//------------------------------// // Chapter II - 'Happy' 2020! // Story: The Legend Starts // by 654_nosneb //------------------------------// The year was about to end. To celebrate it, Lara's mom invited us to her vacations house (that was 25 km away from our city, Eastville) to pass the new year's celebrations. After spending Christmas with our father, we decided to go with them for the last holiday. "Lara is very kind to offer us spending new year with her family!" Luna exclaimed at her car seat. "From what she told us, that house of hers is really pretty!" "Yeah, she is!" her alicorn sister continued. "Last new year we just stayed alone at our house, but the fireworks were awesome!" "Our new years weren't always like that," her human sister complemented. "I remember that we used to spend them at grandmas house, before she died." he ended the sentence with a bit saddened tone. "Don't worry Melissa," I spoke from my seat. "We can still have happy holidays! And even more happy ones if we manage to get dad out of prison." After I spoke, the silence invaded the car for a few seconds, until Tia broke the silence by asking: "William, what happens to the people when they die?" The question caught me by surprise; and apparently not just me, since mom's face completely changed to one of horror (although she still had to drive so she didn't let her sight abandon the road). The last time I saw that face, was when I asked her that question. Even if the question would have been for her, mom wouldn't respond (or at least no in a long time) so answering the question relayed on me now. I had my own personal view about death, but explaining it to them will just confuse them right now, so I decided to simplify it. "They go to heaven." was the answer I choose. "And what's heaven?" asked the now curious dark blue filly. "A very beautiful place in which you'll be happy for ever," I responded. "And where dying is impossible." "So then why are we here?" Tia asked. "If heaven is so good, why we weren't born on it?" Ok, this fillies are becoming VERY philosophical. But I think I still know the answer to that. "To love and be loved." was my final answer, after thinking it for a while. "But then why we get sad sometimes?" the dark blue alicorn now asked. "Maybe because we lost our original purpose." "And what is it?" Celestia asked. "To love and be loved," I repeated. "Sir." the assistant with the white robe asked to Osvaldo, who was sitting at his desk. "There's something important I'll like to tell you." "What," the director spoke with a very depressed voice. "I told you not to bother me unless Researchinc is in danger, or the world is in danger." The Researchinc labs suffered very much since the Discord's incident. Now it was barely a shadow of what it was before. Even though their building was still intact, half of the scientists were fired in the last year due to the crisis originated by the controversies the company faced 1 year and a half ago. "Maybe the second thing," his assistant responded. "What now, Gregory. The alicorns finally proved to be dangerous to society?" "No, but a new virus was found on Wuhan, China. It has the potential of resulting on a pandemic. The Chinese government tries to hide it but..." "Research on a vaccine, I don't really care." the director responded. "The company is at the edge of bankrupt. I want that at least the last thing we do is good to the public eyes." "Ok," Gregory responded. "As you wish, director." and then, he leaved. "Wow! There's a river here!" Melissa shouted. "Can we swim later?" Tia asked. We were the first ones to arrive at the place (except for Lara and her mother) and the girls were spending a good time playing, laughing, and chatting between each other. Meanwhile, mom and I were talking with Esther (Lara's mother) about the relatives that were coming. "Don't worry too much about them," Esther said. "They already know that I invited you." "Could I ask why you invited us?" mom spoke. "I, and I'm sure that my sons really appreciate it, but, why inviting strange people to your new year's celebration?" "Oh, come on." the woman responded. "You're not strangers. It's been almost 2 years since we met. I think that you are almost part of my family! You even met the majority of my relatives. Also, I know that you don't have anywhere to spend this holiday; and it's really sad, so I invited you to have a good time!" the redhead woman exclaimed. "By the way, have you invited someone?" "Well, me!" Clarissa's voice sounded from behind. The stars didn't took long to dominate the sky. We were at the inside of the house, watching cartoons with the fillies, while the adults were outside, celebrating. Well, to say that we were watching the cartoons will be a lie, the proper term will be: pretending that the room was a kingdom, that I was a citizen, Lara was a magician, Melissa was a traveler, Tia and Luna were the rulers, and there was an invisible monster, kidnapping their subjects, while the TV echoed from behind. "I, princess Luna of 'Starland' state that the invisible monster should be haunted down, and taken to the dungeons for his crimes against the republic!" "You don't mean queen, right?" I tried to correct the filly. "No, we princess Celestia and princess Luna of Starland declared that absolute monarchy is forbidden in this republic!" Tia answered to me. "Ok," I responded. "But how are the princesses of the republic gonna find the invisible monster?" "I can do it!" Lara exclaimed. "A Jedi doesn't need his eyes to see!" "Well then knight of Starland, I princess Celestia of Starland allow you to go on this dangerous mission." "Kids!" mom shouted as she entered the room. "5 minutes for new year! Come here for the countdown!" "Aww!" Melissa exclaimed. "Well, we are going mom!" We were waiting for the last minute of the year to end, and Tia was flying from excitement. Luna was on top of my head and everyone waited for the great moment. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5," We started to count. "4, 3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY 2020!"