Time to go
Chapter 9
Meetings and Partings.
It was about time to go, and so Hunter was explaining a few things.
“So you like a kid's show.” Hunter's mother said.
“Yes” Hunter replied
“About ponies.” She said
“Yes” He replied again
“And the world is called Equestria?” She asked
“Right” Hunter said grinning.
“And Somehow,” She said pointing to Twilight with her fork “A unicorn from this 'Equestria' has appeared at our doorstep and we are feeding her dinner.”
“Correct” Twilight answered “It's amazing too, thank you Hunter.”
“No problem.” Hunter said smiling.
“What exactly is she doing here in the first place?” His mom asked.
“Well you see,” Hunter said “She came here on request of Princess Luna, who controls the moon.”
“Why exactly?” His mom asked as she took another bite of potatoes.
“To take me back with her.” Hunter said flatly. Yet, despite his calm composure he looked on at his mother, hoping to read her expressions, her reactions. His heart was beating furiously.
His mother choked. “She's what?!” She said raising her voice as soon as she cleared her throat.
Twilight realized that this was the part of the conversation she should stay out of, and happily piled more delicious potatoes onto her plate.
“I'm leaving,” Hunter said “I'm going to Equestria to live a peaceful life.”
“You can't just leave! What about school! If you were to suddenly disappear don't you think that somebody would get suspicious? There would an investigation! Plus, you have responsibilities here, if you up and left what would I do? I need you here to help me around the house. What would the rest of your family and friends think?” Hunter's mom said, she knew Hunter to be a relatively self sufficient, and she needed his help around the house. She didn't want to be all alone, in this house, Hunter was all she had left.
“You ask some good questions, and you have some good points.” Hunter said, “But it isn't arguable. I AM going.”
Hunter's mom stared at him. Her eyes wide and her mouth open. Hunter hadn't been the perfect child, but she needed him. “What about me?”
Twilight watched the two humans. The mother showed an obvious amount of emotion. Meanwhile Hunter showed nothing. He was calm, collected. This seemed wrong to Twilight. If she had been that way when she had left home to study under Celestia, her parents and her would be on bad terms. Of course this was different, contacting her parents was easy, and vacations weren't unheard of. She said nothing however, as the next thing that happened threw her fears out the window.
“You will be taken care of.” Hunter said, looking up from his food. Twilight saw emotion leaking from his eyes. “I've made sure of it.”
“How could you possibly have done that?” Hunter's mom said.
“In my spare time I write stories,” Hunter said, it was getting hard to speak as his feelings broke free of their cold prison. “I even wrote a few novels. I sent them to a publisher that I learned of through a family member. They loved my stories so I sent them as many as I could and they sent me an offer. I made up a pen name and they published my stories. I have an account filled with the money from tons of published stories. I transferred the funds to your account. You won't have to struggle any more.”
Hunter's mother started to cry. “You wrote books and got them published. You... got paid for them? Why didn't you tell me?”
Hunter cried. “I didn't want you to know about it because, it was my college fund, I wanted to surprise you by paying for my own tuition.”
Hunter's mother stood up, went to the living room, sat on the couch and cried. Hunter stayed at the table.
Twilight had sat quietly watching everything unfold and tears had welled in her eyes as well. “Don't you think you should go after her?” Twilight said choking up a little.
“No,” Hunter said. Once again he trapped his emotions behind closed bars, he almost kicked himself for letting them loose, but he felt that being emotionless was wrong considering the situation. It would have been heartless. Cold even.
Hunter got up and started cleaning the table. Eventually the table was spotless. “Twilight, I think you should get ready to cast that spell of yours now.” Hunter said.
“Right,” Twilight said quietly wiping the tears from her eyes. “I'll be ready when you are.”
Hunter walked into the living room and stood by the couch, looking down at his distraught mother.
He knelt down in front of her and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.
“Hey, don't you worry mom. Things will turn out right. Don't you worry.” Hunter said in the calmest voice he could muster.
“Hunter please, I don't think I could life on my own like this, please, don't leave your own mother like this.” She said weeping.
“Isn't this exactly what would happen when I went to college? This is almost the same. I've grown up, I can't stay in your care forever, and I need to go off doing my own things.” Hunter answered.
“But this isn't the same!” His mother sobbed “You're going to god knows where, and you're leaving without a trace! No warning, no hope of return!”
“I know this is sudden, but I have to go.” Hunter responded. “I'll see if it's possible to write you later.”
“You promise?” She said holding Hunter's hand on her cheek.
“I promise mom.” Hunter said. “I love you.”
Hunter went forward and embraced his mother. “Thank you.”
Hunter's mom continued to cry as she held her son. “I guess this goodbye?”
Hunter backed away from the hug, and his mom thought it too short. “Goodbye mom.”
Hunter had stockpiled his things into the front room. Twilight stood by his things and watched mother and son. “Whenever you're ready Hunter.” Twilight said quietly.
“Right,” Hunter said standing up. “Mother.”
“Yes?” His mother said in a shaky voice.
“Say hello to the family for me.” Hunter said letting loose a giant grin, and turning towards Twilight.
“Let's get home shall we?”
“Certainly” Twilight said.
Charging power in her horn she cast the spell and Hunter, his things, and her were taken to Equestria.
Hunter's mother jumped from her seat, hoping to grab her son, to beg him not to leave again, but they were gone. She stood for a moment before crumpling to the floor.
"I love you too son."
Where she stayed for the rest of the night, crying a quiet cry. If she cried out loud who would be there to comfort her? Nobody.
Her son was gone.
><><
Michael was ready. Trixie stood next to him and his small pile of possessions.
“So what's the plan, dude?” Trixie said.
Michael had taught her some slang while they waited.
“Pack things.” Michael said.
“Check” Trixie said checking an imaginary list.
“Wait for parent's to get home and tell them the truth before leaving.” Michael said, showing a stern face to the front door.
“Short plan.” Trixie sighed “Too bad the wait isn't as short.”
“I know,” Michael started, “My heart is going to beat out of my chest.”
At that moment there were sounds outside as his parents pulled in the driveway. Michael started getting faint, but stood his ground. They must know the truth.
“I'll say something cheesy when it's time to leave.” Michael said.
“Like what?” Trixie asked
“You'll see.” Michael said.
At that moment the door opened and his dad walked in, followed shortly by his mother and then his little brothers.
“Wow, Michael the place is spotless, what made you do something so...” His mother started saying before her eyes came to rest upon Trixie.
“Uncharacteristic?” His father finished assuming that she just couldn't think of the right word. He had turned away from the living room, to hang up his coat in the closet. As he looked back at his wife he noticed her stare and looked at the living room questioningly before dropping the hanger he had put his coat on.
“I guess I was just nervous.” Michael said trying to change the mood.
“What...” His mother started, “What is that in our living room?”
His brothers had pushed past their parents in an effort to see what was happening. “A pony?” said Timmy the second oldest child in the family.
Trixie scoffed “I...” She started puffing her chest, and her ego, and growing bold as usual said smiling, “Am the great and powerful Trixie.”
“The who what?” His father asked, hanger now placed on the rack.
Trixie scoffed to herself again.
“Guys, this is Trixie, and she's a unicorn from the land of Equestria.” Michael said, his heart was beating it's up to his throat and it took everything he had to keep from choking.
“A unicorn? From Equestria?” His mom asked.
Michael's explanation to his parents went a lot like Hunter's. Lots of confusion, many a question, and some explanation of how he had been a brony and what that meant. There was a couple differences though. Trixie seemed to keep scoffing whenever the family said anything remotely rude, even if they didn't mean it, and his parents never seemed to understand.
“So where did this unicorn come from?” They asked.
“The name, is Trixie.” Trixie grumbled.
“I told you already, she came from Equestria.” Michael pleaded with his parents to understand.
His parents looked from Trixie, to Michael, and then to each other with confused looks. Then they saw his bags on the ground.
“What are those for.” His Father asked
The moment of truth had arrived.
“I'm leaving.” Michael said
“What do you mean you're leaving?” his mother said.
“To Equestria.” Michael replied.
“You can't just up and leave!” His father said raising his voice a little. “We're your parents and you have to stay with us!”
“I'm going to go and there's nothing you can do about it.” Michael stated bluntly, standing his ground.
His parents sat on the couch dumbfounded. “You do what we tell you young man, and you're staying here.” His father said back, always standing his ground was a trait his son had gained from him.
“Look people,” Trixie interjected “Michael was chosen to leave to Equestria, and so he's going. There really isn't any choice in the matter.”
“Chosen by who exactly? Who chooses which kids you have to kidnap?” Michael's father said raising his voice at Trixie, who in turned yelled back using her magic to amplify her voice, shaking the house. “Princess Luna, princess of the moon and second only to Celestia, ruler of Equestria!”
Michael's father was blasted off any ground he had left.
“Little loud don't you think?” Michael said to Trixie rubbing his left ear.
“He insulted Princess Luna. I don't allow things like that.” Trixie said, her face growing serious.
“So you're just leaving then?” His father asked, putting his arm around his wife who was now sobbing.
“I guess so.” Michael said, slowly choking up. “I'll miss you dad. You too mom.”
“If you must go,” His father said, standing “Go tell your brothers.”
Michael realized that he was right. He should tell them.
He walked to the bedroom where the boys had gone to play with toys as he talked with his parent's and told them to stop playing and listen.
“Hey,” Michael started. “I have to go away for a while, I don't know when I'll be back, but you be good for mom and I'll make sure to bring you something when I get back.”
His littlest brother Johnny was too young to realize what he was saying, but he gave Michael a hug and said “Michael!” Timmy turned away from his toys, “Goodbye then! Have fun on your trip!”
Michael stood and left the room. He knew that they wouldn't understand until they were older, but he was happy that he told them anyways.
As he came back into the room he realized that his mother had retreated to her bedroom. He was happy for that, he didn't want her to see him leave.
“This is for you.” Michael's dad said handing him his Glock 9mm and a loaded clip.
“What?” Michael asked “This is your favorite gun! I can't take this!”
“I was going to give it to you for your 17th birthday anyways.” His father said smiling “Besides, wherever you go there is sure to be danger, and you need to be prepared.
Michael took the gun and the 15 round clip. There wasn't bound to be any bullets in Equestria, so he would have to use them wisely.
“Thanks dad.” Michael said looking up from the gun as he placed it in his pack.
Trixie wondered if Michael's dad had been a spartan.
“I love you son,” His father said, giving him a bear hug.
“I love you too dad.” Michael said. “I guess this is goodbye for a while.”
“I guess it is,” Liquid pride swelling in his father's eyes.
Michael had never seen his father cry before, and it made him cry as well.
“I'll find a way to contact you when I reach Equestria.” Michael said as tears left his eyes and made their way down his cheeks.
“I'll look forward to it.” His father said smiling. “Goodbye son”
“Right” Michael said turning to Trixie and tapping his shirt where one might where a badge. “beam us up Scotty.”
Trixie built up her magic and cast her spell.
In that moment they were gone.
It was time to go, and so the lives of Hunter and Michael in Equestria began.