A familiar scene played as I looked around. A building of brownish red bricks loomed in the distance. The swings on the playground seemed to stop making sound, though they were still moving. A single word ran through my thoughts. Why? Fingers pointing, laughing all around me. A single phrase repeated, over and over. “Four-eyes! Four-eyes! You need glasses to see!” Tears fell from my face as emotions flew through my mind. How could they, I wondered? Were they not my friends? How could they turn on me like this? I had done nothing wrong to them, so why? I stepped backward, looking for a way out. It took some analysis, but I found the weak link- and ran right through. Sadness. Panic. Confusion. Anger. Disgust. The whirlwind of emotions was so immense, it almost consumed me as the world seemed to swirl around me. But, then I turned to see a familiar face. Ginger hair. Green eyes. A look of sympathy etched on his face. He reached out to me with an outstretched hand. He smiled. I reached back towards him.
But this is where the memory shifted into a dream. I grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him. “Why, Harold? Why did you leave? Answer me!”
He looked away and brushed off my hands. Then the ground split, and he shrugged as it dragged us apart. “There are many possible reasons, Nathan. But maybe I just got tired of it all, you know? Maybe I was just sick of standing up for you all the time. Maybe… I just needed a break from protecting the weakling with no backbone. You ever think of that, Nathan? Did you ever think of how you were dragging me down?”
Something about him seemed off. This wasn’t the Harold I knew all the way back then. He may have disappeared without even a goodbye, but some part of me knew that Harold hadn’t done so out of spite. I shook my head as I stepped away with a hard look on my face. I pointed at the faux Harold apparition. “Harold would never say that to me! I know that! You are not Harold! You… You are just a bad dream!”
At my declaration, the figure morphed and chuckled. “Is that how it is, Nathan?” Its new voice sounded like acid, and chills ran down my spine. It smirked. “What if I am not just that, hmm? You and me… we both know something about people that others do not seem to. Yet, ever since you met Ophelia, you have started to stray from the path of enlightenment...”
My eyes widened as the figure started to morph to look like her. I yelled at it to cut it out. “You leave her out of this! She is not like the others! I know it! Others may have turned on me, but she never will!”
A malicious chuckle let out from the faux Ophelia. “Ah, naïeve delusions. It’s been a while since you relied on those, right? Yet in the end you have come crawling back to them… Those always did protect you from accepting that Harold likely left just to hurt you. And now, they stand in the way of you realizing that Ophelia is probably just using you as well. Just stop kidding yourself. Happiness is an illusion.”
I shook my head with defiance. The creature was wrong, Ophelia IS different from the others. She had to be! If not, then…. I pushed that dreary thought away. I steeled myself and confronted the creature. “You have no real power, foul apparition. This is my mind, and I am in command here. And I say to you… GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”
The faux Ophelia squirmed as it shifted between many faces that I had seen before. Orsen. Ferris. Albert. Lloyd. Mark. Donovan. Even some that I had long forgotten the names of. All of those faces… all of them were people that I used to call a friend at one point or another. As it screamed, it spiraled into a panic for a small while. “Gah! You…! This is not over… I will be back, Nathan. You can not escape the truth…”
The creature bubbled and twisted, shifting rapidly until it let out a loud yell as it started to shrink. I sighed deeply. “When you come back, I’ll be ready for you.” It then vanished into nothingness.
Sunday morning came with the sun filtering through the windows, and I shot up in a cold sweat as the rooster crowed. That nightmare… I hadn’t had it in a good while, but it still bothered me. Especially the new part. I shook myself out of it, trying to calm myself down. The last few days had been rather hectic. But that didn’t mean I was going to slack off now, on Sunday of all days. I took my backpack and the box of clothes that Rarity had given me off from the shelf. I sighed. I was going to have to get a proper closet for those later… I pushed away that stray thought as I dragged myself towards the house, and entered to see an unwelcome sight. A dog ran through the house, but luckily it did not seem to notice me. Had I known that they had a dog on their property I would have chosen somebody else’s place- perhaps even Twilight’s place- but it was too late for thoughts like that now. I kept myself out of sight of the mutt as I found my way to the bathroom. The family seemed to be getting ready for something or other; but it really was not any of my concern.
I locked the door to the bathroom and got ready to take a shower. It still felt a bit awkward using somebody else’s bathroom for that, but I had little choice in this situation, considering the other options. Once I finished and dried off, I took the black slacks and white button-down shirt out of the box. It was simple enough changing into them, even if it was not quite complete without a suit coat. I shrugged as I put some black socks on that I had forgotten that I had stuffed in my backpack. I did not have another pair of shoes though, so the ones I had brought with me would just have to do for now. I also managed to find a tie in the box that I had not noticed before. It was just a simple blue with diagonal gray stripes, but it did seem to look rather good on me. Once done, I put my pajamas back in my backpack and zipped it shut. I borrowed a comb and straightened my hair a bit. After a few seconds, I was satisfied. I groomed my beard, seeing as I hadn’t thought to bring my razor. After doing all that, I set down the come and exited the bathroom. I went back to the barn real quick to put my backpack away with the box. I sighed, then left the barn. I entered the house again and entered the dining room.
After a bit of consideration, I grabbed a pot from their cabinet. I filled the pot with water and placed it on the stove. I then grabbed a bot of oats from the pantry- though when I looked on the back of the box there was no directions for what I was about to make- I shrugged; opting to do so from memory. I grabbed a measuring cup from one of the drawers (though it took a little while to find the right drawer), and opened the box of oats. I started putting the oats into the pot, and that was when the Apple family came into the dining room. Applejack spoke with a small panic in her voice. “Wut’r ya doin’ with the oats!?”
I chuckled lightly. “Nothing dangerous, I promise. I am cooking it to make oatmeal. The pot is big enough to make some for all of us, if you are interested in trying some. If you are, just grab a bowl and spoon and sit at the table. I will serve it up when it is done cooking.” The family seemed curious enough, seeing as they all did end up grabbing a bowl and spoon- even if Applejack was the most hesitant. It took a few minutes, but the oatmeal was finally ready. I took it off the heat, and turned off the stove. I grabbed two pot holders from the drawers, one that I held the pot with as I brought it to the table, the other that I put beneath it before I put it on the table. I then scooped out a serving for each of them, but cautioned them a bit. “Now, it is still hot, so you probably will want to let it cool. Anyone want some milk to cool it faster?”
At their collective nods, I went to open the fridge- it seems that I had been a bit hasty judging their level of tech- and found a gallon of milk. I brought it to the table and closed the fridge door, and poured some into each of their bowls. I then grabbed a bowl and spoon for myself, and served myself some oatmeal with milk. I did a quick little blessing in my head, and dug in. Applejack then proceeded to comment on the meal. “Why shucks, Nathan. Yer just plum full o’ surprises! Ya learn this recipe from yer ma too?”
I waved a dismissive hand. “Psh! Anyone back home can make oatmeal. It is not too much more difficult than boiling water, given that you know what you are doing. I mean, there are ways to give it more taste if you feel like doing so, like adding brown sugar, but nothing too difficult.”
At that prospect, Apple Bloom perked up. But before she could ask, Granny Smith cut her off. “Now, Bloom. Ya know that the sugar’s not t’ be used wastefully! Jus’ cause our guest mentions it, it doesn't mean ya can have some! That stuff’s pretty expensive for our budget…”
Shock went across my face. “Sugar is expensive here? Mom always gets it when it is on sale, so I do not think too much about such things…” I shook my head. “No matter. I can deal with plain oatmeal if it helps your budget…” Then, I realized something. “Oh wait! I’ve been using your stuff to make this food! I gotta repay you somehow… I do not think that doing the dishes is quite good enough…”
Applejack was going to brush it off, but she changed her mind because of the clear distress in my voice. She nodded firmly. “Well, ya can help us sell apples in the market from now on, if you like. Ya will be paid, of course, but part o’ yer pay will be goin’ t’ what yer replacin’, if’n that is ‘ceptable t’ ya.”
She extended a hoof, and I met it with my hand and shook. “It is a done deal. I do not know how it might work out, but… It is like I told Celestia. I do not like being in debt to others. If you think I can help you, after all that you have done for me so far, the least I can do is give it a shot.”
Applejack smirked. “Heh. Ya got yerself a strong sense ‘o principles, don’t ya? That is quite the shinin’ quality ya got yerself.”
I smirked slightly. “I suppose it is, isn’t it?” I finished up my breakfast and took it to the sink and washed it with soap and water. Once done with that, I dried the dishes first, then my hands.
As I was about to leave the dining room, Granny Smith spoke up. “Where are ya off ta with that fancy wear? Ya goin’ somewhere special today?”
I shook my head. “Sort of, but not exactly. Today is Sunday. It is important for those of my religion to put forward our Sunday best as we worship. Sure, I am not exactly back home, but that does not mean I can let my spiritual growth stifle. So, I would appreciate if you left me to it. I have got a bit of catching up to do, considering how hectic things have been the past two days…”
Applejack tilted her head a bit. “That’s raght, ya did mention that ya were religious… Say, what is yers like, anyway?”
I blinked, and then dismissed her query. “Well, I do not see much point in talking about it here, seeing as our realities are most likely in entirely different dimensions from one another. You probably have some other religion that could be considered ‘true’ here, right?”
Granny nodded with a small smile. “Ah think ah get wut yer sayin’. Yers don’t really impact us that much, jus as ours doesn’t impact ya. If ya need a set aside place or anythin’...”
I considered it for a moment before shaking my head. “No. Thank you for the offer, though. The house will do nicely for our purposes.” at hearing that phrasing, most of them quirked an eyebrow. I chuckled as I went to the door. “Ophelia and I are of the same religion. A boon that likely would not happen if I wound up here with somebody else.” I pushed that thought aside as I opened the door. “I will go over to Rarity’s to get her. Be seeing you later!” I then went out of the house and started walking. During my small trek over there, I noticed a few new things about the town that I had not before. Most of the houses I saw were also for some sort of business, implying that most citizens of this town lived where they worked. There was only one exception that I was aware of, that being Rainbow Dash. Of course, there was likely to be others; such as the doctors and nurses, and the ponies that ran the local school. Another oddity that I noticed was that the weather was controlled- Sure, cloud seeding was a potential tech sometime in the future back home, but this was far different from that, seeing as the pegasai were naturally capable of manipulating clouds.
I pushed these thoughts away as I reached Rarity’s door. I was about to knock just as Rarity opened the door. Luckily for her, I managed to halt before I accidentally punched her. I was about to ask a question when Rarity interrupted me. “Sorry Nathan, but I can not talk for long. Sweetie Belle and I need to be getting somewhere rather important. If you are looking for Ophelia, she is still in the guest room getting ready for… something. If you like, you can wait in the lobby for her. Be seeing you!” I held the door open as she left, followed by a small unicorn filly with a two-toned mane of purple and pink, whom I guessed was the “Sweetie Belle” she was referring to.
I paid them little mind, and entered the lobby after they were out of sight. I sat down on the chair to wait, regretting not bringing my sketchbook to pass the time. Though luckily, I did not have to wait long for Ophelia to come down the stairs. The dress she had on was stunning, to say the least. It was a gentle magenta with a slight glittery sheen to it. It was simple, but that was not a problem. I shook myself out of my daze as I stood up. I smiled gently. “Ready?” at her nod, she followed me to the door. I opened it and stepped aside. “After you, my lady.”
She giggled lightly. “Why, thank you, good sir.” She exited through the door, and I followed soon after. The town seemed a bit quiet with no ponies in sight, and Ophi puzzled about it. “Where do you suppose the ponies went off to?”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe they went to church? It certainly would not surprise me. Or maybe they are getting ready for some kind of party, possibly a belated ‘Welcome to Equestria’ for the both of us. Could be anything, when you think about it. Let us leave them to it, though.” It was not much longer before we reached the farm. I stopped at the barn, and opened up the doors. Nothing had changed inside, thank goodness. I grabbed my backpack, and opened it. I rummaged through it until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out a green case with handles on it, and sealed up my backpack. I saw that Ophi had a similar case in her hand, though it was blue. I smirked widely. “It seems both of us packed these away that day, eh? Did you have Seminary that day, or…?”
She shook her head. “No, I just do not like the feeling of leaving home without them. What about you?”
I sighed a bit. “I had a feeling that I would need them. Guess that was a good feeling to listen to.” We then left the barn, and entered the house.
Ophi looked around a bit, before going to what I had long since judged was the living room. “This room should suffice.”
She sat on the couch, and I pulled up a chair across from her. I cleared my throat. “Welcome to our session. As acting bishop, I will conduct this session. Now, we do not seem to have a hymn book with us, so we will just start with an opening prayer. Ophelia, if you would.”
I sat back down, and crossed my arms and closed my eyes. She began after a little while. “Heavenly Father, if you can hear us in this strange land, we thank thee for the chance to gather together as members of your church. We thank thee that we wound up in such close proximity, so that neither of us would be alone in this experience. We thank thee for the blessing that we have others to talk to, even if they are not your children as we are. We ask thee to give us strength as we wait for them to help us find a way back to our home. We ask thee to forgive our shortcomings, to continue being patient with us as we strive to better ourselves. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
After that, I uncrossed my arms and opened my eyes. I saw that she had already done so, and continued my address. “Alright, so how are we going to go about this? We both know how things are here, so there is no need to bring it up. Should we just read the scriptures?” At her nod, I opened up my scripture case, as she did the same. I posed a question. “So, shall we read aloud the same one, or…?”
Instead of answering, she opened to a page and just remained quiet as she read. I shrugged. To each their own, I supposed. I did not want to disturb her reading, so I opened to a different page and started to read in my head. Personally, it was an… interesting experience, to say the least. After a good while of just reading, we both closed them. I got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing a small plate and a slice of bread. I broke the bread into two pieces, then returned to the living room. We both bowed our heads, and I began to recite the sacrament prayer for the bread. Once that was done, I passed the plate to Ophi and she partook. She passed it back to me, and I partook.
I then went back to the kitchen, placed the plate down, and grabbed two small cups and filled them with water. I put the cups on the plate, and carried it back to the living room. Again we bowed our heads, and I then recited the sacrament prayer for the water. Once done with that, I passed the plate to Ophi and she took one. After drinking, she passed the plate back to me, and I took the other cup and drank. I then took the plate and the cups back to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. I went back to the living room, and we had a small discussion about what we read in our scriptures before I said the closing prayer. We stood, and I opened the door for her once more. We bade each other farewell for now, and I sighed after closing the door behind her. It was over, I could relax for now. I exited the house and went to the barn. I put my scriptures back in my backpack, and pulled out my sketchbook.
I grabbed a pencil, and flipped to a blank page and started to draw. It was odd this time though, as I actually seemed to have some bigger picture in mind from the start. Most things I drew were spontaneous or based on landscapes I had reference to. But this time, I drew something that I had no reference for on hand, instead visualizing the reference in my head. The background formed slowly as I crafted the scene from memory. Large mountains in the background with a large sky that had sparse clouds. In front of the mountains was a building with grand architecture, with a single metal spire coming from roughly the center of the circular structure. The external walls of this building had a pattern of etched into it, with beam like protrusions circling the building at regular intervals. Upon the spire of the building, a statue of a person began to take shape. I put a pin in that, and started to focus on the land surrounding it, giving detail. There was a paved walkway up to the double door entrance of the building. To either side of this path was a small flower bed with various species shown within.
I was startled by a knock on the barn door, and I hurriedly put away my sketchbook and pencil, closing my backpack as I called out. “Yes? Who is it?”
The door opened, and I saw that it was Pinkie. She had the same exuberant smile as I was aware she tended to; and her tone was just about as bubbly. “Hiya! You coming to the belated Welcome Party? It will be fun~! Besides, you and Ophelia are the guests of honor, so...”
I let out a deep sigh. She had deflated my argument before I could even make it. Just how did she…? I decided not to worry about it. I put my backpack back on the shelf and made my way to the door. “Alright, I will go to the party. But do not expect me to make any new friends while there, alright? The most I will do is ensure them that I will not hurt them.”
She had a bit of a dejected look for a split second, but soon shook it off soon after. She started to leave, and I followed at a distance. After a good while of following Pinkie, I found myself outside the Gingerbread House that I and Ophi had seen from the air. Speaking of, she was there already as well, slightly fidgeting. She smiled lightly, calming down a bit. “What do you think the party is going to be like? I am kind of nervous about it… I have never been to a party with so many individuals before...”
I shrugged lightly, and spoke up. “I do not know. But…” I then proceeded to grab the doorknob, and turned to her with a small smirk on my face. “There’s really only one surefire way to find out, don’t you think?” I then opened the door.