Return Trip

by RunicTreetops

It's Just a Burning Memory

"Well, here we are."

It's early in the afternoon, and you're both exhausted. While Tia was able to fly an impressive distance, her spell could only last so long. So, the two of you touched down a few miles back and walked the rest of the way. You're covered in sweat and dirt, and your windswept hair has certainly seen better days. If you were to see Tia's true form, she wouldn't look much better, but since her "human form" is an illusion in the first place, she still looks immaculate. It only serves to further prove your point that the two of you stick out like sore thumbs.

Thankfully, the town you're from isn't all that big. It's absolutely bigger than Nowhere, but definitely not big enough to be considered a city or anything. It's actually quite comparable to Ponyville, but with all of the bells and whistles that come with modern human society, like roads. And a Walmart. You note the sign as you walk along the side of the two-lane road that reads "Welcome to Springfield." It's certainly been a long time.

Entering the town proper, you walk side-by-side with your wife down the sidewalk as you start pointing out locations and landmarks that you remember.

"That's the fire department. A few of my old friends used to be volunteers there. Oh, and that's the auto parts store. That's where you get stuff to fix your cars with."

"Hm. I suppose I never considered how much maintenance those vehicles of yours would need."

"A lot of people make whole livelihoods out of doing that. Oh, that there used to be my favorite ice cream shop when I was younger. My parents would bring me there after ball games and stuff. Looks kind of sad now, though..."

"How many years has it been since you last saw this place?"

"At this point? Probably about ten. I've been in Equestria for a long time, after all. Heh, it feels like just yesterday that Twilight became an alicorn right in front of me."

"Believe me, I understand well the feeling of time slipping past you. It just makes it all the more important to appreciate the good things in life while you have them. Like the ice cream shop!"

"Or loved ones?"

"...Yes. Especially loved ones."

Her human illusion wraps a hand around your waist, though you can tell that it's actually her wing doing that. You blindly reach for where you approximate her head to be and ruffle her mane a bit, causing her to chuckle.

"Alright, alright. I must say, this little town of yours is very quaint. It seems... quiet. Peaceful."

"I guess so, but since I grew up here, it's not like I had any other frame of reference."

"Hey, wait a second. Is that why you're so insistent on keeping the peace in Ponyville? Why you opened up a tea shop, the most quiet place in town?"

You laugh.

"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about! Oh, hey!" You point at a nearby drug store, which looks extremely shabby from the outside. "When I was really young, my grandpa would take me here and buy me one of those little things of chocolate milk while he got his own necessities. Hah, that brings back memories."

Your focus is turned squarely on the store while you reminisce, so you don't notice Celestia looking at you with a warm, gentle smile.

"...You look so happy, sunshine."

"Hm?"

"Hehe, you haven't even noticed how much you've been smiling, have you?"

As she points it out, you realize that you've been grinning for quite some time. Your cheeks hurt a little, actually. That's... odd. Weren't you adverse to coming here in the first place? What's happening to you?

"I... I guess I have?"

"If I may, I've noticed that your memories here are not as bad as you've made them out to be. And I think I know why."

"Oh yeah? Why is that, then?"

"It's the people that you had in your life. You aren't missing these places, you're missing the people you visited them with. Like your firefighter friends, or your parents, or your grandfather."

"..."

"...Do you miss them?"

Your smile fades as you look at the ground, suddenly finding yourself unable to look at the town around you anymore. You want to speak, but you can't. You know why you didn't want to come back here.

"S-sunshine?"

She's right. Of course she's right. You've known all along, but to admit to yourself why you didn't want to come here would be just as bad as... well, coming here at all. Your walking pace slows until you come to a complete stop, unable to will yourself forward any more than you have.

"Anon? Are you okay?"

There's a sniffling sound, and you're vaguely aware that you're the source of it. Tears begin to form in your eyes, only to fall to the sidewalk below. All at once, you begin feeling the full weight of everything you've been repressing for the past ten years, and for better or worse, you find your voice once more.

"...Why, Tia? Why did it happen?"

"W-wha-"

"I ABANDONED THEM, TIA!" Your wife takes a step back, shocked at your sudden outburst. You don't look up at her. You can't bring yourself to. If you did, you would see the pained, concerned expression on her face. "I don't care what you say! 'It wasn't your fault, Anon!' I KNOW THAT! But... but what did I do to fix it?! Can I really say that I've been trying to get back home to the people that care about me?!"

"Sunshine, you did all that you coul-"

"Clearly I didn't, seeing as we're here now! All it took was some stupid scepter in a vault! I could have brought myself back here ten years ago, but did I?! Did I really do everything in my power to get back home?! Of course I didn't! I just threw my entire life away on a whim! 'Sure, I'll spend the rest of my life as an alien with these ponies! Who cares about what I'm leaving behind?' I just... I just... ARGH!"

You hold your head in your hands as you fall to your knees. Tears flood from your eyes as mucus and spittle pours from your nose and mouth. It's a terrible, ugly scene. And you deserve no better. You're a monster. You abandoned your friends, your family, and everyone that ever cared about you. When you were pointing out landmarks to Tia, you purposefully avoided the elephant in the room. Between every building or spot you pointed out, there were dozens of run-down or abandoned stores. Plots of land are overgrown, houses are boarded up. This town is a shell of what it was when you left it. Most of the places you grew up loving are gone. It's fitting, really. Did you expect the town to just wait for your eventual return? No. It moved on without you, just as you moved on without it.

And now it's gone.

...

...

...

You feel something hit the back of your head. Hard. The force causes you to fall the rest of the way, your face hitting the sidewalk with a thud. Your instincts kick in, and you quickly roll over, doing your best to see through the tears in your eyes. Standing above you is Celestia, a strange mixture of anger and sadness and compassion all showing simultaneously on her face.

"Celestia, I-"

"SHUT UP!" You clam up as she explodes on you. After being a princess for many, many years, she is very good at getting others to listen to her. "Things change, Anon! No matter what you try to do, they change. Cities are built and prosper over time, just to decay after so many years. People are born, grow, achieve great things, and die. That's just how life works. I've been cursed with the ability to see it happen, again and again. Do you remember our discussion we had way back when, before you proposed to me? You wondered what it would be like knowing that I couldn't grow old with you, and when I expressed how painful it would be, it was you that told me to focus on the present. I've been around for thousands of years. I can't change what happened over those years, but I can change what's happening now. I can't stop the flow of time, but I can enjoy the time that I do have, and I've chosen to spend it with you. It wasn't some fluke that made me want to marry you, sunshine. I want to be around you as much as I can while I still have the chance. Do you regret that? Do you regret everything you've done in Equestria? Do you regret helping to save everypony from those villains? Do you regret settling down and opening your store, surrounded by friends who love and care for you? If you truly wish you had returned here all those years ago, none of that would have happened. So, I must ask... do you regret falling in love with me?"

"N-no! Of course I don't!"

"Then stand up. Yes, what happened was unfortunate. Yes, this world has moved on without you. But what is crying over it going to do? Look around you. You're here now. You're not wondering what happened anymore, you're seeing it. It's time for you to get out of your own head. Stop making excuses about why you 'hate humans' or 'don't want to go home.' Embrace the fact that things are as they are. Change the things that need changing. Live for what's going on right now."

Her anger melts away, leaving behind a worried smile. What is there for you to say? You wipe your eyes with your sleeve and sniffle one more time before trying to force yourself to your feet. Along the way, you feel Tia help lift you up using her wings until you're standing once more.

"...You're right. Um... I-I'm sorry you had to see that."

"And I'm sorry for bonking you on the head. But, er, in my defense, you were unresponsive."

You let out a tired, nervous chuckle.

"Ehehe, yeahhhh... there's a lot on my mind right now."

"I would be worried if there wasn't, love. Now come on. We made a bit of a scene and people are starting to stare."

She's right, a few people who were passing by are staring directly at the two of you. You awkwardly shuffle away as you make your way down many familiar streets.

Eventually, the shops and businesses give way to areas that are strictly residential. As you weave through the winding roads and grid-like sections of the town, you feel a growing tightness in your chest. Even after that little talk, there's still some apprehension in the way that you're walking. Why is this fear growing inside of you?

Finally, you make one last turn. This street has no sidewalk, so you're forced to walk in the grass along the side of the road. The street sign reads "HOPEFUL SKIES DR." Your steps feel heavy as you make your way to the end of the street. Eventually, though, you were bound to make it there. You look up at the only house still standing around the cul-de-sac. You hear Tia gasp next to you.

"S-sunshine?"

"...Yeah. This is it."

"I... I never realized... oh, sunshine..." The house before you is fairly plain. At two stories tall and made of wood, it looks very old fashioned. Most who see the house would think nothing of it. To you, though, this house is where you grew up. It's where you became who you are. It's the embodiment of countless memories that you were never willing to forget. And that's why... "Our house... it looks just like this."

"Yup. This is what I modeled it after."

"...You really did miss this place, huh?"

"I never could bring myself to let it go that easily. I... I thought that if I recreated it, it would feel like I brought a little piece of home with me."

"Did it work?"

"...No. At first I resented it a little bit, actually. But as time went on, and especially after you moved in, I realized that I was growing fond of our house. Not because it reminded me of old memories, but because it reminded me of new ones. The ones that I made with you." She gives you a loving smile, a smile that you happily return. "...Well then."

"Do you think someone is living here now? I mean, it definitely looks lived in."

"...Yeah. And I think I know who it is."

You begin walking up to the front door as you prepare yourself for what's about to happen.

"Oh? And who might that be?"

You sigh as you bring your closed fist to the door, gently knocking about three times before taking a step back. After a couple of moments, you hear some shuffling before the door opens. Standing there is an older woman, her once blonde hair now turning a silvery color that suits her well. She's a bit on the chubbier side, and you imagine she was probably quite the looker when she was younger. Wrinkles are beginning to form on her cheekbones, and thin-rimmed glasses adorn her face. She wears a simple shirt with a floral pattern and a pair of comfortable-looking jeans. She adjusts her glasses as she looks at the disheveled man and beautiful woman before her.

"Hello? Who are you?"

You look at her for a few moments as you feel tears beginning to form in your eyes once more. You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. You make a strange coughing sound instead, and the woman looks at you with concern before her eyes start to grow wide. She reaches out a hand to touch your face, brushing a bit of hair out of the way and revealing a small birthmark that most wouldn't notice. After doing so, she takes a step back, seemingly finding it hard to speak herself.

"Anon? It... it is you."

"...Hi, mom."

Comments

[Ninja_Master6545]

The next chapter is going to be a huge stinky winky moment but also a wholesome one if I had to say.

[Real Solaris]

Perfect. Now it’s time for anon to explain where he’s been for the past decade and what he’s been up too

Loving this!

[Quail]

Oooh myyy the feeeels!!

[Ninja_Master6545]

i was browsing through my library, (i already read this story through)
but i noticed the title
im being reminding of unhinged pixar posters now.
le epic