The sound of dice hitting the table entered my ears. I hazily saw myself standing across from one of my friend's, Ryan. It was a game of Warhammer 40k being played, one that I remembered well.
"This...this is a dream...it has to be..." I said in disbelief.
"What manner of enjoyment dost thou receive from such activities?" asked a rather authoritative voice.
I turned in the direction of the voice and saw the mare from before. I couldn't believe it, she had finally decided to show herself, but why now?
"Who are you?" I asked.
"We asked thee a question first." the mare said, judging by her alicorn appearance I could only assume she was royalty.
"Um its Warhammer 40k...this was my first victory against a Necron Army. I played Chaos Space Marines against him, this was really special because I used to lose all the time to them." I said watching as I saw Ryan's slip up all over again.
He was so concentrated on trying to break my spirit, and caught up in gloating he forgot about my other unit that had just finished off his Scarabs. I declared the charge and his over watch only produced four wounds.
When I made it into combat on the charge it was all over from there, his units were too close together and they started to flee with their reduced leadership. When the final turn came the look on his face was just as satisfying as it was the first time.
"Thou art a being of chaos then?" the alicorn asked.
"No it's just a game, none of it's real...who are you?" I asked.
"You may address us as Princess Luna, thy arrival was an unexpected one...we have been searching your memories for clues to your appearance in our world." Luna said, as the image faded into darkness.
"So Lun-" I started.
"Princess Luna." Luna corrected as several lights appeared in front of us.
"Princess Luna, was that your voice the night I arrived here?" I asked.
"Indeed, we could not permit thee to escape, and ensured thoust would be found." Luna replied.
"Why not finish me off? I mean I was a stranger in your land." I said.
"Thoust were and still are an unknown creature, save to one in Equestria. If you were of the Everfree Forest then you would return or be chased back. If you were something else, which you are, you were left in good hooves." Luna said as one of the lights became blindingly bright. She had apparently thought this through or had a great deal of faith in the ponies I had come to call friends.
"And at Applejack's farm?" I asked.
"We were keeping an eye on thee, per our sister's request." Luna replied as objects started to form.
"This is the night-" I stopped when I saw myself with a box.
"Is that what brought thee here?" Luna asked approaching the other me.
"Well what's inside brought me here...I think." I replied.
The events started to play out once again. I was only a helpless onlooker, as my former self threw the stone taking Luna by surprise. Despite this she investigated the stone now that it was no longer in my hand.
"Princess Luna...it's something else isn't it?" I asked, as the stone started to glow.
"Indeed." Luna said as the memory continued.
"Princess Luna can't you tell me something? Anything reassuring or...something?" I asked, not wanting to think about the possibility of bad news.
"We understand thy need for closure on this matter, but why insist upon such a hasty return? It was our understanding from Twilight Sparkle that thou hadst made peace with Ponyville." Luna replied.
"I wouldn't call it peace, everypony there is still cautious of me. I'm not some dribbling monster that is waiting to eat them or something. Staying might be cool, but not if it means I'd have to be alone for the rest of my life. You're a princess, you wouldn't understand." I said.
Luna looked hurt from what I said, if words could kill, mine certainly looked like they almost did the job. The alicorn let out a sigh before turning to face me after recomposing herself.
"We know all too well that feeling. Twas an insecurity that cost us dearly, and one that should not dwell within you. Today Twilight Sparkle wrote a letter detailing the day's events and your words, how can you truly feel unwanted?" Luna asked.
"It's kind of obvious not everyo-pony wants me here. I was telling the truth, but I've got friends in two worlds now princess...my friends have meant more to me than my family sometimes because they've been there for me." I replied.
"Then it seems you have a choice to make." Luna said.
"...please don't say that." I said quietly as everything started to grow foggy.
I rose up from the table to be greeted by the sun's rays. The books from last night were right where I had left them. There was a note not far from me on the table which I groggily picked up to read.
Daniel I've gone to Twilight's for a bit. I was going to tell you but you were sleeping, I'm sorry I didn't wake you if you wanted to come. I'll be back later today I hope you won't be too bored.
Fluttershy
Just like that, it seemed I had the day to myself, which was a scary thought. What would I do with a few hours alone? There wasn't a theater or a store I could go to and waste time. Had I really been asleep for as long as Fluttershy made out like I had been in her note?
The thought of sleep brought up last night's strange turn of events. The mysterious mare had finally revealed herself, and the questions she asked were personal. I didn't want to choose between friends, I hated choices. Because I always seemed to make the wrong decisions. I preferred a simple, straight line in life, no surprises or risk.
I left Fluttershy's cottage with no real destination in mind. I just needed to clear my head. If all of what I had seen and experienced last night was real, then it probably wouldn't be long before I had an answer whether or not I could return home. Luna would most likely reveal her findings to Twilight or Celestia.
I passed a few ponies who stared blankly at me. Though the chaos of yesterday was over it was still going to be a long-no there would be no road to their trust, I was going home right? Of course I was, I couldn’t stay in a world full of ponies…ponies that had been nicer to me than most humans ever would.
Something within me told me that this internal conflict was swiftly coming to a close. That sour, gut wrenching feeling just before an anticipated disaster took place remained a constant presence, despite my best efforts to shut it out. It was starting to make me physically sick.
Thankfully, I found myself near a pond and decided to rest under one of the trees for a bit. I stared out across the water to see the occasional fish jump and catch a bug. I leaned my head back against the rough bark of the tree and closed my eyes.
The temporary peace was interrupted by the sound of hooves crushing grass beneath them. I turned in the direction of the noise to see a baby blue unicorn with a plum colored mane and tail, with red streaks through them approaching. Her horn was aglow with a magenta light.
"Whew." she said, sitting down exhausted.
"You okay?" I asked making her jump.
"Oh sorry, didn't know this spot was taken...hey you're that new uh...what are you exactly?" she asked putting a hoof to her chin.
"A human, and it's Daniel...yeah I'm the new guy." I said rolling my eyes.
"Harmony Chorus, so what made you come to Ponyville?" Harmony asked.
"You missed the whole spill about me being dragged here against my will?" I asked in return.
"Well yeah, I only got here a few hours ago. I can relate to being taken to places you really don't want to go though." Harmony said.
The more I studied her the more I could tell something was off. Harmony seemed like a perfectly normal unicorn until I noticed her eyes, I hadn't really paid it much mind since all the ponies here had strange eye colors, but hers were foggy, she was blind.
"Uh don't take this the wrong way Harmony, but how did you know about me...like what I looked like?" I asked.
"With magic duh. It's my special talent, you probably noticed huh?" Harmony asked she almost seemed excited to talk about it. Her cutie mark was a mic that had three small shapes that looked like sound waves coming out of the top.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to stare or be rude." I said ashamed of myself.
"Don't be, I can see you as long as you talk or make a noise. It's pretty cool, I can hear and ‘see’ things most can't, you're the one missing out, not me." Harmony said cheerfully.
"Yeah, I bet that is pretty awesome...so where did you come from?" I asked, deciding to try and have a civil conversation with somepony other than the six I already knew.
"Well, I was in Manehattan finishing up a concert; I thought I would stop by here to pay my family a quick visit. I didn't expect to get caught up by some fans." Harmony replied.
"Well that explains the microphone." I said making her blush.
"Yep, I had to get away from everypony you know? I'm glad that I chose to go public and preform, but sometimes I'd trade all of this to be normal again." Harmony said.
"Being normal isn’t all it’s chalked up to be." I said.
"Okay out with it, what's eating at you?" Harmony asked smiling.
"Nothing really." I lied.
"Daniel you know somepony's heart rate increases when they're stressed or lying right? I'm blind not stupid...come on, who's going to judge you the trees and water?" Harmony asked, with a light chuckle. I briefly wondered if she could hear my heart beat which was a scary thought, but cool all the same.
"I've got a tough choice to make, I've been wanting something so badly that it's been occupying my thoughts constantly. At the same time, I've been working hard to accomplish the exact opposite goal and...I don't know why, I just feel...bleh." I said unsure of what else to add without sounding sappy.
"Bleh is a very bad feeling...it sounds like your subconscious and conscious want two different things. I've been there, and speaking from experience, you normally don't work at something for nothing." Harmony said.
Here I was talking to a complete stranger, a unicorn no less, having an epiphany. I had finally one upped the guy from those stupid beer commercials.
"Hey, I want to show you something." Harmony said standing up.
The unicorn slowly approached me and stopped inches from me. I was a bit confused as to how a blind mare could show me something. Until she slowly lowered her head to mine which made me back up. She pulled away with a giggle apparently able to see me through the sound of my movement.
"Relax I'm not going to hurt you. Trust me okay? I can hear your breathing, so I can see you." Harmony assured me lowering her head again.
Her horn came to rest against my forehead and in seconds my vision faded and was replaced by what looked like waves that seemed to pass over an invisible surface. I felt the wind blow against my skin and my vision swam with the odd sight, if it could be called that.
"What is this?" I asked.
"This is what I see." Harmony replied, backing away.
"It's amazing." I said, my own voice sending out waves that traveled a short distance before fading.
“When I sing on stage and the crowd cheers I can see much more than this. The air is filled with what you see now, watch this.” Harmony said.
Harmony started to sing the notes from a musical scale. A few years in school choir had me familiar enough with the notes to tell what they were, but actually seeing them travel was a completely new experience.
"That was...beautiful." I said as the waves faded.
"Close your eyes." Harmony instructed.
I did so and felt something pass over me. I didn't feel bad or wrong, but the sensation of something missing was now present in my mind.
"Okay you can open them again." Harmony said.
I did so with mild disappointment. I could see everything as I normally would, but after seeing and experiencing what Harmony saw I now understood what she meant by me missing out. Seeing, or maybe hearing, the world from somepony else’s perspective wasn’t just a figure of speech here.
"Thanks for showing me that...and listening to my stupid problems." I said.
"Thanks for not going crazy on me, here I had three ordered for my family but they gave me too many, something about coming in sets or whatever." Harmony said, producing two little lanyards each with a fancy card design that said VIP in bright bold letters.
"You're giving me VIP passes?" I asked in disbelief.
"Well yeah, why not? I mean, it's not like I'm going to use them, and you've given me an idea for a new song." Harmony said smiling.
"Well thanks, uh when is it?" I asked.
"In a month, you're not planning on standing a mare up are you?" Harmony asked with a sly grin.
"No, I'm not that kind of guy. I'll be in uh...Fillydelphia by then, I promise." I said quickly reading the pass.
"Good, see you then." Harmony said holding her hoof out.
I stared at her, unsure if she wanted me to shake it or something else. As fun as talking to Harmony had been, I probably should have been studying more about their culture in order to avoid awkward situations like this.
"Don't leave me hanging now." Harmony said.
I was familiar with that phrase, and the gesture it was linked to, and fist bumped her hoof. It seemed a bit awkward but the mare seemed satisfied.
"See you later Daniel." Harmony said walking back towards town leaving me to my own thoughts.
“Hey Harmony, one last question.” I said stopping her.
“What’s up?” she asked turning around.
“What are friends…to you I mean?” I asked.
“You must not be very social huh? My friends are like extended family; Not matter how far I travel, they’re always in my heart just like my real family. You’ve got a cool new one so no worries alright?” Harmony replied, before resuming her trip back to town.
“Yeah…no worries.” I said staring down at the VIP passes.
I was left alone to my thoughts once more. Even though my eyes remained locked on the VIP passes, I could only think about what to do next. I didn't have a definitive answer, staying here or going home both seemed logical, but I still remained in limbo.
"Hey why the sad face?" Pinkie Pie asked startling me.
"Pinkie...don't do that." I said.
"You're funny, oh I was supposed to tell you something, no wait don't tell me." Pinkie Pie said sticking her tongue out in concentration.
"You're not going to pass out on me are you?" I asked as her face turned red.
"Oh I remember now! Twilight wanted to see you, she said it was important." Pinkie Pie said proudly.
I grimaced as the horrible feeling in my stomach returned. I tried to convince myself that she might want to see me for something else, but with all of the events that had led up to this moment I knew it was a lie.
"Is everything okay?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Nothing, just something personal I'm dealing with." See you later Pinkie Pie, I'll be at Twilight's." I said waving goodbye.
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie replied happily.
I thought about all I had seen and experienced so far as I slowly walked towards the castle. I had seen and done a lot during my time here and it had brought a joy in my life that I hadn't felt in a long time. As I traveled through town I received the occasional glance but was otherwise ignored.
All too soon I was in front of the castle doors, two guards were posted outside. Their expressions were just as off putting as the ones at Celestia's castle. As I got closer they opened the doors and stepped aside, allowing me passage into the large structure, they must have been expecting me.
One of the guards inside motioned for me to follow him. His neutral expression was a bit more comforting than those outside the castle but this was only a small improvement.
The castle seemed to be made almost completely of crystal, which was amazing. This feeling was soon masked when I reminded myself of why I had come here. I was here for an answer to my question. Should I continue with my trial to understand this place or give up and go home?
I couldn't help but feel I only had a small say in the matter. No doubt Luna's finding had proven invaluable to the search. It made me wonder how exactly something so powerful came into the possession of humans? A question I'm sure they had already asked themselves.
"I've been instructed to go no further. Go straight and you'll be at Princess Twilight's door." the guard said stopping.
I walked forward, my mind already starting to drown out any coherent thought with countless possibilities. I didn't even notice when my hand touched the door, all I remember is seeing Twilight sitting in the throne room with Fluttershy. There were other thrones each, oddly enough, sporting the cutie mark of the ponies that Twilight called her closest friends.
"There you are. I take it you slept well?" Twilight asked.
"A bit too well." I replied.
"Heh, yeah I can imagine, so...I guess you know why I called you then?" Twilight asked.
"I have an idea why you have, yes." I nodded.
"Follow me, there's something you need to see." Twilight said, getting up from her throne.
I followed her and Fluttershy into a nearby room that was surrounded by book shelves, and in one corner was a mirror that seemed to shimmer constantly. A book sat above it which seemed to glow with a strange energy. There on the table, next to an open book, was an exact replica of the stone I had received.
"That's-" I started
"A Banishing Stone, made by Star Swirl the Bearded. It was one of his experiments, from what Luna described happened in your memory, cracking the stone must have reactivated its power...effectively banishing you here." Twilight said.
"So, I'm stuck here?" I asked.
"That's the good news, you're not. All I have to do is put this stone where that book is and it should be able to send you back to your world, but because of how brittle it is it would be a onetime use. There wouldn't be any visits." Twilight said looking up at me.
Fluttershy hadn't made eye contact with me the entire time I was here. I couldn't blame her, she had been so nice to me and I was still entertaining the thought of bailing on her.
I sighed and sat on a small stool near the table. If I didn't leave now, I knew I never would. My friends and family were on the other side of that portal, but I had friends and connections here as well, heck one was a princess. I couldn’t deny the fact that I had been happier here than I had been on Earth.
I felt a hoof come to rest comfortingly on my shoulder, pulling me back to reality. Twilight stood beside me, she had been trying to make sure I knew all there was about Equestrian society to help me become a citizen. She wasn't the only one who had put effort into seeing that plan come full circle, leaving now meant throwing away the work others had done as well, including myself.
"What if...hypothetically speaking the stone didn't work?" I asked.
"Well then you couldn't leave." Fluttershy replied speaking to me for the first time since I had arrived.
"I figured that, but the health risk involved, I mean using a banishing stone to send somepony back to where they were banished from does seem a bit risky, doesn't it?" I asked.
"Well I made-I mean yes! It would be very high risk." Twilight said catching on.
"Then I'm sorry but, I cannot in good faith make the jump." I replied.
"So...does that mean you'll stay?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't want to chance being burnt to ashes, so yes." I said, feeling a sudden weight against my neck and chest seconds after I finished speaking.
Fluttershy had wrapped her forelegs around my neck. I couldn't help but return the hug, a bit more gently than I had received mine. The pain of not going back was still lingering, but it was slowly fading, like pulling a splinter.
"What made you change your mind?" Fluttershy asked.
"I made a pretty cool friend today, and like somepony told me, sometimes you get what you need instead of what you want." I said as she relinquished her hold on my neck.
"I think the others will want to know. They're your friends too, after all." Twilight said.
"Who's friends with who Twilight?" asked what sounded like a kid’s voice.
What looked like a small lizard walked into the room and stared at me wide eyed before fainting. I had hoped everypony had gotten that out of their system by now, but apparently there were a few who weren’t quite there yet.
"That's Spike...he's my assistant, I guess I forgot to mention you were coming." Twilight said with a laugh.
"I'll be gone before he wakes up, wouldn't want the big bad human scaring him again." I said trying to drown out the rest of my remaining sorrow with humor. It would take time and I would never really forget my home, but somehow, I knew I made the right choice.
Fluttershy had left to go back to her cottage while I stopped to see the others and tell them. A stray piece of paper caught my attention, I gently put my shoe down over it before it could be blown away again. Picking the paper up, I recognized it easily as the note my sister had wrote me.
The ink on the paper was now smeared in a few spots and it was dirty, and to one who didn't understand what was written on it the letter it probably seemed like another piece of garbage. There were a few words I could still make out towards the bottom that made me smile.
stop being boring and go live your life.
I folded the letter up as neatly as I could and started walking towards Rarity's house.