Helios 14: Getting Away.

=Helios 14=

>"You can't do this!"
"Yes I can."
>The dust crunched underneath your boots as you walked to the edge of town.
>Your "companion" wriggled and wormed herself in your grasp, but couldn't get her way out of your grip.
>She sprawled on the ground after you tossed her through the air at the town limits.
"Get out."
>She gathered up her wizards hat and tossed it back on her head.
>"Trixie should have known that such common fold would not appreciate her! Why, Trixie has performed for the Princesses herself in Canterlot castle."
>Tch...
"I doubt that."
>The magician leered at you again.
>"Honestly, tossing somep0ny out because of a little mishap on stage? What happened to your famous hospitality?"
"The offer is voided when the mishap involves summoning Duneworms."
>You turn around and start walking back to town.
>"W-wait! How is Trixie supposed to survive with these...CREATURES out here!?" She asked worriedly.
>Oh please...She summoned them.
>There weren't even that many...
>You call back over your shoulder as you leave.
"Walk without rhythm."
>You head back to town and smack a sign along the way, flipping the numbers on it back to their level from before Trixie blew in.
>It read "Appleoosa. Pop: 140".

-Music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0HI8qAAQjc-
>You sat on your favorite barstool.
>Most of your shifts revolved around you sitting here.
>That was what you did as Appleoosa's sheriff.
>It had been a couple weeks since your...departure.
>You had bolted out of the castle as fast as you could, not even bothering to grab any of your gear, just a bag of bits.
>You just had to get away from the city...away from Her.
>Away from the constant influx of thoughts that came from Her head.
>And that day in particular, away from the soul crushing sadness.
>You had hopped on the first train you saw and ridden it West.
>And West...
>And West some more.
>You got off when the track had ended.
>Appleoosa.
>By some miracle it had been far enough away for you to not hear Celestia's thoughts.
>Just you...
>Alone...
>Oh well, you needed it.
>Needed time to think, to work things out.
>Or at least drown things out with your new job.
>Appleoosa had needed a sheriff when you arrived.
>You have volunteered.
>Maybe this time when you signed up to protect ponies, you wouldn't end up courting royalty or having your soul decimated.
>You took a sip of your drink.
>Dammit...you shouldn't blame Celestia.
>It wasn't her fault that all this happened...
>Voices from bar patrons behind you suddenly became louder and more angry.
>It wasn't long before one of them was tossed over a table.
>You sigh and finish off your drink.
>The more things change...

>You throw the brawlers out of the bar by their manes the same way you had done with Trixie.
"Come back when you can throw a decent right hook!"
>They try and crawl to their feet. "This aint over!"
>One of them falls to his face.
"Yes it is."
>You glare at them as they limp away, taking notice to the sound of someone approaching you from the side.
>"Well darn Anon, first you run that showboatin' street magician outa town and now your clearin' out The Applebarrel?"
"Just doin' my job Braeburn."
>Probably time for the rounds...
>Appleoosa was a fairly small town, you liked to take a patrol every so often to make sure everything was good.
>You start walking down the road with Braeburn keeping pace next to you.
>"So, how're ya takin' to your job Mister Sheriff?"
"It's a good fit."
>A good distraction too.
>"Why, I'd say that any crime of roughousin' we had out here dang near evaporated once you showed up."
>General store was clear.
"Yeah, I'm good at protecting people."
>Braeburn chuckles "That must kill with all the ladies."
>Dammit...
"I wouldn't know."
>Post office and train station were fine.
>Braeburn half-smiles up at you. "Not lookin'?"
>How the hell do you put this?
"I got out of...a kinda weird relationship before I came here."
>Braeburn slowly nodded as his understanding grew.
>"She a clingy gal?"
"That's...not too far off."

>You retreated into your home after you completed your rounds and sat around looking intimidating.
>It was a modest home, rather similar to your room back in Canterlot.
>You sat yourself down by the small writing desk.
>Damn...that got you thinking...
>You hated abandoning your post.
>You had always laid into the other guards that you caught shirking their duties, stepping out to a tavern during early morning hours or leaving without notifying someone.
>It irritated you that you had just LEFT in the state of mind you were in.
>You let out a deep sigh.
>Then again...it was a pretty weird situation...
>You just...
>It was too much to take!
>The fight with Blueblood...
>Your soul...
>Having someone else's thoughts in your head was just...
>It sent shivers up your spine at the time.
>You had FELT Celestia's thoughts.
>Felt her dreams and ambitions, her wants and desires.
>And you had felt that she was telling the truth about what she said.
>The Princess really did love you.
>You...didn't know how you felt.
>You just knew you couldn't decide with her thoughts impacting your own.
>Your hand runs through your hair.
>This was all way over your head...
>Just...Just focus on the next few hours Anon.
>And in a few hours, you'd still be the sheriff of Appleoosa.
>It was your job.

-In Canterlot-
>It had been some time since the incident with Blueblood.
>He was doing as well as you could ask given his current situation.
>You only wished you could say the same about yourself...
>Things had returned to normal all too fast once Anonymous left you that night.
>You had hoped that a night of tears alone in your room would have helped.
>They hadn't.
>This room had become your only environment the last few weeks.
>You had slept here, ate here, and done your royal duties here.
>The official reason was that your replacement bodyguard had yet to be chosen.
>The real reason was because you had refused to get another bodyguard.
>You couldn't replace him...not so soon.
>Why!? Why did you say you loved him!?
>Anon could have possibly taken the news about his soul well enough but to be told that his monarch loves him?
>You've been alive for so long you've forgotten what it's like to have news like that.
>And in your ignorance, you had scared him away.
>You had scared away the first man you've loved in CENTURIES because you were out of touch with reality.
>You laid yourself down on your bed for the umpteenth time.
>And your tears stained the sheets.

-In the nearby hills-
>You came.
>You came in small numbers as you followed the scent.
>It radiated off of this town like that of a warm meal.
>You had traveled for miles, crossing the Leylands and the entirety of the Mild West.
>Harried by vultures, sandstorms and worse. All just to follow this scent.
>And now you found it.
>Hiding in this little town of Appleoosa.
>The salty-sweet taste of it.
>Anguished love.