The Other Six

Chapter 2

Prophesy: Dishonesty

Rex lived out in the country with his mother. His father died a few months ago in an incident at the farm. It was just him and his mother, but his mother was always distant after his father died. Rex lay in a hammock staring up at the clouds, swinging gently in the breeze as he contemplated just going to bed. The sun was setting and his mother was away for the evening.

She said that she was going to visit a friend but she never does. She was probably at the bar, as usual. She always lied to him, telling him she was going to visit friends or relatives when really she was going to a bar or even a complete stranger’s house to get drunk and forget her problems and responsibilities.

No one really was honest it seemed now a days. Hardly anyone he knew told the truth anymore. In the country it's always “nice guys finish last.” As true as this seemed to be for him he still refused to be a liar. His father raised him to be honest and he could never dishonor him by changing that.

Rex had grown into a strong young adult. He had a dark red coat, with a short, messy, dirty yellow mane. It almost seemed to have a green tint to it. This stood out most on his face. His eyes were a dark, dirty green color. His cutie mark was of an assortment of crops that he was very proud of. He loved the farm and taking care of it, it was his home.

But it was as everyone says, nice guys finish last. They were losing the farm. They were running out of money, their crops weren't growing properly. The entire place just seemed to slowly fall apart after his dad died, the fact his mom wasn’t doing anything to help only added to the problems. Rex was doing his best to hold on to the farm by himself.

A tall mare approached from around the corner, “Y'all slackin' again?” Rex nearly jumped out of the hammock in surprise and glared at his mother coming towards him.

He thought suspiciously, ‘She's not drunk?’ This was something Rex hadn't seen in a long time; his mother had a smile on her face. “What's goin’ on mom?”

She squatted next to him and looked him in the eye with a smug look. “What? Ain't ah allowed to spend some quality time with mah boy?”

Rex's eyes wandered and he turned his head, “You just... never do...” The mare sighed and kicked the hammock, sending Rex spinning through the air until he hit the ground with a violent thud.

He slowly stumbled to his feet, still dizzy from the sudden assault. His mother walked towards the door, “Cummon, were goin' up town! I'll buy us some grub! If y'all behave ah have a surprise for after supper!”

Rex fixed himself up and followed her as she grabbed her saddlebag. “Ready to go?” She asked. Rex looked at himself; he seemed clean and presentable enough.

“Yup!” The colt nodded with a grin on his face. He was actually eager to spend some time with his mother. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he liked it.

During the brisk walk to town, they talked and laughed. It had been so long since his dad died that Rex had almost forgotten what it was like to laugh with his mother. They talked about so many things, from farm work to friends. The only subject they didn't touch was his father.

When they arrived at Appaloosa, they made a darting path to the nearest restaurant. They were both starving when they sat down. A waiter greeted then and asked what they wanted. Rex asked for hay and oats with a side of corn and a glass of milk. His mother had the same but with a medium glass of apple cider.

They didn't talk much while they were waiting for their meals. It seemed they almost ran out of things to talk about. When their food arrived they ate vigorously, nearly repulsing everyone else in the building.

When they finished Rex let out a large belch and looked at his mother with a smug look. She raised an eyebrow and returned the smirk. “Oh please...” The cracked her neck and let out an even larger belch. Anyone who hadn’t left the restaurant because of them did at that moment.

The two watched the last mare leave the restaurant until the doors closed behind her, as soon as it did they both burst out laughing. Finally Rex wiped a tear from his eye and spoke up, “Man mom, ah missed you! What happened to you?”

His mother’s ears sank and her eyes traced the floor. “Well.... It was tough for me when you father passed...”

“It was tough for me too!” Rex spoke up, looking assertively at his mother.

“I... I know... And ah'm sorry... Ah realized that a few days ago but wasn't sure what to do about it... Then ah figured ah might as well just... try and rebuild...” Her gaze never left the floor.

Rex sighed, “Well... Thanks...” The mare looked up at Rex with a tear forming. “It hasn’t been easy for ether of us but... Ah'm just glad we can at least try... Together...” The colt stood up, walked up to his mother and threw his hooves around her. “Ah love you mom.”

The tear finally escaped her and she returned the hug, “Ah love you too Rex.”

After a moment the two departed and Rex sat back down. His mother stood up, still wiping tears from her eyes. “Now ah gotta use the ladies room, ah'll be right back!”

Rex chuckled and jokingly commented, “Will you? Wouldn't be the first time y'all up and ditched.”

The mare stopped and gave Rex a weak smile. “Ah know ah haven't been the most honest pony... But ah swear on your father's grave, from now on ah gunna be as honest as you Rex!”

The dark red colt raised an eyebrow, “As honest as me? Can you do that?”

She gave him a confident nod, “You betcha!”

“You swear?” He continued to pressure.

“Ah swear!” Nether her confidence or gaze shifted the slightest.

Rex sighed and gave her a kind smile, “Ok, ah trust ya mom.”

A smile lit up her face and she did a little dance, “Great, but, first things first!” She said, and she sprinted to the bathroom. Rex could hear the door slam violently behind her. The waited placed the bill on the table.

“Is this all together?” The waiter asked with a slightest bit of irritation in his voice.

Rex sighed and closed his eyes, “Ya, ah'll pay!”

“Ok, that will be forty-five bits sir.” The waiter held out his hoof and gave a strained smile.

Rex chuckled and handed him fifty bits. “Y'all can keep the change as tip, thanks for the food!”

The waiter bowed and left. “Thank you sir, have a good night!”

Rex sat and waited patiently for his mother to return. After ten minutes of waiting he began to get suspicious, and he began talking to himself. “Did her stomach not agree with her or what?” He giggled to himself a bit and shuffled into a more comfortable position.

After fifteen minutes had past he began to feel his emotions mix and flow. He stood up and made his way to the bathrooms. He knocked on the door, “Mom? Y'all alright!?” There was no reply.

Anger began to build up within him, “She better not have left again, she swore! She swore to dad!” As rage and fury began to consume him he opened to door and stormed in. What he witnessed on the other side, doused his anger immediately.

He shook in horror and fell to the ground, he could feel his stomach and heart wrench. In the middle of the room was a rope tied to the ceiling, and the other side of the rope was wrapped around Rex's mother's neck.

“HELP!” He screamed, as he ran to his mother. He grabbed the rope and tore it down leaving a massive hole in the ceiling. Two mares and a colt ran into the room and gasped upon what they saw. One stayed with Rex and his mother as the others ran to the phones.

Rex held his hoof to her neck to check for a pulse, but felt nothing. She was dead. He checked her bags for a note, and explanation, anything. But the bags were empty. The only thing they carried was the rope. No money, no surprise, this was her intention the whole time.

When the ambulance arrived, they gathered her body, put it in the ambulance, and drove off with the sirens still blazing. A colt knelt next to Rex sitting on the step. “You ok son?”

“Ya... ah'm fine...” He stood up and started walking home. He began talking to himself again, “How could you do this to me? You promised... You were supposed to tell the truth” He looked up into the sky as the rain drops replaced his tears. A sinister voice filled his head. “All the truth does is cause more pain, sometimes a lie is easier to take...”

A shadow loomed over him as his eyes fell and his body went numb. When the shadow vanished, Rex's eyes snapped open and he marched his way towards the voice guiding him.

“Ah've had it... with everything!”

Hope you guys liked it! I would specially like to thank my new editor!!! I'm in freaking business now!!! Can't wait to write the new chapters, and I hope you can't wait to read them! See ya next chapter!