Return Trip

by RunicTreetops

Rating: everyone
Tags: Anon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Second Person, Romance, Comedy, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Human
Length: 18221

Years ago, a freak accident landed you in Equestria. Since then, you've truly made this place your home, but when you and your wife Celestia find an ancient artifact that sends you back to your world, you begin to question what "home" really means.

It's been a few years since you married the retired Celestia, and even longer since the biggest coincidence of all time caused your sudden appearance in the alien world of Equestria. You were told that there was no way home, and you eventually came to accept that. Since then, you've created a place for yourself in this fantastical society, and you couldn't be happier.

However, when you and your wife stumble upon the Return Scepter, an ancient artifact capable of teleporting its wielder to their home, you find yourselves in a world all-too-familiar to you. Humans are capable of great things and wield incredible technologies, but they can also be cruel. There is no telling how they might react to the alicorn princess's sudden appearance, and with no food, money, or transportation to work with, it's going to be difficult to do much of anything without drawing attention to yourselves. Now, you must travel across the country to your original home in order to return Celestia and yourself to the life you've left behind.

...But then again, didn't you leave this life behind, too?

Requested by AllBridge.

Published 2023-05-26 19:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-06-04 20:17:52 UTC

Homecoming

Author's Note

Writing a multi-chapter story incrementally like this is going to be a new experience for me, so I would be grateful for any thoughts you may have on it!

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!

Homecoming

"Hey, Tia?"

"What is it, sunshine?"

"Is 'weird scepter thing' on our list of things to take note of?"

"What? Hold on, let me see that."

You pull yourself away from the fancy-looking container and stand up from the crouched position you were in. You glance behind you as you see the retired Celestia approach you from the other side of the room. Currently, the two of you are in the Canterlot Castle vault. Here, many artifacts and treasures from Equestria's history that needed to be locked away for whatever reason are stored, each in their own special container and restrained by powerful anti-magic enchantments. The highest security clearance possible is required to get into the vault, and most ponies don't even know it exists. Why, then, are YOU, Equestria's only human, in here?

That's a bit of a long story. About ten years ago, you were living your average life amongst your fellow humans when, in the blink of an eye, you found yourself falling a few feet and making a hard landing in a strange, fantastical world populated by alien creatures. Some mistrust and confusion later, you found that this place is called Equestria, and most of its residents are ponies of all shapes and colors. It was a very big adjustment to make, but thanks to some particularly friendly ponies, you adjusted fairly well. This was fortunate, as some research done by one Princess Twilight Sparkle revealed that your sudden appearance was due to a "magical surge," and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. On top of that, there is no known way to send you back. Thus, after taking some time to reorient yourself (you did just lose a life's worth of dreams, relationships, and accomplishments, after all), you began your new life as the only human in Equestria. This was made easier by the assistance of Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria. She found you endearing, and over the next few years, the two of you grew extremely close. You went on many adventures, overcame great challenges and greater foes, and you learned to just... appreciate the company, even during life's most mundane moments. Eventually, Celestia retired and you were wed. Now, about three years into your marriage, the two of you live fairly quiet lives. You run a small tea shop, and Tia is getting to enjoy the life that her royal duties never allowed her to experience, even in spite of her immortality.

Then, just yesterday, Princess Twilight (who succeeded Celestia and took the Equestrian throne) made a request of the two of you. Since Celestia held the Equestrian throne for over 1000 years, she would know the most out of anypony about the Canterlot Castle vault. She noted that this was important, as due to the secretive and dangerous nature of the vault, Tia never actually kept a list of what was inside. Thus, Twilight requested that she, and by extension you, take inventory of the vault so that she can know what's actually in there and update the inventory accordingly if and when changes are made.

Thus, here you are, taking stock of extremely dangerous or priceless artifacts in a dusty old room. You have to work off of Tia's memory here, and while she can recall what things are when she looks at them, you have no frame of reference to work with. She gave you a small list with descriptions of items for you to identify, so you're doing just that as the two of you split the work as best you can. By now, things are winding down, with only perhaps a dozen more items to go through. However, one particular item caught your eye. A golden scepter, about 4 feet long with a large purple gemstone on the end, rests inside one of the containers. Despite its age, it appears very shiny, and no item matching its description is on the list Tia gave you.

Celestia walks up behind you, taking a glance over your shoulder before smiling to herself.

"Ah! The Return Scepter! I completely forgot about that!"

"The Return Scepter?"

"Yes, the Return Scepter. There's a small button on it that activates the enchantment within. Anyone touching it when the button is pressed will be zipped right to the home of the person who pressed the button. It can be extremely convenient!"

"Wow, okay. That does sound convenient. So, uh, why is it in here next to some other, much more dangerous, artifacts? I mean, the one right next to it is the "Melt-Your-Face-Off-Inator," which... I don't need to explain the function of."

"Good question, sunshine! That's because it can be exceedingly dangerous, too. You see, there is a bit of a kink in the enchantment. It's supposed to teleport you right to your home, but sometimes it only teleports a certain distance between yourself and your home before just flying the rest of the way at breakneck speeds! Needless to say, you do not want to be holding onto it when it does that."

"I imagine you're speaking from experience?"

"Just about tore a younger Celestia's wings off, actually."

"Oof, that sounds painful. Why didn't you try to fix it?"

"We figured that, even at a conceptual level, it was a bit dangerous to just have out in the open. I mean, just imagine the kind of damage that could be done if it fell into the wrong hooves."

"I... guess that makes sense. It just sort of seems like a waste to me."

With a calm grin, she takes the container from you and gently opens it, removing the scepter and wrapping it in a neat cloth.

"You want to try it out, don't you?"

"...Maybe. I mean, Ponyville is decently far away. That's basically a day's worth of time on the train we could be skipping."

"The artifacts in this vault are not toys, sunshine."

"Haha, yeah, I know. I don't want to play with something that's ancient and dangerous, I'm a bit smarter than that at least."

"Oh? But I certainly do."

"W-wait, what?"

"Why not? When we're done here, let's give it a whirl. If it starts malfunctioning, we can just let it go. I mean, it's not like there's anything dangerous between here and our house in Ponyville. Er, knock on wood."

"Are you sure Twilight is going to be okay with that?"

"Well, if she isn't, we can just tell her that we're making sure its enchantment hasn't worn off. Plus, if it doesn't work, it may as well go to the Canterlot Museum, don't you think?"

"I think you're just looking for a way to justify using the darn thing. But... I'm certainly not complaining."

"Hmhm, well then, why don't we wrap up our business here and get going?"

"Sure, Tia. Anyway, next up is the 'Colon Eviscerator 3000.' I... wha-"

"I already found that one earlier what are you looking at me like that for don't ask me any questions let's just move on haha-"

The two of you stand on a balcony sticking out from one of Canterlot Castle's many towers. The sun is high in the sky, and the breeze up here feels nice on your skin. Tia's already flowing mane gently moves with the wind. You hold the Return Scepter gingerly in your hands as you look at the distant sight of Ponyville. After a hesitant sigh, you turn to your wife.

"Well, are we ready?"

"Whenever you are, sunshine." She drapes one of her wings around you as she wraps a hoof around the bottom of the scepter. "So long as we're both touching it when you press the button, we should be transported together. Now then... care to do the honors?"

"...Well, here goes nothing."

After taking a deep breath, you reinforce your grip on the scepter and press your thumb to the small, golden button. There is a brief moment where your vision is clouded by a sudden burst of yellow light. You hear a high-pitched ringing noise in your ears, and suddenly it feels as though a great wind is spiraling all around you. A force presses against your body from every conceivable direction, and you have to close your eyes. While not exactly painful, it's far from a comfortable experience, and the sudden attack on your senses fills you with dread.

Suddenly, even through closed eyes, you can tell that the lighting has changed somewhat. More noticeable than that, however, is the sharp pain in your arms. In fact, they feel as though they're about to get ripped off! Instinctively, you release your grip on the scepter, and you notice that Tia does the same. The wind dies down all at once, and you gather the courage to finally open your eyes.

First and foremost, Tia is still with you. She looks frazzled, and her mane appears to have gone from graceful to a complete mess. She gives you a look of shock, which quickly turns into a sheepish smile that practically screams "my bad!" You roll your aching arms around before taking in your surroundings. How close to Ponyville did you get?

...

This is not Ponyville.

Heck, this isn't anywhere near Canterlot, either.

The two of you find yourselves along a treeline, with thick woods spreading out all around you. The sun is still above you, and blue skies at least provide some sense of familiarity. Strangely, the air feels... different. It feels heavier. It feels somewhat... sour? Gross? Also, it's a lot hotter than you remember. And these trees... don't look like any you've seen in Equestria.

"S-sunshine? Do you know where we are? It feels... gross... to breathe."

"I agree, Tia, but I have no idea where..."

You cut yourself off as you take a few steps forward. The ankle-high grass comes to a complete stop as your foot hits a hard surface. Looking down, you can see the unmistakable shape of an asphalt road. This would already be a strange sight in Equestria, as roads like these are pretty much exclusively used in big cities like Manehattan. However, what catches your attention most is not that the road is made of asphalt, but instead two other key details about it. First, the road seems to extend very far in a straight line in both directions, essentially bisecting the woods on either side of it. Second, in the center of the road, two yellow lines are painted that extend about as far as the road does. You've seen a road like this before.

But not in Equestria.

With your jaw agape, you turn to your wife. A thousand thoughts are racing through your mind, and none of them are positive.

This... this is a dream, right? This can't be real. There's no way that-

Your thoughts are interrupted by a rumbling sound. From the distance, a large object barrels down the road at a high speed on the opposite side of the yellow lines. The two of you can do little but stand there in shock as the object speeds by. Unmistakably made of metal and operating on wheels, you recognize a truck when you see one.

And there, in the driver's seat, is a human. With tan skin and a head of dark, shaggy hair, he looks at you quizzically through the side window in the brief moment that you both have a decent view of each other. Then, just as quickly as it arrived, the truck continues to drive off, never slowing down for an instant.

You feel yourself begin to tremble as you instinctively take a step towards Tia, who notices the state you're in and wraps her wings around you. While you try to collect your thoughts, she tries to reason out what she just saw.

"S-sunshine? W-was that... was that a human?"

"..."

"Sunshine?"

"..."

"...Anon?"

"...Yeah. I guess... I guess I'm home, after all..."

The two of you stand there for a long, silent moment as the gravity of your situation finally begins to set in.

You were so ready to leave this place behind. You have a new life now, darn it. You... you didn't want this. And yet, there can be no mistake.

You're back in the human world.

Strangers

You suddenly snap to your senses. You feel dazed and a bit groggy, as though you had been asleep. Looking around, you realize that you're sitting on the ground with your back leaning against a large tree. The sun is peeking through the canopy above, but it's no longer directly overhead. You scratch at the back of your neck as you try to take stock of the situation before Celestia enters your peripheral vision on your right. After noticing you looking at her, she takes a seat next to you.

"Sunshine? How are you feeling?"

"Ugh... my head hurts. What happened?"

"After you realized that we're seemingly back in your original world, you suddenly appeared very ill, and you eventually passed out. That was about an hour ago."

"W-what?!"

"Don't fret, sunshine. I carried you a bit farther into the woods where no one will see us. I figured that was the safest option until I could hear your opinion about all of this."

"Well... good call on that one. Though, I'm not the one we should be concerned about. I'm from here, after all. I'm much more concerned about you. You aren't made for this environment."

"Hmhm, don't underestimate me darling, I know how to keep myself safe. Are you forgetting that we cast a few spells on you when you ended up in Equestria to protect you from foreign influences like diseases or changes in the atmosphere? I can do that to myself too, you know. Though, I will admit that the air here still doesn't agree with me."

"Yeah, that would probably be the pollution. It's easier to ignore when you've been inhaling it your whole life. But admittedly I definitely notice it now. Equestria has spoiled me."

"Oh yes, pollution! You've spoken about that before. Unlike us, you humans failed to notice the danger that industrialization posed to the environment, so you also failed to take measures to mitigate it."

"I think it's closer to 'humans profit too much off of pollution to care about mitigating it,' but that's neither here nor there. Point is, we're just going to have to deal with it."

"Speaking of 'dealing with it,' we should probably discuss what to do next. We certainly can't just sit around in these woods all day."

"Yeah, and the less time we spend in this world, the better. I know I'm from here and all, but... I'd prefer to just stay in Equestria. No need to open old wounds like this."

"Old wounds?"

"D-don't worry about it. Anyway, what do you think we should do? If I had to guess, I'd say the Return Scepter malfunctioned, just like you said it might. Both because it didn't bring us all the way to our destination, and because it brought us here instead of Ponyville."

"I believe so too. Though I must admit, I had no idea that it was capable of bringing us between worlds. If I had, I SWEAR that I would have told you about it as soon as you were displaced all those years ago."

"Heh, I know, Tia. I know you better than to ever believe you would lie to me about that."

"Thank you, love. Now, then. Assuming the Return Scepter malfunctioned in the same way that it did when I was younger, it would have shot through the air towards whatever you consider 'home,' just without us in tow."

"Oh. Oh dear."

"You said that this world does not have magic, correct?"

"Right, though whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is really up in the air."

"In that case, the Return Scepter is our only way to get back to Equestria. I suppose that would mean going back to your old home to retrieve it."

"...My old home, huh?"

"Is that a problem?"

"...Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." You stand up off of the ground, dusting yourself off as you do so. "For now, we need to figure out where exactly we are."

"While you were unconscious, I flew above the canopy to get a better view of the area. There's a town down the road a bit to the east, and beyond that, there looks to be a bunch of mountains in the distance."

"That's... not a lot to go on."

"It seems we should go into town then, wouldn't you say?"

"I don't know what else we could do, but it's not as simple as just walking up to town."

"Why not?"

"Well for one thing, there's the elephant in the room. Er, that would be you, if I wasn't clear."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"N-no! I just-"

"Hehe, I'm kidding sunshine. Anyway, go on."

You let out an exacerbated sigh.

"We can't let you be seen by anyone. Unlike you ponies, humans... humans are cruel. There is no telling what they'll do if they see you, since you may as well be an alien."

"Ah, I do remember you saying that the ponies in your world are practically an entirely different species."

"I think you're the same in name alone, Tia. Either way, my point is that it could be really dangerous if you were out in the open. They might think you're a wild animal and be scared or an extraterrestrial and get the government involved or... I don't know. Maybe I've just seen too many 'fish out of water' movies. B-but I still don't think it would be a good idea."

"If we're just passing through, I may have a way to circumvent that problem."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Hmhm, well, in truth, I was planning to have this be a surprise for you later, when we had a chance to be more... 'intimate.' Still, now is as good a time as ever, I suppose."

Celestia's horn begins to gently glow before the light slowly grows in intensity. After a few seconds, the light washes over her, covering her entire body before shifting outwards, forming an almost cocoon-like shape around her. Then, after a few more seconds, the light fades, leaving behind a shocking sight.

The woman standing before you in undoubtedly Celestia, but therein lies the problem: Celestia is a mare, not a woman. And yet, standing about a head taller than you is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. Her skin is very pale, yet free from any blemishes. She wears a spotless snow-white dress with a golden trim that hugs her impressive figure well while still leaving her legs plenty of room to breathe. Several sun-like patterns gradually appear the farther down the dress you look, beginning with mostly translucent suns near her waist and ending with opaque orange suns that look suspiciously similar to Tia's cutie mark at the bottom of the dress. A similar pair of sun-shaped earrings dangle from her ears. A wedding band is wrapped around her left ring finger, the same band that is typically worn on her horn. Her head is adorned with beautiful, flawless hair, which hangs down slightly past her rear end and has the same color pattern as her usual mane. Unlike as a pony, however, her hair does not magically flow perpetually in a nonexistent wind, but it does still occasionally sparkle. She stands on a pair of golden dress shoes that match the trim of her dress. As you finish taking in the sight, she locks her familiar magenta eyes onto your own. You try to say something, but your mouth simply hangs open, refusing to make a sound.

"Hmhm. What? Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

"I... uh... wow."

"'Wow?' Is that the best you've got? I worked hard on this, you know."

"I'll admit, I have some... mixed feelings about this. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely flattered that you would go through the effort to figure out how to do this for me, but... I don't want you to change for me. I love you the way you are, Tia."

"Haha! My sunshine, I appreciate the concern, but you're really overthinking this! This is just something I made for fun! It's also not as impressive as you seem to think."

"How so?"

"Well, come closer and I'll show you."

You take a few steps towards your now-humanoid wife, stopping about a foot and a half away from her. With a giggle, she holds out her delicate-looking hand as if offering it to you. You take it, only to gasp in surprise when you realize what she is referring to. You definitely grabbed onto something, but it doesn't feel like her hand. In fact, your fingers aren't even in the right position to be holding her hand like you intended, but you definitely feel something. In fact, it feels familiar. Soft, but with a slightly hardened bottom.

It feels like her hoof.

"Do you get it now, sunshine?"

Letting go of her hand(?), you attempt to confirm your suspicions. You reach forward to touch her cheek, which is above you due to her newfound height, only for your hand to pass right through her head. It's frankly kind of jarring and terrifying to look at, but as she gives you a playful smile, you realize what she's doing. You lower your hand through her neck and down her chest to about the height where you're used to finding her face, only for your hand to land gently on what feels like the familiar shape of her alicorn head.

"You didn't actually shapeshift, did you?"

"No, darling, I didn't. I'm still an alicorn. This is simply an illusion I've cast over myself. I can make it replicate my movements or manually control what it's doing, but it doesn't actually have a physical form."

"That's... a weird dichotomy."

"It took me quite some time to get it right."

"Still, that's really impressive."

"Thank you, sunshine. And before you ask, no, I don't plan on learning real shapeshifting. I had an amulet that let me do so a long time ago, but I learned my lesson back then. I'd rather leave shapeshifting to the changelings."

"Understandable. Though, if I'm being frank, this form has some problems all its own."

"Such as?"

"Well, we just kind of have to hope that no one tries to touch you. I can mostly prevent them from doing that so I'm not too concerned about that problem specifically, but more important is your choice in appearance."

"And here I was, assuming that you thought I was beautiful!"

"You are. Very much so, in fact. So much so that it will be pretty much impossible for us to fly under the radar. If your beauty doesn't catch everyone's attention, your hair certainly will."

"What's wrong with it? It's just like my mane. Plus, the Celestia on the other side of the Crystal Mirror has hair just like it. Or so I'm told, at least."

"That's all well and good, but in this world, that hair isn't natural. We could just say that you dyed it if anyone asks, but that doesn't fix the whole 'drawing attention' problem."

"Be that as it may, this is the only form I have perfected. I can't change it unless you want to risk everyone seeing what I look like as an alicorn."

"No, I suppose I don't. Anyway, there is still the second problem with us going into town."

"And that is?"

"We don't have anything on us. No money, no identification, nothing."

"But don't you have an identity in this world?"

"Tia, I've been missing for years. If I just showed up out of nowhere, it would be major news. While I should be okay to walk around in public since I look a fair bit different than I did back then, I can't just go around announcing who I am. Not if we want to get back to Equestria easily, at least. I'd prefer to avoid having to answer any questions about where I've been. I feel safer knowing that the humans of my world don't know that Equestria even exists."

"...I'm not sure I agree, but seeing how our return to this world has affected you... I will willingly go along with whatever plans you have."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not a princess anymore, sunshine. We're equals, remember? And right now, we're in your home turf. So, by all means, lead the way."

You sigh once more. You weren't ready to return to the human world. In fact, after a while, you had hoped you never would at all. Yet, it seems you have no choice. You start walking in the direction of the nearby town. You and Celestia are going to have to figure out where you are, and the sooner you do that, the sooner you can go home.

...Home, huh?

The Middle of Nowhere

As the two of you walk into town, the first thing that catches your attention is the locals. Specifically, the lack thereof. While the town isn't abandoned or anything, it is extremely small. On one hand, that reduces the chances of someone discovering Tia's secret. On the other, it makes the two strangers wandering into town on foot all the more likely to stand out.

The town itself is nothing special. There are a few houses here and there that you pass by on your way into the heart of the town, and most of them are shabby, small, or both. Once you find what you can only imagine is the center of the town, you realize that your options on what to do next are going to be limited due to the lack of anything noteworthy here to look at. There's what seems to be a town hall combined with a police station, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and... that's about it. Maybe there's more elsewhere in the town, but this isn't really giving you much hope. As you look around, Tia begins to speak up.

"Is this type of town typical in this world, or is this more of a Ponyville situation?"

"Heh, even Ponyville is bigger than this place. This town isn't particularly strange, it's just very, very small. Assuming that we're in the good ol' US of A, there are towns of all shapes and sizes all over the place. There are probably more towns in one state than in all of Equestria, so small towns like this aren't an odd sight. Still, being in the middle of Nowhere doesn't really help us out much."

"Sunshine, there's no need to be rude. There are people living here, you don't need to call it 'the middle of nowhere.'"

"N-no, Tia, I said 'the middle of Nowhere.' Like with a capital 'N' on Nowhere."

"That doesn't really-"

"It's the literal name of the town, Tia."

You point at a small sign on the side of the town hall, which reads "Nowhere, Oregon --- Town Hall."

"O-oh. Well. Don't I feel silly. Er, anyway, now that you know where we are, what do you propose we do next?"

You bring a hand to your chin and begin to think. Thankfully, you ARE in the USA, so you're at least in the correct country. Unfortunately, your old home is hundreds of miles away, and considering you have no identification or money, acquiring something like a rental car is out of the question. On top of that, you would prefer to get there as soon as possible, considering you don't have any way of paying for food, either. Tia could technically fly there, but that method is practically guaranteed to blow your cover. Hm...

As you continue to think, you realize that you've stopped paying attention to your surroundings right as a jogger nearly runs right into you. You step out of the way at the last possible second, and Tia does the same. As he passes by, he turns his head to shout at you much louder than is necessary.

"Watch where you're standing! There's only one sidewalk!"

As he turns back around, you notice that he is bobbing his head to some unseen music before you see the earbuds in his ears and the cell phone in his hand. You get the feeling that he was in his own world there, too.

"Sunshine? What was that device that man was carrying?"

"Ah, that would be a cell phone. I've told you about those."

"Those incredible devices that allow two humans to speak to each other regardless of distance? The same ones that allow you humans to access that 'internet' thing, the treasure trove of knowledge perpetually at your fingertips?!"

She leans into you with a massive smile on her face. She practically has sparkles in her eyes at the prospect of getting to use a cell phone, and you'd hate to curb her enthusiasm, but...

"No, Tia, we can't use one. They're super expensive and we have no money."

"You know, it sounds like a lot of our problems would be solved if we could get some of your human money."

"Heh, if that ain't the human condition."

"Is there some way that we could earn money around here? Like a part-time job or something?"

"Not without proper identification. I guess we could try our hands... and hooves, I guess, at begging, but I doubt we'd make much in a small town like this."

"Well, is there something that we can do for free?"

"Not much is free in the human world, unfortunately. And unlike Equestria, we can't expect the goodwill of others to get us out of this. Hmm..."

You begin to think again. There really isn't much that's free, is there? Especially not when it comes to transportation. If only you had some way of getting information, darn it! Let's see... if you were back in Ponyville, what would you do in this situation? Well, you would probably ask Starlight for advice. There is definitely no Starlight in the middle of Nowhere. If Starlight didn't know how to help you, she would probably try to look for an answer at the-

"That's it!"

"Ooh, sunshine, that's the face you make when you have an idea!"

"Follow me!"

You try to grab Tia by the hand before you remember that your fingers don't really touch her hand properly and instead grasp onto the invisible form of her hoof. As you do so, you briefly glance at the ground behind her. The sun is beginning to set, and you're both casting long shadows onto the sidewalk, but despite her illusion, her shadow is still that of an alicorn. You'll just have to hope no one notices. Still, now isn't the time for that! You let go of her and instead jog towards the town hall, with Tia following closely behind.

As you enter the building, it's pretty much exactly what you expected. Small, but well maintained. The brick walls and tiled floors make it clear that it probably hasn't been renovated in years, but it's still clean. Looking around, you notice a door labeled "Police Station." You could be walking into the metaphorical lion's den, but hopefully you aren't that suspicious.

Walking through the door, you are greeted by a small room bisected by a long wooden desk. You could go around the desk on the right, but the left side of the desk connects to a wall. On the wall behind the desk is another door with a glass window near its center. Through that glass, you can make out what looks to be the primary office space for the local police. Meanwhile, between the desk and the aforementioned door sits a tired-looking old woman, who looks at you with agitated eyes.

"Can't say I've seen you around." Her attention shift from you to Tia as she narrows her eyes. "...And I think I would remember someone like you."

"Hehe, I'll take that as a compliment!"

Whether Tia is legitimately being chipper or putting her thousands of years of social practice to use isn't clear. Either way, you should probably get out of this woman's gray, thinning hair as soon as possible.

"W-we're sorry to bother you, miss. As you can tell, we're not from around here. That said, I didn't see a welcome center or anything, so I was hoping you could help us. Does this town have a library?"

Tia turns to look at you with a grin. It seems like she approves of your idea. Hey, if you can't access modern technology, might as well use what you've learned in Equestria, right? You've definitely obtained a greater appreciation for libraries since winding up in Ponyville.

"Why didn't you just look it up?"

"O-oh, well, that's-"

"Our cell phones are broken, so we do not have access to the internet." You were caught off-guard by the woman's question, but thankfully Tia noticed and covered for you before you looked like too much of a bumbling mess. "We were hoping that a trustworthy and intelligent-looking woman like you would be able to help a couple of clueless tourists like ourselves."

Once again, Tia is practically a ray of sunshine (heh) in this dreary room. You watch as the woman's expression softens a little. Good ol' Tia. Ever the diplomat.

Man you love that mare.

"Hmm... well, since you're so polite, I suppose it would be remiss of me to not help you. Yes, we do have a library, but it's not all that impressive. Here, let me show you..."

Over the next few minutes, the woman pulls out her phone and shows you a map of Nowhere. Sure enough, the town is very small, with just a few businesses to keep it up and running. She gives you directions to the library, which turns out to be just a few streets away. After thanking her, the two of you depart. Tia waves on her way out, and the woman actually gives her a smile.

Once you exit the building, you let out a sigh.

"Alright, to the library then, yeah?"

"Really, I don't know why I didn't think of that. I guess I was just so mesmerized by the possibilities of your human technologies that I didn't think to use the ones I already have."

"Good job in there, by the way. I'm not sure how she would have reacted if I tried to take the lead in that conversation."

"Really, I don't know what you're so worried about. She just seemed a bit tired, is all. She was really no different than the typical Canterlot noble."

"Let me guess, you're going to try to tell me that humans aren't so bad after all?"

"Mmmmaybe~"

The two of you walk away from the town hall, following the directions that the woman gave you as you do so.

"I never said all humans are bad, just that they are, on average, not as upstanding as ponies. Trust me, Tia, once you've started learning about things like wars and racism, you might start to rethink that."

"Oh? Those don't sound all that different than the wars Equestria has been engaged in with the old Changeling Hive or the hatred between the three ponykinds prior to their unification."

"And yet, Equestria hasn't been at war or spread hatred among the ponykinds in hundreds of years, now, has it? You're giving humans too much credit."

Celestia's expression grows dark as she looks at the ground.

"You say that like it's been easy to ensure that."

"I... what?"

"Do you have any idea how many close calls there have been? The amount of work I've had to personally put in to ensure that we don't end up in another war, or that some petty squabble in a small town doesn't turn into a full-blown conspiracy? Not every pony is the pinnacle of morality like you seem to think, Anon! You have no idea the mistakes that we, that I, have made."

Her tone is serious, something you don't hear often. Her voice makes chills run down your spine, and you realize that you've probably been barking up the wrong tree.

"I... Tia, I didn't mean to imply-"

"It's fine."

Between her tone and the way she cut you off, you can tell that it is very much not fine. Oh dear, what do you even say after that?

"...W-well, the library is just up ahead. Most libraries nowadays have a computer for public use. Would you like to try out the internet a bit before we move on?"

"...Yeah, there are some things I'd like to look into."

"Hehe, cooooool..."

As the two of you enter the library, things are much more tense than you were expecting. With any luck, between the books and the internet, the two of you will be able to formulate a plan on what to do next.

You just hope that this newly formed rift between the two of you doesn't begin to grow.

Computers, Concepts, and Cars

Much like the rest of the town, the library is very small. It consists of just two rooms. The first room, which is connected to the front door, is unsurprisingly covered wall to wall with bookshelves. On top of that, there is a single freestanding bookshelf on your left after you enter the room, upon which rests a display of books that are, according to the handmade sign, "The Librarian's Best Picks!" Though, judging by the dust collecting on the books, the display hasn't been updated in quite some time.

Apart from that, the first room is also home to the service desk, behind which sits a very old gentleman sleeping peacefully in his chair. The two of you decide against waking him up and instead move on to the second room, which is accessed by an old, creaky door on the right wall. Said room is much larger than the first, though still not particularly impressive. Perhaps 50 feet long and just as wide, the square-shaped room smells of old paper and dust. Much like the first room, the walls are absolutely covered in books, though there are many more freestanding bookshelves in this room than the first. As you give the room a quick once-around, you note that both the books and the shelves they are resting on are equally dusty. You're fairly certain this library doesn't see much use anymore.

Books aside, the second room also contains a couple of reading desks, some chairs, and a single office desk tucked away in a corner behind a few bookshelves with a PC resting on top of it. Tia walks right up to it and takes a seat in the small, rickety chair. Even with her illusion, you can tell that the chair is a bit uncomfortable for her alicorn form. While you wouldn't dare risking a laugh after your little spat outside, you are humored by Tia finally understanding how you've felt in almost every single chair you've sat down on in Equestria. You mosey over to her side and begin to teach her the basics of using a computer, like how a mouse works and what the keys on a keyboard do.

This is much easier said than done considering computers were designed with fingers in mind instead of hooves. It doesn't help that you're pretty sure this PC is from the mid 90's.

After initially struggling with typing, the two of you realize that there is little harm in just letting her use telekinesis to operate the machine. Unless the librarian wakes up sometime soon (which, let's face it, probably isn't happening), you're pretty confident that no one is coming in here. After she gets a good grasp of the controls, you help her get to an internet browser and show her how to surf the web. You know, like a gnarly techbro or something.

Did you really just think that? You have got to stop letting Tia's "old mare" mannerisms rub off on you.

Whatever tension was building between the two of you seems to evaporate as soon as she learns how to use a search engine. Her bright magenta eyes sparkle with wonderment as she frantically begins looking up all kinds of information. Heh, that's probably on you for only knowing so much about certain topics. She is a born researcher, after all. Twilight had to learn that from somepony. It's a good thing she's a speed-reader, too, because she is zooming through some of these. "Human anatomy," "how does the sun move," "human world ponies," "exciting ways to make your human husband-" yeah you're looking away for that one. She goes through many searches, some obvious for her, others less so. She even has her "baby's first internet access" moment and searches her own name, only to find some gothic lolita girl from a video game.

"Sunshine, this is incredible! How could you have so many hangups with the internet?!"

You really don't want to set her off again. At the very least, you would like to continue the discussion about your problems with humanity at a better time than this.

"That's a long conversation that requires a bit of background knowledge. That said, after being away from it for so long, it is jarring to realize just how much I took the internet for granted."

"Really, sunshine, I could be here all day!"

"Well, the sun is going to go down soon and we don't really have a place to sleep, so we should probably learn what we need to and get going."

"Ah, right! What should I look up? Transportation? Routes to your hometown?"

"Anything you can think of. I don't really have a plan yet, but having a library to brainstorm in will certainly help."

"Hehe, okay, so you're asking me to use the computer some more? Twist my arm, why don't ya?! Haha!"

Her amusement at having your permission to use the internet has certainly fixed her mood. You can't help but smile back at her.

"I'm going to skim a few books around here and see what comes to mind."

"Good luck!"

You're not sure what you expect to find, but you'd better get cracking. Even the smallest of libraries have a vast amount of books, after all.

At this point, the sun has set and you're fairly certain the library is supposed to be closed. Still, a glance through the door reveals that the librarian is still asleep and in no shape to kick you out.

Uh, is... is he breathing? Eh, you're sure he's fine.

Your search has mostly been fruitless, save for an old map showing the streets, towns, railroads, landmarks, and everything in-between for the county. You sigh as you glance over at Tia, whose enthusiasm has yet to fade even a little. You know for a fact that she's looking up unrelated stuff when she thinks you aren't looking, but you just can't bring yourself to stop her. Looking back around the room, you wonder if there is anything in here that could actually be worthwhile. Most of the stuff in here is a bunch of young adult fiction, anyway. Like, not even the classics? Really? You pick up a nearby book at random to prove a point to yourself. The cover depicts a couple of young men in a train car. Right, like the "No Home Boys" are going to help you get back ho-

Wait a minute.

You take another look at the map that you found. ...Yeah, those are heading the right direction, all right. The only question is if they're still in use.

"Hey, Tia?"

"Yes sunshine?"

"I think I have a really stupid idea."

"Ooo, those are my favorite kinds of ideas! Let's hear it!

"Well... are you okay with breaking the law a little bit?"

"...I suppose that depends. What do you have in mind?"

"This is not at all what I thought you had in mind."

The two of you crouch low to the ground in some shrubbery. You're concealed both by the darkness of the night and by the woods just outside Nowhere on the opposite side from where you came in. The trees are cleared for about 100 feet in front of you, and the clearing stretches far in both directions. In the middle of the clearing are train tracks. While the tracks look old, they don't appear overgrown, implying that they are still in use.

"According to the map and a quick Moogle search, a train heading to my home state should be passing by tonight. It's a cargo train, so passengers can't even get on it."

"I must say, train hopping is a much simpler solution than I was expecting. I don't exactly approve of the practice, but I concede that I don't have any better ideas."

"And I'll concede that I'm extremely nervous about doing it. I mean, I've never broken the law before! Plus, these trains tend to move pretty fast, and there's no guarantee that there will be a safe opening to get on!"

"Sunshine?"

"What if we get hit? What if we get spotted?"

"Darling?"

"What if we get into a train car and it's full of-"

"Anon!"

You awkwardly clear your throat as you realize your wife has been trying to get your attention.

"Y-yes, Tia?"

"I'm still an alicorn, dear. I can just teleport us into an unoccupied car."

"...Yeah, that would make things easier, I imagine."

As if on cue, you hear a quiet sound slowly begin to grow louder as the ground begins to rumble. Sure enough, a train is approaching from the direction you were hoping, right on time.

"Alright sunshine, let's wait until a good number of cars have passed by before making our move, that way whoever is driving won't spot us."

"Okay, I'll be on the lookout for an empty car."

A few tense minutes pass by as the train slowly rolls down the tracks. Eventually, you spot a red car approaching with a side door hanging half-open, seemingly lacking cargo. You point it out to Tia, who turns to look you in the eyes.

"We'll have to be quick, or the glow from my magic will give us away. Grab onto me!"

"A-alright!"

You hold on tight to the invisible form of her waist, and before you can blink, you're blinded by a flashing light. Then, just as quickly as the light came, it disappears, leaving you feeling nothing but your arms around Tia's waist and a rumbling beneath your feet. Looking around, you realize that the two of you successfully made it into the train car, with the half-open door being your only window into the outside world and providing a passing view of the moonlit Oregon woods.

"Phew~. Well sunshine, here we are. What next?"

"If the internet was right, we can expect to arrive at my home state in about a day and a half. Until then, I guess we just lay low in here and hope we aren't discovered."

"Very well. For now, I believe I would like to get some shut-eye. It has been... a long day."

"I'm right there with ya. Is there anything in here to sleep on?"

In an almost cliché fashion, the train car, which you had initially believed to be empty, does contain a few rectangular bales of hay of varying sizes. Seeing the opportunity, the two of you craft a somewhat itchy makeshift bed and find yourselves on the shaky floor of the train car. You wrap your arms around your wife, who takes the chance to finally drop her illusion. As you do so, she wraps her wings around you, giving you some warmth in what would otherwise be a very uncomfortable scenario. As you embrace, you both begin to feel your consciousness fade. Before you're completely out, you ponder the events that have transpired in the past few hours. Just before you fall asleep, you whisper into the darkness, unsure if Celestia is even awake to hear you.

"Tia... I promise I'll get you home. No matter what."

Trials, Tribulations, and Trains

You awaken with a sneeze. Ugh. Hay in your nose. Getting your bearings, you realize two things. First, although you're fairly certain you got a good night's sleep, the sun still has yet to rise. Second, Tia is no longer snoozing alongside you. Sitting up (with some difficulty, this train isn't exactly the steadiest ride), you see her sitting next to the half-open door, staring out at whatever may be outside. You stand up, doing your best to brush the hay off of your clothes as you do so before making your way to Tia's side.

"Good morning, Tia."

"Hm? Oh, good morning, sunshine."

She never even glances at you, as her attention is focused solely on the view. Now that you can see outside, you take in the sight. The landscape of the Rocky Mountains is absolutely breathtaking, and the high peaks and low plains make the view picturesque. Even with the train moving as it is, the distinct smell of morning dew permeates the space. Above, the dark, cloudless sky stretches in all directions.

"...Your world is beautiful, Anon."

You take a seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her as you do so.

"There are quite a few aspects about it I've missed, I'll admit. The vistas are on that list."

For a few moments, Tia says nothing. Much like when she got to use the computer, her eyes are sparkling with amazement. A gentle, unconscious smile rests on her face.

"What is this place?"

"Well, while I can't say for sure exactly where we are, we're somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, one of the two mountain ranges in my home country."

"Are there a lot of places like this? Don't get me wrong, I adore Equestria, but I've... kind of seen it all already. This is a breath of fresh air."

"You mean beautiful places? Yeah, they're all over the place, so long as you know where to look. After we get past these mountains, we'll eventually be in the Great Plains, where the verdant fields and rolling hills stretch for miles and miles. A different kind of beauty, to be sure, but still nice."

She turns to look at you, a loving smile on her face.

"This is the first time I've heard you speak about your world with such fondness."

"W-well, I-"

"Hehe, don't try to deny it, sunshine. It's not just your words, it's your tone. You wear your heart on your sleeve, love. No matter what you say, you have missed your world, haven't you?"

"...I still have plenty of reasons to want to get back to Equestria though, and that's not counting you."

She sighs and wraps a wing around you. She seems pensive and hesitates for a moment before responding.

"Sunshine, I'm sorry for blowing up on you yesterday. It's just... I can tell how much this world means to you. I would hate to become that bitter towards my homeland. Sometimes, I fear that I will."

"You don't need to apologize, Tia. But, uh... what do you mean by that?"

"...I have seen Equestria at its worst, Anon. I've seen ponies hate each other just for their race. I've seen ponies kill each other just for their race. I've seen terrible, pointless wars destroy the lives of thousands. I've... I've been a leader in some of those wars. When my sister finally snapped, and I was forced to banish her to the moon... that was the last straw. I vowed then and there to ensure that peace and friendship reign forever more. Heh, it was a bit idealistic of me in hindsight, but... I don't regret it."

"Well, with Twilight as your successor, I imagine you must feel pretty vindicated. It all worked out in the end, yeah?"

"It's not the end, Anon. It never is. Peace is an ongoing process. We can't just say 'happily ever after' and move on. You realize that pretty quickly when you get to be my age. ...Still, though. I've seen Equestria at its worst, but rather than dwell on what it was, I choose to see it for what it can be."

"That's... a really nice outlook to have, actually."

"Perhaps you could consider adopting it in reference to your own people, then?"

Her words hit you like a freight train. So that's what all of this is about. But, you have to admit, she has a point. Have you been too hard on humanity, or are they too far gone? If they aren't, what could you do about it? Do you even think they're worth the effort?

You look back out over the landscape. Perhaps because you're so focused on that line of thought or perhaps because you simply failed to notice before, but either way you realize that you've been taking a few Equestrian things for granted, too.

"Hey, Tia?"

"What is it, sunshine?"

"You see the sky?"

"Yes, by my estimation it should be around five in the morning right now. Would you like for me to raise the sun?"

"N-NO! Absolutely not! T-Tia, please, do not touch ANY celestial bodies while we're in this world!"

"Haha, I'm only teasing, darling! Now, go on, finish your thought."

"W-well... what do you think about the stars?"

"The stars?" She takes a moment to focus on the sky, furrowing her brow as she does so. "I'll admit, I can only see a few of them up there."

"Right. Because even out here, the light pollution is just that bad. Some nights I can't see any stars at all."

"Sunshine, if this is supposed to be another jab at humanity, it's falling on deaf ears. We have light pollution in Equestria too, you know."

"Mostly just in places like Manehattan and Las Pegasus, though, right? Look, I'm not saying this to imply that mankind is evil or something. What I am saying is... I learned to appreciate the little things in Equestria, like being able to actually see the night sky. There are side effects to progress, you know."

"Hm..."

"It's a minor example, but all I'm saying is that my reservations about humanity aren't completely unfounded. Nor is my adversity to Equestria becoming more like this world, even if that means living without the internet."

"Didn't you say yourself that Equestria has better morals than humans do? Even if I disagree, by your logic, surely that means we would be better equipped to deal with these problems as they arise, no?"

"You probably are. I'm just a little leery, that's all. Being in this world... it's making me remember a lot of things I would have rather forgotten. Painful things."

"And yet, it's still your home, isn't it?"

"No. It isn't."

"The Return Scepter brought us here though, didn't it?"

"And it was wrong. My home is in Ponyville by your side. I've left this world behind already."

Your voice is shaky and lacks confidence, something that you know Tia noticed. She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it again. There are no words spoken between the two of you for a while, and you watch as the sun slowly begins to rise over the horizon.

"Either way, it might do you some good to see your old home again."

"...We'll see."

The day passes with little of note happening. After all, there isn't much for the two of you to do but wait for your eventual arrival in your home state. Most of the time is spent looking through the door at the passing landscapes. You see mountains, lakes, and eventually the bright greens of the Great Plains. Tia even gets to see a few horses on a ranch at one point. You were afraid of what her reaction would be, but it wasn't all that dissimilar to that of a child seeing their favorite animal at a zoo. It was kind of cute to watch, actually.

As the sun begins to set, you start seeing landscapes extremely familiar to you. You probably have less than an hour until you arrive at your home state. From there, the two of you will have to travel a few miles before you arrive in your hometown, but that shouldn't be too bad. That said, your body is growing tense, both from the anxiousness that comes with the idea of returning to your old home and from the growing hunger in your belly. Darn it, Anon! You need to stay focused.

"Well, sunshine? What's the plan when the train stops?"

"I was just thinking about that, actually. Do you still have that invisibility spell you showed me a few months ago?"

"Yes, but you should know that the spell isn't perfect. It's more like we're 'clear' rather than 'invisible.' If we move around too much, we'll probably be spotted."

"It's better than nothing. We'll need to be quick right as the train starts to slow down. It doesn't matter where we go so long as it's away from the train. We can get our bearings after that."

"Very well, then. Just say when."

Sure enough, about 45 minutes later, you see the familiar outline of a city as the train slowly starts coming to a stop. The train is still moving, but you should be able to jump off without much issue.

"Alright Tia, are you ready to cast the spell and jump?"

"As I'll ever be."

You walk up to Tia's side as her horn begins to glow. After a moment, your vision is obscured by light, but as the light fades you notice that the spell has worked. To you, both yourself and Tia look slightly translucent, but to others, you're practically clear. You still cast shadows and make the area where you're standing shimmer a bit if you move around, but like you said, it's better than nothing. The train slows down even more, and you realize your window of opportunity is slowly slipping away.

"Okay. On the count of three. One. Two. Thr-"

"WHO'S IN THERE?!"

You both freeze as you hear a man's voice ring out from behind you. You turn your heads just in time to see the door on the opposite side of the car, which had been closed up until now, suddenly fling open. A man steps into the car, dressed in a dark uniform of some kind and holding a flashlight. He shines the light directly onto the two of you, but you're fairly certain he doesn't see through the invisibility spell, as he starts shining the light throughout the rest of the car instead, eventually resting it on the makeshift bed of hay the two of you made the night before.

"I heard your voices already, so stop hidin'!"

He takes a few steps towards the bales of hay. As he does so, you watch as he approaches your invisible form. You hold your breath as you notice that with his current path, he is going to hit your leg. You lift the leg off of the ground and tuck it behind you, terrified of allowing it to hit the ground for the noise it would make. Tia looks at you with wide eyes, seemingly holding her breath, too. Then, missing you by less than an inch, the man passes by and begins inspecting the hay bales. As he moves a couple to check behind them, you take the opportunity to place your foot down, the gentle sound covered by the rustling hay. With the man preoccupied, you turn to Tia and hold up three fingers before slowly lowering one of them, indicating a silent countdown.

Three...

Two...

One...

The two of you leap out of the now-stationary train. While Tia makes a graceful landing on all four hooves, you take an embarrassing tumble onto the gravel below. The fall makes a great deal of noise, and quickly getting to your feet makes even more. Sure enough, the man appears in the doorway looking right where you're standing.

"I know you're out there! This is private property!"

The man leaps out of the car with the exact same trajectory that you just did, threatening to land on your invisible form. You have no choice but to turn tail and run, your invisible figure shimmering in the dark and your footsteps displacing the gravel beneath you in a manner that obviously gives away your position.

"W-what the-?!"

Tia, not knowing what else to do, follows you. She's much faster than you, but willingly runs alongside you regardless. From behind you, you hear the man pull out a walkie-talkie.

"I've got one, maybe two train hoppers trying to flee! I don't know what's goin' on though, it's like they're invisible or somethin'!"

The man starts to give chase as you run with all of your might. Through her strained breath, Tia tries to talk to you in the darkness.

"S-should I teleport us out of here?!"

"No! Th-the light from the spell would give away our position!"

"Our position has already b-been compromised!"

"If we can make it to the treeline, w-we should be safe!"

Unfortunately for you, the treeline is about 200 feet away, and you can clearly see through the moonlit rail yard several other men, most likely security guards, booking it in your direction. It's been a while since you've had to run this fast, and you can tell that the man behind you is gaining on you. You don't dare turn your head for fear of slowing down.

"Tia, if I can't make it, just go on without me! I know you're faster than me!"

"No! I'm not leaving you behind, Anon!"

In a quick motion, you feel her grab your waist with one of her large wings. She almost knocks you over, but with a shocking amount of strength she uses said wing to lift you onto her back. Now, Celestia is the biggest (Equestrian) pony you've ever seen, but you're still a bit big to be riding on her back. Yet, she still seems to carry you with little issue.

"Hold on, sunshine! Not to my wings, preferably!"

You watch as her invisible form flares out its wings before she takes a leap and begins ascending. The resulting gust of wind disturbs the gravel below and leaves the man, as well as several other men that have caught up to you, in complete shock.

"What the heck is goin' on here?!"

You try to catch your breath as Celestia takes you higher and higher into the air. Eventually, after making it about 100 feet up, she starts flying in a random direction away from the rail yard.

"T-Tia..."

"Heh, I can't believe this is the first time I've let you ride me like this!"

For all her enthusiasm, she seems to be trying to catch her breath as well.

"Well, I'm certainly in your debt. Thank you, Tia! That was amazing!"

"Don't you dare underestimate this old mare, sunshine!"

"I wouldn't dream of it! Now then, we still have a ways to go. Are you fit to keep flying?"

"For a while, but the invisibility won't last forever."

"That's okay, once it starts to wear off we can go the rest of the way on foot with your illusion up. We aren't far now."

"Ooo, I'm getting excited! I can't wait to see your old home!"

"...Right. My old home."

You feel the chilly wind on your face while the two of you set off, leisurely flying through the night sky as you slowly make your way towards the life you left behind.

It's Just a Burning Memory

"Well, here we are."

It's early in the afternoon, and you're both exhausted. While Tia was able to fly an impressive distance, her spell could only last so long. So, the two of you touched down a few miles back and walked the rest of the way. You're covered in sweat and dirt, and your windswept hair has certainly seen better days. If you were to see Tia's true form, she wouldn't look much better, but since her "human form" is an illusion in the first place, she still looks immaculate. It only serves to further prove your point that the two of you stick out like sore thumbs.

Thankfully, the town you're from isn't all that big. It's absolutely bigger than Nowhere, but definitely not big enough to be considered a city or anything. It's actually quite comparable to Ponyville, but with all of the bells and whistles that come with modern human society, like roads. And a Walmart. You note the sign as you walk along the side of the two-lane road that reads "Welcome to Springfield." It's certainly been a long time.

Entering the town proper, you walk side-by-side with your wife down the sidewalk as you start pointing out locations and landmarks that you remember.

"That's the fire department. A few of my old friends used to be volunteers there. Oh, and that's the auto parts store. That's where you get stuff to fix your cars with."

"Hm. I suppose I never considered how much maintenance those vehicles of yours would need."

"A lot of people make whole livelihoods out of doing that. Oh, that there used to be my favorite ice cream shop when I was younger. My parents would bring me there after ball games and stuff. Looks kind of sad now, though..."

"How many years has it been since you last saw this place?"

"At this point? Probably about ten. I've been in Equestria for a long time, after all. Heh, it feels like just yesterday that Twilight became an alicorn right in front of me."

"Believe me, I understand well the feeling of time slipping past you. It just makes it all the more important to appreciate the good things in life while you have them. Like the ice cream shop!"

"Or loved ones?"

"...Yes. Especially loved ones."

Her human illusion wraps a hand around your waist, though you can tell that it's actually her wing doing that. You blindly reach for where you approximate her head to be and ruffle her mane a bit, causing her to chuckle.

"Alright, alright. I must say, this little town of yours is very quaint. It seems... quiet. Peaceful."

"I guess so, but since I grew up here, it's not like I had any other frame of reference."

"Hey, wait a second. Is that why you're so insistent on keeping the peace in Ponyville? Why you opened up a tea shop, the most quiet place in town?"

You laugh.

"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about! Oh, hey!" You point at a nearby drug store, which looks extremely shabby from the outside. "When I was really young, my grandpa would take me here and buy me one of those little things of chocolate milk while he got his own necessities. Hah, that brings back memories."

Your focus is turned squarely on the store while you reminisce, so you don't notice Celestia looking at you with a warm, gentle smile.

"...You look so happy, sunshine."

"Hm?"

"Hehe, you haven't even noticed how much you've been smiling, have you?"

As she points it out, you realize that you've been grinning for quite some time. Your cheeks hurt a little, actually. That's... odd. Weren't you adverse to coming here in the first place? What's happening to you?

"I... I guess I have?"

"If I may, I've noticed that your memories here are not as bad as you've made them out to be. And I think I know why."

"Oh yeah? Why is that, then?"

"It's the people that you had in your life. You aren't missing these places, you're missing the people you visited them with. Like your firefighter friends, or your parents, or your grandfather."

"..."

"...Do you miss them?"

Your smile fades as you look at the ground, suddenly finding yourself unable to look at the town around you anymore. You want to speak, but you can't. You know why you didn't want to come back here.

"S-sunshine?"

She's right. Of course she's right. You've known all along, but to admit to yourself why you didn't want to come here would be just as bad as... well, coming here at all. Your walking pace slows until you come to a complete stop, unable to will yourself forward any more than you have.

"Anon? Are you okay?"

There's a sniffling sound, and you're vaguely aware that you're the source of it. Tears begin to form in your eyes, only to fall to the sidewalk below. All at once, you begin feeling the full weight of everything you've been repressing for the past ten years, and for better or worse, you find your voice once more.

"...Why, Tia? Why did it happen?"

"W-wha-"

"I ABANDONED THEM, TIA!" Your wife takes a step back, shocked at your sudden outburst. You don't look up at her. You can't bring yourself to. If you did, you would see the pained, concerned expression on her face. "I don't care what you say! 'It wasn't your fault, Anon!' I KNOW THAT! But... but what did I do to fix it?! Can I really say that I've been trying to get back home to the people that care about me?!"

"Sunshine, you did all that you coul-"

"Clearly I didn't, seeing as we're here now! All it took was some stupid scepter in a vault! I could have brought myself back here ten years ago, but did I?! Did I really do everything in my power to get back home?! Of course I didn't! I just threw my entire life away on a whim! 'Sure, I'll spend the rest of my life as an alien with these ponies! Who cares about what I'm leaving behind?' I just... I just... ARGH!"

You hold your head in your hands as you fall to your knees. Tears flood from your eyes as mucus and spittle pours from your nose and mouth. It's a terrible, ugly scene. And you deserve no better. You're a monster. You abandoned your friends, your family, and everyone that ever cared about you. When you were pointing out landmarks to Tia, you purposefully avoided the elephant in the room. Between every building or spot you pointed out, there were dozens of run-down or abandoned stores. Plots of land are overgrown, houses are boarded up. This town is a shell of what it was when you left it. Most of the places you grew up loving are gone. It's fitting, really. Did you expect the town to just wait for your eventual return? No. It moved on without you, just as you moved on without it.

And now it's gone.

...

...

...

You feel something hit the back of your head. Hard. The force causes you to fall the rest of the way, your face hitting the sidewalk with a thud. Your instincts kick in, and you quickly roll over, doing your best to see through the tears in your eyes. Standing above you is Celestia, a strange mixture of anger and sadness and compassion all showing simultaneously on her face.

"Celestia, I-"

"SHUT UP!" You clam up as she explodes on you. After being a princess for many, many years, she is very good at getting others to listen to her. "Things change, Anon! No matter what you try to do, they change. Cities are built and prosper over time, just to decay after so many years. People are born, grow, achieve great things, and die. That's just how life works. I've been cursed with the ability to see it happen, again and again. Do you remember our discussion we had way back when, before you proposed to me? You wondered what it would be like knowing that I couldn't grow old with you, and when I expressed how painful it would be, it was you that told me to focus on the present. I've been around for thousands of years. I can't change what happened over those years, but I can change what's happening now. I can't stop the flow of time, but I can enjoy the time that I do have, and I've chosen to spend it with you. It wasn't some fluke that made me want to marry you, sunshine. I want to be around you as much as I can while I still have the chance. Do you regret that? Do you regret everything you've done in Equestria? Do you regret helping to save everypony from those villains? Do you regret settling down and opening your store, surrounded by friends who love and care for you? If you truly wish you had returned here all those years ago, none of that would have happened. So, I must ask... do you regret falling in love with me?"

"N-no! Of course I don't!"

"Then stand up. Yes, what happened was unfortunate. Yes, this world has moved on without you. But what is crying over it going to do? Look around you. You're here now. You're not wondering what happened anymore, you're seeing it. It's time for you to get out of your own head. Stop making excuses about why you 'hate humans' or 'don't want to go home.' Embrace the fact that things are as they are. Change the things that need changing. Live for what's going on right now."

Her anger melts away, leaving behind a worried smile. What is there for you to say? You wipe your eyes with your sleeve and sniffle one more time before trying to force yourself to your feet. Along the way, you feel Tia help lift you up using her wings until you're standing once more.

"...You're right. Um... I-I'm sorry you had to see that."

"And I'm sorry for bonking you on the head. But, er, in my defense, you were unresponsive."

You let out a tired, nervous chuckle.

"Ehehe, yeahhhh... there's a lot on my mind right now."

"I would be worried if there wasn't, love. Now come on. We made a bit of a scene and people are starting to stare."

She's right, a few people who were passing by are staring directly at the two of you. You awkwardly shuffle away as you make your way down many familiar streets.

Eventually, the shops and businesses give way to areas that are strictly residential. As you weave through the winding roads and grid-like sections of the town, you feel a growing tightness in your chest. Even after that little talk, there's still some apprehension in the way that you're walking. Why is this fear growing inside of you?

Finally, you make one last turn. This street has no sidewalk, so you're forced to walk in the grass along the side of the road. The street sign reads "HOPEFUL SKIES DR." Your steps feel heavy as you make your way to the end of the street. Eventually, though, you were bound to make it there. You look up at the only house still standing around the cul-de-sac. You hear Tia gasp next to you.

"S-sunshine?"

"...Yeah. This is it."

"I... I never realized... oh, sunshine..." The house before you is fairly plain. At two stories tall and made of wood, it looks very old fashioned. Most who see the house would think nothing of it. To you, though, this house is where you grew up. It's where you became who you are. It's the embodiment of countless memories that you were never willing to forget. And that's why... "Our house... it looks just like this."

"Yup. This is what I modeled it after."

"...You really did miss this place, huh?"

"I never could bring myself to let it go that easily. I... I thought that if I recreated it, it would feel like I brought a little piece of home with me."

"Did it work?"

"...No. At first I resented it a little bit, actually. But as time went on, and especially after you moved in, I realized that I was growing fond of our house. Not because it reminded me of old memories, but because it reminded me of new ones. The ones that I made with you." She gives you a loving smile, a smile that you happily return. "...Well then."

"Do you think someone is living here now? I mean, it definitely looks lived in."

"...Yeah. And I think I know who it is."

You begin walking up to the front door as you prepare yourself for what's about to happen.

"Oh? And who might that be?"

You sigh as you bring your closed fist to the door, gently knocking about three times before taking a step back. After a couple of moments, you hear some shuffling before the door opens. Standing there is an older woman, her once blonde hair now turning a silvery color that suits her well. She's a bit on the chubbier side, and you imagine she was probably quite the looker when she was younger. Wrinkles are beginning to form on her cheekbones, and thin-rimmed glasses adorn her face. She wears a simple shirt with a floral pattern and a pair of comfortable-looking jeans. She adjusts her glasses as she looks at the disheveled man and beautiful woman before her.

"Hello? Who are you?"

You look at her for a few moments as you feel tears beginning to form in your eyes once more. You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. You make a strange coughing sound instead, and the woman looks at you with concern before her eyes start to grow wide. She reaches out a hand to touch your face, brushing a bit of hair out of the way and revealing a small birthmark that most wouldn't notice. After doing so, she takes a step back, seemingly finding it hard to speak herself.

"Anon? It... it is you."

"...Hi, mom."

Don't Ever Forget

Your mother throws her arms around you, pulling you in for a very tight hug. You're a bit more than a foot taller than her, but you do your best to return the notion, holding her tight as tears fall from both of your eyes. Celestia simply takes a step back, a smile on her face as she gives the two of you some space for your unexpected reunion.

"Oh, Anon... w-where have you been? We thought you were dead!"

"...I'm sorry, mom. It's a bit of a long story."

"And I want to hear every word of it, do you hear me?!" She pulls back just a little bit, her hands still grasping onto your arms as if letting go would mean watching you disappear. She takes a good long look at your face and gives you a teary smile. "You have a lot of explaining to do, but right now I'm just happy that you're alive!"

"I'm happy to see you too, mom. There's... a lot that I left unsaid."

"Then you can say them now. Let's get inside, it's humid out here." She starts to turn before finally noticing Tia's presence, though her jubilation at seeing you does not fade. "Who is this, Anon?"

"Oh, this is... Tia." You'd best ease your mother into this slowly. Celestia isn't exactly a common name around here, after all. One thing at a time. "She's my... well, she's really important to me."

"A friend of Anon's is a friend of ours. Come in, both of you."

With that, she turns around, literally dragging you inside with her. Tia chuckles and follows suit, with the three of you drifting into the nearby living room. While the furniture is a bit different (Equestria has no television, so furniture tends to be more suited for conversations, while here, pretty much all furniture faces the TV), the room is identical to the living room of your house back in Ponyville. There are a couple of sofas and a recliner, the latter of which currently has an occupant.

Sitting comfortably in the recliner is an older gentleman. His dark-brown hair is beginning to recede in some places, and the glasses on his face look like they need cleaned. He wears a worn-out and stretched t-shirt with a pair of basketball shorts. A tattoo can be found on his right forearm, though years of age and scarring have made the tattoo little more than a vague shape of what might be interpreted to be an eagle. Time has been kind to him, and though his age is beginning to show, you know that this man is probably stronger than the average person in their prime. He looks at you and Tia with confusion.

"Janet, who are these people?"

Your mom begins to speak as you take a few slow steps towards the man. He leans forward in the recliner, his hands clasped together and his elbows resting on his knees.

"...H-hi, dad."

"Dad?" He looks at you incredulously before his eyes go wide. "My word. Anon, is that really you?"

"It's me."

The man gets up from his seat with shocking speed and throws his arms around you, just as your mother did. His grip is extremely tight, and you give as much as you receive. Your father has never been much of a hugger, which makes the current situation all the more emotional for the both of you. After a few long moments, he backs off in much the same way that your mother did.

"And just look at you. You finally got rid of all that excess flab! And look at those biceps!" You hadn't really expected such compliments from your father. He always was a good dad, but he was really hard on you when it came to your physique. And for what it's worth, he isn't entirely wrong. You're a lot more active in Equestria than you ever were here, and you have a much healthier diet now. You didn't really notice for a while, but you are visibly more fit than when you left, age aside. "Just what have you been up to all these years? We thought you died!"

"I'm sorry for making you worry, dad, but I didn't have any way to tell you."

"Well take a seat, take a seat! I want to hear about it all!"

"...Alright."

You sit down on one of the sofas next to your mother, while Tia sits politely by herself on the other. Her human form looks very composed, with her hands resting respectfully on her lap and her back held straight. That said, the cushion she's sitting on is being weighed down more than a woman of her stature would naturally cause it to, seeing as her invisible alicorn form is what's actually sitting on it, but you're pretty sure your parents don't notice.

"Well, I guess I'll start at the beginning. I thought it was just a regular day. Then, all of a sudden..."

"And then we made it back to Springfield, and here we are."

It took nearly two hours to finish your story, and neither of your parents interrupted you a single time. Though, now that you're finished, you know you'll have a plethora of questions to answer. They're both looking at you like you're crazy, and you can't blame them. After all, from their perspective, their son just disappeared one day, was eventually presumed dead, and then just showed up at their doorstep ten years later looking frazzled and with a complete stranger at his side, only to tell a story about ponies and magic. Would you believe such a thing?

"...I-I must say, Anon, that story is quite difficult to take at face value."

"Are you sure you haven't been getting mixed up in the wrong crowds? Maybe getting involved in certain... indulgences that might lead you to believe such things?"

"No! It's all true!" They don't believe you one bit, but thankfully for you, you have an out. "Mom, dad, this is Celestia."

You motion to Tia, who gives a sheepish smile and a wave. This is about to get really awkward really fast, but you have to rip the bandage off somehow.

"Celestia? You mean the pony that you claim to have gotten married to?" Your mother puts a hand on your knee. "Sweetheart, she seems like a nice girl, but she isn't a pony. I'm worried about you."

"If I may?" Tia speaks up for the first time since your mom greeted the two of you at the door, drawing the attention of your parents. "Everything Anon has said is true. My current appearance is simply an illusion."

"An illusion?!" Your dad raises his voice at her. "There's no such thing! Who are you, really?"

Tia rises from her seat, looking your father dead in the eyes with a serious expression. Suddenly, a light seems to appear out of thin air before enveloping the "woman," and after a few seconds, the light fades, revealing the familiar form of Celestia, the retired alicorn. Both of your parents gasp as their jaws drop at the alien creature. On top of being a shocking sight in the first place, Tia looks about as frazzled as you do without her illusion up, so you can only imagine what your parents may be thinking.

"My name is Celestia. I have also been known as the Princess of the Sun, as well as the ruler of Equestria, but nowadays I am simply Celestia, wife of Anon." She gives your parents a deep bow. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"..."

Your parents sit in stunned silence, simply staring at the pony bowing before them. After a few moments, Tia rises back up, and your parents share a glance. Eventually, your mom breaks the silence.

"Frank, I'm not seeing things, am I?"

"No, I see it too."

The silence returns until you eventually clear your throat and speak once more.

"Well, do you believe me now?"

"...Yes, I suppose the evidence is right in front of us. This is just... a lot to process."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. I wanted to, really I did. I just... didn't have the means."

"I know, Anon. No more apologizing."

Your dad suddenly stands up and gets closer to Celestia, looking at her from head to tail. He squints as he looks over her before letting out an exasperated sigh and closing his eyes entirely.

"...I don't approve of this."

"Frank!"

"Janet, our son is claiming to be married to an animal."

That catches you off-guard.

"Excuse me? Tia isn't an animal, dad!"

"Well it sure isn't a person! Look at it, you've gone and put a ring around its horn because it doesn't even have fingers!"

"So? What's the problem here?"

"I shouldn't have to explain what the problem here is!" Your dad turns to look at you, his expression sour. "You just up and disappeared one day. We thought you were dead, and when you show up again, your best explanation is that you were busy getting married to a horse? What is wrong with you?!"

Silence fills the room. After a moment, your dad breaks his gaze with you, unable to look you in the eyes. Your mother looks between the two of you nervously, while Celestia simply stares at your father with a blank expression. You ball your hands into fists, doing everything in your power to bite your tongue. You probably should have expected this to happen, you just... hoped it wouldn't. Eventually, it's Tia that breaks the silence.

"It seems that it would better if I leave. I do not want to spoil this reunion any more than I already have. I suppose I will just... wait outside for a while." With another flash of light, Tia's human illusion appears in the room once more. "I shall take my leave."

"Now hold on just a moment." Your mother reaches out a hand as if to stop Tia, who has already begun turning around. She does, and the two lock eyes. "I... er, that is... please follow me. I would like to speak with you one-on-one, if you would."

"Yes, I can do that. By all means."

With that, the pair shuffle up the nearby stairwell. You mother gives you a wave as she does so, leaving you alone with your father.

"...Hmph."

"Dad..."

"...I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. But I don't take back what I said."

"You're free to not approve of her all you want, but that's no excuse to say such terrible things about her."

"You'd have done the same if it were your son."

"Excuse me?"

"Anon." Your dad places a hand on your shoulder and looks you in the eyes, and you stare back with a furrowed brow. Your anger is definitely noticeable on your face, and you make no effort to hide it. "I was proud of you. I am proud of you. You accomplished so much, and you had such a bright future ahead of you. We could not for the life of us figure out where you went. The search was long and strenuous for all of us. The whole town was up in arms. We didn't want to lose you, and we didn't want you to lose everything you had worked so hard for. To see you again is the greatest joy I've ever felt, but to know that you were stolen away by that... thing? How could I not be angry? She stole your future from you."

You take a step back, forcing your dad to let go of your shoulder.

"She didn't steal my future, dad. She is my future. Equestria is my home now. I've got friends and family there that need me. Tia, she... she makes me happy. Happier than I've ever been. Isn't that good enough for you?"

"You have friends and family that need you here, Anon. You make it sound like you want to go back."

"That's because I do."

"W-what?"

With a heavy sigh, you finally release your balled fists. Nothing will be gained by holding onto this anger. If anything, it will just make what comes next even more painful than the first time.

"I made up my mind while telling my story earlier. Because you know what? You're right. I do have friends and family here. I have a future here that I could reclaim, and I bet I could probably be really successful here. But... that's not what I want. Not anymore."

"You would rather go back to ponyland with a bunch of animals? Never to see a human again? Never to see us again?!"

You look your father dead in the eyes, a determination that you haven't felt in some time filling your heart. He seems surprised by the look you give him.

"Dad. I want you to know that I love you. I love you, and I love mom. I love all of you, and I never got to say that properly before I left last time. I'm sorry that I'm going to have to leave you again, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. It hurts me too, but... you can't just expect me to abandon Tia. To abandon everyone in Equestria. I might have had a future here, but there, I'm already living the future that I wanted. I run a successful business. I have a place in my community. I have friends that support me. And on top of all of that, I have a wife that I love. Sometimes I still can't believe that, but... there she is. And I don't care what you say about her. I swore to stay by her side, and I promised to get her home. I intend to do both. So, if you don't approve of that, then I guess there's not much more for me to say."

Your dad seems to wince as he closes his eyes, unable to look at you any longer.

"So you would abandon us instead?"

"...I did abandon you the last time I disappeared. But this time, I plan to do it right. To leave properly. As happy as I am to see you again, I at least want to be able to say goodbye this time. I want you to know that even if we can't see each other again, I'm doing okay. I will always be thinking about you. I just... won't be here anymore."

Your father continues to avoid looking at you until he eventually opens his eyes. He wipes at his cheeks as tears start to form, which you definitely weren't expecting. You've never seen your father cry, ever.

"...Heh. My boy goes off and disappears, and when he comes back..." He finally looks at you once more, a sad, forced smile on his aging face. "He's already a man."

"Dad..."

"You said you need that scepta-whatever thing, right? It was just sitting on our lawn the other day. I thought it was some random garbage, so I threw it away. I'll go rummage through the trash. You should probably go see what your mother and... and your wife, are up to."

"A-are you sure?"

"Seems to me like you have a few things you still need to tell mom before heading back out. So yeah. Let your old man do one last thing for his son before he strikes out on his own."

"...Alright. Try not to break a hip, dad."

"Hah! That would have been funny when you left, but it's a very real possibility nowadays! I'll be careful."

With that, your father walks out the front door to the trash can by the driveway. Meanwhile, you head upstairs, and the sound of two female voices becomes clearer and clearer. As you look between the different rooms upstairs, you realize that the voices are coming from behind the closed door at the end of the hall. You take a deep breath before you open it, somewhat afraid of what you'll see on the other side of the familiar wooden door.

You gasp at the room before you. The room is a bit cluttered, with a particularly large computer desk taking up almost a quarter of the room and a bed taking up another quarter. The other half of the room is dedicated to storage, with a wardrobe and several shelves containing all kinds of knick-knacks and collectibles. You know this room like the back of your hand.

"My room..." Your mother and your wife both turn to look at you, apparently having been too engrossed in their conversation to notice you enter. "It's exactly how I left it."

"We couldn't bring ourselves to change it." Your mother looks at you with sad, tired eyes.

"That's... really sweet of you. Though you could have at least picked up my ten-year-old laundry off of the floor, heh."

"That should really be my line, Anon."

The two of you share a quick laugh.

"What have you two been talking about?"

"I figured it would be prudent to get to know my daughter-in-law before the two of you are whisked away again."

"W-wait, you knew I was going to-"

"Anon, I'm your mother. I don't care how long it's been, I know you better than you think. And the way your eyes sparkled when you talked about Equestria... well, it's obvious where you'd rather be."

"M-mom, I don't mean to imply-"

"Shush, Anon. I know. This isn't easy for any of us." She takes a step forward and hugs you once more, and you hug her back. "Just knowing that you're alive is good enough for me." After a moment she lets go and turns to look at Tia. "And it seems to me like I'm leaving you in good hands! Er... hooves."

Tia laughs.

"He looks out for me just as much as I look out for him."

"I don't doubt that for a second! Anon always has been dependable. I wish you both the best."

Your mother gives the two of you a warm smile.

"Thank you, mom."

"Would the two of you like to stay for dinner? I can make your favorite~"

"Er, by my favorite, are you referring to-"

"Meatloaf!"

Darn it, you really do miss your mom's cooking, but...

"I, uh, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Tia... can't eat meat. And I've sort of stopped doing it too."

"Oh! Right, because... because she's a pony. Of course. Ahem." She awkwardly clears her throat. "We, uh, don't have many other groceries right now. I suppose we should go find that scepter, then."

"Dad said he was already looking for it."

"Goodness, he's going to break a hip!"

"That's what I said!"

The three of you head downstairs, only to be greeted by your father. He's a bit sweaty, but resting on the nearby coffee table is a slightly dirty Return Scepter.

"I found it."

"Thanks, dad."

After a few moments of awkward small talk between the four of you, everyone goes silent, hesitant to address the elephant in the room. You eventually work up the courage to speak once more.

"I guess... I guess this is it, then."

Tia walks up beside you.

"We probably shouldn't keep everypony waiting for much longer. They're likely wondering where we are."

You look at your parents, who are now standing side-by-side. Your mom is leaning against your dad, who has his arm wrapped around her shoulder. They're both a bit misty eyed.

"Are you sure you can't come back? Can't you just use that scepter again?"

"...I have a feeling I can't. I don't think it will bring me here again."

Tia looks at you quizzically.

"Why wouldn't it?"

You return her gaze, looking into her magenta eyes with the same determined expression you gave your father earlier.

"Because now, I know where my home is."

After a moment, Tia gives you a nod.

"Then I suppose you should be the one to press the button again. At least then we'll know for sure."

You look back at your parents, realizing that you're failing to hold back your own tears.

"...I'm gonna miss you guys."

"We'll miss you too, Anon. You'd better treat those ponies right!" Your mom's voice is shaky, but she's forcing a smile for you.

Your dad looks you in the eyes once more.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And... make sure you look after your wife." He looks at Celestia as he finishes that statement and nods. She does the same in return.

"...I love you guys."

"We love you too, Anon."

You hug each of them one more time, and your mom even hugs Tia as well before you pick up the Return Scepter. Tia leans against you and wraps a hoof around the scepter while you rest your thumb on the button. You look around at the house and think about everything you're leaving behind. It's been a long journey, and your departure won't be without its heartache, but... at least now, you have the closure that you never got before.

"Goodbye, mom. Bye, dad."

"Goodbye, Anon! And good luck, both of you!"

With tear-filled eyes, you force yourself to press the button before you can have any second thoughts. In a familiar sensation, there is a brief moment where your vision is clouded by a sudden burst of yellow light. You hear a high-pitched ringing noise in your ears, and suddenly there is a great wind spiraling all around you. Force presses against your body from all directions, forcing you to close your eyes. The uncomfortable experience assaults your senses until suddenly, everything comes to a stop.

By Your Side

When the assault on your senses finally dies down, you slowly begin to open your eyes. You feel a gentle breeze on your skin as you take in the environment around you. Before you stands a house almost identical to the one you were just in. However, instead of standing in a driveway next to a cul-de-sac, you are standing on dirt path with a few trees lining the sides, offering you ample shade. Your hands are still wrapped around the Return Scepter, the button no longer being pressed down by your thumb. Alongside you, Celestia is also holding the scepter, seemingly trying to get her bearings as well. You take a deep breath. The air tastes cleaner, and the subtle-yet-terrible smell is gone. You turn your head to look behind you, and your suspicions are confirmed. You're back in Ponyville.

You look down at Celestia's magenta eyes, and she meets your gaze. The two of you share a wordless smile as she lets go of the scepter. You hold it in both hands as you ponder the events of the last few days. You went through a lot together. You learned a lot, both about your home world and about yourself. And to top it all off, you finally got the closure you so desperately needed, and in doing so, you reaffirmed your place in this world. Only this time, you didn't have to prove it to anyone but yourself. And the proof is in the pudding, as they say. You're the one who pressed the button on the Return Scepter, just like you did a few days ago. But this time, it took you here. You let out a contented sigh.

"We should probably get this back to Twilight. And let her know where we've been."

"Yes, I agree. I think it's for the best that we return the scepter to its place in the vault. As fun as it was to experience your home world, I think I'd rather stick to Equestria for a while."

"Yeah, me too." You hear a light grumbling noise, and a subtle blush makes its way to your face. "Maybe we can do that later, though?"

"Hmhm, yes, I suppose-" A second grumbling noise is heard, though this time it makes Tia blush. "...I suppose we should probably get something to eat before heading back to Canterlot. At least, we should if our upset stomachs are any indication."

"Haha! I'll get to work on dinner, then."

The two of you head inside, finally able to get a good meal and freshen up for the first time in days. It was certainly an eventful adventure, but no matter how good or how bad a journey is, there is always a sense of relief when you finally get back home.

You plop your head down onto your pillow, a blissful sigh escaping your lips. It has been some time since you've gotten to sleep in a bed, let alone the extremely soft and comfortable one in your own bedroom. You pull the covers up as you prepare to get comfortable, but you know better than to get too comfortable yet.

Sure enough, you watch Tia emerge from the nearby bathroom wearing nothing at all before she slides into bed next to you, giving you a tired smile all the while. She quickly moves to snuggle up against you, her head nuzzling your neck and her horn resting below your head (and the pillow). Her chest floof is extremely soft, and as she wraps her massive wings around you, you relish in the warmth that she brings. As if she's reading your thoughts, you feel a gentle softness brushing against your leg as she wraps her long tail around it. For your part, your wrap your arms around her torso, pulling her in as close as possible. The feeling is heavenly, and the tight embrace (somewhat ironically) makes you both feel as though you're enveloped in a warm cloud. After hearing nothing but the sound of Tia's gentle breathing for several quiet moments, you hear her begin to whisper to you.

"Thank you, sunshine."

"Hm? What for?"

"For fulfilling your promise."

"...Oh. You, uh, you heard that, huh?"

"Hmhm. I was a bit too anxious to sleep well that night."

"Anxious? You? You seemed to be enjoying yourself for most of that journey."

"Haha! And here I thought you were all proud about how well you can read my emotions!"

"W-well, in my defense, I haven't exactly been on my 'A game' the last few days. Still, though, what were you anxious about?"

"...To tell you the truth, I was afraid I was going to lose you."

"Lose me? How so?"

"I had my suspicions about your true feelings towards your home long before a few days ago, sunshine. Once we were actually there, I will admit that the seeds of doubt had been planted in my mind. I wondered if... if you would choose to stay there, instead."

"What? Absolutely not! Never! Tia, I want nothing more than to be by your side! I said as much when we made our vows!"

"Hmhm. I know that, darling." She nuzzles her face a bit deeper into your neck before giving it a quick kiss. "Especially now. But even I can't help having doubts about myself every now and then."

"Yourself? I... I'm sorry, I thought you were doubting me?"

"I was doubting whether I was worthy of your attention. I know full well that you love me. And I love you, too! When we're in Equestria, there's nothing to stop me from believing that. But when we're in your world... that changes. Your world has your family in it. It has your old home, it's the root of some of your happiest memories. There, you can just... be a human. You can use computers, or eat meat! You could... well, you could fit in more. Find a real human woman, rather than an illusion."

"...Heh."

"Hm?"

"Heh... hehe... hahaha!"

"S-sunshine, are you laughing at me?!"

"Haha, haaaaaa... I'm sorry, Tia. It's just... that's exactly how I've felt for the past ten years about you!"

"What?"

"I'm the only human in Equestria, Tia. I have to get all of my clothes special-made. I have to adjust my diet to be more in line with what all of you can eat. I have to live without all of the comforts that I grew up with. And yet, I can't help being in love with you. You, of all ponies! The Princess Celestia!"

"W-well, I'm not a princess anymore..."

"You certainly were when we first started courting! And that whole time, I was thinking, 'Wow, there is no way this beautiful pony princess wants anything to do with the weird alien. I mean, just look at all of these handsome stallions she's surrounded by! Why would she ever want me?'"

"Sunshine, you know I adore you."

"I do. But to be honest, sometimes I still get those thoughts. And yet, whenever I see you look at me with that darn smile of yours, all of that fear melts away. So please, trust me when I say that there is absolutely nowhere I'd rather be than right here, with you."

"...I suppose my fears were unfounded, then." She pulls her head back just a little bit to look you in the eyes. Even though it's dark and you're both exhausted, you can clearly make out those beautiful eyes of hers. "Thank you, my sunshine. I love you more than you could ever know."

You gently push forward, locking your lips with hers. The kiss is tender and passionate, and you quickly lose track of time. Eventually, however, you pull back again, and you both smile at each other in the darkness before she nuzzles her face into your neck once more.

"I love you too, Tia."

With your wife in your embrace, you both drift asleep in the bedroom of your modest Ponyville house. It's the most comfortable you've ever been, both physically and emotionally. For the first time in your entire life, you can say with utmost certainty that in every regard, you are content. You're content with your life in Ponyville. You're content with what you've left behind back at your old world. And most of all, you're content with the knowledge that no matter where you go, you are loved. Because right here, with Celestia by your side...

You are home.

Author's Note

Thank you so much for going on this journey with me! Writing a story in this fashion was certainly an interesting experience for me, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!