In Another Life III: A Human(e) Retelling

by Bateman66

Initial Endeavors

Neuro smiled honestly at Alistair. “I want you to understand that what Twilight Sparkle, your friend, said is absolutely true. In no way is she, the University, or myself trying to personally attack or pry private information from you. We simply wish to catalogue your past experiences for scholarly purposes, as all humans have since this institution was first established.”

Alistair glared at him. “If you don’t want to pry, then don’t ask any questions. We’d both be comfortable that way.”

“But this is for the pursuit of knowledge!” the Professor insisted with passion. “You’d be stifling the study and research of your kind by not telling us what you know. I can see how this doesn't appear very important to you, but the nature of human involvement in our world is one of the longest standing enigmas for all of Equestria. What you tell us could lead the pursuit closer to the truth.”

This reasoning made since to Alistair. The pursuit of truth was a cause more just than any that could come to mind. And if the Professor was only motivated by that, how could anypony go against that sentiment? Alistair’s face softened, feeling a tension now eased slightly. Maybe the Professor wasn't that bad of a stallion.

“But what if I don’t want to then?” asked Alistair half-heartily, not really asking the question but more so just wishing to know the Professor’s response. Neuro caught onto this and smiled at him further.

“Alistair, do you think that every human, every single one from now to over three thousand years ago, wished to divulge their own personal and possibly painful story to one they saw as a stranger?”

Alistair shook his head.

“Well, there you go! I can guarantee that several felt in the same position as you find yourself in today, but that doesn't mean we can use that as an excuse to not face our fears. We all have to eventually, so why not do it willingly?”

Alistair thought about this a moment, running his finger along his chin. The stallion’s logic seemed unquestionably sound. How could anypony argue against something that seemed so assured? “You’re probably right, Professor Paraprax.”

He chuckled. “As I said earlier Alistair, no need to be so formal. Please, call me Neuro.”

“Alright Profes—I mean, Neuro. Is there something in particular you’d like to ask?”

“Actually,” he said as he reached down under his desk and pulled out a large reel-to-reel tape recorder, promptly placing atop his desk. “I wish to record our conversation, more efficient than me having to scrawl down notes as you speak. Is that alright.”

“Sure.”

Straightening some papers on his desk hastily, Neuro hovered his hoof over the device’s play button. “Are you ready?”

Alistair nodded and Neuro clicked the machine on. Clearing his throat, he began.

“Let’s begin with some rudimentary matters, just to start things off small.” He didn’t wait for any signal from Alistair this time, now feeling a comfortable anticipation to the boy’s responses. That ability of his normally took form much sooner with most other ponies, but the special circumstances of the situation could no doubt be to blame.

“How long have you been within the realm of Equestria, or do you at least have a rough estimate?”

Alistair pondered for a moment, brushing over the numbers in his mind. “Hmmmm, it was in the spring, so…close to five months currently, maybe a little longer.”

Neuro scribbled something onto a stray piece of paper and quickly “Now, in Twilight Sparkle’s account you gave quick reference to your homeworld when she pressed upon the topic, but you relented from further inquiry. Could you please reiterate and expand on this?”

Alistair shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the dreaded question he’d been expecting finally being asked. “I’ll try.”

He breathed in deeply, feeling a dreadful worry drop into his stomach. “It had no name, at least one that was made clear to me. I’m not sure when I took to calling it “Solitude”; it feels like such a long time ago…” He paused. “Buts that’s what it was mind you, solitude. Never has a single place been more calm, more still than that lovely stretch of forested land.”

“There was life present, a wide assortment as any environment should, but none others like myself. The creatures that dwelt there…were simple in nature. Much like the ones here in Equestria, not only in attitude but appearance as well.”

“And to suit these varying creatures, were varying climates. Everything from thick forests to barren deserts. I did not travel far from my home. I was, and still am, a creature of habit, but I can guarantee there must have been more.”

Neuro nodded his head but did not interrupt, simply gesturing for him to continue.

“In the months preceding to my arrival, it may have been longer, something happened to my home, a plague came across it who’s only purpose was to kill and destroy all it touched. The environment, which I so foolishly believed to be invincible to any passing of time, quickly began to degrade. The local animals turned hostile to my presence, the native plant life began to die, even the ground itself started to blacken and harden, forming a sort of rocky volcanic structure in what was once soft brown soil.”

“As time progressed, as if the withering of life was not enough, massive wind storms began to strike the area, hurling chunks of dead wood and jagged rocks in any direction it chose, ready to smash my face in if I popped my head out for more than twelve seconds.”

“It was at this point that the possibility of the Realm improving seemed more like wishful thinking than an actual possibility. If I stayed there any longer I’d either have my entire dang house collapse around my ears or starve to death from my now dwindling food supply.”

“I always knew I could leave, I’d just never considered the possibility seriously. There were some many ‘what-ifs’ and unknowns with transporting between realms, I had no flippin’ idea how it’d turn out or if I’d even live through the entire process. I’d never preformed the transportation before, never had a reason to. Now, I did.”

“Make no mistake though; I did not leave home for the heck of it, for the sake of ‘adventure’ or something childish like that. It was the only choice I had. Living or dying. And although I’m grateful of how things turned out the end, this was all—” he gestured to the entire room, encircling the whole of the space as large as he could, “not purposeful in the beginning.”

Neuro leaned forward in anticipation, hoping to get more details about a land he’d never be able to visit. However, the silence from Alistair signified that he was done. The possibility of pressing the boy on for more information crossed his mind, but he understood subtlety was his tool at this moment, and that elaboration could be done later, maybe by somepony else.

“That was quite poetic” he commented gently. “Do you feel alright?”

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck. “I…I’m not sure. I didn’t think I really had it in me, to say all of that. It feels weird.”

“How does it feel?”

“Like that was not me speaking, that it was someone else’s story. It felt tiring and strenuous as I spoke, that for just a moment, I was older, much older.”

Neuro nodded. “Most interesting. Perhaps that is satisfaction? Relief? Pain? Whatever it is, you’ve help greatly and I am most appreciative of that.”

Alistair’s face brightened. “Does that mean we’re done then?”

Neuro shook his head. “Unfortunately not, we still have one last thing to discuss and then we’re done for today.”

Alistair tilted his head in query. “What are you wondering?”

The professor nervously riffled through some of his papers until slowly asking his question. “What memories do you have of your parents?”

Alistair’s eyes popped out at this, his face looking like he’d just been punched in the gut by a leather wrecking ball. Struggling with words for a moment, he answered in quiet exasperation. “Kind of jumping the gun there, Professor.”

“I understand how you feel, but this is all in the pursuit of knowledge, I assure you.”

“B-But, I-I…I don’t want to answer the question.”

Neuro smiled and folded his hooves tightly, feeling his fur beginning to sweat. “Alistair, please. We discussed the importance of these answers earlier. I understand if the questions make you uncomfortable, but we must know what you know.”

He stared at his feet and was quiet a moment. Bringing his hands to his mouth, he sighed once more. “I have very vague memories of my parents. I don’t remember names, I don’t locations. Nothing very helpful to anypony.”

“Could you tell me what you do remember? After that we’re done, no more questions.”

Alistair’s face scrunched up in thought, as if he’d bitten down on a lemon while trying to recite something backwards. “I…remember voices, a face. One’s…female—I think—the other male. I see yellow—no, golden—no, blond hair, it’s moving around. Someone’s talking; I think it’s the female. Someone just called my name—”

“What did they call you?” he said with a surge of anxious energy, his heart now beating at an unhealthy pace that most physicians would have diagnosed as “death”.

His face wrinkled in further thought. “I…I…” his shoulders suddenly slumped down, his energy exhausted. “I can’t remember, it’s too hard.”

The Professor looked disappointed, his hopes partially resting open that question. Managing a weak smile to Alistair, he nodded. “That’s quite alright, I understand. Would you care to meet tomorrow then? Around the same time?”

Alistair rose from his seat, not waiting for any permission to do so. “I’d prefer to have a bit of a wider lapse, just to collect myself.”

“Of course, how does the seventeenth work? Three days from now?”

Alistair nodded. “Sounds fine, goodbye.” He turned and quickly strolled out of the office, walking in a way to not appear rude but still get him away from something he feared. Closing the door without even turning around, he left the Professor to himself.

Leaning back in his chair, Neuro sighed as he clicked the recorder off. He hadn’t touched on everything he wished to examine, but there was still time. But in between then…he stared down at the mounds of paperwork he had pushed to the side of his desk.

“I can’t get a moments peace around here,” he mumbled tiredly.