CHAPTER 2
When everything went back to normal, I was sitting down, under a tree. I stood up, and noticed that everything looked different. Cartoonish, even. Omnius just looked at me, a big grin on his face. I stood up, and recognized this as the hill where Dashie and I had our first date. I looked out over the distance, and saw Ponyville.
I felt a wash of memories return. The falling, meeting everypony, making new friends, my family... Everything came back to me. As I watched them play through in my head, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I was finally back home. My REAL home.
"So, do you believe me now?" Omnius had a slightly smug look on his face.
"Yeah... But didn't you say it's been twenty years?" The shock hit me after I remembered that. Nopony would remember me after that much time.
"No no no... You see, it's been twenty years of MY life. I'm a Traveler, remember? I can go through space AND time. So I've been searching for the equivalent of twenty years, but it's only been a year for you... But... Oh no." He then facehoofed, and started mumbling "You idiot" to himself.
"What?"
"I think I made a miscalculation... It's been five years here in Equestria."
I felt myself go pale, and I felt dizzy. "No way... Well, can't you just take me back a few years?"
"No, because if I take you back, the opinions or feelings of anypony from now would change, and we would have to go back to fix that, and then we would end up being in a constant loop of backtracking."
"A paradox..." I let out a sigh, and tried to soak in the knowledge that all of this was real.
"So... Everypony's going to be five years older... That means Scoots'll be in her teen years... Oh joy." I chuckled. I couldn't imagine Scoots as a teenager, I was too used to her cute little filly self.
(Stop the music)
"Yeah. Well, we'd better get moving. We don't wanna keep anypony waiting!"
I nodded, and we went on our way down the hill, and back into town.
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It felt good to be back in the hustle and bustle of Ponyville. And when I walked back, all of the ponies gathered around me, saying hello and telling me it was nice to have me back. One mare, a greenish mare with a matching mane, and what looked like a harp as a cutie mark, whom I remembered to be Lyra, was being especially clingy. After they all dispersed, Omnius and I headed off to see Twilight. After arriving at the library, I gave a quick knock on the door.
Knock knock knock
"Hey, Twilight! It's me!" I yelled through the door, hoping to get her attention.
The door flew open, and I saw a very angry looking Twilight glaring daggers at me.
"Woah... Twilight, are you OK?" I took a step back.
"Oh yes, I'm fine. I've just spent five years of my life barely speaking to anypony and studying, hoping I would find a way to bring you back. I'M PERFECTLY FINE!"
I just stared. "You spent all of that time... Searching for me? But Omnius was-"
"I know he was searching for you, but I wanted to help. There was no way I was just going to sit back and wait, doing nothing. And now, you just show up... I don't know how to feel other than angry..." She ended her sentence by slamming the door in my face.
"Maybe we should just give her some space..." I was still staring wide-eyed at the door, unable to believe what had just happened to me.
"Yeah... Let's just go see Rarity. She'll probably be happy to see her number one customer back!" Omnius had a determined look in his eyes.
"That's a good idea. And the Carousel Boutique is just around the corner. ALLONS-Y...! Man I have wanted to say that for a while..." I had a big grin on my face. Twilight was just a little upset, but not EVERYPONY could be mad at me.
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We walked into the Boutique, and the little bell jingled to alert Rarity to our presence. In ten seconds flat, she bolted out of the back room to greet ups, but got an upset look on her face when she saw who it was.
"Oh, well how long has it been now? Five years? Where have you BEEN?" She gave me a quizzical, yet angry look.
"Alright, listen... I've been stuck back on Earth-"
"So you just abandoned us for your old home, after you dragged us along and built up friendships like that? What's wrong with you? Did you just strike up a deal with that, oh what was his name... Torrentican?"
"What? No! Rarity, listen-"
"I have work to do. Goodbye." She turned around and just walked away. I was still in disbelief.
"Kyle... Maybe we shouldn't visit anypony else for a bit. Let's just let the info spread a bit."
"No... Omnius, I need to see if there isn't at least ONE of my friends who isn't angry with me... Lets go."
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Fluttershy didn't answer when we knocked, and AJ was out in the middle of her orchard somewhere, and I didn't feel like looking for her for hours on end. Next up, Pinkie Pie.
At Sugarcube Corner, I was just standing at the counter, waiting for Pinkie to come rushing when I rang the bell. But she didn't respond.
"Oh, this can't be good... PINKIE?" I shouted, hoping she would respond when she heard my voice. Instead, I saw the dark pink, straight haired Pinkie trudge down the stairs, with hurt, sad eyes, but not looking at me.
"Pinkie... Please don't tell me you're angry with me too..."
"Meanie..."
"What...?"
"I SAID MEANIE! You just went and left us all here. I never get to see any of my bestest friends anymore, because they all shut themselves away, trying to think of ways to find you. I was the only one to leave it up to Omnius... And now everypony stopped being friends!" She started crying, and I just walked out of the store, not wanting to see her like that.
"Dude, why did you just leave here like that?"
"Well, I can't bear to see her like that, and I really don't know what to do... I guess it would be best to just see Dashie... Wait..." I looked down at my shoes, and realized they had taken my Hermes sneakers and given me regular ones.
"Well... What do I do now?" I turned to look at Omnius, who had my shoes with him. "How did you-"
"I've learned from Pinkie."
"Ah." I slipped on the sneakers, and felt the mental connection come back. I flew off, and Omnius switched to his pegasus form to follow suit.
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When I landed in front of the porch, I asked Omnius to wait outside. I knew Dashie never locked the door, so I just walked in. What I saw scared me to no end. Dashie was just sitting on the couch, staring at seemingly nothing. Her coat was darker, and her hair was as well, and she looked very sickly. She was also skinnier, and had bags under her eyes.
"D-Dashie...?"
She just looked up at me, then rubbed her eyes. When she seemed to notice that I wasn't gone, her eyes seemed to shrink. I just walked up and sat down next to her, and put my hand on her shoulder.
"What happened to you?"
"For five years, I've waited. I've waited for you to come back... I eventually just lost hope... I couldn't eat, sleep, or even go out. Every day for five years I've just sat here, waiting for you to walk through that door... And now you're here... And I couldn't be angrier with you. You did this to me... You stole my heart, then tore it to shreds... And now, the Elements have been disassembled. We aren't friends anymore. We never hang out, we never talk... We just searched for you..."
"But Dashie, I-" I was cut off by her hoof connecting with my face. She stood up, and weakly walked into the kitchen. "You're nobody to me. Get out of my life..."
And as if that weren't enough, I looked over at the doorway leading to the stairs, and saw an orange head poking out of it. It just barely managed to squeak out a single word: "Dad?"
"... Yeah... I'm back."
"Where were you? All of that time... I couldn't do anything but watch Mom just slip away, and become what she is now... Why?"
"Scoots, I... I..." I couldn't even begin to explain to her. "I'm sorry..."
"Sorry won't cut it. You tore your way into my life... You convinced me that you cared... You convinced me that you loved me... Then you just left. You're not my Dad. You're just a monster." She slammed the door, and I heard her sobbing as she ran up the stairs.
I had no expression on my face. No expression could display the pain I was feeling. I just walked outside, ready to leave.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Omnius... Go home." My voice was completely monotone.
"Awwww come on, tell me!"
"GO HOME!" I screamed. I didn't want him with me. I didn't want anypony with me. I just needed to be alone.
Before he could even react, I flew off, headed towards Whitetail Wood, somewhere Derpy had told me her daughter went to play with her friend Pipsqueak. I landed near the top of a really tall tree, and laid down in a branch. I just sat there, staring off into the sky. Then, the tears came.
I just cried and cried. I had what little life I had taken away when I fell into Equestria, but managed to carve a meaningful and happy existence, just to have it taken away by Torrentican. Then, the life I led, assuming I was helping psychology, is taken by Omnius, who brings me back. I thought I would be able to go back to my normal life, after being brought up to speed. But instead, I learn that my friends have torn apart, and It's all my fault... All I do is cause trouble and ruin everything, no matter where I go... Scoots was right.
I'm a monster.