Helios 14: Getting Away.

=Helios 14=

 

>"You can't do this!"

"Yes I can."

>The dust crunched underneath your boots as you walked to the edge of town.

>Your "companion" wriggled and wormed herself in your grasp, but couldn't get her way out of your grip.

>She sprawled on the ground after you tossed her through the air at the town limits.

"Get out."

>She gathered up her wizards hat and tossed it back on her head.

>"Trixie should have known that such common fold would not appreciate her! Why, Trixie has performed for the Princesses herself in Canterlot castle."

>Tch...

"I doubt that."

>The magician leered at you again.

>"Honestly, tossing somep0ny out because of a little mishap on stage? What happened to your famous hospitality?"

"The offer is voided when the mishap involves summoning Duneworms."

>You turn around and start walking back to town.

>"W-wait! How is Trixie supposed to survive with these...CREATURES out here!?" She asked worriedly.

>Oh please...She summoned them.

>There weren't even that many...

>You call back over your shoulder as you leave.

"Walk without rhythm."

>You head back to town and smack a sign along the way, flipping the numbers on it back to their level from before Trixie blew in.

>It read "Appleoosa. Pop: 140".

 

-Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0HI8qAAQjc-

>You sat on your favorite barstool.

>Most of your shifts revolved around you sitting here.

>That was what you did as Appleoosa's sheriff.

>It had been a couple weeks since your...departure.

>You had bolted out of the castle as fast as you could, not even bothering to grab any of your gear, just a bag of bits.

>You just had to get away from the city...away from Her.

>Away from the constant influx of thoughts that came from Her head.

>And that day in particular, away from the soul crushing sadness.

>You had hopped on the first train you saw and ridden it West.

>And West...

>And West some more.

>You got off when the track had ended.

>Appleoosa.

>By some miracle it had been far enough away for you to not hear Celestia's thoughts.

>Just you...

>Alone...

>Oh well, you needed it.

>Needed time to think, to work things out.

>Or at least drown things out with your new job.

>Appleoosa had needed a sheriff when you arrived.

>You have volunteered.

>Maybe this time when you signed up to protect ponies, you wouldn't end up courting royalty or having your soul decimated.

>You took a sip of your drink.

>Dammit...you shouldn't blame Celestia.

>It wasn't her fault that all this happened...

>Voices from bar patrons behind you suddenly became louder and more angry.

>It wasn't long before one of them was tossed over a table.

>You sigh and finish off your drink.

>The more things change...

 

>You throw the brawlers out of the bar by their manes the same way you had done with Trixie.

"Come back when you can throw a decent right hook!"

>They try and crawl to their feet. "This aint over!"

>One of them falls to his face.

"Yes it is."

>You glare at them as they limp away, taking notice to the sound of someone approaching you from the side.

>"Well darn Anon, first you run that showboatin' street magician outa town and now your clearin' out The Applebarrel?"

"Just doin' my job Braeburn."

>Probably time for the rounds...

>Appleoosa was a fairly small town, you liked to take a patrol every so often to make sure everything was good.

>You start walking down the road with Braeburn keeping pace next to you.

>"So, how're ya takin' to your job Mister Sheriff?"

"It's a good fit."

>A good distraction too.

>"Why, I'd say that any crime of roughousin' we had out here dang near evaporated once you showed up."

>General store was clear.

"Yeah, I'm good at protecting people."

>Braeburn chuckles "That must kill with all the ladies."

>Dammit...

"I wouldn't know."

>Post office and train station were fine.

>Braeburn half-smiles up at you. "Not lookin'?"

>How the hell do you put this?

"I got out of...a kinda weird relationship before I came here."

>Braeburn slowly nodded as his understanding grew.

>"She a clingy gal?"

"That's...not too far off."

 

>You retreated into your home after you completed your rounds and sat around looking intimidating.

>It was a modest home, rather similar to your room back in Canterlot.

>You sat yourself down by the small writing desk.

>Damn...that got you thinking...

>You hated abandoning your post.

>You had always laid into the other guards that you caught shirking their duties, stepping out to a tavern during early morning hours or leaving without notifying someone.

>It irritated you that you had just LEFT in the state of mind you were in.

>You let out a deep sigh.

>Then again...it was a pretty weird situation...

>You just...

>It was too much to take!

>The fight with Blueblood...

>Your soul...

>Having someone else's thoughts in your head was just...

>It sent shivers up your spine at the time.

>You had FELT Celestia's thoughts.

>Felt her dreams and ambitions, her wants and desires.

>And you had felt that she was telling the truth about what she said.

>The Princess really did love you.

>You...didn't know how you felt.

>You just knew you couldn't decide with her thoughts impacting your own.

>Your hand runs through your hair.

>This was all way over your head...

>Just...Just focus on the next few hours Anon.

>And in a few hours, you'd still be the sheriff of Appleoosa.

>It was your job.

 

-In Canterlot-

>It had been some time since the incident with Blueblood.

>He was doing as well as you could ask given his current situation.

>You only wished you could say the same about yourself...

>Things had returned to normal all too fast once Anonymous left you that night.

>You had hoped that a night of tears alone in your room would have helped.

>They hadn't.

>This room had become your only environment the last few weeks.

>You had slept here, ate here, and done your royal duties here.

>The official reason was that your replacement bodyguard had yet to be chosen.

>The real reason was because you had refused to get another bodyguard.

>You couldn't replace him...not so soon.

>Why!? Why did you say you loved him!?

>Anon could have possibly taken the news about his soul well enough but to be told that his monarch loves him?

>You've been alive for so long you've forgotten what it's like to have news like that.

>And in your ignorance, you had scared him away.

>You had scared away the first man you've loved in CENTURIES because you were out of touch with reality.

>You laid yourself down on your bed for the umpteenth time.

>And your tears stained the sheets.

 

-In the nearby hills-

>You came.

>You came in small numbers as you followed the scent.

>It radiated off of this town like that of a warm meal.

>You had traveled for miles, crossing the Leylands and the entirety of the Mild West.

>Harried by vultures, sandstorms and worse. All just to follow this scent.

>And now you found it.

>Hiding in this little town of Appleoosa.

>The salty-sweet taste of it.

>Anguished love.