> Is this how it ends?
>  by Slick Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Waking up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My limbs were cold; every inch of my body ached and groaned. I moved my arm slightly, something pushing into the crook of my elbow as I do. My eyes parted slightly to give a hazy view of the world around me. It was just a physical effort to open my eyes! I nearly fazed back out into unconsciousness out of exhaustion, but I just held on... barely. I look to my arm; the thing pushing against me is a drip. Was I in a hospital? 

I Notice a shape just ahead of me. It’s blurred and foggy. As my eyes accustom to the light surrounding me, the shape comes into view. She’s here. Her blue coat was clumped and dirty, spatters of blood danced in the light over her usually pristine coat. Her mane is dishevelled and though it consisted of the same colours of the rainbow as it always had, its brightness seemed to have gone completely.

Rainbow, Rainbow Dash was here with me. The pony I loved with every fibre of my soul, the one I had fought my own human insecurities for, and had finally become the man who she loved, and who loved her back completely. She sat only a few inches away. If opening my eyes was an effort, than speaking was a damned mission! My lips moved for what seemed like hours, and yet no sound would come out. Sharp pain emitted from inside my chest whenever I breathed, or tried to push out sound. But I eventually was able to ask, “What ... happened?” she gave me a half smile of relief as I spoke to her.

My name is Tom, I’m a human. I live in a world filled with talking ponies known as Equestria, and that...was the last time I saw my true love smile before I died in the dark and cold of my own sleep merely hours after that sad, sad smile.

..........................................


I lurch awake! I’m screaming! My head feels as though it’s on fire, and my heart, well that just feels nonexistent for the moment as it seems not to be beating. Suddenly, almost like a punch to the chest, the muscle inside me begins to move again! Where in Equestria am I? I’m sat on mud, I can tell that from the damp feeling seeping through the material of my clothes. Dear Celestia it’s cold! That was the first hint, I’d only ever been this cold in Equestria once! And that had been when I was nearly dying of hypothermia! 

But to say I had only felt this cold once in my life was wrong, I had felt it many times before. Just not in Equestria. I blocked out the obvious and tried to figure out where I was. Turning my head I saw that I was in a ditch, the mud around me was thick and copious. I stood and wiped the brown sludge off of myself before starting my assault on the slope to my right, out of the ditch and into sunlight!

I took a long time, too much exertion caused my head to pound wildly, and yet if I took too long I would slide back down to where I’d started. So I took a deep breath and braced myself for pain, then I ran as hard as I could up the steep little hill. I made it, and once I reached the ridge I let out my breath with a huge sense of relief. Then the pain in my head began anew! I yelled with discomfort and clutched at my skull as the pain became unbearable. I leant over and retched, but nothing came out. I realised that my stomach felt completely empty. How long was I out for? How had I gotten here? Where was here?

I heard something, like the sound of rushing wind, but louder. It built to a climax and then ebbed away quickly. The sound was unbelievably familiar! It began again, and through the haze of pain I listened carefully. The noise built and there was something else building with it, a pulse? No, a beat? The noise of the rushing wind and music built up to a crescendo and then ebbed away yet again. My heart began to sink, further and further into my stomach. Those...were cars!

I staggered my way across the flat grassy verge I stood upon, and headed towards the origin of the sounds. I large line of shrubs blocked my path, and as I fast approached it I saw through the spaces of its branches, there were shapes, passing unbelievably fast behind the bush. The realisation sank in even before I parted the leaves and looked out ahead.

Car after car streamed past my hiding spot, down a huge 3 lane dual carriageway. All of them were headed for the same thing; a huge bustling mass of towering structures. It was a city, nothing like Manehatton. It was a human city, I bit my lip hard. I was back on earth! Celest- God help me!

I stood, making my mind up. I wouldn’t go anywhere near the human settlement! I’d turn around and head for Equestria, wherever that was. And so I did turn around and walked back to the ditch I had awoken in. I looked down into the mud filled crack in the ground, you could see where I had been lying. There was almost an angel shaped dent slowly slipping away as the mud seeped over the impression. And just to its side...

I jumped with sudden and honest terror! I tore my way back down the steep incline. I Slipped and skidded down the rest of the slope, landing with a horrible squelch. I didn’t care! What I had seen was what was most important! My fingers scooped away the sludge feverishly, it was cold and disgusting work but I didn’t falter for a moment! Finally I had cleared enough mud to find what I had seen from above, so I plunged my hand into the bog and pulled it out from the ground.  

It was covered in brown sludge, its black material most probably ruined but yet it was still my coat! The one given to me by all my friends in Ponnyville, from Dash. My heart panged with a sudden longing! What had happened to Dash? Was she back in Equestria? How could I get back to her? As I clutched the piece of clothing tightly in my fist, my eye caught a glimpse of my right hand. My jaw dropped at the sight!

> 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.

> HUMANS!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the day passed on, the sky became darker. In Manehatton that would mean the streets would become quieter, but here they seemed to become even more crowded as the night wore on! I was jostled about, buffeted from shoulder to shoulder of every passing human. I felt enclosed, I had never suffered from claustrophobia but this must have been what it felt like.

I saw an opening to an alleyway, so I bolted for it! desperate to escape the dreaded confines of the crowds. I Stumbled into the sudden quiet and dark of the pathway and it felt as though someone had flicked on a mute button. There was nothing but quiet. I let out a sigh of relief at the absence of the noise from before. 

I wandered through the maze of alleyways taking my time, trying to find a place to sleep. An alley behind a restauraunt would be ideal! That way I could steal whatever scraps were left at the end of the day. After all, I had no money from this world, Or Equestria. I still held the coat close to me, it was still sopping wet and I was sure it would soon be ruined if I didn’t find a way to dry off the mud before it seeped in and stained the fabric. 

I turned a corner, and a beautiful sight welcomed me. Warmth! There was a large metal bin, inside it someone had lit a fire. Without thought, I ran towards the beautiful flames. When I approached them waves of ecstasy washed over me as my water and mud soaked clothes began to bake under the heat. It was wonderful. 

My sight dropped down to the black coat in my hand and a memory flashed across my mind. Would it still work here? I was torn, either I let it get ruined forever, or I can risk losing it forever for the chance of restoring it to its former glory. I weighed the options, would Twilights spell still hold on the coat, could it resist fire still? If so the mud would dry and crumble away! It would be just like the day I got it! But if it didn’t work, and I lost it... I couldn’t risk it.

I heard steps from behind me, soft ones. They weren’t the kind of soft steps from a delicate being like Fluttershy, they were secretive and deceitful. I slowly turned to see a kid, not much younger than me. When he saw me he began to laugh! “Guy’s its fine! I told you it wasn’t a cop; it’s just a fucking tramp!” He began to laugh harder, his friends slowly emerged from the shadowy areas of the alley. They seemed timid to begin with, but as they realised their friend was right they began to laugh.

I felt awkward, they were obviously laughing at ME as well as their own situation. I smiled sheepishly, begin to laugh with them, trying not to step on anyone’s toes and simply stay out of trouble. The first boy realised I was laughing, and he stopped abruptly. “Think that’s funny do you?! Enjoy trying to scare the shit out of people for fun do you?!” Why such strong language? No matter the anger you felt, there was never a need to curse. Yet another lesson from ponnyville.

The young man began to approach me. “Think you’re funny? Think you’re better than us? Well sorry to say mate, but we aint the ones covered in shit!” He cast a disapproving eye over my filthy clothes and coat still clutched in my hands. He smiled horribly and his eyes gleamed. He began to approach me quickly. One of his friends piped up.
“Come on Joe leave the guy alone!” but his plea went unanswered by his friend. The first boy was now right against my face, his breath stank of alcohol, so much so I actually retched slightly. My moment of weakness didn’t go unnoticed. 

He pushed my chest back, and by rear collided with the bin behind me. A few flames caught my back, they didn’t set anything alight but they were still uncomfortable to say the least! “What’s the matter?!” The youth yelled at me. “cold? Well then how about we warm up those clothes of yours hey?!” He grabbed hold of the coat in my hand, and began to pull at it hard. I panicked for a moment as I feared the fabric would tear, but it stayed intact. 

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was cut short to the feeling of a huge weight being thrown into my stomach! It was the youths knee and it ploughed into my centre so hard that I lost grip on reality for a moment. My grip slackened, and I felt my beloved coat slip from my grasp.

I slumped to the ground in pain, all I could do was watch as the youth stood over me laughing as he cast the coat, my coat, DASH’S COAT! Into the fiery inferno in the metal container. I reached up, as if I could summon the fabric into my hand. But my before my fingers got anywhere near the rim of the metal bin. The boys foot ploughed into my side. I coughed loudly out of both surprise and a sudden shooting pain the kick had sent through my chest.

His friends stood around, not joining in, but also not helping me. They simply stood there. HUMANS! I began to cry, the pain in both my body and soul reached it’s peak. Loud bursts escaped me with every thundering blow from the attackers foot, which only seemed to antagonize him! He continued with pride, his foot slowly travelling up towards my head with each terrible kick! I closed my eyes, ready to feel my head slowly caving in.

Nothing came, for as the attacker finished his last strike. A loud voice echoed from the end of the alleyway. “OI! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING! GET AWAY FROM HIM!” The voice was another male, angry and loud! I opened my eyes to see the three young men running to the open street behind them. I looked back in the direction of my saviour’s voice to see him running towards me. He crouched over me and pushed the sweat and mud coated hair out of my face. “Oh my god! You’re only a fucking kid!” he threw his arms under my shoulders and hoisted me up. “Come on, you’re not that badly hurt are yah boy? You need a hospital? Or just a place to stay?” His questions drifted over me, I was almost unconscious, I was tired, I was beaten and I was miserable. 

“No!” I had realized what was missing! I turned, finding some untapped reserve of strength. I pull myself away from my hero, and stagger towards the fire. “My coat!” 
“It’s just a coat kid!”
“NO! My, my baby’s coat! Dash...It’s dash’s coat! It’s...It...” my feet stumbled and I fell to the ground. I reached out with all my might, somehow the tips of my fingers curled around the rim of the bin and pulled it down with me as I fell. I heard the mysterious man shout out in surprise and hurry over. I felt his hands trying to pull me back to my feet but I swiped his hand away. The contents of the bins spread out across the floor, most of it was powdered ash. But pieces of it the old items still remained.

No coat! I scraped away at the white powder speckling it with dark circles as my tears fell down upon it. It can’t have burned that quickly! Something soft! I cried out with joy, and pulled out a half burnt teddy bear. “NO!” I dive back into the refuse, I must look crazy but yet the man stayed there behind me. 
“Uhhh, kid?” I ignored him.
“My baby’s coat, where is it! Come on baby help me!” I prayed for an unseen Rainbow Dash to help, but she never flew in triumphantly holding the coat in her teeth. 
“KID!” I whirled around, tears streaming from my eyes. I glared at the man who had saved me, why was he interrupting? 

He merely looked at me, and with a cold voice he said “By your feet.” I shuffled backwards across the floor, releasing clouds of ash into my eyes. Soft material! He was right! I brushed away all the flakes of ash, and there it lay. There were no longer any dark patches of mud and water across it, I could hardly even recognise it. It was pristine, as faultless as the day I had first seen it! The fire had burnt all of the mud and water away, but the coat had remained untarnished. 

I held it close to myself, the scent of berries emitted from the inside and it reminded me of home, of the meadows and orchards in ponyville, of the near complete vegetarian meals I had live on for the last year. Home, Equestria, Ponyville...Dash. They were all with me in that moment! That dark alley on earth was now the shining realm of Celestia’s rule for a few short seconds. 

The stranger cleared his throat. “So, you’ve got your coat back. You still want that place to sleep?” I looked up into the face, it looked familiar in some way but it was too dark to be sure. I beamed like a little child, and nodded joyfully. Then with that last bit of effort, my body shut down. My legs shook under my weight. Though I kept the coat close to my chest, the arms that held it grew heavy. My vision began to blur...then fade.....then black out entirely.

> Time to get up kiddo!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, budge up!” Rainbow pushed me in the back, trying to make me move, giggling as she did so. 
“Oooohhhh, I think I’m too tired. I don’t think I CAN move!” I said, slumping over the top of her. 
“No! Stop it! I’m falling off Tom!” she pushed even harder as she tipped over the side of the bed. I finally gave in and let myself role back onto my side of the mattress. The rainbow mare scrambled for a second, trying to stay on the sheets. When she was secure she looked at me.

“You think you’re so funny don’t you!” She said, unable to hide her amused smile. 
“Well you obviously do to. So I guess the two of us can’t be wrong.” I stretched out and lay my hands under my head, nuzzling into the deep pillow beneath me. Dash laughed again, she shifted until she was right next to me. 
“I suppose so. But there’s is another thing we can agree on.” I turned my head.
“And that is?” 

She smirked at me, I could tell that something was coming. I braced myself, ready to throw off any attack or object she sent my way in jest. “You...” Her eyes travelled to my side, “Are too easily distracted.” I frowned at her for a moment.
“What do you me”- her wings shot out to her sides, I backed away in shock and fell with a resounding thump on to the wooden floor. From my new found position I could hear Dash perfectly, she was laughing hard. I peered over the side of the bed to see her on her back rolling about with joy. 

“Oh so now who’s the comedian?!” I yelled as I quickly got to my feet and grabbed her playfully. The two of us tossed around wrestling for a few moments. Finally she stopped pushing against me and relaxed, and I did the same. She was beneath me now, She looked up at me with those big pink eyes and smiled. 
“Hi...” she said quietly. She was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen, simply lying there gazing up at me with that beautiful expression on her face.
“Hi...” I replied just as quietly. We lay there for a moment, simply gazing at one another. She began to crane her neck up towards me, her eyes shutting as she moved closer. I leant in and met her lips without argument. 

We lay there simply kissing one another. Her tongue was hot and excited, my own struggled to keep up with her eager flicks and movements. My hand travelled up her body, ruffling the fur on her back as my fingers travelled to her Rainbow mane. Her forelegs wrapped around my neck, pulling me in closer to her. 

My hand travelled back down her body and towards her flank, as small gasp of enjoyment escaped Dash’s lips between kisses as she felt my fingers stroke and curve around her shapely figure. She leaned to one side, pulling me along with her as she did so. Suddenly our roles reversed, as I fell to my side she continued to move with the momentum. She now lay on top of me, leaning down to me as we continued. 

She pulled herself away, leaning on her haunches that rested on my legs. “I’d say we have this whole thing pretty much sorted out now!” When I looked at her puzzled she giggled and gave me a playful slap on my chest. “You know... this. Us. In...well...bed.” She blushed scarlet and tried to look away in embarrassment of her outburst, but I caught hold of her face with my right hand and met her gaze.
“Actually I think you could leave it at ‘We have THIS sorted out’” She smiled at me with those stunning teeth, and leant back in. Her lips were merely inches from mine, and her foreleg began to travel down my chest towards my waist...

“RIGHT! ENOUGH SLEEPING! GET UP!” the scene froze. I stared as the image before me, Dash began to melt away into a dark musty ceiling. My Dash, that night had been only a few weeks ago, and yet it seemed a lifetime away! A red face appeared above me, his orange hair catching in the light seeping from a crack in the wall. “Time to get up kiddo! You need some food.” Still in half a dreamlike state I rubbed my eyes and laughed.
“Since when have you called me ‘kiddo’ Big Mac?” There was a grunt from the figure before me, it sounded confused. 

As I looked on, the illusion shattered. It wasn’t Big Macintosh, it was just a man. He looked at me with  raised eyebrow, obviously curious to the name I’d called him. “Oh, I’m sorry.” I gushed, raising my hands to chest height. “I thought you were sompon- somebody else.” The figure grunted again and moved to a small table where there sat some bread and water. 

I took a moment to look around, the walls were bare and filthy. Cracks ran across the plaster like many small black spider webs, and the floor was covered with a stained and discoloured carpet. What a horrible place! My distain obviously showed on my face, because the man on the other side of the room suddenly grew short tempered. “Well, it’s not a castle! But it’s sure as hell better than sleeping out on the streets!” 

I looked down at my knees in shame, I didn’t speak to lessen the chance of me insulting this kind stranger even more. Kind stranger... I rose to my feet and slowly made my way to the food waiting for me. My feet were heavy, and my side was soar from where I’d been attacked. “Y-You were the one who...”
“Saved you from that little turd beating the living hell out of you last night?” He didn’t look happy at what he had done, neither did he look annoyed. He simply sounded violent and angry whenever he spoke.
“Y-Yeah...” I couldn’t help but think of how much I sounded like Fluttershy. 

I took a slice of bread, and tore into it with sudden unknown hunger. The man chuckled as he watched me rip through the weak food in seconds. “So I was right, you haven’t eaten for a few days. You looked like hell when I found you, and I mean besides all the mud and bruises.” He seemed to look genuinely concerned for me for one moment as a look of worry creased his brow. “How old are you? 18? 19? What the hell are you doing out on the streets? Shouldn’t you be at home?” 

I laughed, “That’s where I’m trying to get to...” I was solemn with thought. All I could think of was getting home to Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, quiet little Fluttershy, spike, and of course Rainbow Dash. “Look, thank you for saving me last night. Really, thank you! But I’m sorry I need to get going.” The man looked a little taken aback, had I said something wrong?
“Y-you’re a little too polite buddy, It’s... abnormal for these parts, but...I guess you’re welcome.” Too Polite? I didn’t really think there was such a thing, Every second in this world just showed me how I no longer belonged there. Even if this was the world I was born in, it wasn’t my home. 

I turned back to my bed to pick up my only belonging, It wasn’t over my back after all. The mattress was bare, nothing lay on it. I turned around the room, suddenly worried and anxious. Where was-
“If you’re looking for your coat, I took it into my room for safe keeping. Didn’t want it falling down the back of the bed or behind a desk, after all...” He exited the room and beckoned me to follow him. “It was important enough for you to nearly set yourself on fire to get it back.”  

We entered a small sitting room, and there folded over the back of a chair was my beloved coat. “Thank god!” I rushed over to the black garment and snatched it up. The nameless man watched as I put it on, when I stood there fully dressed he commented on my appearance very quietly. 
“You know, you look like a completely different man with that thing on.” I laughed for the first time in days. I WAS a different man, because the fact that this coat wasn’t damaged meant one thing: Magic still worked in this world! I could return to Equestria, if I found some more!

> An incident
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later I leafed the small unkempt house, waving goodbye to the only human to show me kindness since my return to earth. I began to trudge through the slowly building crowds as the morning went on. The noise was still unbearable, but this time I didn’t risk heading into the back streets. 

My heart felt light with the knowledge that magic was possible here, the fact that I could most likely make my way back home because of it. I just needed to figure out how. A loud horn shocked me out of my reverie, I looked up to see a taxi stopped to my side. The driver was mad and was shouting insults at me that I couldn’t hear through the thick glass. 

I was stood in the middle of the road, in the process of crossing it while all other people watched at the sides in shock. I then felt a small hand take hold of my sleeve and pull me across the rest of the road. I looked down to see a small red headed girl, no more than seven years old, pulling me across the road to safety. As I noticed her, I registered two more sets of hands on my back. I tried to look over my shoulder, but whoever they were, they were too short.

The crowd parted as my little troop pushed me to the side of a building, and released me. The two from behind me let go and came around so I could see them, one had long flowing brown hair that was full and bouncy, set against very pale skin. The other’s hair was close cropped and scruffy, her skin was an olive tone. The red headed one began to speak. 

“You ok mister?” I nodded at them and smiled, they reminded me of...something.
“Yeah, I guess I was a bit distracted.” I laughed half heartedly, and the girls all beamed up at me.
“Well I guess we’re glad you’re ok.” Said the olive skinned girl. 
“Yeah! Who knows what would have happened if you stayed stood there!” Exclaimed the small bouncy haired girl. Her friends looked at her with dismay.
“He’d have been hit!” They said in unison. I realised who they reminded me of!

A flash of pain shot through my skull, my vision seemed to flash with white for a moment before it settled. I cried out in pain and clutched my head. As I looked at the three girls, their faces swam out of focus and were replaced by the faces of three little filly’s. The cutiemark crusades now stood before me smiling and giggling. I heard a shuffle from behind me, I turned to see Spike backing away slowly.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I turned back to the filly’s who all held a strip of rope by their forelegs.
“Cutiemark crusader’s DRAGON RIDERS!” 

I heard hurried high healed footsteps, “Girls! Get away from that man!” The vision snapped out of existence and so did the pain. I lowered my hands timidly and looked up to see a mother shooing away her three children from what must have seemed like a raving lunatic. 

I didn’t care about the eyes that stared at me from every passer by, my mind was a million miles away. What was that? It hadn’t been a memory! I’d never seen that event in my life, so that meant either my mind was unravelling... or I had just fazed back into Equestria for a moment! My right hand began to itch slightly, I looked down at the blank flesh. Was that itch a coincidence? Or was it something else?

My finger tips began to tingle strangely. I looked at them, they seemed to appear normal so why did they feel so...hot? I stretched them out for a moment, relieving some of the tingling sensation momentarily. But when I relaxed them the sensation came back again. I stared as my fingers seemed to act on their own, my right middle finger and my thumb approached each other slowly. They met, and began to push against each other. Suddenly the finger slipped and slammed down into my hand with an almighty SNAP!

Close by there was a multi-storey car park, and through the columns that made up its walls I saw a car. It’s lights bust on, and its alarm began to sound loudly! The car next to it did the same only a second later. And the car after that. The effect rippled across the ground floor of the car park, making a huge racket in the process. My jaw was hanging open now as I stared back at my fingers, who merely hung there on my hand innocently.

Panicking now, I forced my hands into my pockets and rushed away. What the hell just happened? That was magic! But on a scale I’d never used it before! I know my magic had been unique in Equestria, I had the ability to make a car almost drive itself, and to activate any function inside it without hitting a switch. But that was... unbelievable! I had set off the alarm function of well over one hundred cars with a snap of my fingers and without thinking.

I shook my head to clear it from such stupid problems. It didn’t help me get back to Equestria, so it could wait until later. Equestria...Had I actually just nearly made it back? How? I hadn’t been thinking about home, In fact at that moment I was sure my heart hadn’t even “Desired” to go, because it was distracted by the three little girls. I had seen Spike! That little dragon I had grown so fond of. Actually, he wasn’t that LITTLE anymore. He had definitely been around the height of my shoulder, so that wasn’t MY Equestria. Had it been a vision of the future? Celestia was rumoured to be able to see future events, so it wasn’t unheard of at least!

CELESTIA! When I had wanted to return to earth so long ago, I had yelled her name and she had arrived. She had shown all sorts of knowledge between our worlds. She knew the reason I couldn’t return to earth back then, and with her power she could probably pop in and out of dimensions in a blink of an eye! She’d know! I just had to find a quiet place to call her, I was so close now I couldn’t risk being caught by people thinking I’m insane now! 

I’m coming Dash! Tom’s coming home!

> Visions and voices
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere quiet! Somewhere secluded. In a city like this there must be abandoned houses or flats. The vision of Spike’s older appearance haunted me! I couldn’t let myself take too long to get back, I wouldn’t let the world of Equestria slip away from me! My hand felt as though it was on fire, but I didn’t dare take it out of my pocket. I couldn’t afford to release even more magic and drawing attention to myself! 

I just waded through the crowded streets aimlessly. My eyes searching for a place to be alone but all that greeted me were the sights of busy business’s and skyscrapers filled with offices. As the time wore on I began to lose faith in my plan. My mind was given far too much time to over think the idea, I’d never seen anything to suggest Celestia could even travel from one dimension to another. All she had ever done was show a small amount of knowledge of why I couldn’t leave.

I stared up into the sky, trying to find something calming in the bright blue cloud filled sky. A single plane flew across my vision, its white jet stream flowing out behind it. My head tilted slightly, it was strange seeing a white stream behind a flying object. Why couldn’t it be more colourful? Like a rainbow? 

No sooner had the thought passed through my mind, yet another shot of pain spike through my mind. My eye’s refused to close, they stared at the plane as it began to shift into a new form. It picked up speed, and flew down closer to the ground. Rainbow! The mare zoomed past me by inches, I even felt the breeze created by her pushing the air out of her way. I stared as she picked up more speed, and for a moment she seemed to vanish. A second later, there was an ear splitting explosion. 

I realised what I had just witnessed! I stared as a circular rainbow spread across the sky, approaching me with tremendous speed. The sonic rain-boom! The explosion of colour passed over me, and to my surprise a huge wall of air slammed into me. I was caught off guard, and was sent hurtling backwards. My head came into contact with something solid! And just as before, the vision began to fade away. 

I was lying against the wall of an office building, people were staring at me again. Had I screamed? From the pain or the explosion? Their frightened faces gave me my answer. I had screamed! I stumbled to my feet, my head still hurt but I tried my best to ignore it. I caught a glimpse of a sign on the wall I had just hit. “Closed due to renovations” A quiet place maybe? I looked around, and saw a sloping ramp heading down into an underground car park. Perfect! Ducking under the red and white barrier bar, I rushed into the dark submerged space below.

The entire dark pillared room was abandoned except for one single car. It stood stationary in the centre of the room, blurred by the creeping darkness brought on by the lack of lights in the ceiling. My steps echoed loudly as I moved across to a more open space devoid of pillars. I turned on the spot to ensure I was alone, it seemed that I was. So I took a breath and called out.

“Celestia! If you can hear me, please come out!” There seemed to be no response, the car park remained silent. “Celestia!? PLEASE!” still nothing. I felt my hand burn slowly in my pocket, was my magic trying to tell me something? I looked to the little car; it seemed to have been simply abandoned. I took out my hand, it was now red raw on the back and hurt at the slightest movement.

I clicked my fingers, the snap sounded out across the cavernous room. The lights of the car burst into life before me. I stagger back slightly due to their brightness, but I soon recover. I snapped my fingers again, and the lights went off. How was I supposed to use magic to call Celestia? I can’t do anything but make a car do what I want! I’m such a waste! The thought began to creep into my mind, it was dark, and wretched, but the more time I spent in this world the more I believed it to be true. 

‘You can’t make it back!’ I shook my head, fighting against the dark thoughts. “No! I can make it back! I just need to find a way!” ‘There IS no way’ the little voice began to purr. ‘Dash is going to grow old without you, find a new PONY to love! And she’ll soon forget all about you!’ I bit my lip hard as the voice pulled out its trump card! That was impossible! How much time had passed in Equestria? Surely not much! I’ve only been gone for a day! 

‘Maybe she’ll find a way to move on... in fact, she WILL find a way to move on! You were just a freak in that world, maybe she can finally realise who she belongs with... maybe Soarin’?’ If it hadn’t have been inside my own head, I would have punched the owner of that voice! “NO! SHE DOESN’T LOVE HIM! SHE LOVES ME!” ‘DID love you...’ The three words began to echo in my head. Repeating themselves again and again growing ever louder as I stood there.

I took a hold of my head with both hands, the noise inside was getting unbearable! I dropped to my knees, “She won’t move on! She CAN’T move on! NOT ONLY IN ONE DAY!” The voices stopped, and I slumped to the floor in relief. My breath was heavy, as though I had just run a mile. But as I lay there I heard it again, the little dark side of my mind, brought back to life by the return to the dark world of the earth. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll always have Twilight. Everyone’s second choice! Then again, maybe you won’t even have a chance now...after you rejected her!’ My stomach clenched at the memories of that night so many months ago, the night that Twilight had advanced on me and I had turned her down. “She’s still my friend.” I whimpered pitifully. 

My head erupted with pain once again. I screamed fully now, the pain and the torment mixed and simply broke me down in a manner of seconds. The vision came quickly, I was lying on a bed, no longer a concrete floor. I’m laid on my side, and somepony lies in front of me, she shifts around under her covers until she faces me. Her eyes open blearily, and she smiles when she recognises me.



“Tom...” she whispers, and then the realisation hits her. Her eyes become filled with shock and surprise. “TOM?!?!” I open my mouth to speak, but the vision cuts out and I find myself back on the cold floor of the car park. “W-why was she...” ‘So surprised?’ the voices finished in unison. They sounded as though they were laughing at me now, ‘Maybe it’s because you’ve been gone for so long!’ My temper rose suddenly. “I’VE ONLY BEEN GONE ONE DAY!” Silence. 

‘It hasn’t just been a day though has it?” The voices began again, this time much quieter. ‘Those images you keep seeing proove it! Would the crusaders be so happy the day after you died? Would they be trying to ride the dragon? Would the dragon be so tall after just one day? Face it; you’ve been gone a lot longer than one day!’ The voice’s faded away, and my heart knew their words were true! I curled up into myself unsure what to do now. If it’s true should I go back? Yes, Dash is there! No, she would have begun to heal if it had been longer than a few days, going back would just cause pain!

My eyes began to burn, tears began to rise from the corners and fall down my face. I began to sob, I sobbed at the thought of loosing Dash, loosing Twilight, my other close friend Applejack. What should I do? I called out one final time, but the call couldn’t even reach a person stood a foot away from me, let alone an Alicorn in a different dimension. “C-C-Celestia... You said I belonged in your world... help me get back there! P-please...please...” I felt cold, and yet my hand grew warmer still, it felt as though it threatened to catch fire at any moment. The car’s lights began to flash, as though someone sat inside toggling the switch. 

The changes of light temporarily brought me out of my miserable state to look up. The door was now ajar, and through the gap between the body of the car, and the curve of the door: I saw a pair of red, luminous, mismatched eyes...

> Decisions...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry if I’m late my lad, Celestia couldn’t make it so I hope I’ll do...” I stared as the creature emerged from behind the door and slammed it shut behind them. It wasn’t hideous, but yet it looked extremely odd. Not a single part of its body corresponded with another, he had the front legs of both a lion and an eagle which he used for arms, and his rear legs were those of a goat and an alligator, horns from both a deer and a goat, and a tail that was obviously that of a dragon. 

Dash, Twilight, Applejack and everyone else had told of this being. He was the god of chaos back in Equestria, his name was Discord. The Chimera smiled at me as though he could see what I was thinking. “Has the penny dropped now? Realise who I am?” I said nothing, I pulled myself to my feet and held up my right hand towards him as both an act of protest and a form of defence.

“Keep away from me!” I ordered. The chimera halted his approach and looked at me quizzically. 
“Come now boy, if I had meant you any harm, you would be dangling by your ankle over a vat of boiling cheese right now!” His serious tone was the only thing that proved he wasn’t joking. I frowned slightly at the remark he had made, his randomness reminded me of Pinkie pie slightly. I shook from my reverie in time to notice the Draconequus had begun to approach me once again. 
“I said stay back!”

There was a flash of light and he disappeared before my very eyes. Had it been another vision? No he had come from the car! He had been here from the moment I arrived! But where was he now? I turned on the spot, unable to see him. “Where are you?!” I called out in the most demanding tone I could possibly use after laying on the ground crying. I heard a soft whistle from the distance, I squinted to see where the sound had come from. There stood Discord leaning against a pillar near the entrance. 

“Well, you told me to stay back!” He called out to me, laughing at his joke. I was getting irritated now. 
“It was you just now! The one who messed with my head! Those voices making me doubt myself! It was all you wasn’t it?” The chimera chortled and shook his head. 
“I’m sorry dear boy, but that was all your own little delicate mind unravelling! You seem to have brought it into control now however.” He paused and sniffed. “Unfortunate, you’d have been a lot more CHAOTIC if you’d lost your mind, but I suppose I’ll have to make do with the chaos you normally create.” 

I ignored his strange words and continued to peruse his purpose for being here. “What do you want Discord?” I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned to see the chimera inches from my nose. I jumped in shock and stumbled backwards, How had he done that!?! 
“I’ve already told you, Celestia couldn’t be here so I came instead.” I stared at the mismatched creature before me. 
“Why couldn’t she be here?” I feared the worse, that Discord had turned Celestia to stone in revenge, or simply killed the princess. The Chimera raised a bushy eyebrow at me for a moment. He turned away and swaggered back over to the bonnet of the car. 

“You truly do give that old witch too much credit you know, Just because she KNOWS about the laws of reality doesn’t mean she can act on them. Very few creatures can, and two of them stand here in the dark little hole!” He slumped onto the bonnet and threw his arms in the air to create an air of amazement, it didn’t work. He sighed, then grew serious. “You needed someone with magic enough to take you back to Equestria didn’t you?” 

I was taken aback by his sudden businesslike manner, I stayed alert. I knew about his tricks and obsession with chaos, so I couldn’t become to open towards him. “Y-Yes... but I wanted Celestia.”
“Well that’s too bad, you have me.” He said flatly. I stuttered for a moment with trepidation. 
“But you’re...” There was an explosion at my feet, fire rose from the ground and darkness surrounded me and the Chimera who seemed to grow in size unbelievably fast.
“BUT I’M DISCORD, LORD OF ALL CHAOS AND RUIN!” he bellowed un an unnaturally low and booming voice.

The fire vanished in a puff of smoke and discord popped like a balloon. He swam into sight back to his normal size from the darkness, floating on his back. “But you can just call me Discord, after all me and you ARE pretty close.” His comment made me feel ill. 
“I’ve never even met you, so don’t go making lies!” The chimera twirled into a standing position, a look of mock shock on his face before he let it flop into a bored expression. 
“No you haven’t, but I’ve had some time to find out about you boy, and that’s why I feel so close to you.” It made me feel dirty, the thought of him trying to learn all about me like a target for a kill.

“Look, do you want back into Equestria or not?” The sudden generous offer took me by surprise more than any other thing he had done so far. I felt my mouth open and close gormlessly like a fish, unable to bring words from my mind to my lips. 
“B-but...why are you offering to...?” The god sighed again, he obviously found the convocation tedious.
“I despise stories, so I’ll give you the abridged version. Long story short: Certain events have taken place in Equestria which brought about my return.” I opened my mouth to interrupt, but the god continued on. “Now thanks to a certain pony, I’m free again. But it also means I owe her, and I HATE being indebted to somepony.”

I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not, so I asked hesitantly. “What events?” the chimera chuckled. He looked at me with a piercing glance, his smiled showed his elongated fang; it flashed as it was caught in the light. 
“Now you’re smart, I know that from being you. Take a guess at what the event might be.” Being me? What was he talking about?
“Just tell me!” I demanded. But the Draconequus shook his head.
“No. It’s a game, you have to guess or it’s no fun.” He smiled mercilessly and watched as I stood there in confusion.

An event...wait... “Was it...to do with...me?” the chimera arched through the air and poked the tip of my nose with his eagles hand to show me I was right.
“Bingo.” He lay back lazily once again and floated around, “Some ponies took you’re death a little harder than others, and it resulted in a little bit of chaos. Fortunately for me it came close enough to me so I was able to escape because of it.”
My next question burned inside me, “What did you mean ‘being’ me?” Discord chortled. “Now Tom, if everyone told you everything up front than life would be no fun! You need to find some things out for yourself! Now like I said, I owe a pony a debt back in Equestria and bringing you back would mean we were even.” He licked his lips wickedly, “Also, you seem to have a knack for making chaos yourself. In this world it all goes to waste, but back in ponnyville I can watch and enjoy it all!”

“I don’t make chaos!” I protested loudly! The Dracoequus began to tut at me.
“Don’t sell yourself short kid, You have both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle smitten with you. Surely you’ve realised that makes enough chaos by itself! Two friends in love with the same... MAN” He sniggered and faded into the shadows once again.
“But I don’t mean to do that! I only ever wanted to be with Dash, it wasn’t my fault Twilight decided she liked me too!” Who was I confessing to, Discord or myself?! 

His whisper seemed to emit from every angle, “It doesn’t matter, you still make the chaos. You arrived and made chaos, you fell in love and that created chaos, you died and that created chaos in the hearts of your friends... If you came back, after so long...” he left his sentence unfinished, knowing I knew how it would end. But his last words were what haunted me, ‘AFTER SO LONG.’

“How long has it been?” I asked quietly.
“Hmmm? I’m sorry how long has it been since what?” The voice sounded overjoyed at his breaking my constitution. 
“How long has it been since I died back in Equestria. The visions I’m seeing... there not of the future are they? They’re from the present day back In Ponyville.” The slow sound of clapping hands emitted from the shadows, straight ahead of me the chimera emerged. He was simply walking now, no floating and no illusions. He knew I was in enough chaos inside to need any help with his tricks.

“To you, you passed away yesterday. Am I right?”
“Yes...” 
“When in reality, back in Equestria it’s been just over a year. The anniversary of your death is only tomorrow.” The truth hit me like a ton of bricks, and I crumpled beneath them. I fell to my knees, looking at the floor just between me and Discord.
“A-a... a year? Really? So long... but how?” Discord lay down on the ground, and flipped to his back so he could look up into my face.
“Meta-physics is a tricky thing. Even Celestia doesn’t truly understand it, because it is pure chaos and there is no harmony within it. So naturally the only one who can best explain it to you...is me. You aren’t the first to travel to Equestria from earth, but whenever they died in that world they were brought back to earth. Just like you.”

I simply listened to the chaotic lord, not responding. I was still shocked by the bombshell of how much time had passed. “The reason you’re still breathing is because technically you still BELONG on the planet earth. No matter what your beloved princess told you, in the eyes of the universes you are a human and so you belong on earth. When you first went to Equestria it was by accident, it was only after did you realise you belonged there. So the universe saw you as taken, not moved.”

The Chimera yawned, “You see, if you willingly went to Equestria, the universe would have seen it as you accepting it as your new place of belonging. And when you died, you would have stayed dead. Now, do you understand? That’s why you’re still breathing, but the universe believes you belong here. That’s why this!” He suddenly took hold of my right hand hard and thrust it into my face. “Has no mark on it anymore!” he released me, and I took hold of my hand and cradled it as it throbbed with pain.

“The others who died in my world and came back here were never able to prove to the universe that they belonged in Equestria. That is because they didn’t have enough magical power to actually take them back by their own will. By contiously seeking Equestria, and getting there, the universe will understand and take that earth is no longer where you belong.” 

I looked at the chimera, My heart was racing at the prospect of returning. “B-but I have the magic to get me there?” The chimera laughed.
“No, but I do. All I have to do is channel it through your mind. You’ve already seen what that does I believe...” My mind raced back to the street an hour or so ago. How My fingers had seemed to move of their own accord and used their magic to turn on every car alarm in that car park!
“That was you?” 
“Yes, and I do admit it was quite fun. I’m sorry I won’t get to really try it out though. You see I promised not to cause any trouble in Equestria for one hundred years, well only ninety-nine more to go. But you’ll be long dead by then...” He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, but then he came back to his senses.

“So?” He asked briskly, “What will it be? Live on earth, lonely and unloved constantly trying to fill a hole in your being? Or return to Equestria, knowing it’s what I want? Knowing that you being there is my way of bringing a little bit more chaos back to my world until I can really start to party? Your choice kid.”

I knelt there, unsure. How much pain would I bring I showed up on the anniversary of my death? I remembered how it had only been under a month before me and Dash’s first anniversary together before I had passed away. If she hadn’t moved on by now, she would still be in a world of mental pain. That is if she cared for me as much as I did for her. Did I want to screw her up even more by showing up again? Discord began to speak again. “Going once...”

My heart plummeted at the thought of staying here, Dash meant too much to me! Would she even be hurt? Surely she’d be happy, overjoyed in fact, at being with me once again. So would my other friends, I thought about striding down the drive of Sweet Apple Acres. Starting my shift as normal, waiting for Applejack to come out and see me there. She would be happy! “going twice...”

What should I do? Damn it! WHAT SOULD I SAY?!?!

> Maybe I tilt the scales too much...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“TAKE ME BACK!” I yelled quickly before it was too late, I clenched my eyes shut; dreading what the decision I just made would mean. Silence rang out around me. All I could hear was my own panicked breathing. I couldn’t even hear discord moving around. Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime, the Draconequus spoke.
“It’s been a year...” He whispered.
“I know.” I whimpered miserably.
“A lot of them will have begun to move on...” 
“I know!” I said loudly.

“Rainbow could have even found somepony else...” It was impossible to hide the mirth in his tone. I stayed on the floor, I didn’t move. My mind raced with the images of Rainbow with a faceless pony, getting married, having children, growing as old as Granny Smith together. My heart ached at the images, but it didn’t matter, I’d give anything to be in the same world as her again. Even if she had moved on, how far I’ve come from the young man who would rather leave than be told he couldn’t have her. 
“...I know...”

“Well!” There was a huge flash of light, and I was on my feet looking at the chimera and the car. He smirked at me, clicking his fingers. Both the passenger and the driver’s door opened, “Shall we get going?”  Now? Was it that simple? Could I get back simply by sitting in the car and letting the Draconequus drive me there? I moved to the passenger side, reaching out to clamber in as I did. “I’m sorry, but this is my seat.” The chimera cooed as he slid in between me and the door. He stuck his thumb out in the direction of the steering wheel.

Ok then, I had to take us there. Discord’s words began to sink into place. “All I have to do is channel it through your mind.” So while I drove, Discord would channel magic into me and allow me to get back to Equestria? It didn’t make much sense, but then again I WAS trying to get back to a world full of talking ponies –One of whom I loved- Sense had pretty much gone out of the window a long time ago!

I moved to the other side of the vehicle and sat behind the wheel. It was new, not a fast model, but brand new. I felt the leather of the steering wheel, it felt smooth and soft. My hand began to itch and burn again, now nestled on the wheel I was able to watch as the patch of skin on the back of my hand as it grew a harsh red colour. The I understood why the sensation was so familiar. A year ago... sorry...two years ago now. I had left Ponyville, and driven away as fast as I could, that night my hand had burned just as harshly. It had been my cutiemark arriving, if I was feeling it again maybe it meant the return of my mark and discord had said my not having it meant I was supposed to belong to earth. 

I decided, that when my mark arrived I would know I belonged in Equestria, nothing would tell me otherwise. I looked to my side, the god of chaos looked almost comical sat in a car seat. I stopped myself from laughing as to not insult or offend the chimera. He was my only way back home after all! I asked tentatively, “The keys?” He shook his head silently, raising his hand he snapped his fingers. I flinched dreading what he would do to bend reality this time. 

Nothing happened, I relaxed and looked at him for a moment. Slowly, my mind began to realise he had been showing me what to do. I looked down at my hand, the tips of my fingers were beginning to tingle again. With a shaking hand, I raised my fingers in front of my face. I thought as loudly as I could inside my head. “Take me to Rainbow Dash!” I snapped my fingers. And the engine exploded into life!

“There we go!” The Draconequus clapped happily, “Now all we need you to do is drive fast. You think about Ponyville, and I’ll do the rest.” I nodded, forcing my breath to go slower and steadier. I took my left hand and caressed the gear stick, feeling the shape of it within my palm searching for the best place to take hold of it. The vehicle almost seemed to rev louder as I caressed her insides. Was that my magic working, or just my mind playing tricks? 

I took the car into first gear and moved slowly into the corner of the car park, turning the wheel to make the cars dipped headlights to reach to opposite corner. The longest distance I could have to gain speed. 

“I’ve grown quite fun of your brand of chaos boy, so make sure you think of home as hard as you can, I’d rather not have to scrape your remains off of the walls!” Discord laughed menacingly. He closed his eyes, his horns began to glow. It was different to that of unicorn magic. Instead of a misty cloud of magical energy, they simply began to blur, almost as the horns were beginning to stretch abnormally. Maybe they were stretching! He was trying to bend the walls of reality!

I began to think hard, Sweet Apple Acres, the sun making the orchards glow like gold.
Sugar Cube Corner, its constant scent of baking bread and frosting! 
The library, the smell of freshly printed pages. 
Rarities boutique, the sound of machines stitching and scissors snipping. 
Fluttershy’s cottage, the slight smell of furry creatures and the sound of scampering feet. 
Mine and Dash’s home... the smell of her coat, the warmth of her breath on my face when we kissed, the sound of her laugh and the sight of her smile. These were all the things I loved about my home. Here I come!

Keeping the thoughts close in my mind, I floored the accelerator. The wheel screeched, the front of the car tried to veer off to the left. With a simple flick of my index finger the car came under control again, always helps to have magic on your side! I slammed through each gear in quick succession, the car didn’t look it but it was powerful!

The opposite wall rushed towards us mercilessly. My foot remained an anvil pushing the pedal to the ground, I couldn’t hesitate or I somehow knew the process wouldn’t work. The library, Twilight, the boutique, Rarity, Sweet Apple acres, Applejack, Sugar Cube corner, Pinkie, the cottage by the woods, Fluttershy, Equestria, Dash! We were only feet away now, the lights beams bounced back and blinded me. It wasn’t working! We were going to die! My hand burnt white hot, I screamed out of fear and pain as the wall reached the bonnet at over eighty miles an hour.

SMASH! My eyes are shut, there’s no pain. Not in my hand or anywhere else through my entire body. I heard the cleaver chuckle of Discord still sat next to me. He gasped over dramatically at the site of my shut eyes.
“OH NO! You thought we hit that wall? The thought had never crossed my mind...” I felt his lion paw take hold of my chin and steered it to look ahead. “Open your eyes! Nobody except me has seen this site, so it’s once in a lifetime opportunity...or two in your case.” I squinted out from behind the comfort of the dark lids that covered my sight. 

The wall was nowhere to be seen, in fact no solid objects were anywhere to be seen at all! We were moving at an unbelievable speed, or maybe we were standing still and everything else was moving fast, it was all too hard to tell. From within the car I could see a constant stream of colours, blending and mixing together as they passed over head. It was beautiful.

The Draconequus coughed, almost awkwardly. “You know, what you’re seeing is the boundaries of all worlds. As you can see from the constant mix and flowing of each colour, you see the worlds in balance with each other, always in a mix of chaos and harmony. This balance is kept in check by each world. If the balance in one world is wrong for too long, then the constant flow will cease. Without the flow, the worlds will drift apart, ripping reality itself apart. And if that were to happen, then all existences would stop.” He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. What was his obsession with clicking his fingers?

I stared out into the beautiful colours how could something so beautiful be so dangerous. Another hint as to why Discord was helping seemed to fall into place, he was right, it was like a guessing game. As time moved on I realized more and more about him. “That’s why you’re taking me back? You already said going there would create chaos, so you need it to keep balance in Equestria?” The chimera tapped his nose with his long eagle talon toped finger. So I was right. “S-so is that why you do all of this? Make so much chaos, just to keep the universe in existence?” 

“...No one has ever worded it like that.” The chimera whispered, for once he sounded sincere. He dipped his head under the front window to gaze into the swirling mess above us. “I don’t complain about my task. I love it with all my...heart do you call it? I love the thought of chaos, and so I always tip the scales to my favour whenever I’m able to...” He sighed, what was this creature beside me? It wasn’t the Discord of the legends I had heard in Equestria, this was a complex creature beyond imagining. Tasked with so much, and understood by so few peop-ponies. 

He closed his eyes and let the coloured lights dance across his eye lids. “Maybe I tilt the scales too much sometimes... Celestia is after all, the other side of the coin. If I bring too much chaos into the world, she needs to bring extra amounts of harmony, and I suppose that’s more difficult.” He slumped into the chair, “Maybe that’s why she puts me in stone, to Stop me from ruining everything. Trapped I’m only able to alter small things, but when I’m free I can rival any being in any reality.” 

The chimera looked at me, his expression was odd. “You seem to bring out the more emotional side of me boy. Maybe poking around her head to find her memories gave me a little insight to her feelings as well...” The strange comment struck me, whose memories? Whose feelings? But I knew if I asked he would merely tell me it was no fun if I didn’t guess.

He finished with a simple statement. “Maybe when you’re there I’ll feel better, the chaos you’re going to cause should fill me up a little. Then I’ll just wait only ninety-nine years left, and then I’ll have some real old fashioned fun.” It felt strange being in such an informal convocation with the god of chaos, but a question burned inside me and I had to ask, while this strange colourful world(or lack of a world) had him in such a talkative mood.

“What happened? When I died, what happened to create enough chaos to make you return?” He didn’t reply, he simply gazed out into the distance. (If there was one!) I persisted , “You were talking about someone’s memories, you’ve been learning about me so what happened? You did something didn’t you?” 

There was another moment of silence, I waited for a response from the Draconequus but it didn’t seem to be coming. When I opened my mouth to speak again, the dragon suddenly looked at me sharply. His smirk had returned, I recognised the deviousness in the grin. I looked ahead, knowing he had seen something. I saw what seemed to be a window, light seemed to be pouring out of it bringing in the sights from beyond. Were those houses? Yes! Little cream and brown cottages, surrounded by a cobblestone road! It was Ponyville! 

I turned to the Draconequus one last time to see him fading away like a mirage. He opened his mouth, and though it was nearly completely gone, his words rang out loudly. “Don’t go visit your beloved Dash first! I‘d suggest you visited the other places that mean so much to you first. Leave home until last. That’s all the hints I’m giving you...enjoy the game...” He was gone.

A flash of light! The tires hit solid ground again! They screech! I look outside the window to see the central plaza of ponyville. Ponies all scream and run at the site of the car. I glance at the speedometer. 70mph. Uh-oh! I slam my foot on the brakes! Twisting the wheel to avoid any straggling ponies. With all my power of though I think the word ‘STOP!’My magic works, and the car halts before ploughing into the grocery stalls ahead of me.  

Dust began to rise all around the car. All I could hear was the sound of my own thumping heart, and the muffled sounds of the shouts and cries from the ponies outside. I sat there panting for a few moments, I leant forwards and rested my head against the steering wheel. I’m ready now, it was time to get out of the car and find my friends. I’d play along with Discord for now, I wouldn’t go straight to my house. I’d go to Sweet Apple Acres and surprise Applejack first! Out of all my friends, she would be the most understanding!

I reached out for the door handle, and as the dust outside began to thin and let the sunlight into the car, the light caught something. Bright and colourful, it rested on the back of my hand. I looked down for a moment, and grinned like a child! There on the back of my right hand, blurred, followed by a streak of fire, and set against a colourful rainbow, sat my cutiemark. As beautiful as ever, it glinted in the light. I belonged here, and this time, the universe knew it!



 


Author's note, the image of Tom's cutiemark was made by kbrony here on Fimfiction! Thank you once again for your help! 
Well, now lets see what happens with Tom finally being back home! 
............

> Where to first?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I left the car where it had skidded do a halt. It wasn’t exactly in anypony’s way I could always move it later on. Right now I just wanted to see my friends, so I apologised to the ponies in the square and quickly headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. 

The sun’s warmth was a beautiful temperature; it was exactly what I needed after the cold of earth. And although my passing through the streets raised a few surprised, or even shocked faces, the general atmosphere of cheeriness and happiness perforated the air and filled me with joy.

The town hadn’t changed much, admittedly there were a few new houses dotted around and that was to be expected after a year. But each corner I turned around brought on a site that brought fond memories flooding back to me. I saw the spot my old car was first revealed to me after Fixit had repaired it. The side streets that me and Dash had raced down.  They were all here, they were all the same as I recalled them.

I finally rounded one last corner and before stretched a small dirt track, it wound and moved with the shape of the field it lay on, and up at the top of the hill, lay a place that held  a large number of my fond memories. Sweet Apple Acres. 



They’d re-painted the barn, it was still red, but it was definitely brighter! The main house seemed to have gone through some slight refurbishing as well. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of misery at the fact that I hadn’t been there to help, they had always wanted to do it and I suppose I had thought I would always be around to help. It’s funny how things change.

At the tip of the hill, heading towards the barn, there strode a large red stallion. “MAC!” I yelled, waving my hand over my head as I broke into a run to catch up with my large friend. He couldn’t hear me, I was quite far away. I reached the gate into the farm, it was shut, and so I took hold of the top plank and threw myself over the white wooden gate.

Big Macintosh was nearly at the barn, once inside I knew you couldn’t hear anything from the outside, so I picked up my pace. I tore my way up the winding path between the orchards trees, still shouting my friend’s name. “MAC! BIG MAC!” He paused just by the door, I saw his ears perk up at the sound of my voice, would he recognise it after a year? 

The stallion looked around perplexed for a moment, then I saw his eyes spot me winding through the tree’s. For a moment, his usually blank face was filled with surprise, but only for a moment. Then his face fell back into its usual indifferent expression, and continued into the barn.

“Hey Mac! Hold on a minute!” I panted as I approached the double doors into the large wooden structure. I took a moment to catch my breath, hunched over holding my knees as I gulped down large gasps of air. I didn’t hear anypony, or see anypony inside the barn. 

The refurbishing had obviously dealt with the cracks in the wooden roof, because instead of being illuminated by the beautiful beams of sunlight, the room inside was nearly completely dark. I pushed the doors open slightly and passed into the dark room. The iron hinges squeaked horribly. I took no notice of the sounds, I was in Ponyville, so what could possibly happe-

I felt a hoof slam into my chest, not in jest but in honest hostility. I felt myself fall back, my back slammed into the wooden frame of the doors. My elbow knocked a particularly rusty pitchfork off of its hook, as it clanged to the floor I realised how close I had just come to puncturing my back with its sharp tips.

The hoof still lay on my chest, pinning me against the wall and stopping me from moving my body. My arms flapped helplessly, trying to push the strong foreleg off of my chest, their attempts were simply useless. I stared down at the leg, its fur was red, a horribly familiar red. My eyes travelled up the leg and up to the face just above it. His green eyes were fixed on mine, there was no happiness in them, in fact I was sure I saw a hint of resentment in them.

“Mac, let me go man!” I tried yet again to pull his hoof off of me, but it was rooted strongly in my chest. “Mac, it’s me, Tom!” His eyes seemed to flash red at my words, his other fore hoof soared up towards my face. I flinched and closed my eyes, waiting for the contact. There was a huge crunch next to my right ear. I opened one eye to see the other hoof inches from my face, the punch had cracked the wooden frame of the door and yet he still didn’t say anything.

“Macintosh! Quit messing around and let me go!” I ordered him. Without warning, the hoof released my chest. The sudden surprise gave me no time to find my footing, and I crumbled to the floor rubbing my chest. As I looked at the ground, both of his forelegs came into view. He finally spoke, and each word seemed to be filled with venom. 
“Twilight said you’d come back...” I opened my mouth to speak, but the stallion stomped his hoof, with it being so close to my face I flinched and shut my mouth again.

“Twilight said you wouldn’ be able to keep your word. To be honest I’m surprised you lasted this long! I expected yah to show up within a week, but a whole year? Well something really ‘portant must have happened to distract the god of chaos for so long!” God of chaos? Did he think I was Discord? Why? ‘Certain events took place...’ He had said he had sworn not to cause a lot of trouble for one hundred years, he had said he had learnt about me, had he BEEN me?! That would explain why my old friend had almost turned me into mulch with his bare hooves!

“I guess I’m lucky yah came t’ me.” The red earth stallion said coldly, “If Applejack saw you, knowing what tomorrow is, she’d ‘ve fallen apart!” His hoof rose suddenly, realising what was coming I rolled out to the side of the barn. Big Macintosh’s hoof slammed into the spot where my head had just been. Now gratefully submerged in the darkness of the barn, I got to my feet and crept around the perimeter to get towards the door without being spotted. 

Mac however had other plans. He stood in front of the two wooden panels blocking my escape from every angle. So sneaking out wasn’t going to do me any good, what now? I guessed all I COULD do was reason with my old work colleague. I stood in one corner and spoke, then scarpering off to a new hiding spot so if he followed my voice he wouldn’t find me.

“It’s really me Mac! I’m not Discord, just one hundred percent human!” As I had thought, Mac looked to where I had been hid, he took a tentative step forward. 
“Now we both know that aint true! You posed as Tom once, and we aint gonna fall for it again!” I was hiding behind a hay bale at this point, but I quickly moved behind a barrel on the other side of the barn after asking,
“IT IS ME! What can I do to prove it?” Big Mac looked to the other side of the barn then the one he had been looking at, he was obviously confused by my change of location. He spoke slowly, taking care to listen for any movement.
“You...can’t. We were the ones who had to bury Tom! You can’t just go and pose like him whenever you want Discord.” He passed me in my hiding place, he was only a foot away. 

I knew what needed to be done. I slowly stood, and crept behind the Stallion. “Then I guess I need to find a friends who’ll believe me!” Big Mac whirled around just in time to see my foot plough into his flank. I pushed with all my might, and miraculously I made him topple backwards and into a layer of hay on the floor behind him. I turned and ran from the barn, leaving Mac to recuperate. I heard him yell something at me as I passed the doors and ran into the sunlight again, but I didn’t quite understand what he said.

I couldn’t out run him for long, so I needed to make tracks and quick! I pelted down the path as fast as I could, vaulted the fence and continued back to ponyville with all my might! I heard the fast approaching hooves behind me; I glanced over my shoulder to see Big Macintosh in pursuit. He cleared the fences in a single bound, and continued at a speed I’d never seen before on four hooves.

I reached the end of the dirt track, the houses and side streets were just ahead. The hoof steps were gaining on me, but I didn’t dare look back again. The first corner around the side of a cottage was sharp, an idea stuck me! I reached out and grabbed hold of the beams that supported the structure exterior, pushed forward by my momentum I jumped, and curled around the corner without losing any speed. I dropped back to the ground and continued without a pause. 

I heard the galloping hooves slow for a moment and grow quieter as Big Mac slowed to make the corner, but he was soon gaining again. For the first time I heard my old friend yell, It was actually a yell coming from the usually quiet stallion! “GET OUT OF HERE DISCORD! YOU’VE CAUSED ENOUGH GRIEF!” Surely he must have noticed that I was running! If I had been discord I could have popped out of existence! I knew Mac, and though he was smart, when he got angry he would quickly lose a lot of his logical thinking, he was a lot like his sister in that respect.

I turned another corner, and there stood a familiar building! Its branches and leaves were still as thick as ever, the glass window’s still shimmered in the noonday sun. The library! Twilight should be there! She may be shocked to see me, but she could hopefully calm down Big Mac! Though in site, the building was still a reasonable distance away, and I was beginning to grow tired. I had to cross through the open market to get there.

As I tore my way through groups of ponies on their daily shopping routine, I thought hard. In my vision, I had been lying next to Twilight, she had rolled over and SEEN ME! So if I had a chance to reason with anypony, it would be the oldest friend I had here. I wouldn’t make it in time. The stallion was fast gaining on me, and my feet screamed at me to stop! 

I saw a stand, It had a sign saying “Back in five minutes” So I knew nopony was inside it. Could I do it? I had no choice. I changed my angle of approach ever so slightly, still headed for the library but approaching it so I would have to run through the stall if I moved in a straight line. That’s just what I planned to do. As I reached the stalls supporting beams, I swiped as hard as I could with both my arms, now weakened considerably the structure wobbled. Without a moment’s pause I took a hard kick at the side of the wooden structure as I passed. 

My plan worked, because I had already passed most of the stall when it began to collapse, I soon cleared the area before it came tumbling down. Unfortunately my old friend Big Macintosh wasn’t so lucky. The stall collapsed onto his tail, halting him instantly as it pulled him straight to the ground. I was glad he hadn’t been badly hurt, but that was the only chance I would have at escaping. I glanced back to see Mac wrestling with the wreckage, his attention was completely focused on his escape and not on me. So without a knock on the door, or a shout of her name, I simply barged trough the door of Twilights home and slammed the door behind me.

I stood there panting even harder than I had outside the apple family barn. My sides were on fire, my head was swimming, and my pulse pounded loudly in my ears. I heard a gasp from above my bowed head. I looked up slightly to see the floor ahead of me, and saw two magenta forelegs...

> The little glimmer inside my soul
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight backed away from me, the look of sheer terror on her face broke my heart. Through the gasps of breath I tried to speak to her, I reached out to her to show her I meant no harm, but the unicorn still backed away from me.

“T-Twilight! *Wheeze*It’s ok, *Wheeze* don’t be frightened...” She stopped by the stair case, I wasn’t sure if it was in response to my words or if she now felt secure with an escape route close by. I finally stopped wheezing and stood up straight; smiling at her warmly, I took a step into the room, her hoof immediately shot to the first step of the stairs. I froze, shocked at how scared she was of me. 

“T-T-Twi? It’s me...” I said shakily. She looked at me for a long time, neither of us spoke. 
“Tom?” she eventually whispered, I smiled and tried to move but before I could she screamed at me. “STAY BACK!” Her face contorted into pure rage, just like Big Macintosh’s. What was happening? 

“Twilight, let me speak? Please?” I begged, standing at the doorway of her book filled home. She stared at me but gave no response, so I continued. “You told Big Mac and the others that you thought Discord wouldn’t be able to stay away for as long as he promised didn’t you?” her expression only became sterner, as she obviously believed me to be the Draconequus due to my knowledge.

“Big Mac said so himself.” I blurted out quickly, trying to dig myself out of the hole I had already thrown myself in. “But think about it. If you had thought I was Discord, you wouldn’t have run in fear, you would have attacked me straight away. Am I right?” The unicorn’s expression faltered for a moment. “You’re doubting your own words aren’t you?” I pressed on. Her brow creased as she contemplated what I was saying.

After a long while, she spoke. “I...saw you, earlier.” My vision! I HAD passed into Equestria for a moment! I immediately clung to the lifeline I had been thrown.
“YES! Exactly! And I saw you to! It was when you just woke up wasn’t it!” She glared at me again.
“We all know how you alter perception Discord, you’ve done all this before! What? Run out of inspiration for new ways of tormenting us? Tarnishing Tom’s memory!?” 

My stomach couldn’t stand the sound of Twilight speaking as though I was dead. It twisted violently and felt as though it were ready to empty itself. How could I persuade her? 
“But, you knew it wasn’t a trick this morning! You knew there was something real behind it! Or you wouldn’t have reacted like you did!” I was desperate, and maybe the tone was what began to put my point across, because the pony took her hoof off of the step and looked at me slightly puzzled. 

I grabbed the opportunity. “Twilight! It really is me, no lies and no tricks! It’s Tom, I just got back from earth and”- 
“Earth?” She asked scornfully, obviously not buying my story. 
“Yes! EARTH! I woke up back in my own world! I was only just able to get back here now!” She took a step forward, obviously getting angry with me.

“If you only just got back, and you’ve been DEAD for a year, then why don’t you look any older than the day I last saw you?” I looked at her, puzzled and confused. I reached up to my face and stroked it, I didn’t feel any different, I hadn’t changed but surely that was surely to do with the passing from world to world! 
“So?” I asked defensively, “You don’t look any diff...” My sentence ground to a halt as I looked at her. Her mane was longer; it curled slightly at the ends now instead of simply hugging her sides. Her body was shapelier, she was a little taller. But her eyes were what proved to me a year had passed, they were the eyes of someone who had suffered. A lot and for while. 

“I...I...” I was stuck; the pony in front of me was no longer the pony I had left behind when I had passed from this world. My leaving had done this to her! And whatever ungodly thing the chimera had done afterwards. My blood boiled at how he had played me for a sap, and made me feel pity for him! He was an underhanded piece of scum! Intent on ruining me and my friends lives. And right now, he was succeeding.

“I...” She listened to me intently, the anger still prominent on her face as she reached the centre of the room. 
“Well!?!” I couldn’t speak, if I couldn’t persuade Twilight then how would I be able to persuade Rainbow Dash, the pony I loved! A small flicker of something burst into life inside of me, since I had returned to earth it had been extinguished, but now I was home again it reared its head again. It was the whimsical side of me, the side that made me unafraid to speak my mind to Dash, and what had always helped me in this world. Honesty. 

My lips moved at the will of the small flicker, I was no longer in control. My mind still fogged by the world of man had made me feel awkward and insecure once again. However there was no time to fall in love with a pony all over again, all I could do was rely on the little glimmer inside my soul.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She seemed slightly taken aback from my sudden change of tone, I was suddenly calm and clear. “Dear, dear Twilight Sparkle. Do you still have feelings for me?” her face grew red! 
“I’ve never had feelings for you discord!” her confusion no longer upset me, I knew she would understand soon. The glimmer in my chest was hope as well as honesty. 
“For Tom. Do you still have feelings for Tom after two years?” She looked at me for a moment unsure of what to say. 

She was obviously torn between thinking I was Discord or if it was possible that I really was me. I stepped into the room, slowly and confidently. She didn’t run this time, she seemed transfixed by the look and attitude I had suddenly adopted. It was all me still, just the more caring side. She must recognise it from so long ago when I had lived here with her. I knelt before her, and looked her straight in the eye. So much pain, so much anguish. I spoke barely louder than a whisper. 

“I once accused you of staring at me, and you protested far too much for it to be true that you didn’t. So...stare at me now! Look at me! REALLY look at me! My eyes, my body, my mind; they’re all the same. I know it’s been a year since you saw me last. I know my anniversary of LEAVING is tomorrow. But it’s not the anniversary of my death! I’m not dead, and I’m not that damned chimera! I’m Tom, I’m the man who sat here and drank with you the night before your birthday. I’m the man you tried to kiss, I’m the man who -even though he cared for another pony in that way- still cared for you enough to try my best not to hurt you...” 

I took hold of her head, and brought it close to mine. My rested my head against hers just below her horn. With my eyes closed, I whispered the only thing my heart wanted at that moment. “Believe me...” I took my head away from hers, and kissed the spot just below her horn. I pulled her into an embrace, she didn’t resist. She simply leant back on her haunches as I sat there holding her.

I felt a shudder go through her, but it wasn’t one of disgust. A moment later I heard her sniff, another moment and she sighed shakily. She pushed me away enough to look at my face, but not far enough to break my hug. She looked in my eyes, hers swam with tears, of silent joy not sadness. She gasped for air for a moment, and through what was a mixture of a sob and a laugh she said the words I longed to hear my longest standing friend to say. “I-it is you!” and with that she threw her forelegs over my shoulders and wept into them as she hugged me back. 

“It is you Tom! It really is!” I squeezed her back as she nearly cut off my oxygen wrapping her arms so tightly around my neck. I couldn’t help but smile slightly, at least someone believed me! For the first time since I had returned, I felt right. Yes I had felt as though I was home, but now someone else knew I was, and was so happy to see me: I felt every doubt I had about weather returning was a good thing or not, melt away. Yes it had taken a little while, but she was happy again! And so was I!

> Jeez you got big!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yoh Twilight ‘sup? Look I’ve got a date with Rarity tonight so I was wonderi- Oh...” The deep voice came from the main entrance to the library followed by the sound of a shutting door, it was familiar. I pulled myself away from Twilight and turned to see him.
“Hey Spike...” the dragon was taller, he wasn’t becoming wider like most of the dragons in Twilights books. He obviously wasn’t hording anything, so that meant he simply grew taller. He resembled a snake with limbs except he was perfectly level with my height, wow dragons grow fast once out of being a baby! In fact, his body shape reminded me terribly of...Discord. 

The gangly lizard stared at me for a moment, and then looked down to Twilight sat on the floor in tears. Of course he feared the worst! With speed unbelievably similar to a snake, he dropped to the floor, skimmed across the ground and jumped straight into me. Though thin, he was strong and he had me pinned to the floor in a manner of seconds. 

“I KNEW IT! DISC”-
“SPIKE STOP!” Twilight yelled, the dragon froze. His clawed hand was halfway in the air about to strike. He looked up to his sister, and frowned. 
“B-but it’s Discord... why would you?...” he looked back down at me. I smiled up at him nervously, and tried to laugh off the awkwardness.
“Sorry bud, just me. Jeez you got big quick!” he frowned at me.
“...But...” His gaze shot back up to the magenta unicorn standing over us. She smiled serenely and nodded, silently telling him it was really me. 

He looked at me one last time, and I let loose with another joke. Realising I was fast becoming my old Equestrian self the longer I stayed with people who believed me. “Look, I know you used to jump on my back and ride around, but its kinda hard now with you being this big...” I glanced down at the three limbs still pinning me to the ground and then looked back at the dragon.

With a startled “Oh my gosh!” He jumped off of me and helped me to my feet. “IT REALLY IS YOU!” He boomed happily, he pulled me into a hug which was terrifying for me because I hadn’t hugged someone my own height for over a... two... years. 

Spike laughed giddily, sounding momentarily like his younger self. “I can’t believe this! I’d heard about something weird going on in the town centre, and then something involving Big Macintosh just outside, but I’d never have guessed... HAHAHAAAA!” He grabbed my arms and physically lifted me up into the air and spun on the spot. I let out a loud laugh as I was taken completely by surprise, I could hear Twilights happy giggling over Spike’s incessant rambling. “You look exactly the same! Wait is that Rarity’s coat? Oh my gosh it looks just the same! She’ll be so happy to see you! We’ve gotta go now!” he let me down and rushed to the door. 

Before the dragon could grab the handle however I shouted him back forcefully. “NO! SPIKE GET BACK HERE!” The dragon showed genuine shock at my sudden anger. Out of surprise than actual fear he came back to stand before me. I looked directly into his green eyes, staring him down. “Now...” I began furiously, “...What’s this I hear about a date with Rarity?” I burst out laughing at the sudden mixed look of relief and blushing on the dragon’s face. 


.............................
 

It was like old times, the three of us together again. Reunited after what had been a year for them, I didn’t bother telling them it had only been a day for me. What was the point in upsetting them? Spike ran me through the details quickly: Around six months ago he had reached the end of his adolescent stage, for dragons it only lasted a long time if they horded a large amount of treasure. But due to Spikes kind and generous nature, he had gone through puberty mostly unscathed.

“Because of that, I’m basically an adult now!” He had said with much enthusiasm. It kind of hurt to know I hadn’t been here to see him  become the ‘adult’ that sat before me now. I had always been fond of the little guy, and now it felt as though I’d missed out on a huge part of his life. Twilight finished the story, by explaining how about two months ago Spike had finally plucked up the courage to ask Rarity on a date, and she had said yes. The two had been steadily going on a date at least once every week over the last two months. So to everyone in Ponyville they were basically together. 

“Twiliiiiiggghht! You need to quit saying that!” The dragon whimpered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I smiled at the young lover and thought to myself, was I like that when I had first been with Dash? I’d make a point to ask the ‘not so’ little dragon how he kept that feeling of butterfly’s whenever his loved one was mentioned. That was one of things that had made falling for Dash so wonderful. 

I wanted to see her, but judging by the mixed results my return had brought me at the moment I decided it was best to see at least one other friend before Rainbow. If they believed it was me, like Twilight and Spike, then I think I’d be confident to face the pony I love again.

“SO!” I sprung out of the sofa’s many folds that I had spent so much time exploring in my life at the library. My sudden movement made both my friends jump. “What say you about going to meet this new ‘Spike loving’ Rarity?” I smiled at the groan the dragon made at my little jibe, and the three of us set out for the boutique  

The market place outside had calmed down finally. The stall had seemed to have been moved, and Big Macintosh was nowhere to be seen. I was both glad and worried at the same time. He was no longer perusing me, but was he still marauding around Ponyville, or had he gone back to the farm? I kept a watchful eye out every street corner and opening, preparing to run if need be. But the walk was pleasant, and the three of us didn’t even encounter any ponies. 

Though happy, the three of us were silent. A sudden memory popped into my head from what I had seen back on earth, I turned around so I was walking backwards and facing my two friends. “So Spike, were any of the crusader’s talents dragon riding?” I winked at him as he frowned at me for a moment, 
“Dragon ridi- OH JEEZ! That? Wow, that was like last week or something. Nah they never got anywhere near me with those ropes!” He laughed for a moment then stopped in his tracks. “How did you know about that?” I smiled, and beckoned him to keep walking. I explained my visions to him, Twilight listened in and nodded understandably as I reached the point of my vision about her. 

“I saw him.” She said to her assistant, Spike looked shocked at his big sister. 
“When? You would have told me if you had!” Twilight smiled,
“True, but you only just got back from Rarity’s about an hour ago after your ‘Dinner date’ so I wasn’t able to tell you what I saw this morning.” I raised an eyebrow at the dragon. He blushed a deeper shade of purple and muttered something like: 
“Not the way she’s making it sound.” He then scratched his head in thought. “But, that vision of me sounded like it was about an hour before your vision of Twi, so why where you seeing something from last week in one hour, then something from the present in the next?” 

Twilight answered, I was glad because I had no idea what to say. “Time, probably runs slower in his world.” Spike let out an understanding “Ooooh.” But Twilight then focused on me. “You haven’t told us something, I’m not mad but we deserve to hear it.” Wow, she was still as sharp as ever! Spike also stared at me as I took a breath and spoke. 
“It...hasn’t been a year away for me.” Spike’s eyebrows were now the ones to rise. “More like a day and a bit...” Twilight let out a thoughtful 
“Hmmmm, judging by that description and the time between your visions, I’d estimate that we experience around ten days in this world for every hour in your world.” 

Casting my mind back I thought. She was probably right. I’d spent an hour rushing around that field when I first woke up, probably more. A few hours to get to the city, another hour wandering about, being attacked, being rescued. Passing out. That was where all the time had gone! I had no clue how long I had been out for! A few more hours wandering about. Then the vision had struck about the crusaders and Spike, then just under an hour passed and then I saw Twi... Wow, a ratio of ten days to every hour, that was soul crushing! 

The dragon saw my sad expression, and gave a disappointed look at his –now much shorter than he- sister. He then threw on a big smile, and said cheerfully. “Well you came back as soon as you possibly could! That’s gonna mean the world to everypony!” I smiled, and finally turned back to walk normally again. I didn’t want them to see my face, what if they asked about how I had gotten back? Would they believe I simply willed myself back home? I’d stopped the story before Discord arrived. The still unknown events that had taken place had obviously left their marks on my friends judging by how much they hated me when they thought I was him. 

Would they forgive me for keeping such a secret from them? Would they even ask amidst their joy of having me home? I didn’t know. We rounded a corner, and there stood the little boutique, as cute as always. I smiled at the site of a dazzlingly white pony in the window, her back was turned and she was concentrating on something at her desk. Spike bolted in front of us, he smiled to us both and bent in close to us. 

“I have an Idea” he whispered deviously.



> Monster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me and Twilight lay in the bush just next to the entrance to the boutique, the branches were sticking in some awkward places, but it would be worth it. Spike’s idea was brilliant, or at least I thought so. I was surprised at how alike me and the dragon now were, our sense of humour was the same. Our attitudes were the same. In the back of my mind, that devious little voice whispered to me, ‘Probably because Twilight wanted someone around just like you!’ 

I ignored the voice, but looked to my side and glanced at the magenta pony beside me inside the shrubbery. She looked as though she was at least finding this entertaining if not enjoyable. She gave a half smile and rolled her eyes in a “You boys” kind of look.

Spike hushed us as we continued to move, so we grew still. At that point he reached out for the door and knocked. From inside I heard a slight sigh, and then a voice that spread a smile across my face, still as lady like and pompous as ever! “I am very sorry, but I do have a lot of work to do, so please make this qui”- she opened the door and stopped midsentence. 

Her face burst into a smile as she squealed, “SPIKEY WIKEY!” she leaped at him, and he caught her. She proceeded to pepper the dragon with kisses. She spoke between each pucker and peck. “Well...this is... a wonderful surprise...you were only...just here...!” she beamed up at the dragon, who smiled back. All of his awkwardness concerning the unicorn when we had spoken to him had seemed to melt away. Wow. He really was like me! 

He kissed the spot under her horn and spoke quietly and warmly. “Well, I just couldn’t stand to be away from you I guess.” This resulted in another barrage of kisses from the white unicorn. I’d never seen her this happy! It felt good to see that my ‘passing’ hadn’t stopped all good things. To see that my friends had continued their lives made me feel amazingly happy.

“You know...” Spike began as he let down the platinum pony. “I brought somepony along; I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Rarity pouted, sticking her lower lip out. 
“But Spikey,” She said in a baby voice, “I thought we could have some time alone together...” I stuffed my fist into my mouth to stop myself from laughing at this new side to Rarity that I’d never seen before.

The two of them moved into the shop, Rarity lead the way and Spike followed her. He gave a quick glance at the two of us hidden in the bush, he gave us a thumbs up then moved into the boutique. He left the door open. We both pulled ourselves out of the shrub as quietly as possible and listened carefully. 

Spike began to speak again, “Well, what would you say if I told you they would one of your old designs? One that you were quite fond of?” Though I couldn’t see, but I knew that Rarity had jumped into the air with excitement by the sounds that came from within.
“Really? One of my old designs?! Oh heavens, that’s wonderful! Where are they? Are they coming later? Which design is it?” she sounded ecstatic!
“It’s a coat...” The deep voiced dragon hinted. 
“Hmmmm, I’ve made a lot of coats Spikey, and I love every one I’ve ever made so far! Come oooonn give me another hint!” She wined playfully. 

I took that as my queue to act, I strode into the room. She had her back turned to the door, So I cleared my throat loudly. The unicorn turned and looked for a moment before her eye widened with shock. “Well...” I began, “It’s a black coat just like this! It smells just like this! And It’s worn by a weedy little human...just like this.” I stretched my arms out to my sides and smiled at the pony fashion diva, I gave her the best smile I could. “Hey Rarity.” 

She was stunned into silence, she stared at me for a long time without a single comment. She took a step towards me, she had a tape measure wrapped over her shoulders but now it slid off and fell to the floor. She looked back over her shoulder at her beloved ‘Spikey’ who gave her an encouraging smile and nod. Her mouth hung slightly open with surprise, not very lady like! 

I heard Twilight come into the room after me. Rarity’s vision dropped from my face to hers, she managed to blurt out half a question to her fellow unicorn. “Is it...?” I couldn’t see the magenta pony, but whatever she did must have reassured her friend because her surprised face broke into a huge smile!

“TOM! Darling!” She cantered up to me and flung her hooves around my waist. I wrapped my arms around her as I fell down onto my knees so I could be at her level. We stayed there for a moment hugging. Rarity was true to her nature, she stayed tear free and kept herself composed. As she pulled away from me she gave me a critical scan up and down. “But my dear! What are you doing wearing such filthy clothes?!” I looked down at myself, only just realising that I was still wearing the same dirt caked clothes I had been on earth.

“We can’t have you wandering around ponyville looking like a vagabond now can we?” her tone was suddenly professional and business like. She turned to her ‘dragon-friend’ (The term just popped into my head, and I suppose it’s the best way to describe what he was to her) and asked, “Spikey, do you know my little chest upstairs in my room?” The dragon nodded, he immediately regretted it however when he received the surprised expressions from me and Twilight. 

Rarity smiled as she realised what she had just said in front of the equivalent of Spikes family. She moved over to him and gave him strength with a little peck on the cheek. “Well inside it, just to the left, there should be a little bag. Could you get it for me?” The dragon smiled, nodded, gave the little unicorn a quick squeezing hug before heading up the stairs. 

When she turned around and saw our confused expressions, she explained. “Well darling, before you di”- she paused unsure how to continue. I understood this would take some getting used to, everypony had grown so used to me being ‘dead’ and now I was here again, and I would have to deal with ponies adjusting their stories about me. 

“Before you left, it was coming up to your anniversary with Rainbow. Well I had been working on something for the two of you at the time. I...well at the time, it didn’t seem right to upset Rainbow more, so I decided to leave it. I found it a few weeks ago, and I planned on giving them her tomorrow.” Spike returned with the bag. Rarity took it from him with her blue magic with a quick “Thank you darling!” She then began to open it; she pulled out a few scraps of paper with some half finished designs scribble across them. Bits of blue and yellow material were pulled out in clumps along with the white pages. 

“AHAHH!” she exclaimed, her magic brought out a blue and yellow...thing from the bag. I crossed the room and took it from her to investigate it. “Don’t worry, the material stretches, it’s supposed to hug you body.” The fashion pony explained. I flipped the piece of clothing around so I could see the front, the chest was yellow, and so was the stomach. In fact a single stripe of yellow travelled down the centre of the shirt, leaving only the long sleeves and the back blue. The wrists of the long sleeves ended in jagged yellow lines. 

The whole colour and design reminded me of something vaguely, but what? The unicorn carried on explaining as I slowly took off my jacket and placed it over the head of a disused mannequin. “It was meant to be a little joke; I planned on saying something like ‘Now you have your own wonder bolt on your arm’ or something along those lines.” She gave a smile as she reminisced about her plan from so long ago. 

I tore off the filthy pink shirt I was wearing –sorry Pinkie- and put on the new tight long sleeved blue uniform. Though a year old, the material was still soft and smooth against my skin. I held my arms out to the sides and twirled on the spot, before asking the room. “What do you think?” 
“Nice!” Said Spike.
“Simply darling!” cooed Rarity. I looked to my friend still stood near the door, Twilight was looking at me in a way that I couldn’t read her expression. (Yet again) I felt the little narcissistic voice purr to me.

‘You do look really nice, Rainbow Dash will love it!’ I ignored it, but then Twilight spoke.
“You really do look very nice, Rainbow is going to adore it!” She said with a sad smile she failed to hide from any of us. Though my exterior seemed unchanged, my insides squirmed at how my darker side had predicted her response nearly word for word. I knew how Twilight felt about me, and here I was acting like an inconsiderate jerk. Hell! I’d even used her feelings against her to make her believe me less than an hour ago! I’m a terrible person! A well dressed, inconsiderate, monster!

> This isn’t like last time...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We sat in the living room at the back of Rairity’s boutique. I wanted to know everything that had happened to make the platinum unicorn fall for the once little dragon. Over the space of an hour she mentioned how caring and devout he was to her. How she could always rely on him, and after mine and Rainbow Dash’s relationship it made sense.

“You two proved species isn’t a boundary! And when the suddenly ‘Adult’ Spike came ask asked me out on a date, it just seemed...right.” She lay for hoof on Spike’s leg affectionately, watching them didn’t make me feel sad. It just made me miss Dash even more. I wanted to go and find her, but was held back by what Discord had said. Was there a reason he had said not to see Rainbow straight away? Or was it all just for his enjoyment. There had been so much he hadn’t told me, and by the sounds of it, he had done a lot of damage to my friends while using my face! 

After a while, I felt nature calling. “Don’t suppose I can use your bathroom can I Rarity?” She waved to a door in the back of the room, headed towards other rooms of the building. 
“Of course darling! Feel free!” I got up, brushed the cat fur from the sofa off of my new wonderbolt-like uniform, and left the room.

I found the bathroom easily enough, the tiled floor reflected the light from the hallway back up at me harshly. The room was dark, remembering what had happened only a few hours ago when entering a dark room, I groped along the wall for a light switch. I found it, I flicked it up. Nothing happened.

Was there another switch further along the wall? I slowly made my way into the room, groping through the dark searching for something to relieve me of all this gloom. In the dark, unable to see anything, my mind began to wander, and the voice grew stronger. 

‘So how does it feel? Knowing you USED sompony’s feelings for you to get what you wanted? You’re just like that little tramp back in there, flinging her power over others to get whatever she wants! You’re no different!’ I still couldn’t find another switch. “That’s good, if I’m like Rarity then that’s wonderful, she’s the form of generosity! AND SHE’S NOT A TRAMP!” silence for a minute. My hand finally found something, it was flat and wide and dipped in the centre into a basin. I’d found the sink. 

I grabbed the tap and turned on the cold water, splashing it over my face and calming myself down. ‘Yes she is generous...’ the voice began again. ‘She goes and makes gifts for you all the time! And do you do anything for her in return? NO! You just take, and take, and take. No wonder they haven’t taken you to Dash yet!’ I looked up into the mirror at my barely illuminated face, there was only a small sliver of light coming in from the hall through the open door. 

“W-what?” I suddenly saw what the voice was speaking of. My friends all knew I would want to see Dash before anyone else, but none of them had offered to take me to her. Or let me go and see her alone. Was there an actual reason for that? No one had mentioned her to me yet, why? 

“You’re making this no fun!” Said a voice from behind me. The door slammed shut, and I was plunged into complete darkness. I turned quickly, holding onto the basin for stability. I searched the dark to find a hint of who had spoken. Not that I needed any help, I knew who it was. The light, blinked on suddenly, and a pair of red unsymmetrical eyes stared straight back at me only an inch away from my nose! 

I pulled myself back with a gasp, I couldn’t move far, the basin pushed into my back stopping me from backing away from the Draconequus that stood before me. He looked at me thoughtfully, “What’s changed?” The question made no sense, was it to me or to himself? “...why?” he pondered. “You caused so much mayhem last time you came to this world, but this time!” He looked disgustedly at me as he stood up straight. 

“This time, there’s barely anything! A chase across town, a little shouting match with the stupid purple unicorn, knocked to the floor by a scrawny dragon, and NOTHING FROM SHOWING YOURSELF TO RARITY! Why is it so different?! What are you doing differently that means I get no chaos?!” He sounded like a pouting child who hadn’t gotten his way. 

I glared up at the Chimera, his look turned to one of shock, “What a terrible look! What could I have possibly done to deserve such a thing?” He dropped the charade and leant in smirking. “So how much have you figured out?” I didn’t break eye contact with him once, I simply glared at the  creature who had twisted the lives of me and my friends unbelievably out of shape.

“Well...” I began, my voice shook with quiet rage, but I tried my best to keep it in check. The Draconequus clicked his fingers, and was engulfed by a plume of purple smoke. When it cleared –after much waving and coughing on my part- I looked to the ground to see a little baby version of Discord, his thumb was in his mouth, and he sat on a small multicoloured rug that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

Story time, I get it, Not very funny! I fought the urge to stomp on the little creature’s head and end it all now. Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Well, after I died in this world, you decided it would be fun to pose as me. You took my form, and spoke to my friends and made them think I was alive.” I stopped, I really didn’t know anything about what had happened! That was all I KNEW, the rest was only guesswork. 

“Then... then once you messed with their head enough. You escaped because of the chaos you made from their confusion?” I ended with more of a question than a statement. The little baby Draconequus rocked back and forth, he took his thumb away from his mouth with a wet ‘Pop.’
“Gee mister, you wealy don’ know what wealy happonded does you?” The sarcastic baby voice was too much! I sent an arm down to the ground, and grabbed hold of the child by the throat! 

I swung my arm to the wall and took the infant with it. It hit the wall hard and made a nasty crunch! The illusion broke, and I was staring at the normal adult chimera. I snarled like a rabid animal “Enough games! What did you do?” The draconequus smiled as my hand kept a firm grip on the fur of his throat.

“An answer for an answer my dear boy, does that sound fair?” I knew I’d never get a straight answer from him. So with a sense of foreboding, I nodded slowly. “Well?” the chimera purred. “I did ask you first. What are you doing differently from the first time you came here? Why aren’t you making the chaos that I can’t do for just under another a century?” I didn’t release him, but my mind did wander. There wasn’t any chaos like previously. 

Yes Mac had misunderstood who I really was, but that was confusion not chaos. Making Twilight look into my eyes was what won her over, Spike’s instincts and trust were what got him to believe it was me. Rarity was the same! Why was it so easy to bring myself back into the world? “Because...” I thought aloud, “Last time, I didn’t know what I was doing. They were all strangers and I didn’t feel comfortable in this world a lot of the time...” The Draconequus looked at me with genuine interest, so much so he hadn’t even taken action on my hand around his throat.

“Then... when me and Dash... I...” I looked into the creatures eyes, my expression resolute as the realisation hit me. “I realised I belonged. You yourself said, the universe knows I belong now, so nothing is stopping me. My friends know me this time, they realise I’m being honest with them! That’s the true meaning of BELONGING! It isn’t some unwritten law for you to bend to your will, its knowing that when you return, everyone will accept you! That’s why this isn’t like last time!”

I finished my rant, and the chimera looked at me oddly, was that expression pleasure? Or was it mirth? I couldn’t tell. I pulled him from the wall slightly before ramming him back into it! “NOW! TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!” The creature raised his eagle hand, and pressed his fingers together. Yet another snap. 

My head Felt as though it burst into fire from the inside! I released the Chimera, and fell to the floor clutching my skull screaming! Discord brushed himself off, and while admiring his talons he said drolly “Don’t fight it, it will hurt a lot more if you do!” I doubted that very much, but I stopped pushing my hands to my skull, and stopped trying to focus on him. I let my mind go as much as I could in this pain.

Images flashed through my mind at great speed, though I couldn’t register them all, the general story was clear. Every detail of the last year poured through my mind in a manner of seconds. And when the images stopped, and my vision returned to me, I knelt there panting as though I had been running! 
“All better now?” Discord asked, before adding in an undertone, “Spoilsport!” I knew what had happened now. He hadn’t just twisted the memories of my death, he had CAUSED MY DEATH! Fire began to rise inside my belly. This creature standing before me had pretended to help me get home. He made me pity the very being that had murdered me! 

That wasn’t what made me angry though, the images that made me truly mad were the ones of Dash. He had used my face, to tell her to attack and try to kill the princess of Equestrian night; Princess Luna! He had acted just like me, seduced my beloved Dash, using her memories to create a mindset that made her feel that Luna was to blame for my death! No wonder Big Mac had attacked me, if I had been in his place I would have outright murdered me the second I set foot on the farm!

I stood, my hands balled into fists. Discord scoffed, “Oh the ever so intimidating human! What can I do?! I obviously must repent for my sins before I feel his wrath!” He didn’t bother with any of his over the top melodrama, he simply said it all in one bored tone. He knew I couldn’t harm him, so did I, but I didn’t care!

“You!... Turned my Dash... into...” The image of Dash ramming her fist into Luna’s face flashed before my eyes. “Into something...She’d despise!” The chimera made a little curtsey in acknowledgment. I swung a fist at his face; I felt my knuckles touch the tips of his fur. Then nothing! Then The solid wall behind! He had vanished again! I turned to find him now standing in the centre of the bathroom. 

“I do that to everypony in some way or another my boy, it’s my job, I’ve explained this to you. Why are you so angry about Dash being used?” He was obviously goading me, but in my rage, I didn’t realise. I took a large step towards him and screamed at the Draconequus. 
“Because I love her!” I ran to him. “AND YOU DID EVERYTHING WEARING MY FACE AND IN MY NAME!” Another pop, and Discord had vanished again. I looked around, but couldn’t see him. 

There was a knock on glass from behind me, I turned to see him yet again. This time he was inside the mirror, ONLY his reflection was there. He himself was nowhere to be seen. When he spoke, it sounded just like when people spoke to me throw a closed car window, muffled, and with a slightly robotic tinge to it. 

“Well, now you know. But knowing what happened is only going to make it SLIGHTLY easier to bring everyone back to loving you. I was only curious as to what had changed inside you my boy, I never really have understood the concept of ‘Belonging’ because I have never really belonged anywhere... Now you’ve told me, I can promise you that you won’t see me again. You used to be fun to watch, but now you don’t cause any chaos I find you tedious and dull. But I still only brought you back out of a debt. Goodbye old boy, enjoy your life in ponyville. Don’t go and die again!” 

He winked at me one last time, and coiled into a ball. The ball continued to coil into itself until it was the size of a pinprick. Then with a flash of light, it vanished completely leaving me alone in the bathroom, now knowing all that had happened, and now knowing why so many ponies here would hate me until I proved who I really was. He was right; this wasn’t going to be easy!
> An old issue & an old friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I left the bathroom feeling more alone than I ever had before. I needed Dash! She could make it all better! I’d had enough, my friends were important to me, but seeing Dash was my prority now! After seeing what Discord had done to her I knew that if I waited too long, she’d hear the rumours of a human in town, shed brace herself and then she’d never believe me!

I reached the door to the living room, the door was ajar. As I reached out to push it open wider, I heard Twilight mention my name. “I lost Tom once without a fight! I won’t lose him again without telling him!” Oh god! Why did I have to walk in on this convocation! To my joy, Spike began to reason with the unicorn. 

“Twilight, you know he loves Rainbow right? You can’t go trying to make him change his mind! He came all this way for HER yes he’s glad to see us, but we all know who he’s looking for.” Rarity supported him.
“Yes Twilight, darling. You can tell he’s missing her terribly, all you have to do is look in his eyes and you can see.” Twilight seemed to huff into a sulk, I was surprised, she’d never acted like this in all the time I knew her!

“I looked in his eyes...” She said quietly, I had to press my ear to the crack of the door to hear her. “And all I saw was my reflection, a sad, miserable pony who’d finally saw the man she loved after thinking she’d lost him forever! Why can’t I tell him how I feel?!” She pouted. 

Almost as though there were a psychic link between me and the dragon, he spoke the words I was thinking.
“He already knows Twilight, he knows you like him. But he belongs to Dash! He gave her his heart, he can’t take it back to give to someone else.” How oddly poetic, I thought. Rarity seemed to think so, because with a small “Nawww” she leant over and pecked the dragon on the cheek. 

“B-but...” Twilight hesitated, jeez it hurt to hear her go through all of this because of me! “B-but, why doesn’t he feel the same way about me? I’m not...ugly am I?” OH GOD! 
“Darling no! Of course not!” cried Rarity.
“Then, boring?” 
“No more than any other pony.” Reassured Spike. 
“Then why won’t he feel the same way for me as I do for him? I’ve liked him like this for a long time! In fact, I think I started liking him the second I began to speak with him. The way he talks, the way he moves. His complete different outlook on life is...beautiful.” Somepony please stop her, this is tearing me apart with guilt! 

“I know we’re friends but... what makes Rainbow so special?” The magenta pony finished miserably. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Rarity crossed the room, and took hold of her friend. She comforted her, trying her best to keep Twilight from crying. Spike also rose up from his seat, he began to move away from the two. 
“I’ll be right back.” He told them, then he headed straight for the door I was hiding behind. Oh no, not good! I was eavesdropping and now I was about to get caught. I backed away from the door, looking for a place to hide but nowhere was close enough to make it in time.

The dragon opened the door, passed into the hallway and closed the door behind him. He looked down at me without the slightest hint of surprise on his face. He squatted down to the ground and invited me to do the same. I had to ask him! “How did you know I was here?” He smiled and twitched his long green ears. 
“There are few advantages to getting older.” He smiled. As he looked at me his face began to fall into seriousness. “Look, you need to sort this all out!” He jerked a thumb to the room behind him. I gulped nervously.

“H-how exactly?” I muttered. Spike sighed, and slumped to the floor properly, planting his end on the floor with a soft thump. He ran a clawed hand through the ridges on his head as he thought hard.
“I have... an idea, but it’s unbelievably selfish...” The second the words left his mouth, I knew what the request would involve me doing. And I didn’t like it! “You see, I could stay here...for the night, and you could stay at the library with Twilight... Talk to her, make her understand. She’ll listen to you...” 

The dragon saw my crestfallen face. He looked ashamed. “You heard me in there, I know you want to see Rainbow more than anything! I couldn’t imagine having to keep away from Rarity for no reason! So trust me I understand! It’s completely selfish, and if you chose to go find her instead I’d understand. I could always give it another try when we got back home...” The dragon trailed off into an awkward silence as he stared at his feet.

I NEEDED to see Dash, but I couldn’t leave my longest standing friend in a fit of misery as I left her to go find the pony I loved. All these damn choices! No matter what Discord had said, I WAS causing chaos! The more time I spent away from her, the less chance I had of Rainbow believing that I was really me! By tomorrow pretty much everypony would have noticed the car in the town centre, and everyone would have heard about Big Mac chasing a human across town.

My heart sank! What if Big Mac had gone to mine and Rainbow’s house and warned her already about Discord posing as me?! If she saw me coming after that, she would take off before I even got close! Tomorrow was the anniversary of what every pony in town thought was my death. How could I even approach Rainbow, when probably everypony would be giving her their condolences and giving me an even smaller opportunity to get near her.

I needed time to think of what I should do, and Twilight needed help. It seemed the circumstances where what made my decision for me. I stood back up and brushed myself down. “Let’s do it, stay here for the night and I’ll talk to Twilight.” The dragon smiled with relief and also lumbered up back onto his feet. As I passed him and headed for the doors I patted the dragon on the shoulder and whispered. “Staying at your girlfriend’s house for the night. Gee, you really are taking one for the team!” The purple reptile chuckled, and then followed me back into the living room. 

Here goes nothing! Me and Twilight left the boutique and headed back to the library. Twilight hadn’t seemed too worried about Spike staying at Rarity’s, by her cool exterior I could guess that this was a regular thing!

The sun was slowly making its way down towards the horizon, and with the fast approaching night the wind brought with it a cold and chilling breeze. We hurried back to the warmth of the library hunching over to shield ourselves from the bitter wind.

It didn’t take us long to reach the library. We rushed in and slammed the door against the growing wind, I gave a sigh of relief as the waves of warmth washed over me. Now that I wasn’t in a rush like before, I took a look around the familiar room. It looked almost identical to how it used to look, there were a few new bookcases, the occasional new table in a corner, but it was pretty much the same! 

Twilight smiled at me, then went to the sofa. Without the slightest bit of dignity towards her guest, she simply jumped into the air and landed roughly on the seat. She lay down and exhaled loudly. She was still the same old Twilight, but these little new things she did worried me. She’d have never done that –in what was in my perspective- a few days ago. She’d never sulked like she did at Rarity’s either, like I said, I was a little worried.

“Hey!” I shouted as I headed to the small kitchen. “I’m thirsty, you want a drink?” I heard a faint, 
“Mmhhm” from the living room. So I began to search for something to drink. From the inside of the kitchen I couldn’t see anything going on in the rest of the building, so when a loud crash came from the living room I had no idea what was going on! 

I turned to run back in, but was stopped by a familiar voice from inside the next room. “WERE IS HE!?” They seemed angry, and it wasn’t hard to guess who they were looking for. “WERE IS HE TWILIGHT?! MAC HAD BEEN CHASIN’ HIM ALL ‘ROUND TOWN. THEN HE VANNISHED JUST AS HE CAME CLOSE TO YOUR LIB’RY!” I could hear Twilight stuttering and whimpering with insecurity. 

Hoof steps sounded out loudly as they approached the open archway into the kitchen. I just hoped that I could persuade her that it was me! The pony entered the room in a blur of orange, without pause she barrelled into me and took me to the ground. A ten gallon cowboy hat fell to the floor just beside me as we skidded to a halt on the polished wooden floor. Applejack stared at me in silence, her expression was livid. 

A panic stricken Twilight appeared at the door, she looked terrified. “A-Applejack I”- She began but was cut off by a curt whistle from the country pony as she flung her foreleg out for silence. Her muzzle was only inches from my nose, her breath came out of her nostrils and burnt my face with her rage. 
“Big Mac tried not to tell me...” She growled, “I whent and heard it from Derpy in the town cen’re. Mac lost sight of you and you vanished, well here yah are!” She didn’t blink once. “And I’m here to make the decision mah brother made for me earlier!” She grew silent for a moment. 

I was unsure of what to do, but I lay there looking back up at one of my dearest friends staring at me in disgust. This hurt a lot, on the inside mostly! To see Applejack look at me with such anger was one of the saddest sights I had seen in my life.

The country pony spoke, “What... did Tom do when he thought Rainbow didn’t love him?” WHAT?! All this for a stupid question like that? I tried to sit up, but the pony slammed me back to the ground with her strong forehooves. “Nuh-uh! You tell me, then you get up!” I racked my brains trying to find an answer that would satisfy her.
“Uhhh I ran away?” I asked uncertainly. 
“Everyone knows that!” her eyes flashed menacingly! “Before that! The day Soarin’ came to Ponyville, what did Tom do?” she was speaking as though I wasn’t Tom, and it hurt me deaply. Then again, at least she was giving me a chance to prove who I was, which was more than could be said for her brother! 

“I...” My brain began to clear the cloud of panic that fogged my memories. “I came to the farm, and I picked apples!” I said triumphantly, but the pony didn’t release me. 
“And then?” 
“You came out to talk to me about Dash.” I responded, the memories were as fresh as though they had only happened a few hours ago! 
“Then?” 
“I started to cry, so I ran to the forest!” her eyes began to burn with rage as she pushed me for the answer she obviously wanted to hear so badly! 
“Before you ran!” She said ‘you’ was she starting to believe me?! “an’ after I came out to talk to you. You ignored me and tried to carry on pickin’ apples, but what EXACTLY did you do next?!” 

An image of an apple sailing through the air flashed across my mind’s eye. It was the only thing I hadn’t mentioned, so I gave it a try. “I threw an apple across the orchard?” The rage seemed to falter for a moment, and then it re-ignited. She thrust her face closer to mine.
“Why?” This was starting to scare me,
“Because I was upset.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought Dash didn’t love me.” 
“WHY?!” she screamed. 
“BECAUSE I LOVED HER SO MUCH MY OWN STUPID MIND COULDN’T THINK STRAIGHT!” I yelled back at her! We both lay there panting, over her shoulder I saw Twilight sigh sorrowfully. Damn it! I wanted to make her happier, not more miserable! 

Applejack looked at me, every sign of anger and doubt had gone from her face. She simply looked at me for a moment, her lips twitched and slowly curled into a smile. “It is you!” She took her hoof off of my chest and let me sit up. As soon as I had she threw her forelegs over my shoulders and hugged me. 

I squeezed the orange pony tightly as the scent of apples filled my nostrils. Over her shoulder I saw Twilight turn silently and head into the living room again. Another moment of silence, and then “Is she gone?” whispered the country pony. I frowned in confusion and surprise.
“Uhhh yeah...” Applejack pulled herself away from me and sat on her haunches, she spoke in a low whisper so that she wouldn’t be heard in the next room.

“I’m sorry if ah hurt yah sugar cube, but Twi needed to hear that.” Wait! Had that all been an act?! What the heck was Applejack playing at? She saw my expression and continued hurriedly, “She gets like this sometimes and we can’t help it, she cares ‘bout yah, but she needs to know you don’t feel the same. This way she heard it, without you telling her. Now she can get over it without any bad feeling t’wards yah.” The plain made unbelievable sense, but...

“Applejack...” I muttered, “You mean to say you... lied just now?” She looked at me and winked, 
“Well, I wouldn’ say lied, just actin’ is all.” I began to laugh, but brought my hand to my mouth to stop it from escaping the room.  When I took it away, I had grown serious again. 
“How did you know it was me?” she smiled at me. She picked up her hat and brushed it off as she spoke to me. 
“Well, you aint the only one who can hide outside Rarity’s house and hear what’s going on inside. Mac came back and seemed down, I asked where he’d gotten to but he was a bit quieter than usual. So like I said before, I wen’ into town and overheard Derpy talkin’ bout a human being chased by my brother, and about a ‘machine’ appearing in the centre of town.”

The pony punched me in the arm playfully, “I knew it wasn’ no trick of Discord’s when I saw the three of you heading for Rarity’s place, too natural to be anythin’ else but true. So I followed yah, an’ when you left only with Twi and came here instead of Dash and your place, I reckoned you were going to sort thin’s out with Twilight first. By the sounds of what was going on inside Rarity’s, she still won’t stop fawnin’ over yah.” She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Am I a shade close to the truth there sugar cube?”

I felt my face blush at her brutal honesty. She smiled, and then asked a question that made my heart skip a beat. “So what you still doin’ here, and not finding Rainbow?” She giggled at my shocked expression. “I’ll take care o’ Twilight, you need to go find her. I can tell you’re itching to go chasin’ after her. You’ll do yourself harm if you don’t go soon!” She winked yet again.  

We both stood, I looked down at my new shirt under the jacket. I don’t know why, maybe it was my subconscious wanting to set myself up for a terrible joke later. But when I saw Rainbow, I wanted her to see me only wearing this shirt. So I took my jacket off, folded it neatly and passed it to Applejack. She took it in her mouth and nodded silently telling me she would take care of it until I came back. I ruffled her head through the top of her hat. She gave a muffled giggle. 

I ran from the room and headed for the door, I was about halfway across when I had a change of heart. I couldn’t leave without it! I turned back around, and headed straight for the sofa. A few strands of purple mane hung over the arm, telling me who sat there. I took hold of the back of the sofa, leant over it. and bent down and kissed Twilight on the cheek. She looked up at me surprised. I smiled and said quickly. “Just because I’m not with you, doesn’t mean you’re not my number one girl!” 

To my joy, the Unicorn beamed at me. Through quickly forming happy tears, she laughed slightly. And with that I was off! Out of the window and into the cold night! I let out a yell, She may hear me she may not, but I didn’t care. “RAINBOW DAAAASSSH?!” 

> Wait...Was that...?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day had been dull, I mean really dull! No big clouds in the sky to deal with, no friends able to make it out of work. I was in for a bad day, tomorrow would mark a year. A year without Tom, and just after that would have been the two year anniversary of being together. That is if Discord hadn’t ruined everything! 

I sat in my living room staring at the picture on the table. A human and a rainbow mane’d Pegasus mare looked back up at me smiling happily. I didn’t look at the picture as much as I used to, and Applejack had always told me that was a good thing. “Don’t wallow in the past where it can drown yah, just go back for a refreshing dip once in a while!” What a weird way of putting it, but it worked. 

I having a refreshing dip in my memories now, and it felt good. The guilt that had filled me when I had first lost Tom was gone now. It had taken a while, but after the help of my friends, AND my new found pen pal Princess Luna, I had finally realised it wasn’t my fault! It was Discords completely, and so now I knew that, I could live my life again.

There was a hole though; a hole which I was sure would probably never be filled. Looking at my pictures tends to help; it almost makes me feel as though the emptiness in the back of my heart isn’t there for a while. But every now and then it’s 
hard to look away and regain that horrible gaping hole, now was one of those moments.

I wouldn’t look away from our smiling faces. Me and Tom, together and happy. Maybe it was because of what tomorrow was, maybe I just missed him more today because I was particularly alone. I’d seen Spike and Rarity earlier, they made me happy to see them together. Almost as though me and Tom had made a difference to more than just each other’s lives. Change was coming, it was in the air. 

Luna had spoke of it, dream spells were becoming increasingly more common, just like with me all those months ago. 
Ponies would look into a glass orb and let a unicorn project their dreams into the globe for all to see, this was leading to a far more spiritual Equestria. More and more odd couples were popping up everywhere, not just in Ponyville or Canterlotte, but in Manehatten and Las Pegasus as well! Griffons and ponies, dragons and ponies EVEN A MINATAR and pony 
couple had made some big news a few months back. The human of Equestria had left a bigger mark on the world than he could have ever thought possible!

I on the other hand, well I knew he’d set the world on fire! After all he’d made me feel as though I could do anything in the world! Someone like that doesn’t just go un-noticed! I leant forward and kissed the face in the picture. Tomorrow I’d visit Tom where he rested. I’ll spend the day there, and tell him about everything that’s been going on since my last visit. I’d like that, I’d like that a lot, and something told me that Tom –Wherever he was now, looking down on me- would like it too.

I glanced up at the time, It was just about 1:30 pm, jeez! So much time to kill! I decided to take a nap, I adjusted myself to lay down on the sofa. I fluffed my favourite cushion making it more comfy, then lay my head down. I fell asleep quickly, with the image of Tom and me at the gala just in front of my eyes.

I woke to the sound of howling wind, I looked out to see the sun was going down, but it was still reasonably light outside. Just my luck! Finally some decent weather to control, and I nearly slept through it! I jumped off of the sofa and headed for the door, I took one quick glimpse around the messy house. I can always clean up later... nahhh! Like that was ever going to happen! I shot out of the house like a bullet and flung myself into the gale!

Wind control is quite easy really. All you have to do is find out where the wind is coming from, then get above it, then swoop down fast enough so that when you curl back up again from going towards the ground. If you’ve built up enough 
force to oppose the wind with your own shockwave, then the wind is easily cancelled out! 

I flew for a few moments searching for the pockets of gust that would tell me which way the wind came from. Suddenly I sailed away with ease over Ponyville, far away from my house and closer to the church. Right, that was obviously going with the wind! So I turned in the air and struggled against the wall of air pushing against my progress. Yep! I definitely knew where the wind came from now! 

I powered my way through the air current, and eventually broke free into calm and tranquil skies. This was the fun part! I curved through the air, and kicked my legs back hard. I was sent hurtling to the ground fast, the ground rushed to meet me but I didn’t falter. A bit further...just a bit further. I heard something over the rushing wind. I slowed out of surprise, and simply landed on the ground instead of curling away from it. 

The wind seemed to die down slightly, almost as though it too, was listening out for the voice I swore I had just heard. Was that...no...it couldn’t have been... Maybe the thought of hearing his voice made me realise it, or maybe it was just because I was so close by. But I wanted to see Tom’s grave! Now! I turned and headed for the graveyard round the back of the church. I glanced up at the horizon just in time to see the sun’s last little sliver dip behind the earth, leaving Ponyville under the watchful stars of Luna’s night.

I moved between the headstones, silent and thoughtful. I’d made the journey a hundred times; I could do it with my eyes closed! Soon I reached the stone I knew bore Tom’s name on it and knelt before it. “Hey baby.” I said lovingly. “I know I said I’d come tomorrow, but I realised I just wanted to be near you a little while, I hope that’s alright.” As always, there was no response but It didn’t upset me, or at least not yet. 

It was strange, sometimes I would visit the grave and I’d be filled with joy from just speaking to Tom as though he was there. Then at other times, I left feeling more miserable than I had been when I arrived, missing him and balling for him to 
come back to me. I was in that in-between stage at the moment, between happiness and sadness, feeling a hint of both but not entirely one feeling or the other.

“I thought...” I began, it was easy to tell how I was going to feel when I left this time! The words caught in my throat for a moment, and my eyes grew out of focus for a moment, but no tears, yet! “I thought I heard you, calling me... I know it’s stupid, but I just suddenly felt as though I should...be here.” I looked at the stone as though it were his face. His beautiful, beautiful face! “I still haven’t found it yet...” I muttered disappointed to bring the news to Tom yet again! “That thing I love 
as much as you loved me! I’m starting to doubt that something like that even exists!” 

I stayed there in silence for a long time. “W-we... we all miss you! Applejack tries not to show it, so does Fluttershy, they always try to be strong in front of me these days. Fluttershy! Being strong! See what you end up doing?!” I laughed slightly at my lame joke. It would be better if Tom was laughing with me...

“Well, they all do... but... It feels so empty in the house without you sometimes. I think, even the house is missing you! If 
that’s even possible!” I stayed there in silence, my voice crack again as I said the word that pierced my heart with ease! “E-even your clothes don’t smell like you anymore...they smell like...me.” I hung my head, but still no tears fell. Maybe this was a different type of sadness. But either way, with or without tears, it still hurt! 

More silence, I sniffed and rubbed the end of my nose with the back of my foreleg. I coughed in a vain attempt to get a hold of myself, and stood. “Well... Ahemm! I’ll come back tomorrow; hopefully it’ll be happier than tonight! I’m sorry... I love you...always!” I turned and headed for the gate.

I passed a tree, something lay beneath it. It was probably just Stiffy the undertaker dozing under the branches. I didn’t even look up. The figure spoke to me from under the shadow of the great oak. “So...Where you headed now?” I didn’t look up, I simply watched my hooves moving forward one after the other. 
“I dunno...nowhere I guess.” The figure’s tone changed, the voice was cracking slightly, and the voice was higher pitched than before. 
“F-funny time to be going nowhere...” My eyes flew wide open! I whirled around and stared at the figure under the shade from the moon. He passed from the shadow and into the light of the night, he looked no different to when I last saw him. 

His eyes were filled with tears, and his face was stretched into a huge smile as he gave a small laugh/sob. Finally, the tears came. I looked at him, through quickly misting eyes. I blinked hard and shook them away, determined to make sure they didn’t obscure my view of him, he might just vanish if they did! “T-Tom?” I breathed. His smile seemed to get even wider. 
“Yeah baby, it’s me...” 

> Baby please...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don’t know why I shouted her name. Maybe it was all the longing to see her again combined with the fact the joy of knowing that my friends supported my decision –Or at least Applejack did- Discord be damned! I was going to go see Rainbow and that was final! Fluttershy and Pinkie pie were the only friends left I hadn’t spoken to, but surely Rarity, Spike, Applejack, or even Twilight would tell them the news that I was back. But Dash, she’d find out from no one but me, as I held her close to me and told her I loved her!

The sun was still setting, I could guess the was only a good ten minutes of light that remained before Celestia allowed her sister to take on her duties of the night. I knew the way, I’d made it a hundred times while I was living and the library and going out to work on building my home with the apple siblings. A right, the second road on the left, straight ahead and follow it round the corner, and there it was. The house was exactly how I remembered it, the lights behind the windows made it look slightly like a face against the fast darkening horizon. 

I stared for a moment, with slight surprise. The door was open! Why? “Rainbow?!” I called as I ran into my old house. The same old pictures hung across the walls, the floor was still as untidy as ever. The house was warm, a fire roared in the fireplace, and yet no response came to me. “RAINBOW?!” I shouted, tearing into the bedroom. Still there was no beautiful Pegasus laying there sleeping or waiting to great me. 

Where was she, I turned back towards the door and felt my foot slip on something. I regained my balance, and then looked down to the wad of material my foot was entangled in. My shirt! My favourite shirt from the five my friends had all given me. It was the blue shirt that signified Rainbow Dash. I brought it closer to myself; there was a strange scent about the wrinkled shirt. 

I inhaled slowly, taking a lung full of the smell into myself. Rainbow, it was the smell of rainbow. I couldn’t ever decide what it consisted of, maybe it was the smell of something found only in the skies. But it was a scent of Rainbow, my Rainbow. If it smelt like her, then it meant she had kept it close and if that was so... “She still misses me!” I whispered to myself. 

It was probably my imagination, but for a moment I swore I could hear that snide little voice in my head -the dark human side of me- screaming as it burnt out under the light of this discovery. She still missed me! So did that mean she still loved me? I threw the shirt onto the untidy and unkempt bed. Before it even touched the covers, I was outside again. I searched the skies for any sight of her. There were none. 

The wind was still pretty strong, I regretted my hopeless romantic gesture of finding her only wearing this thin tight shirt! I wouldn’t be her own personal Wonderbolt, soon I’d be her own personal slab of ice! Where to go? Where could she have gone when the night was closing in so quickly? Maybe to Fluttershy’s place? I turned and headed for the little cottage in the distance. 

No sooner had I taken one step, my heart told me to stop. I obeyed. I stood there thinking, something was telling me Fluttershy’s house wouldn’t have Rainbow inside. So I turned, and began to head for Sugar Cube Corner. But yet again, the same feeling of reassurance spread over me. Reassurance that Rainbow wasn’t there! What was this thing telling me where not to go, was it Instinct? Love? Destiny? 

I stood in the chilling wind, and almost as though across an ocean I heard it. “Your grave...” What the hell was that?! Was the voice inside my head not completely gone yet? Was it giving me one last goose to chase? Or was it trying to help me? I stood there and listened, it came again, following the curves and currents of the wind itself. It wasn’t in my head! “Your grave, she’s there...” It sounded like a warm loving creature, neither male nor female. Or at least I couldn’t tell which it was!

My grave? I didn’t even know where that was! It could be anywhere! On the picnic hill, on the cliff the ‘accident’ took place on, it could even be near the hospital I had died in! I had no idea where to go!

Another voice came across the wind, this one was definitely female, definitely familiar! “Weeeeeeheheheheeeeee!” It squealed with joy, I peered through the diminishing light searching for the happy pony I knew I would find. There! She was running after a kite held in her teeth, every time a strong gust of wind took the kite higher, it also took the mare off of the ground and into the sky for a moment. It was in these passing seconds the creature squealed with joy! 

“Pinkie!” I yelled, running straight for the pink party pony. She looked over to me and smiled for a moment. I took hold of her shoulders before she could speak. I could explain later, but yet she didn’t seem confused at all, just happy as always. “Pinkie! Where was I buried?! Please tell me where I was buried!” The pink mare giggled, and looked into my eyes with her big blue ones.

“Why, at the  graveyard at the church silly!” She chirruped, “How could you forget that you silly goose! After all you were there too and”- I dropped her forelegs and ran straight for the church, as I left I heard her gasp with sudden realisation. “Hey wait! Tom?! You’re alive?! That’s great! I’ll go find some friends and we can have a party!” Jeez! That pony was so strange, and...Random! As I ran I couldn’t help but laugh at how easily the mare had taken my return! I only hoped Rainbow –If she was at my grave- would find it just as easy.

The sun had finally disappeared by the time I got to the church’s graveyard entrance, It wasn’t creepy, just serene and calm, just the way a resting place should be. I moved as quickly as I could through the gravestones without disturbing them. Which was mine?! I had no idea where I was supposed to be resting, which slab of stone showed where I should lie.

The wind had died completely, and I could hear every movement of a branch, leaf, or twig in this quiet world. I was about halfway across the yard when I saw movement ahead. A tree lay just in reach, so I bolted under it to hide. I don’t know why, maybe it was a security guard, stupid I know, but maybe I wasn’t allowed in here after a certain time. So I hid in the shade from the moonlight and waited. 

The trunk blocked my view up ahead, I couldn’t see what was happening. As I prepared to leave the cover of the tree and find a better vantage point, I froze. I froze because I heard something, something more beautiful than I’d ever heard before. Dash, was speaking, to what she thought was my resting place. She really cared for me that much, that when a year had passed, she still wanted to speak to me and feel close. 

I wanted to run out and hug her, but that would terrify the poor mare. I didn’t want to scare her, I didn’t want to hurt her. Why had I rushed into this?! I needed a plan! What if she attacked me on sight thinking I was Discord? What if she DID know I was Tom but hated me for taking so long to get back?

“I’ll come back tomorrow; hopefully it’ll be happier than tonight! I’m sorry... I love you...always!” I heard her say. ‘I love you too!’ That’s all I wanted to say! But my stupid mouth wouldn’t form the words out of fear! I heard her hooves approaching my hiding spot, had she seen me? If she found me skulking instead of me showing myself then she’d REALLY think I was Discord! 

The mare passed within inches from me, the gentle breeze brought her scent into my lungs, she looked so beautiful. The moon shone and made her hair glisten in the silver light, her blue coat set against the darkness surrounding her as though she was an angel repelling the night! How beautiful she looked!

She passed me without noticing the human hiding in the shadow’s. The smell of her, combined with the sight of her leaving filled me with newfound strength! I stood tall, took a deep breath and said the first thing that came to my head. “So...Where you headed now?” though surprising, it was an honest question, I wanted to know she would be safe.
“I dunno...nowhere I guess.” She sounded lonely, I was so close to her and yet I couldn’t make her feel happy yet! Her response ignited a sense of déjà-vu, and my heart knew what would make her look at me. Through my cracking voice, I laughed slightly as I stated. 
“F-funny time to be going nowhere...”

She turned immediately! I emerged from the shadow’s and looked at the only mare I had thought about since the moment I had awoken back on earth, the reason I trusted a demonic god of chaos, the reason I came back, the reason I lived! She stuttered for a second in fear, I understood, but it still made my heart twinge with sadness. “T-Tom?” her voice was barely more than a whisper, and yet it carried across the few feet between us with ease. 

I smiled at her, my emotions where beginning to take over for the first time since I’d woken up in that damned field outside the city! My voice quivered and shook as I spoke, but I tried to keep it strong. “Yeah baby, it’s me...” As I looked, I saw tears, beginning to fall down her face. 

I took a tentative step forward and reached out to her, but she took a step backwards at my movement. It wasn’t like Twilight, this hurt a thousand times more! She never broke eye contact with me, those huge pink orbs just stared at me as wide as they could go. The tears and the look of sheer horror on her face made me feel as though my heart was slowly being pulled out of my chest! One little strand at a time. Plunk, plunk.

“Rainbow...I”- 
“No.” She interrupted, though she still looked miserable, she stuck out her lower lip, just as she did whenever she was ready to say what needed to be said. Plunk, there goes another strand! She didn’t say anything else. So I tried to speak again. 
“Rainbow...baby please I”-
“Stop it!” She sobbed before I could finish. This was worse than anything I could have imagined, no anger, no yelling. Only this quite rejection of every word I said. How could I convince her if she didn’t let me talk without it causing her pain? “Just...stop it...” She said again, her voice began to crack but her eyes never left mine. 

“You can’t do this to me anymore... You can’t...I-I won’t be able to take it. Stop showing me his face! Don’t let me see him! I-it hurts way too much!” The tears were rolling down her cheeks now. She looked broken, and the site tugged hard at my chest. Plunk, plunk! Two more strands gone! Tears began to flow freely from my eyes, the ones of joy from seeing her again were quickly replaced by those of dismay.  

“B-Baby...please!” 

> I don't give a s*** about the balance!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She stood resolute, not giving an inch. Her tears were all that told me that this was hard for her to do. I’d never been as tough as her, I let my emotions run free and wild and tried with all my heart to silently show her that it was me! 

Maybe if I showed her my mark? No, Discord could duplicate that easily. Maybe the car in the centre of town? How would I get her to come with me? As my mind searched for a plan, my options became bleaker and bleaker. I needed something to show her how much I cared! If only I had my coat with me! Why the HELL had I left it with Applejack. 

My mind crossed over all the friends I had found here, how they had finally realised it was really me and nobody else. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie pie, Rarity and Spike! The last two were now together. It seemed like some sort of cruel joke, the two who had seemed as though they would last forever now seemed without hope, while the pony and the dragon who no one had ever expected to work out, were strong and caring for each other. I wanted to be like that, to be the way we were again. I knew, somewhere deep inside her heart, Rainbow did as well. 

“P-please...don’t run...” I whimpered through silent heaving sobs. She didn’t say anything, why did she have to look at me with those miserable, heartbroken eyes. The feeling of being so close to the one I loved, and they simply fear you. It was the hardest feeling I have ever dealt with. Nothing hurts as much as that!

I took a step towards her, this time she didn’t retreat, however she did tense up her muscles. She could fly away at any moment, and I would never see her again if she wished. “Please...” I begged again, my hand was still stretched out to her. Though she still looked weary, she relaxed slightly. The tips of her wings still twitched, making it obvious that she was still ready to go if the need arose.

I took steps towards her as though I were a child first learning to walk, or as if I stood on thin and fracturing ice. My hand came ever nearer to her face, she watched it edgily. I stopped with it only a few inches from her nose. She leant in slightly in spite of her own doubt, she smelled my hand. For the first time in my life, I saw her as a pony and not a person. She was relying on her instincts to help her as she always did. 

I dropped to me knees to show her I meant no harm. Still she smelled my fingers. Her face was obscured from my view by the five digits. Her breath was warm on my palm, it took all my control just to stay calm and not throw myself at her. She finally moved her head, and looked at me from above my finger tips. Did she recognise my scent? The same way I had recognised hers when I was in the house?

She finally moved. She walked past my outstretched arm, and came to a halt right before me. She sat on her haunches, the tears seemed to have stopped rolling from her eyes for a moment. She stared into my own eyes, hers twitched from point to point searching for something. Slowly her right forehoof rose from the ground and travelled up towards my face. She placed it against my left cheek, her touch was warm despite the cold of the night.  

I pushed my face into her hoof, it felt like every nerve in my body had gone numb except for the place of contact. To feel her touch again, was enough to give myself a little hope, maybe she’d would realise who I was through the connection. (unlikely I know, but I had to hope) I simply knelt there, hoping her touch would never leave my face. 

As I watched Rainbow, her mouth parted slightly. Was she about to say something? Did she know it was me? Her brow furrowed as though in deep thought. Come on baby! Please! It’s Tom, just see it! PLEASE! She whispered, “D-Discord...couldn’t act this well... but... Tom’s...” She left the sentence unfinished. She didn’t need to end it. I knew she meant, ‘Tom’s...dead.” 

“Dash, baby it’s me. No one else, it’s just me.” I tried to smile at her through my streaming tears. WRONG MOVE! Rainbow pulled away her hoof at my pleading with her to realise who I really was. She now backed away from me, shaking her head as she looked at the ground attempting to shake away the thoughts that I may be alive. 
“NO!” she unfurled her wings and beat them slightly, this sent her into the air and made her sail a few feet away from me once again. At least she hadn’t left...yet.

“YOU DID ALL THIS BEFORE!” She screamed at me through the silence of the night. “I WON’T LET YOU TRICK ME AGAIN!” I had been so close, but my big mouth had ruined it! I stumbled towards her.
“DASH! LOOK AT ME! LOOK INTO MY EYES, SEARCH FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT! I’M NOT THAT DAMNED MONSTER!” I was sobbing now, as was she. 

She took a strong step forward towards me, and she finally did the thing that broke my spirit, soul, and heart all in the same instant. She screamed at me. “YOU ARE A MONSTER! WE ALL BURRIED TOM A YEAR AGO, AND NOW THAT WE ARE FINALLY STARTING TO GET BACK TO NORMAL YOU DECIDE IT’S TIME TO RETURN AND HURT US ALL AGAIN!” I knew that she was speaking to what she thought was Discord, but the same thing could easily be applied to me. 

I was wrong to have come back. I had thought from the very beginning that my friends could have been moving on, and hadn’t wanted for me to come back. I should have listened to my gut and turned down the draconequus’ offer. Of course if it would have meant me pain for the rest of my life, but at least she would be happy. 

I turned in silence and headed for the gate. This was the only way I could make her happy, all I ever wanted was to make her happy. “Where do you think you’re going?!” I heard her yell from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at her and sighed. 
“I’m hurting you just by being here. I’m leaving, I’d never want to hurt you Dash. So if that means I have to go...” I looked away as the tears flowed freely once again. “Then fine.” 

“Stop it! No matter how much you act like him, you won’t make me fall for it again!” She yelled again, she thought I was acting. Well that I couldn’t help, I’d tried everything I had so now all I could do was leave. This time I didn’t bother to turn back. I simply told her the truth. 
“This will make you happy, that’s all I ever wanted to do, to make you happy baby.” I reached the gate of the graveyard and pulled it open and travelled out into the open space between the town and the church.

Holy hell this hurt! But it was all I could do. I continued towards the houses close by, I’d go and get my coat from Applejack and leave. I had no idea when! Jesus, it was all happening again! Yet again I was leaving the little town, but at least it was for someone other than myself this time. That’s the only positive thing I could think of. It was hard to think of anything good at a time like this.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I noticed the gate never clanged shut behind me, I could feel somepony’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look back. If I did I knew I would never be able to go through with this, I could only do it now by running Rainbows scream through my mind again and again. 

Maybe Pinkie was on her way, if she was hopefully she could cheer up Dash, she was always good at that. (Italic) ‘look back’ no! ‘She’s waiting for you to look back, do it! You don’t want to leave her!’ of course I don’t, but it’s for the best. It was a mistake for me to come here. ‘NO, it wasn’t! Just look back. LOOK BACK! JUST. LOOK. BACK!’ A muscle twitched in the back of my neck, trying to pull my head around, and then slowly another joined it and then another. 

I couldn’t help it. I stopped walking and looked back through weeping eyes. There she stood, against the gate watching me go. Though she was still crying, she still looked radiant to me! Her pink eyes gleamed in the silver moonlight, her lips parted and she whimpered across the space between us. 
“Wait...please...” my legs seemed to freeze at her request. She struggled to speak for a moment, then she swallowed and tried again.

“How do I know if it’s real or not? He made it seem reel a year ago!” He? “I-I can’t go through it all again. When he showed himself as who he really was, it was like losing Tom all over again.” So she didn’t think I was Discord anymore, but she also didn’t think I was Tom either. “If I trust that it’s you, I’m leaving myself open again, open to get hurt...”

I wanted to tell her I would never hurt her, how I would never let ANYONE hurt her again. That I would hunted anyone who tried down to the ends of the earth and make them pay, just as she had thought she should when I had left. But the words wouldn’t come out. All I could let lose was a garbled chocking noise. My voice was giving out after all the tears and sobs. She finished with one last statement. “I buried Tom a year ago, and if your here now. Then I don’t know what you are.

Her words crippled me, I fell to my knees slamming my fists into the ground. through the corner of my eyes I saw Rainbow take a step towards me in worry. I didn’t care anymore! I shouted, not at her but at the ground beneath my hands. “I am what I am! I cannot change it! I AM the human who fell in love with you after racing you through Ponyville, I’m the man who loves you with all his heart and always will do! I love you! I cannot say it any simpler than that!” She seemed to let out another unsure sob. I threw my body back and screamed at the star coated sky. 

“DISCORD! YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM HERE! I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE BALANCE! YOU DID THIS!” I was swearing! That’s how broken I was! “I HATE YOU! WHY DID YOU TAKE ME? WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST LET IT ALL UNRAVEL? AT LEAST IT WOULD MEAN I’D HAVE LIVED THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH D-A-SH...” My scream broke up at the end, and it shifted into hateful sobs. 

I looked at the pony I loved. She had come closer while I had screamed, she looked at me now with less fear in her eyes. Why? Why was my screaming making her less scared, it should terrify her more surely! 

Whilst still looking into her eyes I asked the only question that meant anything to me to the Chimera of chaos. “Why bring me back, just to let me see I can’t be with her anymore? It’s worse than dyeing!” Her mouth opened in confusion. When no answer came from the shadows, I sighed, my breath shook with anger and grief. I fell back forward, my head pushed against my knees and I cried as though all I cared about was leaving me. In fact, it was!

My body heaved under each sob, my back rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and...a warm hoof fell on my back. It rested on top of me. Pinkie had found me, or maybe Applejack, or Twilight. I didn’t look up. I just cried as my heart seemed to fall from my chest. A head pressed against the crown of my own. Stop trying to cheer me up! Dash had made it all clear to me, I didn’t belong here! It had been another trick from Discord! 

“...Hey...” said a shaky yet warm voice. My sobs seemed to vanish at the sound of her voice. That wasn’t pinkie, or Applejack, or Twilight Sparkle. I brought my head up, the other head stayed pushed against mine as it slid down from my crown to my forehead. I looked into a pair of big pink eyes. “Don’t cry, I can’t stand to see you cry...” what was she doing. “Discord...brought you here?” She asked, her eyes weren’t angry anymore, or scared, or fearful, they were the closest to how they had looked on that night. The night with her in our room, in our bed, in our home. 

I couldn’t talk, I merely nodded against her rainbow mane. She stayed silent for a moment. “From where?” She asked. My mouth formed the word but there was no breath behind it. So I gulped and managed to whisper it hoarsely.
“Earth, I woke up on earth. He offered a way back to...back to you. So I took it.” her eyes closed for a minute, to my amazement her lips curled into a smile. 

“You’re telling me you travelled from another world just to see me again?”  I took hold of her rainbow mane’d head and held it close to me, I felt her breath against my face. How I had missed that sensation! 
“Baby,” I began, “I’d cross the entire universe just to see you again!” We both let out a choked laugh as he sat there next to one another. Her mane had fallen over her eyes, so I took a hand and swept it away. She looked at me for another moment. 

“Tom... It’s really you isn’t it” How many Ponies would ask me that?! 
“You mean...you believe me?” I asked amazedly. Her eye locked in on mine again. Her mouth opened and she let out a deep sigh of relief.
“Yeah!” She flung her arms over my shoulders and kissed me! She kissed me! Her force through me to the ground as she released an entire years of longing all out at once! I held her tightly to my chest, running my fingers through her soft fur and mane. Her tongue danced with mine, and we both lay there for Celestia knows how long! I never wanted this moment to end, She believed me! She was mine again! 

> What you didn't expect!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two of us finally parted and looked at each other, still holding one another close. She smiled at me, “Hi...” I smiled back. 
“Hi.” She pulled me into her again holding me tightly, she lent her head on my chest. I could feel her breathing into my barely covered flesh. These were the moments I’d missed, and they were the moments I’d treasure for a life time!

“O-Oh...ummm, I’m sorry. I’ll come back l-later..." I knew that voice! Rainbow’s head rose at the same time as mine and we both looked to the yellow and pink pegasus stood close by. She had a small bouquet of white flowers sticking out from a saddle bag on her back. “FLUTTERSHY!” Screamed Dash excitedly. She bolted away from me and towards her friend through the air. Fluttershy squeaked with fear as her rainbow mane’d friend streaked towards her. Rainbow reached the startled little mare and scooped her up and flew into the sky taking her with her. 

As the two hurtled into the air I smiled at how happy Dash sounded as she screamed to the heavens. “HE’S BACK! He’s back, he’s back, he’s baaaack!” underneath her screams of joy i could just about hear the timid Pegasus.
“Y-yes, I can see that, and it really is w-w-wonderful! But please, p-please, put me back on the ground!” Dash obeyed and came back to the grassy ground. once she had, she hurtled back to me and threw her forelegs around me again and embraced me hard. She could barely believe what was happening. 

Fluttershy crept forward towards us. She looked more worried than usual. “Excuse me...but are you sure that you’re...Tom? And not Disocrd?” I couldn’t help a sigh of exasperation escape my lungs at her question. The yellow Pegasus heard it and suddenly went shy. “Oh, I’m sorry, I suppose I should trust Rainbow’s judgment... even though she was tricked before I’m sure it won’t happen again...” She trailed off unsure of how to continue. The two of us looked at her and smiled, she smiled back happy at the sight of the two of us together again.

“Of course it’s you! No one could make Rainbow that happy!” She sounded a lot surer than I’d ever heard her before, confidence suited her! “Also...” She grinned, her eyes twinkled in the star light above. “Only Tom would wear something that odd.” I laughed, so did Fluttershy. She trotted over and bumped her head against mine in a sign of affection. 

“Well, I guess I should go... I’ll talk to you later Rainbow... If you want that is. OH and you too Tom!” She began to flutter back the way she had come, leaving us alone again. Well, that was every friend I had here in Ponyville who believed me except Big Macintosh. But He’d come around. I knew Applejack would help me and him become friends again, and then life would be just how it was before. 

Rainbow was oddly silent. I looked down to my chest where she leant, she was gazing at the Wonderbolt like uniform I wore. Fluttershy had obviously brought the new clothing to her attention, so now she gazed at it. She looked up at me questioningly. I answered her unspoken question. “Rarity made it for me for our anniversary, but then... you know...” I trailed off meekly, rubbing the back of my neck as I did so. 

“But why that design? Why do you want to look like that?” She asked. I smiled, well here was my set up, and now for hat had to be the cheesiest line I’d ever said! 
“SO you could have own private Wonderbolt, all to yourself.” She giggled at the silly comment, eventually her chuckles subsided and she looked at me lovingly. 
“I don’t want a Wonderbolt, I just want you. I always have, and I always will.” She nuzzled her muzzle into my chest and breathed deeply as we lay there. I took hold of her again and squeezed hard, in a moment of true and unbound love, nothing ever needs to be said. So I stayed quiet and communicated through the embrace. I held her tightly, and I would never let go again.

I swore that I could giddy a ‘whoopie’ in the distance. Was Pinkie pie watching? I wouldn’t put it pas her. The noise continued for a moment, but was suddenly silenced. A distant voice whispered in a hushed tone, “C’mon now! We need to go talk to Mac, leav’em be. They need this moment alone!” every word came across the silent space with no trouble, Applejack was a wonderful friend but subtlety wasn’t her strong point. I was glad she was going to speak to Big Macintosh, but she was right. Me and Dash needed this time together.

I rubbed my face into the top of her Rainbow mane. The scent filled my nostrils again, I still couldn’t tell what it was though. It didn’t bother me though, because I knew what the smell meant, and what it symbolised. It was the smell of home, the smell of belonging, or at least that’s what it meant to me. As long as I could smell Rainbow’s scent, hold her close, and tell her I loved her, then I knew I was where I belonged. In every sense of the word.

“You know,” The pony I loved began, “I’ve hated that Chimera for so long, after what he did when you died, after he MADE you die. But right now, I love him so much!” She looked up at me one last time and smiled, “Because he brought you back to me... I love you Tom.” 
“I love you too baby.” I couldn’t help but think on what she had said, yes Discord had done all those terrible things, but he had also brought me back here, why? Out of penance for a crime he regretted? Or was it simply because he believed he owed somepony a debt. I looked through the memories that Discord had gifted me in Rarity’s boutique. 

I knew who that pony was, he had meant Rainbow Dash. Her heartbreak was what caused him to finally escape, so now he brought me back as payment for her deeds. But was that truly his motive? I remembered the way he had gazed at all the colours of that netherworld we had crossed through to get here. The way he had closed his eyes and let them dance across his face. His brooding thoughts on if he does too much to keep the balance. Maybe, just maybe he wasn’t all bad.


......................................................................................
 

I gazed down at the two of them, so much work, so much interfering. But now they lay there together again. I took a talon and scooped a blob of cotton candy cloud out from the little ball I sat on. I popped it in my mouth and savoured the taste mixing with the chocolate inside it. Delicious. Maybe a few more minutes to watch them, to ensure nothing else went wrong and then I would take my leave. I lay back down on my stomach and watched the two lay together. 

I hadn’t wanted to actually influence their decisions, but the way the two were acting both would have ended up alone. So I had whispered in Tom’s ear to turn around, the stubborn boy would have eventually given in but I needed to ensure that Rainbow Dash had seen the heartbreak in his eyes before he strengthened himself up again. 

Maybe now the two could live together for a long time, without worry and grief. Yes I had caused it, but it had been required by the universe. I am but a slave to its laws, and must follow them without hesitation. It is my purpose, it is my job.

A pair of beautiful golden hoofshoes fell to the cloud and landed gracefully on it. I glanced up at the white Alicorn who wore them. She too was watching the couple below and smiling, she then turned her gaze to me and continued to smile. Her elegant lips opened and she asked of me. “Why?” I smiled, sighed and looked back at then as I spoke.

“Sometimes...just sometimes, I feel horrible for the things I do. I love chaos, but ever so slightly... I find myself rooting for harmony to succeed over me. At least it means I don’t hurt people.” Celestia bent her legs and lay beside me. She leant over to the puffy pink surface and took a small elegant bite out of it, she smiled at me as she swallowed it. a small sliver of liquid chocolate spilled from the corner of her mouth. I reached over and whipped it away with my lion’s paw. 

She blushed when she realised what had happened, I chuckled as I shook my head at the elegant Alicorn. The two below stood up and headed off towards town, leaving me and Celestia alone. She slumped to her side and lay there looking at me. “What of the balance you have always taught me about...teacher.” It had been so long since she had called me by her old name for me. 

I looked at her for a moment, at her flowing mane that shimmered with its own light. At her grand and regal attire, her beautiful eyes stared back doing the exact same to me. What a horrible sight for her to look at! “You haven’t been to the corridor of worlds. I fear you never will my dear, but no matter how many times I’ve tried to teach of the power of belonging you never have truly understood. It isn’t just able to acurr enough by wanting it. you need to go through the proper process’s if one is to truly belong.” She frowned at my words but didn’t interrupt me and still listened to me. 

“when he came here, he created chaos, and tilted the scales of balance in my favour. As the other side of the scales, you had to balance it out. So you made him and his friends believe he belonged in Equestria. That way chaos began to fade and was replaced by harmony.” She nodded in agreement. “I took him away, only because his presence in such an unnatural way, was always going to leave one side stronger than the other. It would then begin pulling away the stitches of existence. So taking him away caused some chaos as we both know.” 

Celestia laughed, “I think you could say a bit more than ‘SOME’ chaos dear teacher!” I smiled back at her, I loved her laugh. It was beautiful and graceful, just like herself. I shook my head, trying to focus on what I was trying to teach her. 
“When I brought him back here, not only was I able to rebuild the lives I had destroyed with my actions, but I was also able make it so he could TRULY belong. When he passed into the world willingly, the universe recognized the change. So it altered the balance of both his and our world, it equalized the balance so one’s balance wouldn’t change by losing a member of its world, and the other wouldn’t change by gaining one.” 

Celestia had closed her eyes to visualize what I was telling her. Her lips parted slightly and I could hear her breathing as she thought. FOCUS! Damn it! She needs to learn so she can keep balance better! She opened her eyes and nodded at me to show she understood. She smiled and sighed with exasperation. “I still have a lot to learn from you teacher, even after all these centuries!” I flipped over and lay on my back.

“Of course my dear! I have been doing this a lot longer than you after all...but...” I looked into the stars, growing morose yet again. “That little bit of insipid love of others together, it occasionally burrows into my head and makes me more like you for a moment.” I was of course referring to how I had actually brought back the same man I had killed. I looked over at the laying Alicorn. I propped myself up on an elbow, I looked anywhere but her face. I felt her gaze burning into my flesh. I took a nervous scoop of cotton candy and examined it. “Maybe that’s not too bad sometimes.” She giggled at my compliment, I nearly blushed, but I kept control and stuffed the pink orb of candy into my mouth.

“So why do you insist on having everyone hate you so much?” She asked. I looked back at her. Well ninety nine years would be a good enough years to let her get over what I needed to say. Then maybe the lessons could begin again. ‘Here goes nothing’ as the human would say!
“It makes everything easier, it’s so much easier just to have everypony hating me and thinking of me as the closest thing this world has to a devil. Then it makes me able to harm them with a slight sense of indifference, because they all hate me!” I stared into her eyes. “I’d rather be you any day.” I stared down at my horrible miss-matched limbs. “Rather than this ugly thing!” 

I looked down at my odd and deformed body with disgust. I heard movement beside me, so I looked up again. Celestia had wriggled her way across the cloud to get close to me, her face was only a few feet from mine now. Through her parted lips I could hear her deep breaths, she was excited. I swallowed, trying to move what seemed like an egg from inside my throat. 
“I don’t hate you teacher...” She purred, “And never call yourself ugly, you are perfect in every way.” I looked into her pale pink eyes, there was no dishonesty in them.

I edged closer to her, closing the distance between our faces. “You’re the only pony that doesn’t my dear. They’ve lived their lives hearing about what I did to this world those all those centuries ago, I wouldn’t expect anything else.” My vision fell to the pink cloud beneath us in misery. I felt her warm hoof take hold under my chin, and she lifted my face up to gaze into hers again.

“Granting you that request was the hardest thing I have ever done...” She said lovingly. “If you hadn’t taught me the truth about balance, then I would have never done it.” She looked like she was on the verge of tears. I sighed, and pushed her hoof away gently.
“And If you hadn’t, then the worlds would have torn apart long ago. I tipped the scales too much towards chaos, I thought myself a god! Able to remedy any mistake I made like that!” I clicked my fingers at the sanguine sky. “I was foolish...Too much chaos meant that we were all in peril, in EVERY world. So when I felt the worlds splitting, and nothing I did helped. I turned to you, my dear Celestia.” I looked back to her and smiled at my fellow immortal. She tried to smile back but failed, too wrapped up in the memories of the past.

“But, you never explained why you needed to be imprisoned for so long!” She moaned quietly. 
“Because I did far too much! You needed to build harmony to counter the years of chaos I created. The creatures I made still walk this world, Manticor’s, dragon’s and all kinds of other monsters. It would take you years to find the balance again! So I had to be kept away, making the bare minimum of chaos in my trapped state...” I hoped she understood finally, I hated talking about my younger years. All my foolish mistakes. Everything I had done to cause suffering and pain.

“I see...” She said, she shuffled even closer. She was only an inch away now! “Well, dear teacher, you’re back now...so...I suppose...” She never finished her sentence. She leant in to me, parting her lips as she did. I also leant in slowly I felt her breath on my face, light and delicate.

To her surprise, she felt a fluffy sticky substance meet her lips. She opened her eyes to see a blob of cotton candy in her mouth. I laughed joyously, I’d never felt so happy! I skidded across the sky as though I were skating on ice. Giving a quick twirl I spoke to the beautiful Alicorn. “I knew you always had a soft spot for me princess!” I laughed, as did she slightly through the blob of pink candy still in her mouth. “I truly do respect you, and I hope to see you soon...” Her eyes fell slightly at my words. She knew I was leaving. I am after all, a chimera of my word. “I’ll see you every now and then.” I reassured her, her eyes glinted with hope. “It would be much less of a terrible wait for 99 years if I saw you every now and then my dear.” I winked at her and she blushed slightly, she ate the candy that was still in her mouth and stopping her from talking.

“I would like that.” She said simply. I swooped through the sky, and came up to her face once again. I stoked underneath her chin with my wide lion paw. She closed her eyes at my touch and smiled dreamily. I leant in close and whispered in her ear.
“Until next time, my dearest... maybe when the scales are even and the balance isn’t needed to keep the worlds from tearing, then. Then maybe they can be together. I’d like that. More than anything.

I swooped back and turned my back on the Alicron, I prepared to depart, but before I could leave I heard her speak with a tone of complete misery and despair. “You know that day will never come teacher...” I looked over my shoulder and smiled at the elegant creature. I raised my fingers, and snapped. I was gone! I reappeared in some dark and dull place. I don’t care where. My false smile falls and my face reveals the true misery in my soul. I whispered, to no one in particular.

“Unfortunately my dear, I do...” 

END

And so ends the Tom/Dash tale! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writting it! Feeling like a little peace of me is dying now it's all over ;D Thank you all for reading and supporting the triligy!