Chapter 1
The night is silent, cold. The city bellow flickers with light but is unheard to me. Beautiful, yet full of unseen trouble.
I fly down from the cloud and into the castle walls. The sun is beginning to rise over the mountains to the east and my shift is over. I pass the the royal guards that have just begun the day shift.
I walk through the doors out of the garden and into the halls of the castle, down the hall and into the barracks were I Find my bunk. I store my armor and leave the castle into the city.
As I walk through the streets I stop at a bar. I've always gone to this bar after a long nights work. As I walk into the pub I'm greeted by the bar tender.
"Hows it goin' Isk?" Joe asks. "Not to bad, could be worse," I reply. "the usual please," Joe slides me a shot glass of imported griffin whiskey , it has the taste of regular whiskey but twice the amount of alcohol.
I drink my glass savoring the whiskey, once finished I flip the glass and say goodbye to joe (tipping him before I leave). Before i walk out i notice a white mare laying across the floor, of corse totally drunk.
I ask joe who she is but he didn't know, said she had a large tab though. Being the stallion I am i ask joe to transfer her tab to mine.
I lay her across my back and i begin to walk to my apartment. My apartment is nice, I got it after princess luna rewarded me for my service of five years to her, three years over the required time for service.
We arrive at my apartment, I walk in and lay her in my bed. I retreat to the couch which I fall asleep on within minutes.
My eyes flutter open to the sound of the city, I'm warm under a big blanket. My head hurts, I wonder how much I drank? A shit-ton probably. Wait weeere am I? Oh shit! Aw no I didn't did I?!? I roll over and out of the bed.
I stealthily trot over to the door. I peak out to view the surroundings. Everything is clean, thats a good sign. I look over to the couch witch is occupied by a grey colt. Asleep...
He wasn't in bed with me so I'm assuming that nothing happened. The last thing i remember from last night is passing out at a table.
The apartment is cool, lots of room. I walk out of the bedroom and into the living room, being sure to not wake the stallion from is rest. I find a hallway leading to a bathroom which reminds me of how much I have to pee. I walk in and close the door locking it.
After I finish I walk out, and back down the hallway but as I pass another door I see something. I walk back and into the room; inside is a a window taking up the space of an entire wall and another covered in pictures.
The pictures are all of the stallion and his family, as i look upon the pictures one stands out at the bottom; its a newspaper headed: arson burns office killing seven. The paper went to tell of the criminal and the crime he committed and a list of the seven that died at the bottom.
It hits me. "Yep, the fire got em," a male voice says. "Happened when I was at school in the 7th grade," the stallion from the couch said.
" i'm sorry,I say back to him.
"Pulled you outa the tavern." He says. "You ok?" He asks with a questioning look.
"yea I'm fine. Thanks for that." I say back. "So what now?" I ask.
"Im going to walk you home" he says back.
On the way out Isk told me his name in exchange for mine. We walked through the streets for what seemed like an hour until we got to my apartment, god I hope Octy wont be pissed. We walked into the apartment witch i unlocked with my spare key. "Would you like to come in?" I ask. "Sure." He answers.
Octy enters into the room, "vinyl who is this?" She asks. "His name is Isk" I say. "Isk this is octavia, my girlfriend." I say hesitantly. Having same sex relationships are generally frowned apron in equestria but he didn't seem to care.
"Nice to meet you Octavia, I'm Isk" he says to octavia. We continued to talk for a bit about what had happened and we bid farewell to Isk. As Isk walked out octavia looked at me he's cute," she says after the door closes " and polite," She adds.
"Dibs" I clam.
"you cant do that!" Octavia argues.
"Just did, dibs," I argue back.
"Why cant we share?" She asks.
"Well i suppose we could." I say with a thinking expression. "If I see him again ill get a date, but you owe me," I say. "Deal," octavia says.
As the sun fades into the west I get up and begin my commute to work. Its been a few days since I helped that mare out, but thats the last thing on mind.
I have guard duty, yay... guard duty is probably the worst possible thing you can get assigned but someone has to do it. I enter the castle and into the barracks were I reacquire my armor. I exit the castle and take my post at the main gate, and I stand there, and I stand.
"Holy shit, its you!" A familiar voice says. "Didn't think you were a lunar guard," vinyl says. I keep a straight face and look ahead, not moving in the slightest. Vinyl walks over "helllooo? Anyone home?" See says jokingly. I continue to look ahead. She puts something over my head and around my neck. Usually I would have yelled at anyone who tried to do this as it is illegal wile I'm on duty, but I don't. "You should come." She says. She leans in closer getting right next to my face and whispers in my ear "you might have fun".
End of chapter one
Chapter 2
"I gota go. see ya then," Vinyl says as she trots away.
"I had no idea how much of a stud you were Isk," a voice says. I tense up and regain my straight face. "No need to worry isk, your not in trouble." Luna says though the bars of the castle wall. I loosen up a bit. Me and luna have been close ever since I helped her with her nightmares. "Hey isk, how long has it been since you've taken leave?" She asks. "Two years." I reply in a flat voice.
"Well then, your dismissed until I need you back." She says. I turn around and look at her with a questioning look. "Well go! Get outa here, go have fun!" She says.
I leave my post and retreat back to the barracks were I stow my armor again. Then I leave.
I look at the card around my neck;
PON3: Signatures
All access/ VIP pass.
Card: 3xt579
July 30th at ponyville
9:00
Today is the 28th so two days including tonight. I enter the pub and sit down at the bar. "Hey joe," I say. "Heeeeyy my buddy isk! What are ya doin off so early?" He asks. "Princess luna said im on a mandatory vacation." A respond. Joe slides me a glass,
"on the house," He says. I set a bag on the table.
"Payin off my tab early." I say. "Goin out of town for a few days" I add.
"No need isk, I got ya covered." He says.
"Are you sure?" I question him. He nods.
I drink my glass and flip it over, "see ya joe." I stand. "Later Isk." I hear him say as i walk out. I arrive at my apartment. I unlock the door and go inside. Everything is clean, I go into my room and lay down in my big bed. Smells like vinyl.
The next night...
I wake up and get out of bed. I go into the kitchen were I pour a bowl of cereal and milk. After eating I go back into my room and put on a rucksack I had packed the previous day. I walk out of my apartment and in the direction to the train station. Its dark, the night has just begun. As I reach the train station I buy a ticket and wait for my train. Within about thirty minutes the train arrives and the trip to ponyville is underway.
When the train arrives I walk out into the small town of ponyville. The streets are empty and the smell of food fills the air. I walk in the middle of the dirt road looking around for somewhere to stay. I wander for a bit and decide that it would be fine to sleep outside, I go to a clearing just out of town and lay down in the grass looking up to the stars.
Soon I'm asleep again, just before the sun rises.
I wake up, its 8:34. I can see lights shining in the sky across town. I stand up and start heading to the lights. When I get there I see theres a huge line going to a ticket booth with someone checking tickets, theres a empty line and a stallion with a security necklace. I walk up to him and show him my pass. "Right this way" he says opening a door. I walk in and see the area, all the walls are black and neon lights flash all over them. Theres a stage and another security member standing by some stairs.
I walk down to the security guard a and show him my pass, he steps to the side and lets me pass. I walk up the stairs and backstage. After walking around for a bit i find a room with voices coming from it "I wonder if he's coming?" One says.
"he will," Another says. I quickly realize that its vinyl and octavia. I knock on the door. "Come in!" Vinyl yells. I open the door after hearing the orders. "welcome our special guest" vinyl says. I smile
"ya know, i think this is the first time i've left the city," I say. "Really?" I would have thought that you'd been everywhere by now!" She says with a surprised look.
"So Isk, how was the trip?" Octavia says.
"It was ok, I took the train." I say. "Ah, I see," She Vinyl stands up "well its 8:56, I should probably get out on stage." vinyl says. "Come on!" She says. As we walk out of the dressing room the roar of the crowd fills my ears. Vinyl bids us farewell and walks onto the stage. I walk back down into the crowd and octavia, well i don't know were octavia went.
The music was cool. The first song was Beast (New Æg mix) then Empress of evil, Grim, It bites, Missed call (New Æg mix), Point of no return (New Æg mix), and the last song serve n' obey.
After the show vinyl and octavia found me and we went out into town, we stopped at several bars and by the time we were done octavia and vinyl were completely drunk and i have no idea were they live... "Octavia, were are you staying," I ask because she drank the least.
"At the houuce by da market," she groans.
I put. Vinyl on my back, shes totally out of it. Octavia is good enough to walk but has to lean on me. I myself am not drunk but i drank way more than octavia and vinyl. I start to walk towards the center of town assuming thats were the market was. When there I look around, theres a house with a record on the front door. "Is that your house?" I ask octavia. "Yeeeps," she yells. Everypony on the street is staring at me now, all i can do is tilt my head and shake it. I found a key behind the record and went inside practically dragging octavia and vinyl into it.
I take vinyl upstairs, theres only one bed so I lay her down in it. I go back downstairs to retrieve octavia and find her drinking more alcohol. "Oh my god" I say in a disappointed voice. I take octavia upstairs and lay her down but before I could leave she latches on to me and forces me into bed. So now I'm laying between two drunk mares and one of them refuses to let go of me.