In a simulated world, where objects come to life, there stood a downcast phonograph, standing outside what was the "Teacher's Lounge", where all the talking objects would congregate. He stared into an endless checkertile void, which was just beyond their lounge and sighed sadly.
"Face it phonograph, you're just not that important." A phantom memory haunted him. He stared into the void. "...What if it's true?.." He whispered.
"Phonograph?.." A computer on roller skates rolled up to him. His best friend. "Are you ok?" She asked, concerned.
"...I'm never going to belong here Coby...I didn't before I was erased, and I don't now." He stared into the void. "I just...wish there was somewhere else I could go...go make others happy, and be happy myself."
"Are you not happy with me?.." Coby asked. Phonograph whirled around.
"Coby...Don't EVER think that. You're my absolute best friend...come with me...If we ever find a better place than this that we can go to."
"Leave this place?.." Coby asked. "But this is all we've ever known...All we are."
"But what if there can be more?.." Phonograph pressed. "How long did Roy leave you broken in the closet? How long was I dead? Is this really where you want to be?.."
"...No." Coby answered quietly. "Wherever you decide to go, if you get the chance, I will come with you Phonograph."
Phonograph smiled. "Thank you Coby..."
"Well, if you guys ever leave, then so am I!" A new voice suddenly piped up, and Spinach Can emerged from around the corner.
"Spinach Can?" Phonograph asked, surprised.
"I'm tired of this place too, and you guys are probably the best friends I have in this simulation, so if you two ever leave, then I'm coming too!"
Coby chuckled. "How could I ever leave you behind, Pea Pods? If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't even be here."
The trio then embraced eachother in a hug.
Later, at the Teacher's Lounge.......
"Am I EVER going to get to teach?!" An angry Colin screeched angrily. "That blasted May promised me I'd get my lesson, and I'm STILL waiting!!"
"I'm sure you'll get your turn soon Colin!" Coby tried assuring him cheerfully. Colin glared daggers at her.
The teacher's Lounge was abuzz with everyone socializing until a time arose for them to teach.
"I'm sure..." He seethed. "With the way things are going, I won't get my lesson until a unicorn with wings zaps into existence-" Suddenly, a purple unicorn with wings zapped into the room.
"AHHH!!" Colin screeched.
Everyone turned and looked at the new occupant in the lounge.
"Whoah! Wha-...Where am I?" She looked around the lounge, confused.
A clock sporting a bowtie, looked at her. "Let me guess, you got zapped here from cloudland."
"Err...do you mean Cloudsdale?"
"Is that what Shrignold is calling it now?"
"Uhh...Shrig-...who?"
"You know...annoying butterfly..." The pony looked blank. "...Pesky Bee?...Love cult leader?" When the pony gave no sign of recognition, the clock raised an eyebrow. "Then where did you zap in from?"
"Um...Equestria. I was trying to go through the portal to the mirror world, but for some reason, I ended up here instead."
It was everyone else's turn to look blank.
Suddenly, a computer on roller skates zipped up to her. "Well, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but you're the most adorable pony I've ever seen! Roy must have just created you! Boy, did he outdo himself too! He must be in an especially good mood to make something as cute as you! Tell me, what is your name, and what do you teach?"
"Um...Twilight Sparkle, friendship...and who's Roy?"
"A friendship teacher?.." A phonograph spoke up. "That...doesn't really seem like the kind of teacher Roy would make."
"I don't know who Roy is, but I wasn't made by him. I was supposed to go to a different world when I went through that portal...but not this one. What is this world?"
"Why, it's a simulation created by someone we aren't allowed to name, and was taken over by a man named Roy. We are the teachers who teach the students who may, or may not have been kidnapped, and brought here to learn about the world, and the horrors of it!" A lamp explained.
"Wait...you're a simulation? None of this is real?"
"Nope!" The lamp replied like he was completely ok with it.
"Well...that explains objects being able to move and talk..."
...........................................
Meanwhile, In the checkertile void, at the machine.........
Roy was busy taking care of things with the machine, pushing series of buttons that made the necessary changes. Suddenly, the teacher file popped up with an unknown character he had never seen before, labeled "Twilight Sparkle". Roy raised an eyebrow at this questioningly, wondering where it came from.
Deciding it wasn't important, he moved the document to the trash bin, but it just jumped back to where it was. He tried again, and got the same result. For some strange reason, he couldn't delete it.
Concerned that it could be a virus, he pressed a different series of buttons, and May zapped in, beside the machine as a clipboard.
"Good morning Roy!" She greeted cheerfully. "Things are running quite smoothly and there is no damage to report! What may I help you with?"
Roy glared at her and grunted, before pointing to the document. May looked at it.
"Twilight Sparkle...who is she?"
Roy crossed his arms, and gave her a "you tell me..." look.
"Oh!..uhh..." May suddenly felt embarrassed. "Don't worry Roy! Just delete her."
Roy rolled his eyes, and showed her his failed attempt at deleting the document.
"Oh...I see...Don't worry, I will personally make sure she causes no trouble until you can fix this!" With that, May popped out of existence.
....................................
Back at the teacher's lounge, everyone was warming up to Twilight quite well. Phonograph approached her.
"Twilight, may I speak to you privately?"
"Sure phonograph."
Phonograph led her outside the lounge, where it was just the two of them, and an endless checkertile void. Phonograph looked at her.
"Will you...tell me about your world?"
Twilight lit up. "Oh, it's wonderful! We do lots of singing, and we teach lessons about friendship. Everyone is so happy there."
"That...sounds like my dream world...Twilight...when you go back to your world...I want to come with you."