//------------------------------// // Chapter 1, I Kept Living for Friendship, Thanks Luna, Wait for me Sister // Story: Friendship is Life // by alejin //------------------------------// SOMEONE’S BASEMENT “(Pant) (Pant) I. . . I can’t believe how hard this is!” “I need to be more agile, my body feels so heavy. I need to get used to this, damn! Wonder how THEY manage to live like this!. . . well, they’ve been living like this all their lives.” The one saying that was a guy training in an improvised gym down in his basement. It had been the same routine almost every day for week; obviously this young man’s love for his training sessions was no secret to his neighbors. But what really caught their attention, were the tripping and gasping sounds while he was exercising, like a baby learning to walk. And not only that, but many of them could swear hearing the sounds of hoof steps. Then again, knowing him and not wanting to get too involved, they decided to let him be. The sound of someone tripping made its echo all over the basement. “Damn. . . . This one really hurt! At least it happens only one or two times a day now (I’d like to see the THEM in my shoes, that would be funny) but I have to admit it, this stamina is really something; I’ve been training for 2 hours and haven’t sweat a bit. Hehehehehe! Now I can really believe THEY harvest all those apples by themselves”. At that precise moment his phone rang, it was his friend Steven: “Hey Steven. . . what’s up?" “Hey Alex, I’m fine and you?” “I’m doing fine.” “Great! Then, can I and the rest of the gang come to your place in 10 minutes?” “Umm. . . well. . . right now is not a good moment, how about in an hour?” “Alex. . . You are in the gym aren’t you?” “(Sigh) yes…” “Alex! You know you should be resting! You got out the hospital only four weeks ago and the doctor said no exercises for at least a month.” “I know, I know, but I really get bored at home. . . and you know I don’t like to miss my training sessions. Besides, I waited for three weeks! Trust me, my wounds are healed now.” “Uhg fine! We will be there in an hour to celebrate your birthday party as we planned ok?” “It was today!? Damn!, sorry I forgot. Ok! See you in an hour.” “Excellent! It will be awesome! All of us will be there, we got the cake and foods so don’t worry and get ready for a good beating in Street Fighter. We got much better while you were absent.” “(Alex rolled his eyes) Ok man, whatever you say. . . but I still think it’s a bit unfair! You know I haven’t played in months, even so, I can still beat you dude.” “Hahahaha! We’ll see that!” “Ok Steven, see you later!” “See you later Alex and please remember. . . be careful if you go out, that asshole could still be out there” “(sigh) I know, thanks” (Steven. . . you’re always worried about me) “And Alex, just one more thing. . . do you still these have nightmares?” “Yeah. . . I do, but don’t worry; they will stop sooner or later. I’m sure about that” “Ok then. . . see you later” (hangs up the phone) “I’m sorry Steven, for lying to you and the rest” Alex took off his special pendant and went upstairs. He remembered that day at the hospital… … A couple of days after waking up on the hospital where he was found, he had to answer some questions to the doctors and the police, he had to explain not only what happened during that night, but where he had been for the last two months as well; the explanation was brief and simple: he told them about his adventures and how he loved to travel to new places just to spend weeks away from home. His friends, knowing him and his adventurous spirit could very well confirm that. Regarding his injuries, he said it was an armed assailant who asked him for his wallet and phone: he told them he refused to give him his things and tried to fight back but he was stabbed twice by this guy who then ran away. . . He lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital; he came to the conclusion that maybe a good guy found him and brought him there. Why was he found in the newborn babies room was beyond his understanding. Given he didn’t have any police records they let the issue be and exited the room to let his friend Steven come in. Steven immediately hugged him and said: “Alex!! I’m glad you are ok! Is it true? That a mugger attacked you and left you like this? No offense dude but so much for your training” “None taken (Wow! No mule feeling? I guess it only happens in Equestria) what can I say? He surprised me and well. . . he was such a skilled guy.” “Yeah? Well, let’s be happy you are ok. Care to tell me where you went this time?” “Before I answer that. . . please tell me, how is everything at home” “Fine as always, you should be really thankful for having me to take care of your bills and other stuff while you are out; and don’t worry, as we agreed, if you are absent for more than a week. . . I’m in charge of keeping your place safe and locked. In return I can crash there whenever I want, I kinda made a couple of parties. . .well a LOT of parties to be honest, but don’t worry, nothing was stolen, not on my watch” “Hehehe!, Thanks Steven. Back on topic, I just went to some random place again.” “So. . . you always go wherever the road takes you, uh?” “Yeah. . . something like that.” “Ok?. . . .But why didn’t you tell anyone about it?” “I’m sorry. . . but it happened all of a sudden. Funny for such improvised trip, I ended up meeting some new and unique friends; I also learned many things. It was a great trip without a doubt!” “I understand. Anyway, I’m. . . We are glad you are ok, the rest will come later; for now I must go but I’ll be back soon, see you later” “Thanks Steven, see you later” … After getting ready to meet his friends at home, Alex went upstairs to his rooftop. While looking at the sky, he thought: “I wonder how Spike and Everypony else is doing right now. I hope they are ok, well at least they are safe from that asshole now. I’d love having him out of my dreams. Damn! Even after his death, he still makes my life impossible” Alex was shaking; he still had the memory of that day. He hadn’t been the same since. He didn’t show it but the feeling of almost dying left him a little scared. And not only that, he started to have nightmares about his last moments with Blueblood, being stabbed and killing him, nopony knew this, but he felt really guilty for killing Blueblood. He killed a pony; a tyrant pony, but still a sentient being. What would happen if someday he managed to return to Equestria? Would they accept him again? Would there be punishment for Blueblood’s death? Would they be scared of him? He shook that feeling off; he knew his pony friends would never turn their backs on him. Besides, every time he thought about them (specially a shy Pegasus an a little white unicorn) the nightmares and negative thoughts vanished and he remembered that IT had to be done. He needed to go back and let them know he was ok, but he was scared for something else as well, that place almost became his tombstone. Maybe that world didn’t want him there. It didn’t matter, he was determined to go back, at least one more time and then come back to Earth for good. After all, it was now possible to go back thanks to the “return to the start” spell (but appearing in the newborn babies room again would be hard to explain) even so. . . if he was going to return to Equestria, he’d have to take some major measures to ensure his and his friends’ safety. Maybe he was a little paranoid now. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice it was past the time for his friends to come. He came downstairs to call them over the phone, but all of a sudden… “SURPRISE!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!” “AGHHHHH. . . .PINKI P. . . . STEVEN!!. . . .That was pretty good, you all really got me guys” (Damn! why do I always forget Steven has copies of my keys?) “Yes we did! Were you going to call me Pinkie Pie?” “(Gulp) Nope!” “You are lucky I’m half brony as well dude, ok. . . come here, let’s celebrate; even though it is really not your birthday, just try to enjoy it. Too bad you spent it in the hospital” “Hahahaha!, Trust me Steven after being stabbed, spending those three weeks in the hospital was like heaven” Everyone laughed at this and started to party; the food was good, Alex ate hamburgers and hotdogs like crazy. Since the day he was allowed to eat solid food again, he didn’t stop eating all kinds of meat and strangely drinking lots of coffee and sodas. When the party was over and everyone was gone, Alex cleaned up the place. He then sat on his couch and watched some MLP DVDs. He watched the whole 2nd and 3rd seasons: how Spike saved the Cristal Empire as well as Discord’s attack, which then was reformed by Fluttershy. According to his calculations, he came back before this, he wondered if somehow his actions altered the course of history (It was obvious the death of BlueBlood didn’t have to happen), even so, he still couldn’t believe Twilight would ascend to Alicorn (That was so unexpected!). He could not wait to meet his new princess friend again, after watching some more episodes he went to his bedroom to get ready to sleep, but a piece of paper on the wall caught his attention. The same piece of paper his friend Luna gave him that night. He admitted to have some doubts about the theory of the oak tree being a portal; but these doubts disappeared when (around last week) he went to the oak tree and waited for several hours to see if something would happen, when he was about to give up… IT DID; a bright light started to shine around the oak tree, meteors where crossing the sky, the light lasted for around 20 seconds and then it all disappeared. He wanted so bad to jump into the light and travel back to Equestria, but he knew it wasn’t the right time, not yet; his body was still healing and he needed to get ready to make his life in Equestria more. . .comfortable, not to mention he had some promises to fulfill, “nope, not this time” he said. “Ok, according to this, I still have one more chance this year, the next meteor shower will be in around three months from now and is the last one listed here. If I miss it, I will never know when the portal will open again! I need to get ready.” Back in his bedroom Alex fell on his bed and started to write a “to do” list, a way one of his friends got in his head (Thanks for that Twilight) “Ok. . . let see. . . I will need: 1) A really big truck . . . 2) Learn to drive a truck.. . 3) . . . .” EQUESTRIA Twilight was sleeping in her room at the Cristal Palace. As a princess, she had to attend to meetings with the other Princesses; she closed her eyes and started thinking about these meetings. Because of this, she couldn’t notice a mysterious cloaked pony changing her Crown (her Element of Harmony) for a fake one. This mysterious figure almost got away with it, but tripped on Spike’s Tail and the noise woke up everypony. Twilight and her friends started to chase this pony that ran away after being noticed. When Twilight finally caught him (or her), they started to fight. Feeling that defeat was imminent, the mysterious pony threw the Crown directly to a mirror, but it didn’t break it! It passed it through! The thief said something to Twilight, and then jumped through the mirror as if it was a portal, leaving everypony wondering who or what this pony was. ALEX GYM (2 days later) Alex kept doing his training sessions every day. He really had improved adapting to his new body, he stopped tripping and started to run faster and faster, he knew it wasn’t that necessary for him to train like that; after all, his true form was more than enough for him, but he really didn’t want anypony to make fun of him, if he managed to go back to Equestria of course. Not to mention that training in this new form was something else, something that no other human would ever have a chance to do. Besides, he didn’t want to waste his Friend Princess Luna’s gift (in a way, it was funny because he was supposed to never use it in the first place since it was a just a parting gift) and somehow it helped with his nightmares, maybe for the fact it was made by Luna, the Princess of dreams, he could still remember the precise moment he found it… … After three weeks of long waiting, Alex was finally released from the Hospital with the doctor’s order of not to do anything harsh for at least a month. Putting on his old shorts and new shirt brought by Steven, he finally could go home, he thanked God for his friend Steven taking good care of his house and paying his bills, since everything in his house was working, electricity, phone, cable and water. He had to make a fast travel to the supermarket since the fridge was empty (obviously). After a good meal with lots of bacon and soda, Alex sat on his couch and played on his PS3 for hours, while playing, he felt something in his shorts was hurting him. He paused the game to see what it was and was surprised to find a little envelope with a black ribbon on it. He stared at it for some minutes and then remembered. “Ahhhhh! Luna’s birthday Gift! Let’s see what it is!” Alex carefully opened the envelope and found a really cool Pendant. Its shape was like the Star Wars resistance insignia with a little blue sapphire in the center. Inside the envelope, there was a piece of paper which Alex took and started to read it: “Alex my Friend, I hope you enjoy my gift, you have shown us so many beautiful things about your world, now let me show you how we see our world. This pendant is very special, only an alicorn is capable to make one. Be warned, when you wear it for the first time, be sure to be alone and stand in front of a mirror, it’s a surprise I know you will like, and please, DON’T PANIC, the last one (A Griffin) to wear one many centuries ago, almost died from a heart attack.” “. . . . . Ok?” Alex went immediately to his room, closed every window and stood in front of a mirror. He put on the pendant and then he started to feel something strange was happening to his body, a warm sensation that didn’t hurt, he felt his face and nose growing bigger, he wanted to look at himself on the mirror but a bright light emanating from the pendant blinded him! The bright light lasted for a couple of second. After the light disappeared, Alex found himself lying on the floor, unable to see anything; he tried to stand up but couldn’t keep his balance, he was about to fall full face on the floor but his powerful front legs stopped it from happening. He was feeling comfortable standing on his new four “legs”. He felt warm, like having a full fur costume all around his body, with so many questions in his mind, he slowly started to open his eyes and tried to look at the mirror, thanks to Luna’s warning he was able to hold himself together and not to scream, what he saw in the mirror was so unreal… the magic of the pendant turned him into a pony!. . .but not an earth pony, he was a UNICORN!, he immediately noticed he didn’t look like the ponies of his world. . . it was hard to explain, he was exactly like the stallions of MLP, like a CGI animation, he was cartoonish but at the same time real, “so this is how they’d look like if they came here” it was amazing, he had every Brony and Pegasister’s Holy Grail on his neck. Without a doubt any of them would kill have this pendant in their hands. As if it wasn’t amazing enough, all of his clothes (literally all of it) adapted to his new body. “How is this possible?” He could spend all of his life trying to understand how this worked, but he came to a simple conclusion. . . “MAGIC!”, (Like trying to explain how Twilight’s clothes appeared when she traveled to the other world) his clothes transformation was so precise that even his shorts had a little hole for his tail, a beautiful spiked tail, the same color as his black spiked mane, his fur color was mustard, not too yellowish like Fluttershy’s and not to orange like Applejack. And on top of that, after removing his shorts, he could see his very own CUTIE MARK! It was the assassins’ insignia with wings on the sides, (maybe it represented True Justice, Flying Justice or something like that, anyway who cared what it symbolizes “it looks really cool!”) “Oh Damn!!! This is Awesome!” Alex tried to walk, but immediately fell on the floor, he stood up and fell again. “Ok. . . this is not what I was expecting.” … Alex was smiling and holding his pendant in his hooves. “Luna. . . . No words or actions will ever be enough to thank you for this, I promise to take good care of this and never let it be in the wrong hands, Ok. . . I need a little more practice moving with this new body, but for now. . . . I think it’s time to start practicing a little MAGIC!” Alex continued reading the piece of paper: “IN CASE YOU TURN INTO A UNICORN” ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// CRISTAL PALACE Everypony was in Celestia’s bedroom listening Twilight’s story and the adventures on the other world. After she finished her story everypony was shocked, Rarity was the one to break the ice: “So. . . are you telling us you became a human? Like our darling friend Alex??” “Yes Rarity, I did” “Wow, tell us darling, how did it feel?” “To be honest girls, it felt strange. . . I mean, walking on two legs and having hands was really confusing, not to mention the shock of not having my horn and magic” Rainbow said: “Even so, I think that’s awesome! You saw the world like as Alex did. Amazing!” “Ok sugarcube, ironically, after everything we have been, through all this time, ah can understand about yah turning in to a human and even visiting their world, but tell me. . . are yah completely sure it wasn’t Alex’s world?” “Yes Applejack, sadly I’m pretty sure, even though they looked almost exactly like the humans Alex showed us on his computer, I know for sure his humans didn’t have colored skin besides peach and brown tones, I even did a little research and there wasn’t any country called Guatemala there, it seems it was a different Earth, I’ll dare to say it was more like another Equestria considering your humans counterparts” Hearing this, Princess Celestia said: “It’s exactly what Alex and I were talking about. . .Many worlds are so similar and so different to each other, I’m afraid our possibilities to find HIS world would be like trying to find a needle in a hay loft.” Feeling a little depressed, Rarity said “I see. . .(sigh) too bad. I’d like to have more news about him, at least to know if he had the funeral he deserved.” After saying that, everypony went sad, Fluttershy more than everypony else, she covered her face with her mane to not let the others see her tears. More than a month had passed since that horrible day and the wound was still open. Spike looking at this said: “Girls c’mon, cheer up!, Alex wouldn’t like to see us like this, as he used to tell Fluttershy, he wanted us to be happy, he left this world without regrets, let us make him proud in the afterlife” “You are right Spike, let’s be happy, after all, we were able to retrieve my Element of Harmony and even made new alien friends, considering everything, I think we should have. . . .” “A PARTY!” Pinkie Pie said. “Yeah!” Everypony responded. While going their way to celebrate, Twilight thought: “Alex. . . . I’m happy I found more kind humans besides you, I’d really like you to be here with us right now.” “TWILIGHT!!! ARE YOU COMING??” Asked Pinkie Pie “uh?. . . oh yes, I’m coming” //////////////////////////////////////////////////// EARTH (two Months later) Alex was in his home moving lots of stuff inside cardboard and wooden boxes and storing everything in his garage. Many of his neighbors didn’t even ask and quickly lost interest since they all knew him. They thought maybe he was buying some more “gadgets” to use on his “crazy adventures”, but what really caught their attention, was the new truck he just bought; when someone asked him what in the world he would do with a truck, he answered: “I will make another trip very soon and I need to bring a lot of stuff with me this time, to be honest, I can’t be sure if I’m going to come back soon.” /////////////////////////////////////////////////////// EQUESTRIA (Carrousel Boutique) “Happy Birthday Sweetie Bell!!!” Everypony screamed when she entered the house alongside Rarity. she fell on her back but recovered quickly; she noticed her crusader friends were there, the mane 6, Zecora, Spike, Miss Cherelee and every foal of her class, even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “Well Pinkie Pie never leaves anypony out of a party” she said to herself. “WHOAAAA, WOW! YOU REALLY SURPRISED ME!!” “That was the idea silly” Pinkie Pie said “Thanks everypony. . . I mean it!” “No need to thank Sweetie Bell, yah is our friend and we love yah” Applebloom replied. “Yeah! Never forget that Sweetie Bell. Now c’mon, let’s party!!” Scootaloo said. Everypony started to celebrate; the party was great, there was music, dancing, lots of snacks, games and a big cake, everything was perfect. . . at least for everypony except for her. It was a really great party and all, but something was missing, someone was missing. Almost four months had passed but she was still thinking about her big brother, she promised to herself to continue and move on but it wasn’t as easy as planned. She knew he died a hero, saving everypony and her. . . but she really missed him. She was happy and cheerful all the time, but she couldn’t help thinking about him, how she wasn’t even able to say goodbye, not even having a photo of him to remember. She couldn’t help it, and started to share some tears. Everypony misunderstood her feelings. “Ohhh, she is so happy she is crying” Pinkie Pie said. Rarity knew her sister enough to know those weren’t tears of joy, she approached her and asked: “Sweetie darling. . . what is going on?” “Nothing. . .nothing. . . really” “Sweetie Bell. . . please remember I am your sister and I know you enough; you are sad, please tell me what is it. . . . oh! you are thinking about Alex aren´t you?” (Sweetie Bell nodded) “Ohhhh Sweetie Bell, come here” Rarity hugged her sister “I know how you want him to be here but you can trust me, he is here with all of us and he is always watching us from Elysium” “hic. . . hic. . . I know but. . . I miss him too much.” Someponies and Fillies started to share some tears as well, they didn’t get to know Alex as Sweetie Bell and the Elements did, but they knew how much she loved him and how hard was for her when he died. Applebloom and Scootaloo hugged her too. “Sweetie bell. . . trust me, we miss him too, he was like a brother to us, (Scootaloo noded) but yer sister is right, he is with us, he loved yah and yah loved him, ah know even in the afterlife he can feel the love yah have for him” Sweetie bell wiped her tears and smiled. “Thanks Girls, I needed to hear that, you are right! he is with me, with us! Sorry it’s just. . . Sometimes I just need somepony to remind me of that, ok. . . Now lets continue to party!” Everypony cheered and continued celebrating. Later, it was time to eat the cake but not before making a wish and blowing the candles. “Ok Sweetie bell darling, just make a wish and blow them off” Sweetie Bell thought for a second before smiling and blowing the candles off. Everypony cheered. While the others were eating their slice of cake, Sweetie Bell went out to the balcony, she looked at the stars and the night sky, Applebloom and Scootaloo joined her: “This party was awesome. . . Pinkie Pie is truly the best of the best” Applebloom said “Yeah! I hope mine is as good or even better than this one” Scootaloo said, Sweetie and Applebloom rolled their eyes. “By the way Sweetie Bell, what did yah wish for?” “That’s a secret. If I tell you, it will not come true” “That’s true, Ah hope yer wish comes true Sweetie bell” “I hope so too Applebloom.” The three of them went back in. Sweetie cried in her heart, as if someone was listening: “Please. . . please let my wish come true. . . please let me see him just one more time; a ghost; a spirit; an angel, I don’t care. Just… let me say goodbye to my brother.” ////////////////////////////////////////////// EARTH (now) “Wow. . .What was that feeling?” Alex was loading everything inside the truck he was going to use in two days when he felt it, it was something nice and warm, the same feeling when thinking about his sisters Angela and Sweetie Bell. His heart, more determined than ever: “I must go back to Equestria”, he couldn’t fail to go back in two days . . . he just couldn’t.