To Be Human

by Bastinator

Chapter 8: A Real Nightmare

You twist around in your bed, fingers clutching the blanket as it smothers you with its acute gentle touch. ”Your breakfast is ready whenever you are,” you hear Pinkie call, though you’re unsure where from. You’d be inclined to check, but this bed… so comfy. This must be what a cocoon feels like, bound tight yet impossibly comfortable. But yet, the darkness of this world is impenetrable. What good is a world without light? Pushing off your hands, you sit up, propping yourself against the wall. There- it seems as though there is a haze in your vision, a swath- no, a crack, where light attempts to gleam. You hold out your hand, barely making out the jade appendage as your ey-

Without pause your fingers run along the surface of your face, the skin tingling as they make their way from your lips to the bridge of your nose… And over your eyes. “The windows of the soul… How is this possible?” you whisper. It’s still so dark… You push up on the fleshy flap atop your right eye, the haze by which you were blinded, raised, revealing this chamber. The lid of your left flutters as you raise it, the sensation almost as if you were opening them for the first time. It might just be. Curtains hang from the right wall, the left adorned with book cases, dusty and old… The entire room feels this way.

Looking down to your sheets, the colors almost pop out from the fabric, striped almost like a rainbow… A blanket of them… You were lead to believe such a thing did not exist. Surely, you must readdress this question at some point. Among everything, only a single beam of light illuminates the room, breaching the darkness through the flap of the curtains. “If only this room were brighter.” You’re about to stand when the curtains twitch, your heart skipping a beat.

You crane your head at the oddity, another jerk of the cloth proving it to be no illusion. Is there such a thing as curtain ghosts? No, don’t be absurd, the next thing will be box ghosts and that just sounds- The next moment is filled with a blinding light as the curtains are thrust open, your virgin eyes stung by the intense beam. Protect me blanket! The darkness finds you, though through the fabric you can catch its glare. “It’s too bright.” You turn, the faint scratching of metal ringing out as the light begins to recede. Did- Are the curtains listening to you?

You peek out from the blanket, gazing at the half-open curtains, the shade shielding your eyes. “Who is there?” you await with no response, “Show yourself.” This seems awfully familiar, much akin to your confrontation of Nightmare Moon. You could almost hear the frantic beat of her heart when you revealed yourself. You touch your chest, that same frantic beat pounding its way in you. Something like this shouldn’t be possible… but you like it. No, like is not a suitable term for the feelings that swells up inside, much as a case of pneumonia would drown one’s lungs. It is ‘a dream come true.’ You throw the covers off and stand on your feet, a heat traveling down the length of your legs, blood.

You curl the toes of your foot, doing the same as you flex the rest of your body, each time feeling that same rush of warmth. ”Anon, your breakfast is getting all soggy.” Ahh you had almost forgotten yourself. You step over to the door, the curtain following your movement to ensure your shade.

“No,” you hold up your hand, “Be still.” Quite the sight it must be, to watch you talk to an inanimate object like this… Well, animated in this case. You reach the handle, the light beating against your skin. Apparently it does listen to you, how peculiar.

~~~

You step through the doorway, finding yourself in some kind of kitchen, though you’re unsure of where exactly. This place holds no resemblance in your mind, but when you peer out the window this is unmistakably Ponyville. ”Whatcha looking out there for?” you hear Pinkie hopping next to you, “Are the cupcake flowers blooming?!”

“Cupcake flowers?” you ask, her hoof pointing to the garden just outside, small stems curling up from the earth. “Do not be silly Pinkie Pie, such things do not exist.” As if hanging on your word, the stems recede back down into the ground leaving the garden barren. What- How is this possible?

”Aww, look at what you did,” the pink pony pouts, “Now your garden’s all empty wempty.”

“My garden? I have no such- thing…” you finally turned to her, eyes locked just above her head.

”You doing okay, Mr. Pokey?” You wave your hand above her head just to be sure, blinking frantically as to test that your vision is not impaired. ”OH! Are we having a blinking contest? I love these little games!”

“Where- where are the numbers? They’re always there…”

”Those? Pfft, you don’t have to worry about those anymore. It’s all in the past, you’re home now.” Pinkie hops over through the kitchen as you trail behind, still not entirely convinced that you’re newfound eyes are not deceiving you.

“That is impossible. How could you even know?”

She flashes a grin your way as she stirs a boiling pot, “Where do you think you are Anon? Nothing’s impossible here. See, lookie!” What could she be pointing at? You turn to the living room, scanning it for anomalies.

“I do not see what it is you speak of Ms. Pie?”

”Look closer,” her breathe flows up your neck as you fix your gaze, “Watch the furniture.” Alright… you see a couch, a small table, some wooden chairs, but nothing that you- Odd, they appear to float as well. The trio of furniture levitates in a circle, though you they could do more to impress you. As they are, however? Not so much.

“Magic is an art that has existed since the beginning of time. Any unicorn can do such tricks.”

”I guess you’re right, but they always have a shiny aura-thingy around them, don’t they?”

“But of course, and these- d-don’t… How strange.”

”It’s only as strange as you think it is.”

You step tentatively into the next room, running your hand against the couch’s underbelly as it makes another pass. “This world-“

”Home,” she corrects with a smile, “Your home.”

You… like the sound of that. A home, a real one. It’s nice. “How much control do I have over it? Back in the room where I awoke… the curtains they- they seemed to listen to me.”

”Why wouldn’t they? They’re yours. All of this is.” An entire world to yourself, every being at your command, and all without those pestering digits that haunted your every step.

“So if I were to say, just for an example, that this… table should be made of licorice, would it?”

Pinkie giggles, “Why don’t you see for yourself.” Moving curtains are one thing, but this couldn’t possibly…

“How is something like this even possible?”

”Your wish is our command, Anon.” You hold the table’s leg with your hand, the red and black ridges grinding into it yet giving way at the same time. Bringing your nose to the leg, one sniff is enough to prove its legitimacy. ”Do- do you like your home?” You step backwards and nod, words unable to describe how you feel.

“Stop,” you command, the chairs halting in their movement. “It feels good to be back…” With every command you give, the item obeys. Rise, fall, twirl, spin. “Down-Up! Expand. Become gold?” Each time they comply without question or delay, “Disappear.” As if the air itself had sucked them into the Ether, they are gone, the void that is left behind soon filled as you spin in its center.

”So…” she speaks up, you having forgotten of her presence, “How does some breakfast sound?” You take a deep breath of air and hold it for as long as your lungs can tolerate before blowing it back out.

“I’ve never felt more alive,” closing your eyes just to see the dark for a change before realizing that she had asked you something, “Yes, I’m sorry?”

”Breakfast? Yeah? Neigh? May, Day, pay, hay…” she trails off happily, ceasing at your laughter.

“Of course, let me open a window. It is rather toasty.” A smile is your only response as the window opens at your approach. “This might take some getting used to.” You lean out the window, a blue pony watching from afar.

”C’mon slow poke, it’s not getting any fresher.”

“Yes,” you look back, the pony no longer in sight, “Yes indeed.” The table reappears along with a chair and you take a seat, Pinkie pouring some sort of soup into a bowl. This chair flattens the extensions of your rear and is most unpleasing. You grin and look at its side. Soften. That’s odd, you would predict that if you had control over your dream, then surely just thinking of something should work.

“Why does thinking not change the world?” you ask her as she sits down with you.

”Thinking, Stinking. It doesn’t really matter when you have…” she pushes the bowl over, a heavenly odor emanating from within, “Nectarine soup!” Aha! This world is without compare! You pick up the bowl only to stop yourself. Soup… You ate it with a utensil of some kind before…
“What item is it that you use to eat? I do not seem to recall.”

She taps her hoof on the table, a silver object appearing by your bowl, “It’s called a spoon silly.” You hold the spoon and within it, gaze at your own reflection, something *clicking* in your mind.

“Yes, now I remember. A spoon, although, I recall another such item, the spork.”

”Spork?” she asks scratching her head, “What’s that supposed to be?”

“Appear, spork?” you ask yourself, the object dropping in front of her. “That, dear Pinkie, is a spork.”

”Awww, it’s like if a mommy spoon and a daddy fork had a little baby… Umm, baby? It’s adorable!” she starts playing with it as you taste your soup. The nectarine is *gnarly* as to quote young Scootaloo, but there is another flavor you recognize. You scratch your chin as you try to place it. ”I see you like the punch as well.” Yes, that is the flavor. You eagerly take another bite and take another look at this spoon. It makes you ponder, what else does this world hold? If this is your mind after all…

“Ms. Pie, where might my memories be?”

”Memories? We keep them in Twilight’s house.” A fitting location you would presume, the accumulation of your experiences encoded within the tomes that reside there. “I would much like to see them,” your spoon clinking to the bottom of the empty bowl.

”No!” she catches herself and forces a smile, “You- We have so much else to do, can’t we wait?” Anger. That is the emotion she expressed at her exclamation, the source of which should not have caused such an outburst. There’s something she’s not telling you, Pinkie never ‘struck you’ as an expert of deception.

“Pinkie, why can I not go to the library?” the cheery tone to your voice now absent.

”Well um,” she taps her hooves together, eyes darting throughout the room, “N-nothing really, but we can just go there later, right?” She is most certainly lying to you; any being with two brain cells to rub together could see this. Right there, where did that phrase come from? It was almost natural…

“Pinkie, there are two ways to anger me. One being, to interrupt me.”

A lump forms in her throat, Pinkie swallowing audibly, “And number two?”

“Lying…” you can’t help but scowl, the very thought infuriating you. Bells chime off in the distance, Pinkie- scared, but not of you…

They ring again and Pinkie gives an almost pleading look, “Please Anon, we don’t want to ruin it. Please.” A third time, the room growing steadily darker for some unknown reason. You stand and move to the window, looking up to the darkened sky as the clouds begin to form at an unnatural pace. The sound of Pinkie’s trembling hooves causes you worry, “I’m sorry, Anon. I’m really sorry.” She grew angry and the world resumed. You grow angry, and the sky will darken. You never thought your feelings could influence it so.

“Sky, clear.” They pause but do not disperse, leaving the world cast in shadow. Perhaps you were not clear enough. “Clouds, disperse… Now,” you order them, the wind funneling upwards to the sky and soon the sun shines as if it had never left.

You sigh in content as all is at it should be and close the window, “T-thank you, Anon.”

“I must apologize. I did not intend for my mood to cause such an occurrence.”

”It’s okay… I shouldn’t have gotten you angry though. I just couldn’t have you find out about your party-” her pupils widen before she smacks herself in the head, “Dangit Pinkie! You were so close.” A party? You shouldn’t be surprised that Pinkie would be planning such an event. That’s sort of what she does after all.

“What might be this party for? You say it’s for me, but there must an occasion of some sort.”

”It’s a welcome home party of course. You’ve been gone for sooo long that we wanted to make today special.” Curious choice of words, you’d imagine, seeing as how this is your first time coming to this place.

“I see, but there must be some confusion Ms. Pie, as I have never walked among these strange halls.”

”You’re so silly Anon,” swatting your statement off like the pestering of an ordinary house fly, “Always over-thinking stuff.” You would rather over-analyze than under, you ponder the statement. ”You shouldn’t prelive the future,” her words are blunt but effective as the statement rings true. Smiling, you look back around the room, the simple perfection that it holds, no wood scratched, no scent tainted… Who are you to question this world? Your world… perfect…

Pushing your bowl away, you turn your gaze outside the window, pondering why the rest of Ponyville have not awaken and began their daily tasks. ”Is it not good enough?” Pinkie grabs your bowl worriedly, “Was it too sweet? I can change it if-” The return of your gaze silences the pony who’s tail lowers much like that of a canines.

“Your fears are rather intriguing. Why do you care should I not enjoy this bowl of soup?”

She grinds a hoof into the table, not quite making eye contact with you, “I just uh- want your first day to be perfect.” Perfect. This word appears to clutter in its frequency. Everything must be perfect, and yet it is.

“Have no fear, Ms. Pie, my time here has been splendid.” However, if this Pinkie Pie is of any resemblance to the one you met in the real world, then she might be best taken in small doses, like rat poison. “Pinkie,” she locks onto you with that same fearful expression, it would be best to lower your voice, “Where might I find the rest of my friends?”

Although you could simply will them here, you would rather enjoy the hike with your new legs. ”Am I boring you? Maybe we- we can play a game! I have a whole mess of things we can do,” she swishes about, slamming cabinets in her fevered search. In a perfect world where one’s words can alter reality, it is the inhabitants that seem the most out of place.

“Ms. Pie that is enough,” she halts worriedly, ears twitching, “I would much like to meet Miss Rarity.”

”O-okay.” A knock sounds from the door oddly enough, likely in accordance with your request. As you stand up to get it Pinkie stops you, keeping you in your seat as she gallops over to the door. She appears quite… what’s the word? Wound up. The Pinkie that you remember would not act as such. The door cracks open and though you cannot hear what it is they speak, you do manage to pick up one word. Darling.

“Madam Rarity,” you exclaim happily and move over to the door, “It is a pleasure to hear the sweet minstrels of your voice.” Behind the door, as you expected is the marvelous Rarity, the unicorn grinning up at you, “Dear Anon, look at what you have done to your face?”

“Have I broken it?” you anxiously probe the surface for abnormalities.

She pulls a handkerchief from her bag with a soft laugh, “By Celestia no, but you did get some breakfast on your cheek.” The cloth pulls across your surface and you take it into your hand, rubbing with your thumb. It is quite soft.

“I like the feeling of this object,” you hand it back to her.

”Keep it,” she smiles, “I have many more at home.” You nod your thanks and stuff the material into your pocket for safe keeping. ”Anon,” Rarity continues, “Earlier I happened to hear the bell chimes. I trust that you are quite alright.”

“Ahh yes, an unpleasant occurrence I might add. If I had known that my feelings could influence this world so then I would keep them better sealed.”

Her eyes stay attached to you, “So Pinkie truly had caused you grief? Is that right?” she finally turns to Pinkie.

”O-of course not, Rarity. You know me, I would- I’d never make Anon angry.”

You crane your head towards her. Perhaps her memory is as grand as your own. What other reason is there for her to say such false-truths. “There is no need to lie, Ms. Pie. We discussed this earlier.”

”And what might have you been discussing, darling?”

“I had requested to see where my memories were kept, but Pinkie thought otherwise and refused. My temper appeared to best me when those dreadful bells began to ring.”

The weather wasn’t one to be desired either. “I see… Pinkie, aren’t you late for your appointment? I wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.” Him? What need does Pinkie need for an appointment? A doctor, yes yes, that is the most logical conclusion.

”I- I wouldn’t want Anon to be alone,” she swallows hard, likely a fear of those needles, pesky buggers, “You want me to stay right?”

“Pinkie please, one must always arrive for their appointments on time, and I would do no such thing to jeopardize yours. Now run along,” you shoo her off warmly.

”But- but,” the pink almost seems to fade from her coat, her phobia far greater than you had thought.

“Have no fear, young one. It stings for but a moment. Run along now.” The poof of her mane almost flattens, tail falling between her hind legs as she begins her slow trot out and down the road. It’s saddening to watch her go, especially as she is.

“Fear…”

”Hmm?” Rarity sounds back, not quite understanding your meaning.

“I am quite familiar with this emotion. I have seen it every day for the past millennia, how ponies would look when the realization of death came over them.”

”That life is behind you now,” she leads you outside of the house, your house, “Come, the rest of us are longing to see you.” Yes… That life is in the past, so to speak. You look back to Pinkie, the mare glancing back with a fevered smile, an unmistakable absence in her eyes. Her condition shall remain constant, the doctor will assure this. But then why does the same look you’ve seen so many times in the past plague hers? ”Are you coming Anon?” Curses Anon, can you not simply enjoy this haven you have been presented?

“Yes…”

She takes you to the right as you take a gander towards your home, the structure melting into the rest of Ponyville. The only oddity being the desolate garden that lines the road, a small pain stemming from your heart as you watch it. You can only imagine what sorrow Pinkie must’ve felt as her creations receded. That will not do at all. “Grow and blossom,” you whisper, a legion of stems emerging from the earth, petals blooming in shades of black and blue.

Rarity sniffs the air, “Is that chocolate?” You follow her example, grinning at the sweet scent you had created.

“It would appear so, shall we carry on?”

”Yes, lets…” she joins by your side, your eyes moving across the silent streets.

“Tell me, as a resident here, how might you explain the absence of your fellow ponies?”

”Would you like to see more?” She reminds you of how Twilight used to act in a way, always answering your questions with questions. It does get rather annoying. You gaze down the road, recognizing the ice cream shop you ventured to earlier, once bustling with customers, it now sits vacant.

“Does Mrs. Sherbert sleep still?”

”Do you wish to see her?” You take this time to turn to Rarity with slight annoyance.

“An answer does not end with a question mark, as you should know. Now, answer my question.” The past returns at the ringing of bells, though as you turn you cannot decipher from which direction they originate.

Rarity too whirls about with a familiar fear, “Oh wait- It was a misunderstanding.” The bells must chime whenever you become flustered, as it did before with Pinkie Pie.

“It is alright,” you murmur to her, resting a hand on her back, “Just answer my question.”

As you thought, the bells find silence at your mind’s peace. “Thank you Anon,” she takes a deep breath, “What might your question have been?”

“Where are your kin? Where does Mrs. Sherbert wander in the day?”

She nods, “They appear at your word, did Pinkie not explain as much?”

“Not precisely, though I am learning a great deal.” You look to the sky, the sun heating your cheeks. You wish you could stay here forever.

It is rather refreshing for the town to exist in such silence. It’s almost as if you’re seeing a different side of reality. A land where your wishes are fulfilled without question, where you can simply be… without the fear of what lies beyond. But… then again… The empty windows hold no joy, no emotion. The wood from which the town is built is undoubtedly perfect in structure, but the small nicks and cuts are absent, a piece of its character stripped away. “Ponies awaken,” you raise your hands and from within their homes you can hear the fumbling of locks as the door begin to open.

Ponies begin to pile from their homes as they roam the streets, watching you warily. “Greetings and salutations,” you cheer to one such passerby, the stallion keeping his head low and making a swift departure. You’re rather stunned by his actions, only to shrug it off. Surely he must have an important engagement that requires his attention. “How might you do this morning?” you ask another mare as she trots down the street, only to receive a similar treatment. In fact, all of these ponies, while differing in color and race, seem to share one specific characteristic. “Why might they fear me?” you reach your hand outwards, the ponies ducking away as if you had threatened them. “I… do not understand.”

Not even when you first arrived did you receive such treatment, not to such a scale to be sure. Rarity glares at them as you continue, “Have you no respect for your creator? Show some manners to our guest.”

”G-good day,” one blurts out before retreating with haste. If… if this is how they are going to act, then you will not have them at all.

“Ponies, begone!” With the ringing of the bells you shut your eyes, the fire within you battling to reach the surface… but the returning stillness of the land more than quenches it.

Rarity remains by your side though the trembling of her hooves is disheartening, “We- should probably hurry to the others.”

“I quite agree,” you move along, uncaring of the crowd that has since dissipated.

With all this room to maneuver you have to hold yourself back with all your will as to not spin about like an infant. The temptation is immense just to let yourself go… You know what? Why not? This is your world, to do with as you please. You raise one leg and let your body hop about, allowing the forces of nature to flow through you once more. But even as the joy settles, the obvious absence of life makes this thrill all but pointless. Pinkie… how might she have been here? If you must speak for them to appear, why then did she greet you? “I am curious. How was it that your dear friend Pinkie came into this world? I did not speak of her.” Resting your feet back down, you think back to that pony you saw gazing back at you in the house. “Another pony was here as well, how might that be?”

Hmm, Rarity was always one for punctuality. She would not keep an answer from you. You turn around, surprised to find her still standing a good distance away from you, apparently stopping to enjoy the scenery. “Rose,” you bend downwards, plucking the flower as it spurts from the earth, “Its thorn is only masked by its beauty.” Taking care not to poke her, you slide the crimson petals behind her ear, standing back with a finger on your chin, admiring your work. “Quite an exquisite sight to behold. The red perfectly contracts the milky color of your coat and flows with your mane in a splendid fashion. Delightful, indeed.” Still no response however. You snap your fingers before her in an attempt to free her from whatever trance has captured the mare. “Rarity, are you feeling ill?”

As you’re about to give up hope her eye’s shift up to you, cracking a smile, “Oh… I apologize my dear Anon. Were- you saying something?”

“Nothing of importance, simply marveling at the pristine creature before me,” you reply, attempting to compliment.

Her ear twitches, feeling the stem she levitates it before her, looking at it with a look of sadness, “I have to go… I’m- I’m late for an appointment.” Strange… The hospital must be truly busy with all these patients. It reminds you of the Thousand Day Plague, a magnificent thing…

“Shall you meet Pinkie upon your departure?” you ask as she readies to leave.

”I- don’t know. I certainly hope not,” she confesses to you, not quite looking at you as she speaks. The rose you gifted her finds its way back over to you, “Here, you need it more than I.” Complete and utter nonsense, you think, placing it right back where it belongs.

“A gift it was, and a gift it shall remain. Now run along and should you see my super secret bestest friend Ms. Pie, give her my regards.” A nod is her only response before she walks back down the road, the emptiness of the world seemingly wrapped tight against you. To be left alone again… It leaves much to be desired. You look back up the road and continue along. Surely the rest of your friends must be nearby, perhaps a path could be opened up to them? “Where are friends?”

It doesn’t take long for the ground to morph, a bloated white arrow pointing you to the left down an adjacent road. Beyond it you can barely make out the grassy hills of which you seek, a rainbow cutting its way through the sky. You cannot help but chuckle, some ponies may never change. Stepping down the path, an image is caught out of the corner of your eye, a bluish haze. When you turn again, you find the blue pony from before, only… she is not simply an equine, her wings standing proud by her side, her spectral mane swaying in the breeze. “Good day,” you shout, a part of you almost gitty that another being presents herself. The Pegasus responds by stepping back, her eyes squinting only to widen, her pace picking up in a hasty retreat. Ahh… Another resident of this world who cowers before you. A shame.

It is only when she turns do you spot what it is that separates her from the common folk, a horn. She ‘hightails’ it, the phrase finally making sense as her tail rises in her escape, outwards towards the forest. It is strange that you would imagine an Alicorn, but she does not resemble the Princess of the Sun whom you know. But what other alicorns- Oh my… “Miss Moon… My dear sweet fleeing Nightmare Moon…” Your friends can wait. You have another old friend to meet.

~~~

You can barely make out her rushed breathes as she charges through the forest, her speed quite an admirable thing. If you didn’t know any better, you would think she was running from you, but you both know that no one runs from you. The dense fauna slaps against you, but you pay it no mind, your goal set ahead of you. “Twinkle. Twinkle. Little star…” you whisper to yourself as you can feel yourself gaining on her, the words seeping from your maw. Her mane flows behind her in a desperate attempt to catch up, the tips you can almost feel licking at your flesh. They are surprisingly cool, not quite like ice but more of an intense frost, if there is such a difference, but all it tells you is that you’re getting closer. Hear that beat, that’s your heart as you hasten your steps against the grass, crunching the crispy surface.

“Then the traveler in the dark…” She takes a sharp left, but it is that devilish mane that is her downfall, the threads catching into the branch and throwing her back to the ground in a sudden halt. You too stop, listening as she grunts in frustration, the branch unrelenting upon her mane. Slowly you approach, your steps deliberate, the soft crunch of grass beneath your feet causing a gasp from your target. “Thanks you for your tiny spark…” You pucker your lips, reminded of Pinkie’s carefree whistling, blowing out causing that same sharp musical note to cut through the air. Yes that is the note. How such a form art causes such dread is boggling.

She can hardly be seen through the leaves as you approach, each step lending your ears to that frantic beat of her heart. “He could not see which way to go,” you push the last leaves aside with a smile, “If you did not twinkle so.” Would you look at her, she’s completely covered in leaves and branches, grime catching under her armor. That will simply not do. “Please get up, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

For some reason, however, she refuses to listen to you, instead lying on the ground with her back to you. “I said…” the ground shaking under your voice, “Stand- Up!”

Ms. Moon’s hooves are launched upwards by the spray of dirt underneath, “That is enough!” So the dark one speaks, how quaint. You take this time to ‘soak in’ her appearance. She seems to have foregone her black coat for a lighter variety, though it is still a cool blue. It is also worthy of note, that she seems to have shrunk slightly, not to such a degree as her childlike form, but just a few inches off the top. Ha, barber terms… If only the residents on Fleece Street knew of his ways…

“Might I say that I enjoy this new appearance of yours, Ms. Moon, an even balance between innocent child and incompetent tyrant.”

”And thou has not altered one degree…” You’re rather dumbfounded, if that is the term, at her speech. Dumbfounded… did you found the dumb? With a shine of her horn, the twigs and dirt are pulled from her hair, the would-be ruler still not facing you.

“It has been much time since I last heard an Equestrian speak in the Traditional Canterlot Voice. I do not miss those times.”

”We care not for thy feelings,” her voice sending vibrations through your eardrums at such a bombastic volume, “Makest thyself absent, and we shall overlook thoust transgression, monster.”

Your eye twitches at the term... “Not here, Ms. Moon, no longer am I the monster. Here,” you raise your hands to the branches above, “I am whole.”

”We take not the name of the dark one,” she finally looks at you with whole sky blue eyes, “We are Luna, not Nightmare Moon.”

“My apologies,” you take a bow, “I shall endeavor to address you by your true name, Miss Luna.” Her eyes wander up and down your person, a predatory scan in hopes of finding some sort of weakness. You have none.

Before long she gives up hope, turning her attention to the trees around her, “This…. Dream is of thy design?”

“But of course. Cupcake flower, grow,” you kneel down and pluck the treat, spinning it between your fingers, “Should I have known of such a festive land before, I would have traveled here long before.” Taking a bite you admire the dull chocolate base as it blends with the sharp frosting at its peak. “Wonderous,” you hold out the rest to Ms. Moon- Luna, “Would thoust care for a nibble?” Perhaps the Traditional Canterlot speak has its high notes, so to speak, or think.

”We did not think one such as thou would dream.”

“Yes yes, quite, but would you like a bite?”

Her nose scrunches at the scent of it, “We would rather not trust the food of this world.” A shame. Her prude nature will come back to ‘bite her in the butt.’ That would be a show to be seen.

“Suit yourself,” you move to take another bite, only to chomp into air. “Well that is unfortunate.”

”Neither should you,” she stomps down on your treat, and you find yourself scowling.

“Do you forget your place? As I remember, in our last meeting you found yourself at my mercy. Are you so willing to test my patience?”

”We are not ignorant of your… peculiar nature, but neither do we fear it in this place.” Ah yes, you had almost forgotten the duty of the night princess. You raise your hand, flexing your fingers as you do so.

“Do you remember how it felt?” you ask, tantalized by your own hand, “I do. The stuttering of your voice, oooh I can remember it as if it were yesterday.” You almost enjoyed that look in her eye… Perhaps there is some truth to your monstrous nature. “I would happy to remind you,” you grin, the princess of the night unflinching strangely enough.

”You hold no power over me in this realm, Anon of Tartarus.”

“Oh,” your grin widens, “I see you dropped the royal ‘we.’ Good, I had grown tired of such speech.” However, you would much rather have her use ‘we’ than simply speak of yourself in the third person as that Trixie girl.

”I am here to deliver you to safety, I need not focus on such formalities.” Safety? Perhaps she partook a comedy class after her return. Good form, poor material.

“A strange quest,” scratching your chin, “Though you needn’t worry. I am perfectly safe in my home.”

Luna shakes her head and steps forward, “I came here… because I felt something. What it was, I could not be sure, but there is something- wrong. Something terribly wrong here, and you must leave.” She asks- you to leave? Surely she must be joking at this point.

“You must spend some time with mortals my dear, your humor is severely lacking.”

”I do not joke.” And neither shall you then.

“Take a look around you,” you raise your hands to the damned trees that surround you, “This forest is the result of chaos, a wasteland of vegetation!” You shall show her exactly how dangerous this place is. “Trees, flourish! Creatures, be at peace!” you shout, the creaking of roots hums through the air as does the chattering of lesser creatures. The leaves part, allowing the sun to shine through onto your flesh, the whole of the Everfree forest morphing at your very thought. Into something better. “This land caused terror for all who reside here, but at my word it morphs to my desire. I can- I can create life, dear Luna. Not death.”

Luna plucks a leaf from a bush, not convinced of this miracle, “You are old, Anon of Tartarus, yet your mind is that of a child.” Child. You grip your fist tight, nails digging into the flesh of your palm. Child?! Who is she to criticize you?!

“I have existed long before you first set your hooves upon this earth, and I shall exist long after they are buried within. I am the end of all things. Is it so wrong to long to be part of life’s creation?”

”This world you have built for yourself is but an illusion. The Everfree is as feral as it once was.”

“But not here!” you snatch the leaf from her and inhale the fresh odor, “Here it is real! Here- I am real!”

Softly, she presses a hoof against your chest, “Real… This heartbeat you now possess is no more real than those eyes of yours. This isn’t real, Anon, this is but a dream.” You shove her back, a twitch to your eye that you didn’t quite expect, “You need to wake up Anon, this is no place for you.”

“I… I am going to kill you. It is not pleasant prospect I shall never deny, but a necessary one,” you approach her and rest a hand on her neck. She cannot be allowed to cover this world in the same darkness she threatened the real- the other world.

Luna looks down at your arm, almost- almost smirking in satisfaction, “Is that your plan then? If so, allow me to ‘rain on your parade,’ as my sister says. You cannot harm me, nor anyone.” Lies! She tries to dissuade you- yet… there is no chill down your arm as you deliver her to her end…

“You ran?” arm falling in confusion, “Why did you run then?”

”In this world, you are who you wish to be. If I had known before that you wished to be like this, perhaps my mane needn’t have suffered.” Hehe, she still has twigs in it. No- It’s not funny. Luna looks to the sky, the sun partially blocked by the oncoming clouds. ”Enough time has been spent in chatter, Anon, we must leave at once.” She comes in your world? She tells you what to do?

“No.”

”Have you listened to nothing I have said? There is something wrong with this place. I am here to aid you.” Aid. Perhaps she should look into checking out a dictionary.

“Oh, trust me dear Luna, I have been listening most closely, but this is my home now. I shan’t leave it.”

”Anon of… Anon, listen to reason.”

“Vines, bind Luna,” you coldly command, vines shooting from the ground and tying her hooves together.

”What are you doing?!” she gasps, struggling to free herself, only to fall to her side, “Can you not see?! I am your friend!”

No. Pinkie is a friend. Rarity is a friend. They want you to be happy… Not her. “I have had enough of your lies. No more. Gag Miss Luna, please.” Before she can speak again the world obeys your command, one last flurry of vines wrapping around her mouth, gripping tight. You kneel down next to her, chuckling at her muffled calls for help. How you’ve listened to those same calls for ages… “Perhaps I’m being a tad harsh on you, my dear, but surely you see that I can’t have you get in my way. Do you understand?” Why does she grunt? Oh, you had almost forgotten that gag, of course. “Blink once for yes, two for no.”

Instead she chooses to glare, not blinking at all. That won’t do. You give her a fierce tap between the eyes, causing her to blink. “Good girl. Now, it wouldn’t be kind of me to leave you here, but I am anything if not a gentlecolt if Rarity is to be believed. So what shall I do?” Hmm. You could simply banish her, but then you would only have the company of your own mind. Perhaps… Yes… “Who might I address this? No matter, please escort Miss Luna to Twilight’s abode. I wouldn’t want her to miss the party.”

”Pghdhty?” You find her mumbling most entertaining.

“Yes, a party. Maybe there you will learn some manners… Ta ta!” you wave as she’s drug off by an unseen force. Wonderful silence. At long last.

“…on. Wa… up!” You glance about for the voice, finding nothing but the forest around you. Odd indeed. You clear out your ear and exit this now pristine forest, following the rainbow in the distance.

~~~

Up on the hill, you can spot Applejack in the distance, her eyes looking to the sky and onto Rainbow Dash. She spots you and waves, “Howdy partner! What took ya so long to get here anyhow? Don’t tell me Rarity got ya in for another measuring. Wooee! When that mare gets you in her hooves there ain’t a thing short of a buck to the noggin that’ll get you loose.” See? How could Luna be so naïve?

“Thankfully not. She spoke of an appointment and left in a hurry.”

Applejack’s cheerful grin wavers, “Oh, shucks… At least you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” In the sky you can see Rainbow Dash speeding about like a mad mare, more so than you recall her doing in the past. Every movement seems strained, as if she’s fatigued yet continuing onwards. ”Quite a thang she does. Those there wings’ll take her far. Practice makes perfect after all.” A false saying, as perfection is beyond the reach of any being.

“Perfection is an impossibility, no amount of practice will achieve it.”

You catch her twitch out of the corner of your eye, “Of course. You are not perfect nor will you ever be… and that’s okay.” Absolutely correct. You couldn’t have worded it better… yourself. ”Well hay, looks like I gotta make like a tree and get outta here,” she says pointing to the sun as it begins to fall.

“I… how does one make like a tree?”

”Don’t you remember that one, Anon?” another twitch, “Why don’t you head on down to Twilight’s after you’re done here. I’m sure you’ll find out there.” Sneaky little mare. If only you were not aware of the party in wait.

“I might just do that then, until we meet again?”

”Aye, catch ya later sugarcube!” With that, you turn your attention back to the sky’s sole resident. You were never quite so fond of aerial maneuvers in the past, yet… you have never watched from this angle. As she flies, it feels like you could almost reach out and grab her, but inside you know that she is out of reach. Strange…

”Anon?!” her voice comes crashing down to the earth, “Is that you down there?”

“Unless there is another one of my size and color, but yes, it is I.”

Setting down she flicks her mane to the side, the distinct stink of sweat permeating the air about her. It is not entirely unpleasant. ”What’re you doing here?” she huffs between breathes, “I thought you’d be- Phew! -with the others.” Only once before have you seen her appear so exhausted, back on that fateful day where she rose from death’s clutch. Yours that is.

“Would you care for a drink, Ms. Dash?” you wave your hand, a stream of glittering liquid arches out from the ground. You hope her grin is one of gratitude as she laps up the stream, her delicate tongue flicking in and out of her mouth. The side of your face tingles as you reflect on the past, and though you try to capture the moment with a press of your hand, it is gone.

Her eyes look up to you, “What’re you looking at,” grin still on her face. Have you been staring? Tis likely, you have a habit of doing so.

“It is a captivating experience to watch you drink. Puzzling though, it would appear your method is most ineffective.”

”Care to show me how it’s done?”

“I would be delighted to,” you lower down to the stream… Well this is strange. Picking your head up, the stream does as well, leaving you rather puzzled. “Perplexing. See, as I move my head down,” the water lowers out of reach. “I don’t understand.”

”Anonymous bested by water? Say it ain’t so.” Water shall not best you. Nothing can, not here! You rush your head down once again, tasting only the few drops that weren’t quick enough to escape.

“Confound it! Water, rise to- ghrabnbf!” You recoil as the stream violently attacks your throat, silencing the words within it. Clutched to your knees you expel as much of liquid as you can through a series of coughs and gasps. And just over your agony you can hear the- sound of laughter? Rainbow Dash’s at that. She too finds trouble breathing, but hers is a sweet predicament, her hooves holding her stomach as she flails on the ground.

”Gahahaa! Oh Anon, you’re so easy to toy with. Ehehee…”

“A joke,” you wipe your mouth, Rainbow Dash doing the same with her dampened hoof, “Interrupting the stream as I attempted to drink. Clever…”

”I knew you could take a joke,” she musters up, slapping your leg lightly.

“Ha… I guess it was kind of funny.”

”Of course it was, what kind of pony do you think I am?” The best, if she’s to be believed.

“Would you care to sit with me, young Rainbow Dash?” you pat the ground beside you.

”Like you need to ask,” she plops down, crossing her legs and leaning back. You mimic her, looking back up to the sky. “So much work goes into that darn sky. Can’t imagine how you did it.”

“Did? Did what?”

She shrugs, “You know, drift along for so long. Not really bothering to look at something as simple as the sky.” Ah, simple she says. It is quite the opposite.

“You find it simple, Miss Dash. The work that goes into it is your own, sharpened to a razor’s edge through time. To any other, the complexities are as foreign as the ocean’s depths.”

”Say what?” You grin and inhale deeply. Such a simple one.

“The events in one’s life shapes the metal of their frame.”

She shuffles on her back until she’s looking back at you, “I still don’t get it.”

“No two see the world through the same eyes. Each has been forged by their actions and their environment. Yours, they see the sky as their home, something that you have explored since your birth. Mine, well… In truth these aren’t really mine are they?” You rub the orbs that rest upon you, the truth that lies beneath all but an illusion. No… This is your home! Here, you are who you wish to be, not that ‘thing’ you were once.

”I don’t know what you mean, but I like how you say it.” You sit back up, staring down at Ponyville. It feels strange… Déjà vu, that is the term. It feels is if it was only yesterday that you sat in this very spot.

“Tell me, Miss Dash, would you care for a race?”

”A race? I don’t know…”

“Skepticism? From you? What brings this about?”

”Well… I- I’ve been trying to practice my hardest like you said. I don’t have time.” Tartarus be damned. She took your advice? That certainly explains the sweat. Now that you mention it… The stench certainly builds up now doesn’t it? ”Always got to keep fit if I want to join the Wonderbolts.”

“It is strange, don’t you think?” you ask gazing outwards.

”What’s strange?”

“This place,” you stand stretching out towards the town, “Wonderful, yes, but oddly out of place.”

”I uh- don’t follow. Isn’t this what you always wanted?” What did you want here? A life, real life for you. Was that all you wanted? So simple, so complex.

“The ponies here are not the same that I had known. They always puzzled me, of course, but in this world they cowered. That, I do not understand.”

She chuckles lightly as if to lighten the blow, “Isn’t that how everypony acted? Afraid?” Her words bring up memories, true ones at that, but if this dream world, in all its perfection, catered to your desire, why would they be afraid? It is not logical.

“Once, yes. They locked themselves behind their doors and hurried their children to safety. Fear of the unknown, that was the cause. This fear- was not of me.” You don’t know how else to describe it, or even how you know. Their eyes, those precious fleshy portals to the soul. All of their form may lie, but the eyes will always shine true. And oh, have you stared into those voids many a time. “Even my friends, dear Pinkie and miss Rarity, both seemed to act, is ‘off’ the correct term?”

She shakes her head in disagreement, “Pinkie’s always been an odd one, and I told you not to go messing with Rarity. She’s a bale of drama just ready to be unleashed.”

“Fair enough I guess,” you smile down at her, “I always liked you Rainbow Dash, though I cannot put the feeling into words. Admiration, might be the most accurate.”

”Me?” her cheeks brighten though she keeps her chest up, “Why wouldn’t you? I’m the coolest, fastest, bestest pony in Equestria.”

“Attitude could use some work though,” you ruffle her mane, the poor mare struggling free.

”Come on, quit it! Haha.” If only these sessions could last an age, alas… It has been some time, perhaps they have finished setting up your party by now. Yes, it is time.

“Well then, I shall leave you to your practice, Miss Dash. Perhaps you will join me at my party later this evening.”

You don’t get two steps before you feel a tug on your pants, “Wait wait wait. Don’t you- uhm… want to see me practice some?”

“My dear, of course I would adore such an occasion, but I must decline. I would not want to disappoint my super secret bestest friend. That is a mouthful now that I think about it.”

”Just a little longer,” she cracks a smile, “We don’t have to go now.”

“I wouldn’t want to distract you.”

”It- It’s no problem. Just don’t go.” Of course. Why would you ever wish… “What’s wrong?”

That smile. False, a fake, a sham of reality. She isn’t telling you something. The eyes always shine true, and what do they spell? …

“You are afraid, just like the others. No, not like them. You fear, not of me, but for me.”

She begins to hyperventilate as the fear you sensed breaks free of her shell, “Please, Anon. Don’t go. Just stay here.” You kneel next to her, silently watching as you press a hand against her chest, heart pounding away with much ferocity. “Please.”

“Rainbow Dash would never lie to me, not anymore. You are not Rainbow Dash.”

The bell is struck, Rainbow Dash whimpering and scoots closer to you, “Please Anon, just don’t go.”

“Blasted bells! Be still!” you shout, silence making its way back in the form of a mare’s sobbing. “Who are you? What have you done with my friend?”

”I am Rainbow Dash,” she pleads, burying her head into the leg of your pants, “I’m the version you wish her to be.” Practice. Your subconscious wished her to act, and so she did in this world. “He- We just want you to be happy, so we say what you want us to say. Do-“

“What I want you to do…”

”Exactly. Please, I-“ her head twists around as if to check for a predator, “I can’t stay long. I have to go.” The bells struck, Pinkie left. When they struck again, Rarity did the same. Now…

“What appointment are you late for? If you do say what I wish, then speak the truth.”

”I- I just can’t. It’s not how things work here and-” another chime interrupts her, only serving to anger you further.

“I said BE SILENT!” you scream into the sky, hand shaking with rage. “Miss Dash you WILL tell me…” She’s shivering because- Emotions, viral things those. She flinches as you extend a hand, rubbing it upon her neck. “Miss Dash- Dashy, you know I would never harm you. I apologize…”

”It’s okay, Anon. I always admired you as well,” she sniffles with a genuine smile, “but promise me you won’t go to that party. Please.” Don’t make a mare a promise, if you know you can’t keep it.

“I wish I could, but I’m afraid there’s an old friend I need to see.”

She nods understandably, “We know she is here as well, but if you must go, don’t stay long. Get Luna and go back home.” Her ears droop, “Back to the real Rainbow Dash.” You remember the last time you saw her like this, filled with grief that she must leave her friends. Pain was never something you were familiar with, but in that moment…

“Will you come with me?” you ask, Dash shaking her head.

”I’m sorry, I’ve got somewhere to be.” You tilt her chin up, marveling at those cerise eyes of hers. “I mean not the party, Miss Dash. Could you come with me, when I awake?”

Her lips curl into a grin as she laughs lightly, “No… But I’ll always be here, and who knows? I might even be there when you wake up, you lazy cow.” So she will not join you. It brings much sadness, you would say, but you have no time to waste.

“Until our next meeting?”

She rests her head against you, “Until then.” Down the hill then… You’d hoped that Miss Dash would join you, but as you turn back to her smiling face, you know she must stay.

”An… up now!” that same voice from before catching your ear. No one is there to speak the words, only your friend soaring up into the sky. Perhaps you are losing your sanity, or does speaking of such things mean that you still retain it? A paradoxical inquiry in and of itself. Perhaps Twilight could- Well, the two of you didn’t leave on the best of terms… Another apology you must convey. All because of this world, so blinded by its perfection… Come now Anon, nothing is perfect. Not the sun in the sky, nor the moon at it’s back. Not even you, are perfect. And that’s alright…

~~~

Twilight’s abode, an enchanting little retreat, though you might prefer the solitude of Fluttershy’s cottage. No matter, you shall be rid of this place in time. A world is only as perfect as those who inhabit it, and there is nothing perfect about this one. You raise your hand to knock only for your ears to be drowned in a titan’s roar, the intensity forcing you to clutch them tight, to no avail. You slam your head against the door, but there is seemingly no end for the vocal travesty. “Out out out!” you slam against the door, pleading for the noise to cease. But as you continue to ram against the wood, a rush of force joins with you, sending you hurling through the frame in a hail of splinters.

”SURPRISE!” You open your eyes, confused. The roar has vanished, and what of that push? It had the force of a great beast.

A shadow comes over you, “Ya alright there, sugarcube?” An Ursa, yes that is where you recognized that roar, but where might it be? “Buckle my britches, ah think Anon’s gone a little cooky after that last hit.”

“Where is the Ursa?” you sit up sharply, “I know I heard it.”

”Hush down, Anon. Don’t get your saddle in a twist. Ain’t no Ursa here, see?” A voice, an Ursa’s roar… “Just gots me, Twilight, Fluttershy and a princess to top this apple pie.” Why did- Wait, where is Pinkie? ”Care for some cake?” Applejack says through her teeth as she holds a plate in front of you, “It got nectarines in it too.”

“No,” you push it aside and stand up, a mess of dust and wooden chips falling from your suit, “Where are the others? Pinkie and Rarity? They should be here.”

”They’ll be along,” Twilight says from the kitchen, pouring herself a cup, party hat capped above her horn. “How about some punch? We know how much you like it.” Luna’s tied over by the stairs, Fluttershy combing her mane like she would a foal. She is still bound by the forest vines, her eyes locked to yours. A cup is shoved into view, “Equestria to Anon, coming in, over.”

“Yes,” you grab it, taking a sip, “Release Luna if you would.”

”Already? I’m sure-“

“I said,” staring down at her, “Release the princess.”

”Technically, you said release Luna, but that’s close enough,” she shrugs, Fluttershy biting off the vines. Technicalities. Something that this Twilight has adopted from you no doubt.

“Are you well, princess?”

Tossing one of her binds away she humphs at the others, “Quite.”

”And would you care for a drink?” Twilight asks with a smile, procuring another cup from the cupboard.

”We are fine. Anon, enough is enough. It is high time that we leave this place.”

”Leave?!” Fluttershy finally speaks up, flapping over to you, “You can’t leave. This is your party after all.”

”Don’t you fret none, sugar. Anon wouldn’t leave for all the apples in Appleloosa.” So sure of themselves. If not for Luna and Rainbow Dash, perhaps she would be correct.

“Then I must forfeit said prize, as I do believe the time has come for my departure.”

”What?!” Twilight shouts spilling her drink, “Why?! Isn’t this the world you always wanted? Where you could be free, where you could live a new life?”

“A wondrous world indeed. Refill,” you speak, punch once again filling your cup, “But a dream world this is, and little more. So we must depart.”

Twilight bites her lip and looks towards her peers, Fluttershy and Applejack equally nervous. “They do not want us to leave,” Luna whispers in your ear, “No matter what happens, you must fight.”

“I shan’t fight my friends.”

”They are not them. You must accept this.”

“Be silent,” you hiss crossly, “Remember who you are, and who I am…” An illusion they might be, but to you they are still your friends. No matter what has changed. Twilight clears her throat, finally done discussing things with her colleagues it appears.

”There is nothing we can do to stop you from leaving. We hope you enjoyed your stay here.” Strange, you’d expect more of a fight, considering Luna’s warning.

“That is most kind, then we shall be on our way. Shall we-“

She stops you before you finish, “But first, might you stay to open your present? It won’t take long.” Luna’s glare could ‘cut through steel,’ an odd sentiment though powerful, and it is apparent she wishes to leave.

“I do not see the harm,” you stare right back at her in defiance.

”Oh goody, just- wait right here.”

“We’re not going anywhere, are we Miss Luna?”

”Apparently not, Anonymous.” Such fire, you might enjoy her company one day.

~~~

”Here,” Twilight turns up levitating a parcel before you, “It’s not much, but it’s the only thing we could think of.” What trickery might be inside, you think as you tear it open. Is it lined with a deathly powder? Might it suck away your soul? Trivial, this is a dream, and in your dreams…

”So… Whaddya think, partner?”

Your hand brushes over the surface, the layers of dust peeling off like a web, “We thought you’d like it.”

This cannot be, can it? “Anon, what is it?” Luna tries to see, squinting behind you, “Anon’s Tale? We do not follow.”

”How can you?” Twilight sneers, “How can anypony really understand?”

“Volume Twenty Seven,” you mutter flipping open the book, the words flowing through you, “I remember this.” This book recounts your travels, ages past by now. It speaks of the Great Rejuvination, a time of peace in all the lands, not just Equestria.

Everyplace you went, every life… they’re all within these pages, every one… “Do you like it?”

“Words fail to describe how I feel,” you flip to the next page as years of your existence go recorded within this tome.

”We hoped you’d say that,” Fluttershy peeps up, hugging Applejack tightly.

“I thank you for this, all of you. No gift in existence could repay you.”

”Then we shall leave, yes?” Luna mules to your displeasure, ceasing at your gaze.

”Of course,” Twilight nods showing you out the door, “But this was only one book of many that we house. Should you care to learn more…”

”We are most content. Anon, let us go. Now.” You shake your head, turning back to your host.

“Such poor manners. I thank you once again, and give Pinkie and Rarity my regards. I wished to see them again.”

”Like I said, we have many more books if you ever want to read some.”

“Yes yes, one is enough for today,” you grin joining Luna outside.

”Time’s Essence. Frostbite Law. Human History. It’s all here.”

…Human.

You stand frozen looking towards the earth, that- one, tiny little word rumbling and echoing through your skull. ”Anon. Anon don’t lose focus. Don’t you dare.”

“Human. A word that plagues my mind. A curse that I wish- no, must lift.”

Twilight’s hoof taps against the floor, “So… does that mean you’re interested?”

“Yes, Miss Sparkle. You have done well to capture my attention.”

”Please listen to me,” Luna looks you ‘dead in the eye,’ oh how you wish to understand such terms, “This is what I meant. They’re trying to tempt you. Can’t you see that?” Can I see? An intriguing prospect. Why yes, yes you can see. ‘So clearly now the rain has gone.’ As you try to recall even that, it fades. Not for long.

“I see your attempts to purge me from this place of enlightenment. Human…” you chuckle at the term, the closeness to the truth so sweet you can almost taste it, “I know this word, but yet, I do not. Strange, no?”

”Anon if you do not come willingly-“

“Be still!” you scowl, her muscles frozen in place. “No pony, no princess, no living being shall stop me from learning the truth, understand?” You’ll take the silence as a yes. Turning around you face Twilight, a grin plastered on her face. “Book. Where is it?”

She steps aside and waves inwards, “Right this way, Mister Anonymous.” Your feet crunch atop the debris as you step on through, the door to the cellar creaked open.

Applejack pulls it open, looking up at you through half-closed eyes, “Down there partner.”

”It’s just a couple steps,” you hear Fluttershy flap beside you, a candle in hoof which she hands to you. You rest your hand against the frame, peering into the darkness below, “Watch your step.”

“I do not recall it being so deep,” you squint further, “Nor as dark.”

”The darkness is always followed by the light,” Twilight urges, nudging you forward.

You take the first step, your leg tingling as if shoved into the icy northern sea. “Shh… It’s alright.”

“How am I to know when I find it?” you ask taking another step, your stomach experiencing the same chill.

”You’ll know,” the door creaks shut, the light fading till only the glow of the candle serves as your guide, “Trust me.”

~~~

You button up your shirt, your neck soon joining the rest of you in an icy embrace. Each step feels longer than the last as you continue further and further down. Do these stairs ever end? Or are they designed to deter you? No matter, nothing shall do so. You flex your hand, blowing into it in hopes of warming you up, but nothing seems to work. You’ve seen many do the same as they conquered the mountain tops, so why does this not work for you? A thought comes to mind, so simple that you hadn’t imagined it. “Give me warmth,” you command, your ears tightening in the cold, but nothing occurs. “Become warm.”

”Where’s… An…?!” That voice from before, why does it return? The voice, the roar… You hardly notice the final step, your foot hitting the floor with a thud, awakening you from your thoughts. Ahh yes, your quest for the book. It lies somewhere.

You blink, attempting to adjust your eyes to the darkness, but it seems almost unbreachable. Even the flame’s glow seems to wane in the darkness. Where are you going? Where do you go when the lights go out in the world? Find a place to start, Anon. Anywhere, any dainty little crevice will do. A nook, cranny, wall, a town… There! You barely feel your fingers touch the wall, the numbing cold finding you again. Why does the world no longer listen? When did life become so troublesome? Scooting against the wall, you hold the flame evercloser, savoring its warmth. Every inch feels like a mile as you progress through the darkness.

”Whe… did he go?” it continues, the voice- familiar in a way. A mare… Where- A rush of cold causes you to freeze up, this form of yours seemingly more troublesome than intended. You can’t help but chuckle at the irony. You longed for life, as close as you could get anyways, and this is how it feels, a torturous game.

“Just a little warmth.” You open your eyes as a breeze catches your cheek, that blessed warmth you so craved. “Where did you come from?” you whisper to the breeze, another rush brushing your side. It comes from across the room, but where? The cold closes back in, only for the warmth to return yet again. You abandon the wall, holding an outstretched hand into the darkness.

”Twi… careful.” You shove the voice aside, a distraction to your goal, the truth. The truth is what has brought you this far, and who are you to deny it its freedom? It’s so warm, so blessed, so pure amongst the blackness. If only your friends- GAH! You hold your ears, candle extinguishing into nothing. That roar pounds within you, forcing you to run forwards, running anywhere to escape the noise. This isn’t a dream, this is a nightmare!

“Stop the noise…” you groan as continue your escape.

”Follow the breeze…” another voice cuts over the howl, “and you shall find safety.” Where? Where is it? There! You rush to its source, a light at the end of the tunnel. So close now, so close to the truth. “Just a little further,” it beckons, “Let the warmth guide you.” The noise softens as you step closer, your legs trembling beneath you. So… frail, so weak this form. You fall to a knee just to catch your breath. You never caught your breath before, you hadn’t the need. ”Quiet, isn’t it?” the voice asks, so clear unlike the other, a deep voice, tired and worn. He speaks the truth, whoever it might be. The roar has passed and your ears find peace in this new silent warmth. ”Look up,” it commands, a door looming above your crouched body. However, it is a door unlike any other. Steel all throughout, scratched and damaged. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“No,” you find the strength to stand, “Rather shabby.”

”Not the door, dear dear Anonymous. What lies behind it?” You do not understand, but as you look closer you find strange markings at eye level with you, but you cannot discern their origin. ”It says ‘The Truth.’ Open it.” Hmm, you were expecting a book, not a door.

“Human History… What is a human?”

The voice responds with a chill, “Open it, and you shall find out.” It’s so warm here, how can anything feel so safe? “What are you waiting for, Mister Anon? Open the door.” Strangely demanding, much like the others. Always telling you where to go, what to do. Why was that? You cock your head, flinching as the dull roar begins to rise again. “Do not question, merely obey.”

Obey- Why must you obey yourself? Ugh… How you loathe that creatures roar… ”The handle Anon, twist and the noise shall dissipate.” The roar… the mare’s voice… “Do it now!” You clasp onto the knob… and hold it. “Do not waste my time. Open the door.” It’s freezing, temperature-wise that is, not literally though, and the roar is- replaced… with a familiar tune…

“Sweet melody,” you move your hand off and allow it to sway in the rhythm. “A delicate touch. Where have I heard this before?”

”Deceit comes in the form of innocence, Anonymous. You know this. Open the door.”

“True, Mister Voice, it does, but this song belongs not to any deceiver I know. Not when the composer is one, Twilight Sparkle.”

”The sea is calmest before the storm.”

“And following every storm is a clear sky,” you respond in turn, “I said this once to Rainbow Dash to comfort her.” Dash tried to warn you not to stay, and Luna- Twice you ignored her advice. Fooled once, shame on you. Fooled twice, shame on me. You hold your hand against the door, the steel frosty to the touch and leaving your hand wet with moisture. “Odd, isn’t it, how I flocked here only after the warmth cut through the cold. Almost contrived, wouldn’t you say, Mister Voice?”

”My name is not- Just open the door, and let the truth flow out.”

“Truly?” you scratch your chin at the statement, “Then what might your name be? Mister Door perhaps? I quite like that one.”

”Anonymous,” the door shakes at his volume, “If you do not open this door-“

“Inside voice, Mister Door.” No manners these days. For shame.

”Perhaps you would rather listen to something else? An Ursa’s call perhaps?”

“Oh contrar, Mister Door. That would be most unpleasant wouldn’t it?”

He pauses only to boom once more, “I TOLD YOU MY NAME IS NOT-“

“Tell me! Why do you wish me to open it? Do you crave escape so much?”

”YES, and should you…” his voice trails off, his mind catching up to his mouth.

You snap your fingers and sigh with a sense of pride. “The truth reveals itself in the strangest of ways, wouldn’t you agree Mister Door?”

”MY NAME IS NOT MISTER DOOR YOU WELP!” The ground tremors beneath you, forcing you to lean against the wall just to stay upright. ”For too long I have sat idly by while you… fumbled about the world like a child! Release me!”

You crack your neck and move back in front of the door, unfazed by his show of force. “Are you human, Mister Whatever? Are you the source of my dismay?”

”Part…” it growls, the vibrations causing the door to quiver.

“Part? Part what? Party? Did you want a cup of punch?” you joke, “I could arrange that.”

”I am part of you, the true side you do not wish to acknowledge. The rage. Wrath in its purest sense. A human emotion you can’t begin to comprehend.”

“Wrath? A synonym for anger, no? I do understand this very well. An emotion that must be controlled, as I see I have been doing very well,” you note the doorway itself.

”You are more a fool than I thought. Ignorant in your own making. I remember, do you?” Hmm, let’s think about this long and hard.

“No. I don’t remember, but you know what else?” …That’s strange, you were expecting an answer. “Do you know what else?”

”That question was rhetorical you fool.” Who better knows your language than yourself? No matter, he is merely acting like a disobedient filly.

“Well, the truth is… I don’t care to know anymore.”

”Do you try to ignore all that you would know? Those thoughts that drift away as you ponder, I can answer them. Release me!” An interesting proposal. Knowledge for power. Power over you. Over death. That would be irresponsible.

“With great power comes great responsibility. So no.”

”Spiderman.”

“What is a Spiderman?”

”GRAAAH!” the door shakes as its prisoner pounds against it, but it holds strong still, “You shall pay for this Anonymous! If I do not leave this place, neither shall you!” Your body shivers as the cold finds its way back to you, but you do not fear it, not anymore.

“My body is this way because that is who I wish to be? Is that right?” He responds only in grunts as he continues his futile attempts to pierce the doorway. “Cold, is a sensation that I am most familiar with, but this body,” you stretch your leg with displeasure, “It is not accustomed to such hardship. It is who I wish to be, not who I am.”

”When I get out of here, I will cut the bones from your flesh.”

“Hush now little Spiderman, I’m monologuing.”

”You will be dead! You hear me!”

You can only smile. He ‘hit the nail on the head.’ Strange phrase. Nails don’t have heads. “If I am death…” you shrug and look back to the door, “Then that is what I wish to be.” The ice fills your veins, blood clotting within, your heart slowing to a crawl… and then into silence. Your hands glide over your face, the two orbs gone as well. “I had hoped to keep those. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.”

Well then, you won’t be needing these top buttons done now will you? They plop off rather easily and you move in front of the door, making sure your tie is straight in the reflection. ”You use death like a toy. It is not yours to play with!”

“On the contrary, sir,” you make a few touch-ups, “Death is no toy. It is a duty. My duty. Haha, duty. Sounds a bit like doodee, doesn’t it?” More pounding again. Simply tragic. Such wrath must be contained, no chance for parole.

”You’ll never leave this place, not through the dark.”

“I need not walk,” you note closing your mind, “I have a better idea in mind.”

~~~

The wind picks up around you and when you open your eyes again, you’re back in Twilight’s kitchen. “Tada!”

The bell chimes frantically across the land, a bit annoying, but now that you know its source, it has an entertaining touch. The others are frantically galloping about like a bunch of chicken with their heads cut off, a rather gruesome sight now that you think about it. Still hilarious to watch. “Do you mind if I take a cup to go?” you ask filling up your cup, “It somehow tastes sweeter in death.” Of course you do not receive a response, they are far too busy doing… whatever it is that they’re doing. So you take the cup to go. It’s just a thought after all.

You step outside, Luna still frozen in place, and this might be the first time you are relieved to see those floating numbers once more. “Still standing stiff?” you joke heartily, quickly finishing your punch, “I must apologize for doubting you. It was- a grievous mistake, but that is for another time. Come.”

You grab her by the scruff of the neck and shake her free of her paralysis, Luna adjusting her jaw, “Apology not accepted.”

“Shame that, not like you can do anything about it in the first place. Shall we be off?” Her silent gaze tells you all you need to know as you lead her back to your home. The houses seem to age in seconds as you pass, years going by in a matter of seconds. By the time you return, the house is in shambles, wood rotten, even the garden is barren. No cupcake flowers this year. Sad, you kind of liked this house.

”Let us hurry. Those bells can be quite annoying,” she says before she enters the house.

“Yes, they can.” You look out one last time, a Pegasus with a mane so rich and bright staring back at you. “Until next time,” you mutter, the Pegasus nodding and flying back home to her sky. You should be doing the same.

”Hurry up,” Luna hollers as you walk inside, climbing back into your bed. “The sooner you leave, the better.”

“Blinds, open.” You wait… and wait… but they do not listen. “Wishful thinking,” you grin, nestling into your pillow, finding the soft spot of which you awoke in.

”Goodnight, Anon of Tartarus.”

“Mmm… Goodnight… princess…”

~~~

”…on! Anon! Can you hear me?” It’s dark here, but light soon finds you. The stars lighting up the sky above you. ”You can’t be dead,” you feel someone holding you, rocking your body back and forth, “Wake up! Wake up you lazy cow! Hey!” You turn your head to the side, a rainbow dangling above just for you, “Anon?”

“The one and only,” you smile only to be smothered by her embrace.

”Darnit Anon, I bucking hate you so much! Don’t do that again!” You pat her on the back, rather relieved at her response. The ground is most uncomfortable. You reach around pulling, why was there a stick poking into your back? You sit up, Rainbow Dash still attached to your chest. It appears you slept through an earthquake.

“What happened?”

She pulls away, attempting to discreetly wipe away a tear but you catch it, “You tell me you big dolt. I spent the past hour looking for you. Why were you in Trixie’s wagon?”

“This,” you pick up another plank of wood, “Is all that’s left?”

”Yeah. What do you expect when an Ursa Minor comes crashing in? You weren’t moving for so long- You got me worried.” Worried about you, after what you said to her. Perfection is impossible, true, but she’s close enough.

“Rainbow Dash, I wish to extend an apology towards you. I said things that I shouldn’t have.”

She pushes a hoof to your mouth, “You talk waaay too much, and yeah, you’re kind of a dummy when it comes to talking, but that’s what I like about you.”

“So…”

She smacks your chest playfully, “Yeah I accept your apology.”

“Good. Very good. Now, would you be a dear and help me up?”

You dust off the dust from your suit, and it looks like you’ll be needing another, “So what in Tartarus were you doing in there? Had a good night’s sleep?”

“More like a nightmare,” you divulge, looking down at her, “But it turned out alright.” This is your real home, and you’re more than happy to have it. Rainbow’s not too bad either.

Comments

[Mr Skeleton]

Awesome

[Surfactant]

Is singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, then almost immediately saying he's Whole a reference to Dead Space 2? (Also do I say "he's" or "I'm"? Second person confuses me.)

[Rainbow87dash]

“Let us not dwell on this issue; my relationship with Rainbow Dash is far stronger than any simple misunderstanding can break. Number Seventeen, correct?

A bond not even death can break .....
I'll go sit in the corner of shame