//------------------------------// // Knowing One Another // Story: In Another Life III: A Human(e) Retelling // by Bateman66 //------------------------------// Neuro calmly opened his office door and shut it behind him. Putting his case by the ill-used coat rack, he quickly scanned around the room, something feeling out of place. The office seemed its normal self, his desk’s cluttered surface of folders, binders and loose papers, his worn leather roller chair, the massive shelf he kept behind his desk with nothing but old encyclopedias and a globe along its top, and of course, his several hanging professorate degrees across his wall. Scratching his orange furred stubble along his chin, the fact suddenly hit him. “The shades,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled the plastic shutters over the large window on the left of his office, leaving only a trace of sunlight creeping out through the bottom. Moving over to his desk, he began to straighten up the workplace the best he could, moving similar items into piles along the sides while tossing stray pens and pencils into the pits of his desk, never to be seen again until he cleaned the dang thing out again. As he cleaned hastily, his desk pager rang. Reaching over, he clicked the red receiving button. “Yes, Honey Dew?” he asked in his professional and neutral manner. “Ya’ two o’clock appointments a’ here,” responded his nasally secretary with a Balitmare accent thicker than concrete solution. His face paled. A worried utter fluttered in his chest, sending a shockwave of energy through his body. He felt his hooves begin to sweat with perspiration. “Profesa Paraplax?” He shook himself quickly. “Y-Yes?” “I said ya’ two o’clock appointments a’ here. Miss Twilight Spaukle and tha’ human Mistah Alista.” “T-Thank you Honey Drew—I mean Honey Dew, send them in please.” “Yes, Profesa.” Neuro leaned back slightly, propping himself against one of the walls. He felt a warm feeling of happiness float up through his chest mixed with a frantic nervousness that filled him with an anxious excitement, a feeling he hadn’t felt in quite sometime. Breathing in several times, he slowly pushed himself upwards “You can do this,” he said aloud. “Stay calm and collected; let the feelings out in moderation, never in bursts. This is what you you’ve been teaching for years.” Folding his hooves tightly, he paced around the room in anticipation for his guests, not quite knowing what he’d do once they arrived. ----------------------------- Twilight smiled, eyeing the door in anticipation. “Go on,” she urged excitedly, “knock on the door.” Alistair stood shakily by the simple office door, his hands refusing to even move towards the door. “I can’t!” he moaned dramatically. “You do it instead, please!” He jumped away from the door and cowered behind Twilight, legitimately frightened by what laid behind it. Twilight chuckled. “I wouldn’t think that a door would be the worst part of this, but if you insist…” She rapped her hooves twice against the hollow sounding door. “Come in,” called a deep and scholarly voice from behind the door. Pushing it open with her magic, Twilight stepped through the doorway, followed slowly by Alistair. They appeared to be in an incredibly messy private office, with stray books and papers tossed around haphazardly, while a magnificent dark oak desk set in the back. Several hanging professorate and doctorate degrees sat along one of the walls, while the other end was a wide glass window that had its shades pulled down almost to the bottom. Thankfully, a large overhead ceiling light lit the space in a relaxing golden glow, making the scattered wreckage of a professor’s office look as safe as ever. And, sitting behind the large desk in a worn leather roller chair was an older looking orange stallion, with mild stubble along his earth pony chin. And despite his added years, he still appeared in great shape, being able to quickly push himself out of his desk and approach them with a greeting smile. “Miss. Sparkle,” he said as they shook hooves, “it very nice to finally see you.” She smiled. “Likewise, Professor Paraprax. Your articles on conscious and unconscious action in Beyond is what really keeps me subscribed to their journal.” He chuckled. “They’ve realized that, which is probably why they’ve been trying to get more prominent talent regularly writing, but…” he moved over to Alistair, “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself.” “Professor Neuro Paraprax,” he stated officially, “psychologist, historian, and Head Researcher of Human Studies here at Canterlot University, or CU for short.” He extended his hoof to shake, Alistair returned the favor. “My name is Alistair,” he responded formally, “I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, sir.” The professor shook his head. “Oh, no need to be so uptight my dear boy! We’re meeting as friends, not as dignitaries.” He leaned over to Twilight. “You’ve led up quite an upstanding fellow, Miss. Sparkle.” She blushed. “Oh, I couldn’t take all the credit, Professor. Alistair’s always carried his manners with him, from the very first time we met.” He scratched his orange stubble. “Hmmmm—but please! I can’t leave you two standing here all day. Sit down if you like.” He gestured towards two comfortable looking chairs in front of his desk. As the two friends sat down, Neuro moved about the room quickly, shutting the still ajar door and pulling a few papers from his attaché case on his desk. Sitting down finally, he looked through the papers he’d gathered. “Now I understand Miss. Sparkle, that there is a concern that you’ve been having for quite some time. Could you please articulate that, for Alistair’s sake?” Twilight nodded. “Yes, well…Professor, since this is obviously your expertise of study, you understand the importance of recording and documenting history for the sake of knowledge, yes?” “Of course.” “Well, that being said, me and Alistair have had some…complications regarding this.” “Oh no…” mumbled Alistair as he rubbed his forehead. “He’s so far refused to divulge any information regarding his past,” continued Twilight. “He made slight reference to his homeworld and why he came here when we first met, but from there he’s locked up completely, refusing even to speak on the subject to me.” She turned to him, her eyes thick with care. “We’re not trying to be prying Alistair; we just need to know, for the good of research.” Alistair crossed his arms and glared up at the ceiling, not saying a word. “Hmmmm,” concluded the Professor, “I see. Miss. Sparkle, could you please step out for the moment? I wish to talk to Alistair in private, for his own sake. I can call you back in once we’re ready.” “Of course,” Twilight got up from her chair, and, with a light squeeze on Alistair’s shoulder, left the room quickly, leaving Alistair and Paraprax alone.