With Equestria’s peering eyes soon on his tail, John needed to hide his identity, and his face. With the power of the scroll, the author summoned attire that wouldn't draw attention to himself. Blue jeans, black collar shirt, white socks and running shoes. He gave his disguise a quick look over and figured it wasn’t really a disguise at all, ’Dark would wear these in a heartbeat, I gotta wear something unpredictable...’ then it hit John like a ton of bricks.
“They’ll be looking for a slummed out character, not one that fancies himself out.. I know exactly what to wear! Not to mention bad ass!” John said to himself, he reached into his thoughts and summoned the robes of Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed Revelations. He pulled the robes over his body and gave his disguise a quick stretch to ensure they fit. They were snug and comfortable. “You never touch me, you never feel me, you never see me again because I just become unseen.” He pulled the hood over his head to shroud his face in darkness. “Fuckin’ love Dio.”
The trip was a long one, the direction John traveled turned out to be the complete opposite direction of Mystic mountain. He traveled through city after city, asking directions to his destination. He was currently in Manehatten, and due to his story, the location of the Mystic mountains was nearby.
While traveling through the city, John entered a nearby shop for food and directions. He approached the store clerk and asked,“Hello, do you know in which direction the Mystic mountains are? I’ve been traveling for a long time and I wish to see them as soon as possible.”
The store clerk squinted her eyes on the hooded figure to catch a glimpse of strangers face,“Well, it’s located east of here and do I know you from somewhere? You seem awfully familiar.” She continued to scan the head of the hooded man.
“I’m new in town, but don’t plan on staying for too long. What do you have to eat here?” John asked.
She seemed to focus less on the hooded man and turned her attention to the chalkboard behind her, staring at the countless amount of words written across it. “Everything you see up there, we have or can make. Just pick your poison and it should be ready in a few minutes.”
He gave the chalkboard a quick read over, ensuring to hide his appearance in the process. “Well, I’ll have a...” John quickly shot into his thoughts,‘I forgot... no meat. Shit.’ He returned to reality and finished his sentence, not too pleased with his own answer. “I’ll have a lettuce sandwich and some hayfries.”
After a disappointed sigh, he proceeded towards the far back of the store. He retrieved a lone newspaper off an empty table and pulled up a chair. For the next few minutes, the hooded man flipped through the newspaper and studied the articles. One that mainly caught his attention read:
The death of a Guardian!
Late last night in the royal chambers of our beloved princess, Celestia, was found a strange man. He claimed that Darkmoon had been killed, and he seeks a clear way home. Outraged by his claim, our dear princess tried to fight off this monster of the flesh and tried to subdue him.
The author turned his attention away from the page and quietly said to himself,“That’s complete and utter bullshit, I didn’t “claim” anything. Subdue me? She tried to kill me.” John turned his attention back to the paper and continued to read.
He attacked Celestia and destroyed her room. He then rammed her mattress through her balcony window and with the help of an unnamed pony, and managed to escape. A large bounty on the head of this man, this monster. He is to be captured at all costs, dead or alive. A higher bounty will be paid if he is brought in alive, for the royal sisters wish to teach this monstrosity on what it means to kill.
The passing of our beloved and mighty Guardian Darkmoon will not go unsolved. We will capture this terrible person and have him face the justice that he deserves. In the name of Celestia, Darkmoon will be avenged.
~ The Canterlot times.
“Framed for murder, casted into the unknown... I thought this was a land of friendship. I’m all alone on this one but is it really any different? I’ve been alone for so long, in this world and mine. It doesn’t matter anyway, never needed them.” He sat the paper against the table and the store clerk exited from the kitchen in the other side of the room and approached John with a platter full of food.
“Here you go!” she set the platter down on the table and caught the sight of the article,“That was the most aggravating story I’ve read, the fact that this unnamed assailant is still out there, probably hacking up ponies in the Everfree or something.. the very thought just sends chills up my spine.”
“Yeah, when was this paper published? I thought the incident happened over a week ago?” Asked the hooded man.
“It was, this is just an old paper. I tell ya, I feel mighty sorry for Darks brother, Shadow. Everyone has to sleep, and everyone goes into his realm to dream. Eventually, Shadow’s going to catch this monster and make him pay.” voiced the mare.
“That’s true, eventually...” John himself hadn’t slept in little over a week himself in fear of this happening.
Insomnia took hold of him and made everyday life a living nightmare. He would constantly see visions, ghostly figures. One time during the night, John sat around the campfire and saw a ghostly image of Darkmoon, He had a worried expression and faint words were spoken,”John... Hide...Hive...” then the ghost faded.
John returned to the conversation he held with the mare and dug into his freshly made meal. Through a mouth full of food, he said,“Dish ish gowd, Fank oou.”
She let out a little laugh and sat beside the hooded man,“I aim to please, but you know this is a restaurant, right? Could you please take off your hood?”
John swallowed his mouthful and weakly said,“I’m sorry, but I can’t..” John trailed off.
She gave him a puzzled look,“Oh come on, I’ve seen bald ponies before. You don’t need to be so protective.”
“I..I’m not bald, I just.. I’m... different.” voiced John.
“Different? Different how?” asked the mare curiously.
After a large exhale, the author said,“I had an accident as a kid and tore muscles and skin on my face. That’s why I wear the hood, to mask my pain.” John pieced together a small lie to retreat the mares curiosity. To his disappointment, the stubborn mare continued.
“It’s alright, you don’t need to feel weakened by being exposed. I won’t fright away.” She tried to reach for the hood but he lightly grabbed her hands to stop her. John let go of her hands and stood from the chair. “I’m sorry, it just that.. well.. you’re the first to come here in quite awhile and I thought that maybe we could be friends. If you don’t wish to show me then I’m ok with this. Just please, don’t leave. Not yet.”
He turned to face the door but couldn’t find it in his heart to leave the lonely mare. He closed his eyes and took a deep and calming breath. The author gave a sigh and turned to face the mare. She looked to him with a saddened expression and tore John’s heart to shreds. He couldn’t leave her by herself, he already knew the result of loneliness. The product being himself. “I’m going to show you who I am, but please listen to me before I do.”
John stood in the middle of the store with his confidence slowly dissipating. “I’ve been traveling for a long time, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful ponies during my travels. I once lived here for quite a number of years, but in a different form. I was beloved by many and was proclaimed a hero to these lands. This is when my life changed around, I wasn’t real.”
“What do you mean?” Asked the store clerk.
“I never truly existed in this world, I was the star of a story I wrote sometime ago and traveled the land, conquering dungeons, saving lives, and risking my own for the safety of others. I was well known by all, and feared by many. I started a famous group of warriors that protected these lands beside me for many years. But time changes things, and people. Even people like me. When I lived in this realm many years ago, everyone called me,“Darkmoon’s Crescent.”.”
From the exclamation, the mare shot back in surprise. “But this is where things take a drastic turn for the worse. I never existed in this world, Darkmoon did. Darkmoon was the Equestrian embodiment of me for the story,’It’s always worth the price.’ I was working on a new chapter to continue the story and after I finished, I came here from my world, earth. With me here, Darkmoon doesn’t exist. I’ve been trying to return home and bring Darkmoon back to life. If I do return home, I can do this, but finding my way home is much harder to do when you’re constantly being searched for.”
“You’re.. you’re the..”
“My name is John Dixon, ‘proclaimed’ slayer of the guardian. I never killed Darkmoon, I would never do that to Equestria and it’s people.. ponies.”
She let out a large gasp and John could see tears festering inside on the mares eyes. He removed his hood and stood before her as she scanned his face and matched it to the picture in the paper.
“Oh.. Goddess..”