Chapters "A gift, a blessing, a privilege" this is what they all said when I told them, only now do they know, just how wrong they were. Only now do they realize that this so-called "gift" was a curse worse than death. The fools....... Only now do they know..... only, its a little to late for them. They have all died and moved on, leaving me with an even greater sorrow than the last. Only now do they see, the true curse of immortality.
My name is Johnathan Smith, I am a drifter. I have traveled to every corner of the globe, every inch, and every mile. I travel around, a new place every month, looking for people to help. Looking for a new purpose.
I never make friends anymore, cause if I do, they will eventually die and I'll be forced to live without them. So I never spend more than a week around one person. And I don't even try to look for a lady anymore, for what's the use when they will die and leave me heartbroken. So... I keep moving.
I travel light, more or less. I keep a backpack, my clothes, my shoes, my knife, and a colt .45. However i have not touched that in years, for it was my fathers.
I don't eat, I don't drink, I don't live..... I just keep moving.
It can sometimes be very mundane, but when you live forever, you can see some pretty crazy things.
But nothing I had seen would prepare me for what would happen next.
It was a normal day, which one? I don't know, I had lost track many years prior. I was walking down a dirt road somewhere on the outskirts of west Virginia.
There was not a soul in sight.
For miles all I could see was field, and tree's..... maybe a mountain.
I was walking down the road on a mission to find the next person in need, when I heard a very loud "CRACK" somewhere in the nearby woods.
chalking it up to be just a tree falling i kept walking. Untill i heard a scream. a terrible ear splitting scream that signified near death. but that voice.... it sounded like, my mothers.
"MOTHER" i screamed and ran to the woods.
What a fool i was.
i had already known that my mother was long gone.
she had been dead for nearly five decades.
Yet i still ran, I ran like a scared dog to its owner, I ran till my heart beat could be heard in my ears.
I ran until it stopped.
When I got to the source of the noise, I found nothing out of the ordinary. Except for a very large pond surrounded by tree's, but there was something... odd about the pond.
"MOTHER!!!!!" i screamed " WHERE ARE YOU"
i was bellowing and practically begging for an answer. For her to answer.
but the one i got was less than pleasant.
a certain chill came down my spine. Something didn't seem right.
As I eyed the pond, I noticed that it was steaming, and that it looked like a very unnatural silver.
"Something seems.....off about this place" I said as I approached the pond.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the water was acting as a mirror, giving nothing less than a seemingly perfect reflection.
Who i saw frightened me for the first time since i was a little boy.
I saw my mother.
Her seemingly perfect face, her lovely swaying hair. She looked just like i remembered her.
but that is what mortified me above all else.
"NO" i shouted "YOU CANT BE REAL, YOUR DEAD!!" i turned around from the pond and screamed "STOP WITH THIS NONSENSE. MY MOTHER IS DEAD. I WILL BE TORTURED NO LONGER".
I turned back around to see that my mothers reflection was changing. She was melting.
Every inch of her beautiful face was almost literally falling of the bone.
I screamed in agony
It was as if she was dying right in front of me. All over again.
Yet the whole time, her beautiful smile never faltered. Until the moment she faded into she silvery depths of the cursed pond.
I'd had enough.
It was then that the sky began to darken, and all i could see was red in my eyes.
I had never gotten to the brink of killing an innocent person, but at that moment, i wanted BLOOD.
I then heard the laughter. The horrible laughter.
I knew that laugh.
Then, without warning, the pond started to shift, making a perfect ring system stretching from the center to the banks of the silver pond.
The laughter never stopped as one by one i started to hear whispers in my head, asking me to do their bidding.
At first they came one at a time, almost as if the pond itself was speaking, but not to long after the whispers became shouts, and the order became chaos as it seemed like tens of thousands of people where screaming at me all at once, telling me to do the same thing. "Get in the pond"
I wanted to, I wanted it to end, I wanted to end my suffering for good. "No" I said to myself. "I must not give in!" I shouted as I collapsed to my knees, with my hands clamped to my ears.
"DO IT" they commanded "YOU HAVE THE POWER, END YOUR MISERY".
I started to reach for my pistol.
I looked in the chamber.
" One shot" i whispered
thump thump, thump thump, thump thump.
The whole world seemed to slow down as i raised the pistol to my to my temple.
All i could hear was my heart beat.
THUMP THUMP, THUMP THUMP, THUMP THUMP
A being dressed in black that carried a scythe floated to me, and whispered two words.
one shot
I pulled back the hammer.
I had to say one thing before i left.
" Ill be with you soon mom"
Just as i was about to put an end to my suffering i saw a bright light, then heard a scream.
I turned to my right to find that the hooded creature was gone and the voices had stopped.
i looked towards the light and could just barley see a creature that seemed to be radiating light. she was beautiful.
I started to feel light headed and started to see black creep into my eyes.
I stuttered out one last thing before falling into the murky depths of the silver lake.
"m-mother"?
then i saw nothing but black.
When i woke up i found that unlike when i passed out all i could see was white, and had a lot of trouble breathing.
Turns out i was being hugged by something.
I heard a voice. It sounded sad, like it had been crying for hours.
"Its waking up, get my sister immediately!"
As my vision started to clear i started to make out what exactly was causing me my breathing troubles only to find out that it was a huge white pony.
Now that's something you don't see everyday, a talking pony
but what was more strange was her voice, I say her because her voice was exactly like my mothers.
I didn't realize it but she was staring directly at me with tears in her eye's.
before i could ask why she cut me off and said.
" I saw everything, i know what you have lost, i know your secret and i know your pain". she choked down a sob.
"And i'm sorry"
My thoughts where blurry but i managed to ask two questions.
" Who are you, and where am ?'
She choked down one more sob before giving a small smile, slightly bowing her head and softly said
"My name is Princess Celestia, and you are in Equestria.
"You are among friends"
Author's Note
Hey if you made it this far than congrats your not dead
now i do need constructive criticism as this is only story number two that I've wrote but make sure that its necessary
That word.
I hate that word.
"Friends"
It disturbs me.
It angers me.
It.....saddens me.
tears started to form in my eyes as i looked at her in anger.
"I have no FRIENDS!"
She looked at me in suprise as i continued to rant.
"I dont have them and I dont WANT THEM"
i lowered my head and spoke in a lower tone.
"I dont want the hurt"
i looked back at her and saw that she had tears flowing freely with a face of not fear, not anger, but sympathy.
She cholked back a sob before speaking to me once more
"I know you have been hurt. I know you have been damaged. I know you have been broken. But you need to know that not all good is bad. you thinhk that if you have any good in your life that it will one day hurt you more, that is not true. You need to understand that in your situation if you dont look at the good instead of the bad, you will end up being consumed by anger and hate."
she paused
"just like my sister"
that last part sounded a little more depressing.
i let it by without another thought before sowling once more.
"What do YOU know about me? What do YOU know about my life? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY CURSE!?"
she looked back at me in anger. No, not anger. rage
uh oh
"I KNOW PLENTY ABOUT YOU. I KNOW ABOUT THE VIOLENCE YOUR SPECIES CARRIES. I KNOW ABOUT THE WEAPONS YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN TO OUR PEACEFULL WORLD. I KNOW ABOUT THE CREATURES THAT TOURMENT YOU. THE ONES THAT I SAVED YOU FROM. SO YOU SHOULD BE A LITTLE MORE GREATFULL JACK"
Holy shit she can yell, i can barley hear anything anymore.
Wait. Jack? Thats not my name. and why does she look like she just saw a ghost?
She chose right then to speak up after a moment of silence.
" I-i um im sorr-"
"its okay" i inturupted
"Im sorry. and your right I should be more respectful. I did not mean to seem like that"
there was a moment of silence between us and nethier of us could look at each other in the eye
Then the door was opened at the far end of the room revealing a blue pony just a tad shorter then celestia.
must be her sister I thought to myself
i looked into her eyes and very clearly saw somthing wrong.
She was damaged.
just like me
I wonder if she is friendl-
No. i must not think these thoughts. i must not have friends. They will only slow me down in the longrun
I've had enough grieving to last ten lifetimes, and I wont have anymore
At that minute she looked at me with. Sorrow?
"We art sorry thou feels this way"
oh no, mind readers. Peachy
" Doth thou have a problem with it?" she questioned
i started to get up out of the hospital bed. Thank god my clothes are still on!
"Actually i do have a problem with it and would apriciate it if you stayed out of my brain and my business!"
She stepped back in suprise
"doth thou have any idea who thou art talking to?" she asked with a slight annoyance
time for one of my samrt remarks that will probly get me banned from someplace i dont care about
"I belive i know full well who im talking to. would you like to know? Well, I am currently speaking to a mind reading, blue tounged, little prissy princess pony who is way in over her head if she thinks she will get one in over on me!"
she reared back with shock
"how dare you treat me and my sister with such dissrespect, we saved thee, we should have thou executed for that remark!"
I dont know what came over me at that moment but i could not have seen more red in my eyes if someone tried to piss me off.
"THEN DO IT! YOU WANT ME EXECUTED, THEN DO IT YOURSELF RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!!
i started to walk toward her and grabed my gun of the counter
"YOU THINK YOUR BETTER THEN ME!? YOU THINK YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THEN ME !? YOU THINK THAT YOUR LIFE IS WORTH MORE AS TO TAKE ANOTHERS BECAUSE THEY DONT GROVELL TO YOU!?"
by this time i was already right in her face
The anger on her face was quickly replased with fear
I pulled back the hammer to my gun and shoved it to her chest.
"THEN DO IT!. DO YOUR DIRTY DEED COWARD! YOU HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THEN ANYONE ELS!"
as she raised the gun in her magic i put it to my forehead.
"PULL THE TRIGGER! PULL THE TRIGGER AND LIVE WITH MY BLOOD ON YOUR BRAIN!"
The last speck of anger was gone from her face and was now flowing with tears.
"DO IT. END MY MISSERY ON YOUR OWN ACCORD"
Celestia decided to step in at that time her face also flowing with tears.
"Please stop. I dont want any fighting"
i looked into the younger sisters eyes and with my voice as cold as ice, i spoke.
"you are a coward. You make your claims to be strong rulers when you cant even supress a willing victim. You make your threats without the nerve to actually carry out your sentences. You claim to be benelovant but in reality you are just controlling others. You claim your people be peacefull and happy, but how can they be happy if they dont know what els there is to life. You claim that i am amoung friends? You dont know the meaning of the word!"
i turned to gather my things when i heard the little sister cholk back a sob before speaking.
"W-we were only trying to help you"
That word "Help" that word i am partnered with.
I gathered my belongings before I turned to them, with an amused smile on my face.
"That's not your job. It's mine."
i walked to the little one who was still crying her eyes out.
"you need to grow up kid, the world will only chew you up and spit you to the ground if you are weak. My advice, strengthen yourself."
I turned to the other one. Celestia. Fished in my pocket and pulled out an old chain and tag.
"This belonged to my brother before he died, along with everyone else i knew, he was a real leader. He was a hero."
i shoved the pendant onto her which she took without question.
"Maybe you could learn somthing from it."
i walked past them and proceesed staight out of the castle and into the dark forest. I have not been to that dissproportionat pile of rock since.
The two princesses realized that he was doing far more good by what he did than anything else.
He was testing them.
Author's Note
Hey if your reading this thank you and appolagies if it is wreched first time i have tried a chapter like this and dont really know the criteria for it. any feedback would help. thanks and goodbye
Author's Note
I decided to make this chap a first person with celly so deal wit it
critizize as needed
Ball And Chain
-One year after the encounter.
I sat there looking. Just looking at the silver pendant he had given me before he left. I had no idea what to do. After he left my sister went out to search for him so that she may speak, but she never found him. In reality all she wanted was to perhaps befriend him. However wierd her methods are. She allways has been the akward one. But when she returned with no trace of him anywhere and fresh tears on her face. I only assumed that it would add to the hatred and darkness that i knew was already consuming her.
"Oh sister. Why must you see only the bad in life?"
I knew of the terrible being that was lurking in her mind yet i did nothing to stop it. What was there that i could do? Whenever i try to talk with her she just pushes me away. I knew if she did not start seeing the good. That THING would take her away from me. But there was nothing i could do to prevent it.
I found mysekf looking at the necklass again. I also knew what that was. It was a symbole for a martyre, and a war hero.
If my sister did sucumb to this sickness, what is there to do? I had no idea. Then I remembered what he had told me.
"This belong to my brother before he died along with everyone else i knew, he was leader, a real hero. Maybe you could learn somthing from it
As i gazed into the rusty metal of a past life. I knew what had to be done if she so ever fell into this state. My only hope, was that it would not come to it.
I havent taken it off since.
-six months later
-location: castle of the two sisters
-pov: celestia
-Time:8:00 AM
"AHAHAHAHAHAH!! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WILL KEEP YOU SAFE SISTER? THE NECKLASS OF A HAIRLESS LITTLE MISTAKE YOU SO DESPERATLY WANTED TO SPARE THE LIFE OF?"
I clutch the necklass in my hoof feeling the need to protect johnathans honor.
"Sister! just because Johnathan has left for reason you dont fully comprehend dose not give you the right to plague the world with your anger!" i screamed.
Nightmare moon gazed at me with infuriated eyes.
DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME! ALL WE WANTED FROM HIM WAS SOMPONY TO TALK WITH AND CONVERSE BUT NO!! HE INSULTED US AND LEFT WITHOUT FURTHER WORD!! JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE MISSERABLE PONIES OF THIS WORLD!!
I gazed up at her. What used to be my sister, now a mad pony with hate in her heart.
"Please luna! I know you can here me! You need to remember what he told us. You must not let yourself be consumed by hate!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THERE IS NO MORE LUNA ONLY NIGHTMARE MOON! AND WE WILL END WHOEVER STANDS IN OUR WAY."
she paused for a moment.
"STARTING WITH YOU. SISTER!"
She started to light up her horn with whatever dark magick she now possesed.
now or never
" Im so sorry sister."
i lit my horn up and the elements started to swirl around me
*FLASH* "Sister! why dose he rebuff us? why dose he not want to be friends?" *FLASH*
i looked into my sisters fear stricken eyes as the element started to charge.
" We all have a reason for everything we do sister."
The elements started humming.
" I hope someday you can understand mine"
The elements shot out a rainbow beam of liberation staight for my sister. when it hit she was wraped in the blast and i saw her rocketing to the moon.
When the smoke cleared, i could see a perfect impression of nightmare moon on the side of the moon.
I started to lower myself to the ground.
"oh my. Sister what have you done? They are all dead."
Why could she not see reason!? Why did it have to be this way!?
well ive done it! DOES THIS PLEASE YOU WHATEVER DARK SPIRIT YOU ARE?!? DOES IT PLEASE YOU TO SEE MY PAIN!?
" Whats the use? Ill never be happy anyway."
I fell to the floor and put my head in my hooves to sob my eyes out. And then i heard his voice.
"You done good sun butt. You did the right thing."
I looked up and saw him standing there
"You know im kinda proud of you, usually it takes their entire lives to understand one of MY life lessons, but you got it down in less than two years. And i know, it was very hard to do what you just did but you did it. You are a strong and kind leader and you now DESERVE that tittle. "
I glared at him with anger. but after looking deeper into his eyes, for some reason it died down.
"You know, all she wanted was a friend!"
" I know i heard her, but that doesnt excuse the fact that this needed to happen."
I looked at him with meaning to kill now.
"YOU INTENDED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!? YOU WANTED ME TO BANISH MY OWN SISTER!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
" You dont understand, If i would have stayed and showed both of you how i really am then she would have lived on thinking she was better than everyone else. At least now she has ben proven wrong!"
As much as i hated to admit it. He was right.
" Like usual"
"what was that?"
" Your right."
" I wish i was'nt"
he started to walk away when i felt my moment of panick.
" WAIT!!"
He stopped and turned around
" Yes Celestia?"
I Looked around the broken castle and sighed. All those dead ponies, and i could'nt save them. I need sompony right now. I cant be alone.
" Um, would you mind staying with me tonight? I dont think I can be alone right now"
His smile turned into a frown.
uh oh
" I have been alone for five decades, traveling, moving, and never getting attatched or staying too long."
I bit my lip and hung my head in shame.
" Why would i think he would accept. UGHH IM SO STUP-
" But i guess that can change tonight"
I was so happy i could have kissed him. even though i was'nt really happy with the situation i was still overjoyed to at least not be alone. I ran up and gave him the tightest hug I have ever given to anypony.
" THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!"
He gave a slight chuckle. sweat faust his voice his heavan right now.
" No problem celly, I know that you need someone right now . come on, lets get you to bed."
" But wait, what about the sun and the moon?"
" Meh, fix it tomarow morning."
I just decided to listen to him considering i felt as if i was about to pass out anyway. he noticed and picked me up. Now I was only blushing A LITTLE! but as we ascended the stairs to my bedroom I asked him a question.
" How long will you stay? I know that you coud go back home at any time, but i want to know how long i have untill i have to say goodbye."
he looked at me with more care and love (not that kind! silly filly) than i had ever seen. It made my cheeks just a little redder. Ok maybe a LOT redder.
" as long as you need me to, but i'm telling you now, i am not going to have you throw any responsibility of this my way. Thats your ball and chain to wear. All i can do is lessen the weight."
" Thats all i'll need. Thank you. Um John. Are we friends?"
" i'd say your crazy if you said otherwise, with the way you defended me and all"
"I was happy" was an understatment. No. I was almost litteraly jumping with excitment. I was so happy that I almost forgot about my sister....... Almost. I started to happily nuzzle his cheek, thankfull that it was all over untill he pulled back from me.
"awww. I was getting comfy!"
" Thank you celestia, I havent had any friends for longer than i can remember. After you defended me to your own sister i remembered why friends where important. They have each others backs. I guess i forgot that somewhere down the line"
i giggled a bit at the bit of shyness in his voice. WHAT? IT WAS CUTE!!
" Im glad i could help"
We approached my chambers and he opened the door. I was about to wiggle out of his arms and go straight to bed but instead he started to walk over, plop me down, and tuk me in.
DONT BLUSH DONT BLUSH DONT BLUSH!!!!!!!!
" You know you ponies are cute when your flustered."
buck. well at least he called me cu-...... HE CALLED ME CUTE!!! and now im blushing again. great.
He started to walk away when I started to panic. Again.
" WAIT!!"
He turned around with confusion.
" What do you need?"
The concern in his voice, the care in his eyes. He really does a number on me somehow.
" Please. Stay"
i didnt know if i bucked up or not, so i closed me eyes and waited for rejection, but it never came. What did come hoever was him sitting on the bed running his fingers through my mane.
" Sure"
i dont know what came over me but i wrapped my hooves around him and brought him so close to my chest im suprised i didnt suffocate him .
" Thank you. Thank you so much"
I started to to nuzzle his head. WHAT HIS HAIR IS SOFT AND VERY NUZZLEABLE! anyway he didnt protest. Eventually the now cold grip of sleep, took me under its spell. I had many nightmares that day, but at least i had sompony there to help.
-Twenty four hours later
I woke up to see that the sun and moon where still eclipsed in the sky, as well as a note with a strange object that I could not see from this far. I lowered the moon so that sunlight may grace the land once more. Once i had done that i turned and finally noticed that John was no longer there. I had a moment of sadness before i rushed over to the note. once i got close enough i picked up the note and read aloud.
Celestia.
I want you to know that i am proud of how far you have come since I met you. I kept a close watch on you and your sister the whole time and became more and more asstounded each day. Your progress as a ruler was increasing by tenfold! I kow what you did yesterday was hard but you need to remember the good not the bad. just like you told me. She will be back one day and she will be fixed. But untill then you better bet your ass i've got your back! I have to take care of a couple things right now but i will be back soon. I know you need someone right now so ill make it as quick as possible. But just remember, through all the tough times, in life you only get "one shot" dont waste it.
-john
Along with the note was Johns revolver. I picked it up in my magick and opened the cylinder.
" One shot" I mimicked
I closed the revolver and put it in my mane for safe keeping.
" Trust me Johnathan, Ill make it count."
