One Last Chance

There was a strange smell permeating the air. What was it? Strawberries? Not strawberries. Anything but strawberries. There was one fruit Myst could not stand and that was strawberries. He opened his eyes, cursing that aroma for daring to inteerupt his less than peaceful sleep. When he did though, he quickly discovered the party had begun without him. He looked up, his mane falling over his eyes from not being properly brushed that morning. He scanned the room before looking at the ceiling. The streamers were definitely the worst part. He averted his eyes from the monstrosity that was his interior decorating skills and focused his attention on finding his friends. There was Pinkie, by the snack table, and Rarity talking to some ponies he'd never seen before, Twilight was talking to Rainbow Dash, who was looking very confused. Maybe he could help translate. He was fluent in both scientific and normal Equestrian. And besides, he didn't hang out enough with those two. Then again, the only pony he ever did talk to on a regular basis was Fluttershy. Oh well, expand your horizons right? Just, hopefully not enough to form any kind of attachment. Just enough to get some information would be ideal.

"Hello." He said. The two turned to face him, with Twilight speaking first.

"Oh, hey there Myst. Glad to see you're up." She said, with Rainbow Dash trying her best to supress her laughter.

"Up?" Myst asked, obviously confused.

"Did nopony tell you?" Rainbow said, not being able to contain herself any longer. "You fell asleep at the front door, and Applejack had to drag you behind one of the tables. But when Cloud Kicker came in, you started snoring." Myst was not amused, but he could admit that probably was quite funny. He could've sworn that there was something more urgent to attend to. Something incredibly important that required investigation, but he couldn't remember. Did it have something to do with his dream? It was probably just his calendar acting up again. The thing practically had a mind of its own, and it could be very annoying when it wanted to be. Very annoying. One time it genuinely woke him up at one thirty in the morning, just to tell him that he had a dentist appointment… in ten hours. Sometimes he just wanted to throw it in a fire, but it didn't burn, or tear, or get soggy, or even crease. It was just one big indestructible alarm clock. It even invaded his dreams sometimes. For the moment that was the least of his concerns though. That smell was burning his nostrils.

"Do you two smell strawberries?" He asked, intent on finding the source of his problem.

"Yeah," Twilight said. "that's the cake. How long were you asleep?" Myst was doomed, he couldn't just leave, that would be rude. He was trapped, in that room, with the evil cake.

"Oh, okay. Guess I must've dozed off for awhile." He wanted to say more, but he really had nothing else to say. He knew who the party was for, and he knew where that annoying smell was coming from, but that was what friends did, right, made light conversation? Maybe he could talk about… Oh, there was Fluttershy. Well, now he definitely wasn't staying. "Well, I'm glad I could amuse you for a moment. Farewell." The two said goodbye and went back to their conversation. Myst walked off, heading towards his best friend. He approached her, only to realize she was talking to fairly large group of unknown ponies. This would be risky. He didn't like strangers. Well, at least, he didn't like the idea of strangers getting to know him. They asked way too many questions. He decided against it. Sure, he enjoyed her company, but it was really only her company that he enjoyed. He walked off and sat at a table nearby, doing nothing of particular interest. He just sat there. After a few minutes though, he grew restless. He began tapping the table and glancing around, searching for something more exciting to do. Oh no... He was getting bored, wasn't he? No, no way. There was no such thing as boredom for him. He never got bored. He had numbed himself to that concept. There had been days where he had done nothing but stare at a wall ceaselessly, but now after a few minutes he felt bored? He eventually gave in to the boredom and sought out somepony to talk to. All of his friends, barring Vinyl and Lyra, were present. And so he got up from his table and walked over to Pinkie, to congratulate her on another exceptional performance. This party could be defined as 'spectacular' by another. Of course, Myst was never one for parties, he preferred other means of entertainment, such as dinner parties or tea parties or really any other kind of party as long as it had some sort of word in front of it. He approached Pinkie. He knew he shouldn't be making too many connections, but he was hoping to learn more about the Elements of Harmony. Perhaps Pinkie would be the one to ask. She didn't seem like the type to dig too deep.

"Hi there Pinkie, nice work with the party." He said.

"Thanks, Myst! You know, I work really hard on these parties but I think some ponies become desensitised since I've thrown so many. You know, kind of like the law of diminishing returns, but with parties. You know, I've actually made a formula for this. The amount of fun per party not incorporating variables such as a number of ponies there equals the number of parties thrown in a week dived by (parties thrown in a week minus zero point nine). Cool right?" Myst was impressed. That did make a lot of sense. Though he was confused as to how one could quantify something as situational as the enjoyment of an event. It seemed more subjective.

"Very interesting." He said. This pony was very intriguing, to say the least. "So, how are you?" He asked, knowing he would need to segway into the conversation topic of the elements naturally. He couldn't force it.

"I'm doing just dandy Myst! Well, for a second I thought that Cloud Kicker wasn't going to show up and then I would've planned this entire party for nothing and then I would've gotten really sad, and then I might not have been so happy and then this wouldn't have been any fun at all!" Myst could relate. Work was something he didn't take lightly. He never did anything that required work if he didn't believe it was going to achieve something productive.
"Well hey, it's not like you haven't achieved something amazing already. You are an element of harmony." He said. "How do those things work anyway?"

"Oh, well... They seem to repel evil, so long as they're gathered together. I guess it's just our strong connection as friends that makes them go. Why?"

"I was just curious. I've never heard of anything like it. That's all, thanks." He wondered to himself, if it was possible the elements could break the curse. Then he would be free to... No. He could think about that later. He went to discuss something less high-energy with Octavia, or maybe Bon Bon. He spent the next hour bouncing around the party looking for ponies to talk to and getting dragged back into the party by Fluttershy every time he tried to escape. It would've been so easy to just, walk away. But he couldn't bring himself to overpower her. Eventually, Fluttershy decided to just talk to Myst.

"You really don't like parties do you?" She asked.

"I used to," He said, "but now they just annoy me. I had a very exciting life in my early years, but lately, I've decided I'm done with excitement. Now I prefer simple things, like card games, or… I dunno, sleeping?" Dear Celestia. Fluttershy thought she was low energy. But Myst took that concept to the next level. Oh well, maybe he had a bad experience with parties, along with all things fun?

"Yeah. Me too." Fluttershy said. It wasn't totally a lie. She much preferred tea parties to parties like the ones Pinkie threw. But it was almost like Myst didn't want to have fun. "So, have you been enjoying Ponyville?" She asked. She hoped he had been enjoying his stay. She knew it must be hard when any second a tornado could wipe out everything he loved.

"Yes. I have been enjoying my stay here, as best I can." Something was wrong. Myst didn't seem to say those words with any hint of joy. In fact, he actually sounded kind of sad. She felt bad for him. It was obvious he wanted to just live a normal life, but there was too much in the way. He regained his composure within a few seconds though, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "You've been very nice to me, along with everypony else. Thanks." He said, smiling weakly. Fluttershy could sense something was wrong.

"Are you sure? You seem upset." She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… nothing." Myst seemed to deflate a little, as if he had just received horrible news.

"Come on, Myst, you can trust me." She said. Myst looked at her. He wanted to talk to her, but he couldn't this time.

"I'm fine, really. I just remembered something I have to do, it's very important." He lied. But luckily for him, Fluttershy bought the story.
'Alright, what next?'
'Go find her friends.'

"Oh. Okay." She said. That would explain it. That happened to her sometimes too. "Just checking in on my friend." Myst's smile returned. In fact, she'd never seen him happier. Then again, smiles were rare when it came to Myst. It was like there was always something weighing him down.

"Thank you." He said, very sincerely. He walked away, smile still plastered on his face. Step one complete. It was quite fortunate that all her friends were gathered in one place. He walked up to them, trying to maintain his smile.

"Hey there Myst, you look particularly happy today." Applejack said. And now for the final phase.

"Yeah…" He said, drifting off for dramatic effect. "It's just that Fluttershy has been really nice to me over these past few days." He mentally apologised to her for what he was about to do even though she couldn't possibly know what he was thinking. "I, I kinda think I'm falling for her." He walked off, desperately hoping they'd take the bait. He positioned himself in the corner of the room so that the five would have nopony to discuss this with but Fluttershy.

Eventually, Pinkie couldn't contain herself, and she bolted over to Fluttershy, with her friends following her example, not being able to suppress their need to share this new 'information'. Myst made his escape whilst the crowd of ponies conveyed this 'revelation' to her. He didn't really have anywhere to go, but he didn't want to be in there. Then he remembered, this would be an excellent time to fetch his notes.

Myst worked alone. The cafe owner had told Pinkie that they could clean up the party supplies later, and that he would just close down the cafe in the meantime. Myst had snuck in, though, when nopony was looking. Now he was locked in the cafe, with some serious work to do. Well, that's what he deserved. He picked up a broom and began to sweep. He was glad that the windows all had blinds and he had tended to the front door by covering it with streamers. It looked like it was all part of the party décor. He continued sweeping for an hour, collecting every last scrap of confetti. He cleared the tables, took down the still ugly streamers hanging from the ceiling, and then sought out some air freshener to get rid of that putrid smell from the cake. After he had tended to that he examined the walls. They were covered in glitter. He would've liked to wash it off with something low pressure, but he guessed he would have to sweep it off. He took his broom, dusting it off, and started his work on the walls. It was annoying because some of the glitter wouldn't come off. He had to go through the walls three times to clear all of it. Eventually, though, the cafe looked normal. He rearranged the tables to where they were before, and he sprayed down the entire area with air freshener one more time. He hated strawberries, hated them. He picked the lock on the door, something he had taken upon himself to learn, but he did get it unlocked eventually.

Myst strolled out of the cafe, fixing the lock so that the door was still secure. He then made his way back to the cottage, so that Fluttershy wouldn't worry. He cruised in, closing the door behind him.

He kinda wished he had spent a little longer cleaning though. Because there was Fluttershy, looking very agitated. He gave her a cheeky smile, hoping he could just sneak away. Nope.

"You're kidding me right?" She said. Myst knew that stunt was going to bite him eventually. Better soon than later.

"Sorry." Myst said, really meaning it. It must've been really annoying dispelling all that false information.

"I had to spend ten minutes trying to wrestle my way out of a crowd of my friends who kept bugging me about something you said. I cant even remember. Umm. Something you said about falling for me." She said.

"Sorry, but, I needed an effective distraction." Myst said.

"Really Myst? Most ponies don't leave parties in the first place, let alone throw their friends at their other friends for a suitable distraction." Fluttershy was getting irritated.

"Once again, I'm sorry Fluttershy. You know I don't like parties, and I remembered something, and it just ruined my day, okay?" He said that last word with an unexpected, scary kind of enthusiasm. Fluttershy knew Myst's past was like a minefield, you had to be careful, or you'd hit something you didn't want to. But Fluttershy was done with that. And she'd be damned if she let Myst sneak away again. She was his friend, and it was her duty to provide moral support, comfort.

"No. Not okay, Myst." She said. Myst was taken aback. "You need my help. And because you won't ask for it, I'll just help you without your permission." She said in that half yelling half whispering tone that Myst kind of feared. She was pushing. Nopony had pushed him any further than he had let them before. Well, that's what friends did, wasn't it? But still, this was different. This was something only one other pony knew about, and she was long gone. This was something he was hoping to take to his grave... Wait. This could be it. If he chose his words carefully and thought everything through. He might be able to convince her that he was too guilty to stay, then he'd leave, find somewhere else to stay, and mission accomplished. She'd be safe. As long as none of his emotional bonds was too strong, the calamity that would seek after him wouldn't be too dangerous, likely it would still claim lives, but hey, at least it wouldn't be her's.
'I think I have an idea.'
'I hear you. I think you should go for it. She's too innocent. We can't let her get involved.'

"Fine then." He said, he still didn't enjoy ponies prying into his life like it was a library. Then again, this was Fluttershy. If anypony deserved to know his secrets, it was her. "If you really want to know my life, I will divulge it to you, but may I tend to something first?" He asked.

"Sure. But, please hurry Myst. I'm worried about you." Fluttershy said, concerned with how badly Myst was trying to avoid the issue. Myst nodded and walked off, heading to the guest room. Once he reached the room, he began to pack. He had very little. It would all fit into his saddlebags, which he hated wearing. But he'd be living out of those for a little while until he could find more permanent lodging. After all, this story would mark the end. The end of his secluded life, and the end of his only friendship. Regardless of how sympathetic Fluttershy felt, she would never be able to look at him straight again. And even if somehow she managed to forgive him, he would never forgive himself. And so it ended here. he seriously regretted teaching her so much about ancient magic. That was a family secret. He should've just shut his mouth. Instead, he let the desire to feel some sort of connection cloud his thinking. Myst could feel his heart rate beginning to speed up. He could no longer hide from his fate. He walked down the stairs and looked at Fluttershy. The two sat down and he began his story.

"It all began when a unicorn was born."

Fluttershy said nothing. She just stared at him. What was she supposed to say? She pushed too far. "Myst." She said. "I'm sorry, but please, don't let it change anything." She tried so hard, he noted. Oh well, her efforts were in vain, and he really didn't care.

"I wish it didn't have to." He said. He walked back upstairs to grab his things, before leaving through the front door. She cared so much, or at least, she pretended to. There was no way she actually still cared, was there? Not after that. He hoped it was the right decision. What if she went to the police? No. Celestia would handle that. He was safe, and, so was she. Myst stopped once he reached Ponyville, sighing very audibly. He did it. He had figured out a careful way to minimise the chances of her getting involved. He wandered about, not wanting nor needing shelter, but eventually succumbing to his desire to sleep on a bed. He checked in to a motel and unpacked his things. He spread his calendar out on the floor, along with eight old notebooks. His notes, they were key to unlocking the secrets of ancient magic. Eight treasures of his bloodline. He didn't feel safe having them lie on the floor, so he locked them in a cabinet. He verified some dates and drew in some images on his calendar. Nothing particularly useful to him, but he was bored and lonely, and he didn't like it there. But he had to leave. It was too dangerous for her. He wanted to return to the time before friends before he had the urge to reach out to others. It was almost a blissful time. But he had touched heaven and now Equestria felt more like a prison. Oh well. There was no point in sulking. He collapsed into his bed and let sleep take him away from cruel reality…

Again? Where? The field, again. Interesting. This time, there were many towering trees. It wasn't so much a field anymore, as a forest. It seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction, almost completely blocking the dim sun. The air itself seemed to be covered in a dull gradient, slightly obstructing his vision. He looked left. In the distance, there was the outline of a pony, except less red, more of a jet black colour. It seemed to be the exact same dream, except for the pony in the distance and the forest. Myst glanced around. Once again, nothing was happening. He started walking, but for some reason, the scenery moved with him, making it seem as if he wasn't moving at all. He assumed, that he was being forced by the confines of his own mind, towards the shadowy figure. However, the closer he got, the more distorted the mirage became. Soon it looked like two, then three, until finally, four ponies stood before him. He recognised their composure and builds; their mane styles as well. No. Not them. Please. He soon found them walking past him, towards something in the background. It was him, wasn't it? It would've been best if he didn't turn around. After all, he was lucid. He could just... not. But he couldn't. He knew how the story ended. Myst shifted himself so he could face them, trying to move towards them, but finding himself unable to move, some greater force holding him in place. He looked up and saw a massive cloud of darkness swarming towards him, propelling itself towards his shadows. He knew it wouldn't help, but he called out to them. They took no heed, as the typhoon of darkness hit them and him full force. He strained to see as the shadows disappeared one by one, clearing the trees and blowing away the landscape like dust, leaving nothing left but him, nothing but him. He didn't need this. He tried, he tried so hard. Please...

-5 Days Left-