The Multiverse Device

The first thing I thought when I came to was, 'My everything hurts....FUCKKKK!' Or something along the lines of that. The pain in my side and chin were gone, but that didn't help the soreness. I realized it must've been from being thrown into the trees. Twice. I groaned and tried to open my eyes, failing at first, due to the drowsiness inside. But after a few tries, I managed to open them, and keep them open at that. If I was a normal person, what I saw would've surprised me, but living in a apocalypse, meeting two ponies, and greeting mauled by a manticore, nothing surprised me anymore. I opened my eyes to reveal and sea of clouds, as far as I could see. These clouds were different though. Back on Earth, clouds were tainted and gray, but these glowed a vibrant pure white. It but my eyes at first, like when the sun reflects off of snow, and it burns your eyes.

Just then my mind exploded as wave after wave of memories came back. Poison Joke, stalking, ponies, attack, manticore, fight, intense pain, and blackness. I felt lightheaded and lay my head down on the clouds. They were soft and mushy, like marshmallows, but they didn't stick too you. Then that thought came too me. 'If I'm dead, how am I feeling stuff'. I sat up again, gritting my teeth. 'Yep, I can definitely feel stuff! This hurts like a bitch!'.

I struggled a little, but eventually I was able to stand up. I looked behind me, and my jaw dropped. If it could, it would've gone through the clouds. My knees gave way and I crumbled too the ground. I looked back up to see three human figures, standing a few feet away from me.

I struggled to speak, but my voice failed me. For standing before me where my parents, and my brother.

|~~~|

"Hello son" My father said. I glanced between the three of them. They stood in front of me, but their images wavered, so it was hard to make details. But they were definitely my family. Looking harder, I also noticed that they were semi-transparent. I could see the outlines of important things, like the outside of the body, ears, mouth, nose and eyes. But everything else was a faint blue glow. They all bore a smile, or so I thought. They couldn't possibly be happy too see me, not after what I had done.

"M-mom? D-dad? Brian?" I whispered in disbelief. My 'father' crossed his arms. "Wow, so long in the Zombie Apocalypse you forgot how we look eh?" He said coldly, his smile fading. "I expected more of my son". Did I forget to mention that my dad was an abusive alcoholic, and didn't stop drinking? Even in the apocalypse, he was always drunk as fuck. Part of the reason I- "Arthur, don't be so hard on him, he did what was right after all," My mother said, interrupting my train of thoughts.

"Really Jen? You're siding with this failure? He left us to die!" He hollered at her. He turned to me, "By the way, I never loved you!" He said, and disappeared in a glow of bright light.

"Oh, Oliver, please don't mind your fathers words. He just is disappointed in you, that's all" My mother said, forcing a smile onto her face.

I blinked. It's was all too much for me. My brain was going to explode. After a minute of calming down, I asked my mother the question of the year, "Am...am I dead?" I asked no one in particular. Just then, my brother decided to speak up. "Yeah bro, you're dead. Pretty badass though, how you saved the ponies" He said with a brotherly smile.

"How do you know about that?" I gasped?

"You weren't the only brony in the family, you know" He smirked. Wow, we'll played Brian, well played. He stood up, and gave me a toothy grin. "Another question," I started, "Why...can I feel things? I'm dead right?".

My mother sighed, "Yes, you're dead. But not completely. Your body is here, but your soul is not. How did you feel during the apocalypse? Did you want to die or live?" She asked. "I....I told myself that if I died, I would have failed you," I said, looking down. "That means you would do anything to live right?" She asked. I simply nodded, not wanting too look up. "That's why, Oliver, that's why you are half dead, and half alive, your soul is in between. It has not decided what to do. When you were living, you had such a strong urge to live, you basically lived off of it. It infected your soul. Even in the afterlife you still follow that urge, the urge to live," She flicked her hand to the side, "Look".

At first, there was a ripple in the air, but it soon formed into an image. I saw six colorful ponies running through the woods. 'Wow, the mane six' I thought. Twilight was in the front, followed by the other five. They were running through a town, which I assumed was Ponyville, with frantic looks on their faces. I gasped as I noticed something hovering in the air above Twilight. Her horn glowed, and something was floating in her magical aura. I realized that something was me. My arms swayed be my side, and my legs were kicking frantically.

My mother waved a hand through the image, smiling sadly. "You spirit won't let go. Only you can. You have a choice too make son," She said sadly," your soul so badly wants to go back, but only you can confirm it". I stared a her dumbly, "You're saying...I can go back?" I whispered. Wow, I sounded like Fluttershy.

"Yes, you goof, but only if you confirm it" She said, she held out her hand, and a hole appeared a few feet away in the cloud. "When you're ready".

I looked too Brian, "I'm sorry for what happened in Atlanta. I couldn't have done anything, I hope you understand" I said, offering my first for a bro hoof. "C'mon bro, it's fine. It didn't hurt that much anyways!" He said, bumping his fist against mine. Which made me feel 100% more guilty.

I made my way to the hole. I stood on the edge, and looked to my mom. "I love you, see you soon," I said with a tear forming. My mom simply nodded with a smile. She gestured with her hand for me too jump.

I looked down, somehow I knew this was going too hurt.

"I love you, Dad" I whispered to myself.

"I love you too, son" Someone behind me, and I was shoved into the hole.

|~~~|