Subterranean Homesick Unicorn
Though I didn’t notice, it was a nice day. Summer was coming to a close, as were all of its activities. Everyone was enjoying the final hours of summer, soaking up the last of the warm sun before a chill spread throughout the air. As they always do, laughter and smiles surrounded me while I strolled through the town’s streets alone, looking out for stones and other items on the ground.
Friends greeted me as I passed, pressing me on how I was doing and what I had planned for the rest of the day.
“Not much,” I would tell them, “just out to enjoy another day.”
Many would ask me to attend whatever gathering or event they were going to with them.
“It’ll be a blast!”
“You’ll really enjoy yourself!”
“You ought to enjoy yourself every once in a while!”
My answer was always filled with ambiguity. I might attend, maybe I’ll make an appearance, suppose saying a few hellos wouldn’t hurt. That would put a smile on their face, but not on mine.
My mind was too occupied with other thoughts.
I kept walking along, eventually making my way out of town. While the sun began to set, I watched as my hooves flattened the grass beneath them, the healthy green blades touching my turquoise fur. Small insects floated away as I approached them, their wings buzzing close to my ears.
I could smell autumn in the air, even if it was still several weeks away. I must’ve forgotten the smell of summer, the sweet scent that I obsessed over as a filly. I hadn’t caught a whiff of it all season. Throughout the long days, I subconsciously searched for it, hoping to reunite myself with an old friend, but disappointment must’ve had a thing for me.
Looking over my shoulder, I could see my town in the distance, the setting sun casting a shadow over it. My friends were probably at home, preparing for the events they had planned. Wonder how many of them were actually hoping I would show up.
The air now feeling cool against my fur, I watched my own shadow grow as the Sun disappeared from the sky. In the east, the Moon began to rise, occupying the spot that the Sun had kept warm all day. Stars flickered alongside it, beautiful twinkling balls of gas that fascinated me.
None of my friends were aware of it. They were all completely oblivious to the beauty that took place above them every single night. Instead, they were busy polishing themselves in the mirror, more concerned with their social life than the magnificent world around them. Every night I watched the sky and haven’t been bored by it once. There was just so much to be seen in it.
A tall, sturdy tree stood on a hill, its branches covered with dark leaves that would meet their end in less than a month. I leaned up against it, sitting down on the thick grass, my hooves feeling the coolness of the dirt surrounding the tree. I dug them into the ground, feeling the pureness of the earth beneath them. Up above, the stars shone brightly, acting as spotlights on all of us actors. Such natural magnificence, so much that it sometimes overtook me in a swarm of emotion.
While I watched the sky, I thought confidently of the beings that are out there. I’m sure they’re watching us down below go about our days, locking up all of our emotions. They must study us all day long, making videos, taking notes, wanting to learn how we function the way we do.
How can a species live like us?
How can we confide feelings inside ourselves and slip into isolation?
We’re all uptight, paranoid, confused, scared, worried.
They ask so many questions and search endlessly for the answers.
I want to view the world like they do. I want to see all of its beauty. There wouldn’t be any Celestia, any Luna, any lies made up to explain why our world functions as it does. These beings only know the truth.
I want to know what they are. Are they ponies or something completely different?
One night, they’ll swoop down and reveal themselves, eager to show me everything they know, show me my life as they see it. I wouldn’t be confused anymore. I wouldn’t be scared anymore. I would finally be calm.
They wouldn’t worry me, no matter what they looked like. No matter if they have fur, scales, or skin, it would not matter. What matters is what they know and what they want to teach me.
Up above, together, we’d watch as everyone below us lives an unfulfilling life, mesmerized by how they lock up their feelings within themselves. So many disappointed ponies, all let down by their emotions.
We’d travel through the cold night, pointing out the pieces of life that fascinate us. The beauty, the horror, all of it would be talked about, debated, and treasured. We’d watch as the princesses themselves wonder about existence. They wonder as much as I do, ironically. The two of them would watch the Sun rise into the sky, covering their world in its warmth. No magic involved in a natural occurrence, despite what some may have always believed.
With these other beings, I would see all the sights I have always wanted to see. Not just Equestria, but other nations. Not just our universe, but countless others, all as complex and fascinating as my own. It would be so captivating, so phenomenal.
Our enlightening journey would eventually come to a close. With a whisper, they would place me back into my quiet life, and depart quietly. I would watch them go and disappear into the stars, knowing that they’ll continue to watch me throughout my lifetime, as well as watching my foals throughout theirs. Their beautiful ship would glimmer in the sky as they vanished, almost as if they were never here.
I would return to my friends, excited to tell them about all of the beautiful things I saw. Of their lives, dreams, hopes, emotions. I would tell them of how wonderful it was, how it changed my life like nothing I had ever experienced before, begging them to come with me on the next journey. While I tear up remembering my journey, my friends would stare, astonished, at my face, as if I were an alien.
“That’s impossible!”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I think you need to take it easy on the daydreaming there, Lyra.”
None of them would believe me, not a single one. They all think I’m crazy, insane, maybe even a freak. They would wrap themselves back up with their ignorance, wanting to go on with their isolated lives. They’d put on their happy façades, desperate to not show their true colors. My friends would shove me away, leaving me alone once more to deal with my wondering, always wondering mind, shutting me out from their artificial lives.
But it’s all right.
I’m all right.
I guess I’m just uptight. Just as paranoid as the rest of them.
We’re all uptight.
