Ponyville, Equestria
Saturday
8:47 PM
This is it. I’m going home today! I get to see my friends and family again. After six days of being stuck in the My Little Pony cartoon, I get to go back to the real world. I get to go back to my car and drive around in it, get to see my friends back at school, I’ll get back to my family, the many things I have been missing out on while I was stuck in cartoon land, I can come back to. Get ready earth, NickyD is coming home!
I’m making sure everything is set and ready to go. All the clothing Rarity made for me are in the bags she put them in. I made sure they were nice, tidy and folded. Hate for them to get all wrinkly. I slap my pockets to check and make sure I have everything I came here with: phone, wallet, keys. Yep, all are accounted for.
I brought the flowers that Roseluck, Lily and Daisy gave me up here too. I look at the beautiful bouquet that they made. Many flowers of many bright colors are in this “going away bouquet”. White tulips and red roses are accounted for, a few white-petaled daffodils are here, and a couple more flowers I can’t name off the top of my head right now. It was really sweet of them to think of me and give me flowers. But it’s a little weird because I didn’t even have one conversation with them, aside from me talking to Roseluck during the party with Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane. And yet they still give me flowers for a parting gift. It was really nice of them to do that.
Once everything seemed to be in order, I make my way to the door. I stop myself at the frame and take one, last look at the room I stayed in since Sunday. It was super nice of Twilight to accommodate me for these past several days. I don't think I can ever repay her for what she has done for me. I mean, all of this for some third world dude she doesn’t even know. I should make sure to mention that when I say my final goodbyes.
After my final look at the guest room, I head downstairs to the main library area, where Spike and the girls are just making some small talk.
“Hey guys,” I say, getting their attention. The seven of them look at me, all with grins on their faces.
“So, are you ready to go back?” Twilight asks me.
“I am. But first, I just have a couple of things to say.” I take a few steps closer to the group and put my belongings down. “You guys have been great to me. I’m not sure where I would have ended up or what I would have done if I didn’t stumble upon you guys. Applejack…” I direct my attention to her, “...we may have had a bit of a rocky start when we first met, but I’m glad we smoothed that out quickly.” She gives off a light chuckle of the memory of she and I first meeting. “I’m really glad I got to know you this past week and I am also glad I got to meet your family too. I’m gonna miss you.”
“Aww...come here sugar cube.” I take a couple steps towards her and she gives me a tight hug. I return it with the same amount of strength. She and I share a good, ten second embrace and we let go. I see her wipe a tear away from her eyes. I turn my attention to Rainbow Dash now.
“Dash, I have to say, are one awesome pony.”
“You know it,” she says. Oh how I’m gonna miss her cocky attitude.
“It was really cool hanging out with you, and being my coach the other day, I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m gonna miss you too.” She brings her hoof up to me and I fist bump it. I had a feeling she isn’t the type of pony get too emotional or affectionate. Understandable, she has a reputation to keep. I bring myself to Rarity now.
“Rarity, you have made clothing for me to cover myself when I only came here with one set. I offered to pay you back, but you thought nothing of it and didn’t ask for a single bit from me. I appreciate your generosity and I am glad I was an inspiration for your next fashion line.”
“Oh darling, you make me blush,” the fashionista says with blood rushing to her cheeks.
“I’m serious. Thank you so much.” I open up my arms to her and she complies by giving me a nice, tight hug. “I’ll forever be thankful.” Okay, a little over dramatic, but I’m serious, I am so thankful for what she has done.
Rarity and I stay hugging for a few moments and we let go. I go over to Fluttershy and Pinkie. “Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, I may have not spent much time with you guys, but I want to say that I did enjoy the little time we shared. I especially want to thank you Pinkie for helping Twilight, getting that whole party together. You can throw one heck of a party.”
“Pinkie’s the name, partying is my game!” she says. I chuckle at her happy and bubbly attitude and then bring my direct attention to Fluttershy.
“Like what I said, we may not have spent much time together, but I am glad I was able to spend some time with you. You two rock.” I give Fluttershy and Pinkie a hug at the same time and they hug back. I like group hugs. Just like Rarity and Applejack, I hold on for a little while until I let go. Then I come to the baby dragon, Spike. “And then there’s you. The one who woke me up from my best night’s slumber.”
“Still laughing at that buddy,” Spike says, giggling like a schoolgirl.
“I’ll admit, it’s still humorous. I have to say, meeting you was pretty cool. Putt’er there pal.” I put my hand down for a low five. Using his claw, he slaps it and and smiles. Now the final pony: Twilight. “Twi, I just want to say how thankful I am. If I didn’t come across you at Applejack’s farm, I don’t know where I would have ended up. You have given me food to eat, a roof over my head, and most of all, you have become a great friend to me. And you offered it all to some guy you didn’t even know. I’ll forever be in your debt. Come here you.” I walk up to her and give her the tightest hug I could muster and she hugs me back with an equal amount of strength..
“You are very welcome Nick,” she says. “It was so great getting to know you.”
“Right back at you Twilight. Hey, can you make sure I send my best wishes to the princesses and Shining Armor?”
“Will do.” She and I stay hugging for a few more moments. After I feel like I have hugged her long enough, I let go. Take another look at the six ponies and the baby dragon. This is it. This is my last moment I will be sharing with them. It’s finally time to go-
“Are you forgetting someone?” a familiar and glib voice says from seemingly nowhere.
“Oh lord,” I mumble. I remember that voice. With a quick, white flash brightening up a small area in the room, the ever so chaotic Discord appears. Why is he here?
“I have heard that this young lad is heading home and I just want to wish him safe travels and my best wishes.”
“Well...thanks,” I say uneasy. Not sure if I should be happy to see this guy or not. “Let me guess, Fluttershy told you I was leaving today?”
“Very good young lad! You guessed right!” Just like Gatsby calling Nick, from the book, “old sport”, he calls me “young lad”. I guess it does have a bit of ring to it, recalling my first encounter with the Master of Chaos. “I want us meeting with each other to still be fresh in your mind.” I have been sent to a world where everyone thought it was some fictional universe. I can bet my car that everything I have done in this world will stay fresh in my mind for the rest of my life. “And for you to keep that reminder,” from seemingly nowhere (that darn cartoon logic again) Discord pulls out a Polaroid camera, “we should take one big group photo.” The room is silent, everyone (except Discord) is exchanging glances. Ah, what the hell, he seems pretty serious about it.
“Okay, sure.” I look at everypony else, to see what their responses would be.
“Ah what the hay,” Applejack says. “I’m in.”
“Me too!” Pinkie and Rainbow Dash say. Everyone else also gives their vocal approval. I get on a knee while Applejack and Twilight are next to me (Applejack on the right, Twilight on my left). Pinkie is and Rarity are on Applejack’s side while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are on the other. Spike stands on Fluttershy’s back and Discord is behind us all. To make it look more friendly, I put one arm around AJ’s neck and the other around Twilight’s. I even notice Discord putting his claw/paws on the ends of the line. One big happy group is what we are.
“So who’s going to take the picture?” I ask.
“I got it,” Rarity says. Using her magic, she levitates the camera, having the lens face us.
“That’ll work.” I make sure to look directly at the camera and smile. Have to look nice for the camera.
“Alright everyone,” Discord says, “big smiles, happy smiles! On three, everyone say ‘human’ okay? One...two...three…”
“Human!” We all say. With a clicking sound, the camera flashes and blinds me for just a second. I rub my eyes really quick, I’m seeing some spots. That’ll go away soon. Usually does.
“Let’s see how it looks. May I take the camera back Miss Rarity?” Rarity gives her approval by nodding. Discord grabs the camera and the photo prints out the second he takes hold of it. He pinches the photo and gives it a few shakes, so the picture can fully develop. After a few moments and a few shakes, he shows us the picture. All of us close together as friends, I love it.
“It looks great,” I say.
“Here, ” Discord says, giving me the picture. “As a little reminder of your stay here. Consider it my parting gift.” I look at his paw that holds the picture. I take the picture, expecting something to happen. Knowing this guy, you should expect the unexpected. I pinch the picture in my fingers and...nothing happens. That’s a relief. “Well, I should be heading off. I don't wish to hold you up on your return home. Have a safe trip home my young lad.”
“Thanks Discord, and thanks for letting me keep the picture.”
“No problem at all...hmm…” he puts a claw to his chin. What is he scheming? “I have an idea!” He snaps his paw and within that moment, many copies of the photograph are made, one for everyone. “Now all of us can properly remember you.” All of us exchange happy smiles.
“I’ll make sure to get a nice frame for this,” Twilight says, levitating her picture and putting it on a library table..
“Alrighty now, I really should be going. I don't wish to keep you here any longer now. Ta ta my young lad.” With another snap of his lion paw, he vanishes in a flash. Goodbye Discord.
“Well, I guess it was kind of nice for him to stop by,” I say.
“He’s right about one thing,” Twi says, “and that is we’re holding you up on getting you back home. Spike, go get me the enhancer.”
“Coming right up,” the purple drake responds. He runs off the the kitchen and comes back in a few moments with the enhancer. It looks like a purple liquid and it is being held in a glass jar.
“We had to make sure it stayed at a cool temperature.” Twilight levitates the jar from Spike’s claws and carefully examines it. She makes sure to get a good look at it from every angle she could get. “Alright, it looks good.” That’s good to hear. “You all set Nick?” I make sure to take hold of my bags and flowers again.
“I am now.”
“Alright. Here’s what’s going to happen: I need you to close your eyes and focus on where you want to go. It’s very simple, but very crucial. Do you have your destination in mind?’
“I got it,” I reply back. I already know where I want to end up. On the front lawn of my house back in New Jersey. Back in that small and great community where my great family is. I have it practically burned in my memory.
Twilight dips her horn into the jar, covering her horn with the the concoction. She pulls it out and her horn glistens a little in the room’s light. She gives me one more look. “Ready?” she asks. I nod and close my eyes.
“Goodbye,” I say under my breath. I can hear her charging the spell and feel a sense of warmth engulf me. It must be working! I keep the image of my house burned under my eyelids. “My home back in Jersey, my home back in Jersey, my home back in Jersey,” I repeat to myself in my mind. I hear a loud pop and a sound similar to electric bolts; simultaneously is how i hear it.
Did it work? Did the enhancer pay off? Am I on my front lawn? I made sure I kept that image focused in my mind. The suspense is killing me, I need to know!
Slowly and carefully, I open one of my eyes, and then the other. I see...