//------------------------------// // Not Alone? // Story: Chance Of A Lifetime // by Yzanburg //------------------------------// Chapter 2 The closer I got to the cottage, the more and more I began to worry about what had just happened. "What the hell was that? She touched me... Nothing has EVER touched me before." I said aloud as I slowed my pace to a stop just outside the cottage door. "What if she tries to hurt me? No... she ran away like she was scared of me... actually, that may be grounds to REALLY hurt me!" With worry growing stronger and taking a hold of my mind I turned to just leave the little house behind and pretend like the encounter with the yellow pegasus with the long pink mane never happened. *crreeeeeek* 'Oh hell...' I thought as I turned around to see the cottage door slightly ajar. "uhm... Hi?" *SLAM* "Well that went well..." I said as I gently walked up to the door once again and lightly knocked a few times. I heard a quiet 'eep' from the other side of the door and some furniture getting bumped before it was completely silent. "Hello? I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay in there?" I asked as sincere as I could. I still wasn't used to being seen or anything like that so this was actually the first time I've ever spoken to anything. Needless to say I was pretty terrified. All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind ranging from angry mobs to being tortured in a dungeon before I heard light hoofsteps coming from behind the door. As it slowly creeked open once again I could faintly make out the pink hue of her mane and a lone eye peeking out at me. It looked like she was shaking and clearly she did not want to be near me at the moment. "Uh, hello miss..." I glanced at her expectantly as I waited for her name, I don't really know much about conversing with others. "Fluttershy" I heard her squeak out. It was incredibly quiet but I could just make it out so I didn't have to ask again. "Sorry about scaring you back there..." I said cautiously, not knowing quite where to begin with the whole no ones ever seen or felt me before. "But, you CAN see me... can't you? I mean, I know you can but... how?" I questioned. This was all so bizarre to me and I didn't know how to broach the subject without sounding insane. She gave me a bit of a perplexed look as she opened the door a little further and stuck her hear out, peering left and right cautiously before stepping all the way out of her house. "Um... yes?" She questioned, almost as quietly as she had said her name. There was only one thing that came to mind as I stared off into space for a second, trying to get words together in my head. "...How?" Wow brain, you're just on fire today. Again she gave me a perplexed look before she began to speak, all be it with a bit more power behind her voice. "W-what do you mean, how? Can't everyone see you?" She seemed quite confused and I really don't blame her for that so I guess I had to explain a little bit. "Honestly? No... You're the first being to ever even acknowledge my existence. How can you see me?" I asked, a little sad and a little frantic. This whole conversation shouldn't be happening right now, and yet it feels... nice. Almost... right, in a way. As if it was meant to happen. But why now? and of all the beings I've outlived, why a pony? She seemed quite shocked at first before getting a thoughtful look on her face, which soon morphed into one of sadness. "You mean... You've never had a friend before? Or someone to talk to?" she asked with a morose tone to her voice, looking down at the ground beneath her hooves and scuffing the dirt. "Actually, usually things just phase right through me. You're the first living being to even know I was here. The first thing I've ever held a conversation with since I've been alive..." I said sullenly as I turned my eyes to the dirt as well. She let out a gasp of surprise which caused me to take a quick step back. "Oh my goodness you poor thing!" She said as she fluttered her wings to be at eye level with me. "How long has it been this way for you? Oh... uhm, if you don't mind my asking that is..." She lowered herself back to the ground and averted her gaze once again, a light blush covering her cheeks. 'Was she embarrassed?' I thought to myself as I looked back down to her face, pink locks of hair covering her eyes. "Let's just say it's been like this for a very long time..." I said with a touch of sadness in my voice. Instantly I felt a warm presence around my chest and neck and it took me a minute to register that I was being hugged. Indeed, for the first time in my entire existence, another living creature was hugging me, and I could not have been happier. Getting over my initial shock, I hugged her back as I felt something wet rolling down my cheeks. Was I crying? Why? Why was I crying at a time like this, shouldn't I be happy? That's when I realized I was smiling as well. These were happy tears because for once in my life I was actually here. I wasn't just a ghost drifting my way through life. I was noticed. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed, causing me to let her go and step back in embarrassment. Quickly wiping my cheeks with a sleeve I looked back up at the little pegasus before me. "We have to go see Twilight!" Twilight? I thought. "She has to know a way to help you!" She seemed really excited by this before she looked at my face and worry began to cross hers. "What's wrong?" She asked cautiously. I guess the worry in my head had spread across my face because I caught myself frowning as she mentioned whom I was guessing was her friend. "Nothing... it's just, no one else in this town seemed to see me but you, and no one in my entire life has seen me before, except you." She seemed to catch on to what I was saying as she looked back down to that oh so interesting dirt. "I just don't think anyone will believe you about me. To them, I don't exist." I said with a hint of sadness behind my voice. She kept her eyes glued to the ground for what felt like minutes before she looked up at me, a determined look in her eyes. "Then I'll make them believe!"