I stood in a dark foggy forest not knowing where I was. I looked left and right to see no trees, no lights, no color. No trees brightened the sad environment, only thin, burned up stalks. To think they used to be trees. I carefully walked through the dark forest, trying to figure out where I was, and how I got there. No memories came to mind. I jerked my head to the right after hearing the eerie silence breaking behind me. A small bush lay on source. Carefully, I walked up to the bush as it shook. The disturbance was not what scared me; what scared me was the eerie and spine-chilling giggling of a girl. I approached the bush, thinking there was someone else who was here with me.
I took a deep breath before finally speaking. "H... Hello?" The bush stopped shaking and the eerie silence returned. Fear took me in its grasp as I was unable to move. I took some of my left over courage and spoke. "Is...Someone...there?" I said before the same giggling continues behind me. I swing myself around to see a figure running towards a nearby stalk before disappearing. "Okay very funny, Casie..." The giggling only gets louder and more deathly than before. " C...Could you stop?...You're freaking me out..." I said nervously before twitching my head to the sound of a twig snapping. I turned my head to the source of the sound to see a darkened figure of a girl about my age standing before me.
"...Hi there..." I said in a friendly tone. " Do you know how I got here?" I asked. Silence was all she replied with. " I'll take that as a no then..." I said before she startled me by taking a step forward and tilting her head. As the figure slowly moves towards me I recognize her features. Her smile, her eyes, her jet black hair. "Laila...?" I said, surprised. "...No... It can't be..." I was frightened. She wasn't supposed to be here. "...You..." I felt a tear flow down my face. "...The car crash...You..." Laila's smile grew wider and more wicked under the eerie darkness. "You died! I saw them bury your body! How are you still alive?!" I said, tears running down my cheeks. " I... I thought I lost you..." The figure walked past me and before I could even look back, she was already gone. I stared to see my old love gone... I felt a tremor underneath me and I looked down. I saw the ground quickly breaking below me like it was made of glass. Before I could even think to run, the ground had already broken and gravity pulled me in.
I fell into the empty abyss below, reviewing what just happened. She couldn't have been there. She... It was impossible... It was...
+++
"AAAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!" I fell of my bed to the sound of my alarm clock beeping. I jolted my head left and right to see where I have fallen. The Pegasus I met the night before rushed into the room in a panicked manner.
"Eric what's wrong?!" She screamed at me as I replied to her with silence. She grabbed my shoulders with both hooves and started shaking me incomprehensibly. " WHAT'S WRONG?!" She repeated her words.
"DERPY I'M FINE!!!! LET ME GO!!!" I said and she happily obliged.
"Okay!" She smiled and dropped me onto the floor as she quickly trotted out of my room. I sat up and rubbed the side of my head.
"Ow..." I said, continuously rubbing the headache away. I rubbed my face and noticed my face was drenched from my tears. I wipe them away with my blanket. "That was...a nightmare...?" I thought to myself, processing the horror of which I had just witnessed. "I..." I paused. "...I miss her...so much..." I said as I folded myself so that my knees touched my chest. I buried my face into my legs and let the tears flow. "I...miss her so much..." A sweet voice interrupts my sorrow.
"Miss who, Eric?" Ditzy's head popped into the doorway which causes me to jump up in fright and scream like a little girl. I realize who it is and quickly wipe my tears away. "Is it your mom?" She asked sweetly.
I sighed and looked back at her. " No Ditzy..." I said. "...It's no one." I said.
She narrowed her eyes before reverting back to her normal, quirky self. "Okay then!" She quickly left. I smiled at the goofy character and sat down on my bed. I closed my eyes and put my face into my palms. I smile underneath my sweaty palms, "If you only met her. That goofy cross-eyed pony. You would have gotten along really nicely." I looked up to the ceiling. "But I know you're in a better place..." One tear flowed down from my left eye. " Rest in peace my love." I said before leaving my room.
"What do you mean she's gone?!" A scene plays out in my mind. "I'm sorry sir but she was far too injured for us to do any help on her." I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head and I put my hand to my forehead. "CAN'T YOU FIX HER?! YOU'RE A DOCTOR FOR CHRIST SAKE!" I kneel down to my headache, surrounding me in pain.
+++
" You sure you wanna drive?" I said, worried. "You look kinda tired." I stared at the dark eye bags surrounding Laila's eyes. I touched Laila's cheek with my palm with a worried look on my face.
"Yeah..." She gently brushed my hand away. "I'm fine... Don't worry about me..." She said as she started the engine.
"I'm just worried about you, babe." I said to her. Laila started to drive and I stared at her eyes the whole time. In time, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
+++
The car flies into the air and it wakes me up. I looks out the window and see grasslands far the eyes can see. I look to Laila who was shockingly asleep. "LAILA!" I shouted to no avail. I look to the road and see a cow walking across the road. I grab the wheel and spun it, resulting in it making a very sharp turn. The car was spinning out of control, and we hit something hard, knocking me out cold...
+++
I shook myself back into reality and opened my eyes. I saw little of the environment as I found my hands were still on my face. I pulled my hands away and looked at the hands with blurry vision. I looked around me as my vision cleared.
I coughed and breathed heavily as I kneeled on the floor. I didn't blame myself for overreacting ... I straightened myself when I heard the small foot...er....hoof steps of Derpy. I quickly ran out and wiped my tears away before Derpy could see them. Even though I knew she wasn't called Derpy for nothing, I knew she would know if something was wrong; and I didn't want to worry her. I stood at the doorway where Derpy waited for me.
"Good morning, sleepy head!" Derpy said with a wide grin on her face. The pegasus giggled before pointing at me. "Your hair is funny!" She continued to giggle.The mere sight of the happy pony swept all my worries away and drew a smile on my face. I patted her head as I walked past her. My hand was tickled as my skin brushed her ruffled blonde mane. The pegasus cringed. "Hey!" She said as her smile disappeared. "Don't do that! It's weird..."
"Hey, I can't help it." I said before I stopped fiddling with her hair, the smile on my face not leaving. " You're a pony after all." I started to walk towards my living room. "It's only natural that I pet you."
"Geez..." Was all she could say before she trotted up beside me.
It's been a week since Derpy first came here;and in between then and now, she told me of the legends from her homeland, the 'elements of harmony', and the way Equestria is different than Earth in terms of politics, economy, and how the world works. Equestria, unlike earth, is ruled by two sisters in monarchy. Pegasi, like Derpy, change the weather manually. Though Derpy doesn't usually change the weather like they normal pegasi do, she's just an honest working mailpony. I haven't exactly gotten used to her living in my apartment, but it was enough to warm up to her. Derpy is actually a really nice pony; but at times, she gets clumsy and defends the reason of her being called Derpy. School hasn't been anything interesting though. It's the same as always. But for the first time, I had something to look forward to when I get home...
I sat on the table waiting to eat whatever Derpy made for me. She comes back with a tray full of piping hot muffins."Batter up!" She happily said. I took one of the muffins in my hand, looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she quickly realized her mistake. "Oops..." She said. " ORDER up, I mean." She chuckles to herself before i joined in on her laughter. I gave her a warm smile before I took a small bite from my muffin. Derpy watched me chew on my muffin with high hopes. I took a moment to savor the taste before I let the chew up food slide down my throat.
"It's good..." I took another bite out of the muffin. "Great job on this, Derpy." Her face lit up with happiness. "Really? You mean it? No foolin'?" She quickly run by each question so fast, I didn't get to answer any of them. "Um... Yeah." I said to her, giving her a big thumbs up. "They're top notch!" I tried to humor her.
She rubbed the back of her neck and stuck her tongue out. "Nah. You're just saying that!" She said. I stare at her with a blank expression. "Then why'd you get all excited when I said they were good?" I irritatingly thought to myself. Eh... I guess I'll humor this conversation a bit more. "Yeah. You got me." I smirked. "These muffins are terrible." Derpy's ears dropped after I said this.
"W..." She stuttered. "Whaaaaat?" She disappointingly said. "B- But I thought you said they were good?" She desperately said.
"Then why fish for complements?"
"B-but maybe this is just your opinion right?" She puts her hooves to her chest and stares at the floor." Everypony in Ponyville says my muffins are good..." She said. I noticed a hint of despair in her voice and I looked to the sniffling pony beside me.
I felt a load of guilt fall onto my shoulder. I take another bite and I spoke. "Geez. Do you believe everything you hear?" I tossed the half eaten muffin into the air. "Yeah, these muffins are good." I said as I caught the muffin. Derpy raised her head right after I said this. "But you gotta stop believing everything you hear." Derpy tlited her head
"Why? That would mean I don't trust them." She said.
"Yeah, but some people do it for fun." I said before stuffing another mouthful into my mouth. "Take me for example," I pointed at my face with my thumb. " I may not be a good liar; but when it comes to joking around, you can't tell if I'm serious or not. See my point?" I ask her.
She looks at me with a straight face. "No." Was her answer.
I sighed as I slapped my hand to the side of my head. "Eh...I'm not good at explaining either." I kept chewing while Derpy sat there confused. I looked at her and pointed the muffin her way. "My point is, you have to learn to not trust people sometimes." I said to her. She straight-faced as I kept chewing. I thought by now she would have gotten my point; but her next line took me by surprise.
"I don't get it." She flatly said.
I slammed my forehead on the surface of the table with a loud "thud" as soon as she said this. Derpy rushed to my side before I pulled myself up. "Ow..." I said to myself as I did this.
"Are you okay, Eric?" She concernedly asked me.
I looked at her and smiled. " Yeah..." I said as I touched my head and felt around. "I'm okay. It's not like i'm bleeding or any-" I stopped when I felt liquid on my fingertips. Surprised, I put my hand in front of my face to see blood on the fingertips. I looked at the pegasus, who had a concerned look on her face, and covered my wound. " Hey, can you get the bandages in the cabinet over there, real quick?" I pointed over to the cabinet over the oven.
"Yeah, of course!" She quickly ran to the cabinet as I cringed at the pain my pain was bringing me. I didn't think I would slam my head so hard that I would cut my forehead. I grabbed the mirror that was placed to my right and I positioned it so that my gash would be clearly visible. Fortunately, it wasn't bleeding so much; it was small bruise which had a few open cuts on it. I was so busy looking at the bruise, I did not notice Derpy holding the bandages in her mouth next to me.
I looked at her and she let the bandages down on the table. "Right. Thanks Derpy." I took the packet and ripped the top. " Now let's cover this wound up."