chapter 1:making promises after death
[First Chapter - Edited]
It had been a rather slow day at work today. At best, only ten customers came to visit my music shop, and most of them ended up browsing and leaving without buying a thing. So I closed up shop a little early and walked down a nearby alley where I parked my car. But when my car came within sight, I found, to my disbelief, that someone was trying to break into it. It made absolutely no sense! I mean, the only valuable things in my car were a broken necklace and a few dollar bills, which definitely weren't worth the obvious effort this guy was putting into breaking into my ride. Regardless, I finally decided to step in and put a stop an end to all this.
So, I walked up behind him and tapped him gently on the shoulder.
"You need some help there, buddy?" I asked with a smug grin. The would-be thief jumped at my touch and turned around sharply to look at me. HIs brief look of shock and fear quickly turned to one of annoyance.
"Who the hell are you, some kind of snitch"? he accused me.
"No, but I am the owner of that car right there," I pointed to my car behind him, "and I would like you to kindly stop fucking up my paint job," I scolded. I'd hoped he would have gotten the message, turned tail and run.
Sadly, it seems this dope had other ideas.
"Well now, you see, I kinda want this car for myself, bub. So I suggest that you hand over your keys and walk away before someone gets hurt," the thief replied. I chuckled at the guy's "threatening" display. If he thought he could intimidate me that easily, he had another thing coming.
"Your pretty funny, but listen here, if you walk away right now, I'll let you keep your teeth, you cunt," I said. His face pulled into a sneer that clearly said, "Wrong answer, idiot."
He lunged at me with his knife aimed at my heart. I simply stepped to the side and brought my clenched fist to his stomach. As he doubled over in pain, I brought my knee up to his nose, hitting it with an audible cracking sound. His head jerked up along with the hand holding the knife. The rusty blade ran up the left side of my torso, leaving a one-inch deep gash on my body.
“and death warrant signed” I growled out feeling my adrenaline pump as i grabbed him.
After I slammed his head into a nearby wall at least twice, I then dragged his bloody form over to my car and placed the top row of his teeth in my wheel. I placed my foot on top of his head, preparing to curb stomp this moron for all the trouble he caused me.
"Well, anything you want to say,? Speak now, or forever hold your peace," I said.
He didn't say anything. Instead, he flipped the knife around—now holding it in a reverse grip—and rammed it into the side of my standing leg. That sent me over the edge. Ignoring my new wound, I proceeded to stomp harshly on the top of his head. I heard an audible crunch sound, indicating that his gums met my wheel. Once I pulled my foot away to survey the damage, I saw that my assailant had instantly passed out from the pain and that there was enough blood flowing from his mouth to make a vampire drool.
I waited a couple of minutes to see if he would wake up, but in that time frame, the adrenaline rush I gained from the fight wore off. Without it to keep me going, I quickly succumbed to my injuries and my own fatigue. As I fell to the ground, I noticed that the knife was somehow still in that moron's hand, meaning I was likely bleeding from both of my injuries. With nothing nearby to stop the blood flow, and with my own strength quickly dwindling, I slowly began to bleed out to death.
Those were the last moments I had before I finally blacked out.
That was the last time I saw Earth alive.
The next thing I know, I'm watching someone run down the alley and check if anyone's alive from the whole ordeal. Strange thing is, I'm watching from outside my body. I couldn't comprehend what was happening at first, but then it finally clicked.
"I'm dead!” i said to no one in particular
I tried to walk towards my body, but I was stuck in place. That's when things got interesting. All of a sudden, my vision went dark. I couldn't see anything, not even my hand in front of my face. Then, I saw it. At first, it was nothing more than a small light in the distance. Then, it grew until it eventually filled my vision. I was in total awe, my face was frozen in shock as I bore witness to the fabled event horizon. I always thought it was a myth, a scientific theory that had yet to be realized, but here it was right before my eyes. It was the beginning of a universe, yet simultaneously, it was the end of it all.
After staring at the endless sunset and perfect cloud for what seemed like hours, I willed myself to try and move once more, this time yielding better results. With nothing better to do, I set off toward the event horizon at a steady pace.
*******************************
I've been walking for nearly half an hour, never getting any closer to the sunset. However, I did notice one thing. There was something in the distance; at first glance, it looked like a person. But as I got closer, I realized it couldn't have been a normal person. I stopped my advance in order to better study the mysterious person from afar. The figure stood facing toward the event horizon and away from me.
I set off once again towards the figure. When I finally got within seven feet of my quarry, the figure turned around and faced me. I can't really describe what that person's face looked like, not because it was indescribable, but because it kept changing. At first, I saw my mother's face, then my father's. And so it continued as such, the figure's face changing every few seconds to match every face I've ever seen. Eventually, the being decided to speak.
"Welcome, child. Your being here intrigues me. Tell me, how did you come to this realm?" she asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know what is happening, let alone how I got here. You're the only person I've come across since I've got here. Just who are you?" I replied.
"To the people of your world, I am known as Athena” Athena now stared inquisitively at me. "And you? What may I call you, human?" it questioned
I am Elysium the psyren ."
"Hmm...that is an odd name for a human, but that does not answer my initial question. How have you come to this realm? Why are you here?"
"I came here after I killed the jabberwocky and died in my world."
"Ahhh, well that explains the how, but not the why."
"I don't know! Look, maybe you could send me back, give me a second chance at life? Heck, it doesn't have to be Earth or even the same dimension! I'd be grateful to be sent anywhere as long as I get another chance," I pleaded. It was odd how I had gone from stomping some random guy's head in an alley to pleading for another chance at life to a god 'Well, fuck my fate!' I thought. Athena turned her head away from me, seeming to contemplate my words. After a few silent moments, she turned back to me.
"Yes, perhaps I could. But if I do, you must make a promise to me," she replied.
"And what would that be?" I asked.
“you must protect the balance of the realm I send you to”.
"Yes, that seems reasonable," I answered.
"Good. Now, say these words: I Elysium the psyren swear by my fated thread to protect the balance of peace wherever I go till the day that fate comes for me, hic iuravi iuramentum”.
I repeated the oath after Athena, as soon as the final word left my mouth my eyes flared up as if I was using my psy the usual silver glow becoming nearly white.
"Very well then mortal. The contract has been established. When you wake up, you will find yourself in a new world, one similar yet very different from your own. But remember, you must always keep these three rules in mind:
1. Your mission must never be known by anyone other than you and I.
2. This meeting never happened.
3. Beware of Chaos and the Pink One."
I had been listening intensely to everything it said, but that last one threw me for a loop. "The pink one?" I questioned, raising a single eyebrow.
"You will understand soon enough. For now, just remember these rules. Now, go forth and enjoy your second chance, mortal."
"Wait! Where are you sending me?" I asked.
"I shall be sending you to a place called Equestria."
"Ok then, are there any other things I need to know? Like, essentials”?
"Ah, I knew I was forgetting something. Equestria is ruled by a diarchy with two princesses, and you shall appear in their capital city”.
"Well, that clears up a few things, I guess."
"Good. Now go human, you have wasted quite enough of my time with idle chatter."
As the space around me began to open up, Athena had one last thing to say. "I do hope you enjoy bright colors and ponies."
"Wait, what do you mean 'ponies'?!" I cried, but it was too late. I plummeted through the newly opened space, quickly losing sight of Athena as I fell through the darkness. It wasn't long. but before I blacked out I saw something pink hop up to Athena and said
"Hi im pinkie pie what are you".
Author's Note
But also a shout out to starblade for proofreading and editing this he was a big help through all of this