, and with a cry of rage, flung the revolver as far as I could. I slammed my hands onto the ground and grasped handfuls of grass. I bit down onto my tongue, and stood up. I calmed my thoughts and forced disturbing images of my past into the recess of my brain.

I walked for a good time, passing nothing but grass and small rocks. I finally managed to reach the outskirts of the train yard, finding myself near one of the cargo loading bays. I climbed in, through a long broken window, and made my way between boxes and train cars to the front exit.

I emerged from the building and was meet by a large block blob. It looked upon the large mound of coal. Sweet Jesus it was a monster. It would take far too long to make my way around it. I started my slow and unsteady ascent up the hill. My hands and feet slipped constantly, struggling to find a grip throughout the loose coal. I finally managed to make my way to the top, raising my fist in victory. No sooner had I done this, the coal under my feet slipped under me and I rolled down the hill.

I rolled down the hill and rolled all the way to the edge of the wooden platform, with the man clad in gray sitting in his chair. I sat up in a coughing fit, and dusted off my armor, to the best of my ability. Looking down upon my apparel, I noticed that the once elegant, beautiful shining armor looked as if it had been through a war. I smirked at the thought, at least it looked badass.

I shambled my way over to the wooden platform, and cleared my throat with a deep growl. But before I could try and ask him what the fuck was going on, he spoke to me in a deep, metallic growl. From deep within the excesses of his body.

"I seldom get visitors to the Crossroads. How interesting..." He murmured, shifting in his chair, and rising to his feet, "Do you want to now why you're here? And not dead, human?" He asked, his back still facing towards me. In all honesty, I did, I did want to know what the hell was going on. I had clearly died.

I coughed again, "U-uh yes, I *cough* have been wondering what I-is going on h-here." I stammered. Shifting my feet nervously. The figure grunted and turned towards me. His hood slipped from his head as he titled it back, slipping into the shadows. His eyes were deep red, with a glint of cream white in the centers. His skin was gray and wrinkly, obviously aged for years of eroding age.

"Many, when they die, go straight to hell or heaven. Hell is he dimension far in the excesses of ones mind. Heaven is simply afterlife, an empty space of eternal bliss. But, there are some people, you, who's souls have yet to rest. Who's soul is so strong, it allows one to choose their path themselves. Not heaven nor hell, but life or death, " He motioned to the area around him, "Welcome, to the Crossroads". He walked over to his chair, and gestured to the area beside him. A small chair appeared next to him, and I took a seat. "The choice is an easy one, most people choose life. It's a reasonable choice. For death offers one nothing." He said. He waved his hand again, and a fork in the road popped up. Two arrow shaped signs protruded from the fork. On the left, life. On the right, Death.

"Choose." He commanded, shoving me off the platform. I stood up, and slogged over to the fork. I stopped by the fork, he didn't even give me a chance to ask him questions. I looked back over my shoulder nervously, and saw him with his arms crossed and patting his foot impatiently. Like he had anywhere to go. I found myself closer to the sign, stroking the ebony colored wood softly, tracing the letters. I sagged my shoulders. What was left for me in my life? Abusive mom, no friends, little money, school troubles? What worth was it? I sighed, a deep depressed sigh, and hung my head. I walked down the path of Death, before I was halted by a strong voice, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" The 'conductor' boomed. That was the nickname I gave him, fitting isn't it?

"Leaving?" My natural smart-ass within said, leaving me grinning inside. "You do realize I have given you a second chance at life, and you're foolishly are throwing me away?!" He boomed, bounding over to me, "What do I have to live for?" I started, "My mom abuses me, cuts me, and beats me senseless. My only friend just FUCKING KILLED ME, I have no money, and people bully me at school! Why the fuck would I go back to that? Death seems really good to me right now!". The conductor stepped back at my sudden outburst, but regained his composure.

"Very well, I understand now..." He said, now pacing along the platform, "I will now offer you a choice, and once you decide, there is no turning back. You can either choose death, and sit in a dark abyss for all eternity, or you could transport your life into a new world." He offered, with open hands?

"A new world? What do you mean?" I asked looking up.

"Any world you choose. Anything from the fictional stories on your world. Like books and...what is it called...video games. A television perhaps?" He said. I nodded in conformation, astounded by what I just heard. My jaw hung slightly, contemplating the possible solutions....Skyrim, Lord of the Rings, Walking Dead and..."EQUESTRIA!" I shouted, instantly covering my mouth with my hands.

"Quite the choice, indeed. Do you really wish to go there?" He asked, looking for my approval. I thought for a minute, or two. I had always dreamed of this. I had always fantasied about going to Equestria. All of those HiE fanfictions blurred through my head at that moment. I wondered the possibilities. Equestria was a place where you could literally start your life over. Burn down your house, and venture into the unknown. Having the rush of adventure soar through your veins. I could only imagine how awesome It would be. I caught him staring, raising an eyebrow. I simply nodded again.

"Good, it is settled. But there is....a slight problem..." He muttered deeply. "Oh?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"You see, Equestria is a country, not a form of reality, like a world is. I can still send you there, but with a slight defect..." He said opening his hands. A small glob of energy appeared in his hands. But instead of Earth, there was a nearly identical blue sphere with masses of lands dotting the blue. He gestured to one of the biggest green splotches, and made a circular motion with his finger, "This is Equestria" he said. He then motioned a much bigger area, "And this is where you might land" He said. I really didn't care. I had an itch for adventure, and I was willing to partake in one. Hell. I might end up right smack in the middle of Canterlot for all I know.

"I don't care"

"Good to know. I will inform The gods of this realm of your arrival, so you won't go un welcomed. And by the way, i don't mean those silly Princesses. They are not gods." he muttered, maybe to me, but it sounded more like he was talking to himself. He motioned for me to follow him, down a dark ally between two factories. We walked for quite sometime, before arriving in a clearing of lush beauty. There was a magnificent forest, trees raising high above the ground. Animals ran free, without fear of being hunted. Flowers and other accessories dotted the foliage in the undergrowth. I awed at the sight. Never in my life had I seen something so beautiful. And the air smelt....fresher, un contaminated? Yes, not polluted.

"This is but a small glimpse of what is too come in your new life. You have chosen wisely. But remember, with a good life, comes many great complications, some of which you will play a major part in. Your destiny is intertwined with this world more than you can imagine." And with that he waved his hand in my face, and the same flittering black from long before crept into my vision again.

"Good luck, My Little Human!" He boomed with a devilish laughter.

And everything went dark.

-/ The Start of an Adventure \-

The darkness flashed bright.

I felt a gut tugging sensation, like falling. I opened my eyes, and was met with a vast blue. In the corner of my eye, I caught the glimpse of a weight puff. Cloud probably. My hair, what little I had, swirled lightly around my ears. The air flowed by me, emitting a small rustling sound. I tucked my right arm in, and shifted my weight to the right. I flipped over successfully, and immediately my eyes widened.

Mind you, the previous happened within only a two or so seconds. I saw a blur of tan, and a deep blue in the tops of my eyes. In an instant, I straightened my body, feet towards the ground. I relaxed my muscles, and bent my knees, preparing to roll. The trick was to roll on the meatiest parts of your body. As soon as the ground touches your feet, you slip your feet out from under you, roll on your thigh onto your shoulder, and recover with no injuries. At least that's what's supposed to happen.

I felt the ground touch my toes, and I kicked my legs from under me. A flash of crimson obstructed my vision as I rolled onto my thighs. Not good. I continued to roll for a fraction of a second, before transferring my weight onto my shoulder. I felt my shoulder blade tip, and using my hands, I launched myself forward.

Using my momentum, I rolled onto my feet. On my way up, my feet caught together, and I stumbled forwards to much. My body fell again, and I was met with a face full of sand. I shouted out as a mixture of pain and disgust erupted from my face. I quickly rid my mouth of sand, building my saliva as to make the sand wet, easy to spit out. After this, I turned my focus to my eyes. My eyes burned of dry sand. I tried blinking, to stimulate the liquids in my eyes in an attempt to naturally release the sand. I screamed again, blinking only made it worse, exposing my dry eyes to air.

I made my way to the water, grabbed a handful, and splashed it into my eyes.

"HOLY SHITTTT AHHHHHHHHH"

I choked back my manly tears, and repeated the process several times. After a minute of immense burning, I sat up, satisfied with my work.

I felt a twinge of pain from my right foot, sending feelings tearing through my leg. I looked down, frightens about what I was going to see. I relieved a breath I had been holding, in a sigh of relief. My ankle was neither broken or sprained. In fact, it had no visible damage at all. I rotated it a few times, emitting a few pops in response. Satisfied in my well being, I stood up.

I sat alone on a wide beach. The water splashed against shinning black rocks, creating a small roar in the background. A few miles down the coastline stood a range of high cliffs, red and tan in color. To the right bore large dunes, ranging as far as I could see from my position.

I rubbed my eyes as my foot connected with a soft leathery object. I looked down, and found a black, very large rutsack laying at my feet. I knelt down, eager to open my new found goodies. I fumbled with the metal clippings, and undid the straps. The leathery top fell open and the contents spilled into the sand.

A very long list of items lay in the sand, or still in the bag. Several Chicken Dinner, Vegetable, and Potatoe MRE's, one KA-BAR knife, two one liter bottles, filled with water, a first aid kit, compass, one medium sized flashlight, batteries, two rolls of duct tape, a lighter, sleeping bag, small sewing kit, water filters, small four season tent, small survival hatchet, a large scroll, containing a map of Equestria, a tactical vest, a small, jet black gem, and a medium sized .380 Thunder Plus handgun.

That's when I noticed that my armor and sword were nowhere to be found. I searched a small area around me, but to no avail. I decided my options, I dislike fire arms for various reasons, although I know how to fire them properly. Sighing in defeat, I equipped my tactical vest, found It loaded with magazines, and put it on. I strapped my gun into its holster on my right side, and grabbed the gem. I stroked it with my finger, and turned it over. I found the coal black gem had a white surface on the opposing side, I squinted and found it with adjourned with small blue text.

Enjoy the goodies human?

I didn't know what to do. I figured it was obviously the man from the crossroads, but I didn't know how to respond. I thought 'yes' but nothing happened. I stroked the letters across the surface, nothing. In a last attempt, I whispered a soft "Yes".

Took you long enough. Just touch the white side of the gem and speak when you need assistance. And for the items, please use them wisely, for you only have them once.

I placed my finger on the gem, and answered, "Okay, two things, where is my armor, and where am I?" That armor was special to me, and I was going to find it.

Well, your armor is somewhere on Earth, probably back in your storage cage. And your sword is probably there too. For your location, you are in Western Equestria, approximately 600 miles from the city of Canterlot, your destination.

As I Read the gem, my head dropped and my shoulders sagged. So much for swordsman, now I only have a gun and a somewhat small knife. Although it is not what I hade hopped for, I was going to make the best of it. For it was all I had. But I promised myself that I would get myself another blade as soon as possible.

"Where do I start?"

Well, you have found your adventure supplies, and you know your destination. It's pretty self explanatory. I would suggest though, to stay hidden from any sentient life forms that could spread news of you around Equestria. If the Princesses found out about you without you confronting them in person, it wouldn't be pretty. Concluded the Conductor.

I slid my finger off the gem. My usual thirst for adventure started creeping in. I felt excited and determined. The doubt of what would happen when I arrived in Canterlot was now forgotten. I had 600 miles on my hands to think about that. I carefully placed my finger on the gem.

It was starting to get dark, and I needed to conclude this conversation as soon as possible, "Alright, I will see to it. But you need to stay on the other side as much as possible, I will probably need your help a lot. Anyways, it's getting dark, we can continue this conversation in the morning." I stated, a firm tension settling in my voice.

As that an order? Was I just given an order? By a mere mortal? Hm, I like you already. Now get some sleep, My Little Human. And sweet dreams, don't let the bed bugs bite! The gem displayed.

"How mature..." I muttered, looking down at the gem. The white flashed a bright light, I heard that! It scolded. I rubbed my eyes and slid the gem into my pocket, "Yeah yeah.." I whispered to myself. I strode to my rut sack, and slipped it on. I started a walk down the beach a bit, searching for a place to sleep for the night. I walked for a good hour, and the sun was just settling under the horizon, giving me about twenty minutes of light left. I neared the bases of the cliffs I saw earlier. I saw a small cave carved into the side of the cliff, around teen feet up. I decided it wasn't worth my time, and I was about to head on before a blood curtailing howl sounded in the distance. This one followed by many more, changed my mind faster than you can say, 'Oh shit!'. I stepped a few yards away from the cliff, and dug my foot into the sand. I vaulted myself towards the wall with a quick motion of my feet. As I neared the wall, I launched into the air, slammed my foot into the wall and vaulted myself upwards. I grabbed upon the edge of the cave, and pulled my legs over.

I sat on the edge, and took my sack off. I rummages a big before finding my flashlight. I grabbed it and flipped the switch. A beam of light shown of the wall, and I moved it to the entrance of the cave. To my surprise, the cave only went back around teen feet, showing no other entrances deeper into the cave. I walked into the cave, and sat with my back against the wall. Feeling uncomfortable in my vest, I slipped it off and set it next to my rut sack. I made sure it was relatively close, just in case the sources of the howling came near.

I knelt of my items, and looked around for my season tent, sleeping bag, and something for dinner.

After a few minutes, I acquired my necessary items and equipped the tent. After a struggle to read the instructions, and many failed attempts, I managed to set the tent up, and my sleeping back inside it. I moved my items inside the tent, leaving nothing out in the opening of the cave.

After one last check outside my cliff side home, I settled into my tent and donned my MRE.

As I sat in my tent, munching on potatoes, I contemplated my situation. My thoughts ranged from various things. But it mostly consisted of, 'OMG IM IN EQUESTRIA EATING POTATOES AND GOODIES IN MY BAG WITH SLEEPING BAG'. You have now seen my thoughts, marvel in their beauty.

I finished eating my delicious, dried out potatoes, and set the rest of the MRE inside the rut sack. I pulled out a latern from the sack, and turned it on. I absent taking chances tonight, the howls still fresh in memory. I grabbed a super small camouflage pillow from inside the sleeping bag, slipped in my bag, and settled in.

'Just Another Day' I thought, drifting asleep.