Learning To Live

by Nekron Smauzog

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, Sad, Romance, Tragedy, Slice of Life, Dark
Length: 2512

A twenty year old brony from Earth is killed during a chase to escape a debt he owes to someone, but a mysterious force saved him and brought him to Equestria for a special purpose. His purpose: understand what friendship really means after all.

Your average brony with a troubled past is chased down by a clan of bikers who want him dead after an accident he didn't mean to do to their leader's motorcycle. Seconds from dying, the force of a princess has saved him from the pain that was given to him and sends him to her own world: Equestria. Now departed from his home, he will try to adjust quickly to being new and welcomed in Equestria.

With friendship by his side, he begins his new life. But why did that specific princess pick him out of millions of others on Earth? Is there something special about him after all?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-10-14 00:00:05 UTC

Vigil

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."

Edgar Allan Poe

1:24am

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

In a distant city on Earth...

The sound of motorcycles could be heard rushing down the busy street of twin-based houses through the open window of my home. I just listen to the rustic engines roar loudly from the motorcycles when going down my street that was busy. My neighbourhood was peaceful, and got along well with the noise that would pass by.

The night was clear outside with a small fogged cloud by the white glowing moon in the evening sky. I could see the entire neighbourhood from my own window of my own room. But I only looked at the sky during my time in my personal bedroom. There had never been a beautiful night like this that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. There had been various other nights that were beautiful before, but this one was no different from them.

I look away from my window and towards the bright light of my TV in my room. They’re showing an episode of “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” on the Hub. It was a replay of the episode "A Canterlot Wedding” and it was the part when Queen Chrysalis defeats Princess Celestia, leaving the Mane Six to go running for the elements. This show happened to be one of my favorite shows that I watched, and when there wasn't a time when I had been busy I'd catch up on an episode. The finale is just in a few days, so it should be interesting.

I lay on my soft bed in the left corner of the room with the door to and from my room to the right. On my desk is my laptop and pieces of paper with a bowl full of sharpened pencils. I considered myself to be a fanfiction writer and would write down my ideas on any stories that came to me. On the bowl of pencils, was also my name Brayden. A 20 year old, who liked to write stories based on my favorite show. But that was not the only thing I loved doing, in the corner opposite from my bedroom door were two stands: one with an electric guitar and the other, a bass guitar. I occasionally played guitar myself in a punk band, but we had gotten nowhere to record anything. Sure the members' musical differences were different from mine, but I found myself to take metal to my liking. Paticular styles of metal I enjoyed were: Progressive, Power and Symphonic. I did have some respect for alternative rock.

My stomach starts to rumble giving the signal that I was hungry for a late-night snack. Most of the food in my fridge would really satisfy me, so choosing the lazy choice; I made the decision to go to one of those fast food restaurants like I always do whenever there isn't any food that come to mind.

I get up off my soft bed, and reach for the remote of the television and pressing the power button to turn it off. I then walk towards the door of my room and close it behind me when walking downstairs into the main floor. Kitchen's quiet, check. I pace across the floor towards the garage door. I place my hand onto its silver handle and push down on it, pulling it open. Once open, I turn on the light.

My motorcycle could be seen there on its stand with the flaming purple color applied to it. I walk over to take the motorcycle off of the stand. I push the cycle right next to me lightly, keeping a gentle hold on it while walking to the garage door. I reach for the handle below and pull the large door open. Once I had gone outside, I close the garage door behind me and get up onto my motorcycle. I ignite the engine and the clear engine sound of my cycle could be cleanly heard through my ears.

“Good, it still works. Most times, I have to bring it down to the shop for a new engine.” I thought to myself, pulling back a bit on the cycle's handles. It began moving forward from the parkway, onto the street. I then turn the cycle to the left, bringing it onto the road. Driving with the single light on, I looked about the road, there were various buildings that would still be open. Even barbershops and disco clubs were open this late at night. It would seem like a peaceful drive with few cars on the road.

Once reaching a stoplight, I dug into my pocket and got out some earphones. I then took out the iPod touch 3rd generation in my pocket and randomly select an artist. It was another one of those bands I listened to that had done some metal operas, another type I liked because each album/song told a story that went along with the flow. I randomly select a song and put the iPod back into my pocket. The street light shines green and I start moving again, with music coming through my earphones, blending into the environment.

The traffic didn't seem to be this bad at night, minus all of the huge trucks coming in with packages behind them attached. I did get to drive by some of the cool cars, even though I wasn't really into that stuff. I was just wanting to be an ordinary guy at his extra last semester at school. And I know what you're thinking... I don't have the new-generation iPod touch yet. That's because I don't have the money on me. But if I did, I would get it in some time when the price drops.

I could see the park come into my view on the left side. There were a couple of people still out, taking walks around the park or spending time with their dog if they kept barking into the night. One man throws a frisbee for his golden retriever, and the dog runs across the field to go and get it and return it to its owner. On the right far up close, I could see the restaurant of destination that I had planned for when I stepped out. It wasn't famous like Mickey D's or all that stuff, but it'll do. It was called "Big Burgers", a restaurant that was open about 24/7 with different employees by each few hours. Another green light, and I step on the gas, riding closer towards the restaurant. More cars pass by. At the stop before Big Burgers, I make a smart quick turn towards the side of the road, squeezing through a tight spot. Driving closer to the parking lot, I noticed that something was completely off about it, and by that time: the solo on the song I was listening to just ended.

There were a bunch of bikers with dangerous looking motorcycles that would put my own to shame, and they seemed to be ready at any moment to resort to violence. By the looks on their faces, they didn’t look very happy about my presence. I take off my earphones and take out my iPod to pause the song. I then put it away into my right pocket and looked at the threatening bikers. One of them, looking really tough with the strong-looking muscles leans off from his bike and looks at me.

“Ah, we’ve been waiting for you.” The leader of the gang said to me with his southern accent, holding a baseball bat in his hand and gently smacking it in his other hand. The other bikers carried pistols in their pockets, ready to fire at me if I made any funny moves. “You owe us for destroying a bit of our property and you’ll pay it right this instant.”

“Please, Khaln. That destruction was just a small mistake that accidentally happened.” I said, with my heart starting to beat faster by each step that he took towards me. It wasn’t entirely my fault that I accidentally hit his precious motorcycle that caused it to fall onto the hill and skid down the dirt road of his home, causing his motorcycle to get dirty and a scratch no doubt. "I'm only trying to have a late night snack. So can we shake the debt off until another time? I don't have the money I owe you at the moment."

Khaln finally swung his bat at me and knocked me off my motorcycle. My body makes a hard impact onto the cement ground and the sound of my cycle hitting the side. I groan when on the ground and Khaln looks over at me, placing his baseball bat onto my left knee. “Well, Brayden you don’t have the money with you. So it looks like by each beating you get from my precious bat, Brown Bear… the owing disappears... unless you are hiding the money, so this should be enough to scare you into doing it.” Khaln said, swinging his bat and hitting my left knee really hard.

I grunt in pain and begin looking for a way to escape while he is beating me up with his baseball bat. Scanning the ground close by, I put an eye on the empty beer bottle that lay right onto the street next to me. My hand moves closer to the fragile bottle and grips it tight, but not too tight. When the timing was right and Khaln had his bat in the air ready to pound it at my own heart, I throw it straight at Khaln’s right shoulder. The reaction causes Khaln to drop his bat and start checking for a bloody scratch. I get up off the street ground, pushing Khaln onto the ground and throw myself towards my bike, picking it up off the ground, and driving off out of the parking lot in hopes of escape.

“Get him and the money!” I could hear Khaln yell from the lot and I go right onto the road, full throttle. "I want that cowardly bastard alive or dead!"

I could hear the many sounds of their engines igniting when I reached the streets. Passing by a few cars is when I started to realize that Khaln’s men have started to shoot their pistols at me by the whipping sounds of bullets starting to fly at me from behind. I manage to miss the first few shots, but one of them hits me in the back of my left shoulder and it starts to stir me off course towards a garbage chute. Finally, I get a grip onto it and wheel myself back onto the road. In my mind, I realize that as soon as I escape, I should head straight for home to patch myself up and remove the bullet wound. In my left pocket, my cell phone is ringing. I don't have time to answer it.

I took my chances to look behind and see that the entire Khaln clan bikers were after me and were ready to kill me. I just dove straight into the park on the motorcycle, even carelessly driving by people, trying not to accidentally hit them and yelling sorry to them. The bullets continued to go. My motorcycle moved up the hill and towards the cliff where I usually make a mistake and it was also an escape route for me just in case. “This problem never happens in Equestria!” I shout to myself and speeding forward with Khaln and his bikers getting closer.

Khaln and his gang soon started to slow down and I look behind him and stick my tongue out at not just him but all of them, saying “You can’t even catch me slowpokes!” When I turned around, the edge of the cliff could be seen and I ditched my motorcycle, causing it to fall off of the cliff and into the lake. My body was dragging on the ground by the gravity from how fast I was going, falling off of the cliff. I was just lucky enough to grab onto the nearby branch that had been sticking out of the edge.

I take a look down at the crashing waters below. I witness my cycle fall into the water and disappear. Well, I don't have to worry since I have two spare ones. One at home and the other at my cottage up far north from here. I climb up from the branch and place my hands onto the cliff. The sound of hard boots grab my attention. The ringleader Khaln moved up into my sight and was carrying his combat pistol in his right hand. I try to react quickly enough, but he fires at my left hand causing it to bleed. I tried to use that shot hand to grip onto the cliff again, but the pain is overwhelming. I find myself dangling over the edge, taking a look into Khaln's dangerous and angry eyes.

“Well, Brayden. It looks like you’re going to be washed away by this fall. You should've given me the money, but you chose the other path. So consider this... your permanent goodbye." He says. I try to get right back up onto the cliff, but he sees me trying to escape again and reacts much more quickly with his pistol, shooting my right hand. The instant pain in my right hand causes me to let go. The wind blows into my face as I descend straight into the lake, landing in the rough waters. The lake’s rough waves against the cliff bash me underwater into some sharp rocks. I try to swim upwards to the surface but find myself unable to do that.

The waves continue to bash me towards the sharp rocks until of them impales my weak flesh. I could see the blood start to flow throughout the water, spreading like wildfire. Blackness starts to fade onto me for unconsciousness with the air I had running out. I tried to force myself to stay alive for this, but the air was already gone and I could find myself sinking to the lake floor with the waves repeatedly bashing me over and over. Above the water, I can see Khaln and his buddies laughing at my own demise bound to happen in the moments ahead. It isn’t long until the sound of water fades softly into the nothing, going gone and silent, and the last image of Khaln laughing above my watery grave starts changing. The colors grow distorted and then everything slowly goes to black.

This is it... this is the end for me. Where I go, there will be nothing for me. I never even got to say goodbye to my own friends before this happened.

In the silence, I could hear a voice talking softly to me before I had faded into a permanent sleep.

“Do not worry, boy. You’ll be safe now.”