The Few

Chapters

The One: Chapter One: An Injury Leads to a History
The One: Chapter Two: Journal One
The One: Chapter Three: Journal Two
The One: Chapter Four: Journal Three
The One: Chapter Five: Recovered and on the Move
The Four: Chapter One: The Stranger
The Four: Chapter Two: The Roommate
The Four: Chapter Three: The Lover
The Four: Chapter Four: The Other Lover
Author's Note

The One: Chapter One: An Injury Leads to a History

The conspiracy theorists were right. The end was nigh. Past tense, of course, since the world has long since ended. I theorize that someone, somewhere, got fed up with there being so many nationalities, so he pressed a button and made there be two: The Survivors and The Sheltered. We, The Survivors, faced the end like humans always should; with dignity, grace, and a bare refusal to die. They, The Sheltered, were the conspiracy theorists or the children of them. They rode the end like a tidal wave, sitting cozy in their bomb shelters. Little did they know, though, that the end was a one-two punch. The nukes fell, yes, but they caused a seismic reaction, and the Earth split like an egg. Many of the shelters were ripped in twain as the Earth did the same, meaning The Sheltered are as few and as respected as The Survivors.

So, we live in a post-apocalyptic utopia, right? No, not at all. It turns out the religious junkies were right, too. Hell, in all its glorious forms, is real. And the only thing keeping it back was the crust of the Earth. And, in a final strive by some unseen hand to end the humans, the hell spawn bred with ‘normal’ Earth creatures. Then everything mutated. In short, it’s hell on Earth. Squared. Every day I fight for my life against demonic, mutated panthers, packs of wolves with a hierarchy based on head count, demonic goldfish, and hordes of the undead. It’s a miracle I’ve lived long enough to cower in this hole and lick my wounds. My name is Charles McGran, Survivor. On the fifth day of the second year After The Fall, I found a journal.

I had recently had an encounter with a pack of wolves, and I had spent my last shell on the last pack of zombies. Foolishly, I ran. Wolves, I now know, are the ultimate hunters. They chased me down, spilt my guts on the cracked pavement, then got into a fight with a mutated demon panther. Seeing this as my sign of good luck, I cradled my intestines and took off. You, the reader, may be wondering how I was able to do this. Let’s just say that I wasn’t untouched by the radiation. I found, on the first day A.T.F., that I had developed incredible pain endurance and strange regeneration powers. The regeneration was slow, but all I needed to do was keep things inside, like my intestines, and I would live. So I hoped.

But, I digress. I was running, intestines in hand, and found a hole in the wall of what must have once been a manmade river. It closely resembled a coyote’s den, but was clearly once occupied by a human. Just who this human was was told by his journal, in a satchel near the entrance. I bound my wound and, having nothing better to do, took a peek into another man’s life.

The One: Chapter Two: Journal One

10/31/10 My father has found out about my truancy problem. I haven’t been to school in weeks, so it’s understandable why he’s concerned. I just don’t see the point of wasting one fifth of one’s life just to spend three fifths working oneself to the bone attempting to acquire some miracle elixir. Enough of my ‘flawed’ views on society, though. The reason you’re reading this, and why I’m writing this, is because I’m leaving. I’m going to take my bow, a quiver of arrows, and a sharp knife and take off. If you are one David Castillo, I apologize dearly. I know you trusted me to be there for you, but I’d prefer to avoid my father’s wrath. And, as anybody reading this may have guessed, I am most likely dead at this point, as I never leave my satchel behind. And, if you aren’t David, grant a dead man his wish and put these journals into his hands.

11/1/10 Today, I let my father think he won. He dropped me off at school, expecting me to actually go to class. Poor man. I’m already basically free, and from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be impossible for me to go back to school, since this school is shutting down. Of course, that’s been word-of-mouth, since I no longer have internet access, but I trust the little birdy who told me.

Being out of school for two weeks may just be the best thing that happened to me. I have been presented with four options, two of which are, put bluntly, retarded. The other two, however, are almost beneficial. The first, online school, fixes my problems with the social aspect of school. The second, accepting a GED and entering a community college, fixes my problem with the education. Of course, they both have problems. Online school will teach me the same old humdrum curriculum, will cost too much for a prodigious one, and I may be inclined to cheat with search engines. A community college will have the same stupid people, it may be too stressful, and I’m likely to be the youngest there, causing its own plethora of problems. Of course, I do have a third option, which is what I previously wrote. Still, I don’t think I can leave everything behind. For how scary my friends, the internet, my family, and my education are, they are just as, if not more, glorious. I truly am torn.

11/2/10 I write this after having been forced a decision. My father, a christian man, found out that I am a fan of, as he put it, “a faggot’s show,” which is the newest generation of My Little Pony. I left, took the aforementioned survival gear, a t-shirt and jeans, and left everything behind, including my last name. I am now just William, vagabond, transient, and, more than likely, soon to be dead. I know that sounds like a bleak statement, but it’s true. I have had little to no survival training, my only edge being a crack shot after a year of archery club after school. I have no idea how to find water, how to keep myself warm in the coming winter. I don’t even know how to gut and clean an animal properly.

Learning is fun! Lesson one: When gutting an animal, don’t cut into the digestive track, or the animal will turn septic. Lesson two: Blood doesn’t come off. At all. I knew I should’ve paid more attention in health class.

So, turns out blood does come off. Only with cold water, though, and Tucson doesn’t have too much of that. Also, as I sat eating charred rabbit over a tiny fire, it occurred to me that I am at risk of two very silly things that could potentially kill me: scurvy and rabbit starvation. Hopefully I’ll be able to plunder some oranges from some place, even if it does wind up having to be a supermarket. The second problem isn’t so severe, it just means I’ll have to take down larger prey. The third problem is so real and terrifying that I actually didn’t write it, but dehydration is going to probably wind up killing me.

11/3/10 Woke up before the sun to the sound of heavy boots and barking dogs. Seems that the amber alert has been sounded, and I’ll have to move. East seems like the best option, since there isn’t much of a west.

Note to self: Puddle water tastes horrible

11/4/10 I found a bottle of water on the side of the road. It was a nice, metal one, and though the water in it was hot, it was clean. Never thought hot water would be refreshing.

I’m attempting to skin the animals I kill. I thought I was skilled with a knife, but I found out that was completely wrong.

11/5/10 Cottonmouth is killing me. Not the snake, the sign of dehydration.

State border! Woo! I’m dead.

11/6/10 Well, I’m not dead. But I don’t know why. My bottle no longer seems to be empty. As a man of science, I want to say that there has to be a logical explanation, but I cannot see any. The water’s nice, though.

11/7/10 With this new water source, I feel a lot better. Except for the fact that I don’t know where it’s coming from. I don’t want to be saved by the same God that my ass of a father believes in. Or any other God, because the thought of them existing is blasphemy!

Well, with my extremely atheist statements having been said, my water source has not run out. So, either this is not the work of a God or said God is just very patient.

11/8/10 I managed to actually get an intact pelt. The only problem, however, is that I lack stitching tools. And stitching knowledge.

I thought about it for a while, and I remembered that the natives used snake ribs and sinew as needle and thread. I guess I could try that, since I don’t really have much of anything else to do with my hands.

Well, after a few trials and many, many errors, I managed to fashion myself a hat out of a javelina hide I let dry in the sun. It’s a little stiff and definitely not pretty, but everyone has to start somewhere.

11/9/10 This hat is actually kind of nice. It keeps the cold breeze off the back of my neck and the sun out of my eyes. And it makes me feel like a wild man. Next step, the shirt!

Alright, who the fuck invented the fucking shirt? It looks logical on paper, but it is so hard to execute in the fabric! Rargh!

I scrapped the whole shirt idea, and went instead with a sort of single-sheet drape that covers chest, midriff, and arms. Take that, modernity!

Wound up in Las Cruces, bummed some heat off a trash fire, and slept in an alley. Would the title ‘D.G.K.’ be appropriate for me yet?

11/10/10 Well, someone’s got a kind heart in Las Cruces. Me and the bums I slept with awoke to some guy in a suit cooking us bacon and eggs. I thanked him graciously, but had to ask if he had any oranges. I expected him to call me an ungrateful slob and stalk away furious, but he just handed me an orange with a knowing smile. He actually never said anything. Was he mute?

As I’m sitting here beside my dying campfire writing to an audience I’ll never meet, I can’t help but think of my situation. I’m fifteen and on the lamb with very little survival knowledge. Some may take my situation and say it sucks to be me, but I’m very glad to be me. I learned everything high school had to teach me online, and I wasn’t planning on perpetuating my misery by going to college anyway, so I was basically done with schooling anyway. And being out here is awesome! I’m learning so many things I never would’ve been able to learn in society. Like how to build a fire in scrubland without lighting the west coast ablaze! The secret is inflammable material, a.k.a. rocks.

11/11/10 I wondered what time it was for the first time in a long time today. I couldn’t help but laugh. To me, right now, all time is is a number assigned to the position of the sun. Time is a funny thing when you look at it from an outside perspective.

I finished my ‘shirt’ by midday. It’s quite warm, and makes me feel even more rugged. Now if only I had a beard.

Well, I tried to will a beard onto my face all day, but it didn’t seem to work. Oh well, I’m only fifteen, I’m sure it’ll come around someday, right?

11/12/10 I feel like I should make pants to complete this hide ensemble, but they seem like a hell of a lot of work, and I’m not too keen on the simple method, which is essentially a dress. I may be a pony fan, but I’m not wearing a dress.

Loneliness is eating what little sanity I had left. A particularly cold wind whipped up, which pierced right through my thin jeans, so I yelled at the wind “Fine, I’ll wear a dress.” Stranger than that, is that the wind petered out shortly thereafter. I don’t think I believe in science anymore.

I started on the dress thing, but without enough leather, it turned out as a short skirt. I told the wind I’d wear a dress, not a skirt. Ain’t nobody gonna catch me anywhere in a skirt. No way, no how.

11/13/10 A normal person would be homesick by now, I imagine. But I’m destination sick. I want to see what’s beyond the next horizon, every horizon. Is wanderlust the proper term for that?

Slept the night in Carlsbad. You know the place, famous for its caverns? Yeah, that place. Nice town.

11/14/10 So I finished the dress with an addition of a rabbit pelt or two. And though it might have brought a blush to my cheeks when I put it on, it’s really warm and quite comfortable. Damn you, society’s residual gender interpretations!

Cold wind whipped past me. Didn’t feel it at all, since I had my hands tucked up inside my coat. Warm as fuck

11/15/10 Sat on the side of a road for a little while. I have no idea why, but I did it. That was about the events of today.

11/16/10 Shoes gave out. Kind of shitty, but I think I can make it barefoot. I used to walk around barefoot a lot during the monsoons, so my feet are fairly tough. Besides, there isn’t a cobbler for who knows how long. Probably here to England.

11/17/10 Started to sing a song as I was walking. I haven’t heard “On the Road Again” in years, but apparently I know it by heart. Curioser and curioser.

11/18/10 Met a couple stoners on a rock outcropping. They flipped out and started yelling at each other variations of the phrase ‘Is this real life?’ I’m not sure who’s crazy in that situation, the man in a dress with a bow or the people having an existential crisis.

11/19/10 So I’m sixteen now. That’s a thing, I guess. Being sixteen just makes me think about cars. And how much they suck.

11/20/10 Nothing eventful happened today, but it ended in Abilene. Didn’t even know this town existed, but it has the same small society of homeless that I fit right into. I find it quite interesting to observe their social dynamics. Most treated me like a kid, someone who needed to be taken care of, but once a few of them started talking to me, they found that I had quite a bit of knowledge and experience, and began treating me more like an adult. They were infinitely curious about my bottle, just as I was.

11/21/10 I’ve entered a greener part of the country. Being a Tucson boy, this is actually quite a shock. In Tucson, the most green you’d see is from trees, cacti, and golf courses. Rarely would there be naturally green grass, and never so much of it.

11/22/10 I was almost bored today. I began thinking about how I’d be reading a book back home right now, but then I remembered I’m the kind of hero that’d be in the book I’d be reading. And this journal kind of makes my life a book, so really, this is more exciting than a book because I’m in the book. The things one thinks of while walking alone.

11/23/10 Found an injured canine laying in the shade of a tree today. It growled as I approached, but that didn’t deter me. It attempted to get up, but immediately collapsed with a whine. I took the moment and stepped right up next to him. He looked at me with a great degree of fear in his eyes, but a petting behind the ears calmed him down and let me assess his injury. He seemed to have been bit by something, and it went deep. I washed it out and bound it with scraps of my shirt. I’ll be staying with him until he recovers, but at least he picked a nice tree.

11/24/10 He seemed well enough to get up without a fuss at about noon, so I made to leave. He, however, had different plans, and is now following me. I decided to call him Silver, because he’s got a grayish hue to his coat.

11/25/10 I’m thinking that west may have been a better idea, because even mid Texas is cold as a witch’s tit. Ugh.

11/26/10 Silver’s doing really well. I was able to remove his bandage this morning, and he’s starting to regain his natural gait. He still isn’t much help in the hunt yet, but I’m sure that’ll come with time.

11/27/10 My hair is really musky. It reminds me how long it’s been since I’ve had a hot shower. Or a warm bed. Or a roof. Not that I miss them, it’s just a thought.

11/28/10 Silver managed to bring home a rabbit today. I was really proud of him, and let him tear into it. I had my own meal and plenty of hide anyway.

11/29/10 I killed an armadillo today. Not as tough as they’re made out to be, honestly. I had the urge to place his skull facing the rising sun. It was a very spiritual urge, and having lost almost all belief in science, I shrugged and followed the urge. Nothing came of it, but I felt like I did the right thing.

11/30/10 Eastward, ever eastward. That’s about all. East.

12/1/10 I’ve made it a habit of setting skulls facing the rising sun. I have no explanation, except that it simply feels right.

12/2/10 Six feet beating an unbeaten path into the east. Has a mystical air to it.

Slept with a gang of hobos again, this time in Shreveport, Louisiana. Didn’t even know I had crossed the state border.

12/3/10 Woke to Silver growling. At the end of our alley stood a lean woman, slightly bent. She made eye contact in the dim pre-morning light and left. Having become rather impulsive, I followed her. She seemed to have expected as much, as she was right around the corner. She introduced herself as Gretchin, and immediately inquired about my bottle. I was suspicious at first, but handed it to her. She turned it over a few times, seeming not to find what she was looking for. However, when she opened it, she grinned. She told me she had sensed magic coming from it and then asked where it had come from. I told her, in all honesty, that I didn’t know. She investigated further, even pulling a little water out of the bottle. This was very strange, because when I saw pull, I mean pull. She simply waved her hand and water began to flow out of it. She then looked at me through the water and declared that I had cast the spell, to which I firmly denied, as I didn’t even know magic existed. She sighed, put my water back, and beckoned me to follow her.

She took me to a lake outside of Shreveport. It was frozen over, so we walked across. She walked like a graceful angel, and I slipped and slided like a newborn deer. When we got across, she stepped inside a humble shack without even a ceremony. She’s awfully strange, especially considering that she knows, and wishes to teach me, magic. She helped me get settled in today, but she promised my lessons would start tomorrow. I’m honestly giddy with excitement.

12/18/10 So, haven’t written in a while. Been really tired. She gives me lessons while I build a tolerance to magical energies. Basically, human magic functions by wiring yourself into the ether that connects everything on the planet and then using the energy in everything to cast spells. However, the human body can only handle so much energy before they start getting feedback from it. In order to increase that limit, one has to reach that limit every day. I reach that limit fairly quickly still, but my lessons here aren’t even done. She gave me today to rest, so I’m sitting on her roof, staring at the sky. Louisiana’s beautiful.

1/2/11 Lessons are done. She sent me northwards and told me to constantly reach my magical limit before I slept every night. I’ve got enough skill in magic to cast small magic bolts, so I’ve unstrung my bow and am planning to take down prey with the bolts now. She wasn’t able to teach me much else. Apparently, you’ve got to know how magic works and have a high tolerance for magic before you can really learn magic. However, I’m still excited. The person she’s sent me to see will teach me word magic. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m sure it’ll be fun.

1/3/11 It feels good to be on my feet again. Even if I’m headed in a different direction.

1/4/11 I really want to go swimming, but there’s snow on the ground. Fucking winter.

1/5/11 So I have this bow that doesn’t really do anything and I’m contemplating leaving it behind. However, I don’t think I can. It feels like a part of me. Decisions, decisions.

1/6/11 I decided to keep the bow with me, and leave it in Tucson if I ever return. It would be a fitting resting place.

1/7/11 It’s so white around here. I have to wonder what state is under all this snow. And also what there is to eat besides rabbits and wolves.

1/8/11 Crunch crunch crunch. Snow sounds weird.

1/9/11 I met a farmer on the road today. He seemed nice enough, gave me some peach preserves. I still think people are strange, though.

1/10/11 Boredom finally set in. I blame the endless white expanse.

1/11/11 Made Springfield by nightfall. No hobos to crash with, so I slept on the street alone.

1/12/11 I realize you may be wondering how I can go barefoot in the snow and not lose my feet. The answer is simple: magic. The magical energy from the ether actually creates heat, much like electricity, allowing me to channel a small amount of energy and keep my feet toasty warm no matter the weather.

1/13/11 Everything is so white. Ridiculously white. More white than Tucson is brown. And yet, everything that’s white is blue in other situations. And black in yet others. Water is really weird.

1/14/11 Sleeping under the stars is really nice. The sky just sort of falls in on itself at night. It’s really beautiful.

1/15/11 I think we’re in a flyover state, one that would have squares of cornfields any other time of the year. Right now, though, there’s nothing but snow. I know a lot of entries have been about snow, but snow is amazing to me.

1/16/11 Silver and I played fetch with snowballs today. It was really fun, even though I had to make so many.

1/17/11 Alright, snow has lost it’s appeal. It’s gone from interesting and mysterious to run of the mill and boring. Now I can’t wait for spring.

1/18/11 I’m dreaming of a white Christmas… Even though it’s a little late for carols, I found myself singing this one today.

1/19/11 My pants have given way to the buildup of dirt and grime and the constant wearing. I left them behind in the snow. I hope someone wonders where they came from. It would make me chuckle.

1/20/11 Made Des Moines after nightfall. Slept in the snowbank on the side of the road. Awfully comfortable, considering it’s snow.

1/21/11 I’m wondering if I need to make an entry every day, especially since almost nothing happens in the great white north.

1/22/11 I saw a snow owl today. It was pretty.

1/23/11 Made Mason City in the dead of night. Slept in a snowbank again. I’m really hoping this doesn’t become a regular thing. I liked my hobo friends.

1/24/11 I really want to get to Duluth. I don’t even know what state it’s in, but I want to get there. I think she said Minnesota? Whatever.

1/25/11 I think the snow is having an adverse effect on my mood. I’m feeling grumpier and grumpier as the days drag on.

1/26/11 With all this white expanse, I can’t help but wonder if the sun reflecting off the snow is giving me a tan. That’d be the weirdest thing, a winter tan.

1/27/11 Nothing worthy to note happened today.

1/28/11 I wonder if there’s intelligent life out in the stars. Surely there must be, right?

1/29/11 Continuing from yesterday’s entry, I also wonder if there is a God. It doesn’t seem logical, both in the sense that if there was, there wouldn’t be evil, and also one God would be overburdened.

1/30/11 Still thinking about Gods. Honestly, a pantheon, like in Greek mythos, makes the most sense.

1/31/11 It would also make sense if there was a God for every little thing, and they would be ranked in accordance to how important their thing is, from stick insects to humans to pure existence. It would also form a hierarchy, where the God of insects is above the God of beetles and he is above the God of Japanese beetles.

2/1/11 Made Duluth by night. Finally get to start in on my next training. All I have to do is wait to be contacted. And by wait, I of course mean sleep.

2/2/11 I was approached by a man called Horatio in the morning. He took me to his house by the lake and started in on lessons immediately. I’ll probably not be writing much, since these lessons are probably going to be fairly time-consuming.

2/17/11 He gave me a break today, and I sat on his roof and stared at the clouds. Lessons so far have been language, mostly. He says we’ll soon start in on using the language he has been teaching me, the language of magic, to cast spells.

3/4/11 On the road again. Horatio sent me back west, to someplace called Courtenay. I’ve got a few new tricks up my sleeve, figuratively, thanks to his lessons. Like fireballs!

3/5/11 Spent the night at a campfire surrounded by people like me. Wanderers, vagabonds, fugitives. It was a nice change of pace, being around my own kind. I asked them if they knew where Courtenay was. They laughed at my idea of walking there, so I assume it’s pretty far.

3/6/11 It’s so still up here. Still and serene. And pristine. And other -een words.

3/7/11 Silver blends in almost perfectly up here. I have to wonder if this is where his species originated from.

3/8/11 The evergreens up here sure are nice. Green and white and brown and nice.

3/9/11 Made Fargo by the night. Nice enough place, I guess. A little white for my tastes, but everything is.

3/10/11 All things considered, I’d make a pretty interesting person in a community. Walked all over the U.S., knows magic, wears clothes of his own making. Maybe only in Portland would I be ‘interesting.’ Heh, Portland jokes.

3/11/11 My shirt went the way of my pants. I’m now wearing only animal hide. Feels au-natural.

3/12/11 I really want a beard. Even if it’s just stubble, I want it. It would be awesome.

3/13/11 I grew stubble overnight! Thank the beard Gods!

3/14/11 Made Bismarck by night. Reminds me of Johnny Horton.

3/15/11 Spring is coming. That’ll be nice. It’ll put the smell of the pines into the air, make this trip even more enjoyable.

3/16/11 I realized that my quality of writing fluctuates a lot. At the beginning, I was very eloquent and well-written, and I still am sometimes, but at other time, I’ll not even use full sentences. Strange.

3/17/11 Made Dickinson by nightfall. Met some friendly homeless that seemed to be migrating back to the streets. It’s nice to be among ‘my kind’ again.

3/18/11 This landscape is beautiful and all, but it’s not terribly interesting, once you see it every day. I guess these are a wanderer’s problems.

3/19/11 I wonder why we’re here on this planet. Did we really evolve from mud-amoeba completely by chance? Or were we put here for some higher purpose? If the latter, who put us here? What do they want?

3/20/11 I’ve decided that evolution is more likely than being put here by some higher power. I don’t think higher powers, with enough magic to create life, would pay terribly close attention to us, let alone create us. Then, what is the purpose of living?

3/21/11 I can’t seem to figure out what the meaning of life is. For other animals, it seems fairly simple. Herbivores live to sustain carnivores, which live to sustain larger carnivores, and on up until us. But, nothing preys on us, so what is our purpose?

3/22/11 I think the only answer to the meaning of life question is that there is no meaning. We evolved to our fullest capacity, and now we may better ourselves continually through technology, but we serve no purpose to any other species, besides ones we’ve domesticated. Non-domesticated animals keep care of themselves, from food and other necessities to population control, it’s all easily controlled by the animals themselves. So, do we just keep advancing our technology until we can’t anymore? It seems the only logical conclusion.

3/23/11 If our purpose, as divined by me, is to advance technology, why then are there religious people and freaks who don’t trust technology? Are they genetic aberrations, to be cast aside for the common good? Do we need to shed this part of our population to assist in this artificial evolution. Surely not, as they are people too.

3/24/11 I can make no argument in either direction. It seems only logical to cast aside impediments, but that is unethical. Yet, if it weren’t for strange courses of thought, we wouldn’t have all the amazing art we have now. Conversely, we’d be much more technologically advanced. What is more important, power of soul, or power of technology?

3/25/11 I can’t decide which is more important. If we advanced technology as far as we could and scrapped all belief systems, when we would eventually have a mass existential crisis and implode. However, if we fully embraced our spiritual side, our technological advancements would grind to a halt. Is the only answer to strike a perfect balance?

3/26/11 If the only answer to a better life is perfect balance, why then is it not working currently? We have a fairly good balance between spirituality and technology, yet we haven’t had a man on another planet yet. Sure, we made it to the moon, but that’s not terribly exciting. Not anymore, anyway. So, what does our society have to do to advance technologies quickly, yet still be able to embrace our spiritual side?

3/27/11 I don’t think I could ever figure out this conundrum. It seems unsolvable, mostly because most religious or spiritual people tend not to be able to impede science. So, do we common-folk just have to be patient and wait for science to move for us? It seems the only answer, which really isn’t one.

3/28/11 I wonder if we even need science. We’re fairly far ahead already, so what if we just stayed earth-bound and reveled in our already great technology? Would current designs be improved? Or would technology be stagnant?

3/29/11 All this philosophy is making my head hurt. Why does it even matter what I think? Like as not, nobody will read this.

3/30/11 Freed from my philosophy addiction, I decided to pick up juggling instead. It isn’t terribly hard, with two anyway, and pinecones make perfect practicing items.

3/31/11 I tried three pinecones today. I felt a lot less successful afterwards.

4/1/11 I’m starting to get the hang of this whole juggling thing. It’s pretty fun.

4/2/11 I made Missoula sometime in the night, and plan to help out my fellow homeless by juggling for money in the morning, maybe even do a little magic, maybe some firebreathing after the sun fades.

4/3/11 I performed all day, even having Silver join in with a few tricks. I made a decent amount of money, and left what I didn’t eat with to the homeless people. They’re nice enough, and they need it a lot more than I do.

4/4/11 It felt nice to do something charitable. I got a nice, fuzzy feeling from it. Maybe all the philosophizing was unnecessary, and that’s the meaning of life, to do for others what they cannot do for themselves.

4/5/11 I love the smell of the pine trees in spring. All crisp and fresh, outshining imitation car fresheners like it’s nobody’s business.

4/6/11 Everything seems to have come to life. There is so much life out and about now. Makes for a good hunt.

4/7/11 I’m in Moscow now! Somehow, I’m not in Russia, though. Apparently there’s a Moscow in Idaho, too. Who knew?

4/8/11 I played the role of charitable street performer again today. It’s so fun seeing the wonder and excitement on everyone’s faces.

4/9/11 Life is wonderful. It’s wonderful to live and be alive and stay alive. Absolutely euphoric.

4/10/11 Cancel the statement of yesterday, instead everything is wonderful. I just can’t be mad at anything today. Even horrible things, like overhunting, overfishing, starving Ethiopians, not anything. It’s both awesome and a little scary to feel this way.

4/11/11 A robin alighted on my shoulder today. He was so pretty, singing his little robin heart out. I just couldn’t have him for lunch after he sang like that to me.

4/12/11 I caught the faintest whiff of the sea on a strong wind today. I think we’re still a ways away from the ocean, but it was refreshing.

4/13/11 Slept in Yakima with a bunch of hobos. They told me I’d have to head more northwards, since Courtenay is in Canada and I’m only in Washington.

4/14/11 It’s so fun being a street performer. I could really get behind this lifestyle. I won’t, of course, since settling down anywhere anytime soon is still a bit of an alien thought.

4/15/11 After being given directions by a kind stranger, I set off in a northwestwards direction in pursuit of Courtenay. The further I go, the greener it gets.

4/16/11 Every few breezes, I smell the sea. It’s got my heart a flutter. I haven’t seen the sea in so long...

4/17/11 I’m giddy with anticipation. The place the stranger said Courtenay was at pointed at a coastal place. And it’s spring. I’ll finally be able to swim again!

4/18/11 Made Seattle in the night. It’s quite a bright city, and that’s not a bad thing.

4/19/11 I got to be a street performer again. I love this gig.

4/20/11 Heh. It’s 4/20. Heh.

4/21/11 Camped at the side of a body of water. Supposedly, I’ve got to cross it to make it to Courtenay. Time for a Jesus maneuver. And some swimming, just for fun.

4/22/11 After walking on water and swimming all day, I made it to Victoria and slept, wet and happy, with more homeless, in Canada.

4/23/11 I think word is spreading of my street performances. I had a much larger audience today.

4/24/11 I can still smell the sea! And it smells amazing!

4/25/11 It rained today. It was a little cold, but that didn’t bother me much.

4/26/11 I’ve noticed an odd pattern. All of my magic teachers have lived by water. I wonder if that’s coincidence.

4/27/11 Made Courtenay by night. I’m so excited to start my lessons!

4/28/11 I was approached by a man who called himself Gustav. He took me to his house at the edge of the bay, and began on our lessons. He plans to teach me material magic, which is both alchemy and reagent-based magic.

5/13/11 He gave me a break today, saying I had earned it. I went for a swim in the bay, and decided to take the time while I wasn’t exhausted to write. We finished the alchemy portion, and it’s a lot like cooking, only powered by the ether.

5/28/11 Finished the entirety of my lessons today. I am now a full fledged wizard! Somehow, I don’t feel any different. Oh well, on the road again! Southward bound! Homeward bound!

5/29/11 So, I figure I might as well attempt to explain how material magic works. Basically, it’s word magic, but without the words, and with a material component instead. I can cast all the spells in two ways now, and have been taking a little time to gather a few herbs.

5/30/11 Everything is so quiet, up here in the great green north. It’s really quite beautiful.

5/31/11 I tried fusing material and word magic today. It expended a bit more energy, but it produced a more powerful spell. Instant cooked rabbit!

6/1/11 Slept on the U.S. side of the border. Home turf, sort of.

6/2/11 I think I’m going to attempt to make it by Portland before I go all the way home. I think they’d appreciate my talents.

6/3/11 The ground feels amazing. So soft and warm and squishy.

6/4/11 I can’t help but wonder if anybody else ever walks in these woods, and if I’d ever run into them. We’d sit under a tree, and talk about the weather, then go our separate ways when the conversation grew thin. It’d be nice.

6/5/11 I wonder if I can even still function in society anymore. Sure, I can interact with the bums fairly well, but what about ‘normal’ people?

6/6/11 It’s probably breaking a hundred degrees back home. Can’t say I’ve missed it.

6/7/11 Got to Portland some time in the night. I can feel that tomorrow’s going to be great.

6/8/11 I was right. I made an amazing amount of money, and was even offered places to stay so that I could keep performing here. I, of course, declined, but they were such nice gestures. People are crazy.

6/9/11 It’s nice, being able to get yourself anywhere without having to worry too much about anything. It’s really relaxing.

6/10/11 Stopped in Salem about midday to perform. Then I slept in an alley way. For a town that used to burn witches, they were pretty receptive to my street magic.

6/11/11 It seems to be that for those bound by house and home, the road leading away from creature comforts is the longest, but for those bound by way and wild, the road to them is longest.

6/12/11 Silver and I took a little time today to just appreciate the small things. Like the clouds, scudding across the sky.

6/13/11 Latent labels misconstrue meaningful ministrations. I have no idea what it means, but it popped into my head, so I wrote it down.

6/14/11 Thinking about it more, I’ve decided that yesterday’s statement had to do with how the perceptions and constructions of gender in society make medical practices harder simply because of gender and modesty. It makes sense now.

6/15/11 I think I’ll settle down for a while when I get home. Hang out with old friends, maybe even split rent with one of them and get a job. It doesn’t sound terrible, though I don’t think I’ll make it very long without being struck by wanderlust again.

6/16/11 Made Klamath Falls in the night, and slept with the same old pack of homeless.

6/17/11 Performed again today. It never gets old.

6/18/11 I looked at a map while I was in a diner yesterday, and decided today on a more southeast than south-southeast course. However, it’ll take me through Nevada, which will be fairly arid. I’ll miss these forests.

6/19/11 The forests are already thinning out. I like change and all, but the scenery’s going to be a lot less pleasant without these trees. I should know.

6/20/11 I may have been complaining yesterday, but today I see that that complaining had no real place. The scenery’s just as beautiful, just a different kind of beautiful.

6/21/11 Without the trees, the sun has grown more intense. I actually shed my ‘shirt’ today. It’s quite the reminder of home, even if it’s not as intense.

6/22/11 I wonder if Las Vegas would appreciate my performances. I had sort of aimed for it, as a midpoint between me and my destination.

6/23/11 I think I may have stated this before, but I love sleeping under the stars. It’s such a natural experience, and it makes me feel connected to the Earth.

6/24/11 I wonder, if everyone was assigned one of the four elements, which one would I be?

6/25/11 After mulling it over, I decided that I would probably be assigned Earth as an element. I’m patient, sturdy, a little stubborn, and very durable. Too bad that’ll probably never matter. Oh well.

6/26/11 Dirt and sand as far as the eye can see, speckled with scrub and the occasional coyote. Add in some saguaro, and you’ve got my hometown.

6/27/11 I’m actually a little homesick. I guess, since home is my destination, I’m still destination sick, but I actually really want to be home today.

6/28/11 I wonder if my dad would take me back. I wonder if I’d take him back. Probably not, on both cases.

6/29/11 I just realized. I’m only sixteen. If I plan to settle down and get a job, I’ll probably have to at least act my age, if not more.

6/30/11 For what it’s worth, I think I may have some of the toughest feet in the modern world. I don’t think it’s worth much, though.

6/31/11 Days pass slowly on the road, but months seem to melt in the stream of time.

7/1/11 I can see Vegas from here, at night. I wonder how far I am. It still seems pretty far, but I think I can make it in a few days.

7/2/11 I’ll definitely make it by tomorrow. Finally, I’ll have someone besides myself to talk to.

7/3/11 Made Las Vegas by the end of the night. People were still up and about, but I managed to find a secluded alleyway to sleep in. Sure is hard to breathe here.

7/4/11 While performing on the street, I caught the eye of a couple of wealthy tourists. They gave me quite the tip. Too bad there’s not many homeless to share the riches with. I guess they’ve got to keep the streets clean, since the city lives on tourism.

7/5/11 Looking at a map in a cafe this morning, I decided to aim for Phoenix. It shouldn’t take me much more than a week, gauging by previous speeds. So close!

7/6/11 I figured out how to use the etherical energies to chill myself, allowing me to become my own A/C unit.

7/7/11 I think I’ve been in Arizona for a few days, but I can’t quite tell. Without a map, the United States really just blends together.

7/8/11 I cut through a forest, just by the edge. I think that means that I’m just south of Prescott, but I can’t be sure.

7/9/11 I saw a roadrunner today. I almost caught it, but it was too quick. I guess the coyote really could have that much trouble.

7/10/11 I saw a plane for the first time in a while. I saw it land just beyond the next horizon, implying Phoenix is fairly nearby.

7/11/11 I was right. I made Phoenix in the night. I haven’t been here in five years. It’s just as pretty as it was back then.

7/12/11 Performed again. I think I saw someone I knew in the crowd, but that might have been just a trick of the light.

7/13/11 I’m so close to home! If I had a ride, this trip would take two hours. Sadly, for me, it’ll be a few days. But it’s right there!

7/14/11 I’ve never been this excited for Tucson. I don’t think I’ll ever be this excited for it ever again, either.

7/15/11 Made Tucson by night and slept in the old ‘coyote den’ my friend and I discovered a while back. I have a good feeling about tomorrow.

The One: Chapter Three: Journal Two

7/16/11 I found my old buddy, David Castillo, and caught up with him. He’s been well, but wants out of his folk’s house. I told him I planned to try making my way in the capitalist world and then offered to put him up for a while. He accepted, and I said I’d get ahold of him when I had gotten on my feet. We parted ways after that, and I went on the job hunt.

I’m already hating this. Resume writing is boring, and it honestly isn’t even a very impressive one. Not one to be deterred, I sent in to a few places anyway, via the library computers downtown. From there, I went and performed on the street, to see if I couldn’t make a few quick bucks to start off with.

7/17/11 The oddest place accepted my resume and asked for a follow up interview. The Arizona Daily Star emailed me, saying they were looking for someone like me. I don’t quite know what someone like me is, but I’ve got an interview tomorrow. Time to attempt to conjure a business suit.

7/18/11 The interview went over well, but them looking past my case of homelessness really struck me. Most businesses won’t hire you if you’re homeless, so I guess they really want me. And, coincidentally, as a journalist. I suppose now’s a good time to look for an apartment.

7/19/11 Everything’s falling into place. I found a nice, cheap apartment with room enough for two that allows pets, and it fits my salary. The initial payment they asked for on it was a bit much, but they agreed to attempt to reserve one for me, in the agreement that I’d pay them as soon as my first paycheck.

7/20/11 I started today at my new job. It’s not such bad work, going out and interviewing certain persons of interest, but I have an odd feeling it won’t lead to a great journal. So, I’m going to only write on the weekends now. I hope that isn’t too horrible for you, whoever you are.

7/23/11 First few days weren’t bad. Since I won’t be paid for a few weeks, I’m living off of my street performing. Thankfully enough, I don’t make bad money, so Silver and I still eat fairly well.

7/24/11 I met up with David again today. He says he discussed the idea of him moving out and they’re alright with it. Seems I’ll have some company next week.

7/30/11 I got paid yesterday. Not much, considering I only put in one and a half weeks of work, but it was enough to buy myself a place. I invited David to move in immediately, and his folks are going to help him get his stuff down here tomorrow. I’m so excited!

7/31/11 Moving went smoothly, though his folks were a little suspicious about my monetary reliability. I, without thought, told them not to worry about it, that it’d all work out just fine. I’m not so sure that’s true, but we’re going to try.

8/6/11 David went back to school Monday. I was a little sad to see him go in the morning, even though I knew he’d be back that afternoon. He’s a senior in highschool now. It seems a little strange that the to-be high school graduate is having the dropout pay his bills. Not that I mind, of course.

8/7/11 David did say that he may look for a part time job to help pay the bills. It will be nice to have a second source of income.

8/13/11 David’s out in the job hunting world now. I’m so proud, he’s all grown up! Kidding, of course. I’d never wish this kind of hell on anyone.

8/14/11 The Abercrombie in the mall emailed David for an interview. I’m suspicious of someone who’d email back that fast, but he said he’d go in on Monday.

8/20/11 David got the job and started working Wednesday. I looked over their offer, and found they give no hours and less pay. It’s so sad, to see youth wasted so.

8/21/11 I actually looked up how many teens work at Abercrombie, and I think I figured them out. They hire a larger amount of teens, ones who are desperate, and give them a crap job, then no hours so they don’t have to grant benefits. They gain a massive workforce, while saving money and being able to say they’re helping teens get job experience. Everyone except for the employee wins.

8/27/11 Being a journalist isn’t so bad. It’s sort of like my journal here, except everyone reads it. And, because of my journaling experience, I don’t even need my editor. Life’s pretty good right now.

8/28/11 Life’s not so good for David. He hates his job, and with a passion. Honestly, I don’t blame him. The job sucks, it really does. David’s already on the hunt for another job.

9/3/11 Nobody’s biting for David. I feel bad for him, and he’s pretty down, too. I don’t know what we’re going to do.

9/4/11 I told David to maybe take his mind off work by picking up a hobby. He said he always loved drawing, and boy, did he look happy doing it.

9/10/11 Inspired by the happiness David found in a hobby, I decided to pick up my own hobby. I’m looking into cybernetics at the moment, because the idea of being a mad scientist has always tickled my fancy.

9/11/11 Cybernetics is definitely my thing. Having only read up on the wiring, I managed to make a tiny little robot out of some scrap.

9/17/11 I’ve started spending some of my disposable income on scrap computer parts, things junkyards usually can’t sell, and I’ve been making so many little robots. They’re everywhere!

9/18/11 Say, if the brain communicates to the cells with electricity, could you interpret that electrical signal in such a way that a computer could respond and perform an action? Time to find out.

9/24/11 So, last weekend, I mapped the electrical signals sent by David’s brain, and all the specs on it. I think I’ve figured it out well enough that I may be able to make fully functional cybernetic limbs.

9/25/11 I’ve got something horrible to say. I’m going to blow up David. It’s going to be a ‘wiring gone wrong’ explosion, just enough to take his arm off. It’s necessary, though. For science.

10/1/11 Well, it went off without a hitch. A little acting, a little magic, and a lot of science, and David has a mechanical arm. I doubt I’ll be able to pull that off again, even on a fresh subject. While exhausting, it was very satisfying. I also managed to design a port so that upgrading will be a little easier if I ever do make an upgrade.

10/2/11 He’s still in shock. And a lot of pain. He’s got this empty, hollow look about him and always looks terrified when he sees me or his arm. What have I done?

10/8/11 Thankfully, David has recovered from his shock. I still haven’t told him the truth, and I think I never will, but it’s also probably for the best.

10/9/11 I fashioned David a skin-colored sleeve to cover his arm. It seemed to be the only thing bothering him, so I helped him out. It’s skin-tight, so to speak, and perfectly matches his skin tone. Sadly, it won’t tan naturally, so it’ll have to be changed if he ever pursues that life.

10/15/11 David realized that, with the mechanical arm, he’s a little strength imbalanced. I figure it’s a good idea for us both to hit the gym, so I signed up. Good for your health and whatnot.

10/16/11 Sundays are really quite nice. All the religious folk are gone, so it’s just me and David with the neighborhood to ourselves. It’s a surprisingly good time just riding up and down the street all day on our old bikes.

10/22/11 CPS visited today. Just a routine visit, nothing big. There were very surprised to see that two minors were able to make it on their own. I, of course, laughed about it, knowing my own story. So glad I lied about my name.

10/23/11 David challenged me to a boxing match today. It was all in good fun, but I found out the hard way just how imbalanced his strength is now.

10/29/11 I get to perform an interesting social experiment tomorrow. It’s my brother’s birthday, I know where it will be held, I’ve changed physically, and my family no longer knows what I look like. I’m going to slip in, hopefully unnoticed, and proceed to socialize with people who don’t even know I’m related to them.

10/30/11 It went off without a hitch. I hinted at who I was with my brother, just for fun, and I think he may have caught on, but I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. He was twenty this year, and seeming to get along just fine in life. It’s a nice feeling that not everything was shaken up by my leaving.

11/5/11 My brother managed to track me down. He told me some unsettling news. Dad fell into alcoholism after I was presumed dead, blaming himself for my death. He was never connected with my mom, but apparently she managed to pull through. From what he knows, she’s still working, and well. I think I have to go see them tomorrow.

11/6/11 I found my dad, in the same house I left, passed out on his bed. It was a sad sight. He used to be a great technician, able to get a job anywhere by just stating his name. I left him a note, though, saying I was doing fine, and that he’s only to blame for one thing: my survival.

My mom was a bit more of an emotional case, mostly because she was awake. There were more tears than I cared for, but I completely understood the sentiment. I was never terribly attached to my mom, but there’s still something to say for the warm fuzzies I got for helping her get over her depression. Apparently, she blamed herself for me running. I told her it was not her fault, and she melted. I did have to tell her that I’d probably not see her much, since I had a job, but no phone. She didn’t care, so long as I was safe and alive.

11/12/11 We’ve only been training for a few weeks, but David’s already a lot more balanced in arm strength. It’s honestly quite scary, because it’s very surprising how strong he is. And, hitting the gym has allowed him to shed an awesome amount of weight, and he’s picked up tremendous speed. He might make a good boxer later in life.

11/13/11 We’ve made a habit of taking the streets on Sunday. We’ve marked out our territory, which is a few blocks, and we dominate it. Already, I know more about these streets than the old street I lived on for fifteen years.

11/19/11 Happy birthday to me! Seventeen as of today. Too bad numbers don’t matter. Just another year I’ve survived.

11/20/11 We ran into a couple fellow bikers on our street. We invited them to join us, and formed a small ‘biker gang’ we call The Hyenas. I suppose it’ll spice up our life a little.

11/26/11 Up until now, David’s arm has been running on batteries. This leads to his arm randomly dying at points during the day. It’s definitely a hindrance, so I’ve been looking into ways to convert biological energy, what allows the body to move, into electricity, what allows the arm to move. So far, I’ve come up with very little, but by studying how the brain converts energy into electricity, I’ve come up with a simple converter. I plan to upgrade it before I make David a new arm, but it’s fairly close to being proper. I may even add a sleek shell to the new arm model.

11/27/11 The Hyenas took to the streets for the first official time today. We aren’t much, just the four of us, but we’re all pretty good. We’re planning to take to the skate park on Wednesday, when it will be the most active, to do some showing off.

12/3/11 Big news! I managed to ‘perfect’ the converter and install it in a new model of arm. I stuck it in David’s socket at the skate park on Wednesday, which everyone thought was awesome. He’s a lot less shy about his arm because of that. Also, at the skate park, we recruited a few new members to The Hyenas. We’re a happy little family of ten now, and we meet at the skate park on Wednesdays and Sundays now. I want to think we’ll become famous for something, but I doubt we will.

12/4/11 Every day we attend the skate park, we seem to recruit new members. We’re up to twelve, and I’ve been thinking of designing a shirt for us. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

12/10/11 Nobody could agree on a design on Wednesday, so I proposed a simple black shirt with ‘HYENAS’ on the back in large, white, gothic letters. They seemed alright with it. I couldn’t help but show off and conjure the shirts right there. People are so easily impressed it’s funny.

12/11/11 Our numbers seem to not stop growing. Hyenas have started wearing their shirts around and people have asked to join, just randomly. We’re past twenty strong and still growing. It’s honestly quite incredible.

Well, society fell. ‘Terrorists,’ as the government calls them, destroyed the world trade center, the white house, the pentagon, and basically every government building they could find. Society is in shambles, I lost my job, and David quit. I think The Hyenas are going to do something great.

12/17/11 With school no longer being enforced, our numbers have swelled and swelled. We’ve grown to near fifty strong, and still growing. There’s talk of taking over the town and helping it out. I said we didn’t have anybody too into politics, but David reminded me I am incredibly talented at learning. So, I guess I’m studying politics now.

12/18/11 Politics don't seem too complicated. Just don't piss people off and you'll be fine. Killing them is probably a bad idea too. Time to put study into action, though.

12/24/11 Ruling a town in chaos is hard. Sadly, some of The Hyenas took matters into their own hands and began beating civilians into submission. I revoked their status on the spot, as an example to everyone that violence against innocents will not be tolerated. Instead, Hyenas have gone out as evangelists, promising food and shelter for those who take refuge under our wings. It’s working fairly well, and we have as many dependents as we do members now.

12/25/11 One Hyena got the bright idea to post flyers with our address and our promise. The whole of Tucson is now either a Hyena or a dependent. It feels good to be doing right, but there's not enough space to keep all these people. So, I proposed to the people that, starting tomorrow, we'll build our selves a good old fashioned castle.

12/31/11 Construction's going well. My magic is coming in very handy, both for the supply of resources and for getting those hard to reach places. I'm quite proud of our work so far, as we've got the entirety of the castle built now, and are starting in on the farm cottages that will occupy the gap between the wall and the castle. However, we'll be ringing in the new year tonight, so no work will be done for a while.

1/1/12 Woo! Happy new year!. Everyone's so excited. I honestly think it's the thrill of a job well done that's got everybody in a festive mood, but that could just be me being delusional. Either way, the mood was light and spirits were high last night.

1/7/12 Construction on the cottages has begun, and they''re coming along nicely. I say cottages because it fits the theme of the castle, but I've let the people take a few creative liberties with their homes. Because of this, we've wound up with all sorts of houses, from modern Swiss architecture to actual cottages. It's really quite neat.

1/8/12 With my castle having been built, and my not needing to be involved in the building of the houses besides providing raw materials, I've begun to decorate my castle. I've always been a sucker for the olden style, so I've decorated my medieval style castle in a medieval style. However, I left some rooms bare, since Hyena members will be allowed to live in the castle with me, and I want them to feel as at home as possible. Just my little way of giving back to the ones who made me successful.

1/14/12 The people have finished their constructions, and are in good spirits again. There is a large party going on in the courtyard. Such a big one that I couldn't bear to tell them that they weren't quite finished. So, instead of breaking the good mood, I built the wall myself. It wasn't terribly hard, since I have plenty of magic to aid me.

1/15/12 The people have decided that we need a ruling party. I asked why, since most crime is committed out of need, and everyone has everything they need. Still, the richer people, the paranoid ones from the foothills, insisted we instate a government. So, the higher ranking Hyenas, including David and myself, have formed a council. We have written in a few basic laws, basically all the ones that just say 'No infringing on others' rights to the pursuit of happiness.' I think it's simple enough.

1/21/12 Things are going well for Tucson. The rest of the country, from what I can gather, is in disarray. Without a central government, they've gone completely animalistic. However, efforts seem to be underway for reinstating the government. Without my help, though, building something like that could take years. However, I don't think I'll help. I like my power.

1/22/12 I sat on my throne for the first time today. It feels right. It feels like a seat of power, especially how I have it placed, at the end of a grand hall, opposite a balcony that overlooks the peasants. How small they are from up here.

1/28/12 David noticed me writing the other day, and made the simple request to read what I had written. I, of course, complied, since it was originally intended to document my journey so he may know what happened. However, when he got to last week's entry, he had something important to say; He fears I am being corrupted by my power. I didn't blow off his opinion, as he's always right in some way, but I don't see it. I'll make sure to be more mindful of myself from now on.

1/29/12 I definitely am being corrupted. Never before has the thought of enslaving my people crossed my mind, but today it did. I am truly scared. What if I can't fight it?

2/4/12 I can fight this. I won't be the next mad king. I refuse. I will be benevolent, and I will feed my people, and I will protect them from any encroachment.

2/5/12 The hounds of war are tugging at their chains. Hyena scouts have found newcomers. Desperate, hungry, violent newcomers. We lost three today.

2/11/12 War is hell. The newcomers have refused our offerings of peace, and have instead taken to sieging our castle. Everyone who is fit and able has been equipped with bows and arrows, and we've been fending off the siege fairly well. Not many are accurate with unsighted bows, but we've started a points system, in the hopes that friendly competition will improve accuracy.

2/12/12 It is said that history will repeat itself if you don't learn from it. Such was the case this Sunday. The invaders left us a prize, in surrender. It was a huge basket of food, almost too big for our gates. Some of the more ignorant Hyenas began dragging it in immediately, but I told them to stop. I inspected the invaders' forces, which were a tiny fraction of what they had been yesterday. We used the Trojans in the food basket as bonfire fodder. Needless to say, the last Trojans fled.

2/18/12 I feel bad for the slaughter of last Sunday, but David assured me it was kill or be killed. Still, what if we had counter-sieged them, making them accept our peace offering as an ultimatum, instead of killing them all? I suppose we'll never know.

2/19/12 The people are getting restless. They have nothing to do most of the time, and seek entertainment. I proposed the idea of constructing robots to fight in an arena, and the people gobbled it up. I've started building the robots, and they've started the arena.

2/25/12 The people love the arena. I built the first two to fight, a big brute and a small agile fighter. They make for good matches, but they're all we have right now. So, to rectify that problem, I've started instructional courses on building robots. It's going fairly well, but a lot of the people are not bright enough to understand the concepts, or lack the dexterity to properly construct them. Still, I'm hopeful.

2/26/12 I love these Sunday mornings. There's not much going on this early, and all is peaceful. I feel positively regal overlooking the courtyard of people. Even if I am not a monarch, I feel like one on mornings like this.

3/3/12 A few people in my robotics class have really improved. We have three new fighters for the ring, just some standard gladiators, but they're good enough in the arena that we've got fresh entertainment.

3/4/12 A few of the teachers who were left without jobs when society fell have started up optional schools. Without a codified curriculum, they've started teaching how they want to, and I think it's a very good method. They're teaching the kids how to find the answers on their own, instead of teaching them the answers. The few kids who opted into the curriculum are terrifically enthused. It's a good thing to see our society developing.

3/10/12 A few doctors in our society have started doing house calls. With this development, people have started expressing joy towards the council. Even though we're more of a figurehead, we seem to be the middleman for change. As such, we've applauded the doctors for acting on their own merit and encouraged others to do the same.

3/11/12 The Hyenas are growing restless. They want a skate park like the one we first bonded over. I said that if they wanted something like that, they were free to do so.

3/17/12 The robotics students have been coming along nicely. We have a dozen or so robots in the ring now, and the people are loving it. Also, the skate park has come along nicely. They've decided to constantly expand it, and not fence it in. I think it's a wonderful idea, and I've even pulled the old bike out of storage.

3/18/12 I woke up this morning and had myself a think. I'm not even eighteen and I've managed to bring around a functional society. Most of the people under my care are double my age or more. It's really quite boggling to think about it.

3/24/12 The people seem to have accepted that the oligarchy isn't going to be doing much for them, and they've started really providing for themselves. I've been conjuring almost all of the food, but some people wanted different food. So, they decided to farm the food they want. I've done my best to help, using my magic to make the soil fertile. It's going well, and I've got high hopes for the future.

3/25/12 A band has started up in the village. They're not much, but it's nice to have the sound of music coming from the village.

4/1/12 It's April Fool's day. I've locked myself away in my bedroom. No one's getting me this year!

4/2/12 I really like to get up early, before the sun. It's nice to see the world unlit. Without electricity, the village is dark at night, and so peaceful. Truly, whatever powers that be took extra care when making the night.

4/8/12 I have no need to be ruler anymore. However, I don't know if the people are ready for me to step down, so I sent a few Hyenas into the populace in order to gauge their opinion.

4/9/12 My spies reported back, saying that most of the citizens agreed that I didn't really have a place at the top any more. So, I plan to step down in a dramatic way within the next week. The only question left is how to do it.

4/15/12 I have decided to blow up my throne over the people. It will make for a dramatic display, and, with the help of some magic, they won't even suffer the shrapnel. It is due to be done tomorrow.

4/16/12 I proclaimed the people free and threw my throne over them, where it exploded. I made the last second decision of also throwing in some fireworks. I think it went over well.

Some of the more paranoid citizens have come to me regarding the enforcement of the laws. I told them they had the right to defend themselves. I do hope I made the right choice.

4/22/12 Somehow, in my stepping down, people have come to respect me more. I suppose it almost makes sense, since it is what the people wanted, but I still don't quite understand it.

4/23/12 I have torn down the castle, building instead some modest housing for me and the rest of The Hyenas. It makes me feel like my rulership is truly over, like I am one of the common folk now. It's a good change, I feel.

4/29/12 The U.S. military seems to be back up in order. A helicopter dropped by to check on the citizens' status. Seeing a calm, peaceful, atmosphere seemed to convince him that all was well. But, when he heard we had no ruling party, he was set on edge again. I dislike the military.

4/30/12 The military left a squad here to ensure we were well kept. I assured him we needed no such assistance, but he insisted. A feeling of intense hatred wells up every time I see that outdated flag stitched onto a tan jacket.

5/6/12 We forced the military boys out of our small community. It took a lot of saliva, in more ways than one, to get them to go. Everybody's happier now that they've pulled out.

5/7/12 I went scrying today, to see why the military was attempting to occupy our state. As it turns out, the power of propaganda and fear is very powerful. The government buildings have been rebuilt, and they are already going to war. Every fit and able person has been drafted to fight the terrorist threat, except for us. I did catch that the military knows they need to do something about us, which worries me.

5/13/12 I thought the worst threat would be the U.S. military, but it seems Mexico rallied its armies and is taking advantage of the U.S.'s weakened state. It wouldn't worry me so much if we weren't right in the crossfire.

5/14/12 I went scrying again, to see what I could see. It seems the European powers are funding Mexico's fight against the U.S. I didn't know they had gathered so many enemies. In other news, I did find a smattering of other small societies like ours. I invited them to join us as a separate nation against both the U.S. and Mexico. They agreed swiftly, seeing the impending danger of the war coming down upon our heads.

5/20/12 The other leaders agreed that my place was the best suited as a stronghold, and have decided to come to us as soon as they can. I'm glad we'll have new members, but I'm worried they may perish on the way here or after the war starts.

5/21/12 The societies asked me if I could do anything to help them with the journey. I knew I couldn't do much, there being too many people to teleport, but I sent some food and took their elderly and young early. Hopefully that'll improve their chances and their speed.

5/27/12 The first of the migrants have begun trickling in. There's not enough to be all of them yet, but there's definitely enough that if this is less than half of the total population, we're going to have a problem.

5/28/12 Integration has been going well. The newcomers are a little anxious that there's no government, but our people are nice enough to help them get accustomed to the change. I'm glad I've raised such a good group of people.

6/3/12 People just keep flowing in. I'm starting to get worried we won't have enough space. One can only hope at this point.

6/4/12 I've had to make some of the more adventurous people to take up homes underground since we're running fairly low on space. I feel kind of bad, but the ones who volunteered don't seem to mind.

6/10/12 The last of the people have come through our gates, and we locked them for the foreseeable future. It's going to be a good while until the U.S. is back on its feet, I feel. But, I've been wrong before, so I guess we'll see how it turns out.

6/11/12 We've set bowmen up on the wall, at the first sight of invading Mexicans, and the fear in town is palpable. I hope beyond hope that we make it through this war alive, but I fear we may not.

6/17/12 The Mexican army sent a dignitary last week. He told us of Mexico's plan to retake the parts of the U.S. that were taken from them. I told him we wouldn't stop him, but we wouldn't be taken, that we were independent of all greater governments. We signed a truce to say that neither will attack the other, and we will stay independent. We'll just have to see who breaks it first.

6/18/12 Mexico is on the move, spreading over the southwestern part of what was once the U.S. The U.S. is on the move, too, taking back more eastern territories. When they clash, I can only hope the truce holds.

6/24/12 Both factions are moving fast. The U.S. forces have already reclaimed all the way through to Kansas, and Mexico has laid claim to everything from the border to Colorado. They're about to butt heads, and I fear we may drown in the blood.

6/25/12 Luckily, the first of the fighting has taken place on the eastern front, but unluckily, Mexico's taken fairly drastic measures and occupied our town. We have made it extremely clear that if they harass any of our citizens, they will be evicted from the premises. I just hope they're smart enough to not try anything funny.

7/1/12 The bullets are flying and the blood is flowing. War is in full swing on the eastern front, and the Mexican occupants are getting restless. It seems we may have a fight on our hands soon.

7/2/12 Our citizens have begun arming themselves. I don't blame them, and I've told the Mexicans that they are simply stretching their right to bear arms as an active militia. They requested I don't provide them with arms. It's a tenuous relation we hold, but I mean to leave it on good terms. As such, I have withdrawn my support from the militia. I hope I'm doing this leading thing correctly.

7/8/12 The U.S. is tearing through the Mexican military. I figured they would, even with Mexico receiving outside help. Still, I worry for us, stuck right in the crossfire. I hope we don't become the next Alamo.

7/9/12 The U.S. is as far as Texas now. The Mexicans have fallen back to our town as a last defense. This is bad. They have hostages now, even though the hostages are armed. I don't want to see the blood of innocents spill any time soon, but it may happen.

7/15/12 The U.S. is at our doorstep as I write. They are sending volunteer forces to reclaim what lies to our west, but the majority of the forces are beating down our door. I'm still trying to remain on good terms with the Mexicans, so I'm not supporting the militia, but instead attempting to convince them to withdraw. Negotiations are not going well, especially since we don't speak the same language very well. I worry for our people.

7/16/12 The Mexicans went too far. They kidnapped everybody, then used them as bargaining chips against the U.S. I killed them. Easily a hundred Mexicans. Every one died. By my hand. I... I can't. I just can't.

7/22/12 The people look at me strangely now. I don't blame them.

7/23/12 David worries for me. I worry for me too.

7/29/12 I've come to terms with what I did. It's what I had to, for my people. It's no excuse for evil, but sometimes evil is necessary. For the greater good.

7/30/12 I found out that, while I locked myself away for the past couple of weeks, people were writing thank you letters and were worrying for me. I thought they were disappointed that I had to resort to violence, but it was quite the opposite. They were proud I was able to hold the violence off for so long, yet I could do what was necessary when it was necessary. I suppose it's all alright, then. Right?

8/5/12 I have decided that no, it isn't alright. Not really. It's never alright to kill, but sometimes it is necessary. But that is no reason to set it beside, saying it's okay to kill if its right. That leads to justifying all murder, and eventual emotional detachment, etcetera etcetera. Remorse is a sign of being human, I guess.

8/6/12 The U.S. finished off the Mexican forces, and even went so far as to take some of the northern parts of Mexico. I think they plan to take all of Mexico, but I can't tell for sure.

8/12/12 The U.S. sent a dignitary, who apparently had visited right after the hostage situation, but couldn't contact me, as I was locked away at the time. He just wanted to thank me on behalf of the United States, for saving the lives of the innocents. Apparently I'll be awarded a medal of honor after the war's over. I asked him if New Tucson could remain independent of the U.S, and he said he'd try to work something out. I don't think he'll succeed, honestly.

8/13/12 People in helicopters move fast. The dignitary already went back and forth, and said the president would allow New Tucson to be its own country. The people have elected me as the president, even though I didn't want the position. Still, I took the position and plan to be the best first president I can be. To me, I guess.

8/19/12 So, amidst the chaos, Silver disappeared. I wasn't terribly worried, since he's a wolf and he'd survive on his own. I was elated, though, when he returned this last Wednesday. With a little magic, I found out he had gone and roamed over the desert to avoid the Mexicans' inevitable slaughter. I'm so glad he didn't die and, better than that, he came back. It's like a good old family reunion. Not that I've ever been to one.

8/20/12 As president, I'm expected to write laws and make speeches, but I've been shirking my duties. The people haven't complained about it, but David, my 'royal advisor,' says I need to be doing some sort of something for the country. I think the country's fine without rules, and I get the same from the people. I'm at an impasse.

8/26/12 I decided that rules were necessary. I wrote in a few basic rules, essentially the U.S. Constitution, but that's all so far. Really, I'm worried if I write in too many too soon, I'll either over inhibit or go mad with power again, and neither of those are appealing. I'm going to gauge the public's response to the laws and go from there, I think.

8/27/12 The people seem to be happier with the new rules. I'm not sure if my want is corrupting the results, as magic will show you more of what you want to see, and less of what you fear, but it's reassuring to know that at least some people like it.

9/2/12 NONE OF IT WAS REAL! IT WAS ALL A LIE PERPETRATED BY MY MAGIC. OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!

9/23/12 Sorry for having gone dark after freaking out like that. I just found out that the magic can make you see things that aren't there. It can also make them real. The Mexicans were real, I know that much. But the U.S. government is still down. They didn't reclaim anything. They have no army. It was all me. I slaughtered millions of Mexicans under the guise that I was protecting my people and my home. I don't think I can trust my magic any more.

9/24/12 I'm still having trouble coming to terms with my atrocities. I don't know if I can be president any more. I think I'm stepping down.

10/1/12 I gave the position to a man by the name of Moises Enriquez, who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. We, being David and I, moved out of the big house and into a smaller one, nearer to the wall. I feel this move will be therapeutic in helping me deal with reality.

10/2/12 I had a nightmare last night, and I don't think it was fiction. I was a Mexican man, being paid in money from the government, and in fear of the cartels. I was just doing my job, what they told me to. Then, a horrifying figure descended from the heavens. I fell, repentant, to my knees, but no mercy was found in his eyes. His magic was pink, like mine.

10/8/12 I've been communicating with my magic teachers, and they say that the ether, where our magic is drawn from, is also host to the spirit realm, and that, more than likely, I was visited by a spirit, and forced to live his last moments. Spirits are apparently tied firmly to those that kill them.

10/9/12 I've started a farm, to better cope with reality. It's nice, honestly. The blazing sun beating down on your back, the smell of earth in your nose. It's what's real, no doubt.

10/15/12 I've gained a lot of free time, what with abdicating and moving and all. It's given me time to focus on what I'm really interested in, like building robots, again. However, my weekdays are still fairly boring, so I'm going to stick to the schedule of weekends only.

10/16/12 I've been working on a new model for David's arm. I plan to make replaceable hand pieces, so that he might have a little more utility. I also plan to make his sleeve respond to the sun in a similar manner to human skin. Big things are under way.

10/22/12 It seems that science alone can't create a skin-like material. And I definitely don't trust my magic enough to use it to make such a material. I guess David's going to be S.O.L. for a little while. The replaceable hand pieces, however, are coming along well. I've needed to make an entire new arm in order to make them compatible, so that's a bit of a hindrance.

10/23/12 I've taken to reading on Sundays. It's rather nice, taking a break from reality. I think, if I put my mind to it, I could create something similar. It'd be really something, to become a writer.

10/29/12 I can not be a writer. I tried it, wrote a chapter, and almost threw up from the quality. Absolutely atrocious, honestly. I think I'll stick to journaling, recording the real world. It's a little easier when events flow naturally.

10/30/12 I socketed David's new arm today. He was pretty happy that his hand could be more than a hand too. It's really cool to see him in the kitchen, cutting tomatoes with a knife connected directly to his wrist.

11/5/12 David thinks he's so sneaky. As if I don't know my own birthday is in two weeks and he's fond of surprises. It'll still be fun to act surprised.

11/6/12 If I were to put my house on pistons, I could leave from any floor. And I could have a three story house that only took up the air space of a one story. And I could drop it all the way into the ground for extra protection. Ideas!

11/12/12 Construction's underway! David's none too happy about the house being uprooted, but I've used some magic, cautiously, of course, to accelerate the building. It seems to be fine to use magic, so long as you don't try and see something with it. That, as I've found out from my teachers, is how it starts to mess with you, and why scryers are untrusted and good scryers are hard to find.

11/13/12 I've tried conjuring again, as an exploratory experiment into the differentiation between good and bad magics. I simply conjured a stuffed otter, one of David's favorite animals, but tried to make it bad while thinking it was good. It was a mental ordeal, but it went well. I was trying to see if, when I presented it to David, he would think it was a pile of crap and I was being deluded by the magic, or he would say that it's really nice and conjuration is pure. He said, and stuck with through several interrogations, that it was a very nice stuffed otter, and that he could find no flaws in it. I'm still skeptical, as I committed genocide without even knowing while under its influence, but David's usually honest, so I'm fairly sure it's alright to conjure. It definitely makes construction easier.

11/19/12 Today was awesome. I haven't had a good surprise party ever, but David went all out today. It's no wonder why he had to take two weeks to prepare. Everyone from New Tucson was there, and Moises even let us use the government building for the occasion. It was awesome, and even though I'm a war criminal, everyone congratulated my coming of age. I can't say anything else that wouldn't be repetitive, so I'm going with the Hyenas for a night ride. Eighteen and happy!

11/20/12 I finished upgrading the house today. It's absolutely awesome. I love being able to walk out the door on the top floor and walk in the door on the ground floor a few seconds later. It completely obfuscates the need for stairs or elevators, and it's so easy to get furniture in or out. Best idea I've had in a while.

11/26/12 Well, the house is giving us all motion sickness. And it screeches. And it groans. I'm starting to think this wasn't such a great idea.

11/27/12 In an attempt to make the house quieter, I greased the pistons. In an effort to make us less sick, I lowered the pressure for moving the house. It still screeches, though. And we still get sick, but a little less now. I think we'll have to get used to the sickness, but I can't stand the screeching. Something has to be done.

12/3/12 I fixed the screeching problem. The house itself needed lube, so that it would glide over the walls of the hole it's built in. With that problem solved, the house really is starting to be a nice thing. Still have to get used to the lurching, though.

12/4/12 I went out with the Hyenas to their skate park today. They have expanded it so much, and it just keeps growing. I really like their idea of a fenceless skate park. It allows the park to be free, and grow continually, open to new ideas from the parkgoers. It really is quite an excellent idea.

12/10/12 I decided to take a walk today, just me and Silver. It was nice, even though we didn't go far. I think I want to return to my old life, wandering my life away. Not today, though. But some day, definitely.

12/11/12 Even though I've long since stepped down, my people still respect me. Even in light of my flaws, I receive quite a few “Good day, sir!”s as I go about my daily life. It's nice, to be respected.

12/17/12 I've been working on a new idea. It's a cape that will pneumatically expand into a hang glider. It's only in the design process, but I think it'll work.

12/18/12 I wonder where I can find some windbreakers...

12/24/12 It's all coming together! It's a prototype, but it'll be ready to fly by tomorrow. However, finding someone to test fly it is going to be difficult. I've a sense of impending doom.

12/25/12 My sense was right. I had to fly it. It didn't go as badly as I thought it would, but when it failed to open when I flung myself off the wall, my heart skipped a beat. In better news, it seems to work alright, it just needs some tweaking. I'll work more on it when my heart slows down. Tomorrow sounds good.

12/31/12 So, Christmas. That's still a thing, I guess. Not that I celebrate, but it's interesting to get just about everyone you know knocking at your door, asking for a tree. People and their plants, I'll never understand them.

1/1/13 Just in time for the new year, I finished my flying cape rig. Using a little magic, I was able to propel myself skywards and, using a little more magic, set off some fireworks. Fun times, but too much loose alcohol. Good night, dear reader.

1/7/13 Life is good. Spirits are high, we are free, and there's food to spare, even without my help. Good times, all around.

1/8/13 So I've been considering love. I've never really partaken in the romance scene, as I've watched its effects take their toll on David over the years. However, I have a hunger, a base need, for human contact at night. I don't really want anyone to date me just because of my status, though. I may have to go incognito.

1/14/13 I have successfully infiltrated my own community as someone different. I told them I was leaving, going back to my wandering ways, and then immediately turned around as someone different. I guess there's nothing to do now but fling myself into the dating world.

1/15/13 Romance is hard. Why should anyone have to hunt this hard for a mate?

1/21/13 Went to the library today. There was a cutie there, but she was really shy. With all my success in other fields, I think I’ll try my luck inside.

1/22/13 I asked her to entertain me a date for the night, and she said yes! I’m so happy. And really nervous. Is this what love is? This happy-nervous mix? If it is, I want more of it.

1/28/13 This last week has been the best week of my life. We’ve got so much good chemistry. And, she doesn’t even like going out, so I don’t have to spend money I don’t have. Most nights, we stay in and just read in a cozy corner, back to back. Celeste is wonderful.

1/29/13 I always thought love would be terrible, that I’d wind up finding nobody but those who want to hurt me. I am so glad I was wrong. Love is a beautiful thing.

2/4/13 David’s found his own girl, too. He used to have no luck with the ladies, every one breaking up with him and leaving him in a wreck after two weeks. He used to not go for dating at all, but he seems to be inspired by my success. I wish him well.

2/5/13 I invited Celeste out to the arena. She said she’d never gone, that she’d not wanted to be in a crowd that loud. I managed to convince her, though, and I think we had a good time. I can’t read people all that well, but she didn’t request that we leave, so that’s a good sign, right?

2/11/13 I really can’t do people things. They make no sense. Celeste refuses to see me, even avoids me at the library. Whenever I manage to talk to her, she’s always just ‘fine.’ I don’t get it, if she’s fine, why won’t she talk to me?

2/12/13 Apparently, she wasn’t fine. I finally got her to talk to me today, and after pestering her a bit, which I’m not too keen on doing again, I got her to tell me she wasn’t fine, that she had a fear of large crowds, and that going to the arena terrified her, but she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I told her to just be honest, and I think things are patched up. However, with things as unpredictable as they have been, I’m not entirely sure we’re all settled.

2/18/13 Things are definitely going better between Celeste and I. Now that we have an honest relationship, my obliviousness doesn’t get in the way of us being a cohesive couple. Still, shouldn’t all relationships be like that, from the start? Shouldn’t we just be honest with each other, all the time?

2/19/13 Things are just swell around here. David finally got a girl he can hold on to, I’ve manage to hold on to the one I’ve got, and nobody gasps when I walk down the street. That, and, since there’s no crime, nobody looks at me funny when Silver and I go for a night time walk. Life’s good.

6/15/14 Time passes like cinder on the wind. They blow on the winds of change now, though. Things have been pretty calm around here, but the United States have refounded themselves and are trying to incorporate Tucson back into them. I’m arguing for our freedom, but I’m afraid the people don’t want to be independent any more. And I’m not sure I can stay around in a not free state for long. Also, apologies for not writing in so long.

6/13/15 Not much happened between then and now. We were assimilated, and I’ve decided I can’t stay. David is trying to convince me to stay. We’ll see how it goes.

6/14/15 He, and Celeste, managed to convince me to stay. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stay around for a while.

6/12/16 I can’t stay here any more. What I saved them from, their idiotic cult following of trends, celebrities and fashion, they went straight back to it when they had a chance. Absolutely disgusting. I am leaving, to travel the world. I’ll have to start a new journal, though. This one’s getting a little thin.

The One: Chapter Four: Journal Three

6/12/16 I’m going to try a new strategy for journal entries. Being tied to a strict schedule was rather taxing, and quite a drain on the day to day affairs. So, from here on, I’ll be entering my journeys only after they happen. And today is the start of the first journey. I’ve been communicating with some of my trainers, and figuring out a new way to use magic, one that will be pure and not corrupt the user. It will function by creating an artificial ‘being’ for the etherical energies to flow through, and a few magic words to dictate how the energy should be handled. Theoretically, I should be able to make one of these sigils, and teleport long distances with no wear or tear on my body. Here goes nothing.

We made it. It’s a little bumpy, and leaves a scorch mark, but we made it. Time to explore Denmark.

12/23/16 Denmark’s a beautiful place, but anywhere is in the season of change. Autumn was especially beautiful here, though. there was a slight nip in the air everywhere I went, and I could almost watch the leaves turn colors. I never got that sort of show back in Tucson. Also, the people here are so nice. Very hospitable, and I am infinitely grateful to have a warm bed, especially on these more recent, colder nights. Silver doesn’t seem to mind, though. I think I’ll go somewhere a little warmer next. I’m thinking Hawaii.

6/20/17 I tried to tolerate Hawaii’s massive tourist flow and actually try to see some of the sights and meet some of the locals, but there’s too many damn people. And Hawaii’s been commercialized, so there’s that problem, too. Ugh, I need somewhere cold and empty to refresh. Siberia sounds lovely this time of year.

10/3/17 I can’t feel my toes any more. I even lit them on fire to stave off the cold, but it didn’t help. I don’t want to die like this.

12/5/17 A very nice, secluded family took me into their home some time in October. They said it’s a miracle I survived. I was apparently buried in snow, and Silver led them to me. They said when they dug me out, though, I was perfectly temperate for a human body. I don’t know what grace saved me, but I thank it. I’m going someplace nice and toasty for a little while. Like the Sahara.

6/20/18 I love being heat-tempered by being raised in Tucson. I feel like a natural here. However, the sand is biting, the sun is glaring, the food is strange, and I think I have a scorpion in my ass. Time to go somewhere else, I suppose. the adventure never ends!

10/7/18 I’ve been bushwacking my way through the Amazon for a while now, and Silver’s really slowing down. I’m concerned, and though I’d love to continue my foray into uncharted territory, I think I have to take him home.

12/14/18 Silver died today. Even a little magic would have saved him, but I chose not to. You might think me cruel, but that’s perfectly fine. I watched his memories, in his final moments, and saw that he had lived a full, happy life at my side. I saw that he was ready to die, and I let him. You might think me cruel, but I argue that I’m the opposite. I argue that I’m kind.

12/15/18 I sat in a cold, drizzling rain over Silver’s grave today. I buried him under the same tree I first found him under, all those years ago. It’s still a nice tree, even if there’s one less warm body to share it’s splendor.

12/16/18 I’ve been thinking, because I haven’t been able to muster the will to do much more lately. I’ve been thinking it’s time to fulfill a childhood fantasy. Theoretically, I should be able to travel worlds using the same sigil magic I used to travel Earth earlier. I should be able to, finally, get to Equestria. Maybe tomorrow, though. I’m awfully tired.

12/20/18 I got up today. That’s an accomplishment.

12/21/18 I think either I’ve gone completely bonkers or some benevolence has picked me off my feet. My head was assaulted with a thousand voices all speaking the same message, but all in different languages. They told me that I had to get up, that I had to carry on, to continue on my journey. I don’t know if I should really listen to the voices in my head, but I’ve got nothing better to do. To Equestria. Woo.

This is not Equestria. This is an equestrian event, on Earth. I guess it’s not universally called Equestria, so the magic did the best it could? I’ll try being more descriptive next time.

So, I managed to go somewhere that definitely isn’t Earth. It’s not Equestria, though. I have no idea where I am.

12/22/18 Three fucking suns. I am going nocturnal until I can find a sign of life.

They’re everywhere. They have me surrounded. This may be my last entry.

12/23/18 Well, I didn’t die. They seem to be friendly, at least for now. This planet seems to be inhabited exclusively by nocturnal creatures and plants. I don’t blame them. They speak in a windy, almost ghost-like language. Their universal translator is currently attempting to teach me.

11/19/19 As a guest of honor, the first human visitor, they threw me a party today. I can’t believe I’m already twenty five. Or only twenty five, for that matter. I did have to tell them today that I’d be going soon. They were dismayed, but accepted it. I’m going to keep trying for Equestria, but we’ll find out where I wind up when I get there.

11/20/19 Have you ever seen a twelve legged spider? I just did. Scared the crap out of me. Also, this place has a really dim sun. Everything here seems to be phosphorescent, drenching everything in a cool blue light. I’ve made camp by a stream. We’ll see where tomorrow takes me when it takes me.

11/21/19 I woke up to the babbling brook, but I soon realized it wasn’t the only thing babbling. The spiders I saw yesterday seem to speak in a language that sounds like the stream, and are currently discussing something over my head. Given my previous experiences, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt, but I’m still wary.

11/22/19 It’s kind of awesome being the first of your species to visit another planet. Apparently, there’s a galactic code of conduct that basically says ‘Be nice to the newcomers.’ I think I’ll stick around, pick up another language, and move on. Life’s all about forward momentum, right?

11/19/20 Another farewell/birthday party. I’m going to give Equestria another shot, but I’m beginning to lose hope. Not that I mind being flung around the galaxy, but I would like to be there some day.

11/20/20 These ones are definitely not friendly. They walk like six legged centaurs without knees and speak in a strange, arhythmatic language. I fear next time I won’t just get grazed by a spear. However, I will let curiosity keep a hold on me for the next few days.

11/21/20 As they say, curiosity kills the cat. I’m definitely down a life now, barely escaping one of their patrols. I’m going to get off this forsaken rock before they actually catch me. There doesn’t seem to be much here besides them anyway, just dust and scrub brush. What use would they have for a planet this barren? How do they even survive here?

11/22/20 Out of the frying pan, into the fire. This planet is scary. It seems that the magma has flowed up from beneath and is coating the land. Or maybe there is no beneath. Whatever the case, I hope I can find land soon.

11/23/20 Nature never ceases to amaze me. Even on a planet so hostile, there is life. They are tripedal, seeming to rely mostly on core muscles to balance, having two legs, like humans would, but a third that projects forward. However, they don’t seem to rest on it until old age, and instead evenly distribute their weight to all three legs.

11/24/20 Well, they’re teaching me their language now. It sounds like the crackling of a flame, which is suiting. I’ll stick around for as long as I can stand the heat, and probably take off on my next birthday, like I usually do. It’s nice, having a semi-schedule.

11/19/21 I love this place. It’s grown on me. Honestly, I’m the saddest to leave this one, but I must. Too much of the same environment and I start to grow restless.

11/20/21 I have found another barren planet. Red sands stretch for miles. I sure hope I find someone soon.

I found someone a little sooner than I had expected. I was apprehended, and taken in for questioning. Apparently, they’ve been looking for someone of about my build out in those wastes. They quickly realized I wasn’t him, though, when they found out I was human. I think I’ll settle in here for a while. I like these tall, green people.

1/2/22 Well, the unexpected has happened. I’m in a romantic relationship. With a man. I don’t really know how it happened, but I’m not too terribly dissatisfied. He’s really sweet and kind. I just don’t know if I’m ready to be the receiver.

11/19/22 As per my pseudo schedule, I’m taking off again. Gnuk is really sad to see me go, but he understands the wanderlust. Maybe I’ll even see him again some day. I’m going to try my hardest to get to Equestria this time, but if I don’t make it, I think I may be giving up.

Written in large, sloppy, handwriting beneath it is written: 'It exists! I made it, and I'm staying. If you want to follow me, here's directions to the sigil I left. Just touch the center, and you should be transported.' Beneath that is a crudely drawn, but understandable map to a specific location.

The One: Chapter Five: Recovered and on the Move

I closed the final journal, slipped it back amid its fellows, and checked on my wound. It seemed healed enough, so I crawled out of the hole and went to look for the cross-world sigil, so that I could flee this world of pain and death and escape to a world of love and life.

It was easy enough to find, as he left fairly good directions, and I stepped through the portal with no resistance. On the other side, I saw something I definitely did not want to. War, brutal and bloody, tearing the landscape to shreds. Immediately after followed a wave of magic, turning me into one of the horses native to the land. Scared and confused, I made for what appeared to be a castle on the hillside a ways away. I could only hope they’d take me in, whoever they were.

The Four: Chapter One: The Stranger

“Well, Twi, I’ll leave you to your experiment” Rainbow was saying as she left.

I would have never said it within earshot, but I was glad she finally left. She was quite the hindrance in the lab, but now I could finally get some work done. As I worked, there was a crackling behind me. Strange, that’s not part of the spell. I turned around to see what it might be, and in a flash of pink light, a bipedal creature appeared. It glanced at me and spoke, in perfect Equestrian.

“I do hope you’re Twilight Sparkle. Do tell, am I right?”

“You are. How did you know?”

“That’s a story for another time. I plan to settle here. Mind giving me a disguise?”

I obliged, but mostly out of curiosity, to see if I could, since I had never transformed a living being. It took a lot of concentration, but it seemed to go off without a hitch. Instead of a bipedal thing in front of me, instead stood a perfectly functional, or seemingly so, male pony of brass coat and blonde mane. However, he did not seem to think the transformation went over as well, as he immediately fell flat on his face.

“Right, I’m quadrupedal now. Gonna have to get used to that. And hooves. Oh my, this is interesting.” He then seemed to remember I was there, though I was still a little too stunned to say much. “My apologies, a little wrapped up in my new changes. Thank you, though, for this gift. If you don’t mind, though, I’d like to ask you to do it again.”

“Like, in reverse?”

He waved a hoof in a dismissive manner. “Oh, of course not. I told you, right? I’m staying here. I think I said that. Hmm. Memory’s not what it used to be. Anyway, I’ll be bringing a friend in in a moment. If he comes. Be back in a jiff!”

He turned around, fiddled with something, muttered about it being hard to write with hooves, then conjured lightning from thin air and scorched words into my laboratory floor. He disappeared, but I’m not going to be here when he gets back.

“And this, David, is Equestria. Oh, and that’s what you had for lunch, I suppose.” I was saying to David, trying to not step in his fresh puddle of vomit. “Sorry about that, should have warned you it’s a little rough the first time.”

“It’s fine.” He managed to say, stabilizing himself on a tree. “So, if this is Equestria, where are we?”

“I don’t know. Last time, it spat me out into Twilight’s lab. Oh well, can’t be too far now, eh?”

“Easy for you to say. I haven’t walked all my life.”

“Come on, I’ll carry you.”

We rode in the direction of the nearest town, and I was hoping I wouldn’t cause too much ruckus when I reached it, showing up with an alien and everything.

“I swear, he said he was coming right back.” I was saying, trying to calm Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had come to assist me.

“Well, then, where is he? I want to punch this chump.” Rainbow was all up in a huff, throwing jabs at the air.

“Twilight?” Spike was calling down the stairs. “You have some guests.”

“I have to take this, girls. Be ready for when he pops out of there.”

“Oh I’m ready, alright. Wait, out of where exactly?”

I just chuckled in response as I climbed the stairs to see who my guests were. Sadly, I was met by a biped on a horse. A very familiar, talking horse.

“Hello again, Miss Sparkle! As promised, I brought my friend. You’ve got enough magic to transform him too, right?”

“Yeah, but I may not want to.” I said, as the second biped observed the library.

“And why would you not want to?”

“Because maybe I don’t take too kindly to aliens showing up unannounced. First in my lab, and now at my doorstep! Where will you show up next, my bathroom?”

The biped chuckled, but only the horse responded. “I don’t control where it spits me out. Magic’s a fickle thing, I’m sure you know.”

“I don’t like you.” I told him, plainly.

“That may change. I’m actually a likeable person -- err, pony -- once you get to know me.” The biped nodded in agreement.

“Fine. I’ll transform your friend. But after that, you two are gone. Alright?” I cast the spell, and shooed the two ponies off my doorstep. “Good riddance.”

“So. We’re now two single ponies in a magical land of wonder. What do we do first?” I was saying to David.

“Well, we’re going to need a job and someplace to stay. What do you say to getting started on that?”

“I don’t want to work again. It’s such a drag.”

“True that. Well, want to see if we can mooch off some people?”

“Ponies, you mean. But no, I don’t think so. That’d be mean. Why don’t we use your charisma and my robotics to become entrepreneurs?”

“I suppose that could work. This is Equestria, though. Who needs robots?”

“The Apples?”

“Remember what happened last time someone tried to offer them robotics?”

“True.” I scratched my chin, rattling my brain for any forgotten schemes.

“We could join the royal guard in Canterlot.” David suggested.

“Hmm. That could work. It’s work, but it’s fairly easy, right? Until Canterlot’s attacked, anyway.”

“Yeah, but it’s gonna suck if Canterlot ever gets attacked. We’d probably die.”

“True. Say, is that Pinkie?”

“It sure is. She’ll notice us soon, right? And throw us a party?”

“And then I flex my robotics skills and show off and maybe generate some business?”

“And then we take it to a bigger scale when we sell enough here?”

“So glad we’re on the same page. So, how do we get her attention?”

“Well, she seems to be buying some cherries. What say you and I go ask that kind gentleman -- err, gentlecolt -- about cherries?”

“I have been curious.” I said as I started in the direction of the cherry vendor. However, before I could make it to him, I was tackled by something.

“Found you!” A mint green mare shouted from above me. “I’ve been tracking you since you got here, and now I finally have proof! Living proof!” She cackled maniacally, but was cut short as a collar clasped over her throat and she was dragged off.

“Was that Lyra and Bon Bon?”

“Yeah. And they took off with something.”

“What’s that?”

“Our golden opportunity.” I said, pointing to Pinkie’s retreating flank.

“But they may have brought a silver one.” David mused.

“What ever do you mean?” I asked, picking myself up and dusting myself off.

“Well, Lyra seems to be intensely curious about humans. Enough so that she seems to be crazy.”

“So we go satisfy her curiosity, get undying gratitude from Bon Bon, mooch off her hospitality, then skedaddle before we overstay our welcome?”

“I was just thinking of satisfying her curiosity, but your plan works, too.”

We chatted as we followed the mad mare. It wasn’t hard, since everyone seemed to be chatting about how Bon Bon had had to drag Lyra off again, but only in the immediate vicinity of where she had been dragged. We made it to their apartment building easily enough, and the clerk gave us their room number. We found it fairly easily, mostly because of the sounds of fighting from behind the door.

“I swear they’re human! I swear my spell works correctly!” Lyra was shouting, fairly close to the door. Taking the opportunity, I knocked. She answered, and greeted us with a giddy sort of glee. “Are you here to tell me that you’re remnants from the before times that have come to tell us the good news, that humans will walk this planet again?”

“Not necessarily, no. But, I can tell you that your spell works. May we come in?” I saw Bon Bon waving frantically in the background, but I chose to ignore her, as Lyra eagerly agreed. “So,” I started, sitting on their couch. “I understand you may have some questions about us humans?”

I patiently answered her rapid fire questioning, as David chatted up Bon Bon. It all went well, Lyra settled down after a while, and Bon Bon definitely seemed to be becoming more and more relieved. We talked long into the night, and Bon Bon invited us to stay over. There were only two beds and a couch, though. Confronted with this conundrum, Lyra invited me to sleep with her. I didn’t disagree, as a bedfellow was still appreciable. I just hoped she wouldn’t try anything.

The Four: Chapter Two: The Roommate

The room came into focus slowly, as I woke up. It was definitely not where I had went to sleep. The walls were too shiny, too metallic. I groaned and tried to get up, but my wrists and ankles were bound. I called out, and Lyra whipped around, just within my field of view, and came bouncing over.

“Morning, sleepyhead! How was your nap?”

“It was fine, thanks. Where am I, though?”

“This is my lab. I research humans here. Like you!”

“So, you kidnapped me while I slept and have me restrained on this metal table in an undisclosed location?”

“Pretty much, yep.”

“Kinky. So, what’re you going to do to me?”

“Nothing any more. It seems that whoever changed you changed everything about your physiology. I can’t get any information on humans through a pony, so I guess you’re free to go.”

“Well, I may be able to reverse the spell. Would you like that?”

“More than anything!” she squealed, clapping her hooves in excitement.

I pulled some energy from the ether, and began attempting to cast a reversal spell, but I was quickly met by feedback. “Hmm. Seems I can’t cast it. Not enough capacity for that much energy in this body, I guess. Let’s go find Twilight. We didn’t hit it off too well last time, but she’s a nice enough pony, right?”

“Sure.” Lyra said, not sounding too terribly sure herself.

“So how do we get out of here?”

“The elevator, silly. How else?”

We took the elevator straight into their apartment block, and set out across midmorning Ponyville towards the giant tree library on the edge of town. We knocked, but Twilight answered and quickly reclosed the door. We knocked again, but she just yelled at us to go away. Lyra disappeared, and opened the door from the inside, a bound and gagged Twilight behind her, looking extremely grumpy.

“You really need to stop kidnapping ponies. You know that, right?” I asked, stepping inside.

“Yeah, I know. But it’s so fun!”

Twilight popped up, teleporting out of her bonds, and made to give us both an earful, but I quickly clasped a hoof over her mouth. “Shh. No words, only spells. I need you to transform me back into a human so that Lyra can conduct some tests on me.”

“Why would you want tests done on you?! And why would you ask my help, of all the ponies?! Are you crazy?!”

“No, that’s her job,” I said, gesturing awkwardly at Lyra behind me, who grinned and waved. “However, I have nothing better to do, so I’m asking you to either teach me magic or transform me back. It’s your choice, give a pony an apple, or teach him to buck.”

She fixed me with a glare so intense as to put Cyclops to shame, but I stood my ground. She relented eventually, deflating with a sigh. “Fine, I’ll teach you Equestrian magic. You’ve got to promise me you’ll never come around after we’re through, though.”

“Alright, I promise.”

“Alright, we’re getting somewhere. So, the first step is making you into a unicorn, as a pony’s horn is what channels the magic. Shouldn’t be too hard, though. Just a simple transformation spell, just like before.” There was a flash, and I was thrown slightly off balance. She seemed satisfied, and beckoned me further into the library.

She taught me magic for the remainder of the day, saying I could crash on her couch for the night at the end of the day. I had tried all day to get on her good side, and I feel I made some progress, but not nearly enough. The next day was the same, and the next, and the next. It was a week before she finally actually acknowledged that I was trying. It was small, simple. A ‘goodnight, friend’ as she climbed the stairs. But it was music to my ears, because just as I was trying to get on her good side, she was getting to mine.

It was another two weeks before the lessons were over, but they passed as the most pleasant ones of my Equestrian life. For, as we spent more and more time together, we found we had more and more in common. Put simply, we were both falling for each other. Fast. I never would’ve seen it coming, but at the end of the last night, she asked me to join her in her bed.

“It’s going to be cold tonight. I wouldn’t want you to freeze. But if you try anything, you’re gone. Got it?”

I got it, alright. But that didn’t stop me. I lay there awake most of the night, wondering if she knew I was awake too. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I did something, mostly because she had told me not to. So I did the most meaningful thing I ever did. I kissed her, on the side of the neck. I pretended to not hear her gasp, pretended not to notice her put a hoof to her neck. I pretended not to notice her smile in the moonlight. I hadn’t pretended to be surprised when she was angry the next morning, though.

“I know what you did last night.” She was angrily brushing her hair, staring at me through the mirror.

“Sorry. I guess I misread the signs. I’ll be going.” I said, making for the door with my head down.

But she stopped me, held me by the tail in her magic. She pulled me to her, turned me around, but didn’t do anything, just stood there, head down slightly, expression hidden by the shadow cast by her hair.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?”

She said nothing in response, just stood there a few more agonizing seconds, seemingly making a decision. I’m glad she did, because that was the quickest, most passionate kiss I’ve ever had. Followed by the hardest shove out the door.

“This is me admitting I don’t understand anything.” I said to David as we were laying head to head on a hill outside town.

“What happened this time?”

“Twilight, man. I thought we were building a relationship over the past three weeks. She invited me to sleep with her, even! I thought, you know, it wouldn’t be too far if I just kissed her on the neck while she slept. But, no! She goes and shoves me out the door with hardly a kiss goodbye!” I complained, pontificating with my forelegs.

“Hardly a kiss? What does that mean?”

“Well, I went to go, and she pulled me back and kissed me. Then shoved me out the door.”

“Alright, yeah, I’m lost too. Sounds like she likes you, but doesn’t like liking you. Or something. You should confront her about it.”

“I think I’ll let her simmer. As I’ve experienced, it only gets worse when you poke the growling bear. And I kinda also promised not to go back to her place after she taught me magic.”

“Oh, yeah, I noticed the new poky thing. Can you do tricks with it?”

“Sure. Did you have anything in mind?”

“Well,” he started, tapping his chin. “I have always wanted to fly.”

“Presto-change-o!” I said, casting the spell.

He checked behind him real quick, giving his news wings a stretch. He turned to me with a grin, then took off into the sky with a burst of speed. He rapidly returned to the ground, though, being entirely out of breath. I just laughed at him, and mocked him for thinking I’d give him wing muscles too. We had a laugh, and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the clouds scud across the sky and talking about nothing in particular. As the moon crested one horizon, we stood and walked into the other, towards town. We returned to Lyra and Bon Bon’s apartment, and Lyra was very happy to greet me.

“Can you do it yet?” When I nodded, she clapped her hooves in glee, and we rapidly adjourned to her subterranean hideout. I turned myself back to a human, and she strapped me to a table.

The Four: Chapter Three: The Lover

She conducted her tests, which were really nothing more than short spells that just left a tingling sensation. Bored by it fairly easily, I struck up a conversation. “Why are you so interested in humans?”

She looked up at me, startled, then said: “Sorry, not used to patients being awake for this. I suppose I’m interested in humans because everyone tells me I shouldn’t be.” She rested her forehooves on me, assuming a thoughtful position. “I suppose I never really thought about it. What about you, huh? Why are you so interested in ponies?”

“What makes you think I’m so interested in ponies?”

“Well, you were human, living in the human world, and you chose to come here and be a pony. Surely that wasn’t easy.”

“Well, no. It wasn’t.”

“Then why’d you do it?”

“Because here is so much more peaceful than there.”

“If you think here’s peaceful, I don’t want to know what your world is like.”

“How is here not peaceful?”

“Well, there’s crime almost every day, for one.”

“So? We had crime back home, too. Every day for sure, and usually more than once a day, too.”

“Wow, alright. I had heard your kind was warfaring, but I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“Oh, that’s nothing. We wage wars every couple of decades, resulting in casualties in the thousands.” She just stared at me, seeming to be shocked. “Didn’t I tell you that, the first night you asked about humans?”

She seemed to remember it, that I had told her about all the wars of humanity. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran out of the room. I magicked myself out of my bonds and my human form, then proceeded to return to the apartment. I was greeted by a very worried Bon Bon.

“She just ran through, crying. What happened down there?”

I stared at her closed door, knowing she was crying behind it. “Hopefully, what needed to. She’ll come out of there in the morning either a killing machine or completely off humans.”

I knocked on the door, and in the light of magic, it opened a fraction of an inch. From inside, a faltering voice asked: “What?”

“Well, firstly, I want to apologize for shattering your worldview. And secondly, you must understand that sometimes evil is necessary.” I winced at my own statement, knowing my own atrocities, but was pulled from my reveries before they even began by David.

“So I just realized we don’t have pony names. Or cutie marks.”

Perking up to something that wasn’t completely depressing, I turned to him. “Well, yes, I suppose that is a problem. So, ace, what’re you?”

“Well, I think Ace is a good start, and I used to draw and still like to, so what about Ace Graphite?”

“What do you think, Bon Bon?”

“Well, I don’t know. It’s a fairly standard name, by etymology standards, anyway. It’s fine, but please don’t drag me into this. I have cookies to bake.”

“Yes, right. Smells delicious, by the way. So who am I?”

“You’re not seriously asking me, right? How am I supposed to tell you who you are?” The one now known as Ace said defensively.

“Well I dunno, I don’t really have a preference on names at all, so just throw some syllables together and I’ll figure out how to spell it.”

“What about” he paused for a moment, tapping his chin. “Kiko Krieshtenay?”

“I like it, but I have to spell it my own way.” Spelling it out, in the air, with magic, I wrote and said: “Kiqo Kreichtene.”

“You just have to be special, don’t you?”

“Well, wouldn’t you want to be?”

“I suppose so. What if I replaced the ph with an f?”

I wrote it out, then, gesturing to it, said: “Comme tant?”

“Si, si, you multilingual bastard. But what’s that, at the end?”

Using magic I wasn’t sure was entirely Equestrian, I magnified the little dot at the end. What I thought was a blip was a pencil over a spade, like from the deck of cards. It was a very stylized spade, fancy as all get out, but as soon as it was in focus, it moved. Where it moved was Ace’s flank, where it stayed and seemed to be quite content on.

“Oh hey, nice mark.” Bon Bon said after putting down a tray of cookies. “Did you know it’ll change when you do something you’re talented at?”

“Really?” I asked, intensely curious about everything new after traveling more than a few worlds. “Go draw something, dude.”

He laid out a quick sketch on a small sheet, and just as Bon Bon’s bons were steaming when she took the cookies out, his pencil started to draw more onto his mark.

“Neat!” I exclaimed, but then had a dampening thought. “Where’s my mark?”

“It comes when you do something you’re gifted at, right?”

“Right, but what? I have such a varied skill set, though. What mark could capture all that?”

The other two seemed to be stumped by this, but then it came to me, in the form of what I was best at: an idea. Something went ding, and what appeared on my flank was exactly what I expected: a lightbulb. “Fantastico! I wonder what it’ll do at different times.”

“Well I imagine it’ll light up.”

“No shit, sherlock. I never woulda guessed.”

“Shut up, brainiac.”

“God I love insults. They’re so nonsensical.”

“You’re the one with a lightbulb on his ass.”

“At least it’s not up it, like some people.”

Bon Bon snickered, and Ace glared daggers at her. Subsequently, the door was blown in by some awesome force. There, in a weird kind of rage-trance, was Twilight. In between heavy breaths, she managed to get out: “I fucking hate, no, love you.” Regaining normal breathing, she continued: “And I don’t understand any of it, so shut the fuck up and kiss me.”

“Why don’t we go back to your place and hash this all out, eh?”

“Right here, right now, on this god awful shag carpet.”

“Twilight, you’re awesome, and I love you, but no.”

“Why not? Too scared to love me? Too scared of my power?” She was almost in tears, and was definitely about to run for it, so I tried to rationalize her.

“No, it’s because other ponies are watching.”

Fire danced in her mane as she approached me, hips all full of swagger. “That just makes it better.” She dragged a hoof under my chin as Bon Bon dragged one across her neck, but all I saw was Twilight. Holy shit god damn, she was beautiful. I was inclined to consent, but rationality took hold and shook me out of it.

“Yes, but not here. Your place, now.”

“Celestia help me, you’re such a bore. Whatever, if you’re not at my place in five minutes, I’m putting the wine away.” She left with a flick of her tail, right under my chin, and a pop of magic.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked, turning to Bon Bon.

“She’s in heat. If you follow her, I’ll lose all respect for you.”

I just pshawed at her. “I don’t need your respect, I’m getting laid.” I left with a grin and a pop, leaving Ace and Bon Bon with Lyra, who had just come out.

Lyra spoke first: “Did that make anyone else really horny?”

“Three way?” Ace asked, in turn. All he got was a cookie to the face.

As I appeared at Twilight’s door, she was just shoving Spike out.

“Get, get. Shoo.” She was saying, and then upon seeing me, said: “Oh, hey you. Come on in.”

“Give Rarity my best” I said to Spike. He made to return a remark, but waved a dismissive claw and left.

In short, we fucked, in long, it was about seven times. She cried into my chest afterward, explaining how heat cycles worked, the core principles of marehood, and how she couldn’t control herself sometimes, and how she had meant to make me stay earlier, but my leaving had just made it worse. Basically, the horse half of being a talking horse. I didn’t mind the rut, and told her so, and she just looked at me with those big, wet, amethyst eyes and said “Really?” I left her with scuffled hair and a kiss on the forehead, because disappearing was what I did best.

I returned to Bon Bon’s apartment, only to find a pile of ponies, one of which had just criticized me for falling into bed. Said bed-hating bedhead poked out and said “I can expl- no I can’t.” I heard Ace chortle, and then get slapped. I just laughed at them, already having been spent, and headed for Lyra’s bed.

“Don’t have too much fun, alright?” I said as I closed the door. “What a day.” I said to myself on the other side, sprawling out face first on the bed.

The Four: Chapter Four: The Other Lover

Author’s warning: Remember, zero quality control, so just because the last sex scene wasn’t graphic, doesn’t mean this one won’t be. If you’ve got complaints, leave them in the comment section. Just make them constructive complaints, because your bitching will go in the circular file. (AKA the trash can)

The room came into focus slowly, as I woke up. It was definitely not where I had went to sleep. The walls were too shiny, too metallic. Realizing where I was, I called to Lyra, saying “Is this going to become a regular thing?”

“Different room, same underground placing. But no, just when you go to sleep with your tailhole exposed.” She turned around, bearing some ungodly thing around her hips and I flicked my tail. It was free.

“Wait, hold on.” She put a hoof on my mouth, shushing me very effectively.

“How do you say, ‘There’s no brakes on the rape train?’ Is that right?”

“Yes, but.” I couldn’t help but snicker at my own pun. “But I can make it better. Just unstrap me.”

She eyed me skeptically, but quickly released me. Rubbing my wrists, I had a few things to say. “Alright, so I can make your … thing real, but firstly I don’t like being tied down.” I paused, letting her adjust herself, since whatever device she had concocted down here seemed to chafe.

“And secondly?” she asked, seemingly satisfied with her adjustment.

“Well, wouldn’t you want to be human for this?”

Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, then kept going. She proceeded imitate Twilight, jumping around in circles chanting ‘yes,’ phaux dong bouncing to her rhythm. I just shook my head with a grin and turned us both into humans, with her having a little extra ‘attachment.’

“Wait, this is pretty small.” She said, looking into her latex thong. “You sure you made it big enough?”

“Yeah, humans have pretty small ones, comparatively. But throw some lube on it and plow me, I’m getting cold over here.” I was in full nude, bent over the table she had me strapped to earlier, ready and waiting. “And remember, I never liked receiving, so go easy on me.”

She quickly shed her fake horse dong and picked up a bottle of lube. As she was rubbing it on, she asked “Why don’t I have testes?”

“You don’t need testes to have a good time. The sensation will still be sexual, so it’ll feel like your cooch is getting fondled too. But seriously, go easy on me. My last relation was with a man, but it doesn’t mean I caught too often.”

“You humans sure have some weird terminology.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of our thing. Wars and words. Just shut up and stick me already.”

“No need to tell me twice.” She said, and with a glad half-whinny proceeded to stick me. The first half of the advice went unheeded though, and she gladly rammed me deep. Not one of the most pleasurable experiences I’ve had, so when she finished, leaving me wanting, I turned the tables on her.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking this.” I said, pulling the rubber horsecock straight off her latex thong and attaching it to myself, just above my own. “Add a little blood flow and,” I gave it a second, and it started to turn a mottled tan/brown. “Presto! I’ve got a bigger one.” I said, teasingly.

“How you say” she started in a thick, mock accent. “Shut up and stick me?”

“Roll over first.”

“But” she protested, already on her back.

“Exactly, I’m lining them up. Big rod, small hole, small rod, big hole.”

“No, don’t do that!” she cried, already being turned over.

She looked at me over her shoulder, fear in her eyes. But she found no comfort in my face, as with a malicious grin, I eased into her. She cried out at first, but when she realized it was just two rods in one hole to start, she eased into it and even started rocking with me. But when I pulled out and prodded her other hole, she held her breath. I slid in with a lewd pop, and she screamed. She grunted in time with my thrusts, but I heeded my own advice, and took it slow for her. As the grunts turned to moans, I picked up the pace, and when I reached full speed she let out a shaky ‘Oh my stars.’ It didn’t take me too long after to drive the seed deep into the fertile soil, and then I flipped her back over. She stared at me with longing, but I just grinned.

“Wipe me off, now. We wouldn’t want you ‘catching’ anything.”

She snickered with me, the pun not lost to her, and she got up to get a towel. As she picked it up though, she immediately dropped it. Then picked it up again. I watched in curiosity as this process repeated a few times, then she practically skipped over and requested to give me a handjob. I laughed, pointing out that hands weren’t that amazing, but she insisted. And was I ever so wrong to decline. With my larger member having been cleaned off, she gladly laid down on the table, practically chewing through the bit.

“First, I want you to stretch out.” I said, mischievously.

“Why?” she asked, skeptical of my intentions.

“Trust?” I asked, shrugging.

She complied, and I immediately strapped her down. With her virginities lost, now was the time to show her what rough meant. She seemed to enjoy it, even the minor strangle play. I had her riding the edge harder than a skateboarder over an empty pool until finally, agonizingly, she fell into the hardest orgasm of her life. With her passed out, I unstrapped her, turned us back into horses, and put the second penises back in their places. As I was putting them back on the shelf, she stirred.

“Thank you so very much. That was intense.”

“Yeah, but I’m afraid it was a one time thing.”

“Why?” she asked, turning over to me.

“Well, polyamory just isn’t the ship I’d like to sail, that’s all.”

“Who’d you have in mind for the monogamy?” She was getting up now, a little unsteady, but she managed to make it over to me.

“Well, honestly, Twilight.”

“Of all the ponies in Equestria, why her.”

“Well, I tried to seduce her at first, but she turned the tables. And when you see a pony’s good side, well, it kinda gets under your skin. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah.” she replied, rubbing a foreshin.

“Well, you’re free to surprise me any time, but don’t expect me to be consenting next time. And you know what happens when I don’t consent, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been to court for it before.”

“You really need to stop kidnapping ponies.” I took her by the chin and made her look at me. She held my gaze for a second, long enough for me to see a flicker of hope, but as she looked away I saw fathomless sadness. I drew her into a hug, and whispered softly into her ear: “You’re free to play with me any time, just none of … whatever just happened, alright?”

Her ears perked up, and my lightbulb started to glow. “Do you have any idea how to make robots? I’ve read about them in your histories, and they sound awesome.”

“We’ll start you out small, and I’ll let you figure it out. I’m a learner, not a teacher, alright?”

She was happy enough, so I left her with a car battery and some jumper cables as I took the elevator back to the apartment. What I opened the door to was exactly what I expected: Ace and Bon Bon sitting in a tree, s-i-x-t-y- (the pun lost momentum, you get the picture).

“Get a room, you two.” I said as I went into Lyra’s. I fell asleep to the giddy running of hooves and the slamming of a door.

Author’s other note: Sorry, again. Really. Like, I’m really glad no one walked in when I was writing this kind of sorry. And especially to Ace, because I know who he wants to be with, and it’s not Bon Bon.

Author's Note

Well I guess I have some 'splaining to do. Why is this unfinished? Why are the chapters so low/high quality? Why why why? Also who's probably. But basically I started writing this for a friend, oh so many years ago, and The One stood to serve as the log of a wandering soul. It let me see a side of myself that I am longing to see, one that can brave nature and come out not just victorious, but a better person. The One will not be complete until I personally walk The Earth. As for the rest, they're in progress, but will probably be unfinished until I'm out of college, at the soonest.

As for what happened to the previous edition, it rests on the unsubmitted shelf. For eternity, or until someone asks for it back. I don't much care for it, since it's childish in content, and very directionless. But, the directionless man is never lost, and the longest row to hoe is the one home, so I dunno. It can come out of hiding if just one person requests, but I'd rather leave it behind bars. As for quality control, I don't have any. As for the future of the book, I'm planning to write in pieces, and reread and reread and reread. If you wish to join me in this creative process, I'll leave marks for when I updated a chapter (Update 1, for example).

As for who I am, that's very complicated. Firstly, no names. Secondly, my name is Ectopic Entropy, meaning disorder coming from a strange place. That place is Tucson, as should be apparent. Tucson is a diverse town, as diverse in populace as the far East is in flora and fauna. I'm not much of a brony any more, but I set out to complete this novel once upon a time, and I plan to still do so. Eventually. Lastly, I hope none of you are waiting, because I'm in no special hurry. Have a nice trip and fall, and I'll see you next spring. Whichever one it happens to be.