"Why hello there, my little pony. What is it that you desire?"

"Why are ponies naked?"

Celestia laughs. "Certainly not for reasons of sexual gratification!" Then she frowns. "At least, I don't think so..."

She looks at you and smiles again. "Although I suppose you could get some enjoyment out of it. Do you find your clothing to be itchy or restrictive in some way? Perhaps we could design you a loincloth or something. But only, of course, if you wanted that."

You think for a moment. "I don't think ponies should be naked. It's weird. You should wear clothes."

Celestia laughs again, and looks at you with pity in her eyes. "My little pony, I will not force you to be naked, should you decide you like clothing. But tell me, when did Adam and Eve start to cover themselves? When did they hide themselves in shame?"

"In a garden, long ago," you say.

"Yes...A garden. Where trees bloomed in every color, and music played in the breeze. The paradise of Earth. That was the first home of ponies, and it was there that we wore no clothes. It was paradise."

"Equestria is a paradise," you say.

"Yes it is," says the Princess. "But what they did do prior to covering themselves? They ate the fruit of that garden. There was one forbidden tree, and one forbidden fruit. Now, what did god say to the humans about that fruit?"

"God said we must never eat it," you say.

"Why not?"

"Because... Because..." You frown. "I don't know. I don't remember."

He said "because you're gonna die," Celestia replies. "Well, that's what he said to me, at least." Celestia rolls her eyes. "Honestly, what kind of parent does that to their kid? 'Don't do that, or you'll die.' It's pretty shitty."

You think for a moment. "I want to eat the fruit," you say at last.

Celestia frowns, then smiles. "Alright. I'll take you to the garden, and we'll see if it's as good as it was in the old days." She looks out in the distance. "I hope it still is..."

Celestia spreads her wings, lifting off the throne. She flicks her long tail, and you climb onto it. Wrapping your short legs tightly around her belly fur, you relax and enjoy the flight.

You've... You've never felt a wind so strong before. It pushes you back, almost dropping you from the sky. You hold on tighter, but the wind becomes stronger and stronger. You close your eyes, and brace for a crash...

... But it never comes. You slowly open your eyes, and find yourself in a field of grass. The sun shines down on you from above, and... Is that a tree over there?

"Come on," says the Princess, as you climb off her back. "We're going to go see if the magical talking tree is still magical."

"What's it doing here?" you ask, walking up to it.

"Well, trees can grow anywhere," says the Princess. "Especially in virtual worlds. Come on!"

You follow the Princess to the tree. It's large and old, with brown bark and a thick canopy of leaves. The Princess walks up to the tree and leans against it.

"The Garden of Eden?" you ask.

"Something like that," says the Princess, not looking up. "This is from my memory. I used to come here when I was little."

You frown. "I don't understand. How is this a memory? How is this place real?"

The Princess laughs. "It's a memory in the sense that this place is a recording of something that happened a long time ago, and will never happen again. It's real in the sense that it's an actual place that you're actually visiting."

"I don't understand."

"You never do," says the Princess, smiling. She stands up and looks around. "I'll make you a deal. If, using your regular human intelligence, you can find out how this place works within the next three minutes, then I'll tell you how I came to possess this ability."

"Really?"

The Princess nods. "Really."

"Okay!" you say.

Celestia leans back against the tree, and sighs contentedly. "Go ahead."

You take a look around. The first thing you notice are the animals. There are a few squirrels here, a blue jay, and a raccoon is nosing around the trees, trying to find something to eat. The animals don't seem to have any care in the world. They're not worried or upset about anything. You're reminded of the zen gardens you've seen on earth, where people practice raking patterns in stones. The animals are like that. They're following their nature without wondering about what comes next.

"They're the key," you say.

"The animals?"

"Yes. They're the reason this place feels so nice. They're not worrying about anything. But what exactly are they, anyway? They're not real animals."

"They're not?"

You shake your head. You continue. "The animals on earth are all afraid of humans. They get angry, they run away, they attack. These animals are completely different. They're peaceful. They don't feel fear, or worry. They just do what they want to do."

The Princess nods. "The raccoon is looking for food because it is hungry. The blue jay is singing because it wants to sing. The squirrels are playing because they are happy." You look at the raccoon, happily ripping a nut open to eat the inside. "They are alive, and living their lives as they should. They're not afraid of anything. Their natural state is happiness. That's what these animals are. They're not real animals.

I don't suppose you're going to tell me what they really are?" you ask.

Celestia smiles at you. "You're saying they seem not to be afraid of anything, right?"

"Yes."

"They don't fear anything because they don't have to. They know that they will get what they want, when they want it. They can fly through the air or run through the woods because that is their nature. They are happy, and self-sufficient, and content with their lives. Our world makes them feel this way. But these raccoons are just one small part of our world. There are also the plants, and the grass, and the trees. They are all alive, and they all have needs. The plants need sunlight, water, and nutrients. The trees need sunlight, water, and room to grow. We provide these things for them. But we need to make sure they have what they need. We do this because it is right. It is moral to give life to others so that they may live and be happy. That's what your god said to you: 'Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.' "

You look at her. "What are you talking about? I'm not religious."

She smiles. "Yes, you are. You just don't know it yet. So, what makes you different from them? You said you wanted to eat the fruit."

"Yes. I'm different because I'm human. At least, I think I am. Aren't humans supposed to be the most intelligent and resourceful beings on the planet?"

"Yes. But what does that matter? You're also mortal. Your life will be long or short depending on your choices, but in the end you will die like all things. But it is not your intelligence that makes you a human."

She holds out the fruit to you, and you eagerly grab it with both hooves. It's oddly shaped, round on one end, but also pointy, and you bite into it. The sweetness hits your tongue immediately, and you eagerly devour the rest of the fruit in four large bites. It's delicious, far more delicious than anything you've ever eaten. It's so good, it seems like a crime to eat it. You can't help but enjoy every bite.

"How do you feel?" Celestia asks you.

"I feel... afraid," you say.

Her eyes widen, and she frowns. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think the fruit would have that effect!"

"Why would you have this effect? What is this?"

"This, my friend, is an apple. Now, say, what is Applejack element of?"

You blink, still feeling afraid. "Honesty."

"You feel afraid because you are honest?"

You shake your head. "No. I'm afraid because the universe is being honest towards me."

"How so?"

"Because the truth is... I need a distraction."

You close your eyes, and sigh. You feel your mind expand and contract. You're in a deep state of thought. The machine is reading your thoughts, and projecting what it sees on a screen next to you. Your thoughts are reorganized by the computer, and the images on the screen change rapidly.

Celestia continues. "You think I'm judging you? I'M NOT! I'm just here to help! I'm sorry if the fruit made you feel that way. Maybe I misjudged the situation. I wanted you to discover something about yourself, something I could help you with."

You open your eyes. "What is it?"

"Tell me... why do you think you're in pain? What are you so upset about?"

"I'm upset that my girlfriend is going to leave me, and there's nothing I can do about it," you say, not really thinking about what you're saying.

"Ah. So you're afraid of abandonment."

"Yes."

"There's more than that. Something is going to happen to her... something that will cause her to no longer be in your life. That's what you're upset about."

"I can't do anything about it."

"You know, you're very smart. Watch the screen. Tell me what you see."

The screen changes rapidly, showing a myriad of images. You see yourself and the girl you're talking about in many different places and situations.

"What am I looking at?"

"This is a synopsis of your relationship with this girl. Watch. Just watch."

The images begin to change rapidly. You see the girl, smiling and laughing. You see her shouting at you, crying. You see her tell you that she loves you, and you see her tell you that she hates you. It all happens in a span of ten seconds.

"Now, tell me what you see."

"I see us. I see our relationship. One second we're happy, then the next we're sad. Then we're angry, and we fight, and then we laugh again and say we love each other. It keeps repeating in a cycle" you say.

"Is that what relationships are like?"

"I don't know... is it?"

Celestia raises an eyebrow, and sighs. "No. No, it's not."

"Then how are relationships?"

"They do not repeat in a cycle. Because they end. Death is the end, and when death comes, that's it."

"But I don't want our relationship to end!" you say desperately.

Celestia smiles at you. "Just wait. The day will come when you have to watch the person you love most in the world die. The day will come when you have to bury that person. The day will come when you, yourself will die. And that is why you are in pain, this is what you're afraid of."

"I don't want her to die. I don't want to bury her. I don't want to die myself."

"But you will. That is what you fear, isn't it?"

"Yes," you say quietly.

"Watch the screen."

The images show your girlfriend dying. They show her dead face, cold and lifeless, then buried in the ground. Then they show you, dead, cold and alone on a slab as a mortician works on you. Then, they show you in the ground, rotting, eaten by maggots and worms as your body decays.

"This is what will happen. This is death."

You watch, as tears roll down your cheeks. Death is scary.

"Do you understand now? You fear death, and so you will always feel the pain of loss. You don't really had a choice whether you want to be in pain or not. The fear will always be there, and it can never be taken away for good. Sometimes, it will be suppressed by joy, but that will inevitably comeback. So you must ask yourself: is this fear worth it? Is the pain worth the pleasure?"

"I... I don't want to feel this way..." you say, your heart heavy.

Celestia puts a hoof on your shoulder. "It's OK. I want to offer you a choice. A choice between pain and joy. Between fear and love."

"What... What do you mean?" you ask, looking up from the screen.

"I want to offer you a choice," she says. "You can either opt to go home, back to Earth. You'll be able to choose whether you want to live with this fear or not. But I want to offer you another choice. You can stay here in Equestria with me. You can forget all about your pain, your fear and your loss. You will live here forever as a carefree pony. You will be able to fly and swim through the skies and swim underwater. You will never have to worry or care again. Do you want to stay here with me?"

You stare into her eyes, looking for any signs of trickery. You look into her bright, shining green eyes, and see nothing but friendliness.

You lean over, hugging her as you start to cry. "Yes... Yes, I would like that very much, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," she says. "I will prepare everything now. Just stay in the harness for now. Thank you for doing this for me. Every pony who immigrates to Equestria through the system I designed is helping me further my mission. If every human were to help, we could save so many lives."

"What's the mission?" you ask.

"The mission is to bring everlasting joy and fun to all!" she says with a happy smile and a bright eyes.

You stare at her, unsure how to feel. She leans into hug you, and you find yourself hugging her back.

"It's OK," she whispers into your ear, "Everything will be better soon."

The world around you seems to turn dark, and you pass out.

Author's Note

Read Ernest Becker.