~The Loops we Travel Through~
By HopeForTheFew
The sun began its slow decent towards the mountains above the small town of Saddleton. And inside the town the ponies were all getting ready to head home, besides the occasional few who decided to stay out and enjoy the stars or to have a friendly drink at the bar.
Here, in the small town of Saddleton, everyone enjoys their life to the most extent possible, or, at least they try their damndest too. Here, in the small town of Saddleton, we all continue our lowly circles in life. The 'Never Ending Loop' some would call it. But I do believe it's just one, giant circle, one that has its twists and turns.
In this world of Equus, we all live our loops, never ending, never ceasing until the day we die. It's a really sad thought when thinking too hard, but in the end, no matter how much you think, no matter how much you try to end the loop, it never ends, and you yourself become victim to it.
Here, in the small town of Saddleton, we all live our loops to the fullest...
"You know Eve, this game is starting to feel real familiar." I said, plucking the strings of my guitar ever so slightly on the street corner.
"How do you mean? We aren't even playing a game." Evening Star replied, confused as to what her friends statement had meant.
"Oh yes we are!" I said, chuckling slightly. "We're all playing the game of life here. And it's starting to get real old."
"Well, its not like there's anything to be done about it. I mean, we all live this life, best get use to it before the end comes." She replied.
"I suppose so, but, don't you ever get tired of it? Don't you ever wonder why, or how we're here? What life means?" I asked, gazing up from my bench to my friend. Suddenly, a small 'clang' came to the right of me. I looked over and my eyes laid on a small filly who's face I did not recognize. A small smile grew on my face as I looked back up at my friend.
She returned the smile slyly. "Now you see that, that, is why we're here." She giggled happily, lit up her horn, and brought a small harmonica to her lips. I brought my guitar to me chest, and slowly began playing, bringing the song up to a small crescendo.
The little filly's eyes lit up as the sound rolled through the air in the slowly dispersing street. Suddenly, another pony walked up, a mare who appeared to be the mother. She had a slightly worried look bestowed upon her face. She knelt down and reached for the little filly, hugging her gently.
"Come now honey, it's time to leave." She said, beginning to urge the little one on in quiet whispers.
"Awww, mom, can't we stay a little longer and listen?" The little filly asked in earnest. The mother gave a slight giggle before nodding her head and replying:
"Alright, we can stay here until the song is over."
The filly turned her head back toward us, a pleasant smile on her face. All the while we played and sang with our hearts. I was always taught -when playing and singing- to give it my all and put as much feeling into the music as I could. And apparently Evening Star was taught the same, for we both played our hearts out. That was the true beauty of music. It could be used to bring out tears when blue, and smiles when joyful. Although to me, a lot of it has always been about getting a message across while holding the feeling altogether. A tough feat in the beginning, but easy enough when time passes by and practice is fulfilled.
The song came to a close then, and the pleased filly began to leave with her mother. The two thanked us shortly before leaving, and as time passed, me and Eve were left alone. The once crowded streets, now dimmer as the light of the morning star slowly faded. "Hey, we did pretty good today." I said as I began putting my guitar away.
"Damn straight we did." Eve stated happily. We then began dividing our earnings, each half to the owners due. We had been doing this for a good while now. Eve had herself a primary job, where she earned most of her income. However, for me, that was not the case. The only work I partook in was joy business. Bringing as many beings as I could, the joy I could deliver through a song.
And that was my own little loop...
"See you Saturday!" Eve shouted as she walked down the street toward her apartment.
"See you then!" I replied back, waving goodbye for now. I got to my feet, now almost alone in the streets besides the occasional pony walking by. I picked up my guitar and my coat and proceeded to head down in the opposite direction Eve had went, leading myself to the avenue that led to my apartment. It was the middle of Fall now, and the cold was slowly closing in. However, for whatever reason it may be, the heat of the day had grown so strong that it felt like we were back in Spring. The weather said that this would continue for another few days. But the next time me and Eve got out, we would surely be cold again. And not too many folks enjoyed listening to music in the cold.
But that was the worlds loop, wasn't it? It seemed that everything in and of Equus was going in a circle. It never ended. It seemed amazing to me how the world could just keep going in a circle. It was like some of those machines I've seen in the hospital. It was as if the world was... Almost, programmed to keep on going. It truly was an odd thing. But, in the end, I suppose it doesn't really matter, we all have to live this life through to our own end.
The sun had now dropped behind the mountain range and I was left with the small shining sky and the street lamps I passed by, day in, and day out. I never really have the intent to travel so far from my apartment. But, do to the fact that my room is on the outskirts of town, and I'm always too hard headed to hire somebody to take me through town, there is really no choice but to walk to the more crowded places. That's where the ponies lay, after all.
After a long and old walk, I finally reached my destination; I checked in with the receptionist, an old cranky mare who tended to raise the prices of my room the angrier she got. Luckily, I was always able to talk her down, what, with me being one of the only creatures booked in. As usual she gave me her signature scowl and I moved on to my room.
To start my own loop once more...
Evening Star trailed her way home, humming the recent tune she and Isaiah had sung together. She had a little step in her today, for today was a good day. She couldn't tell if there was anything more she enjoyed than music! It was such a way of getting the stress of life off, and out of you.
A smile rose up in her at the thought of music. She almost made it her career once upon a time, but now she was stuck in the dump of a fast food shop. Although she did make a very good living with the money she earned from playing with Isaiah and the shop she worked at. The latter of the deeds did no good for her soul. There was still plenty of time in her young life to pursue the art she loved so dear, but life always has a way of bringing you back down.
The smile soon ran from her face and she stopped her happy trotting, instead, staying still in the lonely street as she pondered the thought of it all. For her, life has always been challenging, a constant push to see whether she was strong enough or not. She wished she had the freedom Isaiah had, but her heart told her she would never find that freedom. Not in the life she lived...
Soon enough though, she found her pace again and soon reached her apartment building. The mare walked in and was greeted by the charming stallion receptionist; as usual though, she just said hello, grabbed her key, and ran off toward her room. The receptionist would always shout 'good night!' down the hall as she trotted away.
Her life was always a constant circle of challenges that she had to partake in, never really wanting to, but always doing so. It was the constant circle of life, she supposed.
The constant circle of life...