//------------------------------// // False Paradise // Story: The Fate of a Man // by Jayellow //------------------------------// Sunlight fell on Michael’s face as he awoke, the warmth of its rays gently coaxing him out of his slumber. He sat up in his bed, and looked out the window to his right. Outside, he saw the familiar sights of the city he lived in. Standing, he stretched out the kinks in his body. “I should have probably put something on before doing that in front of the window,” he muttered, hoping no one had seen him in his underwear. Slipping on a light blue robe that had been hanging on his closet door, he turned to face his room and took a deep breath. The walls were painted a shade of green to match his lovely fiance’s eyes, although the ceiling was white. Walking over to his simple wooden dresser, he picked up a framed picture. A happy grin adorned his face as he looked at the photo. It had been taken not long after he had finally returned home. It was amazing, really, the adventure he had been on. But then was not the time for him to reminisce on that. Soft footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor of his bedroom, and Michael turned just in time to receive a warm hug and a soft kiss. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, a loving expression on her face. “It is now,” he looked down to Jessie, and held her tight for a moment, in her plain white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. For some reason he couldn’t place, he felt like it was the first time in a long time he had ever had a chance to just hold her like that. “Oh, you sweet talker, you,” she pulled back a bit in his embrace, and smacked him lightly on his chest. “Come on, breakfast is waiting for you.” He hadn’t noticed it until then, but a delicious scent had drifted into his nose. “Am I smelling what I think I am?” he asked her as she led him on by the hand. “If you think you’re smelling cheese waffles, then yes.” Her voice was full of joy. “Oh, my favorite! Are you trying to butter me up, Jessie?” his grin became playful. “Now why would I need to do that?” she said with a raised eyebrow. “Well, let’s see. Last time you made me cheese waffles for breakfast, I had to spend three hours working on the sink because you plugged it.” Jessica had the good grace to look away as she blushed at that reminder. “You’re not so innocent yourself, mister,” she returned, “What about the time you brought me breakfast in bed because you broke that lamp my mother gave me?” He turned to face her as they walked into their immaculately white kitchen. “Hey, I fixed it!” “Michael, dear, duct tape can do a lot, but it can not hold together a shattered lamp.” She walked over to the kitchen counter where two plates of food awaited, as Michael sat down at their small table. “The kitchen sure is clean this morning. When did you find the time to do that?” Michael asked, just before digging into his breakfast. His blonde haired fiance sat down across from him, sliding a plate of his beloved cheese waffles to him. “What do you mean? The kitchen has always been this way.” Michael may have tried to push the matter, but when he looked into Jessie’s eyes all of his worries melted away. Nothing could possibly be wrong, not as long as he had her. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I love you,” he said in a dreamy tone. “I love you too,” she replied, holding his gaze. As the two ate, they talked about various things that weren’t too important. It was probably the best morning that Michael could remember since he had returned to his Earth. He paused for a moment, a piece of waffle halfway to his mouth, and just looked at Jessie. He noticed that she had her hair up in a familiar messy bun. The happy grin he had been wearing a moment earlier started to falter. She only wore her hair like that when she was working hard on something for her classes. “Jessie,” he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “Did you stay up all night working again?” She gave him a look that screamed “You caught me!” and said “I can’t get anything past you, can I?” “Nope,” his grin returned, “I’ve got eyes like a hawk.” “Yeah, and the stomach of a whale,” she giggled a bit and pointed to his plate. Michael looked down, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Somehow, his waffles were gone, even though he was rather certain that he was only about halfway through them. “Wow,” he sounded surprised, “I guess I was hungry. I didn’t even realize how fast I was eating.” “Well, after all that exercise last night, I’m not too amazed.” Jessie gave him a suggestive wink from the sink, where she had just finished washing her dishes. “I, wait, what?” he floundered, eyes open wide. His fiance never talked like that. Michael was always the one to make those kind of jokes, just to see the cute blush on her face. He might have tried to question her about her odd behavior, but she was already up and headed out of the kitchen. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed him. He caught her gaze as she passed, and once again his worries disappeared. His life was not perfect, but it was about as close as anyone could be. He had a beautiful fiance, a nice apartment, and a great job. How could anything be wrong? Shaking his head to dispel any remaining conflict, Michael stood and took care of his dishes. He caught his reflection in the small window over their sink. His robe had slipped a bit on his shoulder, and the tip of a scar was showing. He set down the plate in his hands, and opened his robe to look at the three lines that marred the skin of his chest. How long had it been since he had received those scars? The exact date was hazy in his mind, but he was sure that it hadn’t been more than a year. He caught himself smiling as he remembered the incredible adventure he had been on. Sure, there had been quite a few hard times, but in the end everything turned out just fine. He defeated the villain, saved all of Equestria, and even got to go home to the life he thought he had lost. His smile became melancholic as his thoughts turned towards the friends he had left behind. He would never forget those six ponies who took him in when he had nowhere to go. Those wonderful mares who showed friendship to a creature that they had never seen before. He found himself leaving the kitchen and heading towards the small living room in his home. Jessie came out of their bedroom, fully dressed and ready for the day. She was headed towards the door, when she spotted the expression Michael had on. “Is everything alright?” she had a concerned look on her face. The dark haired man looked deeply into her lovely green eyes. His mood brightened a bit, and he wrapped her tightly in a hug. “Everything is just fine. I was just thinking about the girls back in Equestria.” Jessie returned the embrace, and said to him “Well, don’t dwell on them too much. You know they wouldn’t want you to be so sad.” He rubbed his hand across her back, feeling the smooth fabric of her sundress. “I know,” he agreed, “I just wonder what they’re doing right now.” “Well,” the blonde woman pressed off of him a bit and looked up to meet his eyes, “I bet they’re doing what they normally do, all of them wishing you the best.” Michael chuckled a bit, and his mellow voice echoed throughout the room. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Who knows, maybe Fluttershy is feeding her animals and wondering what I am doing.” “Maybe,” she agreed, “And if she were to find out, would you want her to know that you’re moping about?” “No, of course not,” he gave her a quick kiss, “Thanks, Jessie, I needed that.” “Anytime,” they let go of each other as she said that, “Now, I need to get going. I don’t want to be late!” Her husband-to-be exaggerated a shudder, and said, “No, you do not. We don’t need another one of your episodes.” “Oh, stop it.” She playfully smacked his shoulder, already halfway out the door. “See you later, love,” he kissed her again, longer than before, “Good luck at school!” “I don’t need luck, I’m just that good!” she laughed. Michael watched her walk away, bookbag bobbing on her hip. He closed the door, still beaming. Walking over to their small couch, he plopped down and leaned back, totally relaxed. He could hear the sounds of the city outside of his window, the constant thrum relaxing him in its familiarity. The morning was definitely the best one he could remember having in a long time. Even as his thoughts returned to the pony friends he had left behind, his mood did not fall. Jessie was right, they wouldn’t want to see him sad. And he felt the same way. He missed them very much, but still felt at peace. Life was great to him, almost as if it were trying to repay him for all the strife he had been through. Leaning his head back in relaxation, Michael uttered a short sentence. “Wherever you are, my friends, I hope you know that I love you. Each and every one of you helped me out when I had nothing, and because of that you are the best friends anyone, human or pony, could have. I wish you only the best of luck.” Yes, after many times of hardship and sorrow, Michael Greenfield had finally found happiness. And life could not be better for him. His reverie was broken by a sharp knocking coming from his door. Standing, he quickly dashed to his room. “Just a moment!” he shouted, frantically looking for clothing. He certainly wouldn’t want to answer the door in a robe and his underwear. He thought he heard a familiar female voice reply. Had Jessie come back for something? No, she wouldn’t have knocked. Maybe she forgot her key, though. But she never forgot her key, she was careful not to do things like that. But if it was not her, then who could be knocking at his door? He didn’t have any female friends that would be showing up at his house unannounced. Rather than continue to ramble, he slipped on a well worn green t-shirt and jeans. He walked back to the door, and found himself wishing he had a peephole. Without one, he had to settle for pressing his ear against the door and hoping whoever was out there would speak. “Are you sure this is where he is?” a boyish voice asked. For some reason, that voice unnerved him. “Yes, I am always aware of where the dreamer is.” The second voice didn’t sound familiar, but her words did nothing to calm his nerves. What she said didn’t make any sense, though. There were a few more words, but Michael had already drawn away from the door. He did not know why he felt he should know who was on the other side, but he did know that there was only one way to find out. Opening the door, he said “Hello?” before looking at who he had just greeted. When he saw who he was speaking to, Michael felt a mixture of emotions. First, he was confused. How could they be here? It didn’t make any sense, they should be at home, living happily ever after. Then, he felt excitement. His friends had somehow found a way to visit him! It was amazing! He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. It was peculiar, though, how quickly he transitioned away from his confusion. Lastly, the nervousness he had felt just a moment ago still burned in him. He shouldn’t have been nervous, they were his friends! There was nothing to be nervous about. Maybe he was just anxious because it was the first time they had seen his home. “Yeah,” Michael thought, “I just want my home to make a good impression.” It occurred to him that he was lucky Rarity hadn’t come to visit him. “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What are you doing here? How are you here?” his voice clearly showed his excitement. “This is amazing! I can’t belie-” he had begun, before he saw the third pony before him, “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” The tallest pony extended a dark blue hoof in greeting, “It is nice to finally meet you, Michael Greenfield. I am princess Luna, my sister has told me much about you.” The way Luna spoke felt almost like she wasn’t certain of her words. “Oh, so you’re the Princess of the Night. It’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, shaking her outstretched hoof. When he touched her, though, it was as if a small shock went through him. Almost as if there was something his was supposed to remember. He dismissed it as nothing more than static electricity. “Where are my manners,” he shook his head, opening the door wider, “Come in! You girls have to tell me how you got here!” Their hooves clacked on the hardwood floor as they entered his home. He directed them towards his living room, and asked “Would you like something to drink?” Rainbow looked like she about to take him up on that offer, but when Luna shook her head the speedy pegasus sat down on the soft, blue carpet instead. When the other two followed her lead, Michael sat opposite them in a simple brown armchair his mother had given him. “Now,” he said to them, leaning forward and steepling his hands,”You three need to tell me just how you got here.” The ponies all looked at each other for a moment, uncertain looks on their faces. A series of looks passed between them, a whole conversation silently communicated. “Look, Michael,” Rainbow Dash began, giving the human a serious look, “You’re-” Whatever she was about to say was cut off as Fluttershy frantically said “Not going to believe how we got here!” Slowly, Rainbow turned her head to give her yellow friend a wide eyed gaze. Even Luna looked surprised. But Michael seemed unphased, for the most part. “Sounds interesting!” Michael said, leaning forward in his seat, “I can’t wait to hear it.” Rainbow Dash, however, had other ideas. She dragged Fluttershy and Luna out of the room, quickly saying “We’ll be right back.” Michael looked a little confused, but he trusted his friends. So he didn’t object when Rainbow nearly dragged her two companions out of the room. Instead, he sat up a little straighter and started to think. Around the corner and inside Michael’s kitchen, the ponies were busy. “Fluttershy, what was that?” Dash asked, eyes still wide. “I-I, oh,” the timid pony began, retreating behind her mane, “I don’t think we should just suddenly tell him that he’s dreaming. He looks so happy, I don’t want to ruin that for him.” “Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, “He has to know! We can’t just leave him in here, we need him!” Luna watched as her two subject went back and forth, neither gaining any ground. Perhaps it was time for her to intervene. “Rainbow Dash,” Luna’s voice was firm, “Fluttershy is right. We can not simply break Michael from this dream. If we are not gentle, he may not be able to accept that he is dreaming. And if he cannot do that, then he may not awaken.” Fluttershy didn’t come out from behind her mane, but she did ease up a bit. Rainbow, though, gave her princess an astounded look. “But we need to get back out there, fast! We don’t know what could be happening!” Dash protested. “I know this,” Luna told her, “Which is why I believe I should be the one to handle this matter.” The two pegasi looked as if they might object, one more so than the other, but backed down when they saw Luna’s commanding expression. “Alright, princess,” Rainbow Dash hung her head, while Fluttershy nodded a bit. With a nod, Luna led them out of the glimmering white kitchen and back to Michael. Once inside his living room once more, they noticed that he was busy with a shiny disc and a black, square device. Hearing their hooves clacking, Michael turned around. “Oh, you’re back!” he said, a grin on his face, “I was just thinking that since you’re on my Earth, you should experience some Earth stuff! It took me a bit, but I decided on some music, and I knew the perfect song to play for you three!” With that, he placed the disc in a tray on the top of the box, closed the lid, and pressed a button on its side. A few more button presses later, the music began. As the first few chords played, all four sat down. Luna looked as she were about to speak, but stopped when she heard the first words of the song. As it played, all she could think was “This song is actually quite good.” She could see that Rainbow Dash seemed to like it, but Fluttershy looked uncertain. Shaking her head to refocus her thoughts, Luna looked Michael in the eye. “Michael Greenfield,” she began, “There is something important that I must tell you.” She paused for a moment, to ensure that he was listening. “Equestria needs you Michael Greenfield. You must come with us, now. We do not have much time.” Michael’s eyes widened, and Luna could only hope that she hadn’t made a mistake. Luna was attempting to get Michael to agree, so that he would already feel that he needed to help when she revealed that he was dreaming. “If only his memories of the nightmare were intact,” she thought. A moment passed, in which no one moved. Then Michael sprung up and said “Well, what are we waiting for? I saved Equestria once, I can do it again!” The ponies watched as Michael burst into action, moving quickly around his modest apartment. He was picking up objects and setting them back down almost at random, muttering various things to himself. Soon enough, he had a black backpack in hand, and was rushing about stuffing it with anything he thought could be even remotely useful. “Michael,” Rainbow Dash said, raising a hoof towards him. But he kept moving, frantically trying to gather his things. “Michael?” Fluttershy tried, her voice barely audible over the music that was still playing. Her voice had no discernable effect on Michael’s rushed searching, however. “Michael Greenfield!” Luna made good use of her Royal Canterlot Voice, finally catching Michael’s attention. It also had the effect of knocking over several small objects, including the stereo, which promptly stopped playing. “Oh, sorry! Did you have something else you needed to say?” Michael scratched the back of his head and grinned, trying not to seem too embarrassed. “Michael,” Luna’s voice softened, “There is something else you must know. I would recommend that you sit down for this.” “Okay,” he replied slowly, trepidation evident in his voice. Fluttershy watched as Luna took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had to say. She knew that what her princess was about to say would be hard for Michael. No, hard wasn’t the right word. The kind pegasus may not have been in Michael’s second dream for long, and she wasn’t certain she fully understood how that was possible, but she knew that something was different about Michael. It was in the way he moved and spoke. It was as if he had been carrying a heavy weight, but it had finally been removed. And Fluttershy knew exactly what that weight was. Dread filled her as she realized that soon enough, the happiness that Michael was exuding would go away. That soon enough, his burden would be returned to his shoulders. It was for this reason that Fluttershy held up a hoof to stop Luna from speaking. “Princess,” she said, her voice as confident as she could make it, “I want to be the one to tell him.” Luna looked as if she were going to object, but didn’t when she saw the steely gaze Fluttershy was giving her, she nodded her head and allowed her subject to speak. Rainbow and Luna watched as Fluttershy walked closer to Michael, and placed a hoof on his hand. “Michael,” her voice was soft and caring, a perfect match to its speaker, “What I am about to say isn’t a good thing. I wish that I didn’t have to say it. I wish that I could be at home, curled up in bed with my teddy bear.” Michael gave Fluttershy a small grin as he imagined the adorable pegasus wrapped up in her blankets, stuffed animal in hoof. “But, I can’t,” she continued, “So, please listen. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just have to do my best to be gentle.” She took a deep breath, and let it out. Her confidence was wavering, but she knew that she had to hold it, for the sake of her friends. “Michael,” she looked straight into eyes, “You’re dreaming right now. I’m sorry, but Twilight cast a spell on you to give you a good dream, and it went wrong. We had to come into your dream with Princess Luna to wake you up, otherwise you may never have. We already brought you out of your nightmare, but now we have to take you from your good dreams. I’m so sorry,” her voiced descended as she finished, and her courage finally fell. Before returning to her timid behavior, however, Fluttershy took one last look into Michael’s eyes. What Fluttershy saw nearly broke the timid pegasus’s heart. It was as if all of the pain Michael had felt in the waking world had suddenly flooded into him, forcing any remaining happiness out. He stared past the ponies and off into space, the truth forcing its way back into his mind. He took a shuddering breath, and whispered “What happened?” “Michael?” Rainbow asked, approaching the human slowly. “What happened?” he repeated with more force. “What do you mean?” Luna asked, not moving herself. “I-I was in that nightmare. But then you three showed up, and all of that crazy stuff happened. And then I-” Michael’s voice broke, but he took a breath and continued, “I proposed to Jessie. Then she faded away, and I was okay with it because I knew that I couldn’t bring her back.But then I wake up this morning in this perfect world, where Jessie is alive, I saved the day, and everyone is supposed to be happy. How is that possible?” “Well, when Twilight Sparkle cast her spell, your mind didn’t react well. Instead of both aspects of her spell occurring at once, they happened separately. First, you were put to sleep, where you experienced your nightmare. Then, instead of waking up, her magic forced you to remain asleep, where you experienced this fake paradise,” Luna explained, hoping that Michael’s regained memories would calm him. “And now you’re telling me that this isn’t real? That my happily ever after can’t be real? That I have to give all of this up? Why?” Michael looked to his friends. “Why what?” Rainbow asked, now sitting beside Michael, trying to be consoling. “Why did this have to happen? Why to me? Why couldn’t I have just stayed in this dream? Why couldn’t this have been real!” Michael’s voice grew in volume as he continued, “Why can’t I have a happy ending?” “I wish I could just go back to the way I was before.” Michael’s eyes were pointed straight down as he softly spoke. “No!” both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy spoke at once. “You can’t go back to that!” Rainbow started, “Look at what happened to you!” “I know!” Michael’s voice had a hard edge, “But at least if I could do that, everything would be easier.” “B-but Michael,” Fluttershy joined in, “You were hardly living at all like that. Please, we’re your friends, you can’t shut us out like that again.” “I know!” Michael shouted. “I know,” he softly repeated. “Michael, you can do this! Just come with us, and Luna will have us back in the real world in no time!” Rainbow did her best to convince him. In his mind, Michael was conflicted. On one hand, he finally had paradise. If what he understood correctly, he could stay in his paradise forever, and never have to face the real world again. But then he would be abandoning his friends. And there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t remember that it was a dream, which would only tarnish any happiness he might feel in the dream. His choices, it seemed, were to either abandon his happy ending to dive back into the world he had left, or stay in his paradise and leave his new friends to their fate. The ponies watched as he slowly stood, and looked to each of them. In his mind, a memory was replaying. The memory left him with a phantom sensation in his arms. In his mind, he was reliving the moment that he had held his love in his arms as she faded away. As he thought of how much he missed her, he wasn’t certain he could leave the dream. The memory came to an end, and with it came a new emotion. He remembered what he had felt as his nightmare finished. The joy that had coursed through him as he told Fluttershy that he was fine. And it was then that his decision came to him, and with it came not an end to his sorrow, but rather a road through. “Princess Luna,” Michael said, his voice strong, “How do we get out of this dream?” It took Luna, and for that matter Rainbow and Fluttershy, a moment to register Michael’s question. Each reacted in their own way as they realized that Michael would be returning to reality with them. “Yeah!” Rainbow cheered, popping into the air and quickly hugging Michael, “I knew you wouldn’t ditch us!” Fluttershy didn’t move as energetically, instead she simply smiled for her friend. He had done the right thing, and she couldn’t be happier. Luna simply nodded and said “Take my hoof, and I will return us to reality.” Michael did as he was instructed. He watched as the princess’s horn started to glow, and a wave of magic swept over him. His body felt light as the world around him faded into darkness. As his dream disappeared, Michael came to a realization. “This wasn’t paradise. Paradise doesn’t mean a perfect world. It means a world where everyone does the right thing. And just being here was wrong for me.” He closed his eyes and smiled. “Look out Equestria, Michael Greenfield is coming back.”