Today is another beautiful day in Ponyville; the birds are singing, the clouds are in a perfect arrangement for a romantic date with my special somepony, and nothing could possibly ruin today!
"Oh, what a lucky stallion I am to have such a wonderful pony in my life!" I say as I stop by to smell the flowers, wondering which ones to buy. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice some pegasai are beginning to move heavy loads to the aerial cart for delivery to Cloudsdale. They are always a busy bunch, kind of like my special someone. Well, since busy and hard work is on my mind, I think a deluxe, exotic bouquet would work perfectly. Twenty different flower species found all over Equestria, some even having to be imported from overseas. No matter how much the cost, this gift is perfect!
As I purchase the flowers, I can't help but notice the last item being delivered to Cloudsdale is a bowling ball. Having been born there, I know bowling is not a very popular sport, so I can safely assume it's either a gift or something custom made. Either way, it is of none of my concern. Only this date is on my mind. With that being said, I set off to buy my lover a box of sweets that I know they will love. Today is such a great day, I'm so luc--
"Look out below!" a voice calls out almost directly above me. I look up, lost in a day dream to see a rather large and round object coming right towards me. ... It's the bowling ball... My life, my dreams, my hopes, and my desires all rushed towards the front of my brain as I just stood there, unable to process what was about to happen. I'm the pins, and life is about to roll a strike on me. ... I'm going to... Die...
THUNK!
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I gasp for air as my hooves frantically begin to get me back up. When I actually stood up, however, I realized I was at a place I had never been before. In front of me lay countless orbs, each with what looks like different variations of Equestria, and many places I've never seen before. But somehow... I knew exactly where I was, exactly what I was looking at, and I knew that I am in fact dead.
"Good afternooon Mr. Clocks," a voice bellowed out from behind me, almost a bit happy I was here, "I see you are doing well."
Before I could even ask, I knew exactly who I was talking to. A being without a figure nor a form, but is always present in everyone's life. A being that is immortal, but is always dying. A being that, no matter how many times we try to save it, it still gets wasted away. I am talking to Father Time.
"A-Ah, S-Sir, it's a pleasure to... Meet you...?" I said unsure of my own senses as my head was filled with countless experiences I had no recollection of doing, but they all felt familiar to me somehow.
"I see your spirit is pulling together the experiences that all of the other 'yous' have experienced," Time said as he watched me in confusion, "In all honesty, I brought you here on one simple idea, but a very painful task."
"What's that?" I ask, turning around, only to be looking myself in the eyes.
"I hope you do not mind, I took on your appearance so that way you would feel comfortable, as if talking to yourself," Time said, smiling, "Anyways, this task is to pick a reality to exist whereas the others you do not pick will simply be wiped from the memories of the linear existence."
"H-Huh?"
"In short, when a being dies completely, their soul goes to the afterlife. As not to explore every possibility in some long, drawn out manner, when the being dies, all of them across every plane that involves their death will meet up in the afterlife with a collected memory. Each existence they experienced and remember, and this will help them set up a new life that they wish to pursue so they can begin a new life in a different era and different plane of existence. Unfortunately, on occasion, there is an anomaly that creates contradictions and can essentially create a 'self-paradox'. What this means is that with the combined experiences, the soul has the potential to divide. When a soul divides, it dies permanently, never to be born again and will always be forgotten, even by me. That is why I have brought you hear today. Even as we speak, paramedical ponies are rushing to your aid in multiple dimensions, trying to revive you from the bowling ball accident you just had. You must pick which reality to live in, while the others get wiped away, as if they were not there."
"Wait a second... If that happens, you said they will be wiped from existence?" I ask, a little scared of the burden I carry, "Though I may love Wallflower... Er... Amyah... Uh... Drowsy... Wait..." My head begins to spin as I recall those three names in particular. Each of those names all carry the title 'Lover' to me, but... It's as if...
"This is precisely why I brought you here. Those three, along with many others, all love you dearly. But, with these three in particular, your soul could divide into three pieces if we don't solve this conundrum soon," Time sat down in front of me, looking serious, "The reason for this is because each of them greatly affect your soul in such a way that they can completely change the way you see life itself. The three of them contradict one another, so you must look deep in your heart and decide which life is best for you."
'B-But you said th--"
"From linear existence. I am a nonlinear being, therefore I will know of them and reassign them to where I see fit. The only difference is that you won't be there."
"I see..." I say with a huge sigh of relief, "So all I have to do is pick who I, my soul, will be the happiest with?"
"That is correct," Time said with a nod, "Because ultimately, life is not about suffering and hardships. It's about the memories you make with those you love, those you want to be with for eternity, and those you can share a laugh with. All I ask of you is that you pick who you will be happiest with, and I'll do the rest."
I nod as I begin to ponder multiple thoughts all at once. None of them originally mine, but are at the same time. I need to carefully weigh my decisions and analyze my own personal values and see which pony matches them the most.
Wallflower is a very shy and timid pony who has sacrificed everything to be with me. Upon seeing me, she claims it was love at first sight, and has been following me around ever since. Being a great companion and friend, she does literally just about anything I ask, making her quite appealing. She has quite literally dedicated herself to me and wants to be with me no matter what. Even with our ups and downs, she has been with me through it all, never once losing faith in us, saying we were meant to be.
Amyah, rather, Ami, is a very assertive pony who has worked hard to get to where she's at. Being very competitive, she has managed to thrash the competition in her own business along with anyone who wanted to be my lover before we started dating and even now, after we've been together for a very long time. She's exceptionally caring, and she even set out to make sure she would be the one I picked to date just to make sure she could take care of me. She is very protective and wants to start a family soon, that way we can raise the perfect foals together.
Drowsy is a very friendly pony whom I have known since I graduated high school. Her talent being sleeping, she tends to be fast asleep in random places. To many, this seems like a handicap, but to her, she always smiles because she loves to dream about an amazing future and work hard towards it. Having never given up on a dream before, she always works hard to make others smile, even if she isn't feeling great herself. She's very admirable and very determined. Her dream is to become a DJ, but not be so famous that she can't have her own personal life. She and I came to an agreement that it would be best if we started dating because we got along so smoothly with one another, it just felt natural to do it.
And here I am, thinking about which mare I want to be with, having fond memories with each of them... I have to tear myself away from two of them permanently and spend my life with the other. The worst part is that I know I won't remember any of this, and that two out of three of the loves of my life will be forgotten by me. The more I think about it though... The easier my choice becomes. All three mares contradict one another, one dedicating her life to me, one dedicated to keep all others away from me in a sense, and the other dedicated to making sure no matter what, we would have wake up and greet the day with a smile. I know for some, one of the other ponies is probably perfect for them, as they are to me when I look at them up close. But, looking at them from a distance, I know for a fact that I couldn't be happy with all three of them in the afterlife. After all... I just really want to enjoy life to its fullest. The only pony who I was truly meant for is--
"Have you made a decision Mr. Clocks?" Time asks, as though he knows exactly what happened.
"Yes Sir, I have," I say smiling, "I want to be with her," I point towards the orb with the mare I can't wait to see again.
"I see. That is the life you choose, huh?" he asked, as if to know my answer is common sense, "Truthfully, I knew this would be the on you picked. If I may offer advice to you, I may recommend that you step to your right when you wake up."
"My time is limited here?" I ask, wanting to learn more about how time works.
"I'm afraid so, though you won't remember this, I definitely will," Time said as he began to phase out. Before I knew it, I felt the weight of flowers in my hooves again. The perfect bouquet for the perfect mare...
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"Look out below!" a voice calls out almost directly above me. I look up, lost in a day dream to see a rather large and round object coming right towards me. ... It's the bowling ball... Without any hesitation though, I jump towards my right. The large ball crashes down right in front of me, creating a small crater where I was once standing. To think... If I had gone left, the flowers would not have made it out of this mess. Personally, I don't think that would've killed me. At the worst, I may have been knocked out. Either way, I'm glad these flowers and myself is safe. It would be a shame if Drowsy couldn't see these after all. Honestly, I can't imagine being with anyone else other than her. I think she and I are meant to be, and I am glad it is the way it is. She and I are perfect for one another.
I dust myself off and start heading towards her house, and before I know it, I am smiling, though the date hasn't started yet, I know it will be amazing, just like every time before this and every time after this. She is my little treasure and I will always treat her as such. And, as always, as I approach her door, I get butterflies in my stomach. I knock on the door as a thought crosses my mind...
"Today is the first day of the rest of my life... I'm glad I'm here doing exactly what I love with who I love. I know for a fact that I am a lucky stallion because I have no regrets in my life. I truly am one of the happiest ponies in the world. Thank you to whatever being or force made this possible. I owe you one," I say to myself as the door opens. Once again, I am greeted with a beautiful smile and warm love from the pony I love most. I love you Drowsy, and I promise I always will.