To Find Purpose

by The REAL Mister Pkmn

XIX- A Bond Stronger Than Distance, Part 1

I sighed as I saw Luna enter my dream. She seemed hesitant. “We do not have to do this, you know. I know that you’re worried about Ophelia. Maybe I should come back later…”

I shook my head. “No. I may know who is causing this, but… I really don’t like the fact that he is holding all the cards. Maybe… If we find the source of where he’s been putting it through we can trace it back to where he’s hiding. Beat him at his own sick, twisted game.” I led her through the maze, following the trail. It was a bit old, which made sense. After all, Cedric wasn’t exactly sending new signals in right now. I hurried along as I felt it starting to wane. I wasn’t about to let it slip away now. Luna could keep up, which didn’t really surprise me that much.

But, there was something bothering me. This… Cedric… he certainly seemed awfully familiar. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I felt that I’d met him before, somehow. The way he said he could use his anti-magic for spells was a tad concerning, but also… it brought a strange feeling to my mind. The way he used it to hide his true face was disturbing, to say the least. But… why was it that I felt I’d come across the concept before? I pushed the stray thought aside for now as I found the leak that was wafting his presence. I turned to face Luna. “Do you think you could try and match this to find him?”

Uncertainty washed upon her features as she lit her horn. She studied the leak for a while, then started to follow its pull. I had to run at top speed to keep up with her gallop, but our pace made it simple to get pretty far along. All of a sudden, Luna stopped. Her face turned pale. “Nathan, I know where Ophelia is being held, but there’s a catch.”

My elation at her initial words faded with the tail end of what she had said. My stomach felt as if it was twisting in knots. A feeling of dread came over me as I considered why Cedric seemed so familiar. I wasn’t entirely sure that it was the case, but what other options were there? I steeled myself as I asked the only sensible question. “So? What’s the catch? Why can’t we bypass Cedric’s tests?”

Luna looked me straight in the eye and sighed. “It will be easier to show you.” She stepped aside, and a projection appeared behind her. The scene that was displayed behind her made all my doubts about Cedric’s familiarity disappear.

It was an abandoned building that I recognized from back home. It was a Charlie Cheese Restaurant. This particular one used to sit on 5th and Main, but it had disappeared roughly 8 years ago. The ruined building lay in shambles deep within the Everfree forest, locked off by a wall of pulsating cyan energy with 12 locks on it. I stepped back. A hushed whisper escaped me. “So it really is him…” The dream world was shaking, and Luna quickly made her escape before I jolted awake.

Cold sweat drenched my form as I lunged to sit up in my bed. I was breathing heavily. Of all the things that could be happening, of all the people it could have been, it just had to be Cedric “Merlin” O’Manson. Flashes of our past reignited in my head. How I last saw him at that particular Charlie Cheese, how he had an obsession with magic and changing his appearance through it. I recalled how we had not exactly parted on the best of terms. So this was about revenge, then? But that didn’t quite fit, either. Something was missing, a vital piece of information. I grasped my head in pain. Thinking about this revelation was just giving me a headache. I got out of bed and said a short morning prayer. I was stronger than Cedic thought. I would not be rattled by this. I just hoped that Ophi could feel that I wouldn’t give up. I read a chapter or two in my scriptures before putting them away for the day.

I took a look at my wardrobe for a moment before taking out the outfit that I had worn last Sunday, and grabbed my black socks and shoes. It felt a bit strange knowing that I would not have Ophi around, but I’d keep myself busy somehow.. I got myself out of the barn and walked over to the main house. Their dog came yapping as I let myself in. I sighed as I went upstairs. Luckily for me, Winona decided not to follow. The mutt may be harmless, but she sure was annoying. I shook the thought aside as I knocked on the bathroom door. Applejack called out from inside. “Ah’m almost done!”

I sat on the nearby couch, resigning myself to wait for a little bit. I was usually the first to use it in the morning, but that streak of luck was bound to end someday. At least it was a pleasant day, so that was good. Not for the first time, my thoughts drifted to my family. For the longest time, I had always felt so cut off from them, and that was long before arriving in Equestria. But now, I found myself worrying about them. I guess the person that coined the phrase “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” certainly knew what they were talking about. I couldn’t help wondering once more if they had held a funeral already. But knowing them, most likely not. They probably knew I was still alive, even if they didn’t know how to find me.

I was knocked out of my reverie as Applejack came out of the bathroom. She saw me and raised an eyebrow. “So I got to it before ya? Well Ah’ll be…” She let out a small chuckle. “Well, Ah’ll leave you to it. Ah’ve got ta get ready for today. See you ‘round.” After she cantered off, I went into the bathroom, locking it behind me. I had to get my thoughts together. I turned on the shower as I got ready for it. After I was satisfied with the temperature, I stepped into the shower. I let the warm water run over my body as I gathered my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t like the fact that Cedric was holding all the cards still. My only consolation was the fact that I had a hunch that Ophi was still holding strong. I was sure of it, like somebody had whispered this truth to me. That feeling… It had been a while, but I was familiar with it. I let myself relax as I finished my shower. After I turned off the water, I stepped out and dried myself off. I put on my Sunday best and rolled up my pajamas.

After I left the bathroom, I made my way down the stairs. I was about to leave the house when Granny Smith called out to me. “Aren’t ya gunna join us for breakfast, Nathan? Ah made sumthin’ special.”

I paused at the door. I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday, but that was far from my mind. I shook my head. “I’ll pass, thanks. I’ll eat later. There’s something that I need to do today.”

Granny was about to call out again, but by the time she started, I had already gotten out the door. I stopped by the barn and grabbed my sketchbook and my art pencils. I then proceeded towards the Whitetail woods. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I felt impressed to go there. I wasn’t about to ignore the impression, so I headed over. After a bit of walking, I soon found a familiar clearing. It was the same one that I had last felt Ophi’s presence. I took a seat and flipped my sketchbook to a new page. I grimaced as I realized that I would be needing a new sketchbook soon. However, that could be done tomorrow. I took a deep breath, drinking in the serenity around me. I then lifted my pencil, and started to let my hand fly across the page. I couldn’t quite tell what I was drawing at first, but that mattered little right now. All that I cared about right now was the moment, the feeling I had as I drew. Was this the feeling known as “being in the zone”? If so, I suppose I had felt it before.

After a while, I found myself staring at a finished piece. I had drawn a scene depicting my reunion with Ophi, and I smiled. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart had guided my hand, drawing my dearest wish upon the page, as it tended to do. I let out a sigh. I knew that I wasn’t alone in wanting her safe return, but I still wasn’t sure how I could work with them. I knew Ferris pretty well, but I knew virtually nothing about Miara. Could I really put aside my misgivings and work with them? I sighed with reluctance. I didn’t have much choice. Cedric was holding all the cards- any advantage I could get in this twisted game of his was a welcome one.

With renewed resolve, I decided to go into town and see if I could find them. If I was to work with them, a little groundwork was needed beforehand. I then started to walk out of the woods.

---

In the abandoned building in the Everfree…

Cedric watched the scene with an overly confident grin. “Oh, Nate. Such a fool. Those two will only drag you down. You should just fold and join me.”

“He’ll never give up! That’s just not like him!” Cedric turned to see Ophelia In her cell. He scowled, ready to refute, but she interjected. “You know so little about who he is! There’s much more to him than you think!”

Cedric ground his teeth together, and almost shouted at her. But then he realized what she was doing, and he let out a dark chuckle. His silver hair bobbed slightly in an ambient wind as he replied. “We’ll see who’s right and who’s wrong, dear Ophelia. Your boyfriend isn’t as strong as he thinks.”

A blush rose upon Ophelia’s face. “W-we’re just friends! Close friends, sure, but just friends!”

A devilish grin rose upon Cedric’s face. “I see… So that means…”

A chill ran down Ophelia’s spine as she fought the urge to wretch. “Don’t even think about it, not in a billion years!”

Huffing indignantly, Cedric turned away from her. He would accomplish what he set out to do, no matter the cost. No matter the sacrifice, It would be worth it if it came to fruition… He then observed what Nathan would end up doing next.

---

I felt a sudden chill in the air as I found my way to town square. He was watching me, I was sure of it. However, that thought would have to be put on pause. I saw Ferris sitting near the fountain. I braced myself, and went over to him. He smiled at my approach.”So, what brings you here, Nate? Worried about tomorrow?”

I blinked for a moment before I recalled how he knew that. I let out a small chuckle. “The same as always huh? I still think you should use that keen intuition for something more lucrative.” I sat next to him and looked at him. “Yeah. I wanted to talk. If we’re going to work together on this, we can’t have any more bad blood between us. It’ll only drag us down.” As I saw his eyes light up, I held up a hand. “Now, this still doesn’t mean that we’re friends again. It just means… I’m ready to leave the past behind us. No strings attached.”

For a moment, Ferris stared at me like I’d grown a second head. I shifted slightly due to discomfort before I saw his face break out with a grin. “I’ll take what I can get, I suppose. I don’t want to push for too much.” He extended his hand, and looked me in the eye. “Shall we shake on it?”

I stared at his outstretched hand for a moment. I couldn’t back out now. For our best chance of success, I had to do this. I took a deep breath before I Let my hand grasp his. I shook his hand, and replied seriously. “To new beginnings.”

After we let go, Ferris looked off to the distance. “So, you gonna try and get to know Miara? To be honest, you might just be out of luck. She’s gone off somewhere. She said she needed to be alone.”

I had a feeling as to why, but I felt that I needed to talk to her regardless. I brought the question that was on my mind to bear. “Do you have any idea as to where she could’ve gone? Any at all?”

Ferris was in deep thought for a moment of two before his eyes widened. He scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, she probably went off to the Everfree Forest. She’s been slipping off there occasionally to think. If she’s anywhere, she’s probably there.”

I stood up with a sigh. I had been in the Whitetail woods earlier today, so it kind of irked me that I had been near where Miara was without knowing. Nevertheless, I shook off my aggravation and started off towards the Everfree. Before I left the town square, I turned back to see Ferris. He certainly seemed to have changed for the better since we had last met. I wondered if maybe I had been too harsh on him in the past. If We had talked it out earlier, would our friendship have lasted? Or was there something fundamental in it falling apart? I turned away and let those thoughts drift away. It wasn’t really that important, it was in the past. As I walked off towards the Everfree, I let my thoughts turn to brighter things.

Namely, my inevitable reunion with Harold. I could feel it, he was in this world, somewhere. We had so much to catch up on, seeing as it had been 8 years since we drifted apart. Then an unpleasant thought crept in. It had also been eight years since I’d seen Cedric last before he cropped up, but his reappearance was less pleasant. He was the one friend that I felt that I had betrayed more than the other way around. However, judging on what he was like, his forgiveness was conditional upon my defeat. I wasn’t willing to let him win just to get an apology across.

I shook my head. It was clear to me that Cedic had some screws loose in his head. If there was a way to repair him, I couldn’t see it. The thought was unpleasant, so I deigned to think about other things. When I spoke to Celestia she had said that they had been making progress on finding the humans a way back to Earth. If all was on schedule, we had 21 more days. I halted at the edge of the Everfee as I thought about that. Today was the 2nd of May. I had lost track for a while, but I now recalled. It still was awkward timing, to say the least, but it was a better time frame than before. I couldn’t dwell on that, though. I braced myself before entering the Everfree.

I walked through the brush for a while, and it was still all around. I kept going and soon pushed into a clearing. Miara was there, a tall glass of cider in her hand. I approached, and she turned to see me. She smiled lightly. “I’ve been expecting you, Nathan. So. What brings you here?”

I wasn’t sure about this, but I had little choice. It was wiser to work with those that you knew somewhat well, rather than total strangers. I took a seat on a nearby stump and looked her in the eye. “Well, you’ve grown close to Ophi. I just thought that I should get to know you a bit, that’s all.”

With an eyebrow raised, she straightened up. “Oh? So what would you like to know about me? Anything in particular?”

I took a breath to brace myself. I’d never really talked with a girl aside from my sister and Ophi. This was nothing like that, though. Miara was a stranger, and I didn’t quite have my old magnetic personality anymore. It used to be so easy to strike up conversations, back before I developed a need to wear glasses. I pushed that aside the best that I could, and dove in head first. “So, what’s your dream job?”

At my peculiar question, Miara blinked with surprise. “That’s what you want to know? Why that specifically? Why not something more… standard?”

I immediately shook my head. “This will tell me a lot more about you than knowing your favorite color ever will. When you know what somebody’s aspirations are, you can get a good idea of their likes and dislikes. You can even better understand the little quirks they have. It’s a much more effective way of getting to know a person. For example, I aspire to be an artist. Now, doesn’t that information tell you so much more than a simple color answer?”

Miara surprised herself when she nodded. “You really weren’t kidding. It does tell me quite a lot about you. It tells me that you are creative, and that you try to not let others dissuade you. It tells me that you’re adaptive, and that you find it easy to find the beauty in things. It also explains the sketchbook that I have seen you carry around sometimes.” She smiled. “Alright, I’ll tell you. I aspire to be a doctor.”

“So you really want to help others, huh? I knew there was more to your offer than just a feeling of obligation.” I let out a dry chuckle. “I see that you’re sincere, now. It’s not any pretense that drives you, but a genuine desire to help. That’s a big relief. I think that we’ll get along just fine.” I had my misgivings before, but I could tell that she wasn’t lying. If we had this conversation earlier, I probably would’ve second guessed my gut feeling, and tried to find some “angle”. But now, I was starting to accept that not everyone was a two-faced charlatan. It still was a bit difficult pushing down the doubts, but I was getting better at it. Even so, I wasn’t about to accept her as a friend. Call me stubborn, but I called it pragmatism. Ophi was a special case, so I let her in rather quickly.

But these other people… I wasn’t sure what to think. My past had colored my opinion of most people in a real dark image. But as I conversed with those sent here, I was starting to question my outlook. Was I being too harsh, making people jump through hoops to earn my trust? I shook away that thought. No. I was just exercising care with who I surrounded myself with. It was better to test the people you met rather than trust them implicitly. That was a lesson that I would never forget. However, I knew that I could at least trust Miara somewhat. I shook her hand for a small moment before standing up. I still had some nagging doubts here and there, but I would deal with them in due time. If I really could open myself up to others beside Ophi, I had to know. It might not work out, but that was a risk that I was willing to take.

I then walked back along the path to leave the forest. I then had a thought. If Rena knew, she would jump at the chance to help. She was an old friend of Ophi’s after all. As for Eric… I wasn’t sure. He might help, or he might stay behind to continue helping rebuild the Manehattan slums. As for Simon and Penelope… They seemed content enough to lie low in their makeshift home. Still, I had a feeling that I might need their help later. It was Sunday though, so that would have to wait until tomorrow. After I stepped into Ponyville again, I felt as if somebody was watching aside from Cedric. I looked straight at a particular bush that seemed out of place. I glared at it with an intense look. “I know that you’re hiding in there. Might as well pop out, Pinkie.”

As Pinkie left the bush she let out an embarrassed chuckle, then she pouted. “Aw, phooey! And here I thought that I was being super sneaky! I just thought that I’d check on your friendship progress! I grade your progress as a C Minus! I still think that-”

“That’s quite enough.” I interrupted her ramble, for I was hardly in the mood for word soup. I let out a sigh. “Can’t you ponies just mind your own business? Whether or not I connect with these other people like that is hardly your concern.” As I saw she was about to argue, I just shook my head. “Don’t. I’m not interested in hearing you ramble on today. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I took the opportunity to run while I had the chance. I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but I just needed to get some space from her. Whatever it was that she had in mind, I wasn’t going to listen. I was content to approach people in my own way and at my own pace. And if she had a problem with that? Tough luck. Before I realized it, I had run clear to the other end of Ponyville. I hadn’t remembered being that fast before. Then again, Ponyville was much closer to Sea Level than what I was used to in Utah. I pushed that thought aside as I checked around for Pinkie. Thankfully, it seemed that she had gotten the hint.

I then saw that I had wound up near the Golden Oaks Library. I wasn’t quite in the mood to deal with Twilight, though. Still, it looked like most of the town was quiet now. I decided to take a break and sat behind the library. So much had changed in so little time, though. My old self would probably still resist even thinking about talking to the other humans that were in this mess with me. I guess Ophi was to thank for that change. She brightened up my world that had been consumed by darkness, and that was all the more reason I had to get her back.

What irked me was Cedric’s wasting of time. He clearly thought that two weeks would be enough to do… something. He wanted to break me, but I wasn’t like I used to be. While I wasn’t ready to call them my friends, I had people that I felt I could trust that were willing to help me. Cedric had always been a bit of a loner, even back when we were friends. He did not like relying on others unless he had some way of controlling the situation. It made his dream of being a politician make all the more sense. No matter what, I had to pull through for Ophi’s sake. She was relying on me- relying on us- to beat Cedric’s twisted game. I stood, resolving to not give Cedric the satisfaction of victory. I would show him that he was wrong about me. With my resolve renewed, I started to head back into town.

To Be Continued in Part Two

Author's Note:

It's a bit late, but here it is! It took a bit longer because I'm still getting used to my new job's schedule. Hopefully I'll figure out something that works better for uploads.