Chapter 1: Made For Another World
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” - C.S. Lewis
I stared at the strange scroll which lay before me on the table; I woke up this morning to find it lying on the pillow beside me in bed. I don’t know how it got there, as I lived alone and have no clue what the purpose of it is. Did my friends somehow get a key to my apartment and lay this here as a joke? If so, it’s not funny, in fact it doesn’t make any sense.
Who in the world has the name of ‘Twilight Sparkle’ it sounds like a hippy's name, and what is all this talk about ‘magic’ and ‘unicorns’? Friendship, that is what this letter seems to talk about a lot. But why? Why is the writer referring to me as ‘Lyra’? I'm a bloke! And Lyra is not my name. This has got to be one of the strangest things that has happened in a long time,
But... the letter wasn’t completely weird at times, it was downright starting to scare me…
‘All your life you have felt it. That something was missing. That you didn’t quite belong. Sometimes it felt like you were from another planet. And there was that feeling, like a shadow in your heart, that somewhere you had friends that you had been separated from.’
Whoever wrote this, I don’t know how they could have possibly known these things about me… I haven’t told anyone.
I have gathered so far that Twilight Sparkle had supposedly sent me here, as was my apparent intention in the first place. But… she made me lose my memories? I don’t know what to do, is this real, or a joke? I mean, yeah, it all seems so… surreal to me, kind of like… a fairy tale.
Unicorns, magic, princesses? Yeah because all of this seems believable. But why am I so distressed about it all?
I folded the scroll, got up and made my way over to my sofa. I lay down on my back and stared up at the ceiling, just thinking about everything.
‘You will come back, won’t you, if I find it?’
That question is tearing me apart. I don’t know, Twilight Sparkle; I don’t even know who you are.
‘Your friends are waiting for you.’
My friends are waiting for me… I wish I knew who they were.
I lay motionless, staring at the ceiling and listening to the soft ticking of the clock. I mean, what if this all was just some silly prank, I would look really stupid if I took it so seriously. But then... why do I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach, the feeling as if I know this is real? It’s just so fantastical.
Five years ago I was found lying naked in an alleyway by a young man named Adrian, the man had taken me straight to the hospital after seeing me cut up, naked and with absolutely no recollection of who I was or why I was there.
After spending a few days in the hospital, the doctors diagnosed me with severe amnesia. I had not only forgot everything that has happened in my life, I had even forgotten my own name. When I was finally discharged from the hospital I was given temporary housing at a nearby hostel and sent to a leading psychologist for help, all expenses paid of course.
But all of that is in the past now, I never did remember anything from my past, or my name for that matter. Now under a new name, a nice steady job, good friends and a roof over my head; life wasn’t all that bad for me.
But for a first, in a long time it’s like everything is falling apart around me. That scroll, it is so unbelievable and ridiculous, yet it is completely tearing me apart as I think of it. I can’t explain it but… something about the words in the scroll resonate somewhere in the back of my mind, but I can’t grasp what, or why, It feels as if my whole life is a lie. As if this isn’t supposed to be who I am.
‘You didn’t end up in the human world with the body you wanted, or even with your memories. But you are still you.’
I didn’t end up here with the body I wanted? Perhaps that explains why Twilight Sparkle was referring to me as ‘Lyra’... is that really my name?
‘But you are still you.’
But who am I? That is the question and now I am so desperate to find the out answer to it. If I am not meant to be a male human, then… I am a female unicorn from another world. If any normal person was to say that, they probably couldn’t do so with a straight face. But I did, it just felt natural.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I sighed in defeat, I don’t know what to do. If I truly belong in ‘Equestria’, then how do I get back? I feel as if I want to go there, but what of my friends? My life here? There would be no point in thinking of this all now. As Twilight Sparkle said, she hasn’t found a way to ‘bring me back’.
I turned on my side and buried my face into a pillow, slowly drifting off to sleep. I wish I could be a normal person, why is this happening to me?
A year had passed since I had received that strange scroll, and for days I sat at home thinking about everything, just trying to force myself to remember my ‘old life’. After nothing came up I decided it was high time I got back to my normal schedule.
For a long time I tried to get the thoughts of the scroll out of my head, but they proved to be a huge distraction for me. How can someone just forget something like that? I would often find myself drifting off in my thoughts more and more nowadays than I used to. In the middle of a conversation I could just totally blank without realising, but it wasn’t all that bad.
I had come to the conclusion that maybe one day Twilight Sparkle will arrive and take me home, for that I have written a letter in advance to apologies to my friends for my disappearance. Of course I would leave a few… key elements as to why I was gone out of the letter. But I am starting to doubt she will ever come.
Today I had began my routine as usual, wake up, go to work and come home to make some dinner and relax with a good book. But as I walked home to my apartment from my workplace I began having strange feelings… I felt as if I was being watched, invisible eyes following my every movement.
By the time I reached the door to my apartment complex I began hearing very quiet whispers, I wouldn’t have noticed if there was any noise around. I made my way through the foyer and to the elevator, I stood still, trying to make sense of what the whispers were saying, but to no avail.
I was starting to get a little scared, but continued on trying to look as if I was carrying on as usual. I reached my floor, exited the elevator and made my way down the hallway to my door. When I reached for the handle though, I heard a voice. As clear as day and I am sure I have heard it before.
“It’s her!” a voice stated in shock and relief.
I jumped, startled from the voice, I quickly looked all around me in search of the voice. What is happening to me? Was that even real, or is this all starting to get to me? My heart rate began to slow as I calmed down, I sighed and unlocked my apartment door. Walking in, I closed the door behind me. The whispers and the feeling of being watched suddenly stopped.
Sighing in relief I walked through to my bedroom to take a nap, it’s been a long day. I only have the feeling as if things are going to get worse. Reaching my bedroom I entered and flopped down onto my bed. I lay there in silence for a while, waiting for the whispers to come back, when I was satisfied they wouldn’t, for now at least, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.
By the time I had woken up it was already early the next morning, I had managed to sleep way past dinner and through the night without waking up. Because of my lack of dinner last night, I am now starving. I was far too hungry for some cereal, so I decided to go to the cafe across the street.
I quickly threw on some clothes and made my way out of my apartment and down to street level. I crossed over to the cafe, wallet in hand and entered. I looked around to see not many people were in at this time of the morning. I went and bought myself some pancakes and a coffee and sat down in a booth to the left of the door.
As I began eating someone entered the cafe, it was my good friend Joel, “Hey, Joel!” I waved over to him with a smile. Turning to look at me Joel looked rather happy this morning.
He made his way over to me, his smile quickly turning into a grin, “Hey man, I knew I’d find you here!” he said happily, “You’ll never guess what happened!” he said in an excited voice.
Raising an eyebrow, I looked at him “What would that be?” I asked with a small smile.
“I got free VIP tickets to this new wicked club down the road!” he exclaimed, “I was wondering if you’d come? I mean, it’s not like I have a girlfriend or anything…”
My eyes brightened at the chance to go out and have fun with a friend “Sure, I’d love to go!” I replied, but soon I furrowed my brow “But, where did you get them?”
He laughed, “I dunno, came in the mail this morning.”
“Dude, you don’t know who could’ve sent you those!”
“Well, it came from the owner of the club apparently…”
I arched an eyebrow “Did it give a name?”
“Nah.” he said with a shrug.
I sighed, “It’s probably someone you know.”
“Yeah, probably. Well here’s the ticket, I’ll make sure to come over to your place at 10!” he said handing me the ticket as he walked away, and left the cafe.
I finished up my breakfast and left soon after, though as I left the building, the feeling as if I was being watched began again. My body went rigid slightly, but tried to look natural. I decided to spend the rest of my day in my apartment, this was a bit too much for me.
I crossed the road and entered the apartment building, the whispering sounds started again, though more clearly this time. I could make out words barely, but nothing that made completely sense.
I arrived at my apartment and the whispering still went on. I quickly entered my home, slamming the door behind me and I flopped onto the sofa, pulling a pillow over my head.
“She can hear us?” asked a voice out of nowhere. I know that voice, I heard it the last time this began.
“I think so, Twilight…” and all went quiet. That name, I heard someone speak Twilight Sparkles name! I knew this was all connected. I began shaking slightly, I was rather scared about what was happening to me. Who wouldn’t be?
I still felt the eyes on me, I didn’t know what to do, just sit there, or tell them I know they’re there? “Who are you?” I asked the open air around me. I heard a quick, yet quiet gasp from somewhere.
“Lyra? Is that really you?” came what I remember as Twilight Sparkle’s voice.
I sat in silence for a moment “I got a scroll from someone called Twilight Sparkle a year ago… is that you?” I asked, looking around.
“Oh my gosh… you actually received my letter? Lyra, I know you don’t know anything of your real life, but we here back in Ponyville want you back! Bon-Bon has been in a deep state of depression for such a long time, she misses you so much… you meant the world to her.” Twilight said in a defeated manner.
“Now Twilight, it’s okay…” came an older, more wise sounding voice.
“I don’t know who you all are, I am so sorry… I wish I knew who Bon-Bon was, I could come back and comfort her. But I don’t, I don’t remember anything you claimed I was.” I said sadly.
I heard a quiet sob from who I assumed was Twilight Sparkle, I felt like the entire world was on my shoulders right now, “But… If I truly do belong there… I would like my old life back.” there was a sharp gasp, I don’t know who that came from this time, but it sounded almost relieved.
“Twilight, you said in your letter to me that all my life I had felt as if I didn’t belong. I have never heard truer words before. You told me to continue my mission, to bring the magic of friendship to this world. That I have done, even if it was on a smaller scale. I brought together my friends, who once hated one another, and now they are the best of friends.” my voice sounded with pride as I spoke this.
“I have done what I came for, and I have great friends now. But I don’t belong, I have left friends and family behind to pursue this dream. I know that leaving behind my friends here isn’t ideal, but… I feel as if I have to.” tears were rolling down my cheeks as I spoke.
With a sniff, I looked up to the ceiling “Twilight, I just have one question.”
The sound of quiet sobbing met my ears, and I heard a loud sniff “Yes, anything Lyra…”
“If I do come back… will I get to keep my memories from here?”
There was silence for what felt like the longest time “I… I think I can do that, yes… but, why? Won’t it be hard for you to remember the life you had to leave behind?”
I thought for a moment, “Yes… it’ll be hard, but the least I can do is remember the friends I made, because they will never see me again.”
“Truly noble words, Lyra Heartstrings.” said that wise, yet motherly voice.
I chuckled, is that really my name? With a smile I relaxed more, letting my rigid body loosen, “So, how will I get back then?”
“Princess, will you help me open the portal?” Twilight asked the other who was with her.
“Indeed I will, Twilight.” the voice responded, with what I assumed was a smile.
After about a minute of waiting in silence a small purple ripple appeared in thin air just by the side of the sofa, soon followed by an explosion of purple light. I flinched and closed my eyes at this, though when opening I saw the rounded portal floating silently.
“Lyra, when you go through you will return to your real form.” Twilight said softly.
“O-okay…” I stuttered, I tried to calm myself with a long breath.
With a loud gulp I stood up and made my way to the front of the portal. This was it... I stood still as I looked at the bright purple portal which stood before me. I now had a choice, the choice Twilight Sparkle wrote about in her scroll. The choice which scared her. Would I go through? Or stay here and live my life?
My heart rate began going up, I was so nervous. Twilight said that when, or if I went through I would be returned to my 'real' body. Did I really want this? I pondered for a few moments... yes.
I was about to walk through when I realised I had forgotten to leave out that note! I rushed into my bedroom, opened my bedside table and took out the letter. I walked over to the coffee table near my sofa and set out the letter for whoever came in would find it easily.
I made my way over to the shimmering purple glow... and took a step forward. Everything went white as I passed out.
I groaned as I moved around in the bed uncomfortably, I was too tired to open my eyes... but I didn't know where I was, I heard hoofsteps come towards the bed and some quite muttering. Wait hoofsteps? My memories began flooding back to me, my life as a filly, the first day of Magic Kindergarten, when I met Twilight, when I moved to Ponyville and met Bon-Bon! Wait...
I opened my eyes slowly and looked over to where a cream coloured earth pony with a purple and pink mane stood, tears flowing from her eyes as she looked down at me with the happiest smile I have ever seen.
"Bon-Bon?"
