The unexpected crash of a cymbal rang out in the music room as Rainbow Dash was eyeing me with suspicious confusion. I quickly turn my head towards the noise and behind the blue drum kit sat a girl with big curly hair and an impossibly giant smile.

“Gahh! Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise.

“Sorry.” The frizzy pink haired girl said with a sheepish smile. “It looked like you were gonna play something so I decided to join in on the fun.”

“What the fuck, how did you get in here without me seeing you?” I asked more perplexed and amazed of the girl’s stealth than her actually being in the room without me noticing.

“Anyways… you wanna join in on this slowly progressing jam session?” I say as I rummage in my bag to grab a harmonica cradle and one of the many harmonicas in my school bag.

“Yes. 2….3…4…” The girl counted out while opening and closing the hi-hat in time with her shouting.

My guitar sang out a muddy slow rhythm that plunked along to the beat of the drums, the backbeat narrow and smooth like a fine whiskey. I look over to Rainbow and she’s looking at me and wondering how I changed styles that quickly.

“Key of G Rainbow.” Pinkie yells out.

“Are you gonna sing or just play?” She yells at me over the sound of the slow deep southern delta blues coming from from my guitar and the dull thuds coming from the kick drum.

“Yea give Rainbow a few more bars to catch up.” I yell back.

Well here I am dyin’ inside tryin to find out how long I can survive another day in this life.
But I’m biting my gun and loaded up for fun, to see if I can take my own life.

Rainbow looks at me wide eyed as she heard the first verse. Not knowing if she should be concerned for me or just let the song play out.
“Don’t worry, just watch me and listen.” I yell out to her, “this song is dark but listen closely to the lyrics.”

Every day it’s getting harder to stand as I drown out my sorrows with whiskey. And all the people around me say it’s gonna be alright, yet they don’t know how broken down I am just trying to survive.

I strum a bit harder to build up the pressure of the song, then dial it back to add in a short harmonica solo getting myself ready for the taxing vocal part of the chorus. Closing my eyes in pain from my pinkie finger I yell out as I back away from the harmonica to set up for the next few lines of my song. My voice coming out as if I have gravel in my throat when I sing that first line of the chorus.

But I won't be standing for long cause death she calls my name, try as I might nothing seems to take away this pain.
All my life I've been broken inside; numb, alone, and done; with this game we all play.
But I am told to just hold on for a while, to bare it with a smile, to find a purpose in life, but I don’t think I’ll see that day come when suicide will be my sacrifice.

Opening my eyes and looking around seeing that pinkie has stopped playing and is looking at the doorway. I stop playing as a hand rests on my right shoulder. Cold is all I feel from the hand, it’s like someone doesn’t have good circulation and their hands are always cold.

“Looks like death has come for me cause I can feel her icy hand dragging me to her hall beyond the river slidr.” I say in a calm voice accepting my last moments.

“What?” I hear Vice principal Luna’s voice behind me.

“You know, the goddess that looks after the dead and takes them in her hall surrounded by their ancestors and folk, this is basic Norse mythology.” Pinkie says.

I look at her surprised that she knows what I was talking about. “So you know of the goddess Hel and her role as the caretaker of the dead.” I ask her.

With a neck braking nod pinkie confirms. “She is the daughter of Loki who is one of the gods that I have on my alter at home.”

“That explains a lot.” I reply back.

“Enough of this talk about gods and death. Milo my office now.” Luna demands with stern authority grabbing my arm.

“Hold on Lulu. Let me get my things.” I tell Luna as I am unceremoniously dragged up and out of my chair.

I can hear pinkie giggling as I am struggling to get my amp and case. “Dashie look after my guitar for me.” I say to her, as I grab her by the shoulders and get close to whisper in her ear, “but if I find one scratch or anything out of place with my guitar or amp you’re paying for it.” Growling the last words to Rainbow Dash I see her visibly shrink down in her chair. “Alrighty then, now let’s get off.” I say to Luna as I head out the door with my school bag over my shoulder.

“What just happened?” Rainbow said as the doors closed, looking over to Pinkie with a confused look.

“I don’t know, but I didn’t know that Milo knew about the Norse gods!” Pinkie exclaimed while jumping up.

“I wonder what will happen to him, hopefully Vice Principal Luna won’t come down on him that hard.” Rainbow said with a little worry in her voice.

“He’ll be fine, he has a Mjöllnir pendant on. And if my hunch is correct, and it usually is then there’s nothing to worry about.” Pinkie said with complete calm in her voice.

***

“So Vice Principal Luna, what is this about?” I ask not knowing what’s going on and why I am sitting on a black leather couch in shaded office of the vice principal.

“Well for one you are serving detention remember from this morning for what you said.” Luna responded, her words cold and sharp like an axe blade. “The second reason is I want to talk to you about why you skipped two of your classes and you’ll be helping me with some paperwork that the student council gave me this morning.”

“Can I ask you something Vice principal Luna?” Speaking up over the sounds of shuffling papers and pen scribblings.

“Go ahead Mr. Blackwood.” Luna says focusing on the task at hand.

“Where’s the sign up sheet for the battle of the bands and do I have to be apart of a band to take part?” I ask with a small tone still taking in the office of the vice principal. “Only reason I ask is that I’ve only been here about a month, I have no clue what’s going on and no one cared to explain it to me.”

No response, I look over to Vice principal Luna and see she is buried in papers trying to get everything organized. “So… do I have to be apart of a band or can I do a solo act?” I ask again.

“Either is fine.” She says absentmindedly at my question. “Just show up for the auditions after school today. Also here are some papers that need to be filed away, just organize them on the table in front of you and if you need help just ask.”

She waves a stack of papers above her head with her free hand. I get up from the couch and grab the stack so I can get to work. “Fuck this is gonna take a while.” I say under my breath.

Time seems to drag on with the dim lighting and cool atmosphere of Luna’s office making it hard to tell what time it really is. Having my head buried in stacks of papers and my back hunched over makes for a very uncomfortable time. I look up to see Luna reclining behind her desk, the faint smell of something sweet yet heavy fills my senses.

“I know that smell.” I say absentmindedly.

“Did you say something Mr. Blackwood?” Luna says curiously

“Just my inner monologue bypassing the filter again, but I do smell something, it’s almost sickly sweet but not as pungent like normal.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The vice principal says a bit too quickly.

“No, it’s defiantly there, but partially masked by chocolate. I’d recognize that smell anywhere.” I tell her.

Getting up to investigate further and to stretch my back out a bit, walking over to Luna’s desk and sniffing the air like a blood hound that found a scent.

“I won’t tell if you wont.” I say with a coquettish tone. “Besides everyone needs to get right now and then. Just chalk it up to stresses of the job.”

I turn to Luna, a coy smirk plastered on my face. “But what you do with your time is not my business, mind if I partake of my own?”

“If my sister finds out about this so help me Mr. Blackwood, you will have detention with me for the rest of the semester.” Luna looks at me with a furious expression.

“Threaten me with a good time then?” I say offhandedly.

“Inappropriate Mr. Blackwood.” The vice principal responds with that same cold tone.

“Milo.” I say flatly, “Mr. Blackwood seems too formal for me, not that I don’t like my last name… it’s just… there’s something about the way you say it that makes me, how do I put it; it makes me feel alienated.”

“Oh, and why’s that?” Luna questions.

“I don’t want to get into that long involved story, that loss is still fresh.” I respond with barely any emotion in my voice.

Taking out the weed pen from my pocket and putting it to my lips I inhale a long steady draw. Luna looks at me with an eyebrow raised, I look at her and offer her the pen.

“You know that you’re not allowed to have that on school property right.” She says dismissively.

“Yea, just like those brownies you keep in the bottom drawer of your desk, nice job masking it with chocolate and lavender by the way.” I reply jovially.

“Fair point. Wait, how did you know they were in the bottom drawer!” Luna pouts.

“I have that same desk at my house and that’s where I keep my stash.” I tell her with a dopey smile on my face. “Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone.”

“So why don’t you like to be called Mr. Blackwood.” Luna asks, trying to pry.

“Get comfortable Lulu if you really want to know.” I say with a monotone voice, tired of where this is going already.

“I had this friend at my last school, acted a lot like you in most ways. Really held herself with this regal manner kinda like she was an upper class society type, she’d always call me Mr. Blackwood or the variant of my name Miles.” I tell Luna, getting that far off look in my eyes as I recall the memories of the last year.

The bell for class chimed but I didn’t pay any attention to it as I sat on the corner of Luna’s desk telling her my story. Luna puts a hand on my shoulder as I wrap up.

“So it was beginning of summer break and she asks me this question, ‘if I were gone tomorrow would you come for me?’ I didn’t know what she meant until the beginning of this school year and after I transferred. She died a month before we moved here to Canterlot and that question still lingers on my mind.” I wipe a tear from my eye and place my hand on the Mjöllnir under my shirt. “She gave me this and told me that the gods will keep me safe in my travels and to never forget her.” I pull the Mjöllnir out from under my shirt and hold it up.

“Sorry to hear that Milo.” Luna says with sorrow.

“After the wake I got this to remind me of her.” I say while pulling the collar of my T-shirt down my chest revealing a tattoo with her name and a quote. ‘Britany 1996-2013’. “No matter the distance, you will always be with me.”

Luna looks between the Mjöllnir and my tattoo, she looks into my eyes, tears forming at the corners of hers. I release my shirt straightening it out some. “That day was one of the hardest days, knowing that she’s really gone but knowing her she’s with her folk telling tales of her life and being looked after.” I choke out.

Author's Note

The last part is based on an experience similar just without the death.