An Azure Future
Based off the conversion bureau and other TCB fan fics
Italics are thoughts.
Alone. Again. Just like yesterday, and the day before that and the day before that and the years before that. Johnathan "Coke" Norris was completely alone. Ever since those bureaus opened ten years ago, he had started losing those around him until he was completely alone.. His friends, his family, all got ponified. Even the only woman he’d ever love got ponified. He didn’t hate ponies, he just couldn't bring himself to part with his humanity, it was a part of who he was. John felt that every scar he earned was a trophy to be shown off, the stains on his skin, nerve damage, all testaments to his human will. If he got ponified, he wouldn’t have any of them. Currently, Johnathan Norris hadn't left his room in a bit over two weeks.
Standing at six foot three John had a runner’s build with a passable upper body, he towered over all the ponies and the few humans left. Having been a recluse for so long he definitely needed a good bit of sun. He lived in the top floor penthouse of an apartment complex, or more rather, imprisoned himself there. There was a time when he used to jog the old course that weaved through the city but the gawks and whispers of ponies had a draining effect over the years. Whispering accusations that ranged from holding mankind back to being a member of the Human Liberation Front constantly bombarded him whenever he left his room. Mares would take their foals to the other side of the streets, Various ponies gave him dirty looks, foals always asking what he was, if he was a monster.
After a while John went out less and less frequently, at first he’d stay in about three or four days, then a week then two, and for almost the last few years he’d been staying in for a month at a time.
He lit a cigarette took a drag and thought back seven years ago, recollection a past time of his, when the ponies had come. His friends, His family, Catherine and their reactions. His best Friend was the first person he knew that got ponified, one of the first in line. John even went with him to the bureau for moral support. It was his friend’s decision to get ponified and he respected that, just as his friend respected his decision to remain human. His dragged on his cigarette which was half gone. Then His family went, there was bickering, fighting, pleading, he wondered occasionally why they would never let him be. If they want to be ponies, let them. John was hopelessly loyal to his humanity. He drained the cigarette, relishing the sensation.
It was then Catherine, the only woman he’d ever love, left. They had met years ago, while John was running his course through the city and she was running hers, it started raining and they both ducked into a small family owned eatery. They hit it off famously, love at first sight one might say. They started meeting to run together and showed each other things around the small city one usually wouldn’t notice. The had been living together for over a year when one morning he woke up to an empty Condo. There was a note on the morning dresser that read simply, “Going to get ponified, I’m Sorry.” followed by her signature.
The only person he ever held close to his heart had left without even saying goodbye. She just left without even a word. The note had no explanation, just an apology. John needed another cigarette. He grabbed the pack and sighed at its emptiness.
"Now," he stated to no one at all. "What is a man to do with ALL THIS..." motioning around the room. "When he has nothing?" It was a question he had asked the desolate room many times with no reply. He had taken to putting his thoughts out loud to stave off the undoubtedly onsetting insanity. "Good God, where are those cigarettes?" He asked himself, getting up he frantically searched the wrecked room. He just finished the last of the pack and could not for the life of him remember where the rest of the carton was.
He had been searching for approximately eight minutes and was checking underneath the couch when there was a knock at the door. "Who the blueberry fuck? No one visits me." He swore while getting up off the floor.
The knocking came again, he could tell that it came from the lower portion of the door. Whoever it was, it was a pony. "God damn ponies, can't they just leave me alone? I've told them a hundred times, I don't want to be a pony." He muttered under his breath, getting up. The pony at the door grew impatient and beat the door again. "Hold on, I'm coming! Holy fuck!" He stomped over to door mumbling obscenities to himself. John threw open the door and there on his doorstep, there was a young pegasus colt whose coat was one of the darker shades of blue, sporting a deep steely grey mane with a wild look, though it was well kept. The young pony's eyes reminded John of ice. He barely had time to get a good look at the young pegasus before he was tackled to the ground.
"Daddy!" The young sky blue Pegasus sitting on his chest shouted. The weight pressing down from the surprisingly heavy pegasus was very uncomfortable.
John picked the pegasus up off his chest and got up himself. "Did you just call me daddy? I don't know how to tell you this kid, but I never banged a pony.’ John was genuinely confused. “Whats your name kid?" He asked after a brief pause.
"My names Azure wind! Grandma said you were my daddy and she would never lie to me like that! She did say you'd be sketi, skept, skep a pu tal? Or whatever. So she gave me a letter explaining!" The colt hopped off his chest and started digging through his bag.
John's mind started racing. Here There was a young pegasus colt, claiming the he was his father. Someone must’ve put him up to this. He thought. He observed the Pegasus as he dug through his bag. He seemed to genuinely believe that John was his father. Let just see where this goes. It’s entertaining
"Ha! Found it!" Exclaimed the pegasus colt with pride. In his mouth was a plain vanilla envelope. John took it from the colt. He opened the envelope, it contained a letter, birth certificate, and a few other things. John removed the letter and started reading.
Dear Johnathan,
This is Dancing Leaf's mother, you might remember her as Catherine. Now first things first, this is in fact your child. She came home crying the night you said you didn't want to get ponified with her. I never found out exactly what you said but she'd never cry over a simple "no". She packed her things that morning and headed to the conversion bureau. I went with her. We were both ponified on the same day. She became an Earth pony.
We moved to Los Angeles after we were given the okay to leave the bureau. She worked in the parks and I got a job as a librarian. We lived. Happily for almost two months when she started to get sick. We had her checked out. She was with foal, 3 months along. You were the only one she ever had.
She wanted to tell you. She was scared how'd you react after last time. She had the foal on the 16th of april four years past. She raised the colt with all the love she had. He'd ask about you, hardly a day went by he didn't beg her to see you.
Two weeks ago, She agreed to take Azure to see you. Oh, you should have seen him, it was the cutest thing. Of course she wanted me to go with her and make sure you are still there.
It is now I’m afraid I must break some bad news. As we were walking down to your apartment, we were... attacked by some Human Liberation Front extremists. She didn’t make it, I’ve been given a week to live at the time of writing this. Im not long for this world and You’re the only family he has left. He doesn't know what happened. Please raise him well for Catherine
Sincerely,
Morning Dew (Kelly)
Before John could really absorb the contents and weight of the letter there was a large CRASH and the sound of shattered glass from the bathroom. He ran towards the source to find Azure next to a large amount of shattered glass. “I didn’t do it!” Blurted the young pegasus, putting his forehooves up in front of him in a show of false innocence. His large wall mirror was comletely lost. “Hey, do have anything to do around here? All I can find is trash. When was the last time you cleaned this place anyhow?” The steely maned pegasus asked while walking off.
“Uhhh...” John trailed. Things had gotten much more livelier than He would like. “Just wait in the living room while I make you a room.”
“But I’m bored!” The colt whined.
“Then watch some movies or something.” John snapped back.
“You’re the best! Mom NEVER let me watch movies!” And on that note Azure galloped into the living room. A little under ten minutes of picking up the shattered mirror shards later, John walked into the living room and there was Azure, furiously trying to work the blu-ray player. John caught himself chuckling at the sight, it was quite adorable.
“How do you work this thing?!” Asked Azure well he fiddling with the old device.
What are you trying to watch anyways?”
“Box said ‘Repo: The Genetic Oprea’” He noted as he continued to fiddle with it.
“Uhhh, Maybe you should watch something else... Here try this, ‘The Lion King’. Classic. You just put the disc in the tray, close the tray and then it wait till the menu pops up...” He paused as the disc span and some trailers came up. John skipped through to the menu. “And you hit ‘play’.”
“Cool. Hows it work?” He asked as he sat down on.
“Ummm, Magic?”
“Really?”
“No. Now just watch the movie while I fix up a room for ya.”
“Will do!” Azure happily exclaimed. John walked to the upstairs area, his bedroom a bathroom, a music/party room, a storage room, and an empty room were up there. He grabbed an extra mattress from the storage room, some sheets a blanket and a pillow.
John carried the full load to the empty room, which would be semi spacious to human, and set them down. After a few moments, the bed was made. He took a step back to examine his handiwork. “The bed should be fine. But this room needs some color.” He walked back to the storage room. He looked around casually, scanning the room, to see if he had any paint. “I KNOW I have paint in here.” He growled moving boxes and supplies. After John had searched a good portion of the Room he finally he found a can of forest green paint behind some emergency rations. “This should do nicely, now where are those rollers?” After a quick search he had found them. Satisfied with what he had found John headed into Azure’s room.
He set up and started painting, Throwing the deep, rich green on the bleach white walls. The fumes started to give John a headache. He tried to crack the window, but had rusted shut. John struggled with it for a few minutes. After failing to open the window he grew frustrated. He Tried one last time, pulling with all his might, the window finally came free. The window jammed into the frame and became stuck. I’ll deal with it later. John got back to painting the room. Up, down, up down, up, down. Like grass growing anew, the room springs to life with a vibrant deep green. John chuckled at the sentiment. After thirty more minutes of painting the room was a nice shade of green.
As John admired his work The letter the young pegasus bore came to mind. Catherine still loved him, she was pregnant, she never told him, then she was murdered. She was going to come back. He had a son. They were going to be a family like they always talked about. He remembered the last thing the letter said, “...You’re the only family he has left... Please raise him well for Catherine.” He sighed, “If I’m all he’s got, I feel bad for the kid.” He remembered the colt was still downstairs. John moved downstairs to check on him. The young colt was completely engrossed in the movie, which was about over. John snuck into the room and sat down unnoticed.
Instead of watching the old familiar movie he watched the soft glow it cast upon Azure. That is my son. Echoed in John’s head. He watched as his son was engrossed in the movie. His reaction to certain scenes, The return to pride rock, the raid, the final battle and the final scene. Azure watched intently, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. The movie finished.
“So what did you think Azure?” John asked, making his presence known.
“It was a very well told tale of a son trying to live up to the standards of his father whom he knew only very briefly.” Azure answered, still looking at the blank screen.
“What.”
Azure turned around to face his father, “I mean, he knew his dad for a very small portion of his life, and then spent the rest of it either in shame from falling short, or trying to live up to the imagined expectations of his father.” He explained.
“I... never thought about it that way...” John responded. The young pegasus yawned deeply. ‘Hey, lets get you to bed boy-o.” The pegasus didn’t protest. John motioned for him to follow him, and lead him to his room.
“Its a bit... empty...” Azure noted upon seeing the bare room with a sole mattress on the floor.
“Well, feel free to spruce it up however.” John replied a bit listless. The deep blue pegasus made his way to bed and laid down, pulling the blanket over his small form.
“Can you read me a bed time story dad?” The young pegasus asked juat as John was about to turn away.
“You have a bed time story kid?”
“In the left saddle bag.”
John opened up the said saddlebag and pulled out a good sized book. ‘A collection of bed time stories’. He opened the book and read the table of contents, “An Equestrian Bedtime Story (title lost, though also known as The Three Trials), Upon a Shooting Star, The Spoiled filly, Seven Ponds, The Juggler, Tale of the Royal Sisters, False Feathers, Rise of the Everfree, The Shore of Chestnut Cove, The Forest’s Guardian, and finally The Voyage of the Stowaway. Which one do you want to hear?”
Azure considered it for a moment, “Upon a shooting star.”
John flipped to the proper page and read aloud. As he finished the last word, he noticed Azure was soundly asleep. He closed the book and set it with the rest of the pegasus’ things. John turned and paused at the doorway, finger on the light switch. He looked upon the snoozing colt for a moment, taking in the sight. “Goodnight, Azure.” He said, as he flicked the lights off.
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-Azure wind is a pretty cool name huh? dot hack? never heard of it.
- I knew a John, I knew a Norris. I know crazy people.
-The nickname comes in later. Like next update.