//------------------------------// // 1 - A relative matter // Story: Not alone in life, but alone in the darkness // by BloomingStar //------------------------------// January 4 It was a bright day at Sweet Apple Acres, Eternum helped the Apple Family in bucking the trees, cleaning inside the barn, and organizing the stockings. After a while, he played with Apple Bloom, playing the game tag and racing from the barn to the edge of the waterfall. It was very tiresome to him, but he doesn't mind at all for it was the best thing for a good memory. The two walked to the park, chatting any topics they can think of, then sitting at the same bench to rest up their hooves. The two looked up at the sky, viewing the clouds normal and the ones that are in different forms. After an hour, Apple Bloom fell asleep, Eternum placed his right hoof at her shoulder as she was leaning at his side. Eternum enjoyed the moment with her, but after a while, he recalled the note he read a few weeks ago, feeling so curious about this mysterious pony being there for him when the time is right. Eternum thought of this to himself, "I don't know this pony's reason to ever write one of those words which cannot make sense to me, but I'm gonna find out why. I just need to make sure Apple Bloom avoids getting involved at this, I don't want her to be in danger." Eternum continued to hold her while breathing heavily. After a while, Apple Bloom woke up, looking at Eternum's face being feared at something. She was very worried so she asked him, "Are ya alright, pardner?" She asked at a normal volume. "Wha...uh...yeah. I'm fine," said the young colt. "Are ya sure? Ya looked so pale." "Don't worry, I'm just feeling tired still." "Okay, Ah'm going to the clubhouse with mah friends. Don't ya wanna come?" "Yeah. I'll catch you up later." Eternum replied stroking her mane "Okay then. Bye!" Apple Bloom gave a little punch at his shoulder. The two waved at each other then they parted ways. Apple Bloom went to meet up with her friends for plans to get their cutie marks, while Eternum walked to the town's plaza, looking for food that he can be suitable for his current bits. While walking, he thinked again about the note cause he can't get it off from his mind. He can't stop thinking about it, he swore to find out the mysterious pony no matter what. Just as he was walking back to Sweet Apple Acres, he heard a whisper, the same whisper when he was still at the park a few weeks ago. Getting annoyed by it, Eternum ran to every buildings that he can find to search it's source or even the mysterious pony him/hersself. Searched for so long until at the alley, he finally found the source: The mysterious pony. He/She was wearing a hooded cape to cover his/her real appearance. Eternum shouted, "HEY! Who are you? Were you the one who wrote those words?" Eternum was very curious, but with a serious look. The mysterious pony made no response to his question, this caused the young being angry a little. "Come on, answer me!" He was getting to lose his patience, but the unknown instead gave nothing to reply. Feeling so much frustration, Eternum once again shouted out, "Well if you can't tell me, I'm gonna make ya!" The young colt started to chase the mysterious pony, running to the center of town until to Sweet Apple Acres to give chase. He felt the exhuastion from his hooves, but he is not giving up so he breathed heavily then ran as fast as what he had left in his energy. He chased him through the apple trees, to the hill, and lastly to the edge of the waterfall. The mysterious pony had nowhere else to go and Eternum was there readying himself to charge straight to him. "It's either you tell me or the both of us will die at the wave!" He was very furious to get the answer. There was not even again a response from the hooded pony so Eternum ran straight to him/her until, the mysterious pony vanished into thin air. Eternum didn't expect and he ran straight to the current. Unable to escape from it's fast force, Eternum shouted out, "HELP ME!!! SOMEPONY!!!" He continued this as water began to swallow him. There was a rock at the middle at the side, Eternum immediately hold on to it, but the water was too strong for him to resist it. He tried to get out there by moving above the rock, but he failed. Many times he tried, he knew that this will be his undesirable fate. He now gave one last shout saying, "BLOOOOOOM!!!!!!!" He cried out, shouting her name for the last time. After shouting her name, he let go, accepting his fate. ONE WEEK LATER... Eternum woke up and found out he's in a hospital, he thought he would be in heaven after falling from the waterfall. He heard somepony coming, fearing that it could be the mysterious, trying to get revenge after being chased, but it was just the doctor. The doctor said to him that there's somepony who wants to see you. Eternum replied, "Okay, bring him/her here." He was very afraid to see his visitor, he might think it will be Death or the hooded pony. Once again, it wasn't the ones that he feared of, it was just Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, I'm very glad to see you." He said it softly. "Ah know. Ah was very worried about ya." The young filly holds his left hoof. "I know how you feel." "Are ya gonna be fine, Eter?" She questioned "Yeah. I'm just glad that I survived the fall." "Ah'm so sorry, buddy! So sorry!" She started crying as she placed her head down at his shoulder. "Sorry? Why? You never done anything wrong to me." The young colt moved closer to her then wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ah heard you shouting mah name. When ah was at clubhouse, ah heard ya shouting like yer in trouble or something. Ah ignored it cause ah thought you were acting crazy, but after three hours, mah sister told me that you were in a hospital with a critical condition. She said she saw ya were at the river unconscious and covered part of yer body in blood. Ah thought ya would be okay without me cause ah know ya can take care of yourself, but ah guess it wasn't that much. Ah don't wanna lose ya, Eter, yer the greatest friend that I ever had aside from mah other friends. Yer just new here, but ya seemed to be already special to me. Ah should've been there..." Apple Bloom hugged him very tightly. "Apple Bloom, there's no need to say sorry, it's not your fault." He wiped more tears coming from her eyes. "Promise never to do that again?" The young filly kissed him at his left cheek. "I can hardly promise anything, Apple Bloom, but I'll be sure for this. Promise." The young colt kissed her at her forehead. After a while, Apple Bloom left the room, giving him time to recover from his injuries. After two weeks, he was released from the hospital and returned to Sweet Apple Acres. The next day, they went to the river, swimming together as Apple Bloom holds his front hooves to make sure he doesn't get blown away again. After swimming, they walked back home to get dried up, eating dinner, and preparing to sleep. The next day, they went to school, Eternum showed an excellent participation in class, Ms Cherilee was very impressed by his brilliance which also caused the others to respect him while some still thinks of him as a sore loser. During lunch, he noticed a pony with a tiara walked to him and said, "Hey there, freak." "Hey there, Diamond Tiara." He said while taking a bite from his sandwich. "Listen, you may not have yet a cutie mark, but I think you are not worth it to be teased." said Diamond Tiara. "Really? Why not?" He questioned. "Let's just say that you looked okay to me enough for not to bully you. You are a cool colt." The filly said as she blushed then turning her face away from him. "Well, I really appreciate of what you said. Thanks." "I would like to go out with you in sometime. If you are ever okay with it." "Okay, Tiara. Someday." "Bye, freaking freak. Sorry if I was being rude back at your first day." She said while giggled as she walked out of the cafeteria. "What was she talking about?!" Apple Bloom said as she walked straight to him and then sitting next. "She just said that I'm not worth to be annoyed and she said that I'm kinda cool to her." Eternum replied as he almost finishing his juice. "Alright then, but if she tried to do anything bad to ya, don't hesitate to call me. Okay?" "Don't worry, I'm sure she's not much of a big jerk." During the time of dismissal... "Are ya sure ya don't want some help? Ah can finish yours if ya want?" "Don't worry Apple Bloom, I can handle it. I just need to handle other matters alone. Okay?" "Okay, Ah understand that." "I'll see you later at night, I might be late when I get back. Bye!" Eternum waved at her as he walked straight to the park. "Bye!" Apple Bloom waved back to him. Still not forgetting his mission, Eternum determines once again to find the mysterious hooded pony even if it will take him at night. After hours of searching, he walked back to Ponyville, hoping that it will be the same place where he last saw that filly/colt. Before he could go search again at the alley, there was a pony calling him at the side of Sugarcube Corner, it was the same pony that he had chased before. The mysterious pony asked him to meet at the park where he picked up the note at five in the afternoon. Eternum accepted it and warned him/her that if he/she ever plays a trick on him, he/she will suffer. The mysterious hooded pony gulped in fear and promised not to fool him. They walked to the park then they hid behind one of the trees to remain cover. Eternum now asked him/her, "Okay, you told me to meet you here,now tell me, who are you and how do you know me?" The young colt angrily stomped his right front hoof at the ground. The stomp caused an earthquake which reached to far distanced places, causing ruptures. The mysterious being was shocked by it and said, "Okay! Okay! Please don't do that again!" The mysterious pony begged him for mercy. The mysterious hooded being removed his/her hood and cape, shocking Eternum as he found out it's a colt somehow in the same age with horns of a demon, wings, and a horn of a unicorn like. The mysterious colt walked closer to him. Eternum was ready to tackle him, but he seemed to just hold his left hoof. The mysterious colt said to him this, "My name is Phan Tom. I am your cousin." He smiled to see his cousin again with his real face. TO BE CONTINUED