//------------------------------// // The Worst Two Days Ever: Vacation // Story: Imbalanced // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// [Blazing's Entry] One has to laugh at how just as everything seems all right it turns around completely. I could blame Choking, I SHOULD blame her. I could blame Blueblood and Rising Thunder or I could blame myself for not noticing. It would change nothing though. Void is right, blaming is pointless. Looking back is pointless right now as well. I chose to act and for once I think I did the right thing. The irony is that I'm going to swing for it. I know it was stupid but my last wish was to get a chance to write a last entry to this journal. Damn, the guards are coming already. Gotta admit, it was fun, both the good times and the bad ones. [End Entry] I'm sitting at home and trying to rest a bit before I have to go to the library. Having my guard badge should be enough for the duty and most guards from both branches know me or at least about me. As far as safety is concerned my changeling carapace offers enough protection so one could say I'm always in uniform. Eventually the library duty calls and I begin walking in a huge circle around the main room. A deep voice in my head makes me twitch but considering this is the most boring assignment a guard can have I enjoy the company. Scared? Void? The one and only. I'm not. I'm just waiting for things to unfold. If worst comes to worst I'll lose my job, move to some other city and become a guard there before the word spreads. Or I might get lynched for being a changeling-ish thing, who knows. What does it matter? It's been a while but I did start a new life in a completely new city without any friends. I might be just soft now but I don't want to lose them despite everything. Are you sure she is your friend? Drugging you just so she could get a free evening is not something which can be easily forgiven. I really believe she didn't want to hurt me in any way. She just often doesn't think things through which is kind of my opposite because I never stop overthinking stuff. Is she your marefriend? Choking? No way. How did you come to such a silly conclusion? You seem to have decided rather quickly that her ruining your life does not matter. Honestly, I wouldn't have a life if it weren't for her. You can say I love her... in a way but don't bother thinking about it too much. Have you ever told her? Heh no. I don't want to inflict myself on her. That is a pretty strange wording. Just leave this subject. I'm not her type and I can't imagine taking care of somepony. All I know how to do is to beat others up. All right. Just let me tell you this - I do not have to be millenia old to know that not taking a chance is much worse than failing. If you are afraid of ruining your friendship by telling her then if she is a true friend she should get over it. That's just a theoretical scenario anyway. I don't deserve her at all. Life is not about deserving something. Some things just happen without your touch and all you can do is roll with it. You don't understand. I'm just an idiot who would end up hurting her even if she for some crazy reason accepted. No, YOU do not understand. You are young and still stupid. Do not try to judge yourself by some pointless rules you set up without having enough experience to think about them first. There will always be someone who does not like you and your choices but do not think one of you has to be wrong. If your relationship failed then you would at least have experience to make the next one better. If I'm so stupid then why bother imparting your wisdom on me? Because with enough time and the right kind of pressure you may turn out fine. You're actually nice for a demon but I think turning out fine is out of reach for me. Stop with this good or evil nonsense. I am who I am and I have my own goals which contradict the goals of others at times. Let me ask you this - does me antagonizing Celestia bother you? She is doing all she can to take care of ponies under her rule so... yes. Then you would consider me evil. Yes... damn. I know where this is going. There you have it. I'm not saying I agree with you but you make some sense. I am not saying you have to, it is just a different viewpoint you might want to explore before condemning others and yourself so quickly. There are hundreds of those on every street corner and they keep changing all the time which just shows how important they truly are. In the end everything turns to nothingness so beating yourself up has no value. I'm seriously considering giving you my body for free. It would probably be better for the world than having me in it. The world does not give a damn, kid. And after peeking into your stupid head I would not take the offer anyway. I will be out after you die and witnessing your path through life might prove amusing in the meantime. Are you immortal? In a sense. That must be terrible. Most ponies would say 'amazing'. I can't handle one free evening without drinking myself stupid. Being immortal must become incredibly boring eventually. Maybe you are not as stupid as you seem at first glance. Well that's a high praise. It really is. Enjoy it while you can. "I know you're wet for me." That's flattering, Void, but I don't swing that way. Firstly, I do not think you can say that after thinking about sticking battering ram's bigger brother up your ass and secondly, that was not me, you halfwit. Use your ears. Void is right. Why are all the voices in my head so much better at noticing things? "Come on, you know you want to," says a forceful male voice. "I'm not ready." The defensive female voice brings a chill to my spine. Somewhere in the darkness is a redmaned batpony who must have brought her date to the castle wing which was most likely to be deserted at this time of night. Her date... her date... Blueblood. I shuffle back not to be noticed but the conversation is becoming harder and harder to ignore. Damn my excellent hearing. "You came here which means you're ready," says Blueblood. "NO!" "Shhh. Somepony might hear us." "Get offa me, you swine!" "Or what, little guard?" "I'll scream." "Feel free to do so. Do you honestly think anyone would care about some bat skank desperately trying to hit it off with a prince?" "..." "Now be a good girl and spread those shapely legs." I could leave her to her fate. It's not as if she doesn't deserve it. I warned her and all I got was being used by her AGAIN. The next thing I hear however makes me give her a blank slate. "...help..." sqeaks Choking in a weak voice unsure whether she wants to be heard or not. "What's going on here? This area is off limits at this hour," I step in and try to sound as official as possible. Blueblood pushes Choking to one of library windows and turns towards me. "Hello there, officer. Me and my partner here were just looking for a quiet place to... enjoy ourselves." A glimpse at Choking reveals a slightly tearful face which burns me inside. Still, she deserves to stew at least a bit for what she did. "Well, find a different place then. The library is closed." "I don't think you understand, mister guard. My name is prince Blueblood and I can go where the heck I please in this castle. But I can see that in this darkness you must have mistaken me for somepony unimportant and since I feel charitable I forgive you. Take this and leave us alone." As the thrown bag of coins hits the floor, it catches my attention. For Blueblood it must be unimportant but as far as the size is concerned I've just been offered enough money to begin a new life in a different part of Equestria. The solution to my probable booting out of the guard is in front of me. All I have to do is walk away and buy myself a small farm in the country. ... and then slit my throat with a broken wine bottle. "I don't think YOU understand, Blueballs. The lady said no so pack your silly tuxedo and scram." "How dare you speak to me like that!" Blueblood's horn glows with magic but a civillian doesn't stand a chance against the strike of somepony fueled by disgust, years of training and the remains of Choking's pep pill overdose in his bloodstream. Blueblood's red blood splatters on the library wall and then I... ...feel my legs fail me as something hits me in the head from behind. "It's good thing I took the night shift today to watch over this junkie, your Excellency. Are you okay?" Even when dazed, I recognize the raspy voice of Rising Thunder. Blueblood doesn't answer and just gestures towards the bag of bits on the floor. His words are reserved for the trash who dared to touch him. "Attacking a member of Equestrian royalty while being on drugs. You're going to swing for this, mister guard." He then turns to Choking. "Get out of here, bitch. And if you tell anypony I'll make sure there are two nooses swaying in the wind." I can't even blame her after she flies away through the window. Still woozy, I can't defend myself when Rising binds my legs and carries me to the castle dungeon. Soon after, princess Luna accompanied by Blueblood comes to interrogate me. Blueblood is a coward, but one with privileges. I wasn't willing to risk her job, I'm even less willing to risk Choking's life. "Is it true that you were on drugs during your morning shift?" asks Luna, scanning my answer for any trace of lies. How pointless. "Yes." "Is it true that you drink excessively?" "Yes." "Did you attack prince Blueblood in the library?" "Yes." "Why did you do it?" I could tell the truth but Blueblood would get out of it anyway, possibly with a warning and something equally pointless. In the worst case they might force Choking to testify and who would protect her from Blueblood's thugs then? I have a good reason to stay silent. Luna knows me and tries to give me a helping hoof but there is no way I'm taking even the slightest chance of provoking Blueblood. "Do you realize the what the punishment for your crime is?" "Death." "And you still won't talk?" "No." "Then we are done here." The triumphant expression on Blueblood's face is something I don't think I will forget for the rest of my life, the upside being that it probably won't be long. They leave and I'm left to make peace with whatever gods I believe in. Void? Hmm? Do you think I did the right thing? No. What would you have done then? Killed Blueblood and Rising Thunder, then told Choking Darkness I loved her and made her happy to be a mare. And what if she didn't love you? Then I would have taken Blueblood's gold and spent it all in the best whorsehouse in Canterlot. Both of those actually sound pretty good. Do not be depressed, young one. For what it is worth, I like what you did. Thanks. Seems like you will be out in the world again pretty soon. Seems so. I thought you would be happier. Evil plans and whatnot. I told you I had more than enough time. I kind of feel sorry for you to tell the truth. All this is so incredibly pointless. Ah well. Things just happen, what the heck. At least I taught you something. In my cell, I just keep smiling at the wall with tears pooling at my hooves. I did something really good in the end. The morning comes and with it also come two guards ready to escort me to my appointment with the rope. I don't resist and just enjoy the sweet, fresh air while I walk to a large tree which is decorated by a piece of rope gently swaying in the air. There is a small group of ponies here to watch justice being done. Princesses Celestia and Luna, Blueblood and Rising Thunder and hiding behind some others... Choking. Public executions are something unheard of in Canterlot but so are the instances of somepony attacking royalty. A noose is promptly fastened around my neck and princess Celestia stands up. "For crimes against Equestria, unprovoked attack and a robbery targeted at a member of royal family, serving under the effect of drugs and performing said attack in such state as well, your life is forfeit. Do you have any last words?" I just grin at the stupidity of this situation. "These were the shittiest two days of my life," I proclaim loudly. In reflex I try to harden my armor as much as I can when the wooden block under my hind legs gets kicked away. A bad idea - instead of the rope snapping my neck the only thing my last struggle gives me is the slowest and most painful death possible. I'm groaning and twitching but eventually my hardened carapace fails and darkness comes. The twitching stops.