Most people think time is like a river; flowing swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the true face of time. Time is like an ocean in a storm. These words were not mine. These words are said twice by the protagonist of the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series. However, a year ago I found that these words made more sense to me as I became part of a larger scheme.
A year ago, I was whisked away from my normal life by a being known as Discord. He sent me on a journey into the world of fiction known as My Little Pony. Despite the bad things that happened, it was the best time that I ever had. There was no doubt that was the truth.
In the year since, however, nothing had gone right. A week after I had returned, I was fired from my job. Two months later, I had to move back in with my mother. Four months after that, I was broke and had to fully rely on her despite wanting to make it on my own. And then, another four months and my car, the last remaining valuable thing I had left, was crashed into outside while I was asleep. The dripping irony of it was that the person who hit it had a medical emergency due to his diabetes; something I was having trouble with.
That’s where I’m at today. One year has passed and I’m just here sitting on the edge of my couch with “Remember Everything” by Five Finger Death Punch playing off of the radio station website on my computer. The only thing I have the energy to do is look at the coin I received from Discord. When he had returned to Equestria, the coin had ended up remaining in my possession. It was the only tangible proof that let me know that my time there had really, truly happened. Somehow, its appearance changed quite drastically without the magic inside of it.
I had become pretty depressed since then. Not suicidally depressed, but just a normal kind of depressed. It was the kind of depressed where you just don’t want to do things unless you have to. Well, either that or I was terminally apathetic.
Of course, that was when the line I connected to most played.
“It’s a long and lonely road,
when you know you’ll walk alooooooone.”
Unlike all the other times I had heard it and it made me think of the plight of Ryouga Hibiki, this time it made me think back to Celestia’s words. She was right. I had no real friends. No one I knew had even talked or texted me whatsoever in the last eight months other than my immediate family. I even thought about what I had written her in the farewell letter. Sure, I loved my family. They loved me too. I was even happy about hearing that my youngest sister had become pregnant. However, no matter how much I cared for them, and they for me, to me it just felt like I was a burden to them.
The only thing that helped me feel better was watching programs. Anime mostly, but I also watched MLP too. Just because I had been there, it didn’t mean that I was no longer interested in what happened. Of course, since then there was only a half season of episodes on the internet than there was compared to the previous two seasons. Still, I watched every episode with great interest.
I saw the two-part season opener. It made me realize what exactly Discord was talking about when he had dropped those not so subtle hints about something occurring to the north. I watched as they freed Discord from his stone prison. It seemed that Celestia had taken my advice about getting Fluttershy to ‘reform’ him to heart. Then, I saw how Twilight had become an alicorn just as Celestia had talked about. It made me feel a bit better to see that. I felt a bit proud about what she had accomplished. Yeah, I had nothing to do with it, but it’s that feeling you get when someone you know does something impressive and you just get that feeling of ‘I knew her before she became this’, kind of like the time my cousin 'Wolf' had appeared on American Idol.
Then again, it was a lie. I knew her about as well as any other brony would. Heck, I bet well over half of the brony community knows more about her than I do. The only difference between them and me was actually that I met her face to face and I bet that would have actually gone smoother with them than what I had happen.
As the radio station changed to a different song, I couldn’t help but think about that episode where they let Discord out. They mentioned all the things that he had done. I wasn’t among them at all. It’s possible that it may have been cut to remove that. It still left a stinging sensation, though, that I wasn’t even on the list of things that Discord did wrong when he shouldn’t have. It almost felt like they had forgotten about me on purpose.
I mentally shook that thought away. It was ridiculous, after all. However, it did make me wonder if some other force had made them forget. It would make sense. Those girls aren’t exactly callous by nature. Of course, I might have just gone to an alternate universe version and that would make a much better explanation. There was that Dark Titans universe that I went to that had no mention of me in it either. Then again, that sucker rarely updated anyway.
To me, the most stunning revelation was about the stories that I had been in and found out about by crazy circumstances. The three stories that I hadn’t known about before had materialized on the internet in the year since I had been there. One even went so far as to show the adamantium bar I had left to the human in Equestria and even the exact contents of the note that I had left him. To say that it freaked me out was an understatement. I’m pretty sure I reread each of those stories over thirty times just to try to get it to sink in.
All of this was on my mind as I just simply sat there in my usual sleeveless shirt and thin pants combo. Of course, this time I was wearing some shoes and socks since I had gotten back from turning in a couple of job applications. I thought about turning on the t.v. to watch something, but with the computer throwing out songs it seemed like a dumb idea.
Ugh, there was also the fact that my left eye kept twitching like crazy. It was really getting on my nerves. It had been like that for the past month and I didn’t know what was causing it. I had my doctor’s appointment next week so I decided to wait it out, but that was rapidly becoming a more annoying thing. I guess it was probably feeling worse than usual since it was one year to the day since I had been sent to Equestria and I was probably quite hung up about it.
Is any part of that important? I doubt it is. I just feel like venting it out. There isn’t anyone I feel like telling any of this to anyway. I just feel like screaming it into the air, but it’s nighttime and I don’t think anyone would appreciate me waking them up when they have actual things that they have to do.
I leaned back into the couch as the radio finished its current song and started in on a commercial break. I looked down to my old camera sitting on the armrest of the couch. Why did I even have that out there? As a matter of fact, why did I still have a camera that used film anyway? A stupid question. I have it because I have no money to get a decent digital camera.
I leaned my head back onto the headrest and sighed while gripping the coin tightly. I brought my arm up to look at my watch. It read 11:59 p.m. Now I was just bored. I was bored with thinking about this. I was bored with missing the ponies. I was bored of having to live a life that I just couldn’t see very much value in. Damn it, I really sounded like an emo bitch.
“I really need something interesting to happen,” I said aloud while pocketing my coin.
“I believe I can accommodate you with that,” a voice replied.
I jumped to my feet and looked around for the source of the voice. I didn’t see anyone around, but I knew I had heard a voice. It was a familiar voice. One I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“You can?” I asked trying to find the source of the voice audibly.
“Well of course I can my dear boy! You and I have had several interesting encounters. Each one of them has left an impression on you and they were never dull.”
It clicked right then. My life was incredibly bland and there was only one person to ever leave an impression on me like that.
“An impression huh? I’m pretty sure you made more than an impression on me when you ran me through with a sword, Discord.”
His name said aloud, Discord swirled into existence in the air in front of me. Literally, he swirled like water going down a drain only in reverse to materialize himself.
“Oh please, I’ve already apologized for that.”
“Yeah, I remember. I also remember you saying that you could never come back here again. Were you lying?”
Discord dropped down to the floor barely missing the coffee table in the middle of the room. I was pretty surprised that his horns weren’t hitting the fan on the ceiling. He seemed to not even regard it in the slightest as he continued.
“I said I couldn’t and that was true. However, things have changed. Changes that have happened quite recently in fact.”
“Would those changes include an alicorn Twilight?” I asked knowing that was probably a good assumption to go on.
“Well, I see you’ve been keeping up with things thanks to keeping an eye on us.”
“Just because I wasn’t there anymore doesn’t mean that I suddenly don’t care about any of you. By the way, how long ago was her coronation ceremony?”
“Exactly a week ago if you must know,” Discord answered dully.
“Wait, I thought that time was really messed up between here and Equestria.”
“We tried to synch up the two dimensions as much as possible. It took quite a bit of work to make it that way, which reminds me that we don’t have a lot of time to be talking like this. I have only ten minutes or so until I get dragged back through the tunnel to Equestria. Celestia and I have been concerned about you. Well, Celestia more than myself to be sure. We have decided to see if you wanted to stay here on Earth or if you wanted to come back with me to Equestria and live there.”
At that point, I think I put on a Pinkie grade, ear to ear grin. Discord matched it with one of his own.
“I believe I don’t have to ask you your choice. You have a few minutes before we leave. If you want to do anything before you leave, now would be the time to do it.”
I thought about it quickly. Probably more quickly than I should have. Yeah, I wanted to go, but I needed to think of what to bring and what to leave. I needed to leave a note saying where I went. Sure I doubt they would believe me, but at least I should be honest.
More importantly, I needed to know what I should bring. Well, something to do should be on that list. Last time I was there, I got bored pretty easily with nothing for me to do. I ran out of the room, through the garage, and into my room. I took a few steps in and looked to see if there was anything I would want.
Unsure of what would happen; I grabbed several things and put them in my pockets. I grabbed my Nintendo DS and some of the games for it. Sure, I couldn’t recharge it since Equestria lacked electricity, but I had a full charge for once and hoped that someone could figure out a way to recharge it in the meantime. I grabbed a few decks of cards. Sure they didn’t look at all alike, but there are a few games I know that require more than one deck. I grabbed my nail clippers. My nails grow fast and the clippers were small and non-electric so it was a good decision I think. I pocketed those and grabbed something I didn’t think I would; my stuffed teddy bear, Oatmeal. I’d had him since before I was a year old. I don’t know why I did it, but it just happened. I then grabbed an unused toothbrush and some toothpaste and went back inside the living room.
“You’ve got maybe two minutes left,” Discord prattled out while looking at his claws. “You’d better huuuurryyyyyy.”
I looked once more around the room to see if there was anything else to bring. I saw my replica Indiana Jones hat and promptly scooped it up and placed it on my head. I then walked to the table and grabbed a paper and pen and quickly scribbled a note letting anyone know where I was going. Finally, I scooped up my camera since this time if I got hosed into coming back, then I at least wanted some pictures of my time there and maybe then I wouldn’t be so depressed when I got back. As an afterthought, I pocketed a spare roll of film as well.
“Time’s up!” Discord half yelled.
“Shhh!” I said as I brought my finger to my lips. “I have family sleeping upstairs!” I yelled using only a whispered voice as I walked around the couch to where Discord was standing.
“Oh now don’t be such a downer,” Discord replied. “Come and take my paw,” he stated as he reached out with his lion paw-like hand.
With less hesitation that I feel I should have had given who this was, I reached out and grabbed his paw with my hand. As we both gripped each other, a sort of tingly sensation started to work its way through my hand and up my arm. I looked down to it as the sensation had already gotten past my elbow.
“Don’t worry about that my dear boy. I’m merely once again fusing a tiny portion of my magic into your body. Not as much as last time since I’ve already used up quite a bit, but enough that your body won’t be ripped to shreds along the way.”
“Believe me, I appreciate that immensely,” I said as the tingling sensation finished running throughout my entire body.
“If I feel that you’re worthy of it, I may give you more of it back,” he almost cooed at me.
“I’m not sure how I should feel about that,” I said defensively. “Let’s just get there and see about things after that.”
“A reasonable argument, I suppose. How boring. Let’s just go already,” he sighed dejectedly.
The tingling sensation disappeared and was replaced by a lurching sensation. It felt as though the room was tilting on a different axis. The lurching sensation was then changed into a pulling sensation. The pulling sensation kept getting stronger and stronger with each passing moment. Right as it started to hurt, everything started to blur around me and we were no longer in the same room. Instead, we were traveling down a long, bright tunnel. It was a tunnel I recognized pretty quickly as the same one I went to Equestria through in the first place only it was really loud.
I wondered why this one way was different than every other time I had traveled to other dimensions. Every other time had been a quick flash and some slight disorientation mixed in with a little temporary blindness. Even when I traveled back to my own home the first time, it didn’t have this little fancy effect to it. It was only when I traveled this one way.
“In case you’re wondering,” Discord yelled, “this isn’t the same tunnel I sent you through the first time we met. This one was created in a very different fashion. In fact the first time I sent you through was with my own magic and not by using the coin.”
Well, I guess he sort of answered my unspoken question.
I wasn’t exactly how long I was in that tunnel of light. It felt like quite a while and yet it felt like barely a moment at all. However, the time came quickly enough that I spotted a difference in it that I assumed was the end. Soon enough, the both of us went through the end of that tunnel and while I was sure he simply stepped out from the brief moment I spent looking his way, I went tumbling out onto the stone tiled floor.
“Discord! What did you do!?!” a feminine voice cried out.
I wasn’t sure who said it, but it made me look around to see who was there. It was pretty much everybody. Both of the princesses were there, as was the Mane Six wearing their elements. Discord was standing calmly despite the outburst, but surprisingly he was standing behind Shining Armor and Cadence, whom I had just noticed, to the point that it seemed like they would protect him from something.
“Well, I thought that it would be amusing to be perfectly honest,” he retorted.
Pretty much everyone there other than me gave him a piercing glare. Then, as one, they all yelled at him; some in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“WE ARE NOT AMUSED!!!”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but start laughing.