To Feel Is To Understand: Love, Sorrow, and Despairby ArthurPaigeChaptersHuman Roots In Equestria?Kinda Feels Like Deja VuWhat's Worse? Rejection Or Heartbreak?The AuditionStrained FriendshipsThe Calm Before The StormA Complicated SituationSo Everything Is Back To Normal?Human Roots In Equestria?I turn around seeing Inkwell, the first friend I made since arriving in Equestria. “Yeah, that’s me.” I say. “So this is how a human looks. Very interesting.” Inkwell says. Before walking around me, examining me. “How do you know about humans?” I ask. “You told me about them, we had that conversation, remember?” Inkwell asks. Actually, I don’t. “Oh yeah! I remember. So I assume you’re doing good, Inkwell?” I say. “Oh yeah, never better. Got a new story in the works.” Inkwell says. “I hope it’s not another cliffhanger.” I say jokingly. “I’m joking. That's great. I know you’ll outdo yourself this time.” “What about you? How have you been?” Inkwell asks. “Yeah, I was just getting a check-up. Me and Twilight broke up. And, I went on a trip with my friends, we went up north to see the mountains. It was a great week, and I met somepony. Her name is Derpy Hooves, she’s a mailmare. She works at the post office just up the way. Whew, that was a mouthful.” I say. “That’s too bad. You guys were great together.” Inkwell says. “Yeah it was great to be lied to, and to be used.” Nexus says. “Well, it is what it is, I guess.” I say. “So. Mountains, huh? I’ve always wanted to go camping. Never had the chance.” Inkwell says. “It’s was great, you know? It was just the four of us, Me, Moon, Potato, and Uyada. We had to come back a couple days early, because most of our supplies went missing.” I say. “What did you say her name was? Derly? Derpy! And you said she works at the Ponyville Post Office?” Inkwell asks. “Yeah, she’s a delivery mare there. We went on two dates so far. I think she’s a keeper, but I don’t know, it’s a little too early to tell.” I say. “Well, it was nice seeing you.” Inkwell says. “Wait! What are you doing in Ponyville? I thought you were happy in Vanhoover.” I ask. “I came out here for inspiration. Being stuck in my little apartment kind of dampened my creativity. It’s nice to get out sometimes, right?” Inkwell says. “How long are you staying?” I ask. “Just for a couple of months.” Inkwell says. “Cool. I’ll see you later, then.” I say. “Have a good one.” Inkwell says. Inkwell walks away. “Lying to your friend? That’s not cool, Arthur.” Nexus says. “He can’t know, no one has to.” I say. I walk to Twilight’s castle. When I reach the front doors, I feel a sharp sting inside my chest. I grab my chest, wincing while doing so. The pain stops. “Fuck! What the hell was that!?” I ask. “Are you okay?” An unknown pony asks me. “I’m fine.” I grunt. “Never better.” I say. I look at the source of the voice. A female unicorn, she has an aquamarine coat, with a cyan mane, that has a white streak in it. She has a lyre for a cutie mark. “Are you a hooman?” The unicorn asks. “A what?” I ask. “A hooman. Wait, I have a picture.” She starts digging in her saddlebag. ”Hold on. I know it’s here somewhere.” The unicorn says. A couple seconds later, she stops digging, she pulls out a book. She levitates the book in the air and looks through it. “See? A hooman.” She turns the book to me, and points to it. It shows a picture of a person sitting on a rock. “Oh! A human. Yeah, i’m a human.” I say. The unicorn gasps, then excitedly asks. “Can I get a picture with you?”. I chuckle then say “Sure. You got a name?”. The unicorn says “Oh! I forgot. My name is-” “Lyra! Come on! We’re going to miss the movie!” A pony standing in front of the movie theater yells. “That’s my best friend, we are going to watch a movie.” Lyra says. “Maybe another time? My name is Arthur Paige, by the way.” I say. “Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Arthur!” Lyra says, while running to her friend. “Likewise, Lyra!” I say. “Wait! You forgot your-” The two friends walk into the theater. ”Never mind.” I say. I pick the book off of the ground and dust it off. The title says “The History of the Human Tribe”. “How did humans end up in Equestria?” I ask. I open the book to the first page. Chapter 1-The Arrival of the Humans They came in a pack, seemingly out of nowhere. They walked on their back legs, they only had hair on top of their heads and faces, one even had hair under, and around his muzzle. They had appendages coming out of the ends of their upper and lower legs. They used their upper legs to grab objects. “This is huge.” I say. Kinda Feels Like Deja Vu“I have to tell-. Huh, feels like deja vu.” I say. I knock on the castle doors. A couple seconds later, Spike opens them. “Hello, Arthur. Come in. Twilight is in the library.” Spike says. I walk inside of the castle. Then start walking towards the library. I reach the library’s doorway, then knock. “Come in!” Twilight says from behind the door. I open the door then walk inside it. “Hello, Arthur. I’ve been expecting you. Please, have a seat.” Twilight says. I sit down on a chair facing Twilight. “Derpy said there is something going on with my gauntlet; care to explain?” I ask. “There was something. But now, nothing.”. She points to a table with the Elemental Gauntlet on it. Twilight says “All the gems were flashing simultaneously, in a pattern. It kept repeating it until earlier today. I wrote it down on a paper, if you want to look at it. I don’t recognize the structure of this pattern.” I look down on the paper, all there is, is dots and dashes, with some slashes “Morse?” I ask. “Morse? What’s that?” Twilight asks. “It’s an alphabet or code in which letters are represented by combinations of long and short signals of light or sound. The thing is, I don’t have a decoder.” I say. “Very interesting, indeed. Can you put the gauntlet on? I want to see what will happen.” Twilight asks. I put on the gauntlet, nothing happens; at first. A couple seconds later, the gems light up then start flashing, a morse code is forming before my eyes. “Twilight! Write this down!” I say. I point the top of the gauntlet towards Twilight. She begins writing down the combination. A few minutes later, the combination stops. “Hey. It stopped.” Twilight says I look at the gauntlet all the gems are off. “Hmm. Twilight I found-”. I say before getting cut off. “Arthur! I sense something inside you. I think it may be serious. Let me run some tests.” Twilight says. “It can wait. I found this book, actually, no, a unicorn, named Lyra, left it when we met earlier.” I say. I pass Twilight the book Lyra left beside me. Twilight levitates it to herself. “You met Lyra? You know, she is into humans.” Twilight asks. “Yeah? Well I gotta go, I got plans tonight. Oh! I’m taking the gauntlet.” I say, before waving goodbye to Twilight. I walk outside the castle. I grab my chest. “Goddamn! What is that?!” I say. “Man, I hate that alicorn.” Nexus says. “I’m just gonna tune you out. I have to get stuff ready for me and Derpy’s date tonight.” I say. “You sure she isn’t going to use you, like that poor excuse of an alicorn?” Nexus says. “Twilight is not a poor excuse. She’s still learning the ropes of being a princess. Alright shut up now.” I say. The sharp sting returns. I grab my chest, then say “I’m running out of time.” Author's Note Here's the Morse Messages Twilight's Message : .- .-. - .... ..- .-. / -- ..- ... - / -.. .. . Arthur's Message : -... . .-- .- .-. . What's Worse? Rejection Or Heartbreak?“I think everything is taken care of. What do you think, Twilight?” I ask, while showing her my checklist. “I think, she’s lucky to have somepony like you.” Twilight says, before smiling at me. “Oh, here she comes.” I say. My heart beats faster. “Hey, Arthur. I just got off of my shift. Want to go do something?” Derpy asks. “I was too scared to ask. So I planned a date, for us.” I say. “Oh! Arthur I-.” Derpy says, before I cut her off. “Derpy. This day is for us. Think of it as a day off.” I say. “That’s sweet, Arthur. Really, it is. But, i’m not ready to start dating right now.” Derpy says. “Oh shit! You just got rejected!” Nexus says. “But, I got a last minute table reservation. I had a boat ride planned. I was even going to play my guitar for you.” I say. “Should’ve asked way before.” Nexus says. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m just too tired to do anything. If you asked before you got in the hospital, I could’ve took the day off. Besides, you are like a brother to me.” Derpy says. My eyes tear up. “It’s fine. I’ll just cancel the activities.” I say, while trying not to cry. “Are you crying?” Derpy asks. I thought we had something, but obviously, we didn’t. “No. Dust got in my eye.” I say, while rubbing my eyes. “All that effort, just to get rejected. You got friendzoned, man! Right in front of Twilight too! Oh fuck! Best day ever.” Nexus says, while laughing. “I better go, then.” I say. I walk away from Derpy and Twilight. “Arthur! Wait!” Derpy says. “No. It’s fine. I know I probably came off as weird or something.” I say. “No! It’s not that! You’re walking on-.” Derpy says. The bridge i’m walking on breaks, with a loud snap. I fall into a creek. “Fuck! So cold!” I say. I get out of the water. I shiver as I say, “At least this day can’t get any worse.” “Arthur!” Moon, says in the distance. Moon is running towards me. He stops beside Derpy and Twilight. “Arthur! Hi Derpy. Hey Twilight. Why are you wet, Arthur?” Moon says, in between breaths. “It doesn’t matter. Why are you here?” I ask, still shivering. “Dr. Excavare wants to see you. He’s at the lab.” Moon says. “What does he want?” I ask. “I don’t know. He just told me to come get you. Judging by his face, it isn’t good.” Moon says. “Who wants to bet against me getting fired. No one? Okay.” I say. 13 minutes later “You wanted to see me?” I ask. “Yes. Please, sit down.” Dr. Excavare says. I sit down on a chair in front of the doctor’s desk. “Mr. Paige, are you aware that some of our tools went missing?” Dr. Ex asks. “No. Actually i’m not.” I say. “They disappeared about the same day you decided to have your little break.” Dr. Ex says. “Wait. You aren’t pinning this on me, are you?” I ask. “Maybe I am? Tools have gone missing. You don’t show up to work for two weeks! Moon tells me you have been hiding things from me. I ought to fire you.” Dr. Ex says. I swear he was going to flip his desk. “But, I want to see what your new body can do.” Dr. Ex says. “Excuse me? For a minute there, I thought you were firing me.” I say. I am, if you don’t prove yourself useful. I’m bringing you to the site i’m currently working at. Think of it as an audition. If you do good, you won't get fired, and you’ll get paid slightly more.” Dr. Ex says. “When is this?” I ask. “Tomorrow. So get your act together, and bring those damn tools back!” Dr. Ex says. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down!” I say as I run out the door. I leave the lab. 17 minutes later As I walk into the main square, Lyra spots me, she runs to me, with her friend. “Hey, Arthur!” Lyra says. “Oh, hey, Lyra. And hi, Lyra’s friend.” I say, while waving at them. “This is Sweetie Drops.” Lyra says. “Nice to meet you.” I say before reaching out my hand. “I’d rather not.” Sweetie Drops says, with a disgusted look on her face. “Rude.” Nexus says. “Sweetie! You don’t have to be rude.” Lyra says. “Sorry. But i’m kind of a germaphobe.” Sweetie says. “Yeah, right. Since when?” Lyra asks. “Since now.” Sweetie says. “We’ll discuss this later. Go see if there are any more pies.” Lyra says, before handing Sweetie a bag of bits. “Sorry about that. Have you seen my book?” Lyra asks. “Not since you showed me it.” I say. “I can’t find it anywhere.” Lyra says. “Lying to your friends? Where will that take you?” Nexus says. “I’m sure it’ll turn up.” I say. “Yeah. Maybe.” Lyra says. “Hey, Lyra. Do you want to hang out sometime?” I ask “Yeah. Sure. I was going to ask you, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Speaking of which, my friend, Sweetie, says not to trust you, but hey, what does she know, right? I trust you, you seem cool. And i’m rambling, aren’t I?” Lyra says. I nod at her, smiling while doing so. Lyra nervously chuckles, then says “Sorry, again. But yeah, we should definitely hang out.” “Great. So, tomorrow, then? I just want to take a day off to clear my head. ” I say. “Oh! I know the perfect place. It helps me focus on my magic, or just helps me relax. t’s really quiet there. I’m sure you’ll like it.” Lyra says. The chest pain returns. I grab my chest, at the same time, Lyra puts a hoof to her head. “Ow! What the buck! It feels like my horn is going to explode! I’m going to see a doctor. I’ll see you later, Arthur.” Lyra says as she walks away. “See you, Lyra!” I say. “What the hell was that? Why did she have a headache at the same time as my chest pain? And what is buck?” I ask. “Nothing lasts, everything comes to an end.” Nexus says. “That’s what makes every moment precious.” I say. “How long are you going to pretend that everything is going fine for you?” Nexus asks. “I’m not pretending. Everything is going fine.” I say. “Really? What happens if you fail your “audition”? You’ll lose your income, then you’ll be homeless, then, eventually, you’ll die.” Nexus says. “That’s why I tend to look up, instead of down. I won’t fail, because I believe I can do it.” I say. “Who are you talking to, Arthur?” Derpy asks. Author's Note I'm back! I have a bunch of things planned, so stay tuned. I'm trying to make Arthur interact with more characters. And get more in-depth in his pony life. And i'm making him more easily to relate to. What do you think? Do you think Arthur will pass his "audition"? I'm trying to get at least a thousand words in the rest of the chapters. Anyway, I have school, so expect a delay, in chapter posting. Here's a morse message, for you guys. Peace. -D .... --- .--. . / -.-. .- -. / -... . / .-.. --- ... - The AuditionOh crap! Did she catch me? Think! “Myself. I have an audition tomorrow. I’m really trying to motivate myself.” I say. “Don’t you do that right before you perform?” Derpy asks. “Yeah, but, i’m getting a headstart.” I say. “Okay, if you say so. May I ask, what are you auditioning for?” Derpy asks. “I’m auditioning for a job. Heh I wonder how many pe-, ponies said that.” I say. “Listen, Arthur. I just wanted to apologize for turning you down. I know I was probably leaning on, or something. But you are like a brother to me.” Derpy says. “I was getting some mixed signals. If that’s what you’re talking about. It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it.” I say. I lied. It’s not fine. I saved her life! And that somehow makes me her brother?! We even shared a bed! Siblings don’t do that! She’s hiding something, I know it. Wait. Who is that? That’s not Nexus. “Arthur? Hello?” Derpy says, while waving a hoof in my face. “Oh! Sorry. I spaced out there. Were you saying something?” I ask. “I was just thanking you, for understanding.” Derpy says. I completely understand; I understand, that you can reach out and break someone’s heart anytime you want! “No problem. I try to do my best to spread positivity, as much as you ponies. God, that sounded racist. I’m sorry.” I say. “Don’t worry. I get what you are trying to say. Well, see you later.” Derpy says, before she walks away. It’s about time she left. “Who are you?” I ask. Don’t you recognize me? “No. No I don’t. Who are you?” I ask. No answer. “I said, who are you?” I ask. Still no answer. 2 hours later After canceling all the activities, Arthur planned, Arthur is just about to hit the hay. That’s when the voice returned. Going to bed so soon? “Shut. Up.” I say. I don’t need sleep. I’m just a figment of your imagination. “I don’t care.” I say. Do you want to know where I came from? “No, I don’t.” I say. I came from your doubts, your fears, your hate. Think of me as Nexus times two. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?” I ask. Nexus feels guilty; of what he did. If I was in his shoes, I would feel no remorse. “Nexus feels guilty? What did he do?” I ask. You don’t remember? He made an entire species endangered, in cold blood. He brainwashed two very powerful magic users, to capture and kill you. He even wanted to kill the princesses. You’re telling me, you don’t remember any of that? My mind is fractured. I remember some things, and I don’t remember other things. Perhaps I shall remind you of what happened. In a second I see Nexus’ memories; the Hybrids’ deaths, Starlight killing me, and worst of all, his version of Equestria. This is what he wanted. An end to happiness. An end to hope. An end to harmony. Ponyville is in ruin. The Everfree Forest has grown to the entrance of Canterlot. Canterlot has fallen into the darkness of Nexus’ reign. In this vision, he kills the princesses, he sends the Spirits of Disharmony to all of the corners of Equestria. He destroys all hope. “No! This can’t happen!” I yell. The only way to stop it, is to kill yourself. Nexus hides deep inside your mind. He lives on through you. “There has to be another way.” I say. I’ve shown you the options. It’s up to you, to choose what has to be sacrificed, for the better. “What a time to talk about this.” I say. “Follow me, and we shall make her pay.” I hear Nexus say. “What was that?” I ask, before walking to the source of Nexus’ voice. I am now looking through the eyes of Nexus, I am in Twilight’s castle, in front of Starlight Glimmer. “I just wanted a place where no one feels less than anyone else. Twilight doesn’t know what it’s like to lose friends. No one does.” Starlight says. “I do. I too know that feeling. I can make that go away. You just have to follow me. If you do, I can get you Twilight.” Nexus says. “But, Twilight gave me a second chance. I can’t just switch on her like that.” Starlight says. “Think about your village. All those ponies, turned against you; because of Twilight.” Nexus says, while touching his horn to Starlight’s forehead. “I could’ve lived in peace! If she didn’t intervene! It’s all her fault.” Starlight says. “She just wanted to save herself, she is not really your friend. I am.” Nexus says. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll join you.” Starlight says. So this this is how he turned them. “And I could have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for you!” Nexus says. “Nexus?” I ask. “No it’s the Tooth Fairy. Of course it’s me! Listen, I came to warn you about someone. You may think it’s Maximus, trust me, it’s not. He is going to try to kill you. Do not listen to anything he says.” Nexus says. “Yeah, right. You just don’t want me to do anything that will foil your “master plan”; if you have one.” I say. “I’m serious, Arthur! He’s going to kill our friends! Do not listen to him!” Nexus says. “Hey! Don’t talk like that! We’re fine!” I say. “Now you are! In the future, it will be too late!” Nexus says. “How far, in the future, are we talking?” I ask. “About two months.” Nexus says. “Two months? Really?” I ask, skeptical of Nexus’ warning. “Yeah. Two months. He’s gonna try to make it sound urgent; don’t listen to him.” Nexus says. “Okay, whatever you say. Look, I gotta get some sleep, it’s probably like three in the,” I look outside. The sun is rising. I look at my clock, it says six-thirty two. “morning. Did we talk all night?” "You don’t remember sleeping? Then waking up?” Nexus says. “No! I don’t. It’s getting worse, it’s attacking my memories. I can’t worry about that now. I have to ace this audition.” I say before getting out of my bed. 6 hours later Arthur is at Dr. Ex’s dig site. He is getting ready to present what he knows, and what he can do. “Are you ready?” Dr. Ex asks. “Not yet. I’m cleaning my tools. It would probably take like ten more minutes.” I say. “It better take ten more. Or else i’ll fire you right now.” Dr. Ex says. Dr. Ex walks away. Geez. If you’re gonna threaten me, you better be for real about it. He knows he needs me. Do not listen to Nexus. “Now, really isn’t the time. I’m about to show, Dr. Ex, that I can handle this job.” i say. There is more to you than archeology. “Really? Oh wise one, tell me, what am I destined for?” i ask, jokingly. Not for this. That’s for you to find out. “I need a job that’s going to pay me. I can’t just go all over Equestria, on a fucking wild goose chase. And I sure as hell don’t need a “princess” to take care of me.” I say. You are bigger than this. “I don’t care.” I say. You do. I know what you fear; oblivion. You want to be remembered, especially since you are dying. “I’m not dying.” I say. Really? Then how do you explain those chest pains? You have a purpose, Arthur. You have a destiny. Everyone does. “I stopped believing in a higher power, when I met Princess Celestia. I never did.” I say. “Mr. Paige? Are you ready? ” A liason asks. “Yeah, I am.” I say. “It’s my time to shine.” I say, before I grab my tools. I walk to an untouched patch of dirt. 2 hours later After two hours of hard work, Arthur had a chest pain, when he had just chiseled an artifact he found. He dropped the ball, and the artifact, on his only chance at getting the money to pay Aro back. Wait, what? “No! No! Shit! Give me another chance!” I say. The pain returns. “I’m sorry, Arthur. But you should’ve specified that you have heart problems, because of obvious reasons.” Dr. Ex says. “And you can’t do anything about it?!” I ask. “I’m not that kind of doctor. I don’t work on ponies or humans. I have no choice but to fire you.” Dr. Ex says. “No! Please! I can do better! I promise! Look, I can put it back together!” I say. I glue the jagged edges, then try to piece them together. The pain stops me. Desperately, I put more glue on the pieces. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m letting you go. I’ll send you your final paycheck. You can go now. And please, leave the tools this time.” Dr. Ex says, before walking away. “But. I-. I need this job.” I whisper. I start my walk back to my house. “Ever hear of the phrase, “kick ‘em while they’re down”? Guess what?” Nexus asks. “Don’t. Please. This is too much already.” I say. “I can see that. You had one chance; and you blew it. Fucking pains, right?” Nexus asks. “You had something to do with it, didn’t you?” I ask. “Maybe. Maybe I didn’t.” Nexus says. “Did you have something to do with it?!” I ask. “You know the spell I hit you with? Before you used The Elements on me?” Nexus asks. “Kind of.” I say. “It’s a slow-killing spell. Starlight taught me it. Unfortunately, it's irreversible. Those chest pains are just your body trying to fight it.” Nexus says. “So, that’s it? I’m just gonna die?” I ask. “Yes. Yes you are. It takes two months for it to completely kill you.” Nexus says. “That’s great. Awesome. I might as well get it over with. I got nothing to lose, right?” I ask. “Wait. You said you wanted to be remembered, right? I have an idea.” Nexus says. Author's Note Sorry for the really long delay. I don't have access to wifi. So, Arthur failed at the audition. At least things can't get worse; or can it? What do you think about the other voice? And what about Nexus' plan? Like I said more than a thousand words. Strained Friendships“Release Maximus? How am I supposed to do that? Didn’t he die a long time ago?” I ask. “There could be something we’ve missed.” Nexus says. “No. Alright? That is way over my head. I have to look for a new job, or else I can’t pay for the house that i’m living in.” I say. “Come on. At least you’ll be remembered.” Nexus says. “I’ll think about it. Right now, I have to go job searching.” I say. “You are bigger than this.” Nexus says. “No, I'm not. My days are behind me. The only thing I can do is look back.” I say. “You are still alive. You can still make history.” Nexus says. “The last time I tried to do something, I got people killed. The last thing I want to do, is get more ponies killed.” I say. “That’s the thing; if you go through with this, no more ponies can die.” Nexus says. “No. I can’t.” I say. “You can, Arthur. You just have to put your mind to it.” Nexus says. “Aren’t you supposed to be discouraging me? Do that, you are better at that.” I say. Without noticing, I reach Twilight’s castle. POV Swap “Look, Twilight. Arthur is talking to himself again.“ Spike says. “He’s been doing that a lot lately.“ I say. “Do you think he finally lost it?” Rainbow says. “I think he's just stressed out.” I say. “Should we say something?” Spike asks. “Maybe just to say hi.” I say. We walk to Arthur. “Hey, Twilight. Hey, Spike.“ Arthur says, while waving at us. “What? Am I too awesome to be acknowledged?” Rainbow says. “That's a pretty big word, Rainbow. Are you sure she isn't a changeling?” Arthur says. “Did you just call me dumb?” Rainbow asks. “Oh you caught on to that? I guess you don't have a small brain, after all.” Arthur says. “What’s your deal, Arthur?” Rainbow asks. “Look, I had a bad day. Okay?” Arthur says. “You shouldn’t take it out on your friends. Do you want to talk about it?” I ask. “Rainbow isn't my friend. None of you are, we are just acquaintances, we aren't friends; especially when you used me. And no; I don't want to talk about it.” Arthur says. “We aren't friends?” I ask. “Yes. We aren't.” Arthur says. “Well, then. Since we aren’t friends, I’ve been itching to tell you how much I hate you.” Rainbow says. “What did I ever do to you, Rainbow? Why do you always have to insult me?” Arthur asks. “That’s just it, “Arthur”, if that’s even your real name, you didn’t do anything to me. It’s how you act, all high and mighty, when you were a criminal in your world! Give us a reason to lock you up in Canterlot!” Rainbow says. “The reason I act all high and mighty, is because i’m a natural leader, you bitch!” Arthur says. “I have no idea what that means, but-” Rainbow says before Arthur cuts her off. “I didn’t think your small brain could possibly know what that means.” Arthur says. “You better check who your talking to in that tone.” Rainbow says. “What can you do, besides talk? Fly fast? Oh, how scary! You gonna get your Wonderbolts out to get me? I’m so scared! Or are you gonna fly me to death?” Arthur asks. “Me and Twilight were thinking more along the lines of exile, let Aro take care of you. Like your mom.” Rainbow says. “You better take that back.” Arthur says. “Or what? What are you gonna do? You are as threatening as Angel.” Rainbow asks. “You have no idea what i’m capable of.” Arthur says. “Yeah? You have no idea what i’m capable of.” Rainbow says. “Stop it!” I yell. “No!” Arthur yells back. “What?” I ask. “I said no!” Arthur yells. I feel a painful pressure in my horn. POV Swap I feel the most painful chest pain I’ve felt; so far. “Ahh! Fuck!” I yell, as I grab my chest. Twilight grabs her horn. “Spike! Ahh!” Twilight yells at the same time, as me. “What!? What’s wrong, Twilight?!” Spike says. The pain passes, in throbs. “My horn! It felt like it was going to explode! I've never felt anything like that before!” Twilight says. Unicorns all around us grab their horns. They too yell out in pain. “What the buck was that?” Rainbow asks I see dots around the edges of my eyes. My knees feel weak. I get very lightheaded. I let go, and pass out. 11/2 Hours Later After Arthur blacked out, Twilight took him to her castle. Derpy is growing more concerned of Arthur. “When do you think he’ll be awake?” I hear Derpy say. “I think he should be awake soon.” Twilight says. I open my eyes. “What happened?” I ask. “What do you remember?” Twilight asks. “I remember failing the audition. I remember us fighting. And feeling very angry.” I say. “You failed your audition?” Derpy asks. “Wait. What audition?” Twilight asks. “The archeology job I had. Dr. Ex wanted to see what I could do with my human body. But I failed.” I say. “I just wanted to come check up on you. I had a dream of you, last night.” Derpy says. “What happened in your dream?” I ask. “In my dream, you killed yourself, with the gauntlet.” Derpy says. That’s actually a good idea. “I’m fine, Derpy. Really, I am.” I say. I’m dying. “Speaking of the gauntlet, did it flash?” Twilight asks. “Not since yesterday.” I say. “Oh! I almost forgot! Rainbow!” Twilight yells. “What?” A groggy Rainbow Dash asks, from another room. “Get over here! She wanted to apologize to you.” Twilight says. “Apologize? What did she do?” Derpy asks. Rainbow flies into the library. “We got in a fight earlier.” I say. “Is there something you want to say, Rainbow?” Twilight asks. Rainbow Dash sighs, then says, “I’m really sorry, Arthur. I didn’t mean to say those things, I said, earlier. Please forgive me.” “No.” I say. “What?” Twilight, Rainbow, and Derpy says, simultaneously. I say “I don’t forgive you. You don’t know what it’s like to have the only person that loved you, die.” “But, I said i’m sorry.” Rainbow says. Sorry won’t bring her back. Sorry won’t take away the pain. Sorry won’t make me forgive you. “Just when I almost forgot. You just had to say something, right?” I say. “I’m sorry, Arthur.” Rainbow says. “I should have been there. I miss her so much.” I say. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for that. There was nothing you could do.” Twilight says. I look at Rainbow, then I say “I can’t believe, you said you were going to send me back, so I could “die like my mom”.” “You said that? What the buck is wrong with you?” Derpy asks. “I didn’t say that!” Rainbow says. I say “But you meant it. Maybe I should, right? Maybe I should just go through that portal. It doesn’t seem like you would miss me that much anyways.” “Don’t talk like that! Of course we would miss you!” Derpy says. “Liar.” I say. “I’m not lying. What about Moon and your other friends? They would miss you too.” Derpy says. “I’m gonna go. I can’t talk to any of you, right now.” I say, before walking out of the room. “Hello, Arthur.” An unknown voice says. “Oh goddammit. What the hell do you want?” I ask. “I have been watching you. Ever since you arrived in Equestria, I have seen what you have done.’ The voice says. “Who are you?” I ask. “I am Maximus. And I must return to Equestria.” Maximus says. “Good luck, with that.” I say. “You have to help me. Commodus is returning.” Maximus says. “Arthur? I know you are dying. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anypony.” Twilight says. “Nexus hit me with a slow-killing spell. I’m gonna die in two months.” I say. “Can I help?” Twilight asks. “Nexus said it’s irreversible.” I say. “I’m going home. I’m too stressed out to talk.” I say, before walking out of the castle. As my mind wanders, I get too distracted, that my mind subconsciously takes me into The Main Square. “Arthur? Are you okay?” Lyra asks. “Yeah. Just a bad day, is all. Where is your friend?” I ask. “It’s just me today. Hey, are you still up for hanging out?” Lyra asks. “Why not, right?” I ask. The Calm Before The Storm1 month later Ever since the fight, Arthur has been growing more and more depressed. Twilight agreed to give Arthur money. Arthur has distanced himself from everyone, even his friends. He has turned to alcohol. With a slur, I say, “Another one for the books.” I throw an empty beer bottle across the room. Arthur is drunk. “Staying here was a mistake. I should’ve died on Earth.” I say. I glance at the gauntlet. “They won’t miss me. They will just be glad.” I say. I get up off of my couch, then walk towards the table, with the gauntlet on it. You won’t do it. “I will.” I say. No, you won’t. “I am.” I say. You won’t. “Just, shut up! I am so tired of these fucking voices in my head!” I say. I grab the gauntlet, then put it on. I stare at it. Do it. It’s not like anyone would miss you. You are a waste of life, space, and money. You are a drunk. You are a selfish prick! You killed your mother. You are a criminal. You are evil. I say “I can’t.” That’s right. You can’t. Because, you are just a pussy. “Shut! Up!” I yell. No one will miss you. “I know.” I say, before crying. Weak. Suicidal. A drunk. Alone. Unloved. A waste. These words define you. Wrong. You define you. “Nexus?” I ask. It pains me to see you, like this. Broken. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t live, if i’m already dead, inside.” I say. But, you still do it. Why? “I can’t leave them. My friends. I can’t leave them, again.” I say. How long are you going to feel sorry for yourself? You are still alive. You can still make history. POV Swap Meanwhile “Are you crazy?!” Twilight asks. “At least he won’t be our problem, anymore.” I say. “No, Rainbow! That’s out of the question! We are never having this conversation, ever, again.” Twilight says. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I say. Twilight walks away. I have to get him out of here. Luckily, I know how to do that. “Don’t think about going to see him!” Twilight yells from the other room. POV Swap 23 minutes later I hear a knock on the door. “Who is it?!” I yell. “It’s Rainbow!” Rainbow Dash yells. “What do you want?!” I ask. “I want to talk.” Rainbow says. POV Swap Meanwhile Twilight is studying Lyra’s book. “Commodus made a deal with the human tribe?” I ask. “Their leader agreed to help him. When they did, he killed them.” I read. “Who is the author?” I ask myself. I look all around the book. I find a name. “A. Paige? Could it be his pony version? That doesn’t explain how he wrote it two thousand years ago.” I say. I gasp, in realization. I feel a pressure in my horn. Sparks appear in the middle of the room. A portal opens in the sparks. An older-looking Unicorn Arthur falls out. The portal closes. “Twilight, help me.” The older Arthur says. Twilight runs over to Older Arthur. Older Arthur’s appearance is very rough, it looks like he ran through blades. He is wearing a button up shirt. His mane is faded, and shorter. He has scars all over his body. Twilight uses healing magic on Older Arthur. “Are you Human Arthur?” I ask. “No. I’m from Equestria.” Older Pony Arthur says. “How old are you?” I ask. “I’m fifty-six. In human years.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Why are you here?” I ask. “You told me to leave.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Me, in the future?” I ask. “Yeah.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Why did I tell you to leave?” I ask. “Time Guardians were going to kill me. Time travel is illegal, in the future.” Older Pony Arthur says. “When do we meet?” I ask. “Today.” Older Pony Arthur says. “How do you know how to time travel?” I ask. “You and Starlight taught me how.” Older Pony Arthur says. “What happens in the future?” I ask. “I can’t tell you. Thank you for helping me. But that’s all the time I have. You can’t tell anyone about this encounter.” Older Pony Arthur says. Older Pony Arthur disappears in sparks. The pressure leaves. I hear commotion outside the castle. “He’s bleeding!” A pony says. “Somepony! Help him!” Another pony says. I teleport outside. There are six to ten ponies in a group. “What’s going on!” I yell. All of the ponies look at me, then move out of the way. Present Pony Arthur is laying on the ground, unconscious. He has a wound on his body. Meanwhile “Did Twilight really say that?” I ask. “She said, it’s for the best.” Rainbow says. “Okay. I’ll go.” I say. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the castle.” Rainbow says. “Rainbow is lying.” Nexus says. Me and Rainbow walk out the door. “This is suicide.” Nexus says. “Aro killed your mother. Don’t listen to Rainbow.” Nexus says. “I know what really happened to your mother.” Maximus says. Do what you think is best. You are good either way. “Will you shut the hell up!?” I yell. “Are you okay, Arthur?” Rainbow asks. “Sorry. I’m just a little mad.” I say. “Yeah. I am too, but she is my friend. She is usually right.” Rainbow says. “Rainbow. Can I ask you something?” I ask. “Anything.” Rainbow says. “When did I arrive in Equestria?” I ask. “Like three months ago. Why?” Rainbow asks. That was too easy. “No reason. What are my friends’ names?” I ask. “How am I supposed to know? It’s not like i’m close to them, or anything.” Rainbow says. “That’s very interesting. Since you insisted on giving Moon a birthday party, this year, changeling!” I yell. The changeling turns into it’s real form. “It’s not like anyone’s going to believe you.” The changeling says. “I guess i’m not anyone.” Rainbow says, before knocking the changeling out. The changeling falls to the ground. “They came back. We gotta get back to the castle, to warn Twilight.” Rainbow says. “I need my gauntlet.” I say. POV Swap Meanwhile The changelings have infiltrated Ponyville and Canterlot. They are in hiding. Twilight brought Pony Arthur to a hospital, the very same, where Arthur was treated. Pony Arthur is still unconscious. “When will he be awake?” Twilight asks. “In a couple hours. Princess. This wound is in the very same area, it was, the first time he came here. That’s very interesting. It’s like it didn’t heal.” The doctor says. “Yeah. Weird.” Twilight says. The doctor walks out of the room. Pony Arthur suddenly wakes up. “Where the buck am I?! Who are you?! Am I dead?!” Pony Arthur yells. “Relax. You are in Ponyville. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. You aren’t dead. What happened to you?” Twilight asks. “I can’t tell you.” Pony Arthur says. “Why?” Twilight asks. “Because. What I did is against the law.” Pony Arthur says. “What did you do? Tell me. Or i’ll have no choice, but to take you to Princess Celestia.” Twilight says. “I stole from a Queen.” Pony Arthur stammers. “Which Queen?’ Twilight asks. “Queen Chrysalis.” Pony Arthur says. “What did you steal?’ Twilight asks. “An egg.” Arthur says. “Why?” Twilight asks. “I needed the money. I was going to sell it on the Black Market.” Pony Arthur says. “Why do you need money?” Twilight asks. “Because, i’m in debt.” Pony Arthur says. “Because you need to pay back a gang leader.” Twilight says. “How do you know?” Pony Arthur asks. “This already happened.” Twilight says. Author's Note Time travel. Changelings. Another Arthur. Depression. There is a lot happening. And there is more coming. *So, as of now, this story takes place during the final episodes of Season 6. Watch out for spoilers (For those of who didn’t watch S6).* Do you think Arthur will get out of his depressive state; or do you think it will get worse? What do you think about Future Pony Arthur’s visit? Do you think he’ll be back? I’m not changing too much of the ending of season six. I’m gonna make it more interesting. I’ll try to get the sub-plots wrapped up, quick, in this story. As always, feel free to comment, rate, and spread the word, on TFiTU. Have a nice day. Peace. - D A Complicated Situation“What do you mean, this already happened?” Pony Arthur asks. “It’s too complicated to explain.” Twilight says. “Then uncomplicate it.” Pony Arthur says. “This happened. But it wasn’t you. The same situation. The same conversation. What happened before you showed up in Ponyville?” Twilight asks. “If it wasn’t me, then who was it?” Pony Arthur asks. “It was you; but not you.” Twilight says. “Is he still here? Other me?” Pony Arthur says. “You still didn’t answer my question. What happened before you showed up?” Twilight asks. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Pony Arthur says. “Arthur. I have seen and experienced things you would think was impossible.” Twilight says. “I didn’t tell you my name. How do you know it? Right. Because this “already happened”.” Pony Arthur says. “You don’t believe me?’ Twilight asks. “I am convinced. You are a stalker.” Arthur says. “Quit trying to change the subject! What happened!?” Twilight asks. “Okay! Okay. I’ll tell you.” Pony Arthur says. POV Swap 21 minutes later We walk into the lively streets of Main Square. “What do you think they are planning?” I ask. “The changelings?” Rainbow asks. I nod at her. “I don't know.” Rainbow says. “Psst.” An unknown voice says. I look around. A pony comes from around the corner. It looks like me. “You have to help me!” The pony says. “Who are you?” Rainbow ask. “My name is Arthur. Arthur Paige.” Pony Arthur says. “Wait. You are Arthur?” I ask. “Yeah, I am.” Pony Arthur says. “What happened?” Rainbow asks. “They took Twilight.” Pony Arthur says. “Who did?” I ask. “The changelings.” Pony Arthur says. Pony Arthur pulls an egg out of his jacket. “What the fuck is that?!” I ask. “It’s a changeling egg.” Pony Arthur says. “Why do you have a changeling egg?” Rainbow asks. “I stole it.” Pony Arthur says. “Why?” I ask. “I need the money.” Pony Arthur says. “Because you need to pay back a gang leader.” I say. “Look, the changelings are looking for- Wait. How do you know that?” Pony Arthur says. “I was in your shoes. I am you. From another reality.” I say. “What? Wait, Twilight said there is another me. Is that you?” Pony Arthur asks. “Hold it. You said they are looking for that egg. Why?” Rainbow asks. “Hold on, Rainbow. He doesn’t trust us, yet.” Arthur says. “Yeah, i’m you. When we were young, mom always told us to never give up hope, no matter how tough things seem. That’s the reason you stole that egg, right? To save her?” I ask. “Yeah. It is.” Pony Arthur says. “Do we have your trust?” I ask. Pony Arthur nods. “Great. Now, can you tell us why the changelings are looking for that egg?” I ask. “I will tell you later. It’s not safe to talk right now.” Pony Arthur says. “Okay. Do you know where the fakes are?” Rainbow asks. “They are in that castle.” Pony Arthur says, while pointing at Twilight’s castle, in the distance. 4 minutes later “We have to find out what they are planning. Rainbow, you have to go in there.” I say. “What?! Are you crazy?!” Rainbow asks. “You already took out a changeling. What’s the problem?” I ask. “I knocked out one changeling, there are three in there. We have to get out of here, that’s what we need to do.” Rainbow says. The castle doors open. “Shh!” Pony Arthur says. Twilight walks out. “Is that Twilight?” I whisper. “It could be a scout.” Rainbow says. “Should we follow it?” Pony Arthur asks. “Are you serious?” Rainbow asks. “We could interrogate it.” I say. “You do know you guys are bad at whispering, right?” Twilight says. “Jesus Christ, Twilight! You sc-.” I say. “Twilight?” Rainbow asks. “Rainbow?” Twilight asks, as she narrows her eyes at Rainbow. “I see you’ve brought Arthur. Good. Bring him inside.” Twilight says. “Sure thing, Twi.” Rainbow says. All four of us walk towards the entrance of Twilight’s castle. “You sure took long just to pick him up.” Twilight says. “Well, you know how Arthur is.” Rainbow says, before she chuckles nervously. We reach the front doors. Twilight knocks in a pattern. A few moment later, Spike opens the door. “Back already? I was enjoying my time not being bossed around.” Spike says. We walk inside. Then start walking to the throne room. “Wasn’t there only supposed to be one Arthur?” Spike asks. “I’m Arthur from Equestria.” Pony Arthur says. “Why are you in Ponyville?” Twilight asks. “Just visiting a friend.” Pony Arthur says. We reach the throne room doors. Twilight opens the doors. “Guys! Arthur is here!” Twilight says. Fluttershy is the only one in the room. “Hi, Arthur!” Fluttershy says. “Go wait in the library. I got to discuss things with Fluttershy and Rainbow.” Twilight says. “But-” I say before getting cut off from Twilight. “Go wait, please.” Twilight says, with a hint of anger in her voice. “Okay.” I say before walking out of the room. Spike shuts the doors. “That was weird.” I say. POV Swap “That was close!” I say, before walking to the table. “Tell me about it.” Rainbow says. “I thought something happened to you. That’s why I was outside, I was going to see if you needed help.” I say. “I was trying to think of ways to ease him out of his house.” Rainbow says. “I thought we agreed on psychological manipulation.” I say. “Just because you are playing the smart one doesn’t mean you could use smart words.” Fluttershy says. “If you have a problem about my vocabulary, take it up with the queen. I’m the leader of this unit! So it should be fitting if i’m Twilight Sparkle!” I yell. “Whatever you say, princess.” Spike says. “I swear, Chrysalis just wants me to suffer. You should’ve been sent to Canterlot! Go get the others!” I yell. Fluttershy sighs, then gets out of her seat, ”Let’s go “Rainbow”.” she says. I walk out of the room, then to the library. I open the library doors. The two Arthurs are talking to each other. “Hello, Arthurs!” I say. “Hey, Twilight.” Human Arthur says. “Let’s cut the crap.” The changeling says, before turning into its real form. “We both know that the real Rainbow Dash is with my soldier. What are you planning?” The changeling asks. The changeling has a scar going diagonally across his face, it starts at the top of his right eyebrow, going down to his left cheek. He is missing the upper part of his right ear. His left eye is discolored. There is a burn scar covering a majority of the left side of his body. It would be an understatement to say that he has been to hell and back. “You are a guy?” Human Arthur asks. “Quit stalling! We don’t have much time! What are you planning?!” The changeling asks. “We don’t have a plan!” Pony Arthur says. “Very well. I guess we need Rainbow in here for you two to talk.” The changeling says, before covering the two Arthurs’ feet in a green slime. “Can’t have you leaving, now. Can’t we?” The changeling says, before turning back into Twilight, and leaving the room. “Don’t go anywhere!” The changeling says, before laughing. “Dick. I suppose you don’t have anything in that bag of yours.” I say. 16 minutes later The rest of the Mane Six unit arrived with Rainbow. The two Arthurs are planning their escape. “Very clever, taking the place of my soldier. But you slipped. Don’t have much experience in acting, do you?” The Commander asks. Rainbow glares at the Commander. “Take her into the library. We’ll move her with the rest tonight. The rest of you, go wait in the throne room.” The Commander says. Meanwhile Pony Arthur breaks my restraints. I hear faint hoofsteps approaching. “Sit down!” I whisper. Pony Arthur sits down. “You have a visitor.” Fake Rarity says, while dragging Rainbow into the room. “Rainbow!” I yell. Fake Rarity covers my mouth with the restraining slime. “Shut your mouth.” Fake Rarity says. “What are you planning?” Pony Arthur asks. “You aren’t in the position to ask questions.” Fake Rarity says. “I guess i’m not. Do you know how Fake Twilight got those scars?” Pony Arthur asks. “All I know is, he did something very bad, illegal. And Chrysalis took actions." Fake Rarity says. I shut the library’s doors with my magic. Pony Arthur throws the slime on the door handles. I pin Fake Rarity onto a chair, with magic. Pony Arthur throws some slime at Fake Rarity, restraining her to the chair. “Comman-mmh!” Fake Rarity says, before getting slime thrown onto her mouth. “Shut your mouth.” Pony Arthur says. I rip the slime off of my mouth. We hear knocking on the front doors. I open the door a little bit, so I could see outside. Fake Spike goes to answers it. “What do you want? Twilight's very busy!” Fake Spike says. “Spike, I really need to speak with her.” Starlight says. “Make an appointment! She's a princess, after all!” Fake Spike says, before slamming the door shut. “Now.” I say. Starlight knocks again. Fake Twilight opens the door. “What's wrong with you? Why are you being so-” Starlight says, before getting cut off. “Rude? I think a certain dragon didn't get his nap today.” Fake Twilight says. Pony Arthur stands on his hind legs, trying to reach the window. “Yeah, right. Whatever.” Fake Spike says before walking away. “Hurry up!” I whisper. “It’s too high!” Pony Arthur says. “Sorry. He's been acting a little off all day. I think he missed a meal or something.” Fake Twilight says. I open the window. “He's not the only one. Everypony's acting a little strange today.” Starlight says. “We gotta go, Arthur!” Pony Arthur whispers. “Yes, it's definitely been one of those days. How are you?” Fake Twilight says. We jump out of the window. They continue talking. “They will be looking for the both of us. We can’t be seen by each other. Meet me at the edge of the Everfree Forest.” I say, before turning into my pony form. “When?” Pony Arthur asks. “In fifteen minutes.” I say. “What happens if I run into somepony?” Pony Arthur asks. “Just say that you have to go, and that you’ll explain later.” I say. We split up. Meanwhile “Ah. Speaking of friends, if you'll excuse me, important business to attend to!” The Commander says, before shutting the doors. The Commander changes into his real form. “Ah! Commander!” Fake Rarity says. “Are they secured?” The Commander asks. “No.” Fake Rarity says. “What?! Why?!” The Commander yells. “Because they escaped.” Fake Rarity says “What do you mean, they escaped?!” The Commander asks. “She means, they escaped.” Fake Spike says. “Find them!” The Commander yells. Fake Spike, and Fake Rarity run out of the room. “Chrysalis will have my head, if I don’t have them secured! They are the only ones who knows where it is! We need them.” The Commander says. “They couldn’t have gone far.” Fake AJ says. “With the other one helping him, who knows?” The Commander says. “Do you think he’ll deliver?” Fake Rainbow asks. “Of course. After all, we have his mother.” The Commander says. “Even if he tries anything, we’d just have to remind him.” Fake Rainbow says. “We only need to push him. He’ll remember his place. Besides, everything is going as planned.” The Commander says. Author's Note I am so sorry for the delay! The writer’s block has been real, these past couple of weeks. I have good news. This story will be finished some time in June (most likely late June), and will have 19 chapters, including the epilogue (every chapter will have more than 1,500 words). I hope I put some personality in the Fake Six, including Fake Spike. Yes, Arthur is going to the changeling hive with Starlight, and the others (Thorax, Trixie, and Discord). Next chapter will reveal some backstory about the Changeling Commander. I also added the abilty for Arthur to change from his human form to his pony form (vice versa). I am polishing the ending. So far, I like it. And you probably will too. Thank you for your patience. Oh, I will post the next chapter some time week. Thank you for reading. Peace. -D So Everything Is Back To Normal?Author's Note Considering my last story, a flop (even I don't like it). This story, i'm ready to outdo myself this time. So after almost 10 months of writing TFiTU-1 I decided to expand my version of the MLP Universe. That's when I rewrote the final chapter. I'm not spoiling anything. (Keep an eye out for Morse) Oh! Please do comment. It feels like i'm talking to a wall. So sit back and enjoy the story. Peace. -D So Everything Is Back To Normal? “But, the Elements.” I say. “The Elements just trapped me inside your mind.” Nexus says. “Arthur? Are you okay?” Derpy asks. “Yeah, Arthur. Are you?” Nexus asks. “Derpy! Ne-. He’s-.” I manage to say. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Nexus says, with a cocky tone. He laughs. “What?” Derpy asks. “I can control what you can or can’t say. You better stop, or i’ll say something that will make Derpy regret meeting you. Just pretend i’m not here.” Nexus says. “My neck cramped. Ouch.”I say, while rubbing the back of my neck. “What happened after I lost conscience?” I say, trying to change the subject. “Let me see. You were out for a whole day. Nexus disappeared. Starlight gave up the location of the Doctor. Starlight and Discord seem okay now, they apologized to their friends. The Doc is going to live with me. Your friends returned to their homes. And Twilight invited Blaze to live in her castle. I’m pretty sure that’s it.” Derpy says. “I’m sorry, Derpy. I never wanted any harm to come to you.” I say. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I chose to be here. Oh! I almost forgot. Twilight wanted to see you after you got out of the hospital. She said there is something going on with your gauntlet.” Derpy says. I look down at my arm, I am missing the Elemental Gauntlet. “Don’t worry, Twilight has it. I’ll see you later, i’ve gotta head to work.” Derpy says before throwing on a mailbag. “You work?” I ask. “Yeah. I do.” Derpy says, before showing me her company’s logo. “I work at the Post Office. I’m a delivery mare.” “I didn’t know that. Come to think of it, I might’ve seen you a couple times.” I say. “Yeah?” Derpy looks at the clock. It reads six to nine in, what looks like, Roman Numerals. “Oh, shoot! I’m late! I gotta go! Don’t strain yourself, Arthur!” Derpy says, before leaving the room. “What? Got nothing to say?” I ask. Silence. “I guess so” I say. A doctor walks into the room. “Hello Mr. Paige. My name is Dr. Medihooves. There is nothing wrong with you, physically, if exhaustion is an exception. But, there is something inside you. It’s eating at your very lifesource. I’d say, you’ve got about two months before it kills you. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Good luck. You can leave now.” Dr. Medihooves says. I leave the room. As I wander the hospital corridors, I lose track of time. Then these thoughts hit me: Do you know how it feels to be told when you are going to die? You look at life at a new angle. You learn to cherish everything, even the breath you are taking right now. Or you think everything loses its purpose. Everything becomes dull. You just want it over and done with. “I can’t die yet. I know I have a purpose.” I say. “You keep telling yourself that, even though deep down, you think otherwise.” Nexus says. “Arthur?” A familiar voice says to me.
Human Roots In Equestria?I turn around seeing Inkwell, the first friend I made since arriving in Equestria. “Yeah, that’s me.” I say. “So this is how a human looks. Very interesting.” Inkwell says. Before walking around me, examining me. “How do you know about humans?” I ask. “You told me about them, we had that conversation, remember?” Inkwell asks. Actually, I don’t. “Oh yeah! I remember. So I assume you’re doing good, Inkwell?” I say. “Oh yeah, never better. Got a new story in the works.” Inkwell says. “I hope it’s not another cliffhanger.” I say jokingly. “I’m joking. That's great. I know you’ll outdo yourself this time.” “What about you? How have you been?” Inkwell asks. “Yeah, I was just getting a check-up. Me and Twilight broke up. And, I went on a trip with my friends, we went up north to see the mountains. It was a great week, and I met somepony. Her name is Derpy Hooves, she’s a mailmare. She works at the post office just up the way. Whew, that was a mouthful.” I say. “That’s too bad. You guys were great together.” Inkwell says. “Yeah it was great to be lied to, and to be used.” Nexus says. “Well, it is what it is, I guess.” I say. “So. Mountains, huh? I’ve always wanted to go camping. Never had the chance.” Inkwell says. “It’s was great, you know? It was just the four of us, Me, Moon, Potato, and Uyada. We had to come back a couple days early, because most of our supplies went missing.” I say. “What did you say her name was? Derly? Derpy! And you said she works at the Ponyville Post Office?” Inkwell asks. “Yeah, she’s a delivery mare there. We went on two dates so far. I think she’s a keeper, but I don’t know, it’s a little too early to tell.” I say. “Well, it was nice seeing you.” Inkwell says. “Wait! What are you doing in Ponyville? I thought you were happy in Vanhoover.” I ask. “I came out here for inspiration. Being stuck in my little apartment kind of dampened my creativity. It’s nice to get out sometimes, right?” Inkwell says. “How long are you staying?” I ask. “Just for a couple of months.” Inkwell says. “Cool. I’ll see you later, then.” I say. “Have a good one.” Inkwell says. Inkwell walks away. “Lying to your friend? That’s not cool, Arthur.” Nexus says. “He can’t know, no one has to.” I say. I walk to Twilight’s castle. When I reach the front doors, I feel a sharp sting inside my chest. I grab my chest, wincing while doing so. The pain stops. “Fuck! What the hell was that!?” I ask. “Are you okay?” An unknown pony asks me. “I’m fine.” I grunt. “Never better.” I say. I look at the source of the voice. A female unicorn, she has an aquamarine coat, with a cyan mane, that has a white streak in it. She has a lyre for a cutie mark. “Are you a hooman?” The unicorn asks. “A what?” I ask. “A hooman. Wait, I have a picture.” She starts digging in her saddlebag. ”Hold on. I know it’s here somewhere.” The unicorn says. A couple seconds later, she stops digging, she pulls out a book. She levitates the book in the air and looks through it. “See? A hooman.” She turns the book to me, and points to it. It shows a picture of a person sitting on a rock. “Oh! A human. Yeah, i’m a human.” I say. The unicorn gasps, then excitedly asks. “Can I get a picture with you?”. I chuckle then say “Sure. You got a name?”. The unicorn says “Oh! I forgot. My name is-” “Lyra! Come on! We’re going to miss the movie!” A pony standing in front of the movie theater yells. “That’s my best friend, we are going to watch a movie.” Lyra says. “Maybe another time? My name is Arthur Paige, by the way.” I say. “Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Arthur!” Lyra says, while running to her friend. “Likewise, Lyra!” I say. “Wait! You forgot your-” The two friends walk into the theater. ”Never mind.” I say. I pick the book off of the ground and dust it off. The title says “The History of the Human Tribe”. “How did humans end up in Equestria?” I ask. I open the book to the first page. Chapter 1-The Arrival of the Humans They came in a pack, seemingly out of nowhere. They walked on their back legs, they only had hair on top of their heads and faces, one even had hair under, and around his muzzle. They had appendages coming out of the ends of their upper and lower legs. They used their upper legs to grab objects. “This is huge.” I say.
Kinda Feels Like Deja Vu“I have to tell-. Huh, feels like deja vu.” I say. I knock on the castle doors. A couple seconds later, Spike opens them. “Hello, Arthur. Come in. Twilight is in the library.” Spike says. I walk inside of the castle. Then start walking towards the library. I reach the library’s doorway, then knock. “Come in!” Twilight says from behind the door. I open the door then walk inside it. “Hello, Arthur. I’ve been expecting you. Please, have a seat.” Twilight says. I sit down on a chair facing Twilight. “Derpy said there is something going on with my gauntlet; care to explain?” I ask. “There was something. But now, nothing.”. She points to a table with the Elemental Gauntlet on it. Twilight says “All the gems were flashing simultaneously, in a pattern. It kept repeating it until earlier today. I wrote it down on a paper, if you want to look at it. I don’t recognize the structure of this pattern.” I look down on the paper, all there is, is dots and dashes, with some slashes “Morse?” I ask. “Morse? What’s that?” Twilight asks. “It’s an alphabet or code in which letters are represented by combinations of long and short signals of light or sound. The thing is, I don’t have a decoder.” I say. “Very interesting, indeed. Can you put the gauntlet on? I want to see what will happen.” Twilight asks. I put on the gauntlet, nothing happens; at first. A couple seconds later, the gems light up then start flashing, a morse code is forming before my eyes. “Twilight! Write this down!” I say. I point the top of the gauntlet towards Twilight. She begins writing down the combination. A few minutes later, the combination stops. “Hey. It stopped.” Twilight says I look at the gauntlet all the gems are off. “Hmm. Twilight I found-”. I say before getting cut off. “Arthur! I sense something inside you. I think it may be serious. Let me run some tests.” Twilight says. “It can wait. I found this book, actually, no, a unicorn, named Lyra, left it when we met earlier.” I say. I pass Twilight the book Lyra left beside me. Twilight levitates it to herself. “You met Lyra? You know, she is into humans.” Twilight asks. “Yeah? Well I gotta go, I got plans tonight. Oh! I’m taking the gauntlet.” I say, before waving goodbye to Twilight. I walk outside the castle. I grab my chest. “Goddamn! What is that?!” I say. “Man, I hate that alicorn.” Nexus says. “I’m just gonna tune you out. I have to get stuff ready for me and Derpy’s date tonight.” I say. “You sure she isn’t going to use you, like that poor excuse of an alicorn?” Nexus says. “Twilight is not a poor excuse. She’s still learning the ropes of being a princess. Alright shut up now.” I say. The sharp sting returns. I grab my chest, then say “I’m running out of time.” Author's Note Here's the Morse Messages Twilight's Message : .- .-. - .... ..- .-. / -- ..- ... - / -.. .. . Arthur's Message : -... . .-- .- .-. .
What's Worse? Rejection Or Heartbreak?“I think everything is taken care of. What do you think, Twilight?” I ask, while showing her my checklist. “I think, she’s lucky to have somepony like you.” Twilight says, before smiling at me. “Oh, here she comes.” I say. My heart beats faster. “Hey, Arthur. I just got off of my shift. Want to go do something?” Derpy asks. “I was too scared to ask. So I planned a date, for us.” I say. “Oh! Arthur I-.” Derpy says, before I cut her off. “Derpy. This day is for us. Think of it as a day off.” I say. “That’s sweet, Arthur. Really, it is. But, i’m not ready to start dating right now.” Derpy says. “Oh shit! You just got rejected!” Nexus says. “But, I got a last minute table reservation. I had a boat ride planned. I was even going to play my guitar for you.” I say. “Should’ve asked way before.” Nexus says. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m just too tired to do anything. If you asked before you got in the hospital, I could’ve took the day off. Besides, you are like a brother to me.” Derpy says. My eyes tear up. “It’s fine. I’ll just cancel the activities.” I say, while trying not to cry. “Are you crying?” Derpy asks. I thought we had something, but obviously, we didn’t. “No. Dust got in my eye.” I say, while rubbing my eyes. “All that effort, just to get rejected. You got friendzoned, man! Right in front of Twilight too! Oh fuck! Best day ever.” Nexus says, while laughing. “I better go, then.” I say. I walk away from Derpy and Twilight. “Arthur! Wait!” Derpy says. “No. It’s fine. I know I probably came off as weird or something.” I say. “No! It’s not that! You’re walking on-.” Derpy says. The bridge i’m walking on breaks, with a loud snap. I fall into a creek. “Fuck! So cold!” I say. I get out of the water. I shiver as I say, “At least this day can’t get any worse.” “Arthur!” Moon, says in the distance. Moon is running towards me. He stops beside Derpy and Twilight. “Arthur! Hi Derpy. Hey Twilight. Why are you wet, Arthur?” Moon says, in between breaths. “It doesn’t matter. Why are you here?” I ask, still shivering. “Dr. Excavare wants to see you. He’s at the lab.” Moon says. “What does he want?” I ask. “I don’t know. He just told me to come get you. Judging by his face, it isn’t good.” Moon says. “Who wants to bet against me getting fired. No one? Okay.” I say. 13 minutes later “You wanted to see me?” I ask. “Yes. Please, sit down.” Dr. Excavare says. I sit down on a chair in front of the doctor’s desk. “Mr. Paige, are you aware that some of our tools went missing?” Dr. Ex asks. “No. Actually i’m not.” I say. “They disappeared about the same day you decided to have your little break.” Dr. Ex says. “Wait. You aren’t pinning this on me, are you?” I ask. “Maybe I am? Tools have gone missing. You don’t show up to work for two weeks! Moon tells me you have been hiding things from me. I ought to fire you.” Dr. Ex says. I swear he was going to flip his desk. “But, I want to see what your new body can do.” Dr. Ex says. “Excuse me? For a minute there, I thought you were firing me.” I say. I am, if you don’t prove yourself useful. I’m bringing you to the site i’m currently working at. Think of it as an audition. If you do good, you won't get fired, and you’ll get paid slightly more.” Dr. Ex says. “When is this?” I ask. “Tomorrow. So get your act together, and bring those damn tools back!” Dr. Ex says. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down!” I say as I run out the door. I leave the lab. 17 minutes later As I walk into the main square, Lyra spots me, she runs to me, with her friend. “Hey, Arthur!” Lyra says. “Oh, hey, Lyra. And hi, Lyra’s friend.” I say, while waving at them. “This is Sweetie Drops.” Lyra says. “Nice to meet you.” I say before reaching out my hand. “I’d rather not.” Sweetie Drops says, with a disgusted look on her face. “Rude.” Nexus says. “Sweetie! You don’t have to be rude.” Lyra says. “Sorry. But i’m kind of a germaphobe.” Sweetie says. “Yeah, right. Since when?” Lyra asks. “Since now.” Sweetie says. “We’ll discuss this later. Go see if there are any more pies.” Lyra says, before handing Sweetie a bag of bits. “Sorry about that. Have you seen my book?” Lyra asks. “Not since you showed me it.” I say. “I can’t find it anywhere.” Lyra says. “Lying to your friends? Where will that take you?” Nexus says. “I’m sure it’ll turn up.” I say. “Yeah. Maybe.” Lyra says. “Hey, Lyra. Do you want to hang out sometime?” I ask “Yeah. Sure. I was going to ask you, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. Speaking of which, my friend, Sweetie, says not to trust you, but hey, what does she know, right? I trust you, you seem cool. And i’m rambling, aren’t I?” Lyra says. I nod at her, smiling while doing so. Lyra nervously chuckles, then says “Sorry, again. But yeah, we should definitely hang out.” “Great. So, tomorrow, then? I just want to take a day off to clear my head. ” I say. “Oh! I know the perfect place. It helps me focus on my magic, or just helps me relax. t’s really quiet there. I’m sure you’ll like it.” Lyra says. The chest pain returns. I grab my chest, at the same time, Lyra puts a hoof to her head. “Ow! What the buck! It feels like my horn is going to explode! I’m going to see a doctor. I’ll see you later, Arthur.” Lyra says as she walks away. “See you, Lyra!” I say. “What the hell was that? Why did she have a headache at the same time as my chest pain? And what is buck?” I ask. “Nothing lasts, everything comes to an end.” Nexus says. “That’s what makes every moment precious.” I say. “How long are you going to pretend that everything is going fine for you?” Nexus asks. “I’m not pretending. Everything is going fine.” I say. “Really? What happens if you fail your “audition”? You’ll lose your income, then you’ll be homeless, then, eventually, you’ll die.” Nexus says. “That’s why I tend to look up, instead of down. I won’t fail, because I believe I can do it.” I say. “Who are you talking to, Arthur?” Derpy asks. Author's Note I'm back! I have a bunch of things planned, so stay tuned. I'm trying to make Arthur interact with more characters. And get more in-depth in his pony life. And i'm making him more easily to relate to. What do you think? Do you think Arthur will pass his "audition"? I'm trying to get at least a thousand words in the rest of the chapters. Anyway, I have school, so expect a delay, in chapter posting. Here's a morse message, for you guys. Peace. -D .... --- .--. . / -.-. .- -. / -... . / .-.. --- ... -
The AuditionOh crap! Did she catch me? Think! “Myself. I have an audition tomorrow. I’m really trying to motivate myself.” I say. “Don’t you do that right before you perform?” Derpy asks. “Yeah, but, i’m getting a headstart.” I say. “Okay, if you say so. May I ask, what are you auditioning for?” Derpy asks. “I’m auditioning for a job. Heh I wonder how many pe-, ponies said that.” I say. “Listen, Arthur. I just wanted to apologize for turning you down. I know I was probably leaning on, or something. But you are like a brother to me.” Derpy says. “I was getting some mixed signals. If that’s what you’re talking about. It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it.” I say. I lied. It’s not fine. I saved her life! And that somehow makes me her brother?! We even shared a bed! Siblings don’t do that! She’s hiding something, I know it. Wait. Who is that? That’s not Nexus. “Arthur? Hello?” Derpy says, while waving a hoof in my face. “Oh! Sorry. I spaced out there. Were you saying something?” I ask. “I was just thanking you, for understanding.” Derpy says. I completely understand; I understand, that you can reach out and break someone’s heart anytime you want! “No problem. I try to do my best to spread positivity, as much as you ponies. God, that sounded racist. I’m sorry.” I say. “Don’t worry. I get what you are trying to say. Well, see you later.” Derpy says, before she walks away. It’s about time she left. “Who are you?” I ask. Don’t you recognize me? “No. No I don’t. Who are you?” I ask. No answer. “I said, who are you?” I ask. Still no answer. 2 hours later After canceling all the activities, Arthur planned, Arthur is just about to hit the hay. That’s when the voice returned. Going to bed so soon? “Shut. Up.” I say. I don’t need sleep. I’m just a figment of your imagination. “I don’t care.” I say. Do you want to know where I came from? “No, I don’t.” I say. I came from your doubts, your fears, your hate. Think of me as Nexus times two. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?” I ask. Nexus feels guilty; of what he did. If I was in his shoes, I would feel no remorse. “Nexus feels guilty? What did he do?” I ask. You don’t remember? He made an entire species endangered, in cold blood. He brainwashed two very powerful magic users, to capture and kill you. He even wanted to kill the princesses. You’re telling me, you don’t remember any of that? My mind is fractured. I remember some things, and I don’t remember other things. Perhaps I shall remind you of what happened. In a second I see Nexus’ memories; the Hybrids’ deaths, Starlight killing me, and worst of all, his version of Equestria. This is what he wanted. An end to happiness. An end to hope. An end to harmony. Ponyville is in ruin. The Everfree Forest has grown to the entrance of Canterlot. Canterlot has fallen into the darkness of Nexus’ reign. In this vision, he kills the princesses, he sends the Spirits of Disharmony to all of the corners of Equestria. He destroys all hope. “No! This can’t happen!” I yell. The only way to stop it, is to kill yourself. Nexus hides deep inside your mind. He lives on through you. “There has to be another way.” I say. I’ve shown you the options. It’s up to you, to choose what has to be sacrificed, for the better. “What a time to talk about this.” I say. “Follow me, and we shall make her pay.” I hear Nexus say. “What was that?” I ask, before walking to the source of Nexus’ voice. I am now looking through the eyes of Nexus, I am in Twilight’s castle, in front of Starlight Glimmer. “I just wanted a place where no one feels less than anyone else. Twilight doesn’t know what it’s like to lose friends. No one does.” Starlight says. “I do. I too know that feeling. I can make that go away. You just have to follow me. If you do, I can get you Twilight.” Nexus says. “But, Twilight gave me a second chance. I can’t just switch on her like that.” Starlight says. “Think about your village. All those ponies, turned against you; because of Twilight.” Nexus says, while touching his horn to Starlight’s forehead. “I could’ve lived in peace! If she didn’t intervene! It’s all her fault.” Starlight says. “She just wanted to save herself, she is not really your friend. I am.” Nexus says. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll join you.” Starlight says. So this this is how he turned them. “And I could have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for you!” Nexus says. “Nexus?” I ask. “No it’s the Tooth Fairy. Of course it’s me! Listen, I came to warn you about someone. You may think it’s Maximus, trust me, it’s not. He is going to try to kill you. Do not listen to anything he says.” Nexus says. “Yeah, right. You just don’t want me to do anything that will foil your “master plan”; if you have one.” I say. “I’m serious, Arthur! He’s going to kill our friends! Do not listen to him!” Nexus says. “Hey! Don’t talk like that! We’re fine!” I say. “Now you are! In the future, it will be too late!” Nexus says. “How far, in the future, are we talking?” I ask. “About two months.” Nexus says. “Two months? Really?” I ask, skeptical of Nexus’ warning. “Yeah. Two months. He’s gonna try to make it sound urgent; don’t listen to him.” Nexus says. “Okay, whatever you say. Look, I gotta get some sleep, it’s probably like three in the,” I look outside. The sun is rising. I look at my clock, it says six-thirty two. “morning. Did we talk all night?” "You don’t remember sleeping? Then waking up?” Nexus says. “No! I don’t. It’s getting worse, it’s attacking my memories. I can’t worry about that now. I have to ace this audition.” I say before getting out of my bed. 6 hours later Arthur is at Dr. Ex’s dig site. He is getting ready to present what he knows, and what he can do. “Are you ready?” Dr. Ex asks. “Not yet. I’m cleaning my tools. It would probably take like ten more minutes.” I say. “It better take ten more. Or else i’ll fire you right now.” Dr. Ex says. Dr. Ex walks away. Geez. If you’re gonna threaten me, you better be for real about it. He knows he needs me. Do not listen to Nexus. “Now, really isn’t the time. I’m about to show, Dr. Ex, that I can handle this job.” i say. There is more to you than archeology. “Really? Oh wise one, tell me, what am I destined for?” i ask, jokingly. Not for this. That’s for you to find out. “I need a job that’s going to pay me. I can’t just go all over Equestria, on a fucking wild goose chase. And I sure as hell don’t need a “princess” to take care of me.” I say. You are bigger than this. “I don’t care.” I say. You do. I know what you fear; oblivion. You want to be remembered, especially since you are dying. “I’m not dying.” I say. Really? Then how do you explain those chest pains? You have a purpose, Arthur. You have a destiny. Everyone does. “I stopped believing in a higher power, when I met Princess Celestia. I never did.” I say. “Mr. Paige? Are you ready? ” A liason asks. “Yeah, I am.” I say. “It’s my time to shine.” I say, before I grab my tools. I walk to an untouched patch of dirt. 2 hours later After two hours of hard work, Arthur had a chest pain, when he had just chiseled an artifact he found. He dropped the ball, and the artifact, on his only chance at getting the money to pay Aro back. Wait, what? “No! No! Shit! Give me another chance!” I say. The pain returns. “I’m sorry, Arthur. But you should’ve specified that you have heart problems, because of obvious reasons.” Dr. Ex says. “And you can’t do anything about it?!” I ask. “I’m not that kind of doctor. I don’t work on ponies or humans. I have no choice but to fire you.” Dr. Ex says. “No! Please! I can do better! I promise! Look, I can put it back together!” I say. I glue the jagged edges, then try to piece them together. The pain stops me. Desperately, I put more glue on the pieces. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I’m letting you go. I’ll send you your final paycheck. You can go now. And please, leave the tools this time.” Dr. Ex says, before walking away. “But. I-. I need this job.” I whisper. I start my walk back to my house. “Ever hear of the phrase, “kick ‘em while they’re down”? Guess what?” Nexus asks. “Don’t. Please. This is too much already.” I say. “I can see that. You had one chance; and you blew it. Fucking pains, right?” Nexus asks. “You had something to do with it, didn’t you?” I ask. “Maybe. Maybe I didn’t.” Nexus says. “Did you have something to do with it?!” I ask. “You know the spell I hit you with? Before you used The Elements on me?” Nexus asks. “Kind of.” I say. “It’s a slow-killing spell. Starlight taught me it. Unfortunately, it's irreversible. Those chest pains are just your body trying to fight it.” Nexus says. “So, that’s it? I’m just gonna die?” I ask. “Yes. Yes you are. It takes two months for it to completely kill you.” Nexus says. “That’s great. Awesome. I might as well get it over with. I got nothing to lose, right?” I ask. “Wait. You said you wanted to be remembered, right? I have an idea.” Nexus says. Author's Note Sorry for the really long delay. I don't have access to wifi. So, Arthur failed at the audition. At least things can't get worse; or can it? What do you think about the other voice? And what about Nexus' plan? Like I said more than a thousand words.
Strained Friendships“Release Maximus? How am I supposed to do that? Didn’t he die a long time ago?” I ask. “There could be something we’ve missed.” Nexus says. “No. Alright? That is way over my head. I have to look for a new job, or else I can’t pay for the house that i’m living in.” I say. “Come on. At least you’ll be remembered.” Nexus says. “I’ll think about it. Right now, I have to go job searching.” I say. “You are bigger than this.” Nexus says. “No, I'm not. My days are behind me. The only thing I can do is look back.” I say. “You are still alive. You can still make history.” Nexus says. “The last time I tried to do something, I got people killed. The last thing I want to do, is get more ponies killed.” I say. “That’s the thing; if you go through with this, no more ponies can die.” Nexus says. “No. I can’t.” I say. “You can, Arthur. You just have to put your mind to it.” Nexus says. “Aren’t you supposed to be discouraging me? Do that, you are better at that.” I say. Without noticing, I reach Twilight’s castle. POV Swap “Look, Twilight. Arthur is talking to himself again.“ Spike says. “He’s been doing that a lot lately.“ I say. “Do you think he finally lost it?” Rainbow says. “I think he's just stressed out.” I say. “Should we say something?” Spike asks. “Maybe just to say hi.” I say. We walk to Arthur. “Hey, Twilight. Hey, Spike.“ Arthur says, while waving at us. “What? Am I too awesome to be acknowledged?” Rainbow says. “That's a pretty big word, Rainbow. Are you sure she isn't a changeling?” Arthur says. “Did you just call me dumb?” Rainbow asks. “Oh you caught on to that? I guess you don't have a small brain, after all.” Arthur says. “What’s your deal, Arthur?” Rainbow asks. “Look, I had a bad day. Okay?” Arthur says. “You shouldn’t take it out on your friends. Do you want to talk about it?” I ask. “Rainbow isn't my friend. None of you are, we are just acquaintances, we aren't friends; especially when you used me. And no; I don't want to talk about it.” Arthur says. “We aren't friends?” I ask. “Yes. We aren't.” Arthur says. “Well, then. Since we aren’t friends, I’ve been itching to tell you how much I hate you.” Rainbow says. “What did I ever do to you, Rainbow? Why do you always have to insult me?” Arthur asks. “That’s just it, “Arthur”, if that’s even your real name, you didn’t do anything to me. It’s how you act, all high and mighty, when you were a criminal in your world! Give us a reason to lock you up in Canterlot!” Rainbow says. “The reason I act all high and mighty, is because i’m a natural leader, you bitch!” Arthur says. “I have no idea what that means, but-” Rainbow says before Arthur cuts her off. “I didn’t think your small brain could possibly know what that means.” Arthur says. “You better check who your talking to in that tone.” Rainbow says. “What can you do, besides talk? Fly fast? Oh, how scary! You gonna get your Wonderbolts out to get me? I’m so scared! Or are you gonna fly me to death?” Arthur asks. “Me and Twilight were thinking more along the lines of exile, let Aro take care of you. Like your mom.” Rainbow says. “You better take that back.” Arthur says. “Or what? What are you gonna do? You are as threatening as Angel.” Rainbow asks. “You have no idea what i’m capable of.” Arthur says. “Yeah? You have no idea what i’m capable of.” Rainbow says. “Stop it!” I yell. “No!” Arthur yells back. “What?” I ask. “I said no!” Arthur yells. I feel a painful pressure in my horn. POV Swap I feel the most painful chest pain I’ve felt; so far. “Ahh! Fuck!” I yell, as I grab my chest. Twilight grabs her horn. “Spike! Ahh!” Twilight yells at the same time, as me. “What!? What’s wrong, Twilight?!” Spike says. The pain passes, in throbs. “My horn! It felt like it was going to explode! I've never felt anything like that before!” Twilight says. Unicorns all around us grab their horns. They too yell out in pain. “What the buck was that?” Rainbow asks I see dots around the edges of my eyes. My knees feel weak. I get very lightheaded. I let go, and pass out. 11/2 Hours Later After Arthur blacked out, Twilight took him to her castle. Derpy is growing more concerned of Arthur. “When do you think he’ll be awake?” I hear Derpy say. “I think he should be awake soon.” Twilight says. I open my eyes. “What happened?” I ask. “What do you remember?” Twilight asks. “I remember failing the audition. I remember us fighting. And feeling very angry.” I say. “You failed your audition?” Derpy asks. “Wait. What audition?” Twilight asks. “The archeology job I had. Dr. Ex wanted to see what I could do with my human body. But I failed.” I say. “I just wanted to come check up on you. I had a dream of you, last night.” Derpy says. “What happened in your dream?” I ask. “In my dream, you killed yourself, with the gauntlet.” Derpy says. That’s actually a good idea. “I’m fine, Derpy. Really, I am.” I say. I’m dying. “Speaking of the gauntlet, did it flash?” Twilight asks. “Not since yesterday.” I say. “Oh! I almost forgot! Rainbow!” Twilight yells. “What?” A groggy Rainbow Dash asks, from another room. “Get over here! She wanted to apologize to you.” Twilight says. “Apologize? What did she do?” Derpy asks. Rainbow flies into the library. “We got in a fight earlier.” I say. “Is there something you want to say, Rainbow?” Twilight asks. Rainbow Dash sighs, then says, “I’m really sorry, Arthur. I didn’t mean to say those things, I said, earlier. Please forgive me.” “No.” I say. “What?” Twilight, Rainbow, and Derpy says, simultaneously. I say “I don’t forgive you. You don’t know what it’s like to have the only person that loved you, die.” “But, I said i’m sorry.” Rainbow says. Sorry won’t bring her back. Sorry won’t take away the pain. Sorry won’t make me forgive you. “Just when I almost forgot. You just had to say something, right?” I say. “I’m sorry, Arthur.” Rainbow says. “I should have been there. I miss her so much.” I say. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for that. There was nothing you could do.” Twilight says. I look at Rainbow, then I say “I can’t believe, you said you were going to send me back, so I could “die like my mom”.” “You said that? What the buck is wrong with you?” Derpy asks. “I didn’t say that!” Rainbow says. I say “But you meant it. Maybe I should, right? Maybe I should just go through that portal. It doesn’t seem like you would miss me that much anyways.” “Don’t talk like that! Of course we would miss you!” Derpy says. “Liar.” I say. “I’m not lying. What about Moon and your other friends? They would miss you too.” Derpy says. “I’m gonna go. I can’t talk to any of you, right now.” I say, before walking out of the room. “Hello, Arthur.” An unknown voice says. “Oh goddammit. What the hell do you want?” I ask. “I have been watching you. Ever since you arrived in Equestria, I have seen what you have done.’ The voice says. “Who are you?” I ask. “I am Maximus. And I must return to Equestria.” Maximus says. “Good luck, with that.” I say. “You have to help me. Commodus is returning.” Maximus says. “Arthur? I know you are dying. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anypony.” Twilight says. “Nexus hit me with a slow-killing spell. I’m gonna die in two months.” I say. “Can I help?” Twilight asks. “Nexus said it’s irreversible.” I say. “I’m going home. I’m too stressed out to talk.” I say, before walking out of the castle. As my mind wanders, I get too distracted, that my mind subconsciously takes me into The Main Square. “Arthur? Are you okay?” Lyra asks. “Yeah. Just a bad day, is all. Where is your friend?” I ask. “It’s just me today. Hey, are you still up for hanging out?” Lyra asks. “Why not, right?” I ask.
The Calm Before The Storm1 month later Ever since the fight, Arthur has been growing more and more depressed. Twilight agreed to give Arthur money. Arthur has distanced himself from everyone, even his friends. He has turned to alcohol. With a slur, I say, “Another one for the books.” I throw an empty beer bottle across the room. Arthur is drunk. “Staying here was a mistake. I should’ve died on Earth.” I say. I glance at the gauntlet. “They won’t miss me. They will just be glad.” I say. I get up off of my couch, then walk towards the table, with the gauntlet on it. You won’t do it. “I will.” I say. No, you won’t. “I am.” I say. You won’t. “Just, shut up! I am so tired of these fucking voices in my head!” I say. I grab the gauntlet, then put it on. I stare at it. Do it. It’s not like anyone would miss you. You are a waste of life, space, and money. You are a drunk. You are a selfish prick! You killed your mother. You are a criminal. You are evil. I say “I can’t.” That’s right. You can’t. Because, you are just a pussy. “Shut! Up!” I yell. No one will miss you. “I know.” I say, before crying. Weak. Suicidal. A drunk. Alone. Unloved. A waste. These words define you. Wrong. You define you. “Nexus?” I ask. It pains me to see you, like this. Broken. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t live, if i’m already dead, inside.” I say. But, you still do it. Why? “I can’t leave them. My friends. I can’t leave them, again.” I say. How long are you going to feel sorry for yourself? You are still alive. You can still make history. POV Swap Meanwhile “Are you crazy?!” Twilight asks. “At least he won’t be our problem, anymore.” I say. “No, Rainbow! That’s out of the question! We are never having this conversation, ever, again.” Twilight says. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I say. Twilight walks away. I have to get him out of here. Luckily, I know how to do that. “Don’t think about going to see him!” Twilight yells from the other room. POV Swap 23 minutes later I hear a knock on the door. “Who is it?!” I yell. “It’s Rainbow!” Rainbow Dash yells. “What do you want?!” I ask. “I want to talk.” Rainbow says. POV Swap Meanwhile Twilight is studying Lyra’s book. “Commodus made a deal with the human tribe?” I ask. “Their leader agreed to help him. When they did, he killed them.” I read. “Who is the author?” I ask myself. I look all around the book. I find a name. “A. Paige? Could it be his pony version? That doesn’t explain how he wrote it two thousand years ago.” I say. I gasp, in realization. I feel a pressure in my horn. Sparks appear in the middle of the room. A portal opens in the sparks. An older-looking Unicorn Arthur falls out. The portal closes. “Twilight, help me.” The older Arthur says. Twilight runs over to Older Arthur. Older Arthur’s appearance is very rough, it looks like he ran through blades. He is wearing a button up shirt. His mane is faded, and shorter. He has scars all over his body. Twilight uses healing magic on Older Arthur. “Are you Human Arthur?” I ask. “No. I’m from Equestria.” Older Pony Arthur says. “How old are you?” I ask. “I’m fifty-six. In human years.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Why are you here?” I ask. “You told me to leave.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Me, in the future?” I ask. “Yeah.” Older Pony Arthur says. “Why did I tell you to leave?” I ask. “Time Guardians were going to kill me. Time travel is illegal, in the future.” Older Pony Arthur says. “When do we meet?” I ask. “Today.” Older Pony Arthur says. “How do you know how to time travel?” I ask. “You and Starlight taught me how.” Older Pony Arthur says. “What happens in the future?” I ask. “I can’t tell you. Thank you for helping me. But that’s all the time I have. You can’t tell anyone about this encounter.” Older Pony Arthur says. Older Pony Arthur disappears in sparks. The pressure leaves. I hear commotion outside the castle. “He’s bleeding!” A pony says. “Somepony! Help him!” Another pony says. I teleport outside. There are six to ten ponies in a group. “What’s going on!” I yell. All of the ponies look at me, then move out of the way. Present Pony Arthur is laying on the ground, unconscious. He has a wound on his body. Meanwhile “Did Twilight really say that?” I ask. “She said, it’s for the best.” Rainbow says. “Okay. I’ll go.” I say. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the castle.” Rainbow says. “Rainbow is lying.” Nexus says. Me and Rainbow walk out the door. “This is suicide.” Nexus says. “Aro killed your mother. Don’t listen to Rainbow.” Nexus says. “I know what really happened to your mother.” Maximus says. Do what you think is best. You are good either way. “Will you shut the hell up!?” I yell. “Are you okay, Arthur?” Rainbow asks. “Sorry. I’m just a little mad.” I say. “Yeah. I am too, but she is my friend. She is usually right.” Rainbow says. “Rainbow. Can I ask you something?” I ask. “Anything.” Rainbow says. “When did I arrive in Equestria?” I ask. “Like three months ago. Why?” Rainbow asks. That was too easy. “No reason. What are my friends’ names?” I ask. “How am I supposed to know? It’s not like i’m close to them, or anything.” Rainbow says. “That’s very interesting. Since you insisted on giving Moon a birthday party, this year, changeling!” I yell. The changeling turns into it’s real form. “It’s not like anyone’s going to believe you.” The changeling says. “I guess i’m not anyone.” Rainbow says, before knocking the changeling out. The changeling falls to the ground. “They came back. We gotta get back to the castle, to warn Twilight.” Rainbow says. “I need my gauntlet.” I say. POV Swap Meanwhile The changelings have infiltrated Ponyville and Canterlot. They are in hiding. Twilight brought Pony Arthur to a hospital, the very same, where Arthur was treated. Pony Arthur is still unconscious. “When will he be awake?” Twilight asks. “In a couple hours. Princess. This wound is in the very same area, it was, the first time he came here. That’s very interesting. It’s like it didn’t heal.” The doctor says. “Yeah. Weird.” Twilight says. The doctor walks out of the room. Pony Arthur suddenly wakes up. “Where the buck am I?! Who are you?! Am I dead?!” Pony Arthur yells. “Relax. You are in Ponyville. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. You aren’t dead. What happened to you?” Twilight asks. “I can’t tell you.” Pony Arthur says. “Why?” Twilight asks. “Because. What I did is against the law.” Pony Arthur says. “What did you do? Tell me. Or i’ll have no choice, but to take you to Princess Celestia.” Twilight says. “I stole from a Queen.” Pony Arthur stammers. “Which Queen?’ Twilight asks. “Queen Chrysalis.” Pony Arthur says. “What did you steal?’ Twilight asks. “An egg.” Arthur says. “Why?” Twilight asks. “I needed the money. I was going to sell it on the Black Market.” Pony Arthur says. “Why do you need money?” Twilight asks. “Because, i’m in debt.” Pony Arthur says. “Because you need to pay back a gang leader.” Twilight says. “How do you know?” Pony Arthur asks. “This already happened.” Twilight says. Author's Note Time travel. Changelings. Another Arthur. Depression. There is a lot happening. And there is more coming. *So, as of now, this story takes place during the final episodes of Season 6. Watch out for spoilers (For those of who didn’t watch S6).* Do you think Arthur will get out of his depressive state; or do you think it will get worse? What do you think about Future Pony Arthur’s visit? Do you think he’ll be back? I’m not changing too much of the ending of season six. I’m gonna make it more interesting. I’ll try to get the sub-plots wrapped up, quick, in this story. As always, feel free to comment, rate, and spread the word, on TFiTU. Have a nice day. Peace. - D
A Complicated Situation“What do you mean, this already happened?” Pony Arthur asks. “It’s too complicated to explain.” Twilight says. “Then uncomplicate it.” Pony Arthur says. “This happened. But it wasn’t you. The same situation. The same conversation. What happened before you showed up in Ponyville?” Twilight asks. “If it wasn’t me, then who was it?” Pony Arthur asks. “It was you; but not you.” Twilight says. “Is he still here? Other me?” Pony Arthur says. “You still didn’t answer my question. What happened before you showed up?” Twilight asks. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Pony Arthur says. “Arthur. I have seen and experienced things you would think was impossible.” Twilight says. “I didn’t tell you my name. How do you know it? Right. Because this “already happened”.” Pony Arthur says. “You don’t believe me?’ Twilight asks. “I am convinced. You are a stalker.” Arthur says. “Quit trying to change the subject! What happened!?” Twilight asks. “Okay! Okay. I’ll tell you.” Pony Arthur says. POV Swap 21 minutes later We walk into the lively streets of Main Square. “What do you think they are planning?” I ask. “The changelings?” Rainbow asks. I nod at her. “I don't know.” Rainbow says. “Psst.” An unknown voice says. I look around. A pony comes from around the corner. It looks like me. “You have to help me!” The pony says. “Who are you?” Rainbow ask. “My name is Arthur. Arthur Paige.” Pony Arthur says. “Wait. You are Arthur?” I ask. “Yeah, I am.” Pony Arthur says. “What happened?” Rainbow asks. “They took Twilight.” Pony Arthur says. “Who did?” I ask. “The changelings.” Pony Arthur says. Pony Arthur pulls an egg out of his jacket. “What the fuck is that?!” I ask. “It’s a changeling egg.” Pony Arthur says. “Why do you have a changeling egg?” Rainbow asks. “I stole it.” Pony Arthur says. “Why?” I ask. “I need the money.” Pony Arthur says. “Because you need to pay back a gang leader.” I say. “Look, the changelings are looking for- Wait. How do you know that?” Pony Arthur says. “I was in your shoes. I am you. From another reality.” I say. “What? Wait, Twilight said there is another me. Is that you?” Pony Arthur asks. “Hold it. You said they are looking for that egg. Why?” Rainbow asks. “Hold on, Rainbow. He doesn’t trust us, yet.” Arthur says. “Yeah, i’m you. When we were young, mom always told us to never give up hope, no matter how tough things seem. That’s the reason you stole that egg, right? To save her?” I ask. “Yeah. It is.” Pony Arthur says. “Do we have your trust?” I ask. Pony Arthur nods. “Great. Now, can you tell us why the changelings are looking for that egg?” I ask. “I will tell you later. It’s not safe to talk right now.” Pony Arthur says. “Okay. Do you know where the fakes are?” Rainbow asks. “They are in that castle.” Pony Arthur says, while pointing at Twilight’s castle, in the distance. 4 minutes later “We have to find out what they are planning. Rainbow, you have to go in there.” I say. “What?! Are you crazy?!” Rainbow asks. “You already took out a changeling. What’s the problem?” I ask. “I knocked out one changeling, there are three in there. We have to get out of here, that’s what we need to do.” Rainbow says. The castle doors open. “Shh!” Pony Arthur says. Twilight walks out. “Is that Twilight?” I whisper. “It could be a scout.” Rainbow says. “Should we follow it?” Pony Arthur asks. “Are you serious?” Rainbow asks. “We could interrogate it.” I say. “You do know you guys are bad at whispering, right?” Twilight says. “Jesus Christ, Twilight! You sc-.” I say. “Twilight?” Rainbow asks. “Rainbow?” Twilight asks, as she narrows her eyes at Rainbow. “I see you’ve brought Arthur. Good. Bring him inside.” Twilight says. “Sure thing, Twi.” Rainbow says. All four of us walk towards the entrance of Twilight’s castle. “You sure took long just to pick him up.” Twilight says. “Well, you know how Arthur is.” Rainbow says, before she chuckles nervously. We reach the front doors. Twilight knocks in a pattern. A few moment later, Spike opens the door. “Back already? I was enjoying my time not being bossed around.” Spike says. We walk inside. Then start walking to the throne room. “Wasn’t there only supposed to be one Arthur?” Spike asks. “I’m Arthur from Equestria.” Pony Arthur says. “Why are you in Ponyville?” Twilight asks. “Just visiting a friend.” Pony Arthur says. We reach the throne room doors. Twilight opens the doors. “Guys! Arthur is here!” Twilight says. Fluttershy is the only one in the room. “Hi, Arthur!” Fluttershy says. “Go wait in the library. I got to discuss things with Fluttershy and Rainbow.” Twilight says. “But-” I say before getting cut off from Twilight. “Go wait, please.” Twilight says, with a hint of anger in her voice. “Okay.” I say before walking out of the room. Spike shuts the doors. “That was weird.” I say. POV Swap “That was close!” I say, before walking to the table. “Tell me about it.” Rainbow says. “I thought something happened to you. That’s why I was outside, I was going to see if you needed help.” I say. “I was trying to think of ways to ease him out of his house.” Rainbow says. “I thought we agreed on psychological manipulation.” I say. “Just because you are playing the smart one doesn’t mean you could use smart words.” Fluttershy says. “If you have a problem about my vocabulary, take it up with the queen. I’m the leader of this unit! So it should be fitting if i’m Twilight Sparkle!” I yell. “Whatever you say, princess.” Spike says. “I swear, Chrysalis just wants me to suffer. You should’ve been sent to Canterlot! Go get the others!” I yell. Fluttershy sighs, then gets out of her seat, ”Let’s go “Rainbow”.” she says. I walk out of the room, then to the library. I open the library doors. The two Arthurs are talking to each other. “Hello, Arthurs!” I say. “Hey, Twilight.” Human Arthur says. “Let’s cut the crap.” The changeling says, before turning into its real form. “We both know that the real Rainbow Dash is with my soldier. What are you planning?” The changeling asks. The changeling has a scar going diagonally across his face, it starts at the top of his right eyebrow, going down to his left cheek. He is missing the upper part of his right ear. His left eye is discolored. There is a burn scar covering a majority of the left side of his body. It would be an understatement to say that he has been to hell and back. “You are a guy?” Human Arthur asks. “Quit stalling! We don’t have much time! What are you planning?!” The changeling asks. “We don’t have a plan!” Pony Arthur says. “Very well. I guess we need Rainbow in here for you two to talk.” The changeling says, before covering the two Arthurs’ feet in a green slime. “Can’t have you leaving, now. Can’t we?” The changeling says, before turning back into Twilight, and leaving the room. “Don’t go anywhere!” The changeling says, before laughing. “Dick. I suppose you don’t have anything in that bag of yours.” I say. 16 minutes later The rest of the Mane Six unit arrived with Rainbow. The two Arthurs are planning their escape. “Very clever, taking the place of my soldier. But you slipped. Don’t have much experience in acting, do you?” The Commander asks. Rainbow glares at the Commander. “Take her into the library. We’ll move her with the rest tonight. The rest of you, go wait in the throne room.” The Commander says. Meanwhile Pony Arthur breaks my restraints. I hear faint hoofsteps approaching. “Sit down!” I whisper. Pony Arthur sits down. “You have a visitor.” Fake Rarity says, while dragging Rainbow into the room. “Rainbow!” I yell. Fake Rarity covers my mouth with the restraining slime. “Shut your mouth.” Fake Rarity says. “What are you planning?” Pony Arthur asks. “You aren’t in the position to ask questions.” Fake Rarity says. “I guess i’m not. Do you know how Fake Twilight got those scars?” Pony Arthur asks. “All I know is, he did something very bad, illegal. And Chrysalis took actions." Fake Rarity says. I shut the library’s doors with my magic. Pony Arthur throws the slime on the door handles. I pin Fake Rarity onto a chair, with magic. Pony Arthur throws some slime at Fake Rarity, restraining her to the chair. “Comman-mmh!” Fake Rarity says, before getting slime thrown onto her mouth. “Shut your mouth.” Pony Arthur says. I rip the slime off of my mouth. We hear knocking on the front doors. I open the door a little bit, so I could see outside. Fake Spike goes to answers it. “What do you want? Twilight's very busy!” Fake Spike says. “Spike, I really need to speak with her.” Starlight says. “Make an appointment! She's a princess, after all!” Fake Spike says, before slamming the door shut. “Now.” I say. Starlight knocks again. Fake Twilight opens the door. “What's wrong with you? Why are you being so-” Starlight says, before getting cut off. “Rude? I think a certain dragon didn't get his nap today.” Fake Twilight says. Pony Arthur stands on his hind legs, trying to reach the window. “Yeah, right. Whatever.” Fake Spike says before walking away. “Hurry up!” I whisper. “It’s too high!” Pony Arthur says. “Sorry. He's been acting a little off all day. I think he missed a meal or something.” Fake Twilight says. I open the window. “He's not the only one. Everypony's acting a little strange today.” Starlight says. “We gotta go, Arthur!” Pony Arthur whispers. “Yes, it's definitely been one of those days. How are you?” Fake Twilight says. We jump out of the window. They continue talking. “They will be looking for the both of us. We can’t be seen by each other. Meet me at the edge of the Everfree Forest.” I say, before turning into my pony form. “When?” Pony Arthur asks. “In fifteen minutes.” I say. “What happens if I run into somepony?” Pony Arthur asks. “Just say that you have to go, and that you’ll explain later.” I say. We split up. Meanwhile “Ah. Speaking of friends, if you'll excuse me, important business to attend to!” The Commander says, before shutting the doors. The Commander changes into his real form. “Ah! Commander!” Fake Rarity says. “Are they secured?” The Commander asks. “No.” Fake Rarity says. “What?! Why?!” The Commander yells. “Because they escaped.” Fake Rarity says “What do you mean, they escaped?!” The Commander asks. “She means, they escaped.” Fake Spike says. “Find them!” The Commander yells. Fake Spike, and Fake Rarity run out of the room. “Chrysalis will have my head, if I don’t have them secured! They are the only ones who knows where it is! We need them.” The Commander says. “They couldn’t have gone far.” Fake AJ says. “With the other one helping him, who knows?” The Commander says. “Do you think he’ll deliver?” Fake Rainbow asks. “Of course. After all, we have his mother.” The Commander says. “Even if he tries anything, we’d just have to remind him.” Fake Rainbow says. “We only need to push him. He’ll remember his place. Besides, everything is going as planned.” The Commander says. Author's Note I am so sorry for the delay! The writer’s block has been real, these past couple of weeks. I have good news. This story will be finished some time in June (most likely late June), and will have 19 chapters, including the epilogue (every chapter will have more than 1,500 words). I hope I put some personality in the Fake Six, including Fake Spike. Yes, Arthur is going to the changeling hive with Starlight, and the others (Thorax, Trixie, and Discord). Next chapter will reveal some backstory about the Changeling Commander. I also added the abilty for Arthur to change from his human form to his pony form (vice versa). I am polishing the ending. So far, I like it. And you probably will too. Thank you for your patience. Oh, I will post the next chapter some time week. Thank you for reading. Peace. -D
So Everything Is Back To Normal?Author's Note Considering my last story, a flop (even I don't like it). This story, i'm ready to outdo myself this time. So after almost 10 months of writing TFiTU-1 I decided to expand my version of the MLP Universe. That's when I rewrote the final chapter. I'm not spoiling anything. (Keep an eye out for Morse) Oh! Please do comment. It feels like i'm talking to a wall. So sit back and enjoy the story. Peace. -D So Everything Is Back To Normal? “But, the Elements.” I say. “The Elements just trapped me inside your mind.” Nexus says. “Arthur? Are you okay?” Derpy asks. “Yeah, Arthur. Are you?” Nexus asks. “Derpy! Ne-. He’s-.” I manage to say. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Nexus says, with a cocky tone. He laughs. “What?” Derpy asks. “I can control what you can or can’t say. You better stop, or i’ll say something that will make Derpy regret meeting you. Just pretend i’m not here.” Nexus says. “My neck cramped. Ouch.”I say, while rubbing the back of my neck. “What happened after I lost conscience?” I say, trying to change the subject. “Let me see. You were out for a whole day. Nexus disappeared. Starlight gave up the location of the Doctor. Starlight and Discord seem okay now, they apologized to their friends. The Doc is going to live with me. Your friends returned to their homes. And Twilight invited Blaze to live in her castle. I’m pretty sure that’s it.” Derpy says. “I’m sorry, Derpy. I never wanted any harm to come to you.” I say. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I chose to be here. Oh! I almost forgot. Twilight wanted to see you after you got out of the hospital. She said there is something going on with your gauntlet.” Derpy says. I look down at my arm, I am missing the Elemental Gauntlet. “Don’t worry, Twilight has it. I’ll see you later, i’ve gotta head to work.” Derpy says before throwing on a mailbag. “You work?” I ask. “Yeah. I do.” Derpy says, before showing me her company’s logo. “I work at the Post Office. I’m a delivery mare.” “I didn’t know that. Come to think of it, I might’ve seen you a couple times.” I say. “Yeah?” Derpy looks at the clock. It reads six to nine in, what looks like, Roman Numerals. “Oh, shoot! I’m late! I gotta go! Don’t strain yourself, Arthur!” Derpy says, before leaving the room. “What? Got nothing to say?” I ask. Silence. “I guess so” I say. A doctor walks into the room. “Hello Mr. Paige. My name is Dr. Medihooves. There is nothing wrong with you, physically, if exhaustion is an exception. But, there is something inside you. It’s eating at your very lifesource. I’d say, you’ve got about two months before it kills you. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Good luck. You can leave now.” Dr. Medihooves says. I leave the room. As I wander the hospital corridors, I lose track of time. Then these thoughts hit me: Do you know how it feels to be told when you are going to die? You look at life at a new angle. You learn to cherish everything, even the breath you are taking right now. Or you think everything loses its purpose. Everything becomes dull. You just want it over and done with. “I can’t die yet. I know I have a purpose.” I say. “You keep telling yourself that, even though deep down, you think otherwise.” Nexus says. “Arthur?” A familiar voice says to me.
