The room is bathed in total silence as I finish my story. It isn't really hard to see why. That was six years of my life that I had just told them, ending with me beating the queen of the changelings to death and partially changing my species. Heck, I had traveled across the globe, met a crazy pegasus, fought dragons, got my own phoenix, been captured and nearly killed by diamond dogs, been trained to fight by both minotaurs and zebras, been involved with, and won, a death match, been engaged to a griffin princess on top of being mixed up in the insanity of that nation. I did more in six years than most beings ever had in their entire lives. I'd imagine the only one who had gone through more was the princess. Even there I had probably done things she hadn't imagined.
And you know something? I am tired of all of it.
You ever walked around an entire planet and gotten into an amazing amount of adventures; gotten stronger, faster, more cunning, braved dangers, and seen things the like of which you've never conceived to be possible? Well, I just had for six years and I, more than anybody else, was just ready to wash my hands of it all and go back to a nice, pleasant, simple life. Hopefully on Earth. Heck, even Ponyville was looking pretty good at this point.
One step at a time though.
I had to see if my last chance at going home was actually going to work.
The first pony to even so much as move is Twilight. She ignites her horn and organizes the quite impressive stacks of papers of the notes that she wrote during my story. It somehow snaps the others out of their thoughts, and Rainbow Dash speaks up.
"So... what now, then?"
I shrug and look over at Celestia. "I think that all depends on what the Crystal Heart can do for me. If it can send me home, then great. If it can't..." My jaw tightens and I drum my fingers on the table. "If it can't then I guess I go back to Ponyville for the rest of my life."
"Would you consider going back to one of the countries you traveled to?" Rarity questions. "It seems that you made some good friends during your travels."
I shrug again. "Hard to say. If I have to stay, then yeah, I'd go back to a few of those places."
"I wouldn't go back to Griffonia for a while, though," Celestia says. She sighs in a way that indicates to me that she's been as unwillingly involved in all of that as I was. "Duke Fromme overthrew Aepnet in quite the brutal coup. Aepnet didn't survive, of course, and Duke Fromme is now Emperor Fromme. Clan Guiteau doesn't have any political power left." Celestia looks solemnly out the window. "I am only glad that poor Kathyrine was under Mesud's protection at the time, or else I fear she would have met the same fate as her father. She will be safe, though. Mesud has assured Emperor Fromme that if Kathyrine is killed, Saddle Arabia will invade Griffonia."
"Well, Aepnet reaped what he sowed." I follow Celestia's gaze. "Mesud really took a liking to Kathyrine, didn't he?"
A small smile crosses Celestia's face, and she turns her head back to me. "Mesud has quite the paternal side, and that certainly came out when Aepnet betrayed his daughter to that extent. He granted her the full protection of the Saddle Arabian government on a level equal to his own, and gave her citizenship. He told me that he thinks that it is important for her recovery if she feels like she is protected and belongs somewhere."
I give a smile that matches Celestia's. "Great guy, that Mesud."
"Indeed he is."
I nod, and the room is silent for a few seconds longer before I break the silence myself. "So... what now, then? I believe that I was to be granted an audience with Shining Armor and Cadance. We have a Crystal Heart to discuss, it seems."
The atmosphere in the room changes from one of pensiveness to one that has just remembered what all of this was about in the first place. All eyes turn to Celestia, who has to think about it for a moment before answering. "Well, it is difficult to say how long it will be before the two of them are available to see you. The Crystal Fair is only a day away, and they are quite busy. Maybe sometime tonight would work for them if they are not too tired, but I cannot guarantee anything."
I smirk at Celestia. "I waited almost a year to see Hansit because of some stupid divorce proceedings, and I spent almost all of that time running around the edge of the city. I can wait a few days more, as weird as that sounds coming from a guy like me."
Celestia smiles at me, and seems to be about to say something before we are interrupted by the door opening. Two crystal ponies bow low to the ground as they hold the doors open, and none other than Princess Luna in all of her spine-snapping glory walks in followed by Spike. Considering that Luna and I... didn't part on the best of terms, I tense up a little bit when I see her.
She, however, doesn't look angry to see me, despite the fact that the last words I said to her were essentially 'go away and never talk to me again.'
"Ah, TD. Our sister told us that thou had 'popped up again' as the saying goes." Luna and I exchanged wry smiles. "Though, when one sends as many ripples through the political climate of the planet as you do, ‘tis difficult to truly stay hidden."
I snort and flick my hand up in a sort of shrug. "Eh. Whaddya gonna do?"
"Whoa."
I look over at the source of the noise and see Spike staring open-mouthed at me. As expected, he's a little larger than he was six years ago. About three or four inches, if I had to guess. Still nowhere near as big as the ones I encountered when I found Oswald. I smile and wave at him. "Hey, Spike. Long time no see."
"TD? Is that really you?" he whispers.
I chuckle. "The last six years changed a lot about me, but they didn't change that much."
Spike gives an amused scoff and walks over to me for a fist bump. He grins excitedly at me and sits down at the only empty chair at the table. "So, where have you been all these years, TD? You've got to tell me what you've been doing!"
My smile fades, and I can't help but groan and facepalm.
* * * *
It's not long after that that the group all has dinner together. I gave Spike and Luna the barest of run-downs about my time outside of Equestria so they weren't totally out of the loop. It's more for Spike's benefit, seeing as how Luna knew about a fair portion of it to begin with. I directed them both to the notes that Twilight had taken for more information.
After dinner I decided that it would be a good idea to shave, get a haircut, and take a legitimate bath for the first time in I don't even want to know how long. After it was all done, I looked like a completely different person. If I didn't know better, I'd have said that Oswald had to stare at me for a few minutes before he came to the conclusion that I was the same guy he had been travelling with all those years.
Part of me wasn't sure that I did know better, though.
I lie back in the hot bath and let the stress and hardships of a good six years of work wash away. In its own way, it was cathartic to tell my story to them, even if I hadn't really expected to see them again. I was curious what all Twilight had written down about what I had said. Probably every single detail that I had told her, knowing her.
I wash the last of the shampoo out of my buzz cut hair and idly scratch at my bare face. It's been quite a while since I've had anything but a short beard at least, so it's new. It's kinda nice.
I hear a knock on the door of my room, something that causes Oswald, who is perched on the edge of my bed, to stir slightly. I smirk at him and drape a towel over the tub. "Come in."
The door opens and Twilight walks in, levitating a book of some sort next to her. She flinches back slightly when she sees me in the tub, but part of me thinks that it's more about the scars that she sees than the fact that I don't have a shirt on. She obviously can't see the scar from the bolt that hit me in the back, but the ones from Watt's knife and Purgle's first shot are plainly visible.
"Wow, I didn't know it was that bad," she whispers.
I snort and roll my eyes. "It really isn't as bad as all that. Not anymore anyways." I look over at Oswald who is preening his feathers. "He made sure of that."
Twilight gives me a small smile, but I can sense that it's a little forced. There's a hint of sadness in it. "TD... I wanted to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"Well, I took notes of everything that you said, and it was... quite extensive." She levitates the book over to me, and I see that it's more of a manuscript bound together with a leather cover. Emblazoned on the front are a few simple words.
Wanderings of a Headstrong Human
I laugh and shake my head. "I like it. It's... apt."
Twilight chuckles herself and moves the book back over to her. "I've already made a few copies. I just wanted to ask if you'd be okay with me making this an official published book. I mean, you were there for some of the most important events in recent history! You were involved in events that kicked off a bloody Griffonian civil war and were right there as it all unfolded? That's incredibly valuable data!"
"I think it would be." I motion over to the book. "Feel free to publish that. I'd be honored if you did."
Twilight smiles at me, and, with a burst of her magic, turns the manuscript into a more official-looking book. It's now a hard-cover book with a solid green cover. The title is larger, and it is followed with a sub-heading.
By TD Harrison Powell
Transcribed by Twilight Sparkle
Twilight smiles at me, and puts the book on my bed, where Oswald looks quizzically at it. He leans his head closer to the cover as if he's trying to read what it says.
"Like I said, I've made a few copies. Princess Celestia is going to put one in the Canterlot library, and I'm filing one away here, as well as putting a copy in the Ponyville Library."
I smile and nod. "Feel free. I'll definitely keep my copy with me. Maybe if I do get back to Earth, I'll re-read it a few times many years from now when I'm getting gray and laugh at it all." I snort and wipe some moisture from my face. "Though, I think that we all do that anyway."
Twilight returns my snort, but her face falls slightly, something that I don't fail to notice.
"Something wrong, Twilight?"
Twilight looks back over to me, but quickly averted her eyes with a sigh. "I don't know. It's just that... I think of you as a friend, TD. An ornery, sarcastic one, but a friend nonetheless. It was shocking to me when you just up and left, and now you might be leaving again forever." Twilight flattens her ears and kicks at the ground a little bit. "I know you want to go back to your world, but... we all kind of missed having you around in Ponyville, and having you back made us realize that."
Before I can say anything else, Twilight trots over to me with a determination that I didn't know she possessed at the moment, and passionately presses her lips against mine as if she's wanted to do this for quite some time. She wraps one of her forelegs around the back of my head as if she never wants to let me go, and I'm frankly too shocked by the fact that I'm kissing a pony to do anything.
At least, that's what part of me is expecting based on her behavior. Instead Twilight just gives me another small, sad smile. "I know all you've wanted for the past six years was to go home, and, well, if that's what happens, then do know that I'm happy for you. Very happy for you." Her smile widens ever so slightly. "It's always nice when you see somepony succeed at something that they've been trying to do for a while. Just know that you'll be missed, TD."
I scratch the back of my head and maintain my small smile. I wasn't quite sure what else to do, really. I mean, did I really count myself as a friend to these ponies? I wasn't a brony, and I never would be, but did our relationship go beyond what my preconceptions of them were based on the show?
You know... yeah, they did. Lauren Faust, I know that bronies everywhere love you for bringing these characters to them, but trust me when I say that knowing them on a more personal level is... cool. We went through some interesting times in the four months I was in Ponyville, and I think... I think that I'll, for the most part, look back at my memories in Ponyville pretty fondly.
Not being set on fire by Pinkie. That was terrifying.
The awkward silence between the two of us does end when Twilight clears her throat. "Well, I'll let you get back to bathing, and all. I know that it's getting late, so I'll see you in the morning for breakfast, okay?"
I give Twilight a two-fingered salute. "You got it."
Once Twilight walks out of the room, I stand up out of the tub and dry myself off. I throw on my newly cleaned clothes, and walk over to the book that Twilight gave me. I pick it up and lie down on the bed to leaf through it a bit before turning out the lights. I flip it open to a middle page just because.
We ceased our conversation in lieu of me taking in the full experience that Schunie had to offer. For a city, it wasn't that heavily populated. Based on what I saw, the population must’ve capped at seven thousand, eight thousand tops. Yes, I did say beings and not minotaurs: the streets were also littered with griffins and ponies. I think I might have even seen a few Diamond Dogs there.
The basic setup reminded me a lot like a larger version of Ponyville. There were a decent amount of multi-store buildings, but nothing like the rows and rows of them you get in a city like, say, Canterlot. Most of them seemed to be inns or taverns, with a few official looking buildings and set shops. Really, the type of construction that took up the most space was the glorified individual stall. Each race was selling their version of everything you can think of off the top of your head, and a lot that you couldn't: food, ale, weapons, armor, basic supplies, random trinkets… Everything was there.
I chuckle at how precise it was. She transcribed it word-for-word. I'm guessing there was some spell-work involved in that. I doubt that Twilight could write that fast.
I flip back to the opening page to start at the beginning, and am interested to see some new info on the very first page.
Wanderings of a Headstrong Human
By TD Harrison Powell
Transcribed by Twilight Sparkle
Foreword by Twilight Sparkle
Foreword? That's something that she didn't mention. I turn the page to see what she wrote.
Six years before the publication of this book, a new species came to Equestria one day out of nowhere. It was found in the middle of a field just outside of Ponyville by three of the foals residing there. It was taken to the local hospital where it remained in a coma for a few days. When it awoke, it was discovered that the creature was male, and the species was called a 'human'. More detailed information on what a human is can be learned from the research paper The Study of TD Harrison Powell. His name turned out to be TD Harrison Powell; known just as 'TD' casually. He soon met with Princess Celestia and it was discovered that she had been performing new magic on portals, and through a random happenstance, she brought him into our world. To the surprise of everypony there, he responded by punching her in the face.
Don't let this action fool you, though. TD, while quite ornery and definitely very sarcastic, is actually a pretty cool guy once you get to know him. He particularly connected with the Ponyville schoolteacher and the foals there. Despite all of that, his main goal was always to go back to his home world. Unfortunately, Princess Celestia revealed to him that she could not send him home. Not one to be deterred, TD left Ponyville and traveled all across Equestria in an attempt to find his way back.
This is his story, and I think that you will find it as engaging and fascinating to read as I found to listen to when he told it to me, Princess Celestia, the other Element bearers, and the now teenaged foals who found him when he first arrived. TD is ornery, sarcastic, stubborn, devoted, wonderful with foals, and has an insatiable drive to never give up, even when literally every single obstacle is thrown his way. He was a pleasure to get to know, and I consider him to be a good friend.
As mushy as it was, it felt kinda nice to read that. Maybe that was just the fact that I was back in a place around beings that weren't trying to manipulate or kill me, but it was comforting to read. I scratched Oswald's head feathers and he nuzzled up into my hand as I continued reading. I discovered that Twilight occasionally broke away from the narrative to clarify on a point or give some more details on the background or fallout of my actions. Some of that included my personality, which was funny to read. When I fought Purgle, Twilight wrote a side-note saying that I wasn't generally a violent guy, but my actions were further proof that I wasn't going to let some jerk's pride get in the way of my mission. I laughed at that.
I really, really wanted to go home. I'd been traveling for six years to find a way to do just that. It was still nice to know that I had a place that I could go to if I didn't make it there.