Denial, Acceptance, and Everything in Between

===============Denial, Acceptance, and Everything in Between===============

Well, I forgot to add a few things last chapter, but it was starting to get rather long. (lol, what am I saying, it was only at 2,000 words) Anyway, hopefully in this chapter I get to what I want to get to. Anyway, yeah, idk if I want to do shipping yet, we shall see. Also, the winner of the name game has been chosen! The winning name is Steel Tempest, suggested by Eshmasesh. Comment polls are now closed. Thank you all for participating and I guarantee there will be another opportunity for a comment poll soon.

===============Chapter 6: On the Subject of Ex-Coltfriends===============

John’s eyes fluttered open. It was morning, the sun casting rays through the window onto the floor. As he slowly woke, he was aware of a warm spot in his back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the white with blue mass that he recognized as Vinyl, still curled up in a ball behind him. He chuckled lightly, remembering what had happened that night. He wanted to get up, but he didn’t want to wake Vinyl. After his bladder threatened to explode, he very carefully snuck out of the bed, running to the bathroom, his feet making barely a sound on the hardwood floors that were so used to hooves.

After he was done in the bathroom, he crept back over to the guest bedroom, where Vinyl was still sleeping like a rock. He put the clothes he had that weren’t burnt too bad or mangled beyond recognition back on, his jeans, and the undershirt he had been wearing under his armor on Earth. They had been cleaned by Twilight, and for that, he was grateful. He also grabbed his Glock from under the pillow, slipping it into the side holster on his hip, along with his spare clip. After he did that, he snuck downstairs, he hadn’t put his shoes on yet, so as not to wake anyone. After all that Vinyl had been through the past couple days, he figured she needed the sleep.

When he got downstairs though, he noticed that everyone was awake and chatting quietly over breakfast. “Hey girls.” He said in a low tone. “How did everyone sleep last night?”

Twilight was the first one to answer. “We slept ok, except for that one part of the night.”

John shrugged. “Yeah, well, I don’t know what that guy’s problem was. Hell, I don’t even know his name.”

“Vinyl said something about him being her ex-coltfriend, but she was too shaken at the time to give much information on him. Otherwise I would have sent a letter to the Princess.”

“Hmm. Well, I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up.”

“You mean she’s still sleeping? How is that possible, it’s close to noon.”

“Well, I figure after all she’s been through, she deserves it. She probably didn’t sleep much after the incident, so I would imagine she is pretty tired.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I don’t think she slept at all, until last night, when I set you guys up in the guest bedroom. I wonder if there’s a connection.” She giggled.

John blushed slightly. “Yeah, well, you may be right there, she has been hanging around me a lot.”

She giggled again. “A little more than hanging around you, I looked in the room this morning.”

He blushed a little more now. “Yeah, well, she said that she didn’t feel...” Twilight stopped him by holding up a hoof.

“I know, John, I know. She feels safe around you. I can understand that. I just hope Luna makes that stallion pay for what he did, so Vinyl can sleep easier at night.”

“Yeah, you know, to be honest, if I weren’t injured, I’d have done a lot more damage to him than I did that night. He probably wouldn’t have been able to walk well enough to sneak in here.”

“Yeah, well, I still can’t shake this feeling that that wasn’t the last we’ll see of him. Oh hey, Vinyl!” she changed the subject immediately as vinyl appeared in the doorway. “Sleep well?”

John looked over and had to suppress a giggle. She had a serious case of bedhead. “Yeah, better than I have the past few days. But…you were talking about…him, weren’t you?”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah, we were. But I don’t think you have any reason to worry, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia will make sure he is locked away.”

Vinyl shook her head. “Don’t be so sure. I suppose…I suppose I had better tell you guys about him.”

Twilight noticed Rarity’s face light up at the prospect of having a new subject to gossip about. “Before you do, I’d like to say that what she says is not to leave the group of us, unless Vinyl says it is okay. That means you, Rarity.” She looked annoyed for a second, but nodded. “Alright, now that that’s out of the way, you were saying, Vinyl?”

She nodded and sat down. “His name is Steel Tempest. He was a roadie for a band back in Canterlot. I met him at one of the gigs I had at a concert at the theater. He…I guess you could say we fell in love, but only for a little while. After we had been going out for a little while, his true colors started to show. He was very selfish, cared about nopony but himself. What he wanted the most though, I wouldn’t give him. You…you can guess what that was. He started yelling at me one night for it, and I finally had enough. I dumped his flank and sent him packing! However, he ended up being a stalker ex-coltfriend, and I ended up moving to Ponyville to get away from him.”

At this point, John was feeling a mix of rage and sympathy. Obviously, rage for Steel Tempest, and sympathy for Vinyl. (just felt like clearing that up)

“But…no matter how far I moved, it seems he still managed to follow me. I mean, thanks to you, John, he never got to do what he planned to, but I know I’ll be seeing him again.”

Twilight interrupted her with a sympathetic look on her face and a hoof on her shoulder. “Vinyl…he is in the custody of the Princesses now. I highly doubt they will let him get away, considering what he did…well, tried to do.”

Vinyl shook her head. “You don’t…you don’t know him like I do. He won’t give up, no matter what happens. That was part of the reason I liked him originally, he was the ultimate in perseverance.”

John felt he had to act. So he reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Vinyl…If you like, I can stick around for a while, make sure he doesn’t get near you if he manages to escape. (BIG if). And besides, it looks like I’ll be living here soon. So, if you ever need any help, you’ll know where to find me.”

She sniffled a little and looked up at him. “Th…thanks, John”

John was overwhelmed at this point. “Aw, c’mere, you” he said while scooping the marshmallow white mare in a hug that actually lifted her off the ground. She gasped at first, both from surprise, and the fact that she was still a little jumpy from that night, but settled quickly, shoving those thoughts out of her head, knowing that John would never hurt her, even if he wasn’t a pony.

“Well” said John after he had put her back on the floor, “I suppose if I’m going to live in this world, then I’d better find some kind of a job so I can find a place to live.”

“Oh, no, John, you can stay here at the library as long as you like!” Twilight exclaimed.

He chuckled. “I know, but if I am going to live in this world, then I have to make something of myself as far as a life. I will have to stay at the library for a little while, as I save up for buying a house, but once I do get a place to live, then I’ll be out of your hair, er…mane.”

She giggled a little. “Seriously John, it’s fine, you can keep the guest bedroom.”

He crouched down in front of her and looked her directly in the eyes. “Twilight, I appreciate what you are doing, but I insist on doing this for myself. Not just so I’m not mooching off of you, but so that I can know that I actually managed to make something of my life. Hell, maybe some time later, I’ll even adopt a child.”

She sighed and sat down, gazing somewhat sadly up at him. “Okay, John, if you insist. But while you are saving money, I insist that you stay here until you have enough.”

He smiled. “Okay, Twilight. And thank you. Now, I just need to find a job.”

It was at this point that the Vinyl spoke up. “Well, I am still touring occasionally, and I’ll need a roadie.”

He smiled wider, then frowned slightly. “Thanks, Vinyl. But how often do you tour?”

Her ears drooped and she looked down at the floor. “Well, not very often, I suppose. Hey, are you any good with electronics?”

“Yeah, I am pretty good, I went to a special school for electronics back in the human world.” The girls notice that, for once, he didn’t call it 'his world'.

Vinyl perked back up immediately. “Well, great! I always have equipment breaking down on me. In fact, right now my input channel mixer is fried. Maybe you could take a look? I can pay you as a technician/tech manager if you’re good enough.”

“Yeah, alright, that seems like it could work. What’s the pay?”

“Well, I could pay you a couple hundred bits a day. It’s not much, I know, but it’s within my budget.”

“I…okay!” he was a little stunned, if the monetary system they used here was anything like the one humans use, that was more than fair pay.

“Great! So after breakfast, why don’t we go back to my place and have you take a look at it?” the other mares in the room giggled amongst themselves, and she blushed heavily and started yelling at them.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it! My studio is set up in my house!” John blushed a little too, realizing what was being implied.

Dash spoke up, a slightly annoyed tone in her voice. “Jeez, Vinyl, calm down, we were only kidding.”

Hearing this, she did calm down considerably, though her blush remained resolute. “Well, it wasn’t really that funny.” She said defensively.

“Well, anyway,” John said, deciding he should get them back on track before the conversation derailed. “How about that breakfast?”

“Of course!” Twilight smiled widely. “Just give me a moment.”

The breakfast they had wasn’t actually that bad, considering the pancakes looked like random flat shapes and the eggs looked like a yellow explosion on a plate. As for the bacon…well, he had already been prepared for there to be none.

They all thanked Twilight as they walked out, the other five of Twilight’s friends heading towards their respective houses, with John and Vinyl staying behind. Before they left, he thanked her, and gave her a hug as well. As he did so, he heard Pinkie Pie, who was still somewhat close to the library, mention something about him becoming “quite the regular Coal”. Man, did he know what that meant. Colson HAD always been a bit of a huggy person, and even though John was not, he felt himself almost getting sucked into the kindness and whatnot of these ponies. And hell, Colson was always a nice guy, so if he became the next Coal, did it really matter that much?

John giggled a little at this thought as he set Twilight back down. He thanked her again, and he and Vinyl set off into Ponyville, headed for her studio/house.

=================END CHAPTER 6=================

Well, there you go. I named him, with the help of a reader. Sorry this took so long, but I finally caved and started reading the epic novel that is Fallout: Equestria. I was actually embarrassed that it took me 3 hours to read the first 10 chapters. That’s slow for me, man! Also, I know I was supposed to have John explain the concept of guns to Twilight, but I kind of forgot. However, I do have a plan for next chapter, and how to get it in there. So yeah, as soon as I publish this, I’m starting chapter 20 of Fallout: Equestria. And it is a TRULY EPIC story, btw.

-Dan