Is this how it ends?

by Slick Dash

was it a drunken fantasy?

My hand, the one which bore the symbol of my talent and passion, was blank. No rainbow mark spread across the back, and no wheel followed by a trail of fire gleamed at me. All there was, was blank cream skin. If it wasn’t for the coat that I still clung to, you could have said it had all been a dream. Equestria, Celestia...Dash, all of it! My mind raced at a million miles an hour and all I could do was watch as small glimpses of the last year of my life were all cast into doubt.

Sweet Apple Acres, the library, Sugar Cube Corner... Mine and Dash’s house. Who was to say that it hadn’t all just been some drunken fantasy! No. Even without my precious coat I would know it had all been true, my imagination wasn’t grand enough to create that beautiful world filled with wonder! The world where my friends now waited for me. But as I thought of the group of ponies, a slight nagging sensation passed through the back of my mind.

Were they waiting for me? My head explodes with pain, I fall back to the ground drenching my knees in even more mud! My eyes are squeezed shut, but something is forcing them open! Something is trying to make me see! I give in, and my lids snap open. Rainbow Dash looks down on me miserably, tears not far from her eyes the wall behind her is white, sterile and cold. The pain subsided, and as it did, so did the vision of my love.

I finally remembered where I had been before I fell asleep. I had been in hospital, in Equestria. There had been an accident in the car and I had been banged up pretty badly. I remembered being scared. The fear of imminent death had made me lunge forward and kiss my darling Rainbow Dash one last time before I passed away. On that night... I had died. So how was I breathing? I could even swear I heard the sound of a heart monitor flat lining in the back of my mind.

I checked my watch, ten in the morning. The accident had happened around midnight, and then something like two or three hours in the hospital, or at least that’s how it had felt. So I’d been ‘dead’ for just over six hours. Was this heaven? NO! More like hell for me! Heaven would be with Rainbow and all my friends, after the brightness and happiness of Equestria this world looked cold, grey and heartless.

I slowly brought myself back to my feet. My head swam terribly from the pain I’d suffered only moments ago. I steadied myself and began to walk across the field before me, away from the roads and the city. I headed towards the wilderness, I could see lines of tree’s in the distance. If I walked towards the harmony of nature maybe I could find my way back to Equestria.

What was it Celestia had said all those months ago?
“You went there, and heard the sounds of your home. You could have gone then, if your heart had truly wished it. But you still stand here in Equestria, which means your heart didn’t wish to leave.” I was amazed with how vivid the memory was in my dazed and tired state of mind. Heart... If being in Equestria or earth was a matter of what the heart wanted, than surely I could just walk straight into Equestria. Earth held no ties for me anymore, not while I knew the pony I loved was so far away from me.

My walk broke out into a jog, I clenched my eyes shut and thought only of Rainbow Dash. My jog became a sprint, and I whispered her name, more out of instinct than conscious choice. “Rainbow!” I opened my eyes, and saw a tree headed straight for my face. I turned sharply, barely missing its barbed branches.

I skidded to a halt, I was in a forest! I let out a triumphant yell! I was back in Equestria! It was THAT simple, just run and wish it with all your heart! I smiled and twirled on the spot absorbing the sights, then I saw daylight from the direction I had come from. I ten noticed the absence of birds chirping and little creatures darting around the forest, I saw my own muddy footprints headed out across a field. In the distance I could see a boggy patch of mud. I hadn’t gotten to Equestria, I had only reached the tree line at the end of the field.

I sighed, my chest was tight with so much work from so little food in my stomach. Tiredness and fear set in. What if I couldn’t get back? How had I EXACTLY gotten there the first time? Did I need a car to get there like before? Hopelessness set in slowly, but I didn’t let it take me completely yet! What was that city? It looked as though it was the middle of the day, so it would be busy. I could find some food, get some rest in a dark corner of a back alley. Then I could figure out my next move. Or I could stay out in the wild and hope for some sort of miracle.

I hated the idea of returning to human civilisation, but I had to. I needed to eat, or I would starve! And so with a heavy heart, I headed back to the world of my old life. The life I had left behind over a year ago when I had first set eyes on that beautiful Pegasus, and realised I was in love.

It took a few hours to reach the centre of the city, it was horribly loud and noisy! Each car blasted its horn every five minutes, the people shouted and talked far too loudly and people all looked angry. Had earth changed since I had been gone? Or was it just that my perception had changed? Equestria was a beautifully quite and tranquil place even in the cities, and after seeing that life and comparing it to this one. Well, I knew which one I preferred.

Comments

[DashWithRainbows]

I HAVE SO MANY MIXED POSITIVE EMOTIONS ABOUT THIS STORY THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND I FEEL LIKE SHOUTING THIS, SO ROYAL CAPSLOCK IT IS.

[Slick Dash]

299067 I...think thats good...
So what you hoping for by the end? anypony?

[DashWithRainbows]

299082

I'm sure many would go for that he returns to equestria

I'm hoping for this BUT I'm not keeping my hopes up just in case he doesn't. Not to mention he could arrive at a completely different equestrian timeline for that matter (E.g. Rainbow is much older / May have passed away or she hasn't been born yet.)

You have to try and expect the unexpected sometimes because the writer can completely take it somewhere else.

Still great story though :3

[Slick Dash]

299112 thank you good sir

[Derpy_pie]

Hi, I've read a fair amount of fan fiction in mlpfm, and from a fellow brony I would like to say the rainbow dash/ Tom series is one of the best ive ever seen! You sir have a great mind of an author, I've read so far every chapter of the series and I'm sucked in, even tho i am a guy I cried at least twice when reading both My little dream girl ( which is my favorite fan fiction) and A time of sadness, I can't wait for each chapter. And how u switched points of view from Tom to rainbow and now back to Tom I like it, it's refreshing. So I hope you read this and are happy because u deserve praise. Also just a personal thing I hope rainbow and Tom are together again but Ill honestly be happy with however this story goes. So I'll keep reading regularly so keep up the good work!

[8chill]

You're at it again I see. Bringing forth the turmoil of your readers as the hopelessly follow at your whim.
You love it don't you.

Loving it, waiting for the next one.

~8chill

[Slick Dash]

299540 thank you, so much. I'm so pleased that you like this series so much! really, thankyou!

[kbrony]

I see that my own dream of your writing style is coming to its full potential. I know I'm selfish
anyway I think that you have chosen a great new original idea for a story. the creativity it there, but I still think that you can get even deeper and deeper with the darkness and parallel universes, then again its only chapter two. As of right now I have no clue where this story is going which is GOOD! ( I think just to help you out once your story gets a little more complete I might send you messages about what I think is happening so as a writer you can see whether your keeping us on our toes or not) Thats all I have to say for this story so far. I can't wait to see what events happen next!

[fire]

god im mad and glad at the same time i m mad because tom is back in human world but glad that he is alive so keep the story coming its to good to stop