//------------------------------// // 14 - A new life // Story: The Memoirs Of A Reality Jumper // by Techogre //------------------------------// I stood under her beautiful cloud house, still admiring the cascading rainbows. No matter how often I see them, I'm still amazed. I'm still in my short pants and short-sleeved shirt from the party, but now they're soaked from the late afternoon rain and splattered with mud, and I'm fine with that. My face hurts, but I don't mind. My neck is sore from craning up, but I don't care. I'm cold and wet from the rain, exhausted, my body aches, my throat is raw, but I don't give a damn. All I know is that my best friend is in pain, and as far as I was concerned, I was the cause. It hurt to yell, but I did it anyway, “Rainbow Dash, please come down. I want to apologize to you. I don't care if it takes until Doom's Day. I'll stay right here and keep apologizing!” On the edge of my hearing, I overheard Rarity and Applejack in the distance, “How long has he been standing there shouting?” “Ah reckon since the end of the party last night. He hasn't left that spot, as far as ah can tell. He hasn't even cleaned up his lip. Ah don't know what happened. He won't tell me. He said something about failing at being a friend. But, I just can't see it.” Rarity's voice was so soft I only caught the end, “...care for him?” Applejack's voice came back strong, “Shoot, I care for all my friends, but...” I'm not interested in what they're talking about. I shouted again, my voice raw, “Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for what I said! Please, come talk to me.” Rarity's voice was full of concern, “Is she actually up there?” Applejack replied, “Fluttershy said she was. Everyone else is worried about him, too, but that dang fool won't let us help. Fluttershy even offered to act as a go-between, but he refused.” “I really don't see why Alex is behaving this way. I think he is carrying himself as this gallant knight a little too far. If she doesn't accept his apology, the least he can do is return home and get cleaned up.” “Sugurcube, Alex is the real deal. It's not an act or a put-on for a show. He really thinks that way. I guess that's why I admire him.” I called out, “I abused your trust. I plan to stay here until I can apologize, Rainbow Dash! I hope you can hear me! I want you to know how sorry I am! I was wrong! Totally in the wrong! Please, let me apologize to you face to face!” I thought I saw a smear of cyan and colour at the edge of the cloud, just for a moment through the rain. “Please, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for hurting you! I was thoughtless, and I never should have said what I said! You're my best friend. I don't want to lose you...” My voice finally gave out. I just couldn't do it any more. I dropped to my knees, mud splashing on my clothes. I was exhausted and discouraged. Maybe Rarity was right. Maybe I should... I felt a gust of wind and looked up. Dash was hovering just above me and had a sad little smile, “I heard you all night, you big goof.” Dash landed and looked at me bashfully, “I'm... I'm sorry I hit you. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. Especially not a friend who stands out all night yelling apologies at me. Especially when I hit you.” She looked away bashfully, “I've never had a friend do that, who cared enough to do something this crazy.” My voice was weak from all the yelling, “Rainbow Dash, I was totally wrong about that remark. I never should have said it, especially in such a flippant manner. Applejack asked what it was about, but I didn't tell her. I figured it was private. I'm still going to talk to you about it when you're ready. Because I'm your friend, and I'm not sorry for caring. I...” Dash gave me a hug and sniffed. She said quietly, “Shut up, you big jerk. We will talk about it later, but not right now. I... I can't right now.” I hugged her back, so happy she was there. She continued, with only a trace of confidence in her voice, “I'm so sorry I hit you, and I know you're sorry you mouthed off. We're both sorry. And thank you for keeping the reason to yourself.” She broke away, concerned, “You really should take care of that lip. It's making you uglier than usual.” I touched my face and winced a little. I hadn't really noticed how swollen it was. “Yes, I think I should.” I noticed Applejack and Rarity were keeping their distance. “Thanks for talking to me, Rainbow Dash.” I looked at Applejack and Rarity over Dash's shoulder. Rarity seemed quite happy, but Applejack's expression was... flat. She admonished softly, “Hey, I told you already. You can call me Dash.” I looked up at the sky and noted it was another perfect day. You know, just for once, I would love to see a slightly cloudy day here—just a few random clouds. Dash would never let that last. Oh well, I guess I can't complain too much. Spring turned to Summer and slowly turned to Fall. In the time since I came out of the hospital, things had, for the most part, become a dull routine. I have breakfast, clean up, work out on the heavy bag for half an hour, change into clean clothes, jog into town, and always stop at Applejack's stand. She's always a fun chat, and like Dash, I feel I can let my guard down around her. I'll sometimes stop and talk to Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Spike. Sometimes, I'll go through town and drop by Fluttershy's. I usually catch Dash sometime in the afternoon, or she'll drop over at my place after work. The only two I seem to see almost every day are Applejack and Dash. As I jogged up to Applejack's stand, “Hey Romeo, spend more time call'en up to your true love?” I chuckled at our private joke, “Applejack, you know you're the only one for me. Well, you know, after Fluttershy. Twilight. The Mayor. Rarity.” We both chuckled at our private joke. “Actually, Dash and I have patched things up. I'm glad we did. I would have hated to lose her as a friend.” “Sugarcube, ah don't think there was any chance of that. That filly thinks the world of you. Heck, I do, too, truth be known.” I chuckled, “Darn shame I'm not a stallion. I'd have to beat you all off with a stick.” I saw a pile of flyers beside her stand. I pick one up and read it, 'Sisterhooves Social'? I brightened up, “Hey, I know it's a filly-only thing, but my schedule is empty, and maybe I can help set things up. I'm feeling useless around here, and you would be doing me a big favour. You know what they say: idle hands are Discord's playthings.” “That sure is neighbourly of you, and I hate turning down somepony with gumption. Alright, come on down early Sunday morning, the thirty-third. Me and Big Macintosh are setting things up for that Monday. Get ready for a hard day's work.” “Thanks, Applejack, I appreciate it. It'll be good to be doing something with my hands again. The house is all set up, and everyone else has something to do during the day. I feel like I'm just in the way.” I leaned on the stand facing Applejack, “Applejack, I'm feeling directionless for the first time in a long time. Before, it was fairly straightforward: survive, get ready for my next jump, try to get home. That was it. Honestly, I gave up on the last goal about twenty years ago. It just didn't seem all that plausible.” I snorted mirthlessly, “Says the reality-jumping human in Equestria. And now, I'm in this wonderful place, this almost perfect society, and I don't know what to do.” “My usual course of action while waiting until I jump is to start off as a storyteller in inns, then use the funds to become a merchant. People always enjoy a good story, but merchants travel, and you know what, travelling doesn't seem very attractive anymore.” Applejack tilted her hat back and gave a sympathetic grunt, “I hear ya. As much as I love the orchard business, those trips to Canterlot drive me crazy. I guess I'm just a homebody.” Homebody. That sparked something in my mind. Why not combine storytelling with building a home here? I was always decent at telling stories. Well, they already have a stage by the town hall. Why not a real theatre? Bringing entertainment to Ponyville! Make ponies laugh and cry and think! I looked at Applejack in the eyes and smirked. I grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her. I let her go and stepped back. She had a slight blush, a confused expression, and a half smile. “What in tarnation was that for?” “For being the inspiration that gave me a direction for the next sixty years of my life.” I could hear Big Macintosh, “Applejack, you sure about this? He can barely carry what Apple Bloom can. Besides, ain't he some fancy pants, throwen' bits around like water? And then I heard about him improperly hugging you in the market. What's he doing spending his day hugging mares in the market? Has he ever done an honest day's work?” “Big Macintosh! He can hear you from here! He's got real sharp ears. And anyway, he's always eager to help, with bits or his back. And that hug was just a friendly one. Nothing else, understood? And even if it was, it's none of your darn business. I said he could come help, and that's that.” I did my best to hide my smile. I wanted to show Big Mac I could do a good day's work. Applejack called me over, and I quickly jogged the rest of the way as I pulled on a pair of work gloves. Did I mention Elusive is amazing? That stallion eyeballs me and makes stuff that fits—he made the work gloves in about an hour. I clapped my hands together and rubbed them in anticipation, “So, where do I start?” Big Macintosh looked me up and down disapprovingly, “Well, I guess I can't turn down an extra pair of hooves,” he gave his sister a quick glare. “You can get started with the hay bales. The track's already outlined. You just put bales along the edge.” I nodded, gave a snappy two-fingered salute, “Yes sir!” and trotted off. It was a lot of hard work, but I made a point of not taking a mid-morning break. I wanted to prove myself. It felt good to have a tangible purpose, even if it was just for a day or two. It was late morning, and I was feeling jaunty. I had a tune in my head all morning, so I started singing it out loud, “Alouette, gentille Alouette. Alouette, je te plumerai! Je te plumerai la tête! Je te plumerai la tête. Et la tête. Et la tête. Alouette. Alouette. O-o-o-oh. Alouette, gentille Alouette. Alouette, je te plu...” Big Macintosh interrupted my zen-like train of thought, “What in tarnation are you singing? Sounds mighty highfalutin.” His eye squinted a little at me. “Oh, sorry, Big Macintosh, just an old work song my grandmother used to sing. She was from a little French farming community where I come from. That was actually a chicken-plucking song, not really for hay bales, but it's the only one I remember. If it's bothering you, I'll stop. It's just... well, this place was a little slice of my childhood, and it slipped out...” He glared at me in silence. I shut my yap and continued carrying the hay bales. He snorted and went back to what he was doing. Right. Duly noted. No singing. The sun was high in the sky. It has been a back-breaking morning, and I had about a third of the track done. I heard Granny Smith call out, “Soups on everypony!” I started walking toward the farmhouse, wiping sweat from my face. I saw a table in the distance piled high with food. As I was walking, I was carefully rolling my shoulders so they wouldn't stiffen. Just before I got to the table, I stopped and twisted my upper torso. I felt a satisfying crack and sighed. I felt a silence and looked around. The Apple family was looking at me, looks of surprise on their faces. I looked behind myself, “What?” Applejack looked worriedly at me, “Should you be bending yourself like that? I mean, doesn't that hurt?” “Um... no, not really. I was cracking my back. I was a little stiff from the work, and doing that made me feel better. That's all.” I grew concerned, afraid that I had committed another social faux pas, “Did I do something wrong?” “No, I guess not. It just didn't look natural. Well, not natural for pony folks.” I smiled, “Trust me, this is quite natural for humans.” Everyone seemed satisfied with my answer except Big Macintosh, but he kept his mouth shut. “So, now that we have that all cleared up, this spread looks fantastic! I want to thank you very much, Granny Smith. This looks really good!” And, no word of a lie, it was. The Apple family sure know how to cook. I may try to get some tips from Applejack later. The food was sweet, like most pony food, but not overly so. I guess this was plain country cooking by their standards. Once lunch was over, everyone was taking a little break except for me. I joked, “Well, as much as I would like to while away the afternoon, I'm behind on my bales. Thank you again for lunch.” Applejack cocked an eyebrow at this and kept that little half-smile she usually has. Big Macintosh shot a glare at me. I walked back to my pile of bales and got back to work. “Applejack's got you working her farm, huh?” I smiled and looked up at Dash, hovering a short distance away. “Well, I'm trying.” I glanced around, then, in my best Big Macintosh imitation, “But this critter's only as strong as Apple Bloom.” Dash laughed and landed, “That was pretty good. Big Mac can be a little pig-headed sometimes. Once he gets an idea in his head, well, it's hard to change. Did you want some help?” “Thanks, Dash, but no. I want to do this myself. Stupid pride and all that jazz. Mind if I work while we chat?” I continued grabbing bales from the stack and placing them around the track. “Nope! I'll get comfy right over here.” Dash laid down on the last bale I had placed. Once she got comfortable, “So, something I was wondering about, and you never talk about it, why did all this jumping around start? You know, from one world to another.” I paused momentarily, “That's something I don't have an answer to. Maybe one day I'll know.” I dropped the bale and headed back for the next one, “I remember the first jump. I was mowing the lawn. God, I hated mowing the lawn.” I grunted as I grabbed a new bale, “Halfway through the front lawn, the damn mower had broken down, and I was trying to fix it, “ I chuckled mirthlessly, “and, of course, I burned my hand on the exhaust. I remember swearing out loud and then looking around to make sure there were no,” I dropped the bale, “children around.” I wiped my brow, “That first time was scary. It started with a vibrating sensation,” I grunted as I picked up a bale, “in my chest and pain in my head. I collapsed. I was sure it was a heart attack or stroke. The next thing I knew, this was followed up by a sensation like... like my outside,“ I dropped a bale, “was being pulled to a point inside my chest. Then, there was a blinding flash, and aside from a little headache,” I grunted as I picked up the bale, “and a slightly upset stomach, I was feeling normal again. I was pulling myself off the ground. I wanted to go to a doctor and get checked out. I thought,” I dropped the bale and adjusted it with my foot, “I had a heart attack.” “I slowly realized something was wrong, not just with my body, but with my front lawn. The tree,” I grunted as I picked up the bale, “that's in the middle of my yard was replaced with a flag pole. I started looking around and saw that every front yard had a flag pole. I know that will not mean anything to you, but what I saw on every flag pole scared the crap,” I dropped the bale in place “out of me. It was the flag of a group called nazis. A red,” a grunt while lifting, “flag with a white circle and a black bent cross. Imagine all the evil of Nightmare Moon and Discord rolled into one, then add industrial level... ” I decided to shield Dash from that horror, “bad stuff.” I dropped the bale and adjusted it. Dash looked at me with pin-prick pupils. She knew from our conversations humans could be ruthless, so when I said something like that, she knew I wasn't exaggerating. After giving her head a shake, she moved a few bales closer. “I saw all the houses were now painted the same colour, same door, same little garden, same everything. I heard some,” a grunt and a new bale, “yelling from the front door of what should be my house and saw some guy in old-fashioned clothes doing the yelling. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I was sure it was directed at me, and he was quite upset.” I dropped the bale, just at the right spot this time. “So, to make a long story short, I got off his lawn and started wandering the neighbourhood. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to know what the hell was going on, so I decided to do what I would normally do at home. I started looking for a police officer.” I paused before picking up the bale. “I must have been still a little out of my head because that was a mistake.” I picked up the bale and carried on. “So, I saw what I assumed was a police car and started going toward it. Two burly men in suits came out and started speaking. I said I speak English, what I'm speaking now, and French.” I drop the bale and adjust it, “Anyway, they spoke French and asked me for my papers. I asked if my driver's licence would do,” I grabbed a new bale, “and was rewarded with a punch to the gut. They dragged me into the back of their car and took me to the police station. Once there,” I dropped the bale and sat on it, “they dragged me out of the car. Now, keep in mind I was overweight back then. I'm talking 145kg, and they tossed me around like a rag doll. I don't really want to get into the details, but they had me handcuffed to a chair and were 'getting my statement' by screaming at me in a language I didn't understand and a badly accented one I could barely understand. I had been in that world for half a day, and it was dark outside. I jumped just as their 'specialist' had arrived. I must have scared the living daylights out of them.” “With all due respect, Alex Roberts, that sounds like quite the load of horse apples,” a voice so deep I felt it in my chest. Dash laughed at that, and even I chuckled. I turned and saw Big Macintosh standing behind me. “How do, Miss Rainbow Dash.” Even with my poor skills at reading ponies, I could tell his tone radically changed when addressing Dash. I don't know if it's because she's a mare, and he would address any mare like that, or if he had something for Dash. “Sorry, boss, just taking a sit down with a pretty lady.” I winked at Dash. I think I saw Dash blush, but if she did, it didn't last long. In retrospect, that was a stupid thing to say. “Yes, you are, and I would thank you if you stopped goofing off. You're only halfway done, and it's almost mid-afternoon.” Big Macintosh towered over me with an unfriendly expression, “You wanted to work, so get to work.” Dash barked a laugh, “Ha! He told you, Alex.” Dash grinned, “Good one, Big Mac.” Big Macintosh blinked at Dash a few times, then, I think, had a hint of a suggestion of a smile. I smiled, “Point taken, boss. Less flirting and more working.” I got up and started walking to the bale pile. Dash, with her confident smirk, “Well, colts, as much as I would like to see you fighting for my affections, I think I'd better let Alex get back to work.” With that and a gust of wind, she took off. I watched her go, following her path, and I noticed Big Mac was too. I felt a hoof on my shoulder. To be precise, I felt a corner of a hoof on my shoulder. I turned to see Big Macintosh still looking up and, in that rumble in my chest deep voice, “Don't you be thinking of fooling with Miss Rainbow Dash. Understand?” Who the hell did he think he was? I never had any interest in Dash that way. Heck, I never had any interest in any pony that way. But I sure as shooten' wasn't going to stand here and let some muscle-bound idiot tell me how to live my life. Unfortunately, my indignation caused my mouth to act before my brain could catch up. “Good thing I was going to court your sister.”