The Road goes on and ever on
The sun was sitting high on the sky, shooting my eyes with its bright rays. There were absoultely no wind blowing nor any clouds in the sky. I brushed some sweat off my forehead, hoping the warm air would move a little to cool me off. Though hot, it was a beautiful day, and I luckily had this time off. My boss considered it my birthday present. I laid down in the grassy fields outside ponyvile. A large tree shaded me, cooling my head slightly. This time alone was imperative for my decision: Am I going to leave home and venture out in the big land of Equestria or am I going to stay here another year?
I have always talked about going out on adventure and finding treasures and riches beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve always wanted to become famous from one of my excursions, known even to Princess Celestia. Maybe I could discover the Elements of Harmony that my father, the incredible legend my father read to me before bed, back when I was just the colt. If I could use the Elements, I could even be a hero, respected by every pony.
I reached out for the bottle of apple cider I received from the Apple family. It was a nice birthday present, but I didn’t really need it. The job they gave me is enough. They’re the only ones here in ponyvile that would hire me except dad, though that wouldn’t count as work, if you ask me. I wondered when I could even drink this cider, what occasion would call for such a lavish drink. It would age in the cellar then, possibly as my own coming home gift if I did leave.
I let out a small sigh as I enjoyed the view from from the hiltop. I saw Ponyvile and everyone minding their own buisness, laughing, talking, having a good time. I saw the mountains covered in snow in the distant and the green fields that surrounded me. If I did leave, I’d definitely miss it here.
I closed my eyes, ready to take a nap. My mind drifted away, though, a nagging voice kept me to reality, clinging onto my brain, chaining it away from the beautiful dream realm.
“Hey sleepyhead. I need you.” It was Rosemary, of course.
“For what?” I asked, not bothering to open my eyes.
“You know, that surprise party that you always have on your birthday, silly,” Rose explained.
“Yeah, I knew I had forgot something, but why did you tell me? It won’t be much of a surprise now,” I told her.
“Oh, come on. We both know you wouldn’t be able to take a nap anyways because you’re either hungry or thirsty. Then you’ll wake up and go to the Sugar Cube, where everyone is waiting for you,” Rosemary said.
“How did you-”
“ My special senses, and you are very predictble,“ Rosemary said with a wink.
“Give me five minutes, and then I will come over to my party,” I said with a small smile.
Rose sighed in frustration and walked around for a short while, pacing back and forth, waiting for me to follow her. Eventually, she sat down and laid her head on my shoulder. I had been blessed by the old ruler of Equestria for the good weather, but I wonder what I have done to desserve this.
“Rose um … This is…” I started weakly.
“This is what?” she asked.
“Uncomfortable,” I said moving her head away.
“Are you ready for your party then?” she asked while getting up.
I simply nodded, quietly following her lead.
“So, today’s the big day,” she said. “Your eighteenth birthday. It’s old enough for your ‘adventure,’ now isn’t it?”
I sighed. “Yeah, Rose. I’m old.”
“But you won’t actually leave, right? You’re not going to go looking for the Elements. Lightning, that legend is so old, and there’s no proof that anything exists. You won’t get anything, will you?”
“I know it’s just a fool’s hope about them being real, but I am that fool,” I said with a small grin.
“You’ll waste your life away. Just chase normal dreams like everyone else,” she replied. “I’m just saying that for your own good.”
So did everyone else, but I knew what I wanted. I turned away from Rose, ignoring all other attempts to dissuade me. She was like everyone else and insisted I should stick with my education. They considered the story an old pony’s tale, ridiculous and outlandish. They simply didn’t understand.
When we arrived at the Sugar Cube. She told me to wait outside and count to ten.
“One two, skip a few, ten,” I mumured.
I walked through the door, and the whole place was pitch black. Before I could react, the light turned on, and everyone jumped out from their hiding spots.
“ SUPRISE!!”
The sudden change of lights blinded me as it always does, and the overwhelming volume of their united voices did the job on making me near deaf, yet again. When my eyesight returned, I saw my mother and father, all my friends and even Macintosh.
“Happy birthday, Lightning.”
“Yeah, eighteen!”
“Where’s cake?”
“Let’s get this party started!”
Music blared from the speakers overhead. Streamers were strewn all around the room, and balloons were set on every table. Lights glared from above, and ponies were dancing or socializing.
“Come on!” Rose shouted as she dragged me to the dance floor. What did I do to deserve this?
These ponies were my friends, of course, but all of them together in this cramped room was too much. The noise filled my ears with nonsense, flooding my brain with an endless stream of soul-sucking torture. And Rosemary clung to me like a leech, commanding me like a puppeteer to dance with everyone. The room was nauseatingly hot, as well, heated by the burning sun outside. Oh, Equestrian gods, what did I do to deserve this?
My parents approached me quickly and embraced me in a warm hug. My mother asked to cut the music and stood up on a table. “Everyone,” my mother yelled, “Everyone, we have an announcement.”
“Your mother and I have discussed some things, thinking especially about the big journey you’ve always been takling about,” my father said.
“Ever since you could talk,” another pony mentioned as the crowd laughed a little.
When everyone setled down, my mother added, “We also think that you should be more in charge of you life, and you did work hard for this. Don’t postpone your journey any longer. We think you should realize your dream.”
The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Most of the other ponies expressed disbelief and considered my parents to be nuts. I, however, could barely believe it. I have my parents’ blessing on my journey. They were supporting me now. This actually happened.
“So, we have made some things that may help you on that journey,” explained my father as he showed me a few items wrapped in paper.
The presents from father was a skillfully crafted iron sword with leather armour and a chainmail. My mother gave me a cloak and a jacket.
“Mother, father, this is too much. I can’t accept this,” I said.
“These are your presents from us, my boy,” father said with a warm smile.
“Father, I thought this sword was to the Duke of Canterlot,” I said while looking at the blade.
“That was just a simple excuse,” father said with a grin.
I nod. “I shouldn’t postpone my journey any longer, then. I’ll leave after the party,” I announced.
~~~
I had equipped my sword around my waist. My chainmail was under my armour, and my bedroll was packed. I was ready to leave, but before I could go anywhere, Rosemary came up to me.
“Do you really have to leave?“ she asked.
“Yes, but I will return… one day,” i answerd
“But I don’t want you to leave,” she pouted, looking sad.
“Rose, you know as well as I do that when I set my mind to something, there is no turning back,” I said.
“You’re just being stubborn,” she insisted. “This could be really dangerous, and for what? You’ll be competing with a ton of lawless treasure hunters for some legend that probably doesn’t exist!”
“Well, if that’s the case, I just have to become like them and do what they do,” I said.
“There’s no way you can do that.”
I smiled. “You’ll see.”
She rolled her eyes. “What about everyone here? Won’t you miss them?”
I stared off into the distance for a short amount of time, looking at the sun set against the horizon, before I answered:
“You could look over horizon when the sun rises.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because it is then I will return,” I explained with a smug smile.
“Do you promise?”
“Of course.”
“What if you break it?”
I turned to her and stared into her eyes. Her gaze was steady though scared as she waited for my answer. “I don’t make a girl a promise if I know I can’t keep it.”
I walked away, leaving her dumbstruck. I walked through the center of town, waving good-bye as my friends wished me good luck, though I could hear a bit of snickering every now and then. I kept walking until I reached the end of town, setting my sights for the horizon. Without stopping, I took my first step out of town and started walking on the road that goes on and ever on.
Author's Note
Hope you like
A Rookies Mistake
I have been traveling for two days now and I could finally admit to myself that I’m lost. Well not completely lost … I was following a dirt road, but I’ve been walking past endless plains for hours on this damned neverending road.
I followed the path for a while longer before I stopped completely and looked back at the direction I came.
“There is no shame turning back, or is there?” I asked myself.
“That depends on how much you enjoy traveling ,” somepony answered. “Where’re you from?”
I turned around and saw a tall pony behind me, and he had a small smile on his face. He wore old, rusted steel-plated armour and had a sword strapped to his waist.
“Ponyville, sir. I started in Ponyville,” I said with a sheepish smile.
“Then it would be a shame turning back,” said the man, “Because you haven’t traveled far enough.”
“Then I assume you know what is long enough before turning back,” I questioned him.
“From the capital and back” the man said.
“The capital … You mean, The Capital?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yes. I have been to the Capital city of the empire. Is it that hard to understand?”
“Don’t you have to be really rich or have a seriously good reason to be there?” I asked him.
“I was born there,” the man said. “My mother and father are a part of the nobility.”
“What is your name, if I may?” I asked him.
“My name is Silver Wing,” he said.
“That’s a pegasus’s name, and you don’t have the wings!” I exclaimed, pointing at his back.
Silver quickly unequipped his armour and took off his shirt and pointed to some purple scars on his back, the marks sticking out from under the white grayish hair, before quickly putting his shirt and armour back on.
“Makes you want to puke, eh?” Silver chuckled weakly.
“How did that happened?” I asked him .
“Things like this happens when you go into battle…without Equipment ” Silver explained solemnly.
“So where are ya heading kid?” he asked me.
I never actually thought about where I was going, and truth be told, I have only been wandering around. What should I say to him?
“Canterlot,” I answered quickly.
“The old Capital of Equestria? Why would you go there?” Silver asked.
“To see if I can find some clues on where there might be treasure or work,” I answered.
“Well, Canterlot is that way,” Silver said pointing at the opposite direction. “You’re heading towards Detrot right now.”
“Gee, thanks, Silver. I hope I see you again in the future,” I said as I part with him.
“May the roads lead you to what you seek,” Silver said waving.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I followed the dirt road for several hours before I found a small village that reminded me of a bit of home: small, quiet, peaceful, boring. An old inn caught my attention, completely wretched but I was so starving I could lick the ground I was walking on. I stepped in, greeted by the nauseating scent of dust and mold. Even so, the inn had a big fire pit in the middle of the room, burning ashes and embers like a campfire.
I walked up to the counter and sat down on one of the barstools near the counter. The place was deserted, not even an employee.
“Hello? Anybody here?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’ll be with you in a minute,” said a tough, rusty voice.
I sat quietly waiting for the inn keeper. I started tapping my fingers on the bar counter impatiently and soon after I started humming more impatient.
“So what can I get you?” asked the same rough voice.
I looked around before I saw a minotaur with one and a half horns standing behind the counter.
“Do you have anything to eat here?” I asked the inn keeper.
“Yeah. The day vegetable soup, and there are other items on the menu,” said the inn keeper.
“I’ll take the soup and some cider,” I said, keeping my eyes on the half horn. “Umm... What happened to your horn, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I lost it while fighting the empire in my homeland, in the battle of my capital, to be more accurate… Those damned imperial soldiers actually knew how to fight. I was stationed near the palace we had orders to guard it with our lives and yet I still stand here today, telling you.” The innkeeper with a sigh. “What do you want to drink?”
“Apple cider if you got that,” I said.
“Coming right up,” said the innkeeper.
The innkeeper placed a mug of apple cider and a bowl of soup in front of me. I start eating the soup, diving in headfirst. Immediately, I started gagging, looking for anywhere to spit it out. Then I realized I should try to hide the fact that it was horrible because the big ass minotaure was standing right in front of me. I had nothing against other races but minotaurs are just sticking out of the crowd here in Equestria. Most minotaurs were either bandits or petty criminals anyway. Everyone hated them.
I took a sip of the apple cider, and to my relief it was far better than the soup. I quickly drowned out the soup’s flavor with the cider and threw the rest of the soup under the counter. The innkeeper seemed to glare at me for a moment. Then again, minotaurs always look a bit angry.
I thought about what I could do, away from home. For starters, a job.
“Um … do you know if it is some kind of job for the likes of me around here?” I asked the innkeeper.
“Well, you can ask Mister. Hat and Clogs for work,” said the innkeeper
“Hat and Clogs?” I asked
“That’s the name of his shop but we just call him Mister Hat and Clogs,” said the innkeeper.
He pointed towards a cobblestone road. “His shop should be on Salted Acorn Avenue.”
“Thank you.” I paid for my meal and quickly left the inn, heading for Mister Hat and Clogs shop. I noticed that this village looked very much like Ponyvile except it seemed better for travellers. I found Mister hat and clogs shop and went inside. I saw immediately that this was just a typical clothing store.
“Hello? … Mister Hat and Clogs? Are you home?” I asked.
Nobody answered but I could hear something that sounded like sobbing, I walked further in and saw a lot of different fabrics and clothes. After some searching, I found a staircase. The sobbing must have been from the second floor. I climbed up the steps very slowly and careful. The second floor was stuffed with mannequins and chests probably filled with fabrics. I made my way to a door and tried open it.
“Go away. There is nothing here to steal,” cried a voice behind the door.
“Mister Hat and Clogs?” I asked.
“Yes that’s me, and who are you? … a thief, maybe or a murder?” spat Hat and Clogs between gasps.
“No. I heard that you needed help so I came to take the job,” I explained.
The door was quickly unlocked, and I was dragged inside the room. Mister Hat and Clogs had apparently taken me inside his work room/ bedroom. Sketches of clothes were on his desk, and a tear-stained pillow on his bed.
“What is is you need help with?” I asked him.
“I NEED YOU TO HELP ME FIND MY HAT!” cried Mister Hat and Clogs with watery eyes.
“What?” I asked.
“My favorite hat. I’ve lost it! Oh what a tragedy, I tell you. WHAT A TRAGEDY!” Mister Hat and Clogs said hysterically.
“Your hat?” I asked in disbelief.
“You sir don’t understand true fashion if you picked that outfit,” Mister Hat and Clogs said, looking at me completely disgusted.
“Um... Okay. I’ll help you find your hat,” I said.
Author's Note
Tell me what you guys think
