Equestria - A Nomad Soul

"Kayl, do you know anything about this book?"

After Twilight's reveal of the book, Kayl had remained quiet for a moment, feeling like an eternity for both parties. The silence, now broken, had been Kayl's only defense against his shame.

"Where did you find that?"

Kayl's question couldn't have been more telling of his guilt, and he truly had no reason to ask it. He knew the answer.

"I found it on a shelf, it was hidden behind another book."

Kayl nervously laughed, "Yes well, books do belong on shelves don't they?"

Twilight didn't laugh, nor did she smile. She clearly didn't find the joke humorous.

"Yes, but this is a very special book. I could tell it was special when I had finished sorting the books, and I remember placing this book on top of a stack with the rest of the books we received from the library."

Kayl's wall of defense was crumbling, weakening with each mortar that Twilight sent his way.

Twilight placed her hoof on the book cautiously, "Did you move the book there?"

Kayl paused for a moment. Despite how much he would have gained from deceiving them, he couldn't resist her.

"Yes..."

Twilight took a deep breath, "This morning you were asking about Star Swirl the Bearded. Did you know that Star Swirl the Bearded kept this journal?"

Kayl could barely speak above a whisper, "Yes..."

Twilight's eyes narrowed in on Kayl, with fire burning behind them. Each word Twilight pushed out was filled with shock and disappointment.

"Did you read this journal?"

Kayl stammered, unwilling to answer to his crime, "Well I mean, it's a very confusing book..."

Twilight slammed her hoof on the book. As she did, the shimmer on the book's cover gave a spark of light. Twilight shouted her question again.

"Did you read this journal, Kayl!?"

Kayl was broken. He had come back to Ponyville hoping to be received as a friend. Now he felt as a criminal. Perhaps he had committed a crime, wishing to be an illegal immigrant to Equestria.

Kayl's breath shook as he forced his confirmation out from his lips.

"Twilight, let me explain..."

Kayl's words were drowned out next to the flood of Twilight's anger.

"Kayl! Do you have any idea what this book contains? Listen, Star Swirl the Bearded met a traveler from another world. A world of bi-pedal creatures, where there is no magic! This journal contains a spell that could very well send you home! This may very well be the one answer to sending you home! Why in all of Equestria would you go and hide it?"

Kayl shrugged, "Well, I mean, there's no guarantee that it would work right?"

Twilight shrieked, "Kayl! What the hell is wrong with you? How in all of Celestia's name am I supposed to help you return home if you take possibly the only piece of evidence that might help us and hide it away! Thank goodness I was able to see the shimmer of the title from behind the other book, or else I might never had noticed it!"

Kayl's mind jumped from place to place, and it suddenly lurched into defensive mode.

"Yes well," Kayl spoke without thinking, "Why were you looking through the books anyway!? Just trying to find something to get me in trouble?"

Twilight's reaction was filled with confusion and disbelief, but also pain.

"For your information, Kayl," Twilight fumed behind gritted teeth. "I was so excited about the idea you might be going to get a book about Star Swirl the Bearded that I was combing through my older books to see what ones I might not have!"

Kayl stammered to apologize, but Twilight didn't want to hear it.

"How dare you insinuate that I have some kind of ulterior motive to hurt you! How can you think like that after last night! After this morning!? Do you think this is a game? That if I keep myself busy long enough that you'll have some reason to hate me!?"

Kayl gasped and shook his head, "No, it's not like that! I want to be your friend! I am your friend! Please don't be mad!"

Twilight slammed a hoof on the table, "Then why did you hide this!?"

Suddenly, a new fear came over Kayl. More than hurting Twilight, he wondered how deeply he had dug his grave. He had delighted so greatly in the prospect of remaining in Equestria. Now, perhaps it was clear that Twilight was not going to abide by that. Even if she would have before, she would not now.

Kayl's four knees quaked, and Twilight stood there firmly. She was waiting for her answer patiently, and Kayl couldn't speak. And for a moment, Twilight might have appeared to be softening her tone. But Kayl was over come by fear.

With a flash he had turned and bolted out of the door, slamming through the door with his hooves. From behind him he heard Twilight calling after him, but he neither heard what she said, nor cared to stop. He had to run, running was all he could think about, not his guilt or shame, not his desires to stay in Equestria. Not friendship or the lessons he had learned.

As he ran through the darkening streets of Ponyville, by chance he happened to stumble past five other familiar faces. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie had all been strolling through town together. Kayl blew past them as they all turned and called out to Kayl.

From behind them, Kayl could hear Twilight calling to them.

"Stop Kayl!" Was all he could hear, and his heart quickened and his panic rose.

He tried to duck through side ways, but he was unfamiliar with the lay out of the city. Soon enough, he was backed into an alley. As he turned to make his escape, the six ponies he had called friends had surrounded him.

"Listen sugar cube, calm down alright? What's got you all excited?" Applejack's calm voice did very little relax Kayl's nerves.

Rainbow Dash kept a position above, ready to dive on Kayl if he tried to escape by air no doubt.

"Hey slick, if I knew you wanted to race, you should have said something!"

Kayl laughed, "No, I don't think I could beat you in a race." Sweat beat down his head as his eyes turned from one pony to another.

Twilight stamped a hoof, "Kayl! This is gone far enough! What is wrong with you!?"

Rarity put a hoof on Twilght's shoulder, "Twilight, whatever is going on? Would you please explain it to us?"

Twilight took a deep breath, and calmly explained.

"Kayl found a book that contains an answer to send him back home..."

There was a great amount of cheering amongst the other ponies, all except for Twilight and Kayl.

"Yes, but then he hid the book in a shelf in hopes that I wouldn't find it!"

The others scratched their heads in confusion, suddenly also perplexed by these turn of events.

"Kayl, why on earth would you want to hide the one thing that could send you home?" Fluttershy walked softly to Kayl. It was that soothing glow from Fluttershy that broke him down.

"Enough alright! I hid the book!"

Kayl screamed out as tears started to stream down his face.

"I found the book last night after Twilight went to sleep! I hid the book because I didn't want Twilight to find it, it's true!"

Kayl panted and shook his head, "I didn't want anyone to find it, because..."

It took all of his strength to force out his words, "Because I don't want to leave..."

There was a great gasp around him. His crimes were now clear. But something just as amazing happened.

"Kayl," began Twilight quietly, "Why didn't you just tell us that? I thought you wanted to return home."

Kayl laughed weakly and shook his head. He stood up tall, ready to defend and fight for his new found friendship. He wasn't going to be deterred, and if this was where he was taken down for his desire, then so be it.

"I did, when I first got here I couldn't think of any world where I wouldn't rather be than Equestria. But that's different now! You six, six amazingly wonderful friends, have melted my heart. You taught me the magic of friendship in a way that I had never known it before!

And I've fallen in love with each of you, and this world! This whole world is wondrous! Everything about it is a glorious gem of life and friendship. Love and harmony are ever present wherever I turn! I'm overwhelmed, and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be?"

Applejack chuckled, "Well you're mighty considerate, Kayl. We think you're rather great too!"

Twilight shook her head, "But Kayl, are you sure about this? What about your home? Your friends? You'd be abandoning them all? Is that really what you want?"

Kayl turned to Twilight, "What home? What friends? Twilight, in my world I have no friends, and my house is just a place I stay. Not to mention that at this moment, I don't think too many people would miss me if I didn't return."

There was a gasp amongst them, with Pinkie Pie's being loudest.

"But we would miss you! You are a great party animal!" Pinkie Pie whimpered helplessly.

Kayl laughed, "Yes, and I would miss you all too. So, why shouldn't I stay then?"

There was a great amount of murmuring from the others. None could quite come up with an answer to that. Twilight however was quiet, listening intently to Kayl. Only now did she speak.

"Kayl, I think you're being to brash. For starters, you shouldn't worry about the party with your work mates. You might have to work harder to be friends with them, but it's never too late to be friends! Why, when I went to earth, Sunset Shimmer had spent all of her time trying to hurt others, and I'm sure she would find a way."

Kayl shook his head, "I'm not so sure about that, besides. Have you actually returned to Earth since then? Are you sure Sunset Shimmer is making friends?"

Twilight shook her head, "I haven't returned, but there are plenty of cases where ponies here have been able to make a new start! Why couldn't you?"

Kayl sighed, "I think the situations are different. Even if I could, people in my world aren't as willing to want to be friends as ponies are here."

Applejack shrugged, "I don't know about that. There are plenty of ponies who don't want to be friends. But, I guess we all do get along. Don't people get along in your world?"

Kayl shook his head harshly, "No they don't! There's war, hatred, and bigotry everywhere! Everyone is filled with greed and even I had fallen to their level. The truth is, I don't want to go back..."

Twilight scratched her chin, "This world is not so much greater than your world. Sure, this world has magic. But your world has great scientific marvels. It has such creativity and imagination!"

Kayl laughed, "Yes, but you don't know the atrocities that our people have done!"

Twilight nodded her head, "Yes I do, when I visited earth, I took time to study your people. I learned about a great many things that happened in your world. And, I admit, it's not something I would want to see happen here."

Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight, "You never told us anything about Earth..."

Twilight shook her head, "No, I believed that information should stay there. I admit Kayl, your world has some horrible past times. But it does have something that this world doesn't..."

Kayl cocked his head to one side, "What's that?"

Twilight sighed, "In your world, people can do any number of things they want. They can be good at so much! They can get tired of doing one thing, and work on doing something else. They're so diverse!"

Kayl laughed, "Twilight, you're all the most diverse group I've ever met!"

"Yes," admitted Twilight with a smile, "But our destinies are tied to our cutie marks. Everything we are surrounds them, and it defines what we are to an extent."

Kayl looked back at his flank, "But I don't even have one, so what does that mean? That I couldn't stay here because I don't have a destiny?"

Twilight scratched her chin in thought, "I had thought about that. Because you're certainly talented Kayl. But, where we're all talented in one thing or another, you are talented in many areas! And no, that doesn't mean you're perfect.

But what it does mean is that you have so many talents that it would be hard to say what your cutie mark could be. So then I thought, 'What if you don't have a cutie mark for a reason?' and it clicked!"

Twilight smiled and looked at her own cutie mark, "I'm not saying I don't love who I am, but the talent you have to be good at anything you put your mind to? Kayl, you have a cutie mark, I think. The cutie mark is blank, because you don't have to let anything define you! And would you want to give that up?"

Kayl shook his head, "I don't, but I don't care if I don't get a cutie mark either. I stopped caring about that as soon as I spoke to Princess Celestia today."

Pinkie Pie jumped up and cheered, "Then he gets to stay!?" Pinkie smiled brightly at Twilight, looking for her approval.

Twilight sighed, giving a weak smile from Pinkie Pie to Kayl.

"Kayl, I don't know if you're making the right choice. But at the same time, I suppose I can't be sure you're making the wrong choice. But, you have to make this choice carefully."

Twilight pulled out The Journal of Star Swirl the Bearded, "According to this journal, if you can not call earth your home, then the spell will not work. Once you are sure and make this choice, you may never get a chance to change it. Are you sure you have no reason to want to go back? What about your family?"

Kayl's breath stuttered at the mention of his family, "My family? You mean my mother and father?"

Perhaps they would have missed him, Kayl would admit. Perhaps there might even be others who would miss having him around. But as he thought of his family, he thought of the words his mother told him when he was much younger.

"The most important thing is that you're happy Kayl, wherever you go after that is up to you."

Kayl smiled and nodded at Twilight, "Everyone, I'm sure. I can think of no better place to call home then here..."

There was a great amount of cheering amongst the others, and even Twilight had to admit her defeat.

"Well," Twilight said, putting the book away, "I suppose the only thing left is..."

Kayl smiled and nodded, waiting for Twilight to finish her sentence. She stood there with a smile on her face, mouth open and ready to speak. She was still, and the more Kayl looked at her, the more Kayl found it odd that she was standing so perfectly still.

Then his eyes were diverted, not only Twilight, but everyone had fallen silent. They were all still, even Pinkie Pie who had frozen in mid air. Rainbow Dash had just launched from the ground, but had frozen mid flight. Suddenly, Kayl became frighteningly aware that everything had stopped moving.

"Embrace the light Kayl."

Kayl first felt the shock of pain to his chest. Something burning inside of him, a pain greater then he had ever felt. It gripped at his chest and threw him to his four knees. As Kayl looked around for the source of the voice he saw from the end of the alley a dark smoke seeping down the alley.

"Kayl, it is time to leave this place."

Kayl turned, now aware that Princess Luna was standing near by.

"Princess Luna! Wait! I don't want to leave! What's going on? Why is the darkness taking me?"

Princess Luna made no movement, her lips merely repeated again, "Embrace the light Kayl."

Kayl began to cry as the shadows crawled farther into the alley. And then, with a whisk of movement, Applejack vanished.

"No! Applejack!" Kayl cried out, but the pain in his chest was growing. The pain was so great, he began to hear sounds. Beeping, yelling, crying, and a great amount of commotion all at once. And before Kayl could even begin to contemplate it. Soon Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were all taken by the shadow. Each smiling and laughing just as they had when Kayl was sure he had found eternal happiness.

"Please! Princess Luna make this stop! I don't want to go! I want to stay here, please don't send me away!"

Princess Luna did not answer. Soon the shadow took her as well, and she was gone.

Kayl scrambled towards Twilight, reaching out to grab on to her. She was cold to the touch, but Kayl wrapped his limbs around her, trying desperately to hold on to his first friend.

"Please Twilight, do something! Please save me from this! I don't want to go yet!"

But she could not answer. She was wearing the same pleasant smile she had before, but Kayl noticed that deep in her eye, Twilight had begun forming a tear. Kayl began to cry into Twilight's shoulder, but soon nothing was left to support him, and he fell to the ground.

All around Kayl, there was darkness. His pain was immense, the noises grew louder, and Kayl could \only weep helplessly.

"Please! No! I don't want to go! I want to stay! Please, don't let me go! Mom please!"

And then, there was nothing. Darkness had completely enveloped Kayl, and he could not see even his own limbs. The pain Kayl had once felt, pain immeasurable, had now subsided. And all of the commotion that he had heard. The screaming, crying, and beeping that he had heard were all gone. All except one.

The high pitched endless tone of a heart monitor, and its patient who had breathed its last.