Pony-Me™

by TheMajorTechie

Find yourself.

Author's Note:

Let's try something new here.

Can you guess Lisa's age from the early diary entries?

POST-PUBLISHING CORRECTION: Timothy, according to this chapter, was "barely old enough to begin school" when he supposedly asked to join Lisa in the simulation. In reality, he was already roughly in 6th grade by that point, well beyond "barely old enough" for school.

The diary sat on the shelf, long-since forgotten under its years of dust and grime. Slowly, Lisa reached for the journal, her fingers gracing over the cheap, cardboard-bound cover. She pulled it from the shelf effortlessly as she turned away, coughing from the small avalanche of dust bunnies piling down at the same time.

Lisa's Diary - DO NOT READ!

With trembling eyes, the girl turned back to the remainder of her room. Unlike her diary, her room was spotless from floor to ceiling.

Almost as if... Lisa's eyes widened as she heard a pan clang against the stovetop downstairs. As if the Professor's been keeping it clean all this time for me...

She sat down on her bed. Opening the cover created another puff of dust, one that this time carried with it the familiar smell of musty paper. Scribbled, messy handwriting entered her vision as she flipped to the first entry.

December 10

My mom and dad wanted to get me a diary before Christmas came yet, so I have one now. I don't know what to write yet... mom said that I should try just writing down what I'm thinking, or maybe talk to the book like it is my friend.

Lisa's hand ran down the page, a shaky finger tracing underneath every word of the entry.

December 11

Today we went out to the mall! Dad told me to play in the playplace with mom while he went to buy some stuff. I don't think he is getting presents for me, 'cause I know I told Santa about what I wanted earlier today!

December 12

Even though I already told him at the mall, my mom and dad told me to send a letter before it's too late. I think that's kind of funny, because I know that Santa already knows! Just like in his songs! Or... maybe he only knows when you're awake?

Santa? Lisa frowned, reading the entry again. ...Who?

December 31

Sorry for not writing anything for so long! We got REALLY busy. There was a big school play and I was the Christmas tree and I got a lot of PRESENTS! I really like the books that I got from dad. He said that they came from his friend at work, and that if I want to I can come to work with him one day to play with the cool things that they're making!

Lisa set down her diary, a tremble running down her spine as she glanced back to the bookshelf. For the first time, she came to notice a few more books she'd previously missed, nestled tightly in-between the heavy textbooks cramming the space.

The Nighttime Ponies

Summer Sun Celebration!

Magic Spells for Kids

Lisa stood up, swaying on her feet as she stepped closer to the shelf.

"LISA!" Argall called from the bottom of the stairs, breaking the girl's trance. "Come down and help set the table for dinner!"

---

A light curl of steam drifted from Lisa's bowl of soup as she stared into her reflection.

"Lisa?"

"Huh?" The girl glanced up from her bowl.

Argall set down his chopsticks. "Aren't you going to eat?" He began, "I'm sure it's been quite a while since you've had anything like this."

Lisa didn't respond, opting instead to stare back into her bowl.

"Would you like a fork instead?" The Professor continued, pointing with his chopsticks at the noodles floating in his own bowl, "Or are you fine still with chopsticks?"

"I'll try using the chopsticks."

Lisa turned her focus to the chopsticks laying across the top of her bowl, slowly grasping them with a hand. She glanced up again, watching Argall as he operated his own pair. Finger by finger, Lisa imitated his hand position on the chopsticks, only to drop them again with a light plink as they hit the porcelain bowl.

"Here, let me show you again." Argall sighed, standing up from his seat. He took the girl's hand into his own, placing a single chopstick in her palm. "Hold it like you're holding a pen," He motioned, demonstrating with his own pair. "Hold the other one between your third and fourth fingers, and try to pick something up. You can move the first one to hold onto things."

Lisa nodded, reaching for the noodles in her bowl.

"I did it."

The Professor smiled as he returned to his seat.

"Good."

---

Lisa lay sprawled across her bed, staring blankly at the nighttime ceiling.

"Twilight?" She whispered, "Twilight, are you still there?"

Yes? The mare's voice entered her mind, a faint echo of its former owner.

"Do you want to go back to Equestria?"

I'd certainly wish to, but that all depends on your decision.

Lisa turned her head, glancing at the musty diary that lay beside her.

"I don't want to go back..." She whispered, feeling the starchy corners of her diary, "At least, not yet..."

I understand. Twilight's voice soothed, Spike should at least be able to handle things for me during my absence.

"But what about you?"

Twilight's voice hesitated for a moment.

I... I'll be fine in the meantime.

Lisa sat up in bed, stifling a yawn as she grasped the open-faced diary. "Are you sure about that?" She whispered to herself, "Aren't you afraid that you might fade from my memories in the meantime?"

I honestly can't say anymore. We're technically two separate beings now, after all.

Sighing, the girl flipped through the later entries of the diary.

Lisa?

No response.

Lisa, is that-

"Yes." Lisa whispered, her eyes caught upon a crude sketch of Twilight. "That's you."

---

March 23

I'm writing this early today because mom told me that we're gonna be spending the whole day at the big park on the edge of town! I wonder if they have a sandbox?

"A blank page?" Lisa raised a brow, staring at the unfilled space following the entry. She flipped to the next page.

August 5

I just barely got out of the hospital. Mom and dad are... they're gone. The doctor told me that a bad man hit us with his car when we were driving, and that he'll be in jail for a long time. Dad's friend said that he's going to take care of me and my little brother until we're grownups, but-

The girl's eyes widened as the entry cut off, instead becoming a mess of dried tearstains running to the bottom of the page. Lisa's gaze turned to the following page.

June 7

It's been a while since I last wrote, hasn't it? Mom, dad, wherever you are, I hope you can at least still read this. Professor Argall said he didn't have enough time to take care of me and Tim, so our neighbors, the Carter family, adopted him instead. I'm still living with Argall, but only because I'm old enough to take care of myself while he's at work.

After moving to a new school when I started living with Argall, I quickly made a new friend. Samantha sits behind me in class, and she seems pretty smart too. We often raise our hands almost at the same time for answers, and we've kinda taken over a table for ourselves at lunch.

Once again, I hope you're out there somewhere, watching over me...

"...S-Samantha?" Lisa stammered, reading over the entry again. "It's been... I- we've been friends..."

For the first time, the girl came to notice the distinct lack of a clear date outside of days and months.

"...We've been friends for how long?"

She jumped back for a moment as the door clicked open. Professor Argall stuck his head in, glancing towards Lisa. "Hey, you okay?" He began, silently noticing the girl's open diary, "I heard you talking to yourself again. Would you like something to calm yourself with? Maybe a drink, or-"

"My parents died." Lisa cut in, a tear rolling down her cheek, "It was a car accident not unlike the one we drove past earlier today, wasn't it? I... Timothy and I were the only survivors in our car..."

Argall froze, staring at the girl for a moment. He let out a sigh, nodding slowly as he further opened the door. "Your parents entrusted both you and your brother to me if anything ever happened to them."

"So, Timothy was my little brother all this time?" Lisa whimpered, "All this time, one of my closest friends in the simulation was my own biological brother?"

The Professor nodded. "Timothy was barely old enough to begin school when he said that he wanted to go with you into the simulation. I went ahead and created a companion character for you, and placed him into that role."

The room fell silent for a moment, with even Lisa's quiet sobs ceasing as the girl took in the realization. A faint buzz broke the silence. Argall shoved a hand into his pocket, extracting the same phone Lisa had seen him use earlier on. His face became illuminated in a blazingly bright light as he idly tapped away at the screen before looking back up.

"Hey."

Lisa glanced up, her tear-streaked face glistening in the moonlight. The Professor took another glance at the screen of the device before turning his attention back to the girl.

"Your brother's arriving here tomorrow."

"What?" Lisa frowned, wiping away the remainder of her tears, "B-but I thought he already returned!"

Argall shook his head. "He realized a bit too late that he was in the wrong city, and was unable to reconnect. One of my colleagues is taking care of him at the moment." The Professor turned around, placing a hand on the doorknob as he shot a final glance at Lisa and her diary. "Anyways," He continued, "Try and get some rest now. Andrew already seems a bit homesick, so I may need to drive him back tomorrow. You'll have to stay here alone, alright?"

The door shut with another click, leaving Lisa alone once more. Alone with nothing but her diary, and the long shadows cast by the clouded moonlight that beamed through her window.

Comments

[TaleWeaver]

I guess she is in her late twenties, because assuming the simulation goes by real time she has been in it for like five years.

[Speedy Silverstreak]

I'm calling late teens early twenties

[TheMajorTechie]

9055456

9055300
Mid to late twenties as of the present. The first few diary entries she reads over date back to late childhood/early teens.

[TheMajorTechie]

9056017
Roughly. There are a couple timeskips in between certain entries, but the final one still takes place roughly around the age of 10-12.

[lightningman]

im guessing shes 7 or 8 when she wrote the entries. still carefree, but smart enough to know the proper terminology of things

[Cipher800]

"So, Timothy was my little brother all this time?" Lisa whimpered, "All this time, one of my closest friends in the simulation was my own biological brother?"

I knew it.

[TheMajorTechie]

9056838
Yup.

[Cipher800]

9056946
Makes me wonder how Spike/Timothy would react to that.

[TheMajorTechie]

9057945
You'll see.