//------------------------------// // Day 3: Can I go Home? // Story: Afterlife // by Star Sparkle //------------------------------// I woke up and as I stretched out I thought ‘It was all just a dream. I mean a world of taking ponies, where some were Pegasus and others were Unicorns that can actually do real magic, they even had a functional government with two Princesses that could move the sun and the moon. Hah, but that Unicorn Twilight was actually really sweet, even though she treated me like her child.’ But a small knock on my door made me ask, as I still believed I was home ‘’Yes, who is it?‘’ Then I felt the mattress, the blankets and the pillow, I opened my eyes and with that, all the memories of what happened the last two days came back and Twilight from the other side of the door spoke ‘’It’s me, Twilight, may I come in?‘’ As I tried to get over the shock that I was still in Equestria, I said still a little bit tired ‘’Sure, come in.‘’ I heard as the door opened and Twilight’s hoof steps got closer as she asked with a small giggle ‘’Are you still tired?‘’ But before I could respond, she continued, to my relief ‘’If you could just turn around so that I can then change your bandage and don’t worry, there’s some food on it’s way.‘’ After I turned around, I laid my chest on the pillow and asked, still tired ‘’What time is it.‘’ As the old bandage came off she said ‘’Around noon and my friends arrived about one hour ago.‘’ As I wondered why her friends had come, I asked ‘’Why have your friends arrived?‘’ She was for some reason surprised that I didn’t know and lectured ‘’My friends have arrived so we can use The Elements Of Harmony alongside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, to make the portal even stronger.‘’ ‘’Now I remember, Princess Celestia did say something about those.‘’ A small pause came before I asked ‘’Twilight, what are the elements of harmony?‘’ As she placed a piece of cloth on my wound and placed the bandage back on she lectured ‘’Oh, of course you don’t know, sorry. The Elements Of Harmony are the most powerful magic known to ponies, and since my friends and I each represent an element each, we can then together use the magic of friendship.‘’ With that statement I sat up, since she was done and I asked as I wanted to make sure I had heard her correctly ‘’You’re saying, that the most powerful magic in this world, is ‘friendship’?‘’ ‘’Yes.‘’ Twilight said. Thankfully a few knocks on the door and as Twilight went to the door I thought ‘Maybe I shouldn’t tell her what the most powerful weapon is in my world.’ Twilight opened the door and said ‘’Thank you Spike, will you tell the Princesses and the girls that he’s awake now and we will be there in a few minutes.‘’ As a familiar voice said ‘’Sure thing Twilight.‘’ Twilight levitated a silver tray with a lid on into the room. As Twilight went to the door, I saw my chance to get dressed and as Twilight walked towards me, I was all dressed again and I sat down on the side of the bed and she sat the tray on my upper legs, since I sat down it worked as a small table. She lifted the lid with her magic and what greeted me was a bowl of salad, carrots, cherry tomatoes and some slices of apples. There was also a small bowl with some strawberries in it and a glass of what I suspect to be orange juice. As I began to eat, I could taste that all the fruit and vegetables were much better than what I had back in my world and the orange juice, not surprisingly, it was great. After I ate Twilight levitated the tray over to a nearby table, sat it down and said ‘’Because it is day now, the Princesses can’t empty the hallways without it looking suspicious, so you’ll have to hide in my saddlebag again.‘’ To that I just smiled and nodded as I said ‘’Sure, when you are ready.‘’ Her horn glowed and shortly after, I was in her saddlebag and she began to walk. Luckily for me she walked the entire way and since I had nothing else to do, I removed the sleep from my eyes and just waited. After some time I heard as two big doors opened and closed and I was my normal tall self again as Twilight and I were in the same room as last night, the room just before the throne room. As I looked at the big golden double door, they didn’t open, I looked at Twilight whose ears hung low, so was her head and as I was about to ask what was wrong I stopped myself, I knew what the answer would be, so instead I asked ‘’Twilight?‘’ Before I came down to her eye level and when I did she placed both her hooves around me and hugged me, I hugged her too. No words could describe what I felt, but as I hugged her, I for some reason, felt safe, like whatever that would happen today, I would be okay. As she loosened her grip around me, I did as well and when she stood on all four of her hooves she said ‘’Thank you, I needed that.‘’ ‘’Your welcome my friend.‘’ I said and as she smiled I stood up, the doors glowed and opened up. As we walked into the throne room, Spike, the purple dragon from yesterday was there alongside Princess Celestia and when we came to a stop, I bowed, but before I could say anything Princess Celestia asked with her calm voice ‘’Did you have a good night’s sleep?‘’ I stood up and thankfully said ‘’I did, thank you Princess Celestia.‘’ She gave a smile and said ‘’I’m sure that you are curious to know what will happen today.‘’ ‘’I am a little curious, Princess.‘’ I said. ‘’In a few moments, I will teleport all four of us to a field, you will appear close to the mirror, while Twilight and Spike will appear next to their friends and I will be next to my sister. My sister and I will then open the portal like last night, then Twilight and her friends will use their Elements Of Harmony to make the portal even stronger and when I give you the signal, you shall go in and if everything goes to plan, you should be back in your world.‘’ After I had taken the information in, Princess Celestia then asked with a soft voice ‘’Are you ready?‘’ To which I responded confident ‘’I am.‘’ Everything became a golden light and when it disappeared I was outside, on a grassy field next to the mirror from last night, I noticed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were close to me, Twilight, Spike and five other ponies, one orange with a hat, one pink, one white, one blue with a rainbow mane and a yellow one with a long pink mane. They were a little bit further away, I gave Twilight a final look before the Princesses opened the portal, just like last night. I then noticed that from Twilight and her friends there came an actual rainbow, like nothing I had ever seen before and it hit the top of the mirror, as at the same time Princess Celestia yelled ‘’Now!‘’ I jumped in. After I jumped into the mirror and saw the endless darkness again and I thought since I still had the properties from my jump, I would then hit the other portal soon. But after I should have hit the other portal, I finally looked around and I only saw one portal, the one that I came from and with my thoughts, I stopped myself and took a closer look at my surroundings, but nothing stood out. I floated in mid air as I heard a sound, it sounded like thunder in the distance and it only became louder.  Louder and louder the thunder became until I was hit, by each strike I screamed in pain. I was hit several more times, but even though I knew I was hit several times, it didn’t even feel like lightning, but still hurt. As I tried to get away, a force held me in place and I was unable to move, as not even my thoughts could get it to loosen its grip and the grip only became tighter as I was tossed towards the only portal that was there. As I flew out of the mirror, I quickly moved my arms to protect my head as I knew, I would hit the ground, but I hit the ground so hard I quickly flew up in the air again, as I hit the ground again I tumbled a bit before I lay completely still on my left shoulder, I then allowed myself to fall on my back and relaxed. I heard muffled voices and opened my eyes to see Twilight as she stood over me and a cloud was now between me and the sun, just one cloud with a blue pony's head on it. When I looked at Twilight I could see her mouth moved, when the ringing in my ears stopped, I heard Twilight as she asked ‘’...u okay, can you hear me?‘’ I tried to nod, but my whole body had locked itself in a kind of cramp, so I instead said ‘’I can hear you, but… I- I can’t move.‘’ As I said that, a yellow Pegasus with pink long hair and a pink long tail quickly came over and as she touched me she asked a bit to the shy side ‘’Uhm… Sorry, but can you feel this?‘’ Since I couldn't nod I calmly said ‘’Yes.‘’ Still with a shy voice she said ‘’If you want, I can fix it so you can move your body again.‘’ So still calm, even though I began to slightly panic in my head, I said ‘’That would be nice, thank you.‘’ ‘’Twilight, um… Would you mind turning him over, so I can loosen his bones?‘’ Twilight agreed, since I was lifted in the air, turned to my stomach and placed me back on the ground. I then felt something on my back, maybe the Pegasus and as she placed her hoof right on my spine she pressed down and as soon as she did that, I could feel my whole body loosen up, she then with a sweet voice asked ‘’Can you feel anything different?‘’ To where in a relaxed voice, I said ‘’That’s the spot. I think I’m all better now, thank you.‘’ As she came in front of me and extended her hooves and I was about to shake her hooves but she lifted me off the ground and when I stood up, I said surprised ‘’Wow… thank you.‘’ With a more sweet than shy voice she said ‘’You are quite welcome, I’m Fluttershy.‘’ ‘’Nice to meet you Fluttershy, I’m Stef.‘’ We gave each other a smile as I noticed the Princesses came over and a golden light blinded me. I noticed I was back in the throne room and that it was only Princess Celestia and I, the Princess lowered her head and said disappointed ‘’I’m sorry we failed and you had to suffer for it.‘’ So with the best smile I could make, after yet another failed attempt, I said ‘’It’s okay…‘’ I thought I wanted to say some more, but I didn’t know what. With a more calm voice Princess Celestia said ‘’I now only have one more idea, but there is a risk to do it.‘’ ‘’What is it?‘’ ‘’An ancient spell, one that is forbidden, due to its… success rate.‘’ ‘’What’s the spell?‘’ ‘’A creature to pony transformation.‘’ ‘’If it is the last chance, I don’t see any other way.‘’ A small pause came before Princess Celestia said ‘’Make your decision tomorrow.‘’ A piece of paper appeared ‘’For now, take this scroll and understand it, it will tell you everything you’ll need to know about the spell.‘’ I took the scroll and with a flash of golden light, I was back in my room, alone.