Forged Steel's Wrestling Journal

Entry 24

Nine months ago I arrived at the Crystal Empire train station, nervous and apprehensive of working in a wholly new territory and in a brand new role. After nine months, I can say confidently that the Crystal Empire is more of a home for me than I've ever had in my life. Make no mistake, I'm proud of my heritage, but my life as it stands right now has never been better.

Since I first arrived, I have established myself as the top babyface in the territory, my feuds have sold out Iron Maiden’s Friday night cards for 26 consecutive weeks, and businesses has been booming so well that Headcrusher—the world champion—was able to leave for another tour of duty since we're no longer on life support up here.

But more important than anything else, I have no doubt in my mind that I have finally found the single true love of my life, and best of all she loves me just as much as I love her—maybe even more. Every day that passes, I find myself happier around her than the day before and our love seems to grow stronger.

My anger problems have also seemed to have finally subsided for perhaps the first time in my life that I can remember. Glitter's brothers and I have reached a truce and mutual respect for each others’ accomplishments, and they've invited me to be a guest PT instructor a few times for their recruit platoons. Those were fun because not only did I blow up some 35 to 40 high school “tough guys,” but I also saw two of the most dedicated drill sergeants in the royal guard struggling to keep up with me.

Sometimes I feel like Glitter's mother is trying to give me a college course for free, given how she likes to go over her lesson plans with me. She also says it's because I show more interest in the basic studies she teaches than over two thirds of her students. I've always said that the greatest accomplishment of my college was graduating with honors, only one of five student-athletes to do so that year.

Her father and sister, though great friends to me, occasionally wear on my nerves with prodding me about when I'm going to marry Glitter. Once in a while wouldn't be that bad, but it seems to be asked all the time, and they don't take “when we're ready” as an answer. Glitter says to not let it get to me, so I don't. She herself is also a bit tired of being “pressured” into getting married by them.

And yet…

As an old cliché (and stupid, sappy “power ballad”) goes, every rose has its thorns. I know that I could never leave Glitter again now that I've found her. This sounds all well and good you would think. Trouble is rolling in on the horizon because I've forgotten and neglected an old lady who I felt almost as close to as I feel now with Glitter. None other than Ponyville and Everfree’s own zebra amazon, Zecora.

While the zebra goddess and I are a world apart at the moment, I know that it's truly only a matter of time that our paths will cross again. She will likely expect things between us to pick up from where we left off over a year ago, but I can't do it now, I have Glitter. How would I tell her? How would she respond?

Glitter knows that she certainly isn't my first commitment or partner, just as I know I'm not hers. She's completely indifferent to what (she thinks) my history is, even though it does include many cute and/or handsome studs. That's rare, though pony society has made long leaps in acceptance of non-straight relations, there's still too often an unease among straight couples when one partner has had gay relations in the past.

It's troubling because it eats away at me. Glitter knows vaguely of Zecora, but I haven't been forthcoming in just how close I was with her. It seems to be a lingering fear that she would see my thoughts of Zecora as me longing for her and that Glitter would leave me for just thinking like this. But at the same time, it's a challenging dichotomy because I know that Glitter has absolutely no insecurities and for as much as thinking about Zecora troubles me, I have equally strong thoughts that Glitter would be completely indifferent about the thoughts because she knows that I really do truly love Glitter, and only Glitter.

These thoughts aren't perpetual. When Glitter and I are together, everyone in my past couldn't be any further from my mind. Whether I'm making her dinner, brushing her hair, or laying on the couch while she watches her soap operas, Glitter and how to make her happy are all I think about. It's times like these, when Glitter is away from home on business, that my past comes back to eat away at me.

As I sit out here on the patio of Glitter's house (I've recently moved of my apartment and in with her) I smell the creeping warmth in the air as the Northern Lights burn above, meaning that summer is not far away. Iron says that starting June, I'll have dropped the Crystal Championship so that I can work with Headcrusher when he returns. Before I do though, she'll give me a vacation as long as I want, as thanks for all my hard work and for near single-handedly turning her territory around. I plan to at least go back home to see Papa, as well as my Babushka and Dedushka, and to go to see Sister again.

Also the Conclave, the national body overseeing all the territories and determining the one world champion, has heard of how my work has rescued such a troubled promotion from the brink and in such a short and resounding fashion. Many of its voting members are highly impressed with me and Iron's agents and office staff are buzzing with rumors that Iron is going to propose for vote that I be made the world champion at the annual meeting.

I can't even comprehend what that would be like, becoming the first son of a world champion to also hold it himself. I also fear that I could get voted to be champion because that means I would have to leave my new home I have here in the Crystal Empire. Furthermore, would I take Glitter along with me on my travels at my own expense? Who would run her shop?

I'm getting much too far ahead of myself. If I did get it anytime in the next four years, I would be the youngest ever champion. I'm still comparatively very new to wrestling, and it takes a whole lot more than saving one territory "rife with wasted potential" (that's what I've heard many other promoters say about the Crystal Empire region) from the brink of folding to curry enough favor to get the needed two-thirds majority to get the World Heavyweight Championship. Then again, the thought is just too heavy, and tempting, to just brush aside. Mental masturbation I've heard this sort of thinking called. Just like actually getting yourself off, you don't accomplish much, but it can still be a peculiarly fun time.

Despite all my doubt and fear, I still hold onto the hope that this summer is going to be my finest hour yet.