The Fate of a Manby JayellowChaptersIn a World Not His OwnBrickedReturn to LifeSeventy Second or the FirstTo Rise and FallChaos Begets ChaosNightmare's EndFalse ParadiseThe Death of Michael GreenfieldThe EndIn a World Not His OwnThere existed a place in Equestria that few ponies fully understood. It was frightening, expansive, and overall the exact wrong place to be if one wanted to maintain their good health. It played host to a multitude of dangerous and exotic creatures, from the hodgepodge bodied Manticore to the more literal Timber Wolves. One could argue that should one find themselves lost in this mysterious locale that their chances of survival were dismal, at best. This place was known as The Everfree Forest, and one day a new creature joined its ranks. But this new addition had none of the trademark features of the monsters who called the Everfree their home. It had no claws, its teeth were hardly sharp, and it could make no poisons or other natural defenses. Instead, it walked on two legs, and had the advantage of opposable thumbs. That’s right, a human had found himself in the forest known as Everfree. He knew did not know how he came to be in those dangerous woods. The only thing he knew was that he must keep running. And he did just that, fleeing from an unknown horror as the trees blurred in his peripherals. The only sounds he could hear were the rapid pounding of his heart, and the deep gasps of his breath. Leaves and twigs cracked under his feet as he ran, but he paid them no attention. The branches of the trees reached out for him, leaving scratches on his exposed torso in droves. His pace did not slow despite the pain that wracked his body, for his fear of the forest was greater. A howl echoed through the trees, and the human doubled his pace to escape the treacherous woodland. The only thoughts passing through his mind were those of self preservation. He had to run, to escape from the monsters that hunted him. He could feel their presence at his heels, just waiting for him to stumble. Then, they would have their next meal. He suddenly burst through the foliage into a large clearing. Sunlight washed over him unfiltered for the first time since his arrival. Its warmth was welcome on his aching skin. He spun rapidly in the small, open field. HIs long brown coat whipped in the air behind him, revealing the denim pants he wore. He could not see his pursuers, but they were there, he knew it. Suddenly, a growl came from his left and he began his flight anew. Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Ponyville, another creature was exiting her home. “I won’t be gone long, Spike! Keep shelving those books!” She shouted, closing the door to her home. “Yeah, yeah,” came the disgruntled response. Shaking her head, a small grin adorning her face, the purple pony trotted along a well worn road, saddlebags bobbing up and down on her sides. She greeted others along her way, enjoying the glorious sunny day.Her destination was a looming mass of trees on the border of Ponyville. Just outside the village, she found herself stopped by an excited pink pony. “Twilight!” she heard, the voice belonging to none other than her friend Pinkie Pie. “HI, Pinkie Pie,” she replied, still moving. “Hey, that rhymes! I love rhymes, they’re so much fun! Have you ever heard this one? Silver is-” Twilight stopped and held a hoof up to quiet her friend, chuckling as she did so. “Pinkie, I’m actually on my way to Zecora’s right now. Was there something you needed?” The bubbly pony held a hoof to her chin in thought for a moment, before replying with a smile. “Nope! I just wanted to say hi. Oh, if you’re going to Zecora’s, can I come too? She rhymes all the time!” Twilight spoke, still grinning. “Of course, I’d love to have your company.” “Yay!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, falling into step with her friend. They followed the slowly disappearing trail, leading into the Everfree. Now, it could be said that only a fool willingly enters that forest of dangers. That anyone with half a brain would know not to endanger themselves by purposefully going into an environment where death was not only common, it was expected. But there were a few ways to skirt the danger present in the terrifying woodland. The easiest of which was to not enter in the first place, but Twilight and Pinkie Pie didn’t have that option. The other was to stay near the edges, to go no deeper than absolutely necessary. After many years of strife, the ponies of Ponyville had successfully established a boundary with the predators of the woods. This allowed for some ponies to enter the forest, albeit not deeply. One such example was the zebra Zecora, who lived just close enough to the border to stay safe. Calmly walking through the forest, Twilight felt an odd sensation in the back of her mind. It was as if a string had attached itself to the back of her consciousness, and was tugging lightly. The feeling was disconcerting, to say the least. “Hey, Pinkie,” she asked, turning her head towards her friend, “Do you feel something odd?” The bubbly pony scrunched her face up in thought as they walked, and replied “now that you mention, I kind of do. It’s like someone is trying to tickle me in my head, but not as much fun.” Twilight furrowed her brow, and told her friend “We had better keep an eye out for danger. I don’t like this feeling, it’s like something big happened.” With a nod from the pink pony, the two continued on. The rest of the trip passed just as any other with Pinkie Pie would. That is, filled with the hyperactive pony’s silly rambling. The purple unicorn took it in stride, not expecting anything different from her friend. Soon enough, they were at Zecora’s home. Just as Twilight was going to knock on the door, a loud crashing noise came from deeper in the forest. With a nervous glance at Pinkie, she knocked loudly on the door. “Zecora? Are you home?” there was a tinge of fear evident in her voice. “It’s us! Your friends Twilight and Pinkie Pie!” the pink mare added. The door opened, revealing the zebra. “Come in fast, or you may not last!” she said to them, letting them inside. Once inside they gathered around a window, waiting for whatever beast the forest had to offer to appear. The noises of crunching leaves and the occasional snapping of a stick grew louder. It was clear that something was coming their way. “Oh, I wonder what made that noise.” Pinkie said, “I wonder if it likes cake?” “Pinkie,” Twilight admonished, “Whatever is making that noise is probably some big monster that would probably rather eat us than cake. I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t even know what cake is!” “Doesn’t know what cake is? That’s horrible! I’ll have to get it some, stat!” Twilight rubbed her hoof across her face, “Pinkie, whatever is out there probably has huge claws, gigantic teeth, and maybe even wings or some sort of poison.” She removed her hoof when she heard gasps come from her friends. “What? Did something happen?” “I can not believe my eyes, even though they tell me no lies.” Zecora said, staring directly out the window. “Oh! It doesn’t have any of those things you said, Twilight. Does this mean I can give it some cake?” Pinkie asked, looking to her friend. The intelligent unicorn, rather than answer her friend, looked out the window. What she saw caused her eyes to widen and her jaw to drop. “What is that?” she shouted, rushing out of the hut. Her zebra friend tried to stop her, but Twilight was already out of the door, Pinkie not far behind. Sighing, she followed the two ponies outside, hoping that no trouble would come from the creature that had stumbled out of the trees. He was leaning against a tree, taking a quick break. His breaths came in strained gasps, as the adrenaline rush he had been running on began to wear off. Luckily for the three who had exited the hut, he was not facing them. “This is amazing,” he heard a female voice say softly, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” “Oh, look at its clothes! They look pretty cool!” a more high pitched voice added. “Quiet,” a third voice added, sounding rather African to him, “Or it may riot.” He praised every deity he could think of, thankful that he had finally found civilization. He turned to face the three women he heard, standing as straight as he could in his exhausted state. “Oh, thank goodness. I-” the words died in his throat as he came to face the three equines. “You can talk?” the purple one said. Was that a horn he saw on her head? “Hi!” the pink one ran up to him. She only came up to a bit above his waist, but she locked gazes with him anyways. “My name is Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?” His mind froze, still addled by the fear and adrenaline coursing through his body. Perhaps had he not just run farther than he had in a long time, what happened next may not have happened. “T-talking horses?” he gasped, putting a hand to his head and groaning “Oh, my head.” The three female’s eyes followed him as he fell backwards, barely missing a tree. They could tell, he was unconscious before he hit the ground. “Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, dashing beside the strange creature, “Couldn’t you see how scared it was?” “Could you not see yourself, pony?” Zecora chided. The unicorn mare blushed a bit as she realized that she had also spoken to the creature. “Sorry,” she apologized, turning towards the strange being. “What is it?” Pinkie asked, nudging a hand with her hoof. “I don’t know,” the curiosity was evident in Twilight’s voice. “It has hands like a Minotaur, but no horns. It’s hair is the same shade as Zecora’s black, but it isn’t very long. And these clothes, where could it have gotten them?” Zecora joined the other two as the intrigued unicorn continued to ramble questions. She looked at its exposed chest and feet, noticing the large amount of blood. “Perhaps we should take it inside. It looks as if it almost died,’ she told the other two, pointing at its extensive injuries. “Oh, wow. You’re right, Zecora, it needs help.” Twilight looked to her pink friend, “Pinkie, you should go get Fluttershy. She should be able to help.” The cheery pony took on a serious look, and saluted her friend before taking off as fast as she could. “Okay, I’d better be careful. Zecora, can you take its arms while I levitate its legs?” she asked, “At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what those are.” The zebra simply nodded rather than speak, and wrapped its arms around her shoulders as best she could. The two slowly carried it into the hut, and gently set it on a mat near Zecora’s cauldron. The potion master began to brew up some medicine for their find. Minutes passed in relative silence, only the occasional clink of glass as Zecora made her brew. Twilight was just beginning to worry when Fluttershy burst into the hut, a determined look on her face. The yellow pegasus was quickly by the human’s side, inspecting his wounds. Pinkie came through the door a moment later, bogged down by saddlebags full of medical supplies. The animal loving pony called her over, and soon started dishing out orders to the rest of her friends. They listened as if in a daze, all amazed at the commanding tone in their normally timid companion’s voice. The whole procedure passed in what felt like only a few minutes. But when Fluttershy fell back onto her haunches and wiped a hoof over her brow, it became clear that much longer had passed. She looked down a bit, and quietly said “I’m sorry for being so bossy.” A round of assurances that everything was okay came from the others. Twilight, though, had a thoughtful look on her face as the other three sat down as well, and said “Have you ever seen anything like this before, Fluttershy?” The animal loving pony shook her head and answered “No, I haven’t. And I thought I had seen every kind of animal in the forest before. It’s a good thing we found it, though. I don’t know if it would have survived with all of those cuts it has.” The purple unicorn rubbed a hoof across her chin, and levitated some parchment and a pencil out of her saddlebags that had been tossed aside in their rush. “Fascinating,” she muttered, taking notes, “We may have just discovered a new species today, girls.” “Does this mean I get to throw a “Discovered a New Species” party?” Pinkie Pie sounded excited at the prospect. Fluttershy sat back and only half listened to her friends chatting about the creature. Her mind was racing with questions, but one took precedence. What were they supposed to do with it now? It couldn’t go with Twilight, she lived in a public library. It wouldn’t make sense to hide something like him in a place like that. And Pinkie Pie would be an even worse option, living with the Cake family. That left her and Zecora as possibilities. She supposed that Zecora would be sufficiently out of the way, making her hut a good place to keep the creature while it healed. But at the same time, Fluttershy wasn’t sure her zebra friend knew how to handle a possibly wild animal as well as herself. Not that she was doubting her friend, or anything. She just wanted the best possible care for such an injured animal. She pondered how she could steer the conversation in that direction without seeming pushy. Luckily for her, Twilight had the same question as she asked “Where should he go for now? Should we just leave him here?” Zecora looked as if she was about to accept that proposal. However, Fluttershy quickly interjected “I think he should stay with me! I know I’m closer to town, but he also needs care that I think I can provide better than Zecora.” She paused, and looked around, “If that’s okay with you, that is.” The timid pegasus hid behind her mane as best she could. Zecora, Twilight, and Pinkie all shared a look, before Twilight slowly nodded and said “I suppose that makes sense. He’ll go stay with you, then.” The gathered ponies all stood, deciding it was time they left. “We’ll have to be careful taking him to your cottage, Fluttershy. We don’t need ponies asking too many question.” The yellow pony nodded as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders, Pinkie doing the same. His legs were wrapped in a magenta glow as Twilight took up her portion of his weight. They carefully exited the hut, bidding Zecora goodbye. “If you need help, do not be afraid to ask. I will do my best to assist, no matter the task!” She replied, waving a hoof as they walked away. As they made sure to walk around Ponyville as much as possible, Twilight asked Fluttershy if she could tell her anything about the creature. “Well,” she started, “I’m pretty sure he’s male. His body structure reminds me of some of the larger primates, which would make him a mammal. And Pinkie Pie said he talked, so I guess he is intelligent. Not to doubt you or anything, Pinkie, but are you sure he spoke Equestrian?” “Yeah! He looked really tired, and when he saw us he called us talking horses, which wasn’t very nice. We’re not horses, we’re ponies!” The pink mare replied in her usual tone. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I think I know where to look in my books now. I’ll have to report this to the Princess, too. This isn’t something I should keep from her, and I’m sure she’ll know what is best.” Twilight said to her friend. The shy pony gave her a quiet “You’re welcome,” and the rest of the journey passed with Pinkie’s energetic yet random questions making most of the sound. “Oh, this is so cool! We just discovered a new animal! What if it has super powers or something? Like, what if it could fly, or teleport, or has super strength?” “Pinkie, the only thing you listed that ponies don’t have is super strength. Even then, there are some pretty strong Ponies out there. For example, Big Macintosh.” “You’re right, Big Mac is pretty strong. I wonder who is stronger, monkey-thing or Big Mac?” “Monkey-thing? Why did you call him that?” “Well, Fluttershy said he looks like a primate. And primates are monkeys, right? So, if he looks like a primate then he looks like a monkey, duh.” “Umm, Pinkie Pie, there are a lot of monkeys who don’t really look like him at all. I was thinking more of a Chimpanzee than anything.” Their conversation continued right up to Fluttershy’s door. Once inside her cottage, they set up a crude bed with some spare blankets and pillows the animal loving pegasus had. “Now, are you sure you can handle this?” Twilight asked as she was stepping out of the door. “I’m certain. He just needs someone to take good care of him, I’m sure of that.” Her friend reassured her. “Well, alright,” the purple pony said. She then levitated a pencil out of her bags, and it glowed brighter in her magic for a moment. “Take this,” she told Fluttershy, “I’ve enchanted it so that if you break it, I’ll know. If that happens, I’ll come running, okay?” Her pink-maned friend nodded and smiled, saying “Don’t worry Twilight. I can handle him.” Twilight’s worry only lessened a bit as she walked away with Pinkie Pie. They chatted amiably about the day so far. Eventually, the pink party pony left, saying that she had to get to work. A quick trot later, Twilight was walking into her library home. “Spike, are you home?” she called, closing the door. A second passed and she heard a shout come from the bathroom, “I’m in the tub!” The studious pony rolled her eyes, mentally groaning “Spike and his bubble baths. I guess I’ll have to write the letter myself.” Withdrawing paper from her bag and a quill from her desk as she walked into her room, she began the letter to her mentor. “Dear Princess Celestia, I made an amazing discovery today! I was with Pinkie Pie on my way to see our friend Zecora when an incredible creature came from deeper in the Everfree forest. We had never seen anything like it, although Fluttershy later told me that it had features resembling primates. It was walking on two legs, and even wore clothing! Then, it spoke to us in perfect Equestrian! When we had first found him, for we deduced that it was male, he seemed really tired. He heard us speak, and turned around to face us almost seeming relieved. But then he saw us and called us ‘talking horses.’ After that he fell unconscious, and we realized that he was badly injured. We took him inside Zecora’s hut, and the whole time I just couldn’t believe what we had found. A whole new species, an intelligent one even! After that, Pinkie went to bring Fluttershy to help. We cleaned and bandaged all the cuts on his body, and decided that he would stay with Fluttershy for now. I’m sending along with this a copy of the notes I took after we finished helping him. I was hoping you could tell me if the royal archives have any information on creatures like this. Also, it seemed prudent to ask you how I should proceed here. I’ll understand if you want to take over the situation, seeing as he is a new species. On a more personal note, I have to admit that I am extremely excited! This is just so amazing, we may have just discovered a new species! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle” She rolled the letter up and sealed it. She would have liked to force Spike to send it then, but she didn’t want to be mean to the little dragon. Although if he stretched his bath too far, she wouldn’t hesitate to drag him out of that tub. All that time in the water couldn’t be all that great for his scales. Elsewhere, Fluttershy was entering her home, a bag of bird seed on her back. She sat them on a short table in her modest living room, and looked to her stove. They had made the bed for the creature there, as it was the only place that wouldn’t intrude too much upon her other animals. She walked up to him, to make sure he was comfortable. She wasn’t far away when she saw him shiver and draw the blanket over himself closer. “Oh!” she whispered, “He must be cold.” Rushing over to a closet, she took the thickest blanket she could find. She then quickly draped it over the cold animal. His shivering stopped soon after, and he seemed to relax in his sleep. “There,” she smiled, “All better.” Still close, perhaps closer than she should have been, Fluttershy took notice of his features. His dark hair did not come down fair on his head, stopping short of his eyebrows. Along his jaw and around his mouth she noticed stubble growing, but only barely. His jaw didn’t seemed neither narrow nor broad, taking somewhat of a middle ground between the two. His cheeks also look healthy, by her best guess. Lost in her observations, she didn’t notice at first when he moved. By the time she realized he had, it was too late. He had a long arm wrapped around her, and was pulling her in. She struggled feebly, but his grip was tight as he held her to his chest. The timid pony began to breath hard, quite frightened. As she tried to escape his grasp without waking him, she heard him mumble something in his sleep. “Jessie,” he said, strengthening his hold on her. He didn’t seem to want to harm her, but the situation was still too much for her. After little more than a minute of escape attempts, the fear got to her. Fluttershy joined him in the land of dreams as the sun set. BrickedChapter Two: Bricked It was the next morning, and Twilight was just waking up. Letting out a yawn, she stretched her legs and left her bed. Walking down the stairs, she was contemplating what to have for breakfast. Just as she was about to reach into her cupboards for some food, she felt a snap. It wasn't something physical, but it was the only way she could describe it. And she knew exactly what it was. Fluttershy had broken the enchanted pencil she had given her. Forgoing her meal, Twilight ran out of her home, and towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Running as fast as her hooves could carry her, her mind raced with possibilities. “What if it is hostile?” She thought, “What if it hurt Fluttershy? It would be all my fault, I’m the one who suggested it stay with her! I need to get there!” Keeping her pace, she felt a presence on her right. “Whoa, Twilight, where are you going?” She heard a familiar voice say. “No time to explain, Dash, Fluttershy is in trouble!” She said between breaths. “What!” Her blue friend shouted, “I’ll see you there!” And a rainbow trail flashed in front of her. Only a few seconds later, that same trail burst through Fluttershy’s front door. Coming to a quick stop, Rainbow Dash looked around. She saw her friends’ yellow form softly struggling over by her stove. It seemed to be covered by some blankets, and a weird animal she had never seen before. “Hey!” She shouted, by her friends side in an instant, “Let her go!” “Shhh!” Fluttershy chastised, “It’s sleeping!” Flabbergasted, Rainbow looked at her friend, “What?” “I didn’t mean to worry anyone, but I needed some help, is all. I would have waited until it woke up, but Angel saw me and he was so scared, so I told him to break the quill Twilight gave me. You got here so fast, too!” Fluttershy explained, keeping her voice low. “Is she alright?” Another voice entered the scene, gasping for breath. “Yeah, she’s fine, for the most part. But I want to know what this thing is!” Rainbow said, still louder than Fluttershy wanted. “Well, funny thing is, we don’t know.” Twilight replied with a nervous chuckle, a hoof on the back of her head. “Wait, WHAT!” Rainbow shouted, “Fluttershy, grab my hooves!” As Rainbow Dash frantically pulled Fluttershy out of the odd creature’s embrace, Twilight smacked her face with a hoof. She understood why Rainbow acted the way she did, but still. If she wanted to save her friend from the sleeping unknown, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to shout and possibly wake it up. Which is exactly what happened. Just as Fluttershy escaped its arms, the creature groaned. “Oh, my head. Jessie, I thought we agreed not to hit the bottle so hard anymore.” It said, pulling its pillow over its head. A moment passed in which no one spoke. Then, the silence was broken by none other than Rainbow Dash. “IT CAN TALK?” She shouted, her jaw slack. Fluttershy and Twilight shared a flinch, and the odd creature tensed up. It was like every muscle in its body flexed at once, as though it were in great pain. Twilight noticed that it started to breath faster, and its upper limbs began to tremble. Just as she was reaching out a hesitant hoof in an attempt to comfort it, it stopped. It became deathly still, hardly moving a muscle. Slowly, it removed the pillow from its head, and sat up. It looked at the colorful ponies in front of it, and said “Can I help you?” Its tone was completely devoid of emotion. Its face held no signs of feeling, either. It was as if in the moment it relaxed, it lost the ability to feel. The mares had differing reactions. Rainbow Dash’s eye began to twitch a little, the absurdity of the moment getting to her. Fluttershy let out a small squeal, and hid behind Dash. Twilight, however, had the brightest reaction. Normally, she would have worried about the cold demeanor it had adopted, but her thirst for knowledge held the front of her thoughts for the time being. It had essentially just given her the opportunity to ask it any question she wanted. Hurried, she looked around. “Fluttershy! Pencil, paper, need it! Now! Please!” She said, jittery. Glad for the excuse to move away, even for only a bit, she rushed into her bedroom, and back out with the requested materials. “Here you go, Twilight,” She said, returning to her spot behind Rainbow Dash, who still hadn’t moved. Clearing her throat, still flush with excitement, Twilight said, “Yes, thank you, Fluttershy. Anyways, first, do you have a name? Mine is Twilight Sparkle, by the way. And these are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.” The animal, whose face was still straight, replied “My name is Michael Greenfield.” “Interesting,” She muttered, “Anyways, moving on. What gender are you?” “I am male.” He told her, his voice even. The questioning continued, and it was revealed that Michael was twenty three years of age, and was omnivorous. It may have continued for hours, but just as Twilight was going to question his clothing, Rainbow interrupted. “Alright, what is going on here?” She asked, “What are you?” “I am a human, Homo Sapiens.” He said, his blank gaze now facing her. Feeling somewhat unnerved by his empty stare, she said “Homo what? Are you sure he speaks Equestrian, Twilight?” “Yes, I am. But I don’t recognize those last two words. They sound like one of the old Earth Pony languages, but I can’t quite pin it.” Twilight replied, “Oh, this is just so exciting! Now we have a name for his species! I can’t believe I forgot to ask that myself!” Throwing her hooves into the air, Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated sigh. “Fluttershy, could you explain what is going on here?” As the quiet yellow pony explained the story as she understood it to her fellow Pegasus, Twilight continued her questions. “Do you know how you found yourself in Equestria?” She asked, eyes sparkling with excitement. “No, I do not.” He droned. “Well, what do you remember?” “I was having a meal outdoors with a female companion, and we had found ourselves drowsy. When we awoke, we were in the forest where I found you.” “There were two of you? Where is she, if I may ask?” “Dead.” All speech stopped there. All three of the ponies present suddenly tried to console him. “Please,” He started, “Don’t.” “What? Why? Aren’t you sad?” Twilight asked, “Don’t you feel anything?” “No.” Was his simple answer. The ponies present once again found themselves astonished. Rainbow rushed him, and slammed him into the wall by his coat. “Are you saying that your friend didn’t mean anything to you? At all? That you didn’t care about her even a little bit?” “No. That is not what I am saying. I merely answered Miss Sparkle’s question.” He told her, no pain evident in his features. “So, you are saying that you don’t feel anything? No sadness, no grief? Not even a little bit? Is this normal for your species?“ Twilight asked, coaxing Rainbow off of him. “No. As I said, I feel nothing. But this is not the norm for my species. We are often a very emotional people. But I find myself without emotion right now. I know it is strange, but I can not bring myself to care.” Michael said. Rainbow felt her anger boil over again. She wasn’t certain why he seemed to anger her so, but it was almost as if he was betraying the memory of his friend. As the Element of Loyalty, she could not stand how he just did not care that his friend was dead, and would no longer see her again. She slammed him into the wall again, despite Twilight’s protests, and growled “I don’t like you.” “I do not care.” His eyes bored into hers. They looked dead. “Should I?” Screaming with frustration, Rainbow let him down, and flew out of the house. “Dash!” Twilight, shouted, “Come back! He didn’t mean any harm!” “Don’t bother. I really don’t care what her opinion of me is.” He said, “Could you fetch me some new bandages, please? Her roughness seems to have opened my wounds.” Taking the excuse to leave the room, Fluttershy ran to get the bandages. Meanwhile, Twilight stalked up to Michael, clearly angry. “Look,” She said, “You may be a new species around here. You may hold a wealth of knowledge, and for whatever reason you may not feel anything, but there is one thing you should know. I don’t care if you hold the secrets of the universe, if you can’t be kind to my friends, I will leave you back in that forest, research or no research! That includes anything that might do them harm. Do I make myself clear?” “I understand. I do seem to have some sense of self-preservation, still, and it would seem. I will do what I can to keep from angering you and your companions.” He said, as Fluttershy came back in with the fresh bandages. “I should leave,” Twilight said, “I don’t want my notes to become biased. I will come back later, once I have calmed down. Will you be okay alone with him, Fluttershy?” “Oh, yes. I can tell, he won’t be any trouble, no more than any of my other animals.” She said, peeling off his old wrappings. “Fair enough. Good day, Fluttershy, Michael.” Michael noticed that Fluttershy was being less than gentle while reapplying his bandages. “Did I offend you as well?” “Yes,” She said, “I may be shy, but I care deeply about my friends. I will help you as long as you need it, but if you can not be kind in return, I will have to ask you to leave.” “Fair enough,” Was his only answer. The last bandage applied, Fluttershy said “Good, now I have to go feed my animal friends. I will be right outside if you need anything.” “Okay,” He said, staring straight ahead. On her way out the door, Fluttershy noticed that he did not seem to be doing anything, hardly even moving. It was if he had stopped thinking, and may as well have been sleeping. “Um, maybe, if it wouldn’t be to much trouble, after your feet have healed, of course, could you maybe help me? It’s okay if you don’t want to.” She asked, her timid nature having returned after her irritation had subsided. “If you insist After my feet are healed.” Was his only answer. A few days passed, and his feet were finally well enough for him to walk without aggravating any wounds, provided his left his bandages on. Twilight had returned later that evening, and asked him more questions. She still seemed slightly angry, but she was strictly professional with the questioning. They discussed human anatomy, mostly, and spent some time on psychology. Michael did his best to answer her questions, but he was not entirely knowledgeable on some of the subjects she brought up. No other ponies came to visit him during this time, and the days passed without incident. Fluttershy was understanding of his dietary needs, having raised many different kinds of animals herself. He had once asked why she only gave him fish, and not other meats, like chicken or beef. She looked horrified at the concept, and told him “We wouldn’t eat cows! Only the most barbaric of animals would eat something intelligent like that! And we don’t eat chicken, either! Why would you think that?” “Cows are intelligent in this world?” He questioned, “I did not know. On Earth, my home world, cows have little to no intelligence. We raise them for dairy or meat, it is one of our biggest forms of agriculture, too.” Horrified at the concept of raising so many animals, just to later eat them, Fluttershy did not talk to him for the rest of that day. She apologized to him the next day, however, stating that she knew that things were different on his world. She also asked that he not do anything like that while in Equestria. “I will not. I will respect Equestrian customs while I am here. Besides, meat is more of a choice for humans. There are many of us who choose not to eat meat. We call them vegetarians.” She seemed a little angry with him at this, and no longer gave him fish. When he commented on the change, she said “You can live without it. I’m not going to kill another animal just to feed to you if you don’t even need it.” With a shrug, he continued to eat the salad she had given him. Once he was able to help, she also found that he was an ideal helper. He may not have had any initiative, as he didn’t care enough to think ahead like that, but he could follow orders with no trouble whatsoever. And his greater height and dexterous hands made him an excellent worker. He could fix fences and roofs faster than any pony she had ever seen. As such, when Twilight had come to continue her questioning on a day one week after they had found him, she was amazed. She hadn’t really considered the uses his odd appendages had, and her mind was racing with ideas. Later on the same day he had woken up, she had remembered to have Spike send her letter to the Princess. The next day, her response came. “Dear Twilight Sparkle, I have searched the Royal Library, along with several of the royal librarians, and we have found nothing. Whatever this creature you have found is, it is new to Equestria. If it is intelligent as you say, which I would assume based on your notes, we should do our best to make it feel welcome. This could be an opportunity to forge a relationship with a new species that could bring benefits to all of Equestria. At the same time, however, I would ask you to be careful. We know nothing of this new animal, and as such it may be hostile. I know you must be excited, but for now I must ask you to keep this find a secret. I did not fully explain what we were searching for to my librarians, so as of now, only you, your friends, and I know of this new creature. Until we can be certain it is not a threat to us, I would ask you to tell as few ponies as possible. I trust you to compile as much information on this creature, where it came from, and how it came to be in Equestria as possible. However, if you ever feel that it represents a danger to anyone, do not be afraid to contact me. I will personally come to Ponyville to detain it, and take it back to Canterlot where it can be kept away from the public. There we would study it as we would any other hostile creature, and decide what to do with it after that. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.” So, she continued her research. She would visit him every day or so, and ask him many questions. At the same time, she kept her friends away from him. Whenever they asked why she was so busy, she would tell that she was simply spending more time with Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie, however, had been a small problem. She had wanted to throw him a party the day he woke up. Twilight had tried not to use Princess Celestia’s trust in her to gain authority, but she had no choice at that point. When Pinkie heard that the Princess herself had asked that they keep Michael a secret, she had agreed to not throw him a party, on the condition that if his presence were ever public knowledge, she could invite as many people as would come. But, upon seeing the use that his hands could be put to, she had sent Celestia another letter, asking that she allow her to tell some ponies about him, if only to see if she could get him to show emotion. The Princess had been wary when Twilight told her that Michael did not seem to feel anything, but when Twilight sent her the idea, she approved it. According to him, his nature was not normal, even for him. She told her student that perhaps that magic of friendship could help thaw his icy heart, and agreed that he could help a few other ponies, and possibly make some new friends. But she also asked that Twilight only reveal his presence to the other Elements of Harmony, and their families. It was still too soon to show him to the public. She broached the subject with Michael that day, and he did not object. He didn’t express an opinion either way, but she had come to expect such from him by then. Aside from a mild curiosity, and an almost more mild sense of self-preservation, he expressed no emotions or opinions. So, the next day, she brought him back into Ponyville with her, and set him to work in her library home. As Spike had trouble reaching the higher shelves, and Owlowiscious slept during the day, she often had to take time out of her schedule to reshelf the books that had come from the top of the bookshelves. But, with the human who was at least as tall as Celestia herself, she found a lot more time to continue her studies. She had felt slightly worried that Spike would become jealous, like he had with Owlowiscious, but her worries were proven wrong. If anything, he was glad to have the extra help, himself. Especially when Twilight told him that he could be Michael’s boss while she was busy working. The young dragon took full advantage of this, and had relegated all of his chores onto the human. From then on, he would alternate between helping Twilight in her library, or Fluttershy with her animals. One day, another week after this, Fluttershy had finally deemed him health enough to take off his bandages. He had only a few left at that point, and what was on his feet was only for protection anymore. Removing one over his heart, they found that he now had a large scar crossing his pectoral. It was three straight lines cutting all of the way over his heart, and the skin that had healed over was without any hair, and smooth. She had stuttered about how he was lucky the wound had not been deeper, but he expressed little worry. It was a past event, he had said, and it would do him no good to be worried by it in the present. But, without his bandages, his chest was bare. As it was, his pants were torn from his long run in the Everfree forest, and the only other article of clothing he had was his long, brown coat. It may have reached down to his ankles, but it would not be enough when the weather started to cool. So, one day, Twilight invited Rarity to the library, where she could introduce the two of them. At first, Michael had told her that he did not need any more clothing, that he would be fine with just his coat and pants, but Twilight had not let him continue. He had told her several reasons why humans wore clothing all the time, as opposed to special occasions like Ponies. One of those reasons was that they had little hair themselves, and needed the extra layers for warmth. He had acquiesced when she told him that he had no choice in the matter. So, one day while he was helping Twilight catalog all of her books, Rarity had arrived in the library. “Alright, darling, I’m here. Now, where is this strange creature who is in need of clothing?” She asked, stepping inside the library. “I am assuming you are referring to me, ma’am.” A distinctly male voice said, “My name is Michael Greenfield, and I am the strange creature, as you put it.” She turned around, and nearly jumped out of her skin. He had walked to the door to greet her. “Oh, my, you’re so tall!” She exclaimed, looking up to his face, then added, “Oh, I apologize, how rude of me. My name is Rarity, and I am pleased to meet you.” “Rarity!” Twilight greeted, a happy tone in her voice, “I’m happy you could make it!” “Yes, well, you said you needed me to do you a favor, so here I am.” She reminded her, “Now, while I would normally chat with you a bit first, I think I will have a fair amount of work ahead of me if I am making clothes for a whole new species!” She brought a measuring tape out of the saddle bags she had with her, and asked him to stand straight up, with his arms straight out. When Michael asked if she would be expecting some sort of repayment for her services, she replied, “Oh, think nothing of it, dear. It is my pleasure to do a favor for a friend, especially when I get to make clothing for a species never before seen in Equestria! Oh, I can see it now, ‘Rarity, the designer who can make anyone look good, pony or not!’ It is quite exciting!” Twilight, however, made her aware that he had nothing but time on his hands, and if she ever needed help all she had to do was ask. She had looked at him for a moment, as if seeking confirmation, but all she received in return was his emotionless stare. “I have no problem doing as you ask,” He added while she was packing her various materials away, “As Miss Sparkle said, I have little to do with my days, anyways.” “Well, I will remember that. Thank you for the offer. I will have your clothes done by the end of the week, and I’ll bring them back here at that time. Is that alright with you?” She asked, just as she was headed out the door. “Yes, that is fine.” He told her. “Farewell then Michael. Goodbye, Twilight!” She added with a wave. “See you later, Rarity!” Twilight called back from where she was sitting. “I suppose it is time you head back over to Fluttershy’s then.” Twilight said. He did not respond, other than follow Twilight out of the door a few minutes later, when she was ready. The rest of the week passed quickly, with only one minor incident. Rainbow Dash was on her way to the library, and came across Twilight and Michael as she was taking him to help for the day. She had landed and greeted Twilight, but all Michael received was a dirty look. “Rainbow, don’t be that way,” Twilight had told her, once they had reached the library and Michael was out of earshot, “He doesn’t even know he did anything wrong.” “That’s just it, Twilight, he doesn’t think what he did was wrong! He just tossed aside his friendship for that other human, like he doesn’t even care about her! Can’t you see how he can’t be trusted? He has no loyalty! He would turn on us as soon as he decided it was better for him to be against us!” Rainbow had argued with her. “I don’t know, Rainbow, he may not express any emotions, but that just doesn’t sound right. I think the worst that could is that he would leave, and he won’t do that as long as he believes he should stay with Fluttershy. And the best way to make sure he knows this is to be kind to him.” With a grumble, Rainbow decided that she still did not trust the human, even if her friends did. She would not be hostile to him, but she would also watch him like a hawk. At the first sign that he might cause any of her friends harm, she would not hesitate to take him down. With a sigh, Twilight allowed her this. At the end of the week, just as she had said, Rarity arrived at the library with his new clothes. “Here you go, dear,” She said to him, handing the three boxed containing his clothing to him. “I know that you are doing a lot of work for Fluttershy and Twilight, so I went against my normal ideas and made your clothing as practical as I could. Although, if I might say, I think they turned out quite well!” Opening the first box, Michael came across several shirts. One had long sleeves, while the other three only reached down to the middle of his bicep. All three were dark, natural tones, colors Rarity had said went well with him. The one with long sleeves also buttoned up, so he could look a little presentable if he had to. The next box contained three pairs of pants. She had used denim for two, like the jeans he already wore, and one pair had a loop on one leg, for a hammer to be held. She had noticed the pants he had on had a strap hanging off of one leg, and hypothesized that it used to be attached to the leg. Upon seeing him pause for a moment when noticing this, but not saying anything, she figured she was right. Another was black in color, which she had included to go with his longer sleeved shirt. She really was determined to make sure he could look presentable if the need arose. In the last box was a few things. In it was a Stetson, similar to the one her friend Applejack wore. Underneath this was a few pairs of underwear, something she had been almost embarrassed to make, after he had told her their purpose. Also included was something he hadn’t expected, a pair of black socks. He suspected that she included them because of the conversation they’d had about human fashion. He had told her that he’d be fine wearing only thick wraps around his feet, but Rarity did not seem satisfied. Included with the socks was a note, “You should really get some shoes, darling. I’m sure someone in Ponyville could do the job.” “Thank you,” He said, closing all of the boxes, and stacking them up. “Well?” She asked, an expectant look in her eyes. “Well what?” He questioned back. He thought she would have something else to say, and he would have to try to understand her himself. Twilight had been too engaged in her studies when Rarity had arrived, and as such Michael had answered the door himself. “Aren’t you going to try one of your new outfits on? I would like to see what my work looks like in action!” Rarity nudged him towards the bathroom, “Go on now, try some on!” Not fully understanding why it was important, but doing so anyways, Michael went into the bathroom with the boxes. Undressing, he looked at himself in the mirror. Standing in only a pair of boxers, he looked so bare compared to the ponies that surrounded him. He looked at the multitude of tiny scars that adorned his slim chest, and the few large ones that could be noticed from a distance. He was never a very hairy person, except on his face. He had started to shave again about a week after he had arrived, after Twilight had decided it would make him appear less intimidating. As it was, he had only a half-days worth of stubble on his face, and his hair was only down to the middle of his forehead. Losing his already minor interest in his looks, he chose some clothes out of the boxes. Redressed, and about to exit the bathroom, he paused for a moment. He didn’t know why, but for some reason the thought occurred to him that Rarity might want him to wear the hat she had made for him. Reaching into the box, he placed it on his head. Stepping out of the bathroom, he noticed Rarity looked pleased with herself. “Rarity, you’ve done it again! He may not be a pony, and he may not be fashionable, but you made it work, nonetheless.” She said to herself, clapping her front hooves together a bit. Michael stood there, one leg in front of the other, almost as if he was posing. He was wearing the dark blue jeans she had made for him to work in, and a dark green v-neck shirt. His duster was still on over this, and the Stetson rested on his head, leaning up just the slightest bit. It was a look that many ponies would come to recognize, eventually. Return to LifeChapter Three: Return to Life “Why did you leave me, Michael? Why? I thought you loved me! I thought we were going to be together forever! But you just left me there, for dead!” It was the same dream Michael had been having since the beginning of his time in Equestria. Every night, she would be there, that woman. Jessica Reese. Or, as he once called her, Jessie. She would steal him from his peaceful slumber, and deposit him in the wicked forest he had escaped from, every night. “I left because you told me to. You said you were dying, and that one of us had to survive.” Michael told her, just as he did every night. His tone was still even and emotionless. “But I wasn’t dead, yet! I only said that because I was making sure you would stay with me! I didn’t want you to leave, I wanted you to stay! You were supposed to stay by my side until the very end, then cry over my body!” “If I had done that, I also would have died. Besides, why would you tell me to leave if you wanted me to stay? That makes no sense, how could I have known that you meant the opposite?” But his cold reasoning did nothing to stop her tirade. He did not know why the dream kept occurring. Although, he mused, most would call it a nightmare. He didn’t see why, it wasn’t particularly distressing. Mildly annoying, sure, but nothing more. Even then, he never felt annoyed over it as soon as he woke up. But then, she said something different. For the past seventy one days, she had visited his dreams every night. And every night, she would say the exact same thing, over and over again. And some nights, like that one, he would reply. It made no difference, though. She never seemed to hear him. On that night, however, her ranting changed. “How can you stand there like nothing happened? Don’t you have any emotions, or do you feel nothing for me? Did you ever feel anything for me? Was that all an act, and is this your true self? I should have never gave you my time, I would still be alive if I hadn’t!” She spat, coming closer than she had on any other night. And, for the first time in seventy one days, Michael felt something new. It was a small feeling, only the tiniest wisp of an emotion, but it was there. It grew, too, and it was almost overwhelming. She just kept accusing him of never loving her, that he was a heartless monster and it was his fault she had died. And the odd feeling grew and grew until it overcame him. “That’s not true!” He exclaimed, not believing that the words were coming out of his mouth, “I always loved you! I never wanted you to get hurt, it was that monster that did it! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” He degenerated into sobbing, falling to his knees on the forest floor. The rush of emotions was too much for him, after having spent so long forsaking them. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to feel the pain of her death. To face the fact that he would never see her again, except in these nightmares. It tore him up inside, as he lay on the forest floor, curled into a ball. He had loved her with all of his heart, but now she hated him. The pain she was inflicting upon him was becoming too much to bear. But he couldn’t seem to retreat into the emotionless shell that he had in the waking world. The full force of her words was beating on his heart and soul like a battering ram, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it. His head in his hands, tears flowing freely, he heard one last line from his dead love. A harsh blow to his already fragile psyche. “If you loved me, then why did you leave?” Fluttershy had just come back inside from her chicken pen, feed bag on her back, when Michael awoke. He had been sleeping peacefully one second, the next, however, he was flailing wildly. He promptly fell off the bed, and stopped moving. Filled with worry, Fluttershy rushed to his side. “Michael!” She was by his side, “Are you okay?” “I am alright, Fluttershy. Thank you.” He replied, the same dead voice he had become known for muffled by the floor. “Oh, well, alright then, if you say so.” She backed off, “What made you jump out of your bed, though?” “I, I’m not sure… I believe it was a dream.” He told her, lifting himself up. “My memory of it is almost gone.” If Fluttershy didn’t know better, though, she would have swore she saw a lone tear fall down his face. He replaced the blankets that had fallen with him, and made his bed with a mechanical feel. He had only had the bed for a few weeks, having made it himself. He had not felt the need for it, but Fluttershy had become much less timid around him over his time in her home. She still talked softly, and often remained quiet, but more than once she had become forceful with him. Well, as forceful as Fluttershy could be. So, one morning as he was waking up, she told him that he would be making a bed in Applejack’s barn that day. It simply was not good for his health to be sleeping on the floor every night. He had, in fact, been working on Applejack’s farm for many days by then. Not long after Rarity had given him his new clothes, Twilight had come up with the idea to take him to see Applejack. The Princess had said it was a good idea to introduce him to her friends, anyways. At first Applejack had been wary of the human. It was justified, of course, but Twilight decided that she would work on his introduction later. It was annoying having to tell everypony that he wasn’t a threat over and over again. Soon enough, though, she had him put to work. His hands were once again proven useful as he chopped down a dead apple tree in record time. After a day of hard work on his part, Applejack had warmed up to him. Well, as much as one could warm up to a brick wall, that is. The rest of the Apple family had mixed reactions to his presence. Big Macintosh had simply greeted him, and he gave a curt “Hello” back. That was the extent of how much they had talked to each other so far, but Big Mac showed no signs of discomfort with the human. He trusted his sister, after all. If she said that he was safe to be around, then he was. No two ways about it. Applebloom and Granny Smith had different reactions. The elder pony nearly beat him with a stick at first, but she came to accept him after some convincing by Applejack. The filly, for her part, was excited to see such a strange and wondrous creature working on her farm. She was slightly anxious around him for the better part of the day, until he wound up helping her indoors. It was lunchtime, and he was going to and fro in the kitchen, fetching whatever Granny Smith told him to, Applebloom doing the same. The filly and her significantly taller human helper rushed around the kitchen, fetching every ingredient as Granny Smith called them out. “Cinnamon!” Her elderly voice demanded. “Cinnamon!” Apple Bloom parroted, rushing to Michael’s side. She stood on a chair looked around on the counter, but didn’t see the cinnamon anywhere. Looking up, the young mare found the cinnamon. In the cupboard, above her reach. It didn’t stop her from trying, though. Her balance became precarious as she climbed higher on the chair. Michael noticed this, and asked “Do you need help?” With a slightly nervous nod, Apple Bloom accepted the offer. Her anxiety only increased when she felt his large hands grasp her under her forelegs. She wriggled for a second, until she realized that he was lifting her to the shelf the cinnamon was on. She grabbed the spice, and turned to face him. But her attention was caught before she could speak. “Wow,” She gasped, “I feel so tall!” Apple Bloom gazed around the kitchen from a perspective that she was sure only the Princesses had. She couldn’t believe how great it felt, she never wanted to back down to her regular height! Sadly, all things must come to an end. This includes her time in the air. Pouting a bit as she was set back on the chair, she passed the cinnamon to her grandmother. But then, a thought struck the youngest Apple. Turning around, the red maned filly looked directly into Michael’s eyes, and gave him her saddest looking pout. “Do you think, maybe, you could lift me up like that again, Mister Michael?” He looked at her for a moment, thinking. It was the longest he had ever considered something since he had woken up in Fluttershy’s cottage. Her pitiful gaze continued to bore into him, and he almost felt something. “Alright, but not while I’m working.” He told her, his voice stern. “Yes!” She exclaimed with a jump. She never would have thought those pouting lessons Sweetie Belle had given her would ever pay off! While none of the Apples, except one, came to truly enjoy his presence, they certainly welcomed him into the farm like anypony else. Applebloom was the only one to gain any sort of attraction to his presence. He may not have been all that responsive to her attempts at having fun with him, but on the days he spent at the farm, the two were often seen together when not working. Applebloom enjoyed being able to make him do almost anything she wanted, and he saw no reason why not to listen to the young pony who had become attached to him. All of the work he had done was why Applejack had no problem giving him the materials he needed for his bed. He had more than earned them, in her opinion. Aside from the work he did for those three, he had briefly helped Rarity. He was excellent at following orders, but she found that his complete lack of creativity was stifling to her work. Pinkie Pie had also offered him some work, but Twilight said it would be better if the Cakes didn’t meet him. She was already pushing it letting the whole Apple family in on the secret. So, seventy one days into his stay in Equestria, he still had no real friends. He had acquaintances, and what amounted to a landlady, but nothing more. And as it was, Rainbow Dash still refused to spend more time around him than she had to. And he just couldn’t bring himself to care. He worked for Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack when he could, and nothing much had changed. Eventually, things settled into a routine. It was the same day that his dream had changed when Twilight received a letter from her teacher. “Dear Twilight Sparkle, I, along with my court scholars, have searched the Canterlot Archives these past months. We have found no methods of returning Michael to his home world, nor can we explain his presence and ability to speak our language. As of now, we may have to accept that some greater force has brought him here for an unknown reason. As such, I am granting him the same rights as any other citizen of Equestria. This means that you no longer have to keep his presence a secret. Also, your weekly reports on his behavior will no longer be needed. The information you have already sent has been compiled, and we will publish it and include it in the Canterlot Archives. A copy will also be sent to you as soon as it is ready. We will continue to keep an eye out for any information regarding the mystery still surrounding him, but I am afraid that life must go on. Even if it includes a new species. Sincerely, Princess Celestia” After Twilight came down from her excitement over having her research published and included in the Royal Library, she decided it was best that Michael know that he would be in Equestria indefinitely. Normally, she would have been more cautious about telling someone that they were trapped and likely forever separated from their home, but Michael was a different case. At least, she thought he was. As Twilight had been reading the letter from the Princess, Michael had been eating dinner with Fluttershy. Usually, it was a quiet affair, considering the two participants. But that night, Fluttershy had decided that she didn’t want silence. “So, Michael, how was work with Applejack today?” She asked, swallowing a bite of a fried daisy sandwich. He may not have been very enthusiastic about cooking, but he sure did have a lot of recipes up his sleeves. “There were no problems.” Came his mechanical response. His own dinner lie untouched, as he had done nothing more than stare at his own, non-flower sandwich the whole time. “Oh, that’s good,” Fluttershy had forgotten for a moment how dull of a conversationalist he was. “You haven’t touched your dinner, are you feeling okay?” “Yes, I’m fine. I just don’t seem to be hungry tonight. I think I will go for a walk.” He stood up, placing his plate on her stove,. “I will eat later.” Fluttershy was flabbergasted. This was the first time Michael had ever shown a want to be alone. Or a want for anything, for that matter. She might have commented on it, but he was finally started to show emotion. She wasn’t about to ruin it! “Well, I hope you have a good time!” She called to him as he grabbed his rather pedestrian duster and Stetson from the hook he had installed over his bed. He merely grunted in reply as he walked out the door. Just as he exited the house, he came across Twilight. “Oh, Michael, just who I wanted to see. I have some news from Princess Celestia!” She told him, drawing the letter she had received out of the bags on her back. He plucked the letter from her magical grasp, and began to read. He read it over, and handed it back to Twilight. “I thank you for giving me this news. I will have to discuss my future living arrangements with Fluttershy. As it is, though, I will be going for an evening walk. Good evening, Twilight.” His voice sounded as cold as ever, but there was something else there. It was something that could barely be detected, but Twilight caught it. His voice had the barest hint of pain. Breaking out of the slight trance she had found herself in, Twilight said “Your welcome,” and walked into the house of her pink and yellow friend. Once inside she called “Fluttershy?” “Oh! Twilight! How nice of you to visit.” Fluttershy’s voice came from her pantry. Trotting into the room, Twilight asked “Did something seem… Off about Michael tonight?” “Well, he did decide to go for a walk. And this morning, he must have had a bad dream or something, because he was flailing around, and he fell right off of his bed! I do hope he is alright.” Fluttershy worried as she washed the few dishes from their meal. Looking into Celestia’s setting sun outside the window, Twilight said “So do I, Fluttershy, so do I.” The two mares exchanged some small talk, before Twilight left again, citing her busy schedule as a reason for her departure. Fluttershy then spent the rest of the night doing little. She made sure her animals were fed, and settled in with a good book. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon came out, she started to worry about Michael. It had been nearly three hours since his departure, and her mind was racing with possibilities. Finally, at the four hour mark since his exit, she decided to go look for him. Throwing on a scarf to guard against the chilly night air, she trotted out. It was a particularly clear night, so she had plenty of light shining off of the moon to guide her. She searched around the border of the Everfree forest, and into Ponyville opposite that, but saw no sign of him. As time moved on, her worry only continued to grow. She soon took to flight, deciding that she needed a better viewpoint if she intended to find him. Flying high into the brisk night air, she confirmed that he was not in Ponyville proper. So, despite her trepidation, she flew above the Everfree forest. She could hardly see anything through the darkened canopy, and was about to give up and go find her friends for help, when she spotted him. Michael was standing on the edge of Ghastly Gorge, just staring into the ravine. She zipped down to his location, and landed lightly. “Good evening, Fluttershy,” He intoned. A gust of wind blew from behind them, the bottom of his duster following it over the cliff’s edge. “Oh, thank goodness I found you, I was worried sick!” She told him, drawing nearer, “You shouldn’t stay out so late.” “I apologize,” His voice was somber, but not without the slightest of cracks. “Well, that’s alright. Now, you shouldn’t be so close to the edge of that cliff, you could fall.” She warned, “Let’s just go home.” She had turned around, expecting him to follow her without complaint. But a few steps later, she noticed he was still standing at the precipice, looking straight down. “Michael, are you coming?” She asked, turning back. But he didn’t answer. The two stood still for a moment, as another breeze pushed them gently forward. “I could do it, you know,” He whispered, although she barely caught his words, “It wouldn’t be hard.” “Do what?” She asked, already dreading the answer. “Just a small step forward. Just a tiny bit of work on my part, and it would all be over. No more pain, no more suffering. And maybe, just maybe, I’d get to see her again.” He continued, “I doubt it though. There’s no place for me where she is.” “Michael? A-are you okay? M-maybe you should take a step back,” Fluttershy’s voice wavered, “Just come back to the cottage with me, everything will be okay.” “No. It won’t.” His voice was louder than it had been yet, and she finally got a taste of what he was feeling. Michael was crying, she knew it, his tone was overflowing with pain. “Nothing will ever be okay again. I let Jessie die in that forest, and now I should pay for what I did.” He started to curl in on himself, and his face found his hands, “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have left her! I should have done something!” “Michael, please, come back from the cliff! I’m sure she would forgive you, you did nothing wrong!” Fluttershy plead, “You don’t need to do this!” “She comes to me in my sleep, every night! She accuses me of such awful things! There’s no way I didn’t do these things, she wouldn’t keep telling me if it wasn’t the truth!” He cried, “I have no choice!” “Michael! P-please! There are ponies who care about you, you can’t just abandon them! W-what would Applebloom t-think if her new friend just left her? A-and Twilight! She’s one of the ones who found you, she wouldn’t have helped if she didn’t care about you! And m-m-me! I care about you, Michael! I took you into my home and cared for you!” Fluttershy was beginning to cry herself, “J-just c-come back h-home with me! Please!” But his tears did not stop, and he did not move back. The two stood there for a while longer, Fluttershy begging him between her sobs. Then, a foot was poised over the edge, ready to continue forward. Time stopped for the two of them, and it felt like an eternity passed in an instant. “Michael,” Fluttershy whimpered with the last of her energy. He didn’t move, one bandage covered foot still ready to take the final plunge. But then, it moved back. And he turned around to face her. He fell to his knees, tears flowing down his cheeks like twin rivers of pain. Fluttershy ran up to him, and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. He held still as she buried her face into his shoulder, still crying. Then, slowly, he returned the embrace. The two stayed there, crying on each other’s shoulder, for a long while. Seventy Second or the FirstChapter Four: Seventy Second or the First As it did every morning, Celestia’s sun shone brightly in the sky. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, and many various animals ran to and fro in their daily routines. Overall, it was a pretty good morning. For all but two, that is. On a dirt path leading to a small cottage, a man was walking. He had a yellow pony in his arms, who was clearly asleep. This man was named Michael Greenfield, and he was the only human in Equestria. High above them, a pair of blue wings stretched out from the sides of a small cloud. Soon after, the Pegasus Rainbow Dash was visible, stretching after a morning nap. She looked down, wondering where the cloud had carried her in her sleep. She saw them, then, and her eyes narrowed. There was Michael, a person she could not trust. He was walking up the path to Fluttershy’s house, carrying a yellow bundle. Except, she realized, that wasn’t some random yellow bundle, that was Fluttershy! What was he doing, carrying her like that? What was he up to, had he hurt her? What if he had? “No,” Rainbow Dash decided, “I can’t let him get away with it.” She lived up to her name as she shot down to the human. “Hey!” She shouted, it was almost a miracle that Fluttershy did not wake up, “What did you do? You better not have hurt her!” He gave her a look. But, this look was different. Normally, he had a dead, emotionless stare. Which, frankly, made Rainbow feel a bit nervous. Which, of course, made her lash out that much more. Not this time, though. This time, his eyes were different. Where before his blue orbs were devoid of life, this time, there was something within. Something Rainbow Dash never would have expected. His eyes screamed out to her in pain, of a sorrow so deep it permeated his very soul. But they held firm her gaze, not backing down in the slightest. “I did not hurt Fluttershy.” He stated, continuing to walk forward, “At least, not intentionally.” The later sentence he mumbled, so Rainbow Dash only barely heard it. Not intentionally? Had there been some sort of accident, caused by Michael? Had he done something stupid, and hurt her friend? He better not have, or by Celestia would he regret it! But, still, his eyes remained in her mind. What could have caused such a brick wall of a person to turn into that? It didn’t make any sense, so Rainbow decided that she would be getting to the bottom of the puzzle before her. He was several yards ahead of her by then, so she quickly flew back in front of him. “Hey!” She said, quieter this time. “What’s going on here?” “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Michael replied, stepping around her, “I just need to get Fluttershy home.” Rainbow heard it in his voice, too. It wasn’t as clear, as if he was still attempting to put up a front of emotionless, but the pain was evident. Whatever had happened, it had been bad, Rainbow Dash deduced. She continued to pester him as they came up on Fluttershy’s home. He stood in front of the door for a moment, then said, “Could you get that?” Rainbow looked at him for a moment, sending a light glare his way. Not taking her eyes off of him, she reached down from her spot in the air, and opened the door. Landing beside him, the two walked inside, and Michael shut the door with a kick. “I’m not leaving until I get some answers,” Rainbow told him, “So, start talking.” Michael let out a heavy sigh. “Fine,” He sounded defeated, “Just let me put Fluttershy in her bed.” Rainbow waved him off, and looked around as he walked away. There was his bed, larger than most, standing beside the stove. On the right and above was a large hook, which she guessed he used for that awfully long coat of his. Otherwise, the house looked exactly as it always did. Clean, but not as much as Rarity’s boutique. Every so often, an animal could be heard moving around. Rainbow didn’t know how Fluttershy could stand having so many animals just running around her home. It had taken her awhile to adjust to Tank, and he hardly did anything that could be qualified as “running.” Then, a small bunny hopped up to her, and gave her a questioning look. “Hello, Angel,” She greeted, still distracted, “I’m just waiting for Michael to get back down here and explain some things.” The rabbit did not move, however. He simply looked up at the Pegasus, opened his mouth, and pointed expectantly. “Wait, you want me to feed you?” Rainbow gave him an incredulous look, “I don’t even live here!” Angel crossed his arms, and looked around. They both heard a noise from the stairs, and Angel hopped over to his new victim, err, feeder. He stopped in front of Michael as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and repeated what he did in front of Rainbow. Michael looked down, and sighed. “Fine, I’ll feed you. Don’t expect anything fancy, though.” All three went into the pantry, Rainbow Dash following the other two. As Michael searched through the cupboards, she started her questioning. “So,” She began, “What happened?” “I did something stupid,” Michael replied, his voice curt. “Like what?” Rainbow asked, feeling impatient. “Something I should not have done, and will not repeat.” He finally found something, and pulled out a bag of carrots. “Good enough,” He tossed a couple to Angel. While not entirely satisfied, Angel had more than once butted heads with the human. He knew that he wasn’t going to get anymore than what he had, so he hopped away, off to enjoy his breakfast. “Could you be more specific?” The rainbow themed pony was quite agitated by now. “I’d rather not,” It was unclear to Rainbow at this point whether or not the human was being purposefully aggravating. “Well, tough, I want answers!” Her voice raised, but not too much. Fluttershy was still sleeping, after all. “I’ve already told you enough,” He said, heading back into the main room, “I don’t see what else you need to know.” She glared at him as he hung his jacket on the hook beside his bed, his hat over that. Left in only a black shirt and his jeans, he laid on the bed. “Now, if you could please leave, I am quite tired.” He tried to dismiss her. Her anger peaked, and she was hovering above him in an instant. “Look, you, I want some answers, and I want them NOW!” She grabbed him by his shirt, and pinned him against the wall. It was oddly reminiscent of their first meeting. He eyes bored into hers, once again, but in a different way this time. Instead of a wall of coldness that left her unnerved and confused, this time there was a fire in his eyes. A fire fueled by hurt and anger, though one could not be sure who he was angry with. He stared directly into her eyes, only inches away, and said, “No.” Her teeth ground together, and her brow furrowed in her own seething rage. “I will beat the answers out of you if I have to! Tell me what happened, and why you were carrying Fluttershy like that!” “It is none of your business.” He paused between each word, but still made no move to escape her grasp, “Now, leave me alone.” Rainbow was seeing red by that point, and slowly pulled back a hoof. “I’ll give you to the count of five,” She warned. “One,” His gaze did not waver. “Two,” Michael’s breathing came out in deep gusts, his nostrils flaring. “Three,” She was prepared to do anything she had to, to make sure her friends were safe. “Four,” The tension was palpable. “Five.” He felt a pain on his left eye, and they both heard a loud gasp come from the stairs. Their gazes snapped over, to see a horrified Fluttershy standing at the bottom. “Michael!” She screamed, “Rainbow! Get off of him!” She complied, but was quickly by her friend’s side. “Are you okay,” She questioned, “Did he hurt you? What happened? Why was he carrying you back here? What is going on?” Fluttershy ignored the blue pony’s rapid questioning for a more pressing matter. She was by Michael’s side in an instant, hovering over his quickly bruising eye. “It’s just a black eye, Fluttershy. It will heal in a few days.” Michael assured her, swinging his legs to the edge of his bed. “It seems I won’t be getting any rest.” “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want you to be in any more pain that you have to.” Fluttershy cooed. “I will be fine.” He repeated, standing. “Perhaps we should start on the morning chores.” Neither of the ponies knew what to do. Fluttershy was stuck between demanding he stay in bed until he felt better, considering what had happened the previous night. On the other hand, Rainbow Dash was quickly regaining her anger with the human. The way he tried to brush her off just then, it was infuriating. Just as Michael was reaching for his jacket and hat, he found himself once again pinned to the wall. “Is this going to become a habit with you?” He asked, clearly annoyed. It would seem he had already let go of the anger he had felt just moments ago. “Tell me what you are hiding.” Rainbow hissed, narrowing her eyes. Michael opened his mouth, another dismissal on his lips, when both were stopped. “RAINBOW DASH!” Fluttershy shouted, pushing the two apart, “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!” The sudden burst of confidence displayed threw the Pegasus pony off. She was more confused than ever, now. “Okay, now I know something is going on. What aren’t you two telling me?” She asked, staring at the two. Fluttershy gently landed on the floor beside Michael, as he said “It is none of your business.” “It isn’t something I would like to talk about, Rainbow.” Fluttershy softly added. Groaning in frustration, the blue mare did not give up. “I am not leaving until you tell me what happened!” Once again she and Michael engaged in a stare-down. Her steely gaze met his emotion filled eyes, and Fluttershy was caught in the middle. “Now,” She tried to calm them, “Don’t get angry. There’s no need to fight, we’re all friends.” “I am no friend of his,” Rainbow growled, “And I will find out what happened.” “What happened is between Fluttershy and I, no one else. You should just go home, this is none of your business.” He returned, narrowing his eyes. The two of them were nearing a fight once more, Fluttershy could feel it. Her head moved back and forth between them, not knowing whose side to take. On one side, she had Rainbow Dash. Loyal friend and trustworthy pony, who had never let her down. She knew that her friend had nothing but her best interests at heart, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but think she was going about it all wrong. On the other, she had Michael. He had been through a great ordeal, which culminated into the events of the previous night. He clearly did not want to talk about it, especially not to someone who had opposed him from the start. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want a fight, but she didn’t want to betray Michael’s trust. But Rainbow was stubborn, and she would do just about anything to get the answers she wanted. Michael had to be torn up inside, and this tension was not helping in the least. She just wished he would talk about it, so everything could be over with. But her light blue friend certainly could have taken a gentler approach to the matter. Oh, it was just so confusing! Fluttershy saw them tense, a fight was near. She could tell, and it scared her. She was panicking. “Please, don’t fight!” She cried, new tears gathering in her eyes. But the two were too far gone. Nothing else mattered to them, it seemed the fight was inevitable. So, Fluttershy did the only thing she could to prevent it. Michael would just have to forgive her. “Michael tried to kill himself last night!” She rushed her words, cringing as she said them. “Please don’t fight!” She added through her crying. Michael immediately stood straight, and grabbed his jacket and hat. He was beyond angry at that point, and Fluttershy’s outburst had hit him hard. He stalked to the door, flung it opened, and said “I’m leaving.” He didn’t say when he would return. The door slammed hard behind him, and he stomped down the path. The loud noise of the door brought Rainbow out of the stupor she had entered. When Fluttershy had revealed what had happened, Rainbow fell straight to the floor, a gasp frozen on her features. “He what?” She asked, her voice quiet once more. Fluttershy didn’t answer, she was busy sobbing on the floor, curled into a ball. The rainbow-maned Pegasus noticed her, and was by her side, a hoof around her shoulder, in a snap. “Oh, Fluttershy, don’t cry! It’ll be okay, I’m sure!” She tried to comfort her friend. “Where did this come from, though?” Fluttershy came out of her ball, and was wrapped around Rainbow in a flash. “Oh, Rainbow, it was h-horrible!” The shy Pegasus then told her friend about the events of the previous day. How Michael had had a nightmare, and about the letter from the princess. How she had become worried as the night wore on, and went out to search for him. She ended the story when he had turned back to her and they had cried in each others embrace. It was a lot to digest for the Element of Loyalty. She had seen ponies become sad, some even reaching full depression, but she had only ever heard of something like that. It was something that only happened in the big cities like Manehattan, where everything moved so much faster than everywhere else. Even then, it was extremely rare. Rainbow dropped her face onto the table that they had sat at. She felt horrible, knowing what had happened. She had been incredibly insensitive, and she knew Michael would only dislike her more now. Which made her feel worse, because now that she knew what had happened to him, she wanted to apologize for her behavior. But after that morning, she wasn’t certain he would forgive her. But, Dash decided, there was no way to find out but to try. So, she stood and walked to the door. “W-where are you going?” Fluttershy asked, still crying softly. “I’m going to find Michael, I need to apologize.” The blue pony told her yellow friend. “Oh, um, maybe you should wait, Rainbow Dash. I think he needs time to calm down. Even then, he’s pretty fragile right now. I-I just don’t want to see you two fight like that again. I-if that’s okay with you, that is,” The timid pony hid behind her mane. Rainbow Dash knew her friend was right. Michael, with all of the emotions he had running through him, would be in no condition to talk to her. So, while she loathed to do it, she decided to wait. She re-entered the cottage, and sat beside her friend. Rainbow decided to spend a few hours comforting Fluttershy, and helping her around her home, before she had to leave for work. After that, she would find Michael and apologize. Michael’s day passed differently. Upon leaving the cottage and only place he could call home anymore, he didn’t know where to go. He considered going to the library, and seeking Twilight’s advice. But he dismissed the idea, as she would likely just refer him to a book. He didn’t much want to deal with anyone just then, anyways. The anger he felt dissipated quickly enough, leaving only the soul-wrenching sadness from, well, almost everything. He’d never see his family again, or his home. He would never graduate college, have a family, and grow old with his wife. A sob escaped his lips. He would never see his girlfriend Jessie again. They had been dating for almost three years, when they were teleported to Equestria. He reached into a pocket in his jacket, and pulled out something he had hidden the whole time he had lived in the strange new world. He could never explain to himself why he kept it, at least not during his emotionless state of life. Nothing could pry it from him now, however. He sat on a grassy hill he had found himself at, and looked at the item. It was small, fitting firmly in the palm of his hand. It had a soft texture, too. Velvet, dark in color, to be exact. Reaching over with his left hand, he flicked open the lid of the small box he held. Inside was a ring, one he had intended for Jessie. It was a simple gold band, with three diamonds fitted on the top. He noticed it was wet. “How did that happen?” He wondered, wiping the water away. But another drop took its place, followed by more. He realized then that he was silently crying, as he stared at the engagement ring. “Michael?” He heard a young voice call out, “Michael, is that you? What’re y’all doin’ out here so early?” He quickly slipped the ring back into his jacket, and rubbed the tears from his eyes. Apple Bloom bounded in front of him, and he gave her a melancholic smile. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” She sat down in front of him, amazed. “You ain’t never smiled before.” Her tone was full of amazement. “It’s been awhile since I’ve let myself.” Michael responded, then changed the subject, “What brings you out here?” “What do you mean, silly? You’re sittin’ right outside of the farm!” She giggled, pointing up over his left shoulder. Looking up, he saw the simple wooden sign with the apple carved out. So he was, odd. He hadn’t even realized that his feet had carried him there. “Why are you out here, then?” “Oh! I have to go to school, want to walk with me?” She asked, giving him a painfully adorable gaze. “I don’t know, I shouldn’t go into town like that.” He tried to get out of it. “Nonsense,” A new voice entered the scene, “I saw Twilight last night. She told me all about that letter from the Princess, you’re a full citizen of Equestria now, Michael! Y’all should act like it.” Applejack had been behind her energetic sister, and had only just caught up. Together the two of them gazed at Michael. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” He said, defeated. “Nope,” Both of them replied, and turned back to the road leading from the farm. With a sigh, Michael followed. Soon enough, Applebloom was riding on his shoulders, as they walked towards the schoolhouse. “Oh, this is so excitin’!” She exclaimed, “I can introduce you to my friends now! You could even help us on our crusades!” The young filly’s rambling continued until they dropped her off at school, Applejack making her promise to behave. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t too many ponies staring at him. It would seem that in a world full of many different forms of sentient life, seeing another wasn’t too jarring. As the farm-pony and the human walked back, she asked him “Would you like to talk about it?” “Talk about what? I’m fine.” He tried to evade her question. “Yeah, and I’m applesauce.” Applejack pressed, “I know somethin’s up with you. You didn’t get that shiner there from a fall, I can tell you that right now. Now spill it.” Michael sighed heavily. It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to escape people questioning him. So, he did his best to answer the question without going into detail. “I did something I regret last night. It made me realize that I can’t suppress my emotions anymore. I just have to face them. This morning, however, Rainbow Dash and I had a… Disagreement, which resulted in my black eye.” Michael told her, avoiding her gaze. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded her head, “Good enough for me. If you find yourself wantin’ to talk, though, I’m here for you.” Relieved, he nodded his head. The two walked in silence, until they reached Sweet Apple Acres. He asked if he could start work early that day. She agreed, but on one condition. “Now, y’all are gonna need it, soon. You’re here for good, so we can’t have you livin’ off of Fluttershy anymore, got it?” She told him, after forcing him to accept payment. At first, he was reluctant to accept the money, but he gave in after her statement. But he told her that as soon as he could, he would find somewhere else to work. They didn’t actually need his help around the farm, anyways. A few ideas were forming in his mind, as it was. It was later that same day, and he was just leaving the farm. He found himself once again in a field, this time on his back staring at the setting sun. In his mind, he continuously relived the events of the previous night. The pain he felt, and the guilt. It was still inside of him, and it likely wouldn’t be going anywhere soon. Clearing his throat, he sang a single phrase. It was all he could remember, from a lullaby his mother sang to him as a boy. “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.” He sang, as another entered the scene. She walked up to him, and sat beside his head. Neither spoke for a while, they just watched the sunset together. “You’re singing is nice,” Rainbow complimented, not knowing what else to say. “I’m a horrible singer.” He replied, keeping his voice even. His tone was nowhere near what he had just two days prior, though. He hoped to keep it that way, too. “I liked what you sang, too. Was that some language from your world?” Dash asked. “Yes, I sang it in our language after that. I’m not sure what language the original was, however.” He told her, “Did you want something, or are you just here to talk about my singing?” The winged pony looked down bashfully, and crossed one leg in front of the other. “I came to apologize,” She muttered. “Hmm? I didn’t hear you.” “I said I came to say I’m sorry for this morning!” She repeated, much louder. Michael sat up, and looked into her eyes. She looked back into his. The he held her rosy stare for a short while, until he said “I accept,” Rainbow let out a relieved sigh. Then, she asked, “Wait, just like that? You aren’t angry with me still?” “I spent the whole day thinking about last night, and this morning. I know that what you did, you did because you just wanted to protect your friend. I can respect that. Just don’t do it again, okay?” He gave her a deadpan look, “I doubt I would look good as a raccoon.” She chuckled at his lame joke, but noticed that he hardly smiled. “You sure you’re okay?” “No, and I can only hope I will be.” His voice was quiet. The two sat in silence after that, just watching the sunset. Eventually, Rainbow took off, making him promise to not worry Fluttershy by staying out too late. He stood up just before the sun disappeared over the horizon, and Luna rose the moon. He took the ring box out of his pocket, again, and looked at its contents. “I miss you, Jessie. I think you would have loved it here.” He whispered. Then, he sang out again. “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.” His voice was cracking with tears as he sang. To Rise and FallChapter Five: To Rise and Fall Fluttershy paced back and forth in her home, a highly worried expression on her face. The moon had risen in the sky, and Michael still had not arrived at home. “Oh, where is he?” She asked, despite being alone, “He should be home by now!” He had said that he wasn’t going to do anything bad, she knew, but she couldn’t help but feel anxious. What if he had become irrational in his depression? Or maybe he had been lying, so they wouldn’t suspect him of anything! No, that wasn’t right. He may not have shown much character, but he was quite honest. But that was the Michael who didn’t feel anything. He hardly had any reason to lie. “Oh, maybe I should go look for him!” She headed towards the door, ready to take off and fly as quick as her wings could carry her. However, instead of opening the door, she jumped back in fright as the door opened itself. “Fluttershy?” Michael called, shutting the door behind him, “Are you home?” He looked around for a second, and his eyes settled on her. He could see small pools of tears gathering, and her face was turning sad. “Oh, Michael!” She was around him in an instant, forelegs wrapped around his neck. “Good evening, Fluttershy,” He patted her back, doing his best to keep his tone upbeat. “P-please, could y-you not stay out so l-late, anymore? I-if it’s not t-to much trouble...” She pleaded, burying her head into his shoulder, “I-I get so worried.” “Okay, for you,” He smiled softly, it seemed he had a soft spot for the shy Pegasus, “You okay now?” “Y-yes,” she hiccupped, letting go and floating back to the ground, “Are you okay, though?” “I’m fine, Fluttershy,” He sounded as though he were just giving her the answer she wanted to hear. “O-okay,” She mumbled, “You know you can talk to me any time you want, right?” “Of course,” He had walked over to his bed, and hung up his jacket and hat, “Thanks for the offer. Good night.” He turned off the oil lamp beside his bed, and rolled underneath the covers. Fluttershy gently walked up the stairs, agreeing that it was time for bed A short while later she was tucked into her own bed, and the last thought she had before sleep overcame her was “I hope Michael is okay…” The next day, Michael awoke bright and early. The morning passed quickly, and Fluttershy even managed to keep herself from crying. He still didn’t talk much, but he seemed to be fine. He even gave her a half smile, once or twice. With his morning duties taken care of, Michael bade Fluttershy goodbye and walked down the path leading to Ponyville. It was a bright summer day, and the sun was beating down on the dark haired man. He slipped his jacket off and slung it over his shoulder, leaving an earthy red shirt underneath exposed. Not far down the same trail, a certain pink pony was bounding down the path, on her way to her friend’s home. As luck would have it, she was on her way to see Michael. Soon enough, the two came to opposite sides of a corner. Michael was admiring the brilliant blue skies, while Pinkie Pie was busy inspecting the brightly colored box on her back. How it managed to stay on her, despite her bouncy movements, was a mystery that no one could fully answer. But, as the two were distracted, nature decided that they were due for some humorous misfortune. Just as she turned to face forward, the mare found herself with a face-full of human chest. The two rebounded off of each other, and hit the ground simultaneously. Pinkie scrambled to catch her package, as Michael slowly stood up once more. “Oh! Michael! Just who I was looking for!” The pink mare exclaimed, suddenly a bit closer that he would have liked. “Hello Pinkie Pie,” he greeted, dusting himself off some, “Was there something you needed?” “Yeppers!” she bounced around him a small circle for a moment, “I have something for you! I know that you have been all grumpy ever since you got here, and that can’t be fun! So, I said to myself, ‘Pinkie Pie, how can we cheer him up?’ And I figured it out! I could bake you a cake! Everyone likes cake! And I had planned to do this since Twilight and I found you, anyways, so it did two things at once! It’s, like, a super double cake!” Feeling somewhat disoriented from her short rant, Michael said, “I take it that is what is in the package?” She came to a halt directly in front of him, presenting the box on outstretched forelegs, “Yup!” He accepted the baked good with a small grin, thanking the pink party pony. He was then quickly on his way, already knowing what was likely to happen. And happen it did. At first, Pinkie just sat in the road, an amazed look on her face. Then, one cheek pulled upwards, slowly. The other followed soon after, and she was suddenly smiling like she had just won the Equestrian National Lottery. Although, only a few days prior, that would have been more likely. “You SMILED!” She shouted, bounding around him in joy. “You actually smiled! It was a little small, but we can work on that. All that matter is that YOU! SMILED! FOR THE! VERY! FIRST! TIME!” Holding the cake under one arm, Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. He would have rather not had to deal with the excitable mare right then, considering the ordeal he was finally allowing himself to go through. But, it would seem that fate had other plans for him, so he dryly said “I’ve smiled before, Pinkie Pie. Just not very much recently.” “Those don’t count!” She was incorrigible at this point, “That was your very first Pinkie Pie smile! Those are extra super-duper special! This calls for a party!” Suddenly stopping and standing stock still, she gasped. “A PARTY! I can’t believe I forgot! I haven’t thrown you a single party in all the time you’ve lived here! Oh my gosh, this is huge! I have to go plan!” He witnessed a pink blur flash in front of him, reminiscent of a certain rainbow Pegasus’s signature dash. Letting out a relieved sigh, he muttered, “Finally, some peace and quiet.” After a cursory look at the box held to his torso, he added ”I wonder if this cake is any good.” He moved it to one hand, and began to undo the bright blue ribbon atop it to take a peek inside. But, just as he was about to glimpse the confectionary wonder, the box was snatched from his grasp. “No peeking!” A familiar peppy voice said, “I’ll have to save this for the party! Oh, so much to do, so little time! I’ll need to talk to Twilight about who I can invite! And the decorations! What should I use?” Her rambling continued and faded as she ran away. Dragging a hand down his face, Michael thought, “I don’t even know what to think about that one.” It was odd, he thought. By all rights, he should be a depressed, crying wreck, not the melancholic man he was. He couldn’t explain it, but it was as if it were almost impossible to remain sad around those ponies. But hadn’t he just the night before last attempted suicide? Any sane person would have had him either racking up therapy bills a mile high, or in some mental hospital. That was just it, though. Any sane person would have done so. The same didn’t seem to be true for any sane pony. He kicked a rock on the road as he walked, not paying the slightest attention to his destination. He realized that even though he said he would be going to the library, he didn’t know if that was true. He didn’t know how Twilight would react to his emotionally renewed state. But maybe her bookish ways and scientific nature could help him. “Now there is a pony Jessie would have loved.” He thought, a pang of sadness striking him at her memory. The thought occurred to him, then. He wasn’t entirely certain how his other caretakers, who insisted he call them friends, would respond. Well, he already knew Fluttershy would be there for him. She always had, even when he had acted “as alive as Tom,” as he had heard Pinkie Pie say once. He would have to ask her to clarify that reference some time. Thoughts of the timid Pegasus brought him to a memory of her that stood out. He had been on her roof, patching a hole a couple of animals had made while playing up there. “I brought you some lemonade,” He heard her say, as she hovered to his left just off the edge of the roof with a platter and the drink. Pausing for a moment, he said to her “There’s no need, I’m fine.” She looked down, and muttered a few words he couldn’t hear. She looked downtrodden as she hovered downwards, returning the drinks to her home. He continued to work in silence, only the steady sounds of the tools on wood, and the ever present voices of nature around him. He was reaching for another nail from a wooden bucket to his right when Fluttershy returned. “Um… maybe I could help you, if you wouldn’t mind, that is.” She said to him, scooping one of the nails up on a hoof to hand to him. He accepted the nail, and quickly had it pounded into the roof. “There’s no need, I’m fine.” he repeated, reaching into the bucket and taking several more nails. “Oh, okay…” Fluttershy left once again, sounding dejected. The summer sun beat down on him as he worked. He could feel the sweat running down his forehead, only aggravated by his overheated black hair. He was starting to wonder why he had chosen not to wear his hat. Finally, though, he was done. Well, he had fixed the hole, that is. He still had to replace the leafy greens she used for her roof. He stood, and stretched his back. He dismissed the creaking he heard as nothing more than the noises his body was already making. He knelt back down to pick up his supplies, and was about to walk away when he heard another creak. Except this time, it was accompanied by a loud cracking noise. What came next Michael was never entirely certain of. One moment, he had been standing on Fluttershy’s roof, about to climb down, and the next he was about ten feet below. It was this scene that Fluttershy walked into, having just come in from a quick check up on her animals. “Oh, no!” she had exclaimed in her still quite soft voice, “Michael!” Michael laid there, thoroughly dazed. “I’m okay,” he coughed, “Just a short fall.” “That was not ‘just a short fall!’” Flutershy was quickly by his side, clearing the debris off of him. “You could be seriously hurt!” Sitting up, Michael told her, “I don’t feel as though I broke anything. Although, there is a strange pain in my right arm, sort of a stabbing feeling.” In a heartbeat, the kind yellow pony had his arm in her hooves, gently rolling up the sleeve of his shirt to get a full look at it. Knowing better than to attempt to keep Fluttershy from doting on him, Michael simply stared forward. Hopefully, it wasn’t anything too serious. He found it somewhat annoying when she became so concerned. Which is why he always did his best to prevent such things. “Because it annoys me,” he thought, “No other reason.” For some reason, though, the idea just didn’t feel right. As though he were denying what he truly felt. Nah, that wouldn’t make any sense. Michael didn’t feel anything like that back then, anyways. He was trying to wrap his head around his conflicting thoughts, when he heard a loud gasp from his right. “Oh my gosh!” Fluttershy’s voice was soft in her shock. “I-I-I, bandages! I need bandages!” She was off in a flurry of yellow and pink. Curious, Michael took a look at his arm. He noticed he was bleeding, which he rather expected after his caretaker’s reaction. But it didn’t seem that bad. Looking at the top of his arm, he noticed only a few scratches. That stabbing pain was still there, though. Rolling over his arm, he looked at the underside. “Ah, that would explain it.” The underside of his arm was a bloody mess. Most of his upper arm was covered in scratches, some deeper than others. However, that still didn’t explain the piercing pain he felt. Carelessly, he rubbed some of the blood away from his arm to get a better look. Part of the way between his bone and his bicep, though, he felt something hard. Something hard, and extremely painful. Gently, he inspected it. “A nail,” he muttered, “That probably isn’t good.” Leave it up to someone like Michael Greenfield to say a nail halfway into his arm “probably isn’t good.” “Must have fallen on the bucket, or something,” He gently gripped the small metal fastener, and pulled. With nary a wince, he drew it out slowly. It came out with a sickening sound, just as Fluttershy returned. Seeing him she shouted “What are you doing!” “I was just removing this nail from my arm. I doubt it would be good to leave it in there.” He remarked, starting to stand. He was back down in an instant, a firm yellow hoof keeping him there. “You could have made the injury worse doing that! What if you had cut something important while pulling that out! Then, then, you might have been bleeding so bad, that I couldn’t fix you!” She continued to ramble worriedly while she cleaned his arm and wrapped it up. Michael found it curious, the way she treated him. The way he understood it, one generally did not care so much for another when the first was as… uncaring as him. “Why are you so kind to me?” The question threw Fluttershy off. No one had ever asked her why she was so kind, they just accepted it. She contemplated the question for a moment before answering “Because that is what friends do.” Michael just grunted, and remained quiet while she worked. Was this timid pink and yellow pony really his friend? Or was she just trying to gain his trust for some other purpose? He glanced at Fluttershy, taking in the look on her face. The concern he saw there was genuine. But it didn’t make any sense to him, the way these ponies behaved. Someone as kind as her would have been taken for all she had on Earth. Was this equine society really so different that someone like her could exist? It was hard to believe, but all of the evidence pointed towards it,. But that brought forth another thought. In this world, where the majority was naturally predisposed towards happiness, could he find it? Michael had dismissed the thought not long after he had it back then. But now, having stopped on the side of the road leading into Ponyville, it made him think. “Even if it is possible,” he thought, “I’m not sure I want to. Not without Jessie.” But another part of him felt otherwise. As much as it hurt to lose her, he couldn’t do anything to bring her back. She wouldn’t want to see him act the way he was, anyways. But even as he told himself this, the words felt hollow. “I’m a real mess, aren’t I?” He said aloud. The rest of his journey passed in silence, and soon enough he found himself outside of the library. “I wonder what Twilight will have me do today,” he muttered as he entered the building, “Or perhaps I should say ‘I wonder what Spike will have me do today.” Inside, he found Twilight standing by a shelf, studying a green book. She looked up as he closed the door, and said “Michael, good to see you!” “Hello, Twilight,” he toyed around with the idea of acting emotionless, knowing that it would be quite the hassle to explain himself. He dismissed the idea, however, when he recalled that three out of the six ponies he knew would know something was wrong. “So, what’s my itinerary for the day? Am I re-shelving books again? Or maybe I’m helping you with your magic?” Snapping the book shut and levitating it back to its rightful place, Twilight spoke “Actually, I had something else in mind.” “Oh, what is that?” “I decided that because you are now a rightful citizen, you need a tour of Ponyville! I have a checklist ready of all the places you will need to go, so we can go as soon as Spike wakes up.” She gave him a warm smile, and headed into her kitchen, “Would you like something to drink?” “No, thank you.” He replied, taking a seat on a short chair. He had to adjust a bit, the chair clearly not having been made for him. "Why isn't Spike already awake?" He asked as she came back into the main room and sat down across from him. "Oh, I kept him awake later than I should have last night. Owlowiscious was out hunting, and I really needed help." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Twilight then quickly changed the subject by saying "How are you doing?" Michael was about to reply with a standard "Fine," but he paused. Perhaps he should tell Twilight what had happened? She had become rather friendly with him, just like the others. And even though he hadn't had enough time to truly reciprocate those bonds, he still felt they should be honored. Those six ponies seemed to trust him, but could he trust them just the same? It wasn’t the same as the previous morning. Twilight had never shown him true hostility, and had only attempted to befriend him.As much as he tried to find one, an answer to his question never came. "Michael? Are you okay?" Twilight asked him, concern evident in her voice. Michael looked her directly in the eyes. He saw no signs of deception, only genuine caring. In fact, it hurt him how much she reminded him of Jessie just then. "No, Twilight, I'm not." He let the words flow out. He wasn’t certain why he was telling Twilight this, but he knew he couldn’t stop himself. "I-I did something horrible the night before last. I wasn't thinking straight, and I very nearly caused you all great pain. I-I am so, so sorry." Twilight honestly had little idea how to handle the situation that had just arisen. There she was, talking to Michael Greenfield, someone she thought would never do what he was just then. He was crying, she could tell. He may have been hiding his face in his hands, but the sobs that wracked his body were as clear as day. So, she did the first thing that came to mind when any of her friends were crying. She walked over to Michael, and wrapped her forelegs around him in a hug. She did her best to console him, gently giving him words of comfort. "I'm sure that whatever happened will turn out okay." “Twilight, yo-you don’t understand. I almost did something irreversible. I hate myself for even thinking about it. I didn’t see then the pain I would have caused for all of you. I only hope you can forgive me.” He told her then what he had done. He detailed the nightmares he had been experiencing, even tried to explain the guilt he felt. It was hard, explaining thoughts that sounded so irrational when he voiced them. But Twilight was patient with him, as he stumbled over his words. He hesitated as he reached the climax of his tale. More tears flowed as he relived his darkest hour, and once again he found himself wrapped in pony arms. When he finished, the two said nothing. There wasn’t much to be said. Slowly, his tears stopped once more, and he calmed down as much as he could. “You know,” he broke the silence, “You’re an awful lot like her.” “Like who? Jessie?” Twilight asked him, having moved across from him after his story. “Yeah, it’s uncanny really. She always studied harder than anyone I had ever met, told me that she had to. She was determined to cure one of the worst diseases mankind has dealt with: cancer. She would work days on end at times, determined to get her degree in genetics. Always said that genetics would be the key to the cure.” He chuckled weakly, adding another memory. “One time, she stayed up for two days straight working on a research paper. As it turns out, eating and drinking nothing but coffee and apples for two days straight is not good for one’s health.” Twilight took the opportunity to cheer him up, and laughed perhaps a bit harder than she would have normally. “She sounds like she was a great person. I think I would have liked her.” Michael gave her a look, “I see what you did there.” Soon enough, the two were laughing with each other, albeit one harder than the other. Michael’s troubles may not have been forgotten, but for a time he could endure them. He only hoped the next time he let them out wasn’t in public. “Can’t a dragon get any sleep around here?” A tired young voice came from their right. “Well good morning to you too, mister sleepy-scales.” Twilight teased him. The studious unicorn was quick to set Spike to work, and even quicker out the door with Michael. “Why the rush?” He asked her, as she nearly dragged him away. “Oh, just trying to keep on schedule!” She quickly replied, tightening the straps on her saddlebags. “Nothing else!” The dark haired man just shrugged it off. He wasn’t one to be overly suspicious, and nothing seemed out of sorts. “So, where to first?” Michael questioned, a hint of anxiety in his voice. A scroll levitated out of her bag, and in front of Michael. “That’s the checklist for your tour. As you can see, we’ll be starting at Sugarcube Corner, after passing through the market district. I think you could use some sweets.” “That actually sounds nice,” he told her, looking further down the list. A few generic locations came up, there wasn't really anything special to be seen among them.With any luck, the day would pass without any more major incidents. Walking through Ponyville with Twilight, hat drawn low and his coat trailing slightly in his wake, Michael couldn’t help but feel like he was on display. “Is it just me, or is everyone staring at me?” He whispered to his purple companion. “‘Cause I am pretty sure everyone is.” “Oh, don’t worry about it. They’ll get used to you, just give them some time.” She reassured him. Pulling his hat down a bit further, and his jacket a up, Michael said “Okay...” He still sounded uncomfortable though. He caught a few whispers, occasionally. “What is that? Is it a minotaur?” “No, it doesn’t have any horns,” “They could be under its hat!” He wanted to just shout that he was a human. Feeling like he was on display frustrated him to no end. Of course, he knew that loudly announcing who he was probably wouldn’t turn out well. “I’m not so sure this was a good idea, Twilight. Some of these ponies actually seem a little frightened of me.” Twilight stopped and looked around. Sure enough, many ponies were gazing upon the duo with mixed expressions. These ranged from confusion and apprehension, to straight out disdain. Deciding that it would be better to nip this problem at the bud, she loudly announced, “It’s okay, everypony! His name is Michael Greenfield, and he is a human! He won’t hurt anypony, I assure you!” A gallery of similar expressions replied to her declaration. The most obvious of which was on the face of Michael. She looked up to him, only to see him giving her a wide eyed look that screamed “ARE YOU CRAZY?” “Oh, don’t give me that look, everypony will accept you now, I’m sure.” But when she looked around, the confidence she held in that statement flew away faster than Rainbow Dash to free Wonderbolts tickets. Every single pony on the street had stopped when she shouted, and were now all staring at one of the two. Each and every one of them held an expression similar to Michael’s, with varying levels of fear. Starting to sweat, Twilight’s mind raced. How could she fix this? She may have just ruined everything! What if everypony became scared of Michael? Then, they would form a mob and drive him out of town! Then, he’d have to live in the Everfree forest, eating twigs and berries for the rest of his life! And she would be responsible for it, so Princess Celestia would personally punish her for ruining the relations with a new species. This would be worse than just being sent to Magic Kindergarten, she’d be turned into some lowly street sweeper for this! Then she wouldn’t have any time to study, because she’d be too busy walking around Canterlot with a broom and dustpan! “And then Spike will have to manage Golden Oaks alone! Oh, it would be burned down in a week!” She despaired, drawing many looks away from Michael and onto her. Just as the two were prepared to slink away in shame, a young accented voice rang out. “Michael! Hey, Michael!” Apple Bloom shouted, running down the road. With her was two other fillies, a white unicorn and an orange pegasus. The three came to a stop in front of him, Apple Bloom wrapping her forehooves around his leg. The crowd seemed to soften at this. Three children had just run up to him, one of which seemed quite happy to see him, and he hadn’t done anything nefarious. “Hey there, Apple Bloom,” he bent down and patted her on the head, thankful for the distraction “Who are your friends?” “Oh! Right!” The yellow filly exclaimed, “These are my friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! And together, we are,” “THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” The three finished with a shout. “Oh, so these are those friends you told me about?” He took a knee, “Nice to meet you two, I’m Michael Greenfield.” He did his best to give them an easy grin. It came oddly easily for him. It was as if he hadn’t been crying his eyes out of Twilight’s shoulder earlier that same morning. Maybe the happiness these girls exuded was contagious. “I’m Scootaloo!” The purple maned pegasus was quick to extend a hoof in greeting, which Michael accepted. “And I’m Sweetie Belle,” the young unicorn wasn’t as confident in her greeting. “What are you doing out here, anyways?” The youngest Apple asked Michael. “Oh, Twilight was just taking me on a tour of Ponyville. I’m allowed to do that now, you know.” He answered, the three of them looking at the mentioned pony. She didn’t look so good. Her mane had started to stand up in places, and she was mumbling to herself. Michael thought he heard something about making sure to fireproof the entire library. “Uhh, Twilight? Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked. Snapping out of her trance, Twilight Sparkle took a look around. The ponies of ponyville had returned to their routines, only a few still glancing at Michael every now and then. She quickly deduced that the Crusaders had inadvertently convinced everypony that Michael was harmless. Relief washed over her as she let out a sigh.”Yeah, I’m fine Sweetie, don’t worry. But Michael and I really have to get going, we’re behind schedule now.” “Oh! Oh! Can we come with you?” Apple Bloom excitedly asked, “Maybe we could get our cutie marks helping you!” “Cutie marks in what? Walking around town?” Scootaloo asked her. “What would that even look like?” Sweetie Belle added, “A few hoofprints?” “You two don’t know what yer talkin’ about! Michael said he was on a tour of Ponyville! So, that means we’d get cutie marks in bein’ tour guides!” Apple Bloom told the others. “Cool! Maybe our cutie marks would look like epic mountains!” Scootaloo sounded quite excited over the prospect. “Well, that settles it, then! Today, we’ll be,” Sweetie Belle started, the other two quickly catching on. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TOUR GUIDES!” Michael laughed lightly at their antics. Apple Bloom was quick to hop onto Michael’s shoulder before he stood. The other two crusaders look a little jealous, so Michael assured them that they would get a turn. “Where to first?” Sweetie asked. “Well, we were headed to Sugarcube Corner, actually.” Twilight tried to take control of the situation. “Gotcha!” Apple Bloom thrust a foreleg forward, “To Sugarcube Corner!” The walk there was full of questions from the curious young ponies. “Do you have a cutie mark?” “No, humans don’t get cutie marks.” “What? Why not?” “We just don’t. We can get these things called tattoos, though.” “What’s a tattoo?” “It’s when a human gets ink injected into their skin, forming a permanent image.” “That sounds painful!” “It isn’t, or so I’ve been told.” “Why do you have Applejack’s hat?” “This isn’t Applejack’s hat, silly.” Apple Bloom snatched the hat off of his head, placing it on her own. “Do I look like her when I wear it?” “No, it doesn’t have that circle cut out of the front like hers.” Michael grinned and cast a sidelong glance at Twilight, finding that her expression mirrored his. “Are they always like this?” He quietly asked her. “Always,” she answered. He let out a chuckling sigh a moment later, when Sweetie Belle demanded that she get a turn on his shoulder. She even took his hat from Apple Bloom, and placed it on her own head, the brim tilted up on her horn. “I take it I’m not getting my hat back any time soon?” The brown-coated man asked. “Nope!” All three replied with silly smiles on their faces. Their playfulness hadn’t abated in the slightest by the time they had reached the bakery. A bell jangled over the door as they entered the confection themed store. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, how can I help yo-” A blue earth pony mare with pink hair similar in looks to frosting greeted them, but staggered when she saw Michael. “Twilight, dearie, who is that?” Her manner was clearly nervous, and her eyes never left him. “Mrs. Cake, this is Michael Greenfield. He’s a human, and a new citizen of Equestria!” Twilight introduced them, “Don’t worry, he’s quite friendly.” “Well, gee Twilight, you make me sound like a pet.” Michael rolled his eyes playfully, and extended a hand to the blue pony.“It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Cake.” “N-nice to meet you too,” She hesitantly returned his gesture. “It’s okay, Mrs.Cake, Michael is real nice!” Scootaloo told her. “Yeah, he’s been letting us ride on his shoulders!” Sweetie Belle added from her perch, “See?” The Cake matriarch seemed to ease up some after the fillies’ reassurances. “Well, can I get you anything?” Twilight was about to speak up, when a certain pony trotted out from the kitchen. “Mrs.Cake, I’ll be right back! I need to go talk to Twilight,” “Pinkie, I’m right here.” Twilight walked beside her friend, “What do you need?” Pinkie raised a hoof and opened her mouth to speak, but saw Michael watching her. “Not here, come into the kitchen with me.” She said to Twilight. Michael shrugged and looked at the baked goods behind the glass in the counter. They did look quite good, he had to admit.The Crusaders obviously thought the same, as they were practically drooling over the variety of sweets on display. Michael patted himself down, recalling something he had received the previous day. Finding it in one of the deeper pockets near his waist, he drew out the bag of bits Applejack had insisted he take. “How much for a cupcake?” He asked. “Two bits each, or twenty for a dozen.” Was the answer. He counted the coins in his bag. The honest farm pony had been generous, he found, as he had more than fifty bits. He considered his choices for a moment. He had originally intended to save the money, and hopefully be able to rent an apartment of his own at some point. But, he also wanted to do something nice for his new friends. And the looks the girls were giving him certainly weighed on his decision. So he bought a dozen, and gave on to each of the fillies accompanying him. Seeing their happy faces, he knew he’d made the right choice. Twilight came back from the kitchen, and looked at Michael with a smile that he knew meant something. He didn’t think too hard on it, though. He trusted her not to keep anything important from him. She gladly accepted a cupcake when offered, and soon the group was back out the door. The rest of the day passed without much incident. Scootaloo was happy to have her turn on Michael’s shoulders not long after they left Sugarcube Corner. “Hey, be careful with that cupcake!” He had said, “I don’t want frosting in my hair!” The four ponies and one human managed to while away the entire day just walking around the peaceful town, introducing Michael to everyone they knew. By the time the sun was setting, Michael was actually starting to feel comfortable walking through the streets of Ponyville. Soon enough, they found themselves at the library. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had made to head home, slightly disappointed that their cutie marks had not appeared, but Twilight told them that she had something to show them inside the library. "You're acting awfully suspicious, you know." Michael gave her a look to match his statement. "I don't know what you're talking about." She countered, "Now, could you get the door for us?" His questioning gaze did not leave her, as he slowly reached down and opened the door. When he turned to walk into the library, he found himself bombarded by a wall of noise. "SURPRISE!" Came the shouts of a crowd of ponies. Michael froze, his mind taking a short leave of absence. Filling the library was more ponies at once than he had ever seen. He spotted the ponies he already knew, the ones who had taken care of him. "Were you surprised? Huh, were you?" Pinkie Pie had popped in front of him. He looked out over the multitude of smiling faces greeting him. It was as if the animosity they held for him that morning had never been. The whole room held a warm feeling of welcoming and happiness. He had never felt anything quite like it, not since he had been back on Earth. They were overwhelming, the feelings he was experiencing. "I... I, just, wow." He started, a clear crack in his voice, "Thank you," He actually started to tear up, but he quickly rubbed his eyes to hide it. "I just don't know what to say." "You don't need to say anything, you just need to PARTY!" Pinkie shouted, dashing to a large speaker setup, where a blue maned unicorn was waiting for her queue.The music came on, a quick and driving style that reminded Michael of rock and roll from Earth. But there was no way Equestria had developed music like Earth had, right? Michael found himself bombarded by ponies, all introducing themselves to him. His arm got a better work out that night than any other he could remember, after the near constant stream of hoof shakes he had. He wasn't entirely certain he could remember all of the names he was given. But the cheeriness they showed him soon had him smiling, his own problems temporarily pushed aside. Wading through the sea of ponies, he managed to find a seat near the snack table Pinkie had set up. He swiped a slice of cake, and started to eat. “Michael!” Rainbow Dash waved, flying over to him, “Pinkie throws quite a party, huh?” “I’ll say, I’ve never seen this many ponies in one place. I know that isn’t saying much, but I’m amazed that Pinkie managed to get so many ponies to come.” He replied between bites of his cake. “Wow, is this good cake.” “Yeah, Pinkie Pie is good at what she does.” Rainbow sat next to him, a slice of cake of her own in front of her. “Oh, and what is that?” Michael asked, one eyebrow raised. “Making everypony smile, silly!” The mentioned mare jumped out from beneath the table. “Whoa! Holy crap!” Michael shouted, kicking back in his seat. The chair he was on didn’t like this course of action, however. He found himself tilted back on the two hind legs, hovering between falling in either direction. For a second, he held a precarious balance. A glance passed between the three, and his balance failed. “That’s the second time you’ve made me fall on my back today, Pinkie.” His voice came from underneath his stetson, which had fallen on his face. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie shared an anxious look. They weren’t sure if Michael was angry or not. The aforementioned man sat up then, and replaced his hat on his head. “Is this going to become a habit for you?” He said playfully. The three friends started to laugh uproariously. To Michael, it felt like the first time he had ever felt so at peace. Maybe these ponies actually did project some sort of magical field of happiness... “I’m glad to see you’re having fun.” Twilight joined them. “Oh, do be more careful though, darling. The chocolate in that cake would be a nightmare to get out of your clothes.” Rarity added. “Oh, hush Rarity, they’re just havin’ fun.” Applejack lightly scolded. “Are you okay, Michael?” The final member of the six sounded worried. “I’m fine, Fluttershy.” He gave her a reassuring smile. The six friends and their human companion found themselves sitting around the table. They traded stories, each trying to do better than the other. When Michael’s turn came, though, Pinkie stopped him. “Hey, everypony, Michael’s gonna tell a story!” She shouted. He gave her a wide-eyed look, astounded at her announcement. “You want me to tell everyone a story?” HIs voice was filled with incredulity. “Everyone?” “Now, don’t act that way, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Rarity patted his shoulder. “Yeah, I bet you have some really awesome stories!” Rainbow added. He stuttered out a few syllables, hoping that one of them would give him a way out. But they all just looked at him eagerly. Even Fluttershy had an expectant look on her face. Sighing in defeat, he turned to the crowd of ponies. They all looked back with the same expression as his six friends. The blue haired DJ had even stopped to music to listen. Michael tugged at his collar in a useless gesture. There were so many waiting eyes gazing at him, and the pressure was on to tell a great story. He almost considered running and hiding, but then he saw the three ponies at the front of the crowd. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all looked at him excitedly. “You can do it, Michael!” Apple Bloom said. “Yeah!” Her two friends agreed, giving him begging looks. “Confound those girls,” He thought, “I can’t say no to those faces.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Michael began his tale. “Now, before I begin, there is something I need to tell you all. As you may have guessed, I’m not from around here.” A wave of chuckles came after his joke. “I’m originally from another planet. Maybe even another dimension. The place I am from is called Earth. But because your world is also called Earth, I’ve taken to calling it Terra. My world is full of people like me. Humans, that is. I won’t go do in depth into that, because then we’d be here all night. If you really want to know more about humans, I’d recommend finding a copy of a book written by none other than Twilight Sparkle, entitled ‘Humans: a Study.” Twilight blushed when the crowd cheered for her accomplishment. “Anyways, I don’t know how I wound up here in Equestria. All I know is that I did. But I wasn’t alone. I originally landed in the Everfree forest with a woman named Jessica Reese. She was my girlfriend, and I loved her very much. It gives me great pain to think about her. You see, she died in that forest. I’d prefer not to talk about the details, suffice to say it was a horrible nightmare, one that I am still living through.” He had averted his gaze when he mentioned Jessica. Looking back over the crowd, he felt he jaw drop just a bit. Each and every pony present had a sympathetic expression. He even spotted a few teary eyes. The feelings only intensified when the three fillies in front of him jumped on him and gave him the biggest hugs they could. The other ponies at his table were quick to join, and Michael found himself in a tangle of equine limbs. “Oh, you poor thing!” Rarity bawled, “You’ve been through so much!” Michael was taken aback. He wasn’t quite so sure how to react, so he did the only thing that felt natural. He wrapped his arms around as as many as he could, and returned the embrace. Silence reigned for a few seconds, until a mint green pony in the audience broke it with a loud “D’awwwww!” Michael and the ponies hugging him snapped out of their emotional embrace, and shuffled back to their seats with heavy blushes. “Yes, anyways, as I was saying,” Michael restarted, “This story is about the night I met her.” “Back on Terra, about three years ago, I was waiting in line in a small coffee shop. It was early in the morning, I didn’t have much to do, and a cup of coffee and a cookie sounded good. Too bad no one told the coffee shop that I was coming, seeing as the line extended out of the store. I believe I was even wearing this exact coat. Anyways, I had been waiting in line for nearly twenty minutes. Obviously, I was growing frustrated with the slow service. I leaned to the side, and took a peek inside. There were at least fifteen more people in front of me, and only one person behind the counter! I groaned, and decided that I’d be better off just going home. So, I stepped out of the line and took off down the street. By to my misfortune, or perhaps just the opposite, I wasn’t paying much attention to the path in front of me. And it just so happened that she wasn’t either. We ran into each other hard, the both of us winding up on our butts. I looked up, ready to vent a bit of my frustration onto the fool who had dared run into me, by I stopped when I saw her. I know it’s cheesy to say, but I felt like time stopped in that moment. She had long blonde hair, done up in a messy bun. Her clothes were wrinkled and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. On her face was a slim pair of glasses, just in front of her jade eyes. I was stunned, and my only thought was “who is this messy girl?” Time quickly caught up to me, along with a flurry of papers.She was scrambling to catch them, doing her best to keep them from the dirty street. I was quick to help, grabbing as many as I could before they were lost to the city winds. Between the two of us, her whole pile of papers was promptly regathered. “Thank you,” she told me, “These are really important.” “Important enough to lose sleep over?” I asked, doing my best to look cool. It came out as a sort of awkward half grin. “Yes! I need to get this in by,” she looked at her watch, “ten minutes from now!” She became even more frantic, and took off running. I ran after her, and caught up in little time. We were forced to stop at a street corner, where I asked her “What is it you have, anyways?” She looked at me, just a little surprised, and replied “I need to turn this research paper in quick, or I’ll fail the class!” I took no time at all to come to my next decision. “I’ll get it in, don’t worry. Where does it need to go?” “I couldn’t ask you to do that!” She was looking impatient at the street light. “Nonsense, I’d be happy to. Michael Greenfield, high school track star, at your service!” I gave her a little bow. She glanced at her watch again, then at me. She bounced back and forth on her feet for a few seconds, then said, “Alright, fine. I’m Jessica Reese, and this needs to get to the West building at the college campus, in room three zero four, got it?’” You see, I lived in a college town. Pretty much everyone who lived there knew the campus like the back of their hand. Or, I suppose, hoof. “West building, room three ‘o four, less than ten minutes to get there. I won’t disappoint you!” I accepted the stack of papers from her, and took off as fast as I could. I ran as fast as I could through the crowded streets of the city, dashing between people as I went. The scenery blurred in my peripheral, I was focused on what was directly in front of me. Soon enough, I found myself in the class, standing in front of a man in a tweed jacket. He had a well trimmed beard, but his head was completely bald otherwise. I sprinted to his desk, and dropped the papers there. “Can I help you?” He gave me a look that showed that he didn’t think highly of strange guys running into his classroom. “This... Is... From... Jessica Reese...” The run had taken more out of me than I had previously thought. “It’s late.” He flatly said, “I’m afraid I can’t accept it.” I looked at the clock on the wall behind him. It was a minute past eleven in the morning. “You’re not going to accept it because it is a minute late?” I growled, “ONE MINUTE?” “You would be correct.” He folded his arms in front of him and leaned forward on his desk. I swear, I was literally seeing red. I carefully set the papers down on the desk, and leapt over, grabbing him by his jacket. “Now you listen here,” I growled, “You will take this paper, and you will grade it like any other, got it?” He gave me a nervous look, and stuttered, “O-okay,” And he accepted the paper, and everything worked out great.” Michael looked out over his audience. They all gave him looks that stated “Really?” “Michael,” Apple Bloom asked, “Is that what really happened?” He took in a breath, ready to defend his story, but changed his mind. “No, he called security and I was kicked off of the campus.” He hung his head. A round of laughter passed through the assembled ponies. “So?” Pinkie Pie asked from his left, “What happened after that?” “Well, she caught up to me not long after I was kicked out. I told her that I was a minute late, and that the professor refused to accept the paper. She just laughed, and told me that he liked messing around with people like that. He had probably accepted the paper, but only said otherwise to joke with me. I told her what I had done, she looked a little nervous, but told me not to worry. She’d just dragged me back into the class to apologize. A quick apology later, and I was back outside the classroom with Jessie. “So, umm,” I started, “Would you maybe like to go out for dinner sometime?” I couldn’t believe I had just so brazenly asked her out. She giggled a bit as I stumbled on my own tongue, and said, “That sounds nice. I need to repay my hero somehow, now don’t I?” And that is the story of how I met Jessica Reese.” Michael said the final sentence with a feeling of extreme melancholy. A single tear traced down his cheek, and dropped down into his lap. He inhaled sharply, and looked around as the ponies applauded for him. More than a few stopped by and gave him a few consoling words. One grey pegasus mare even brought him a muffin from the snack table. It had gotten to be quite late, and everypony soon realized this. They began filtering out the door, a few at a time. A short while later, all who remained were Michael, the now sleeping Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the Elements of Harmony. “Well girls, I’d better get Apple Bloom home. She’s asleep jus’ standin’ there!” Applejack scooped her younger sibling onto her back. “And Sweetie Belle needs her rest too, I think.” Rarity followed the farm mare’s example. “I’d better get Scoots home, too. It’s a shame her parents couldn’t come.” Rainbow Dash picked up the third crusader. The whole group headed out the door, ready to say their goodbyes. Michael watched the six friends as they recalled a few moments from that night. An interesting feeling welled up inside him. It was something he hadn’t felt in such a pure state in a long time. He looked across the group, and his eyes locked with Fluttershy’s. She gave him a small grin, which matched her personality. He grinned back, naming the feeling inside of him. Michael actually felt happy. There wasn’t a shred of depression in him at that moment, only elation. These ponies had taken him in, befriended him when he was probably one of the worst friends to have, and stuck with him for more than two months. He couldn’t believe just so happy he felt. His smile widened, and he was soon beaming brighter than the sun. The rest of the girls saw him, and gave him their own smiles. It was the perfect end to a perfect night, he thought. It’s funny, though, how life treats some people. Sometimes, it brings them to their highest point, almost higher than they could ever remember feeling. Then it stabs them in the back, sending them crashing back down. Michael was about witness this phenomenon first hand. Their laughter was interrupted by a loud explosion. It was louder than anything anypony had ever heard, even than a sonic rainboom. A shock wave rushed over them a second later, nearly sending them toppling to the ground. Then, a voice louder even than the explosion called out. “CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA!” It shouted in a feminine voice, “YOUR TIME HAS COME.” “FOR TOO LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN HAPPINESS. FOR TOO LONG HAVE THE FORCES OF GOOD PREVAILED. THIS SHALL NO LONGER BE. I SHALL CHANGE IT.” “No,” Michael whispered, “No, it can’t be.” “I AM GIVING YOU THREE DAYS TO PREPARE. ONCE THAT TIME IS UP, PEACE SHALL NO LONGER REIGN IN EQUESTRIA.” Michael wanted to turn and run. He wanted to find the deepest, darkest cave he could and curl into a ball. What was happening was impossible, he knew it. He had witnessed the proof first hand. He still bore the scars from the tragedy. “MY NAME IS BALANCE, AND I AM EQUESTRIA’S DOWNFALL.” The voice spoke no more. The six ponies around him bore terrified looks, which slowly morphed into ones determination. They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, what they would do was obvious. But Michael did not share in this feeling. He was too busy feeling everything he had built up fall down around him. Every ounce of happiness he had accumulated was forcibly ejected from his heart, replaced only by soul crushing despair. For, he recognized the voice of the speaker. He dropped to his knees, and onto his hands. “No! No! It can’t be! There is no way!” He shouted at the ground. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy’s concerned voice called to him, “Are you alright?” “No!” He screamed, “She can’t be here, it’s impossible!” “Who can’t be here, sugarcube?” Applejack asked him. His answer came in only one weak whisper, that the ponies barely heard before he curled up and started weeping. He whispered “Jessie.” Chaos Begets Chaos“No, no, this can’t be happening! I saw her die! She can’t be doing this! This can’t be possible! No, no...” Michael was inconsolable by this point. Not that any of the ponies had tried to do so, yet. They were too busy with each other. “Jessie? Isn’t that the girl he told us about? The one who is dead?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends. “Yes, it is. But this doesn’t make any sense! She’s dead, she can’t be terrorizing Equestria!” Twilight added to the confusion. “Well, I can sure as hay tell he ain’t lying. Whatever’s goin’ on, it has somethin’ to do with that Jessie character.” Applejack turned back to her friends. “Oh! If that is his friend, does that mean we get to throw her a party too?” Pinkie received five disapproving glares, “You’re right, girls. She doesn’t deserve a party after that!” “This is just dreadful!” Rarity held a hoof to her forehead, “Poor Michael was so happy just a moment ago.” “Michael!” Fluttershy was the first to go to his side, but not the last. She held his head to her chest, doing her best to comfort him. “There has to be something we can do for him!” she was close to tears herself. The other mares stood around them, in varying degrees of discomfort. None of them knew what to do with the wreck of a man before them, or the tearful pony doing her best to help him. “Twilight!” Fluttershy cried, “Please! Do something!” “I-I don’t know,” she stuttered, “What should I do?” “Something! We can’t just leave him like this!” Rainbow Dash looked as lost as the others. The prodigious unicorn found herself becoming overwhelmed by the demands to help Michael. Her breathing accelerated, and her horn started to glow. Leaning forward, she touched the tip to his forehead. He stopped moving. He stopped doing anything, actually. He had fallen unconscious, put to sleep by the unicorn’s spell. “W-what did you do?” Fluttershy spoke, still holding Michael close. “I-” she started, pausing to take a breath, “I put him to sleep, and gave him good dreams.” It was then that the six element bearers realized the chaos present around them. Ponies were panicking in the streets, screaming their lungs out. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had awoken from where they had hurriedly been set after Balance’s speech. “Applejack, what’s goin; on?” Apple Bloom’s voice was weary. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, AB. We’ll handle everything.” The orange mare told her sister. “Rarity, why is everypony running around like that?” Sweetie Belle sounded scared. “It’s okay, Sweetie. I’ll explain, later. We just need to get you home for now.” Rarity’s voice belied the comfort she was trying to express. “You’ll handle anything bad, right Rainbow?” Scootaloo sounded the most confident out of the three. “Of course, squirt,” the speedy pegasus ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “Let’s just get you home.” "Okay, you three take the girls home, then get back here as soon as you can! Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, we need to get Michael inside." Twilight took on a commanding tone. Five heads nodded in response, and the ponies set off to their respective tasks. “You two take an arm, I’ll levitate his legs. We’ll put him on my spare bed for now.” The bookish unicorn told them. Fluttershy sniffled a couple of times, and took his right arm over her back. Pinkie wrapped his left over hers, and said “Why can’t you just carry all of him in your magic? He’s not that heavy, even with all that cake in him.” “I would,” Twilight responded, as a magenta glow covered everything below Michael’s waist, “But I feel an odd resistance to my magic whenever I use it on him.” “Magic doesn’t work on him? That’s awesome! He could just walk right up to that weird ‘Balance’ lady and she couldn’t do anything to stop him!” Pinkie would have been bouncing in excitement, if not for the dead weight on her shoulders. “No, magic works just fine. But it’s like it effects him differently. My only theory is that it is because he isn’t from our world, and there’s something fundamentally different about his body. I’m afraid that if I use too much on him at once, there could be some dangerous side effects.” Twilight explained, moving forward with the others. Pinkie Pie had a face of dawning comprehension, and said nothing more on the subject. The three walked inside the library, Fluttershy occasionally glancing at his face, as if she were checking to make sure the spell had done as Twilight had said. “Spike!” the only unicorn present called, “Get the spare bed out, now!” The young dragon came running down the stairs, shouting “Twilight! What happened? Who was that voice? What was she talking about? What is going on?” “Spike!” she repeated, more forcefully, “Get the spare bed out, now!.” He looked at the three ponies, and their burden. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to be having any trouble, but Twilight had a look of intense concentration on her face, and Fluttershy was trembling occasionally. “What happened to him?” Spike asked, pointing to Michael. Twilight gave him a stern look, one that spelled no good things for the young reptile. “Spare bed, that’s right! Coming right up!” he dashed to the basement, and the girls hear a cacophony of clanging noises come from the lower level. Spike was quick to return, following the urgent signals he had gotten from the ponies. He made quick work of the bed, setting it up in the main room in a manner of minutes. With the frame set up, he dragged the old mattress up the stairs, and did his best to place it evenly on the construct. The three mares set Michael on the bed as quick as they could, and each let out a sigh of relief once the weight was gone. It was then that the shouts of the panicking ponies outside finally registered in their minds. “Oh, no! I need to get out there and help!” Twilight was already halfway out of the library, “Pinkie Pie, you can come with me! Fluttershy, Spike, stay here with Michael, in case he wakes up!” Pinkie gave her a stout salute, and was soon beside her. “You got it, Twilight!” The two were almost out the door, when it blasted open. “Twilight Sparkle!” A loud voice called, “Your Princess demands your presence!” “Princess Luna!” Twilight nearly fell over at the sudden stop she had to make. “Yes, tis I!” her voice had not changed volume. She cleared her throat, and added in a quieter voice, “I apologize for using the Royal Canterlot voice like that. But it was quite effective in bringing the populace to order.” “The populace? So you have things under control?” Twilight leaned to the side, trying to look past the Princess of the Night. “Yes, my night guard is handling the situation. But I am here to gather you and the other elements.” Luna took a step inside, the door closing behind her by her magic. “My sister was quite insistent that I bring you to Canterlot immediately.” “Well, of course she was! With the elements, we can handle this ‘Balance’ pony no problem!” Pinkie Pie’s upbeat attitude shone true. This managed to elicit a small smile out of the other two ponies. “Yes, well, I see a third. But where are your other three friends?” Luna questioned, “And who is lying in bed at a time like this?” Luna approached the bed, with Fluttershy still hovering over Michael. “O-oh, this is just Michael. I think Twilight told Princess Celestia about him, but umm... I don’t know if she told you.” Fluttershy said to the Princess. “She did mention that Twilight had found a new creature. But I am afraid that she did not tell me that he would look like this. Are we sure he is safe?” the blue alicorn asked. “Oh! He wouldn’t hurt anyone, he’s really nice! You should have seen him at the party earlier, he was so happy.” Pinkie came up to the bed, Twilight beside her. “And then Balance made her announcement,” the studious unicorn added, “After that he started crying. We couldn’t console him, so I put him to sleep.” Luna had a thoughtful look on her face. “Did you cast a spell to affect his dreams as well?” “Well, yes, I did. Should I have not?” Twilight became nervous, believing she had done something wrong. “Hmm, I am not sure. I can feel that his dreams are currently, interesting, to say the least.” Luna was staring intently at the sleeping human. “Perhaps if I,” she didn’t finish her sentence, her indigo magic sparking on her horn. “Twilight, we’re back!” Rainbow Dash threw the door open as she flew in, Applejack and Rarity behind her. The attention of everypony present snapped to her. The magic in Luna’s horn dissipated, and she stood straight to speak “Good, you are all present. Now, we must go to Canterlot.” “Hold on one second, what the hay’s goin’ on here?” Applejack looked at the Princess, “No offense, your majesty.” “No time to explain!” Twilight told her, “Suffice to say, she’s right. We need to go to Canterlot, now!” Twilight frantically began to search around the library, grabbing any books she thought held even a smidge of relevance. Spike found himself roped into the task as well, as per usual. While the manic unicorn dashed to and fro, Luna approached the other three ponies and informed them of the situation. They quickly agreed to go, and in a short while Luna watched as the five ponies trotted out of the library ahead of her. Spike was told to stay behind and keep an eye on the library, to which he readily agreed. “Wait, five?” she thought, “That’s not right.” The blue maned princess looked back into the Golden Oaks library, searching for the missing pony. She spotted her, the sixth element who hadn’t left her spot. “Fluttershy,” she said, “What are you waiting for?” “I-I can’t just leave!” it took an incredible effort on her part to say that. “Michael needs me!” That’s right, the human. What was Luna supposed to do about him? From what Twlight Sparkle had told her, he might have some useful information. And it wouldn’t due to leave him there, alone. Gently, she wrapped him in her magical aura and levitated him beside her. “What is this resistance?” she pondered, glancing at the unconscious human. “We will take him with us, then.” Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh, and followed the princess. The shy pony was glad that she didn’t have to stand up to royalty anymore. The ride to the royal city passed mostly in silence. The events of the night were replaying in everypony’s heads as they rode in Luna’s chariot. Fluttershy felt the cool night breeze flow through her mane. She kept a worried watch on Michael. The Princess had set him down next to her, his slumber unbroken. “I wonder what he’s dreaming about.” She had taken his hat when Twilight had first put him to sleep. She was clutching it to her chest in worry. Her unicorn friend had told her that he would have good dreams, but only a few minutes later she said she wasn’t certain if her magic affected him like it did ponies. The kind pegasus kept a constant watch on his features, waiting for any sign of discomfort.She wasn’t entirely certain why he meant so much to her. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She knew that any of her friends would tell her that it was just her kind nature that made her care for him so much. But at the same time, she hardly knew him. There were few moments during his stay where she actually learned something about him. But at the same time, she still got an impression of his true personality, even before he had changed. Michael Greenfield, to her, was a strong man. He wasn’t one to let others comfort him, and even less likely to go to them. He could hold his feelings inside for a long time, if only to keep from burdening others. This had been taken to an extreme during the majority of his time in her home. She only knew as much as she did from the few times that his mask cracked, and an emotion leaked through. He had disappeared one morning, on a day that he was scheduled to work with Applejack. She had watched him leave, and thought nothing was off at the time. But when the farm mare had come to her door, asking where he was, worry reared its head inside of her. “Michael didn’t show up at the farm?” Was her first reaction. “Nope, I haven’t seen ‘im all mornin’. He was supposed to help Big Mac with some fences today, too.” Applejack told her, “You know where he might have gotten to?” “No, I don’t. I hope he’s alright.” Fluttershy stepped outside with Applejack, “Maybe we should go look for him?” “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.” The two walked down the path from Fluttershy’s cottage, not entirely certain where to start looking. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen him all morning.” Twilight told them when they asked her. “After the last time when we were almost caught sneaking him into town? No, I’m afraid Michael hasn’t been here.” Was Rarity’s answer. They finally found a clue when they almost literally ran into Pinkie Pie. “Oh, I’m sorry about that!” she apologized. “It’s okay, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her. “Have you seen Michael around anywhere? We’ve been working our flanks off tryin’ to find ‘im.” Pinkie held a hoof to her chin in thought for a moment, and the two were almost certain they saw a light bulb appear over her head as she said “Oh, yes! I saw him walking towards Zecora’s this morning! I waved to him, but he looked a little busy, so I don’t mind that he didn’t wave back.” “Zecora’s? What in tarnation is he doin’ ‘round there?” Applejack looked to Fluttershy. “I don’t know. He’s never said anything about her before.” The pegasus replied. “Oh, I wish I could go with you! But I’m just on my lunch break, I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie looked disappointed for a moment, before snapping back to her cheerful demeanor. “I’ll just have to bake him a cake! Oh, but I might not be able to get it to him for a few days, we’ve got a lot of orders to do! See you later, girls!” she shouted as she bounded off to work. The two just waved to her as she left, making their own way to the Everfree Forest. The short journey passed in silence, both contemplating why someone like Michael had bothered to go to see Zecora. “Well, shoot. I don’t think I could possibly know until we jus’ go up an’ ask ‘im.” The orange pony shook her head. Fluttershy just nodded her head as they turned a corner, putting Zecora’s home in sight. The door was shut, and neither zebra nor human could be seen as they walked up to the hut. As Applejack was about to knock on the door, it swung open. “Oh, Applejack,” Michael looked down to her face, “I apologize for not showing up to work. I had something I needed to ask Zecora. I’ll go straight to the farm now, see you there.” Both Fluttershy and Applejack just looked on dumbfounded as he walked away, as though nothing had happened. “Ah Applejack, Fluttershy. How good to see you, though I must ask, why?” Zecora greeted them from the still open doorway. “Oh, we were just looking for Michael. And we found him, so we’ll just get out of your mane.” Fluttershy started to turn away. “Now hold on a second there, I’d like to know why he was here at all.” Applejack put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, keeping her there. “It was no great task, he just had a question to ask.” Zecora answered. “A question? What kind of question?” Applejack looked downright confused. “I’m afraid I can not just answer that on a whim. For the answer, you must ask him” “Well, thanks to ya anyways. Come on, Fluttershy. We’ll jus’ have to ask ‘im at the farm.” Applejack turned away. “You comin’, Fluttershy?” “Yeah, just a second. I’ll catch up with you.” She answered, receiving a nod as an answer. She looked back to her zebra friend, and asked “It wasn’t anything bad, was it?” “No, of that you can be sure. He may not show it, but his heart is pure.” Zecora gave her a smile. “Thank you, Zecora. I’d stay and visit, but I should catch up with Applejack.” Fluttershy returned the smile. “It is okay. I am just glad to see my friends, even if you can not stay.” The zebra waved to her friend as Fluttershy flew away.Quickly catching up with Applejack, the two weren’t long from Sweet Apple Acres. They found Michael waiting at the border of the farm, leaning against the fence. “Applejack, Fluttershy.” He nodded to the both of them. “Michael,” Applejack said, “Would you mind tellin’ us why you were out there?” “Applejack!” Fluttershy gave her friend a shocked look, “Couldn’t you have been more gentle?” “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” he told her, “That’s just who Applejack is. And to answer your question, I was asking Zecora if she had found anything unusual in the forest. I recently realized that I had a few things with me when I arrived, and I have lost them.” “What kinds of things?” Fluttershy asked. “My wallet, and a pair of reading glasses. I had originally assumed that they simply had not come with me. My memory of my first day in Equestria is hazy, at best.” He looked away “Zecora hasn’t seen them.” Neither pony knew what to do. His voice showed no emotion, but some body language was universal, it would seem. The way he avoided eye contact with them, and his slow movements belied his neutral mask. “Well, that’s a shame to hear. I’m sure that they’ll turn up eventually, though, don’t you worry!” Applejack patted his hand with her hoof. “It is okay, Applejack. We should just get to work.” He walked past her and into the farm. “Okay then... See you later I suppose, Fluttershy.” Applejack spoke slowly, catching up to the sudden way Michael had moved on. “O-okay,” Fluttershy replied, “I guess I’ll just head home.” She spent the rest of the day worried about Michael. But when he came home, he seemed fine. Now, though, looking at his face as he slept she could only wish she had pushed harder to comfort him. All of the pain he hid, how could she had let him push it all down? Maybe if she hadn’t let him bottle up his emotions, if she had forced him to talk about it, he wouldn’t have had his meltdown. Maybe he could have been happy sooner. And maybe he wouldn’t be in a forced sleep, with a good dream implanted into his mind. “Now don’t go beatin’ yerself up about ‘im. It isn’t your fault, sugarcube.” Applejack’s familiar accent broke through her thoughts. “I-I know,” she said softly, “But I just can’t help but think that I could have done something better.” “You did everything you could! It’s the rest of us who should have done more.” Twilight stepped into the conversation. “Yeah! I shouldn’t have treated him so badly, for one.” Rainbow added. “And I should have seen how tortured his soul truly was. You can learn a lot about a person through their clothes, you know.” Rarity helped to comfort her friend. “But he was happy just a little while ago! We all saw that smile he had! That was something special. You can take my word on that, I’m an expert when it comes to smiles!” Pinkie Pie joined the group. Fluttershy looked at the comforting smiles each of her friends were giving her. “Th-thank you. I guess I needed that.” She wiped a tear away. “Oh, come here!” Pinkie Pie said, wrapping her up in a hug. The other four were quick to join, and soon all six with wrapped up in a giant hug. “We’ll be landing soon,” Luna said to them. She was smiling at the touching scene that had happened only a few feet from her. They separated as the chariot landed. Luna was quick to lead them away from the grassy knoll they had landed on, and into the throne room. She instructed several servants along the way to take Michael one of the nearest guest rooms. Fluttershy barely managed to give them his hat before they were out of reach. “Ah, how good to see you my little ponies.” Celestia greeted them from the throne as they bowed before her. “I only wish we were meeting under better terms.” “So do you want us to go get the elements of harmony, find Balance, and kick her flank?” Rainbow Dash spoke up, her voice eager. “I wish it were that simple,” Celestia said, “But there is a slight problem with that solution.” The gathered ponies looked at their ruler, her head hung low in worry. “Sister,” said Luna from her position beside her sibling, “You did not say there was a problem with the elements before I left.” “I did not know then that there was. I had been busy directing the guards in the city, and only was able to go to them after you had left.” She explained, levitating the chest containing them from behind her throne. “It was then that I discovered that something was out of place.” The lid to the chest opened, and everypony present looked inside. “I don’t get it, Princess. They look fine.” Twilight gave her teacher a quizzical look. “Think, Twilight. Does something about them feel different?” She, along with her friends stared at the elements intensely. Luna’s eyes widened, and she looked to her side at her sister. Celestia merely nodded to her, but said nothing. Luna understood that she wanted the other six to discover on their own. “I think I know what you’re talking about.” Twilight said, “It’s like their magic is just, gone.” Apprehension spread through the others, and they quickly agreed. “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Usually when I touch my element, I feel extra happy and excited! But now it just feels like a boring old necklace!” “While I would hardly call them boring, Pinkie does have a point.” Rarity added. “What’s goin’ on here, Princess?” Applejack asked their ruler. Celestia took a deep breath, and looked each of them in the eye. “I myself took some time to discover that. From what I can tell, a magical force swept over them, negating their abilities. I became more worried than I had ever known when I realized this, but something else occurred to me. I had already felt their magic tonight, I just hadn’t realized it. When it swept over me, I thought it was simply them reacting to the shockwave Balance sent out. However, I was wrong.” Both Twilight and Luna took on a look of shock. “No no no! That can’t be possible! There is no way that could be possible!” Twilight shook her head, fear evident in her voice. “What can’t be possible?” Rainbow was quite confused at this point, and she wasn’t alone. “The magical shock wave that spread over Equestria before Balance’s announcement had the same magical properties as the elements of harmony.” Twilight’s voice was filled with dread. They all looked to Celestia for confirmation. She nodded her head solemnly. “Sister, what are we to do?” Luna asked as the others digested the new information. “I am afraid that we have no choice but to defeat Balance without the elements of harmony.” “Without the elements? How are we supposed to do that? It’s not possible!” Twilight’s mane begun to fray in places. “Have you already forgotten that you did just that in the Crystal Empire?” Celestia told her, Luna “I know that it will not be easy, but I have confidence that together we can stand up to this new threat.” Bolstered by their leader’s confidence, the six ponies calmed down and stood tall. “What do you need us to do?” Twilight asked. “That’s the spirit, my little ponies.” Celestia smiled at her subjects. “First, we will need information. Can any of you tell me anything about Balance?” They all looked around, thinking hard. It was Fluttershy who spoke up. “Well, Michael did say something before Twilight put him to sleep.” “Yeah, that’s right! He was talking about that girl he knew. Jessie, I think.” Rainbow added. Celestia took a moment to think on the new information.:”If that is the case, then we will have to question him. Where is he right now?” Luna explained that she had him taken a a guest room. Celestia nodded her head, and stood. The elements of harmony floated from their chest, and onto each of their bearers. “Hold onto these,” Celestia told them, “They may not be able to help much, but they are still valuable. And perhaps their magic will return to them in time.” They made their way to the room Michael was sleeping in, directed their by one of the servants who had brought him to the room. Soon after, all eight of them stood gathered around his bed, watching him sleep. “I suppose we should wake him up,” said Twilight. She shook his shoulder with her hoof when the other agreed. “Odd,” Fluttershy said after almost a whole minute of Twilight trying to wake him, “He’s usually a very light sleeper.” Luna stepped closer, and said “Perhaps I could try something.” She touched her horn to his head, and it glowed for a moment. She lifted her head again, and said “I believe your spell has had a much stronger effect on him than you intended, Twilight Sparkle.” “How so?” her eyes were filled with anxiety. She didn’t want to believe that she had hurt Michael, but she had done something. “You used a spell designed for ponies on the mind of a human. It appears to have placed him in a magical coma.” The younger Princess explained. “The only way I know of to wake him without the risk of damaging his mind is to enter his dreams and convince him to awaken from there.” “Sister, are you sure of this?” Celestia asked. “Yes. If the spell were forcibly broken, there is a very high chance that his mind would follow.” Luna kept her tone as calm as she could. The smaller ponies around her, however, were not so. Twilight’s head was on the floor, her hooves on top as she muttered to herself. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were trying to comfort her, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash were doing the same for Fluttershy. The timid pony had begun to tear up when Luna told them of Michael’s condition. “Very well,” Celestia said, looking at her subjects, “Each of you and Luna will have to enter his mind, and awaken him from there.” They all looked at her. Every one of them looked ready to help their human friend. But Luna burst their bubble. “I am afraid that won’t be possible. I can take two of them in with me, but no more. My magic can not stretch that far. I am sorry, sister.” She looked down, ashamed of her inability. “That is okay, Luna.” Celestia’s tone was comforting, “We will have to make do with that.” “But, Princess, who will she take with her?” Twilight looked to her mentor. “I think that the six of you should decide that.” The solar Princess told her. They looked at each other, and huddled into a circle. “Okay, girls, who should do this?” Rarity asked. “I will,” Twilight said, “I’m the one who put him is this situation. I should be the one to get him out.” The others nodded in agreement, except for Fluttershy. She looked like she had something to say, but didn’t want to speak up. “Oh! Oh! Can I go! I bet he’s having super cool dreams right now!” Pinkie Pie’s peppy tone made the others chuckle. “I don’t think that’d be the best idea, sugarcube.And I don’t think I should go in, either. Can’t say I know a whole lot about magic.” Applejack added. “Well, I would love to help him but I’m afraid I just don’t know him that well.” Rarity chimed in. “I should totally go in! With my awesomeness, there’s no way he won’t wake up!” Rainbow Dash pumped one of her hooves. Twilight looked around the huddle, and asked “Does anyone have a problem with Rainbow and I going in?” They all seemed to agree. They were about to break the huddle, when Fluttershy spoke up. “I don’t think you should go in, Twilight.” They all looked at her in confusion, “What do you mean, darling?” Rarity asked. “Well, it’s just that magic is what got us into this mess. I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring more magic into it than we have to. I think that maybe I should go, instead. I know him the best, after all.” Fluttershy looked at her friends, “I-if that’s alright with everyone.” Twilight took a deep breath, and a moment to think. “I agree. As much as I feel responsible for this, I don’t want to make the situation worse. Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash should go with Luna.” She looked around at them, “Any objections?” They all shook their heads, and informed the Princesses of their decision. “Very well,” Luna said to them, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, stand by my side. I will take us into his dream.” The two pegasi did as they were instructed. Luna’s horn began to glow a brilliant blue, which enveloped all three of them, and Michael. The remaining five watched the spectacle unfold. Slowly, the magical field faded, leaving two pegasi and one alicorn asleep on the floor next to Michael. “What do we do now, Princess?” Twilight asked, looking up to her mentor. “For now, we do the only thing we can. Wait, and hope they are successful,” was her answer. Just as the only awake occupants of the room began to sit and discuss their situation, a guard burst in through the door. “Princess!” he shouted, “There’s a situation in the garden!” Celestia was immediately alert, “Tell me more,” The guard took a moment to breath, clearly having sprinted. He stood up straight, and began :”It’s-” He was interrupted by a magical force that flung him from the room. Each of the ponies present were on high alert, looking around for the source of the magic. The doors slammed shut. They all jumped at the sharp slam, before looking around even more frantically. “Show yourself!” Celestia commanded. Whatever was in the room took this in the opposite direction, however. Every light immediately went out, and every window became dark. “Princess, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, afraid. “I’m not sure, Twilight. Just stay calm, I will keep us safe.” A light came then from behind them. They all spun around, and watched as a circle of fire formed in the air, standing vertical. It separated into many smaller balls, and begun to spin. It’s rotations came faster, and it started to shrink. Eventually it compressed into one large fireball, burning higher than Celestia was tall. It was then that features started to form in the blaze. First, the arm of a lion. Then, the antler of a deer. Following that was the wing of a bat. And then, two yellow eyes gazed upon the ponies, the red pupils boring into them. The pyre disappeared then, replaced by a creature that seemed to be made of many others. “Oh, it is good to be back!” It said, its voice clearly male, “And so soon!” Celestia glared at him, and hissed “Discord.” Nightmare's EndWhen entering the dreams of another, one might expect some sort of transition, or journey. Such is not the case, as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash found. One moment, they were standing beside Princess Luna as a wave of magic swept over them, a tired feeling enveloping them. The next they were standing in the Everfree forest. “Wait, what?” Rainbow looked around at the eerie forest. “I thought we were going into Michael’s dream, not to the Everfree forest!” “Oh, I’m sure Princess Luna knows what she is doing, Dashie,” Fluttershy said. Luna looked at her surroundings for a moment. She hoofed at the ground a bit, and took in a deep breath of air. “We are most certainly in the human’s dream. It would seem that he is dreaming about the Everfree forest.” “Huh? I thought Twilight said he would be having good dreams. What kind of good dreams could be happening in this place?” the blue pegasus gave her princess a questioning look. The alicorn started to reply, but stopped when she spotted a familiar stone structure. “I believe the answers we seek will be found in there.” The two pegasi followed her gaze, and saw it. The old castle of the royal sisters, just as they remembered it. They shared a look, but followed their princess anyways as she walked towards the ruined building. Their hooves beat on the moss-ridden cobblestone as they sought any signs of Michael. It was peculiar, though, how quiet the environment was. The three ponies heard no sounds coming from the wildlife, only the steady tempo of their hooves. A breeze blew through the dilapidated castle as Fluttershy rounded a corner. The wind caused a bloodied rag to fly directly into her face, causing her to scream. “Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouted, yanking the rag off of her friend’s face. “You okay?” “Y-yeah,” the frightened pony took a few deep breaths. Luna, however, looked down at the cloth the rainbow-maned pegasus had tossed aside. It was torn in many places, but she could still discern a shape to it. It was larger than other examples of the same that she had seen, but the design was unmistakable anyways. On the ground before her lay a mostly shredded, blood soaked shirt just the size for a human. “Quickly,” she told the two ponies with her, “I believe the effects of Twilight Sparkle’s spell have had consequences far worse than we anticipated.” “Huh, what are you talking about Princess?” Dash asked her. “Look at this cloth, does its shape seem familiar to you?” Luna held the shirt in her magic. Both pegasi studied it, looking for what Luna had found. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in comprehension first, and she gasped. “M-Michael!” she exclaimed, “We have to find him!” Rainbow Dash realized what she was looking at after her friend’s exclamation, and was quick to agree. The princess dropped the destroyed shirt and they all nodded, taking off further into the castle. It was not long until they heard a new noise. It was soft, but still audible, sounding like someone was shouting. The new sound only added to their worry, and they renewed their pace. They flew around a corner, and burst into the large room where the Elements of Harmony had been found. Michael was there, at the end of the large room. He was curled up on the ground, sobbing once more. Standing above him was another human, one Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had only heard of. Her blonde hair was not in a bun as she had been described, but instead was allowed to flow down her back. She had been facing away, but upon hearing their hoofbeats she turned to face them, her jade eyes glaring angrily at the newcomers. “You,” she hissed, “What are you doing here?” All three stopped not far from her. Luna was the only one to remain standing, however. Fluttershy and Rainbow found themselves floored their jaws agape as they stared at the woman. “I-is that Jessie?” the speedy pegasus asked. “S-she looks just like Michael described her,” the yellow pegasus said. “Oh, the moron’s told you about me, has he?” the blonde woman sneered, “I bet he didn’t tell you everything.” “That is enough,” Luna stepped forward, ready to dispel the nightmare. Jessica turned to Luna, and marched directly in front of the alicorn. “You think you can just blast me with your magic and make me go away?” she questioned, pointing towards the princess’s glowing horn. “Well, it’s not that simple, you dumb horse. I realize that I’m just a dream of his! But I also know that that idiot over there will just keep on dreaming me up, night after night! And he deserves the punishments I give him, after what he did to me!” “Hey!” Rainbow shouted, rushing up to her, “You take that back!” “Take what back?” the woman looked directly into Rainbow Dash’s red eyes “The part about that moron over there, or about you three being dumb horses?” Dash’s face contorted in anger, and she made to strike Jessica. But the antagonistic human spoke first. “You think you’re so great? You’re nothing but an idiot who thinks her wings make her special! What have you done that’s so great? Nearly beat the crap out of Michael for being in mourning? Then nearly doing it again when it was clear that he was hurting? You are nothing but a dumb blue horse with wings who thinks she is more than she is. I don’t even know why you’re here, what help could you be? You can’t just hit your way out of this one.” “You will stop this, now.” Princess Luna stepped in, attempting to take control of the situation. Jessica turned to her, and spat “I don’t even know you, but I can tell that you belong here even less than the great rainbow failure over there. How could you help him? You think you can just waltz into someone’s head and fix everything because you have a horn and wings? You may look impressive, but I can see right through you. I’d bet that you’re nothing but a failure. You probably live in someone else’s shadow. You’re only here because you want to make yourself look better. You want to know how I know this? Because if you were important, that fuck up over there would have known you!” “You will be quiet!” Luna’s eyes shone with rage. “Oh, no, I’m not going to stop until I’m done. You came to me, so you just have to sit back and listen.” She turned to face Rainbow Dash, who had been attempting to sneak up on her. “And that means no surprise attacks.” She leaned to the side as Rainbow dove at her, causing the blue pegasus to collide with the princess. Jessica chuckled a bit as she faced Fluttershy. “You,” she grinned, “I’m going to have fun with you.” Before the cruel words could start, the scared pegasus shouted out “Michael, you need to get up! Please!” Her eyes caught his, and for a second she thought she saw a spark in them. But it was gone as soon as it came. The blonde woman began to laugh madly. “You think that sad sack of shit can help you now? He’s nothing but a crying mess because of me. And he deserved it, too. Oh, but you wouldn’t know, would you? Poor, innocent little Fluttershy, always trying to be nice to her friends. But what have they ever done for you? They dumped a strange creature you had never seen before on you, they expected you to house and feed him, and they never once even thanked you! And you just took it like the good little bitch you are. You deserve this more than the other two dipshits who came into this dream with you. With your annoying ass whimpering and your constant shyness. I would say I don’t know why your friends stay around you, but that would be a lie. I know exactly why. They can see just how sad and pathetic you are, and they take pity on you by letting you think you’re accepted. They act all nice to your face, but they’re secretly talking about you when you’re not around, I’m sure. They’re probably talking about the best way they can use you, because they know that you are too much of a wimp to say no! You should just go hide away in your home and die, because you certainly don’t belong anywhere else!” Fluttershy’s eyes began to water. Jessica’s comments had cut deep. She knew that what the woman had said wasn't true, but even as she told herself this the words felt hollow. She tried to stand up for herself, but she couldn’t. She just was not strong enough. The downtrodden pony sobbed, wondering if maybe Jessica was right. Not far from the ponies, Michael laid on the ground. The nightmare was the same as what he had been experiencing every night of his stay. But not even the night that it changed compared to what he was feeling then. With his emotions in full force, in addition to the condition he was in while awake Michael hadn’t even attempted to fight. Jessica had every right to say those things to him, he decided. And he did deserve every harsh word thrown at him. Then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had shown up, along with a pony he did not know. He didn’t pay them much attention, lost in his own misery. He heard his tormentor start to tear into his friends. “I should do something,” he thought, “I shouldn’t just stand back and let this happen.” “But what would I do?” he replied in his mind, “I would only make things worse. Just look at what I did to Jessie.” “That is entirely different,” his rational side returned, “Now man up!” “No! I’ll only wind up hurting them! There just isn’t any way for me to help without making things worse, I know it!” “How can I just sit back and watch as she hurts my friends like this though?” “Simple, I’m already doing it. It’s pointless to try, anyways. I have tried before to fight back at the nightmare, and it only ever makes things worse.” “What if this time is different though? What if I win this time?” “Seventy two examples to the contrary would beg to differ.” “Maybe I’m right. I hate to see it happen, but maybe there just isn’t anything I can do. “I may as well just roll over so I don’t have to see this.” Michael began to roll away from his friends, ready to accept defeat once again. But he caught Fluttershy’s gaze just before he did. Their eyes locked, two pairs of the same color. Both somehow managed to convey an amazing amount of pain, even though one sought help and the other sought solitude. He couldn’t do it, though. He knew what she was asking of him, but he could not help. His nightmare was simply too much for him to handle, they would have to fight it on their own. He faced away from his pony friends as Jessica’s cruel ranting carried on. He was ready to sink further into his own self pity, when he heard something. It was something tragic, something horrible. Something that he could not stand to hear, not again. He had already caused enough pain, why did he have to cause more? Fluttershy was crying, he knew that sound from just a few nights prior. But why did he have to cause it again? Why did he have to hurt everyone he cared about? “No,” he growled softly, “I can’t let this happen.” “I already went over this, though. There is nothing I can do, I’ve already tried and failed so many times before!” the frightened part of him thought in an attempt to keep him down. “Well, this time it’s not just me getting hurt, it’s my friend. And now, I refuse to let this happen.” Slowly, as Jessica, Luna, and Rainbow Dash argued at the brink of fighting, Michael stood. He grabbed his hat from where it had fallen on his way up, as he slowly stood straight. He placed it on his head, and turned to face his dead lover. “Hey!” he shouted, “They have nothing to do with this, your argument is with me.” Four sets of eyes snapped to him, each surprised. On his face was a look of determination, and a fire burned in his eyes. “Oh, so the murderer thinks he’s big stuff,” Jessica taunted, taking a step towards him. He in turn marched directly up to her, stopping when his face was only inches from hers. “You better listen, because I am not going to repeat myself.” He snarled, his friends almost unable to hear him. “What happened to you was not my fault. That monster that attacked us was not called by me. I did not let it attack you. You have no right to blame me for that tragedy. If you truly were Jessie, you would know this.” He didn’t know where the words were coming from, but they felt right. His righteous anger burned bright as he said “I would have given my life to save hers. But when that creature attacked, it could only choose one of us. It chose her, but I didn’t escape unscathed. When she shouted to me to run, I didn’t listen. I tried to save her, and paid the price.” He lifted his shirt, baring to them a wicked set of scars. Three lines trailed across the right side of his chest, just above his heart. The ponies gasped, but his nightmare only growled. “You think some stupid little scar makes up for what you did? You left me for dead, Michael. My death is on your hands, you should just accept it.” She was grasping for a hold by then, he could tell. He lowered his shirt once again, and continued “You are nothing but a bad dream. I see this now. You can’t do anything but blame me for Jessica’s death. I suppose that makes you a reflection of my own feelings. But I don’t need you anymore. I already blame myself every time I see that scar. That will stay with me for the rest of my days, of that I am certain. And every time I look in a mirror, I’ll see it, and think again of what I lost. But not of you, never again of you. You are not Jessica Reese, and I do not love you. Leave, you witch, and never bother me again!” Whatever he expected, Michael never would have foreseen her reaction. Rather than continue to fight him, or even any sort of violent reaction, she smiled. In that moment, Michael could have believed that Jessie was still alive and before him. He took in the gentle smile on her face, and gave a small one of his own without realizing it. “Good,” she took his face in her hands, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that.” “W-what?” he stuttered, “What are you talking about?” “It wasn’t until tonight that I did, but I wanted you to stand up to me. I may be a figment of your imagination, but tonight something inside of me felt more real. It was as if some outside force breathed life into me, but not enough. Michael, it wasn’t until you told me off that I could talk to you without being filled with all of that hate you felt. But tonight you overcame your fear, and made me stop. It was like all of those horrible emotions just flowed out of me when you did that. All that’s left is me, Jessica, your girlfriend.” Michael couldn’t believe his ears. What she said was just too incredible to be true. But looking into her beautiful jade irises, he knew that he didn’t care. Whatever brought her to him had his thanks. “Jessie,” his voice was filled with emotion, as tears once again welled in his eyes, albeit for a different reason. “Oh, Michael,” she whispered back. Then the two met in a passionate kiss. Time stood still as they held each other in their arms, and the outside world melted away. It did not matter that they were standing in a decayed castle in the middle of a dangerous forest, or even that three ponies watched on with varying expressions. All that mattered to the two lovers was the other, now that they could finally be together. When they finally separated, Michael saw something that nearly brought him to his knees. It was only for a brief instant, but it was there. Jessie had flickered, as if disappearing. “Jessie,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I know,” she held a finger to his lips before he could say anything else, “We both knew. There was no way we could just be together again. This is just a dream, and it’s time for you to wake up soon.” “But there was so much I wanted to say to you!” he cried, “So much that I never thought to before!” “I know, my love. I know. But there just isn’t time anymore.” Tears were falling from her eyes as well. Michael’s world was falling down around him. He had only just gotten her back, she couldn’t be leaving him again! But there was nothing he could do, and he knew it. He had just about resigned to his fate, when a thought crossed his mind. Reaching into his jacket, he told her “There is one thing I have to do before you’re gone.” The others all watched as he bent down on one knee, and took out a small velvet box. Snapping it open, he look directly into the eyes of dead lover. “Jessica Reese,” he said, “Would you marry me?” The blonde woman drew her hands to her face in a gasp, even as she faded even further away. She cried tears of joy as she nearly shouted, “Yes! I would! I love you so much, Michael!” He stood once more and wrapped her in his arms. It was nearly time, he could feel her disappearing in his embrace. They looked into each others eyes one last time, and their lips met. He felt her fade away, leaving an empty feeling in his arms. But despite this, he did not feel sadness. Instead, a sense of closure came over him, and he look to his friends. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy was still in shock at what she had just witnessed, “Are you okay?” And Michael Greenfield did something that he hadn’t done in a long time. His lips stretched across his face, and he gave the most genuine smile he had ever given in the land of Equestria. For once, his grin did not mask any feelings of hurt inside of him, instead it showed the joy he felt. He had finally overcome his nightmare, and could live again. “Yes, Fluttershy,” he said softly, “I’m just fine.” False ParadiseSunlight fell on Michael’s face as he awoke, the warmth of its rays gently coaxing him out of his slumber. He sat up in his bed, and looked out the window to his right. Outside, he saw the familiar sights of the city he lived in. Standing, he stretched out the kinks in his body. “I should have probably put something on before doing that in front of the window,” he muttered, hoping no one had seen him in his underwear. Slipping on a light blue robe that had been hanging on his closet door, he turned to face his room and took a deep breath. The walls were painted a shade of green to match his lovely fiance’s eyes, although the ceiling was white. Walking over to his simple wooden dresser, he picked up a framed picture. A happy grin adorned his face as he looked at the photo. It had been taken not long after he had finally returned home. It was amazing, really, the adventure he had been on. But then was not the time for him to reminisce on that. Soft footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor of his bedroom, and Michael turned just in time to receive a warm hug and a soft kiss. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, a loving expression on her face. “It is now,” he looked down to Jessie, and held her tight for a moment, in her plain white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. For some reason he couldn’t place, he felt like it was the first time in a long time he had ever had a chance to just hold her like that. “Oh, you sweet talker, you,” she pulled back a bit in his embrace, and smacked him lightly on his chest. “Come on, breakfast is waiting for you.” He hadn’t noticed it until then, but a delicious scent had drifted into his nose. “Am I smelling what I think I am?” he asked her as she led him on by the hand. “If you think you’re smelling cheese waffles, then yes.” Her voice was full of joy. “Oh, my favorite! Are you trying to butter me up, Jessie?” his grin became playful. “Now why would I need to do that?” she said with a raised eyebrow. “Well, let’s see. Last time you made me cheese waffles for breakfast, I had to spend three hours working on the sink because you plugged it.” Jessica had the good grace to look away as she blushed at that reminder. “You’re not so innocent yourself, mister,” she returned, “What about the time you brought me breakfast in bed because you broke that lamp my mother gave me?” He turned to face her as they walked into their immaculately white kitchen. “Hey, I fixed it!” “Michael, dear, duct tape can do a lot, but it can not hold together a shattered lamp.” She walked over to the kitchen counter where two plates of food awaited, as Michael sat down at their small table. “The kitchen sure is clean this morning. When did you find the time to do that?” Michael asked, just before digging into his breakfast. His blonde haired fiance sat down across from him, sliding a plate of his beloved cheese waffles to him. “What do you mean? The kitchen has always been this way.” Michael may have tried to push the matter, but when he looked into Jessie’s eyes all of his worries melted away. Nothing could possibly be wrong, not as long as he had her. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I love you,” he said in a dreamy tone. “I love you too,” she replied, holding his gaze. As the two ate, they talked about various things that weren’t too important. It was probably the best morning that Michael could remember since he had returned to his Earth. He paused for a moment, a piece of waffle halfway to his mouth, and just looked at Jessie. He noticed that she had her hair up in a familiar messy bun. The happy grin he had been wearing a moment earlier started to falter. She only wore her hair like that when she was working hard on something for her classes. “Jessie,” he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “Did you stay up all night working again?” She gave him a look that screamed “You caught me!” and said “I can’t get anything past you, can I?” “Nope,” his grin returned, “I’ve got eyes like a hawk.” “Yeah, and the stomach of a whale,” she giggled a bit and pointed to his plate. Michael looked down, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Somehow, his waffles were gone, even though he was rather certain that he was only about halfway through them. “Wow,” he sounded surprised, “I guess I was hungry. I didn’t even realize how fast I was eating.” “Well, after all that exercise last night, I’m not too amazed.” Jessie gave him a suggestive wink from the sink, where she had just finished washing her dishes. “I, wait, what?” he floundered, eyes open wide. His fiance never talked like that. Michael was always the one to make those kind of jokes, just to see the cute blush on her face. He might have tried to question her about her odd behavior, but she was already up and headed out of the kitchen. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed him. He caught her gaze as she passed, and once again his worries disappeared. His life was not perfect, but it was about as close as anyone could be. He had a beautiful fiance, a nice apartment, and a great job. How could anything be wrong? Shaking his head to dispel any remaining conflict, Michael stood and took care of his dishes. He caught his reflection in the small window over their sink. His robe had slipped a bit on his shoulder, and the tip of a scar was showing. He set down the plate in his hands, and opened his robe to look at the three lines that marred the skin of his chest. How long had it been since he had received those scars? The exact date was hazy in his mind, but he was sure that it hadn’t been more than a year. He caught himself smiling as he remembered the incredible adventure he had been on. Sure, there had been quite a few hard times, but in the end everything turned out just fine. He defeated the villain, saved all of Equestria, and even got to go home to the life he thought he had lost. His smile became melancholic as his thoughts turned towards the friends he had left behind. He would never forget those six ponies who took him in when he had nowhere to go. Those wonderful mares who showed friendship to a creature that they had never seen before. He found himself leaving the kitchen and heading towards the small living room in his home. Jessie came out of their bedroom, fully dressed and ready for the day. She was headed towards the door, when she spotted the expression Michael had on. “Is everything alright?” she had a concerned look on her face. The dark haired man looked deeply into her lovely green eyes. His mood brightened a bit, and he wrapped her tightly in a hug. “Everything is just fine. I was just thinking about the girls back in Equestria.” Jessie returned the embrace, and said to him “Well, don’t dwell on them too much. You know they wouldn’t want you to be so sad.” He rubbed his hand across her back, feeling the smooth fabric of her sundress. “I know,” he agreed, “I just wonder what they’re doing right now.” “Well,” the blonde woman pressed off of him a bit and looked up to meet his eyes, “I bet they’re doing what they normally do, all of them wishing you the best.” Michael chuckled a bit, and his mellow voice echoed throughout the room. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Who knows, maybe Fluttershy is feeding her animals and wondering what I am doing.” “Maybe,” she agreed, “And if she were to find out, would you want her to know that you’re moping about?” “No, of course not,” he gave her a quick kiss, “Thanks, Jessie, I needed that.” “Anytime,” they let go of each other as she said that, “Now, I need to get going. I don’t want to be late!” Her husband-to-be exaggerated a shudder, and said, “No, you do not. We don’t need another one of your episodes.” “Oh, stop it.” She playfully smacked his shoulder, already halfway out the door. “See you later, love,” he kissed her again, longer than before, “Good luck at school!” “I don’t need luck, I’m just that good!” she laughed. Michael watched her walk away, bookbag bobbing on her hip. He closed the door, still beaming. Walking over to their small couch, he plopped down and leaned back, totally relaxed. He could hear the sounds of the city outside of his window, the constant thrum relaxing him in its familiarity. The morning was definitely the best one he could remember having in a long time. Even as his thoughts returned to the pony friends he had left behind, his mood did not fall. Jessie was right, they wouldn’t want to see him sad. And he felt the same way. He missed them very much, but still felt at peace. Life was great to him, almost as if it were trying to repay him for all the strife he had been through. Leaning his head back in relaxation, Michael uttered a short sentence. “Wherever you are, my friends, I hope you know that I love you. Each and every one of you helped me out when I had nothing, and because of that you are the best friends anyone, human or pony, could have. I wish you only the best of luck.” Yes, after many times of hardship and sorrow, Michael Greenfield had finally found happiness. And life could not be better for him. His reverie was broken by a sharp knocking coming from his door. Standing, he quickly dashed to his room. “Just a moment!” he shouted, frantically looking for clothing. He certainly wouldn’t want to answer the door in a robe and his underwear. He thought he heard a familiar female voice reply. Had Jessie come back for something? No, she wouldn’t have knocked. Maybe she forgot her key, though. But she never forgot her key, she was careful not to do things like that. But if it was not her, then who could be knocking at his door? He didn’t have any female friends that would be showing up at his house unannounced. Rather than continue to ramble, he slipped on a well worn green t-shirt and jeans. He walked back to the door, and found himself wishing he had a peephole. Without one, he had to settle for pressing his ear against the door and hoping whoever was out there would speak. “Are you sure this is where he is?” a boyish voice asked. For some reason, that voice unnerved him. “Yes, I am always aware of where the dreamer is.” The second voice didn’t sound familiar, but her words did nothing to calm his nerves. What she said didn’t make any sense, though. There were a few more words, but Michael had already drawn away from the door. He did not know why he felt he should know who was on the other side, but he did know that there was only one way to find out. Opening the door, he said “Hello?” before looking at who he had just greeted. When he saw who he was speaking to, Michael felt a mixture of emotions. First, he was confused. How could they be here? It didn’t make any sense, they should be at home, living happily ever after. Then, he felt excitement. His friends had somehow found a way to visit him! It was amazing! He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. It was peculiar, though, how quickly he transitioned away from his confusion. Lastly, the nervousness he had felt just a moment ago still burned in him. He shouldn’t have been nervous, they were his friends! There was nothing to be nervous about. Maybe he was just anxious because it was the first time they had seen his home. “Yeah,” Michael thought, “I just want my home to make a good impression.” It occurred to him that he was lucky Rarity hadn’t come to visit him. “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What are you doing here? How are you here?” his voice clearly showed his excitement. “This is amazing! I can’t belie-” he had begun, before he saw the third pony before him, “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” The tallest pony extended a dark blue hoof in greeting, “It is nice to finally meet you, Michael Greenfield. I am princess Luna, my sister has told me much about you.” The way Luna spoke felt almost like she wasn’t certain of her words. “Oh, so you’re the Princess of the Night. It’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, shaking her outstretched hoof. When he touched her, though, it was as if a small shock went through him. Almost as if there was something his was supposed to remember. He dismissed it as nothing more than static electricity. “Where are my manners,” he shook his head, opening the door wider, “Come in! You girls have to tell me how you got here!” Their hooves clacked on the hardwood floor as they entered his home. He directed them towards his living room, and asked “Would you like something to drink?” Rainbow looked like she about to take him up on that offer, but when Luna shook her head the speedy pegasus sat down on the soft, blue carpet instead. When the other two followed her lead, Michael sat opposite them in a simple brown armchair his mother had given him. “Now,” he said to them, leaning forward and steepling his hands,”You three need to tell me just how you got here.” The ponies all looked at each other for a moment, uncertain looks on their faces. A series of looks passed between them, a whole conversation silently communicated. “Look, Michael,” Rainbow Dash began, giving the human a serious look, “You’re-” Whatever she was about to say was cut off as Fluttershy frantically said “Not going to believe how we got here!” Slowly, Rainbow turned her head to give her yellow friend a wide eyed gaze. Even Luna looked surprised. But Michael seemed unphased, for the most part. “Sounds interesting!” Michael said, leaning forward in his seat, “I can’t wait to hear it.” Rainbow Dash, however, had other ideas. She dragged Fluttershy and Luna out of the room, quickly saying “We’ll be right back.” Michael looked a little confused, but he trusted his friends. So he didn’t object when Rainbow nearly dragged her two companions out of the room. Instead, he sat up a little straighter and started to think. Around the corner and inside Michael’s kitchen, the ponies were busy. “Fluttershy, what was that?” Dash asked, eyes still wide. “I-I, oh,” the timid pony began, retreating behind her mane, “I don’t think we should just suddenly tell him that he’s dreaming. He looks so happy, I don’t want to ruin that for him.” “Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, “He has to know! We can’t just leave him in here, we need him!” Luna watched as her two subject went back and forth, neither gaining any ground. Perhaps it was time for her to intervene. “Rainbow Dash,” Luna’s voice was firm, “Fluttershy is right. We can not simply break Michael from this dream. If we are not gentle, he may not be able to accept that he is dreaming. And if he cannot do that, then he may not awaken.” Fluttershy didn’t come out from behind her mane, but she did ease up a bit. Rainbow, though, gave her princess an astounded look. “But we need to get back out there, fast! We don’t know what could be happening!” Dash protested. “I know this,” Luna told her, “Which is why I believe I should be the one to handle this matter.” The two pegasi looked as if they might object, one more so than the other, but backed down when they saw Luna’s commanding expression. “Alright, princess,” Rainbow Dash hung her head, while Fluttershy nodded a bit. With a nod, Luna led them out of the glimmering white kitchen and back to Michael. Once inside his living room once more, they noticed that he was busy with a shiny disc and a black, square device. Hearing their hooves clacking, Michael turned around. “Oh, you’re back!” he said, a grin on his face, “I was just thinking that since you’re on my Earth, you should experience some Earth stuff! It took me a bit, but I decided on some music, and I knew the perfect song to play for you three!” With that, he placed the disc in a tray on the top of the box, closed the lid, and pressed a button on its side. A few more button presses later, the music began. As the first few chords played, all four sat down. Luna looked as she were about to speak, but stopped when she heard the first words of the song. As it played, all she could think was “This song is actually quite good.” She could see that Rainbow Dash seemed to like it, but Fluttershy looked uncertain. Shaking her head to refocus her thoughts, Luna looked Michael in the eye. “Michael Greenfield,” she began, “There is something important that I must tell you.” She paused for a moment, to ensure that he was listening. “Equestria needs you Michael Greenfield. You must come with us, now. We do not have much time.” Michael’s eyes widened, and Luna could only hope that she hadn’t made a mistake. Luna was attempting to get Michael to agree, so that he would already feel that he needed to help when she revealed that he was dreaming. “If only his memories of the nightmare were intact,” she thought. A moment passed, in which no one moved. Then Michael sprung up and said “Well, what are we waiting for? I saved Equestria once, I can do it again!” The ponies watched as Michael burst into action, moving quickly around his modest apartment. He was picking up objects and setting them back down almost at random, muttering various things to himself. Soon enough, he had a black backpack in hand, and was rushing about stuffing it with anything he thought could be even remotely useful. “Michael,” Rainbow Dash said, raising a hoof towards him. But he kept moving, frantically trying to gather his things. “Michael?” Fluttershy tried, her voice barely audible over the music that was still playing. Her voice had no discernable effect on Michael’s rushed searching, however. “Michael Greenfield!” Luna made good use of her Royal Canterlot Voice, finally catching Michael’s attention. It also had the effect of knocking over several small objects, including the stereo, which promptly stopped playing. “Oh, sorry! Did you have something else you needed to say?” Michael scratched the back of his head and grinned, trying not to seem too embarrassed. “Michael,” Luna’s voice softened, “There is something else you must know. I would recommend that you sit down for this.” “Okay,” he replied slowly, trepidation evident in his voice. Fluttershy watched as Luna took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had to say. She knew that what her princess was about to say would be hard for Michael. No, hard wasn’t the right word. The kind pegasus may not have been in Michael’s second dream for long, and she wasn’t certain she fully understood how that was possible, but she knew that something was different about Michael. It was in the way he moved and spoke. It was as if he had been carrying a heavy weight, but it had finally been removed. And Fluttershy knew exactly what that weight was. Dread filled her as she realized that soon enough, the happiness that Michael was exuding would go away. That soon enough, his burden would be returned to his shoulders. It was for this reason that Fluttershy held up a hoof to stop Luna from speaking. “Princess,” she said, her voice as confident as she could make it, “I want to be the one to tell him.” Luna looked as if she were going to object, but didn’t when she saw the steely gaze Fluttershy was giving her, she nodded her head and allowed her subject to speak. Rainbow and Luna watched as Fluttershy walked closer to Michael, and placed a hoof on his hand. “Michael,” her voice was soft and caring, a perfect match to its speaker, “What I am about to say isn’t a good thing. I wish that I didn’t have to say it. I wish that I could be at home, curled up in bed with my teddy bear.” Michael gave Fluttershy a small grin as he imagined the adorable pegasus wrapped up in her blankets, stuffed animal in hoof. “But, I can’t,” she continued, “So, please listen. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just have to do my best to be gentle.” She took a deep breath, and let it out. Her confidence was wavering, but she knew that she had to hold it, for the sake of her friends. “Michael,” she looked straight into eyes, “You’re dreaming right now. I’m sorry, but Twilight cast a spell on you to give you a good dream, and it went wrong. We had to come into your dream with Princess Luna to wake you up, otherwise you may never have. We already brought you out of your nightmare, but now we have to take you from your good dreams. I’m so sorry,” her voiced descended as she finished, and her courage finally fell. Before returning to her timid behavior, however, Fluttershy took one last look into Michael’s eyes. What Fluttershy saw nearly broke the timid pegasus’s heart. It was as if all of the pain Michael had felt in the waking world had suddenly flooded into him, forcing any remaining happiness out. He stared past the ponies and off into space, the truth forcing its way back into his mind. He took a shuddering breath, and whispered “What happened?” “Michael?” Rainbow asked, approaching the human slowly. “What happened?” he repeated with more force. “What do you mean?” Luna asked, not moving herself. “I-I was in that nightmare. But then you three showed up, and all of that crazy stuff happened. And then I-” Michael’s voice broke, but he took a breath and continued, “I proposed to Jessie. Then she faded away, and I was okay with it because I knew that I couldn’t bring her back.But then I wake up this morning in this perfect world, where Jessie is alive, I saved the day, and everyone is supposed to be happy. How is that possible?” “Well, when Twilight Sparkle cast her spell, your mind didn’t react well. Instead of both aspects of her spell occurring at once, they happened separately. First, you were put to sleep, where you experienced your nightmare. Then, instead of waking up, her magic forced you to remain asleep, where you experienced this fake paradise,” Luna explained, hoping that Michael’s regained memories would calm him. “And now you’re telling me that this isn’t real? That my happily ever after can’t be real? That I have to give all of this up? Why?” Michael looked to his friends. “Why what?” Rainbow asked, now sitting beside Michael, trying to be consoling. “Why did this have to happen? Why to me? Why couldn’t I have just stayed in this dream? Why couldn’t this have been real!” Michael’s voice grew in volume as he continued, “Why can’t I have a happy ending?” “I wish I could just go back to the way I was before.” Michael’s eyes were pointed straight down as he softly spoke. “No!” both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy spoke at once. “You can’t go back to that!” Rainbow started, “Look at what happened to you!” “I know!” Michael’s voice had a hard edge, “But at least if I could do that, everything would be easier.” “B-but Michael,” Fluttershy joined in, “You were hardly living at all like that. Please, we’re your friends, you can’t shut us out like that again.” “I know!” Michael shouted. “I know,” he softly repeated. “Michael, you can do this! Just come with us, and Luna will have us back in the real world in no time!” Rainbow did her best to convince him. In his mind, Michael was conflicted. On one hand, he finally had paradise. If what he understood correctly, he could stay in his paradise forever, and never have to face the real world again. But then he would be abandoning his friends. And there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t remember that it was a dream, which would only tarnish any happiness he might feel in the dream. His choices, it seemed, were to either abandon his happy ending to dive back into the world he had left, or stay in his paradise and leave his new friends to their fate. The ponies watched as he slowly stood, and looked to each of them. In his mind, a memory was replaying. The memory left him with a phantom sensation in his arms. In his mind, he was reliving the moment that he had held his love in his arms as she faded away. As he thought of how much he missed her, he wasn’t certain he could leave the dream. The memory came to an end, and with it came a new emotion. He remembered what he had felt as his nightmare finished. The joy that had coursed through him as he told Fluttershy that he was fine. And it was then that his decision came to him, and with it came not an end to his sorrow, but rather a road through. “Princess Luna,” Michael said, his voice strong, “How do we get out of this dream?” It took Luna, and for that matter Rainbow and Fluttershy, a moment to register Michael’s question. Each reacted in their own way as they realized that Michael would be returning to reality with them. “Yeah!” Rainbow cheered, popping into the air and quickly hugging Michael, “I knew you wouldn’t ditch us!” Fluttershy didn’t move as energetically, instead she simply smiled for her friend. He had done the right thing, and she couldn’t be happier. Luna simply nodded and said “Take my hoof, and I will return us to reality.” Michael did as he was instructed. He watched as the princess’s horn started to glow, and a wave of magic swept over him. His body felt light as the world around him faded into darkness. As his dream disappeared, Michael came to a realization. “This wasn’t paradise. Paradise doesn’t mean a perfect world. It means a world where everyone does the right thing. And just being here was wrong for me.” He closed his eyes and smiled. “Look out Equestria, Michael Greenfield is coming back.” The Death of Michael Greenfield“Well now that’s just plain rude, talking to me like that.” Discord was stretching his limbs vigorously, “I haven’t even done anything yet.” He rubbed his chin for second, mumbling “I should fix that.” Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all stayed behind Celestia, unsure of what to do. “Discord,” Celestia repeated, taking a firm stance for spellcasting, “Leave.” Discord actually froze upon hearing that. It was a rare occurrence that the Spirit of Chaos was surprised, and then was the only time in hundreds of years. “Well,” Discord stood straight and walked directly in front of Celestia, “I wasn’t expecting that.” “Don’t make me repeat myself,” Celesta warned, her horn starting to glow. The draconequus didn’t look intimidated in the least. Instead, a confident grin grew on his face, and he leaned down so his eyes were only inches from Celestia’s. “You’re bluffing,” he sounded as if he had just received birthday presents for every year that had passed while he was imprisoned. “I’m so proud, you’re finally starting to embrace the chaos!” Discord snapped up and tossed his arms in the air, “Come ‘ere, you!” Now, in most situations of this nature the temperature would lower. Most of the time it wasn’t literal, but in Equestria it wasn’t uncommon that a unicorn unconsciously altered their surrounding. However, the power of a normal unicorn could hardly compare to that of Princess Celestia. So, when Discord wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, the magic she had gathered was accidentally released. But instead of cooling the room, for a moment it felt as if the room were suddenly transported to a blazing desert at high noon. The heat was oppressive, and only Discord and Celestia seemed unaffected. When Discord finally let go, he looked at all of the currently conscious ponies. An elation grew in him steadily as he saw the stunned expressions on all of their faces, and came to a head when he realized that Celestia still had not moved. She was only moving her mouth up and down slowly, as if trying to form a sentence that refused to come out. “This whole time,” Discord said, a giddy smile plastered on his features, “All I had to do was hug them? This is just too good!” Just as he was going in for a Pinkie Pie hug, however, he was blasted across the room by a bolt of searing energy, courtesy of Princess Celestia. “Never do that again,” she growled, nostrils flaring. Celestia shook her head and regained her composure. It was then that she realized just where she had inadvertently sent Discord. The sight of a draconequus holding Michael Greenfield like a stuffed animal was not one that would be easily removed from any pony’s mind. “Get off of him!” Twilight shouted, finally jumping into the fray. “Oh, but I only just got him!” Discord sounded like a petulant child, “You’d make me give up my new teddy bear so soon?” “He ain’t no teddy bear!” Applejack jumped in beside Twilight. “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at Discord, “And if he was, you wouldn’t get to hold him first!” “Oh, then who would?” Discord asked, once again surprising the ponies. “W-what?” Twilight was the first to recover. “You heard me,” Discord told her, “If he was a teddy bear, who would be the first to hold him?” “Discord, enough!” Celestia stomped a foot, trying to retake control of the situation. “But I really want an answer!” Discord sat up on the bed, rolling Michael onto his side. “It’s clear that you ponies care about this,” he paused, and looked at Michael, “You know, I’ve never seen one of these? What is he?” Rather than answer, Celestia and the remaining elements glared at him. “You’re not going to tell me?” Discord tapped a finger to his chin, “More fun for me, I guess.” Suddenly, the Spirit of Chaos was pacing back in forth in front of them, a pipe spewing bubbles held in the hand that had been on his chin. “It’s obvious that he is important to you,” he said, “You gave that away as soon as I landed on that bed.” “Discord,” Celestia glared at him, “I’m warning you.” “Come now, Celestia, no need for that. I’m just solving the puzzle you gave me.” Discord stopped and faced her, “In fact, I better disarm all of you, just to play it safe.” And with a snap of his eagle like fingers, Celestia, Twilight, and Rarity found themselves missing some important appendages. After that, taking advantage of their surprise, Discord conjured a cage around them. “Much better,” he said, “Now, no more interruptions.” “Discord!” Pinkie Pie shouted, sounding very much like a disapproving mother, “You let us out right now, young man!” Rather than listen, Discord snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a glowing red arrow appeared in the air in front of Pinkie, and attached to her mouth. Then, it somehow detached her mouth, and deposited it in a tiny metal garbage can. Even Discord took a moment to absorb that. “I’m not sure why I did that,” he told them, “I just got the feeling that was supposed to happen right around now, anyways.” With a shrug, the draconequus blew a few bubbles from his pipe, ignoring Pinkie’s muffled cries. “Now, where was I?” he restarted, “Oh yes, the mysterious creature on the bed.” “Now, I’ve never seen anything like him before. And I know every species on this planet, and even a few that aren’t. So when I say I’ve never seen anything like him before, you know that he is something not from around here. I could just jump into any one of your minds and take the information, but this is more fun.” Discord turned around and paced back towards the bed, “Now, he is also sleeping pretty soundly. I take pride in being able to wake most anything up with just my presence, so he’s probably in a magically induced sleep. Of course, somepony cast a spell on him without thinking about the fact that it would affect him differently. So, he’s essentially in a magic coma.” Twilight tried to hide a blush as Discord effortlessly picked apart what had happened. This did not go unnoticed by the would-be detective. “I should have known it was you, Twilight. Always trying to help, even when you’re not sure of what you are doing.” Discord looked back to the bed and the sleeping human, when he noticed the edge of Luna’s mane. “Oh, what is this?” he asked, walking around the bed, “Some ponies sleeping now of all times?” He looked at Twilight and grinned, “Or are they just trying to fix your silly mistake?” “Discord, I swear if you don’t let us outta here, I’ll buck you so hard you’ll be feelin’ it even after we turn you back inta a hunk of rock!” Applejack shouted, pulling at the bars. “As if you could even do that right now,” Discord grinned once again, “Not only are you down two elements, you’re stuck in that cage! So sit down and listen while I tell you what I’m going to do. Because I have this all figured out now.” “Tell us, then,” Celestia did her best to calm down, “What are you going to do?” “Simple,” he snapped his fingers and his pipe disappeared, “I’ll be riding along in your friend’s body for a while.” Once again, Discord did not fail to surprise. Each of the caged ponies’ jaws nearly hit the floor. Even Celestia gasped and widened her eyes. Chuckling, Discord continued, “You see, I can tell that something else is going on here. You’ve got an alien in the royal palace, you sound even more annoyed to see me than usual, and I am pretty sure the elements of harmony aren’t supposed to be grey.” All of the awake element bearers took an involuntary glance at their element, before returning their gazes to Discord. “So, I can do pretty much whatever I want.” Discord’s smile was coming close to splitting his face. And when the Avatar of Chaos does that, it has a tendency to be literal. This time was no exception, as his head seemed to open on a hinge, and a grey smoke poured out. His body disappeared into the smog, and it hovered over to Michael’s unconscious form. “Oh,” Discord’s voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, “You should probably not tell him. Or do, it doesn’t matter to me.” The smoke suddenly flew into Michael’s slightly open mouth. It only took a few seconds to disappear into his body, and when it did there was no trace that Discord had ever been in the room. Nothing in the room moved. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Luna, and Michael were still asleep. The others were too stunned to move. It was Twilight who finally broke the silence, and said “Princess, how are we going to get out of this cage?” Before Celestia could answer, Michael’s hand shot into the air, held in a fist. It moved sideways so his thumb was facing them, and Discord’s eyes appeared on his index finger. “Oops, almost forgot about that,” they heard him say. Michael’s thumb moved up and down like a jaw as Discord spoke. Michael’s hand opened, and his fingers snapped. The cage disappeared, and the ponies were restored to their normal forms. “Now,” Michael’s hand had clenched again, and Discord was speaking, “Entertain me.” The ponies watched as Michael’s hand dropped, as if it were on a string that had just been cut. “Princess, what do we do now?” Twilight’s voice had a tinge of fear. Celestia did not answer. Twilight walked forward and looked to her mentor’s face, asking again “Princess?” The Princess seemed to shake her head imperceptibly. “Twilight,” Celestia said, turning to face her subjects, “Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie. What we now face is a situation unlike any other. Now more than ever I ask all of you to place your trust in me.” Applejack was the first to reply. “Well, o’ course we’ll trust you, Princess!” “Yeah! You’re, like, the most super-amazing-fantastic pony in the whole kingdom!” Pinkie Pie’s excited demeanor put a smile on the monarch’s face. “Why, if we couldn’t trust you, who could we trust?” Rarity added. Twilight walked closer to Celestia, and looked directly into her face. “What do you need us to do, Princess?” A smile spread across Celestia’s lips. “I’m so proud of you, my little ponies,” she said to them. It looked as if she were going to continue, but she was interrupted by a groan. “Oh, my head,” Michael said, pulling a pillow over his head, “Fluttershy, do I have to wake up already? Can’t the animals wait?” No one spoke for a moment. Finally, the silence was broken by an excited shout. “Michael!” Pinkie Pie rushed to his side on the bed, wrapping him a powerful hug. Michael was taken by surprise, a fact that was not so itself, considering the nature of Pinkie. “Pinkie!” he gasped, his face turning red, “Air!” “Oops!” Pinkie blushed, releasing him, “Sorry!” Michael sat up in the bed, and looked around. He saw all of his friends gathered around him, even Fluttershy and Rainbow. The last two, Luna included, were still working the sleep out of their bodies when he saw them. His face was unreadable, so much that for a moment the others worried that he had somehow regressed. The looks on their faces were starting to make Michael worried himself. “What?” his expression broke, and he did his best to sound like nothing was wrong, “Do I have something on my face?” None of them moved, except for Michael. He was stretching his arms over his head, when he found his face becoming acquainted with a pillow. “Rainbow!” Twilight scolded, looking to her friend, “Apologize!” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and was about to speak. However, she found herself on the receiving end of a pillow assault. Twilight looked straight at Michael, who was simply sitting on the bed, doing his best to seem inconspicuous. He was also failing, miserably. “Michael!” Twilight sounded very much like a disapproving teacher, “Not you too!” Rather than answer, Michael whistled a random tune as one hand slowly crept behind his back. He made sure to keep his eyes facing Twilight as he did so. “Hah!” he shouted, whipping the bed’s second pillow out and blocking the other, “Deflected!” However, rather than the look of disappointment he expected, Rainbow Dash looked horrified. He glanced quickly around, and realized that the others had the same expression on their faces. Although Luna seemed to have slinked off. Michael followed her gaze, and saw exactly why she seemed so scared. Standing beside Twilight, in the same direction that he had sent the pillow flying, was Princess Celestia. She also had a pillow held in her magic, hardly an inch from her face. It was the same pillow that Rainbow had thrown and Michael had blocked. “O-okay,” Twilight’s voice was filled with anxiety, “I think you two should apologize, quickly, befor-” Whatever Twilight was going to say was interrupted. The looks of horror on their faces turned to shock upon seeing Princess Celestia throw a pillow at her own student. “Oh, lighten up Twilight!” Celestia said. She looked at her subject’s expressions of total shock, and held a hoof in front of her mouth as she giggled. She took a step back, and her horn glowed for a moment. A second passed, and a large pile of pillows appeared before her, summoned from elsewhere in the castle. “Have fun!” Celestia told them as she trotted out of the room. “I- bu- wha-?” Twilight’s mind seemed to have come to a grinding halt, as she repeated the same three syllables. “Alright!” Rainbow shouted, dashing to the large pile of pillows, “Let’s do this!” Outside the room, Celestia and Luna stood together, listening to the sounds of laughter as the pillow fight started. “Sister,” Luna looked up to meet Celestia’s gaze, “I do not understand. Why did you do that?” “Because,” she began, turning and walking away, “Sometimes a little fun can go a long way. And right now, that is just what they need.” It was later that night when the largest pillow fight the royal castle had ever seen since Celestia and Luna were children themselves ended. It took some time for the participants to stop laughing at their fun, some more than others, but eventually they all stood and walked away. It would not be difficult for the ponies to find rooms, it was one of the advantages to being so close to the Princess. Soon enough, Michael sat alone on his bed, looking out a window across the room. It was amazing, he thought, how the ponies were so easily able to have fun, despite the impending situation with Balance. Thoughts of the mysterious villain reminded Michael of several things. First and foremost was just whose voice he had heard. “Jessie,” he whispered, “I just don’t know what is going on.” Michael ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. Slipping his legs over the edge of the bed, Michael stood. He grabbed his coat from where it had been left on a dresser, and walked out of the room. His bare feet made almost no noise on the cold stone of the castle floors as he walked. Michael wandered without purpose, taking corners on whims. He paid no attention to his path, however. His eyes were firmly set to the ground as he walked, his mind flooded with thoughts. There were just so many mysteries before him. How had he come to Equestria? How was it they shared a language? Just who was Balance? Was she actually Jessie, or some malevolent force native to Equestria? But the question that plagued him above all others was at the same time more simple, and the hardest question he had ever faced. “Why am I here?” he asked. It was a question that he knew had no easy answer. Even in the literal sense of why he was in Equestria, he could divine to answer. Michael found himself standing on a balcony, high above the city of Canterlot. A cool night breeze took hold of his jacket, the bottom swaying to his right. He let out a deep sigh, and leaned forward on the railing. “You know, you look funny without your hat.” Michael turned, but did not find the source of the voice. It had sounded familiar, but he had been so deep in his thoughts that just who was speaking escaped him. “What the?” he scratched his head, turning fully around. “Who said that?” Michael asked, looking around. “I’m your conscious,” the voice said, “I just thought that you should know that Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pegasus ever.” Michael smacked a hand to his forehead, and turned back around, this time looking up to see a friendly face. “Rainbow,” he said, looking straight into the playful pegasus’s eyes, “I should have known it was you.” “That’s okay,” she said, landing beside him, “My awesomeness has been known have funny effects on others. You may not want to stand too close.” She brushed him playfully with a wing, as if to move him away for his own good. “Oh, of course. I wouldn’t want to overdose on your sheer awesomeness.” Michael made a point to move away. The two friends laughed at each other, sharing in the moment of happiness. Their mirth died down eventually, and Michael found himself once again looking out over Canterlot from the balcony, marveling at the large pony city. “So,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering up to Michael’s eye level, “Why are you out here?” “I could ask you the same thing,” Michael replied, turning his head to face her. “I couldn’t sleep, not after that nap I took pulling your sorry flank out of that magic coma,” Rainbow gave him a confident grin. “I see,” Michael flashed her a knowing grin, “And it has nothing to do with all the naps you take regularly anyways?” “What, no! Of course not!” Rainbow waved a hoof at him, and they both laughed a bit more at each other’s antics. Soon enough, Michael’s mind once again returned to his many questions. As he looked out into the soft lights of Canterlot at night, his mind swirled. “Okay, seriously.” Rainbow moved in closer to Michael’s face, “Something is on your mind. What’s up?” Michael considered for a moment trying to direct her away from the question. But as he looked at her face, he saw only concern. He couldn’t hide the truth from her, and he knew it. It was amazing, really, how much he had come to trust her so quickly. “Alright,” Michael said, hanging his head, “I’ll talk.” When he remained silent for a moment, Rainbow shifted her position so her forelegs were crossed. She tapped a hoof on the leg underneath it, and said, “Well?” “Geez, alright!” Michael held his hand up in a placating gesture, “Give me a second!” Michael took a breath in a let it out before speaking. “I’m just confused, Rainbow. That’s all. I have so many questions, and not enough answers.” “Like what?” Dash asked. “Well, for one, I want to know just how I got here. All I remember is going on a picnic with Jessie. It was a beautiful day, and I had even planned to propose to her. The next thing I know, I’m waking up in Equestria, running through the forest. I don’t even fully remember that first day here, I was too frightened to think straight. On top of that was Jessie’s death, at the hands of a monster I thought was fake. I just- I don’t know what is going on.” Michael grabbed the sides of his head in frustration. “And now, some crazy person, or pony, or whatever, is threatening to destroy Equestria. And whoever they are, they are using Jessie’s voice. I’m scared, Dash, I don’t know what to do.” Rainbow wrapped a hoof around his shoulder, still hovering beside him. “What happened to that confidence you had in the dream?” she asked. “I don’t know!” Michael cried, his hands gripping the balcony rail hard enough to make his knuckles white. “I just don’t know! I guess all I really gained from that was the certainty that Jessie isn’t Balance. She can’t be, Jessie, my Jessie. There’s no way. I just wish I could find some answers.” And then Rainbow Dash asked one simple question. One easy, obvious, and clear question. She asked, “Well, why can’t you?” Michael suddenly relaxed, a stunned expression on his face. “What did you just say?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just asked why you couldn’t find some answers. What’s stopping you?” Rainbow repeated, moving back a bit. “Rainbow! You’re a genius!” Michael suddenly shouted, wrapping the pegasus in a tight hug. “Well, I’m no Twilight, but I do have my moments,” Rainbow accepted the compliment just as she usually would. “Could you let me go now? I kind of need air,” she added in a gasp, struggling in Michael’s grasp. “Oh, right, sorry,” Michael released her, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Rainbow took a seat on the floor of the balcony, and listened. “Anyways,” Michael’s voice was full of excitement, “I know just where to find some answers! The only problem is how to get there.” He held his chin in his index finger and thumb, thinking hard on the task at hand. “How to get where?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow. “To the Everfree Forest! Right back to where it all began!” Michael was pacing back and forth at this point, clearly excited. Michael continued to pace. Rainbow simply sat back and trailed him with her eyes, not sure of what to do. She settled for doing her best to help solve the problem. “I got it!” Rainbow shouted, thrusting a hoof into the air, “We can steal a sky chariot!” “What?” Michael asked, clearly confused. “A sky chariot! The royal guard uses them all the time. We can just sneak in and borrow one, I should be able to pull you there by myself.” Rainbow started towards the door to the balcony, already out by the time Michael caught up to her. “Hey wait up!” he called, “Are you sure we should just be taking one of those sky chariots like this? Shouldn’t we ask someone?” “I’m sure Princess Celestia won’t mind. Besides, we’ll bring it right back! And you need answers, which we won’t be able to find without it!” “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow, and get the others in on this,” Michael sounded hesitant. “Michael,” Rainbow Dash turned and flew up to his face, “If we do things that way, we’ll be lucky to get there in the next week! As much as I love my friends, sometimes you just have to get things done. So, are you going to do this or not?” Michael didn’t know what to say. At first, his doubt started to overtake him, and he almost backed down. But he realized that Rainbow Dash was right. If he waited, there was no guarantee that he would have the courage to do it again. It was just something that he had to do. “Alright,” he nodded his head, “Let’s go.” “That’s what I like to hear. Now, come on, I think they’re this way,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned a corner. Michael was behind her, so he had no idea what was going on when she suddenly jumped back, looking very much as though they had been caught. A second later, he found out that this was true. Michael watched as a familiar yellow pegasus walked forward, driving Rainbow back as she did so. “What are you two doing?” Fluttershy asked, her voice filled with concern. “N-nothing!” Rainbow tried to cover their actions. “Don’t lie to me, Rainbow. I heard you two talking just a bit ago, I know that you’re up to something.” Fluttershy was being more forceful than usual. Once again, Michael’s immediate reaction to cover himself was overpowered by a second thought. He couldn’t lie to Fluttershy, not after all she had done to him. Not after all she meant to him. “We’re going to steal a sky chariot to go to the Everfree Forest, so I can possibly find some answers to questions I have,” Michael confessed. “Michael!” Rainbow scolded. Fluttershy walked up to Michael, and looked straight into his eyes. “Are you sure you need to do this? Couldn’t it wait?” Michael took a deep breath to bolster himself, and said “No. I need to do this, and I need to do it now. Please, don’t try to stop me, Fluttershy.” “But can’t we just stay here in Canterlot, where it’s safe? You don’t need to go into the big, scary, Everfree Forest! I’m sure the Princesses can help you find some answers!” Fluttershy’s voice was pleading, and the expression on her face nearly broke Michael’s heart. “Fluttershy,” Michael kneeled, and put a hand on her shoulder, “This is just something I have to do for myself. There’s a saying from my world that fits here. It goes, ‘A man has to do what a man has to do.’ Please, don’t oppose me on this.” Tears brimmed in Fluttershy’s eyes. Her breaths came in shudders, but she spoke nonetheless, “W-why do you have to do this? You only just came from one bad situation, why do you have to jump into another? Why can’t you just stay here, where it is safe, and let others handle everything? Why can’t you just stop trying to do everything on your own!” “Fluttershy, you know I can’t do that. I realize that while I was in that state of shock, you may not have noticed, but this is just who I am. I am the kind of person who holds the world up, so others don’t have to.” Michael’s voice was soft. “Besides!” Rainbow jumped in, “He’ll have me with him! There won’t be anything to fear with Rainbow Dash around!” Fluttershy let out a few weak laughs, before looking up at her two friends. “O-okay,” she did her best to calm her voice, “I won’t stop you.” “Thank you, Fluttersh-” Michael started, before a yellow hoof held to his lips stopped him. “I said that I won’t stop you,” Fluttershy said, “But I can’t do nothing. As much as I want to be at home, wrapped up in a blanket with my teddy bear, I can’t be. So, I’m coming with you.” Both Michael’s and Rainbow’s jaws dropped. “What?” they asked at once. “I said that I am coming with you two.” Fluttershy repeated, a bit more steel in her voice, “The sky chariots need two pegasi to pull them anyways.” “Yeah! That’s the spirit, Fluttershy!” Rainbow pumped a hoof and cheered for her friend. Michael simply gave a knowing smile, and nodded his head. “Alright,” he told her, “Let’s get moving then.” As he turned the corner Fluttershy had come from, he nearly tripped after coming to an abrupt stop. “My hat!” he said, bending over to pick it up, “What’s it doing all the way out here?” “Oh, well,” Fluttershy said, “I was actually on my way to your room to give it back to you. I don’t know how, but it was in my room.” “Odd,” Michael said, placing it on his head, “But we should focus. Where to next, Rainbow?” he asked, turning to face Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked around for a second, and shrugged with her wings. “I don’t know,” she told him, “I was just kind of wandering around, hoping we’d run into it by coincidence.” Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course,” he said, with no real negative feelings. When he looked back up, he noticed that they were standing by a tall window, one not that special considering it was like any other in the castle. He looked into the sky just in time to witness a cloud move and uncover the moon. Michael was standing directly in the brilliant light of Luna’s moon. His eyes naturally followed his shadow, and were led to a large door. Slowly, he walked to the door, and opened it. On the other side was a large room with an open wall. Spread across it in a neat formation were the sky chariots they had been looking for. “That’s strange,” Rainbow commented, still looking out the window, “Clouds don’t usually move like that.” “Rainbow!” Michael put as much force into his words as he could without being too loud, “I found the chariots!” Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were quickly by his side, looking out into the hangar for the vehicles. “Yes!” Rainbow cheered, “Come on, let’s go!” They rushed towards the open end of the room, and were quickly ready to go. Before Michael knew it, he was flying in the sky in a chariot, two of his friends pulling him along. He felt the cool night air as it blew through his hair. “How long do you think this will take?” he shouted forward. “Not too long!” Rainbow replied, “It’ll be easy flying directly there.” “Okay!” Michael shouted back, “Can you take us directly to the castle in the middle of the forest?” “The landing might be a bit rough, but I think Fluttershy and I can handle it!” Dash turned back to the sky in front of her. The rest of the journey passed in silence, each of the focussed on what was to come. Michael was almost certain he had fallen asleep, because the trip seemed to pass in an instant. Before he knew it, they were landing on a cobblestone path just outside the castle. After Michael helped them out of their harnesses, Fluttershy asked, almost gasping for air, “Are you okay?” “What do you mean?” he responded. “Well, you were acting kind of strange on the ride here,” Rainbow added, breathing somewhat heavily herself. “How so?” Michael was becoming quite confused. “Well, at one point I looked back and you were just sitting there, smiling. Like just being out here was the best thing ever.” Rainbow told him, taking a seat, “I’ll just sit down for a second, to catch my breath.” “Strange,” Michael tried to recall doing what Dash had told him he had, “But we need to focus on the task at hand.” It took a few minutes for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to rest, but soon enough they were on their way. The trees of the Everfree cast eerie shadows through the ruined castle, enough so that Fluttershy kept herself between her friends, as she frantically tried to keep an eye on everything at once. They walked at a sedate pace, the moon’s light guiding them. The castle seemed to blend together, nothing truly standing out. That is, until they came upon a room that was familiar to Michael and the two pegasi for different reasons. “Here,” he said, totally sure of himself, “This is where I first woke up in Equestria, I know it.” “That’s strange,” Rainbow looked around, “This is the room where we found the Elements of Harmony.” Michael walked forward. He looked everywhere he could, hoping to find some sort of clue. But as he searched high and low, he found nothing. It was as if he had never been there before. “I don’t understand,” he said, voice filled with disappointment, “I was so sure that I would find something here.” Rainbow and Fluttershy walked up to where he stood in the center of the room. “Maybe there is something somewhere else in the castle, we just have to look,” Fluttershy said to him. “Yeah!” Rainbow’s confidence was clear in her voice, “We’ll find something, don’t worry!” “You’re right,” Michael grinned at his friends, “We just have to keep looking!” Michael quickly turned around to head out of the large room, ready to search elsewhere. However, as soon as he came to face the exit, he froze. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy did the same when they say what was standing there. Or rather, who was standing there. Standing in the doorway, wearing flowing white robes that seemed to move on an ethereal breeze, was a human. She had long, blonde hair, and brilliant green eyes. She looked at Michael with a small smile, and held out a hand to beckon him. “Jessie?” Michael gasped, his body refusing to move. “Michael,” she responded, softly and caringly. No one moved as she walked towards them, her alabaster robes glowing in a golden light. She walked directly in front of Michael, and held his face in her hands. “Michael,” she said again, “You came back for me.” Michael did nothing to stop her as she brought him close for a kiss. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He knew she was dead, he had seen it himself. But he also knew hands on his face and the lips meeting his were real. And they felt just the same as he remembered. It truly was as if Jessica Reese had risen from the dead. “Wait,” Rainbow’s voice cut through the moment, “I recognize that voice.” Both humans looked to Rainbow Dash as she said this. “What do you mean?” the woman asked, her arms still wrapped around Michael’s neck. Rainbow Dash flew right next to her face, only a small space separating them. “You’re Balance,” she accused. “What are you talking about?” the blonde woman seemed scared, “Michael, tell her that she’s wrong! It’s me, Jessie! You know me! You love me!” Michael’s face was unreadable. For a moment, no one moved, they only watched Michael as he held still. Finally, he looked up and directly into the eyes of the woman around his neck. In them he did not see the familiar love present in the eyes of his dead lover. Only a coldness that he could not recognize. “You are not Jessica. She is dead. You are Balance, and you had better stop pretending to be the woman I loved.” Michael’s voice was filled with an emotion Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had little experience with. In his tone was a level of hatred they had never before heard. Michael placed his hand’s on Balance’s shoulders, and pushed her away. “Get away from me, you imposter!” he shouted. Balance stumbled backwards, before quickly regaining her footing. The loving expression she had held a moment ago had changed to a snarl. She took a deep breath, and calmed herself. “I am impressed,” Balance said to them, “I did not expect you to figure me out so soon. Oh well, there is no use in continuing the charade.” Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, and the three of them were bound to the floor by thick black chains. “Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted, struggling against her bonds, “Let us go!” “Oh, do be quiet. I’m about to fulfill a human stereotype, and I don’t need you interrupting me.” Balance snapped her fingers once more, and Rainbow found that her lips had sealed themselves together. She let out a few muffled shouts, but was met without a reaction. “What stereotype is that?” Michael asked, his gaze filled with anger. “Oh, I should think you will enjoy it. You see, I am about to monologue.” Balance grinned an evil grin. “How cliche,” Michael thought. It was strange though, the thought almost seemed to come from someone else. “Now,” Balance began, “Where to start. I am not going to simply tell you who exactly I am, nor what my plans are. Rather, I thought I could perhaps answer one of your questions, my dear Michael.” “Oh, and what is that?” Michael asked, an eyebrow raised. “Well, you see,” Balance drew her words out, “I know how you wound up in Equestria.” The look of shock on Michael’s face as she said this brought a smile to her face. “How?” Michael hissed from his forced kneel. “Oh, it is quite simple, really. I brought you here myself.” Balance stated the fact as if she were talking about the weather. For a second, Michael did not move. Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at him in worry as a muscle beneath his right eye twitched. Finally, he shouted in a crescendo “You did what!” “You heard me,” Balance’s smile was nothing short of ecstatic by this point, “I am responsible for bringing you to Equestria, and for the death of your precious Jessica!” Michael began to strain at the chain binding him, screaming in rage. “You did this! You’re responsible for her death! I’ll kill you!” Balance cackled as Michael writhed in anger. “Oh, look at this, my little ponies,” she spoke the final three words in a cruel parody of Princess Celestia, “See the true nature of your friend! Look at how he so suddenly turns into a violent killer!” “Michael is a good human!” Fluttershy shouted, “I don’t blame him for wanting to hurt you! If someone took my friends from me, I don’t know what I would do!” “Enough!” Balance’s voice projected through the whole castle, “You will be silent!” As if forced down by magic, all three who were bound fell silent. “Much better,” Balance paced back and forth in front of her prisoners. “Now, to do what I thought would have to wait another two days. I should thank you, you three just made my plans much easier.” She saw the questioning looks on their faces. “I suppose you want to know what I am going to do.” Balance walked directly in front of Michael, and grabbed him by the throat. “Simple,” she said, lifting him into the air, his chain dissolving into mist, “I’m going to remove Michael here from the equation.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked on in fear and Balance held Michael aloft. Slowly, they watched his body seem to stretch. After a few seconds, they realized that he was falling from her grasp. But at the same time, he still appeared to be held up. Slowly, his feet came closer to the floor, but they could still see his head in Balance’s hold. However, it seemed to be almost translucent, as if it weren’t fully there. Eventually, his body seemed to have been severed from some sort of connection, as it fell to the floor in an ungraceful manner. Still in Balance’s hand, however, was Michael Greenfield. However, the one being held seemed to have a certain quality, as if he was there and wasn’t at the same time. Rainbow Dash’s muffled shouts drew Balance’s attention. “I suppose you want to know what I just did,” the Michael held in her hand started to disappear, slowly becoming less visible. “You see, I just removed your friend’s soul from his body. He is mine now, and there is nothing you can do about it!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked on in horror as Michael’s soul faded to the sound of Balance’s evil laughter. “Now,” Balance said, quelling her laughter, “I can’t leave you two alone. What should I do with you?” However, a factor that none of them knew of came into play just as Balance took a step towards the two ponies. Michael’s body suddenly leapt up, and dashed past Balance. Both pegasi couldn’t believe their eyes as the man they thought had died wrapped his arms around their necks. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” a voice that was not Michael’s came from the body. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy stuttered, looking up to her friend. He looked down, and rather than Michael’s friendly blue eyes, Fluttershy saw two yellow orbs with red irises. “Sorry, but Michael isn’t in right now. Can I take a message?” Discord said to her, grinning. “No!” Balance shouted rushing forward. “Woops, gotta go. Toodles!” Discord said, drawing both ponies close. He snapped his fingers on both hands, and suddenly they were gone. “No!” Balance raged, a golden aura enveloping the castle, destroying many things. Far away, in Canterlot, the three appeared in Princess Celestia’s throne room, just as her sun’s first rays shone. Celestia jumped back at their sudden arrival, which was accompanied by a large wind that spread throughout the throne room. “Michael?” she said, looking at the three, “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What is going on?” Discord stood, as did Rainbow and Fluttershy. “Sorry,” he said, enjoying the look of fright on Celestia’s face as she heard his voice come from Michael’s body, “Michael has taken an extended trip to the afterlife. This is Discord.” “What!” Celestia was appalled, “What do you mean?” It was Fluttershy who answered. She was crying harder than she could recall having ever done so. But still, she managed to speak on sentence. One line that she wished she did not have to say. It broke her heart to admit it, but she had no choice. Softly, and shakily, she said, “Michael is dead.” The EndSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
In a World Not His OwnThere existed a place in Equestria that few ponies fully understood. It was frightening, expansive, and overall the exact wrong place to be if one wanted to maintain their good health. It played host to a multitude of dangerous and exotic creatures, from the hodgepodge bodied Manticore to the more literal Timber Wolves. One could argue that should one find themselves lost in this mysterious locale that their chances of survival were dismal, at best. This place was known as The Everfree Forest, and one day a new creature joined its ranks. But this new addition had none of the trademark features of the monsters who called the Everfree their home. It had no claws, its teeth were hardly sharp, and it could make no poisons or other natural defenses. Instead, it walked on two legs, and had the advantage of opposable thumbs. That’s right, a human had found himself in the forest known as Everfree. He knew did not know how he came to be in those dangerous woods. The only thing he knew was that he must keep running. And he did just that, fleeing from an unknown horror as the trees blurred in his peripherals. The only sounds he could hear were the rapid pounding of his heart, and the deep gasps of his breath. Leaves and twigs cracked under his feet as he ran, but he paid them no attention. The branches of the trees reached out for him, leaving scratches on his exposed torso in droves. His pace did not slow despite the pain that wracked his body, for his fear of the forest was greater. A howl echoed through the trees, and the human doubled his pace to escape the treacherous woodland. The only thoughts passing through his mind were those of self preservation. He had to run, to escape from the monsters that hunted him. He could feel their presence at his heels, just waiting for him to stumble. Then, they would have their next meal. He suddenly burst through the foliage into a large clearing. Sunlight washed over him unfiltered for the first time since his arrival. Its warmth was welcome on his aching skin. He spun rapidly in the small, open field. HIs long brown coat whipped in the air behind him, revealing the denim pants he wore. He could not see his pursuers, but they were there, he knew it. Suddenly, a growl came from his left and he began his flight anew. Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Ponyville, another creature was exiting her home. “I won’t be gone long, Spike! Keep shelving those books!” She shouted, closing the door to her home. “Yeah, yeah,” came the disgruntled response. Shaking her head, a small grin adorning her face, the purple pony trotted along a well worn road, saddlebags bobbing up and down on her sides. She greeted others along her way, enjoying the glorious sunny day.Her destination was a looming mass of trees on the border of Ponyville. Just outside the village, she found herself stopped by an excited pink pony. “Twilight!” she heard, the voice belonging to none other than her friend Pinkie Pie. “HI, Pinkie Pie,” she replied, still moving. “Hey, that rhymes! I love rhymes, they’re so much fun! Have you ever heard this one? Silver is-” Twilight stopped and held a hoof up to quiet her friend, chuckling as she did so. “Pinkie, I’m actually on my way to Zecora’s right now. Was there something you needed?” The bubbly pony held a hoof to her chin in thought for a moment, before replying with a smile. “Nope! I just wanted to say hi. Oh, if you’re going to Zecora’s, can I come too? She rhymes all the time!” Twilight spoke, still grinning. “Of course, I’d love to have your company.” “Yay!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, falling into step with her friend. They followed the slowly disappearing trail, leading into the Everfree. Now, it could be said that only a fool willingly enters that forest of dangers. That anyone with half a brain would know not to endanger themselves by purposefully going into an environment where death was not only common, it was expected. But there were a few ways to skirt the danger present in the terrifying woodland. The easiest of which was to not enter in the first place, but Twilight and Pinkie Pie didn’t have that option. The other was to stay near the edges, to go no deeper than absolutely necessary. After many years of strife, the ponies of Ponyville had successfully established a boundary with the predators of the woods. This allowed for some ponies to enter the forest, albeit not deeply. One such example was the zebra Zecora, who lived just close enough to the border to stay safe. Calmly walking through the forest, Twilight felt an odd sensation in the back of her mind. It was as if a string had attached itself to the back of her consciousness, and was tugging lightly. The feeling was disconcerting, to say the least. “Hey, Pinkie,” she asked, turning her head towards her friend, “Do you feel something odd?” The bubbly pony scrunched her face up in thought as they walked, and replied “now that you mention, I kind of do. It’s like someone is trying to tickle me in my head, but not as much fun.” Twilight furrowed her brow, and told her friend “We had better keep an eye out for danger. I don’t like this feeling, it’s like something big happened.” With a nod from the pink pony, the two continued on. The rest of the trip passed just as any other with Pinkie Pie would. That is, filled with the hyperactive pony’s silly rambling. The purple unicorn took it in stride, not expecting anything different from her friend. Soon enough, they were at Zecora’s home. Just as Twilight was going to knock on the door, a loud crashing noise came from deeper in the forest. With a nervous glance at Pinkie, she knocked loudly on the door. “Zecora? Are you home?” there was a tinge of fear evident in her voice. “It’s us! Your friends Twilight and Pinkie Pie!” the pink mare added. The door opened, revealing the zebra. “Come in fast, or you may not last!” she said to them, letting them inside. Once inside they gathered around a window, waiting for whatever beast the forest had to offer to appear. The noises of crunching leaves and the occasional snapping of a stick grew louder. It was clear that something was coming their way. “Oh, I wonder what made that noise.” Pinkie said, “I wonder if it likes cake?” “Pinkie,” Twilight admonished, “Whatever is making that noise is probably some big monster that would probably rather eat us than cake. I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t even know what cake is!” “Doesn’t know what cake is? That’s horrible! I’ll have to get it some, stat!” Twilight rubbed her hoof across her face, “Pinkie, whatever is out there probably has huge claws, gigantic teeth, and maybe even wings or some sort of poison.” She removed her hoof when she heard gasps come from her friends. “What? Did something happen?” “I can not believe my eyes, even though they tell me no lies.” Zecora said, staring directly out the window. “Oh! It doesn’t have any of those things you said, Twilight. Does this mean I can give it some cake?” Pinkie asked, looking to her friend. The intelligent unicorn, rather than answer her friend, looked out the window. What she saw caused her eyes to widen and her jaw to drop. “What is that?” she shouted, rushing out of the hut. Her zebra friend tried to stop her, but Twilight was already out of the door, Pinkie not far behind. Sighing, she followed the two ponies outside, hoping that no trouble would come from the creature that had stumbled out of the trees. He was leaning against a tree, taking a quick break. His breaths came in strained gasps, as the adrenaline rush he had been running on began to wear off. Luckily for the three who had exited the hut, he was not facing them. “This is amazing,” he heard a female voice say softly, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” “Oh, look at its clothes! They look pretty cool!” a more high pitched voice added. “Quiet,” a third voice added, sounding rather African to him, “Or it may riot.” He praised every deity he could think of, thankful that he had finally found civilization. He turned to face the three women he heard, standing as straight as he could in his exhausted state. “Oh, thank goodness. I-” the words died in his throat as he came to face the three equines. “You can talk?” the purple one said. Was that a horn he saw on her head? “Hi!” the pink one ran up to him. She only came up to a bit above his waist, but she locked gazes with him anyways. “My name is Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?” His mind froze, still addled by the fear and adrenaline coursing through his body. Perhaps had he not just run farther than he had in a long time, what happened next may not have happened. “T-talking horses?” he gasped, putting a hand to his head and groaning “Oh, my head.” The three female’s eyes followed him as he fell backwards, barely missing a tree. They could tell, he was unconscious before he hit the ground. “Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, dashing beside the strange creature, “Couldn’t you see how scared it was?” “Could you not see yourself, pony?” Zecora chided. The unicorn mare blushed a bit as she realized that she had also spoken to the creature. “Sorry,” she apologized, turning towards the strange being. “What is it?” Pinkie asked, nudging a hand with her hoof. “I don’t know,” the curiosity was evident in Twilight’s voice. “It has hands like a Minotaur, but no horns. It’s hair is the same shade as Zecora’s black, but it isn’t very long. And these clothes, where could it have gotten them?” Zecora joined the other two as the intrigued unicorn continued to ramble questions. She looked at its exposed chest and feet, noticing the large amount of blood. “Perhaps we should take it inside. It looks as if it almost died,’ she told the other two, pointing at its extensive injuries. “Oh, wow. You’re right, Zecora, it needs help.” Twilight looked to her pink friend, “Pinkie, you should go get Fluttershy. She should be able to help.” The cheery pony took on a serious look, and saluted her friend before taking off as fast as she could. “Okay, I’d better be careful. Zecora, can you take its arms while I levitate its legs?” she asked, “At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what those are.” The zebra simply nodded rather than speak, and wrapped its arms around her shoulders as best she could. The two slowly carried it into the hut, and gently set it on a mat near Zecora’s cauldron. The potion master began to brew up some medicine for their find. Minutes passed in relative silence, only the occasional clink of glass as Zecora made her brew. Twilight was just beginning to worry when Fluttershy burst into the hut, a determined look on her face. The yellow pegasus was quickly by the human’s side, inspecting his wounds. Pinkie came through the door a moment later, bogged down by saddlebags full of medical supplies. The animal loving pony called her over, and soon started dishing out orders to the rest of her friends. They listened as if in a daze, all amazed at the commanding tone in their normally timid companion’s voice. The whole procedure passed in what felt like only a few minutes. But when Fluttershy fell back onto her haunches and wiped a hoof over her brow, it became clear that much longer had passed. She looked down a bit, and quietly said “I’m sorry for being so bossy.” A round of assurances that everything was okay came from the others. Twilight, though, had a thoughtful look on her face as the other three sat down as well, and said “Have you ever seen anything like this before, Fluttershy?” The animal loving pony shook her head and answered “No, I haven’t. And I thought I had seen every kind of animal in the forest before. It’s a good thing we found it, though. I don’t know if it would have survived with all of those cuts it has.” The purple unicorn rubbed a hoof across her chin, and levitated some parchment and a pencil out of her saddlebags that had been tossed aside in their rush. “Fascinating,” she muttered, taking notes, “We may have just discovered a new species today, girls.” “Does this mean I get to throw a “Discovered a New Species” party?” Pinkie Pie sounded excited at the prospect. Fluttershy sat back and only half listened to her friends chatting about the creature. Her mind was racing with questions, but one took precedence. What were they supposed to do with it now? It couldn’t go with Twilight, she lived in a public library. It wouldn’t make sense to hide something like him in a place like that. And Pinkie Pie would be an even worse option, living with the Cake family. That left her and Zecora as possibilities. She supposed that Zecora would be sufficiently out of the way, making her hut a good place to keep the creature while it healed. But at the same time, Fluttershy wasn’t sure her zebra friend knew how to handle a possibly wild animal as well as herself. Not that she was doubting her friend, or anything. She just wanted the best possible care for such an injured animal. She pondered how she could steer the conversation in that direction without seeming pushy. Luckily for her, Twilight had the same question as she asked “Where should he go for now? Should we just leave him here?” Zecora looked as if she was about to accept that proposal. However, Fluttershy quickly interjected “I think he should stay with me! I know I’m closer to town, but he also needs care that I think I can provide better than Zecora.” She paused, and looked around, “If that’s okay with you, that is.” The timid pegasus hid behind her mane as best she could. Zecora, Twilight, and Pinkie all shared a look, before Twilight slowly nodded and said “I suppose that makes sense. He’ll go stay with you, then.” The gathered ponies all stood, deciding it was time they left. “We’ll have to be careful taking him to your cottage, Fluttershy. We don’t need ponies asking too many question.” The yellow pony nodded as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders, Pinkie doing the same. His legs were wrapped in a magenta glow as Twilight took up her portion of his weight. They carefully exited the hut, bidding Zecora goodbye. “If you need help, do not be afraid to ask. I will do my best to assist, no matter the task!” She replied, waving a hoof as they walked away. As they made sure to walk around Ponyville as much as possible, Twilight asked Fluttershy if she could tell her anything about the creature. “Well,” she started, “I’m pretty sure he’s male. His body structure reminds me of some of the larger primates, which would make him a mammal. And Pinkie Pie said he talked, so I guess he is intelligent. Not to doubt you or anything, Pinkie, but are you sure he spoke Equestrian?” “Yeah! He looked really tired, and when he saw us he called us talking horses, which wasn’t very nice. We’re not horses, we’re ponies!” The pink mare replied in her usual tone. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I think I know where to look in my books now. I’ll have to report this to the Princess, too. This isn’t something I should keep from her, and I’m sure she’ll know what is best.” Twilight said to her friend. The shy pony gave her a quiet “You’re welcome,” and the rest of the journey passed with Pinkie’s energetic yet random questions making most of the sound. “Oh, this is so cool! We just discovered a new animal! What if it has super powers or something? Like, what if it could fly, or teleport, or has super strength?” “Pinkie, the only thing you listed that ponies don’t have is super strength. Even then, there are some pretty strong Ponies out there. For example, Big Macintosh.” “You’re right, Big Mac is pretty strong. I wonder who is stronger, monkey-thing or Big Mac?” “Monkey-thing? Why did you call him that?” “Well, Fluttershy said he looks like a primate. And primates are monkeys, right? So, if he looks like a primate then he looks like a monkey, duh.” “Umm, Pinkie Pie, there are a lot of monkeys who don’t really look like him at all. I was thinking more of a Chimpanzee than anything.” Their conversation continued right up to Fluttershy’s door. Once inside her cottage, they set up a crude bed with some spare blankets and pillows the animal loving pegasus had. “Now, are you sure you can handle this?” Twilight asked as she was stepping out of the door. “I’m certain. He just needs someone to take good care of him, I’m sure of that.” Her friend reassured her. “Well, alright,” the purple pony said. She then levitated a pencil out of her bags, and it glowed brighter in her magic for a moment. “Take this,” she told Fluttershy, “I’ve enchanted it so that if you break it, I’ll know. If that happens, I’ll come running, okay?” Her pink-maned friend nodded and smiled, saying “Don’t worry Twilight. I can handle him.” Twilight’s worry only lessened a bit as she walked away with Pinkie Pie. They chatted amiably about the day so far. Eventually, the pink party pony left, saying that she had to get to work. A quick trot later, Twilight was walking into her library home. “Spike, are you home?” she called, closing the door. A second passed and she heard a shout come from the bathroom, “I’m in the tub!” The studious pony rolled her eyes, mentally groaning “Spike and his bubble baths. I guess I’ll have to write the letter myself.” Withdrawing paper from her bag and a quill from her desk as she walked into her room, she began the letter to her mentor. “Dear Princess Celestia, I made an amazing discovery today! I was with Pinkie Pie on my way to see our friend Zecora when an incredible creature came from deeper in the Everfree forest. We had never seen anything like it, although Fluttershy later told me that it had features resembling primates. It was walking on two legs, and even wore clothing! Then, it spoke to us in perfect Equestrian! When we had first found him, for we deduced that it was male, he seemed really tired. He heard us speak, and turned around to face us almost seeming relieved. But then he saw us and called us ‘talking horses.’ After that he fell unconscious, and we realized that he was badly injured. We took him inside Zecora’s hut, and the whole time I just couldn’t believe what we had found. A whole new species, an intelligent one even! After that, Pinkie went to bring Fluttershy to help. We cleaned and bandaged all the cuts on his body, and decided that he would stay with Fluttershy for now. I’m sending along with this a copy of the notes I took after we finished helping him. I was hoping you could tell me if the royal archives have any information on creatures like this. Also, it seemed prudent to ask you how I should proceed here. I’ll understand if you want to take over the situation, seeing as he is a new species. On a more personal note, I have to admit that I am extremely excited! This is just so amazing, we may have just discovered a new species! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle” She rolled the letter up and sealed it. She would have liked to force Spike to send it then, but she didn’t want to be mean to the little dragon. Although if he stretched his bath too far, she wouldn’t hesitate to drag him out of that tub. All that time in the water couldn’t be all that great for his scales. Elsewhere, Fluttershy was entering her home, a bag of bird seed on her back. She sat them on a short table in her modest living room, and looked to her stove. They had made the bed for the creature there, as it was the only place that wouldn’t intrude too much upon her other animals. She walked up to him, to make sure he was comfortable. She wasn’t far away when she saw him shiver and draw the blanket over himself closer. “Oh!” she whispered, “He must be cold.” Rushing over to a closet, she took the thickest blanket she could find. She then quickly draped it over the cold animal. His shivering stopped soon after, and he seemed to relax in his sleep. “There,” she smiled, “All better.” Still close, perhaps closer than she should have been, Fluttershy took notice of his features. His dark hair did not come down fair on his head, stopping short of his eyebrows. Along his jaw and around his mouth she noticed stubble growing, but only barely. His jaw didn’t seemed neither narrow nor broad, taking somewhat of a middle ground between the two. His cheeks also look healthy, by her best guess. Lost in her observations, she didn’t notice at first when he moved. By the time she realized he had, it was too late. He had a long arm wrapped around her, and was pulling her in. She struggled feebly, but his grip was tight as he held her to his chest. The timid pony began to breath hard, quite frightened. As she tried to escape his grasp without waking him, she heard him mumble something in his sleep. “Jessie,” he said, strengthening his hold on her. He didn’t seem to want to harm her, but the situation was still too much for her. After little more than a minute of escape attempts, the fear got to her. Fluttershy joined him in the land of dreams as the sun set.
BrickedChapter Two: Bricked It was the next morning, and Twilight was just waking up. Letting out a yawn, she stretched her legs and left her bed. Walking down the stairs, she was contemplating what to have for breakfast. Just as she was about to reach into her cupboards for some food, she felt a snap. It wasn't something physical, but it was the only way she could describe it. And she knew exactly what it was. Fluttershy had broken the enchanted pencil she had given her. Forgoing her meal, Twilight ran out of her home, and towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Running as fast as her hooves could carry her, her mind raced with possibilities. “What if it is hostile?” She thought, “What if it hurt Fluttershy? It would be all my fault, I’m the one who suggested it stay with her! I need to get there!” Keeping her pace, she felt a presence on her right. “Whoa, Twilight, where are you going?” She heard a familiar voice say. “No time to explain, Dash, Fluttershy is in trouble!” She said between breaths. “What!” Her blue friend shouted, “I’ll see you there!” And a rainbow trail flashed in front of her. Only a few seconds later, that same trail burst through Fluttershy’s front door. Coming to a quick stop, Rainbow Dash looked around. She saw her friends’ yellow form softly struggling over by her stove. It seemed to be covered by some blankets, and a weird animal she had never seen before. “Hey!” She shouted, by her friends side in an instant, “Let her go!” “Shhh!” Fluttershy chastised, “It’s sleeping!” Flabbergasted, Rainbow looked at her friend, “What?” “I didn’t mean to worry anyone, but I needed some help, is all. I would have waited until it woke up, but Angel saw me and he was so scared, so I told him to break the quill Twilight gave me. You got here so fast, too!” Fluttershy explained, keeping her voice low. “Is she alright?” Another voice entered the scene, gasping for breath. “Yeah, she’s fine, for the most part. But I want to know what this thing is!” Rainbow said, still louder than Fluttershy wanted. “Well, funny thing is, we don’t know.” Twilight replied with a nervous chuckle, a hoof on the back of her head. “Wait, WHAT!” Rainbow shouted, “Fluttershy, grab my hooves!” As Rainbow Dash frantically pulled Fluttershy out of the odd creature’s embrace, Twilight smacked her face with a hoof. She understood why Rainbow acted the way she did, but still. If she wanted to save her friend from the sleeping unknown, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to shout and possibly wake it up. Which is exactly what happened. Just as Fluttershy escaped its arms, the creature groaned. “Oh, my head. Jessie, I thought we agreed not to hit the bottle so hard anymore.” It said, pulling its pillow over its head. A moment passed in which no one spoke. Then, the silence was broken by none other than Rainbow Dash. “IT CAN TALK?” She shouted, her jaw slack. Fluttershy and Twilight shared a flinch, and the odd creature tensed up. It was like every muscle in its body flexed at once, as though it were in great pain. Twilight noticed that it started to breath faster, and its upper limbs began to tremble. Just as she was reaching out a hesitant hoof in an attempt to comfort it, it stopped. It became deathly still, hardly moving a muscle. Slowly, it removed the pillow from its head, and sat up. It looked at the colorful ponies in front of it, and said “Can I help you?” Its tone was completely devoid of emotion. Its face held no signs of feeling, either. It was as if in the moment it relaxed, it lost the ability to feel. The mares had differing reactions. Rainbow Dash’s eye began to twitch a little, the absurdity of the moment getting to her. Fluttershy let out a small squeal, and hid behind Dash. Twilight, however, had the brightest reaction. Normally, she would have worried about the cold demeanor it had adopted, but her thirst for knowledge held the front of her thoughts for the time being. It had essentially just given her the opportunity to ask it any question she wanted. Hurried, she looked around. “Fluttershy! Pencil, paper, need it! Now! Please!” She said, jittery. Glad for the excuse to move away, even for only a bit, she rushed into her bedroom, and back out with the requested materials. “Here you go, Twilight,” She said, returning to her spot behind Rainbow Dash, who still hadn’t moved. Clearing her throat, still flush with excitement, Twilight said, “Yes, thank you, Fluttershy. Anyways, first, do you have a name? Mine is Twilight Sparkle, by the way. And these are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.” The animal, whose face was still straight, replied “My name is Michael Greenfield.” “Interesting,” She muttered, “Anyways, moving on. What gender are you?” “I am male.” He told her, his voice even. The questioning continued, and it was revealed that Michael was twenty three years of age, and was omnivorous. It may have continued for hours, but just as Twilight was going to question his clothing, Rainbow interrupted. “Alright, what is going on here?” She asked, “What are you?” “I am a human, Homo Sapiens.” He said, his blank gaze now facing her. Feeling somewhat unnerved by his empty stare, she said “Homo what? Are you sure he speaks Equestrian, Twilight?” “Yes, I am. But I don’t recognize those last two words. They sound like one of the old Earth Pony languages, but I can’t quite pin it.” Twilight replied, “Oh, this is just so exciting! Now we have a name for his species! I can’t believe I forgot to ask that myself!” Throwing her hooves into the air, Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated sigh. “Fluttershy, could you explain what is going on here?” As the quiet yellow pony explained the story as she understood it to her fellow Pegasus, Twilight continued her questions. “Do you know how you found yourself in Equestria?” She asked, eyes sparkling with excitement. “No, I do not.” He droned. “Well, what do you remember?” “I was having a meal outdoors with a female companion, and we had found ourselves drowsy. When we awoke, we were in the forest where I found you.” “There were two of you? Where is she, if I may ask?” “Dead.” All speech stopped there. All three of the ponies present suddenly tried to console him. “Please,” He started, “Don’t.” “What? Why? Aren’t you sad?” Twilight asked, “Don’t you feel anything?” “No.” Was his simple answer. The ponies present once again found themselves astonished. Rainbow rushed him, and slammed him into the wall by his coat. “Are you saying that your friend didn’t mean anything to you? At all? That you didn’t care about her even a little bit?” “No. That is not what I am saying. I merely answered Miss Sparkle’s question.” He told her, no pain evident in his features. “So, you are saying that you don’t feel anything? No sadness, no grief? Not even a little bit? Is this normal for your species?“ Twilight asked, coaxing Rainbow off of him. “No. As I said, I feel nothing. But this is not the norm for my species. We are often a very emotional people. But I find myself without emotion right now. I know it is strange, but I can not bring myself to care.” Michael said. Rainbow felt her anger boil over again. She wasn’t certain why he seemed to anger her so, but it was almost as if he was betraying the memory of his friend. As the Element of Loyalty, she could not stand how he just did not care that his friend was dead, and would no longer see her again. She slammed him into the wall again, despite Twilight’s protests, and growled “I don’t like you.” “I do not care.” His eyes bored into hers. They looked dead. “Should I?” Screaming with frustration, Rainbow let him down, and flew out of the house. “Dash!” Twilight, shouted, “Come back! He didn’t mean any harm!” “Don’t bother. I really don’t care what her opinion of me is.” He said, “Could you fetch me some new bandages, please? Her roughness seems to have opened my wounds.” Taking the excuse to leave the room, Fluttershy ran to get the bandages. Meanwhile, Twilight stalked up to Michael, clearly angry. “Look,” She said, “You may be a new species around here. You may hold a wealth of knowledge, and for whatever reason you may not feel anything, but there is one thing you should know. I don’t care if you hold the secrets of the universe, if you can’t be kind to my friends, I will leave you back in that forest, research or no research! That includes anything that might do them harm. Do I make myself clear?” “I understand. I do seem to have some sense of self-preservation, still, and it would seem. I will do what I can to keep from angering you and your companions.” He said, as Fluttershy came back in with the fresh bandages. “I should leave,” Twilight said, “I don’t want my notes to become biased. I will come back later, once I have calmed down. Will you be okay alone with him, Fluttershy?” “Oh, yes. I can tell, he won’t be any trouble, no more than any of my other animals.” She said, peeling off his old wrappings. “Fair enough. Good day, Fluttershy, Michael.” Michael noticed that Fluttershy was being less than gentle while reapplying his bandages. “Did I offend you as well?” “Yes,” She said, “I may be shy, but I care deeply about my friends. I will help you as long as you need it, but if you can not be kind in return, I will have to ask you to leave.” “Fair enough,” Was his only answer. The last bandage applied, Fluttershy said “Good, now I have to go feed my animal friends. I will be right outside if you need anything.” “Okay,” He said, staring straight ahead. On her way out the door, Fluttershy noticed that he did not seem to be doing anything, hardly even moving. It was if he had stopped thinking, and may as well have been sleeping. “Um, maybe, if it wouldn’t be to much trouble, after your feet have healed, of course, could you maybe help me? It’s okay if you don’t want to.” She asked, her timid nature having returned after her irritation had subsided. “If you insist After my feet are healed.” Was his only answer. A few days passed, and his feet were finally well enough for him to walk without aggravating any wounds, provided his left his bandages on. Twilight had returned later that evening, and asked him more questions. She still seemed slightly angry, but she was strictly professional with the questioning. They discussed human anatomy, mostly, and spent some time on psychology. Michael did his best to answer her questions, but he was not entirely knowledgeable on some of the subjects she brought up. No other ponies came to visit him during this time, and the days passed without incident. Fluttershy was understanding of his dietary needs, having raised many different kinds of animals herself. He had once asked why she only gave him fish, and not other meats, like chicken or beef. She looked horrified at the concept, and told him “We wouldn’t eat cows! Only the most barbaric of animals would eat something intelligent like that! And we don’t eat chicken, either! Why would you think that?” “Cows are intelligent in this world?” He questioned, “I did not know. On Earth, my home world, cows have little to no intelligence. We raise them for dairy or meat, it is one of our biggest forms of agriculture, too.” Horrified at the concept of raising so many animals, just to later eat them, Fluttershy did not talk to him for the rest of that day. She apologized to him the next day, however, stating that she knew that things were different on his world. She also asked that he not do anything like that while in Equestria. “I will not. I will respect Equestrian customs while I am here. Besides, meat is more of a choice for humans. There are many of us who choose not to eat meat. We call them vegetarians.” She seemed a little angry with him at this, and no longer gave him fish. When he commented on the change, she said “You can live without it. I’m not going to kill another animal just to feed to you if you don’t even need it.” With a shrug, he continued to eat the salad she had given him. Once he was able to help, she also found that he was an ideal helper. He may not have had any initiative, as he didn’t care enough to think ahead like that, but he could follow orders with no trouble whatsoever. And his greater height and dexterous hands made him an excellent worker. He could fix fences and roofs faster than any pony she had ever seen. As such, when Twilight had come to continue her questioning on a day one week after they had found him, she was amazed. She hadn’t really considered the uses his odd appendages had, and her mind was racing with ideas. Later on the same day he had woken up, she had remembered to have Spike send her letter to the Princess. The next day, her response came. “Dear Twilight Sparkle, I have searched the Royal Library, along with several of the royal librarians, and we have found nothing. Whatever this creature you have found is, it is new to Equestria. If it is intelligent as you say, which I would assume based on your notes, we should do our best to make it feel welcome. This could be an opportunity to forge a relationship with a new species that could bring benefits to all of Equestria. At the same time, however, I would ask you to be careful. We know nothing of this new animal, and as such it may be hostile. I know you must be excited, but for now I must ask you to keep this find a secret. I did not fully explain what we were searching for to my librarians, so as of now, only you, your friends, and I know of this new creature. Until we can be certain it is not a threat to us, I would ask you to tell as few ponies as possible. I trust you to compile as much information on this creature, where it came from, and how it came to be in Equestria as possible. However, if you ever feel that it represents a danger to anyone, do not be afraid to contact me. I will personally come to Ponyville to detain it, and take it back to Canterlot where it can be kept away from the public. There we would study it as we would any other hostile creature, and decide what to do with it after that. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.” So, she continued her research. She would visit him every day or so, and ask him many questions. At the same time, she kept her friends away from him. Whenever they asked why she was so busy, she would tell that she was simply spending more time with Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie, however, had been a small problem. She had wanted to throw him a party the day he woke up. Twilight had tried not to use Princess Celestia’s trust in her to gain authority, but she had no choice at that point. When Pinkie heard that the Princess herself had asked that they keep Michael a secret, she had agreed to not throw him a party, on the condition that if his presence were ever public knowledge, she could invite as many people as would come. But, upon seeing the use that his hands could be put to, she had sent Celestia another letter, asking that she allow her to tell some ponies about him, if only to see if she could get him to show emotion. The Princess had been wary when Twilight told her that Michael did not seem to feel anything, but when Twilight sent her the idea, she approved it. According to him, his nature was not normal, even for him. She told her student that perhaps that magic of friendship could help thaw his icy heart, and agreed that he could help a few other ponies, and possibly make some new friends. But she also asked that Twilight only reveal his presence to the other Elements of Harmony, and their families. It was still too soon to show him to the public. She broached the subject with Michael that day, and he did not object. He didn’t express an opinion either way, but she had come to expect such from him by then. Aside from a mild curiosity, and an almost more mild sense of self-preservation, he expressed no emotions or opinions. So, the next day, she brought him back into Ponyville with her, and set him to work in her library home. As Spike had trouble reaching the higher shelves, and Owlowiscious slept during the day, she often had to take time out of her schedule to reshelf the books that had come from the top of the bookshelves. But, with the human who was at least as tall as Celestia herself, she found a lot more time to continue her studies. She had felt slightly worried that Spike would become jealous, like he had with Owlowiscious, but her worries were proven wrong. If anything, he was glad to have the extra help, himself. Especially when Twilight told him that he could be Michael’s boss while she was busy working. The young dragon took full advantage of this, and had relegated all of his chores onto the human. From then on, he would alternate between helping Twilight in her library, or Fluttershy with her animals. One day, another week after this, Fluttershy had finally deemed him health enough to take off his bandages. He had only a few left at that point, and what was on his feet was only for protection anymore. Removing one over his heart, they found that he now had a large scar crossing his pectoral. It was three straight lines cutting all of the way over his heart, and the skin that had healed over was without any hair, and smooth. She had stuttered about how he was lucky the wound had not been deeper, but he expressed little worry. It was a past event, he had said, and it would do him no good to be worried by it in the present. But, without his bandages, his chest was bare. As it was, his pants were torn from his long run in the Everfree forest, and the only other article of clothing he had was his long, brown coat. It may have reached down to his ankles, but it would not be enough when the weather started to cool. So, one day, Twilight invited Rarity to the library, where she could introduce the two of them. At first, Michael had told her that he did not need any more clothing, that he would be fine with just his coat and pants, but Twilight had not let him continue. He had told her several reasons why humans wore clothing all the time, as opposed to special occasions like Ponies. One of those reasons was that they had little hair themselves, and needed the extra layers for warmth. He had acquiesced when she told him that he had no choice in the matter. So, one day while he was helping Twilight catalog all of her books, Rarity had arrived in the library. “Alright, darling, I’m here. Now, where is this strange creature who is in need of clothing?” She asked, stepping inside the library. “I am assuming you are referring to me, ma’am.” A distinctly male voice said, “My name is Michael Greenfield, and I am the strange creature, as you put it.” She turned around, and nearly jumped out of her skin. He had walked to the door to greet her. “Oh, my, you’re so tall!” She exclaimed, looking up to his face, then added, “Oh, I apologize, how rude of me. My name is Rarity, and I am pleased to meet you.” “Rarity!” Twilight greeted, a happy tone in her voice, “I’m happy you could make it!” “Yes, well, you said you needed me to do you a favor, so here I am.” She reminded her, “Now, while I would normally chat with you a bit first, I think I will have a fair amount of work ahead of me if I am making clothes for a whole new species!” She brought a measuring tape out of the saddle bags she had with her, and asked him to stand straight up, with his arms straight out. When Michael asked if she would be expecting some sort of repayment for her services, she replied, “Oh, think nothing of it, dear. It is my pleasure to do a favor for a friend, especially when I get to make clothing for a species never before seen in Equestria! Oh, I can see it now, ‘Rarity, the designer who can make anyone look good, pony or not!’ It is quite exciting!” Twilight, however, made her aware that he had nothing but time on his hands, and if she ever needed help all she had to do was ask. She had looked at him for a moment, as if seeking confirmation, but all she received in return was his emotionless stare. “I have no problem doing as you ask,” He added while she was packing her various materials away, “As Miss Sparkle said, I have little to do with my days, anyways.” “Well, I will remember that. Thank you for the offer. I will have your clothes done by the end of the week, and I’ll bring them back here at that time. Is that alright with you?” She asked, just as she was headed out the door. “Yes, that is fine.” He told her. “Farewell then Michael. Goodbye, Twilight!” She added with a wave. “See you later, Rarity!” Twilight called back from where she was sitting. “I suppose it is time you head back over to Fluttershy’s then.” Twilight said. He did not respond, other than follow Twilight out of the door a few minutes later, when she was ready. The rest of the week passed quickly, with only one minor incident. Rainbow Dash was on her way to the library, and came across Twilight and Michael as she was taking him to help for the day. She had landed and greeted Twilight, but all Michael received was a dirty look. “Rainbow, don’t be that way,” Twilight had told her, once they had reached the library and Michael was out of earshot, “He doesn’t even know he did anything wrong.” “That’s just it, Twilight, he doesn’t think what he did was wrong! He just tossed aside his friendship for that other human, like he doesn’t even care about her! Can’t you see how he can’t be trusted? He has no loyalty! He would turn on us as soon as he decided it was better for him to be against us!” Rainbow had argued with her. “I don’t know, Rainbow, he may not express any emotions, but that just doesn’t sound right. I think the worst that could is that he would leave, and he won’t do that as long as he believes he should stay with Fluttershy. And the best way to make sure he knows this is to be kind to him.” With a grumble, Rainbow decided that she still did not trust the human, even if her friends did. She would not be hostile to him, but she would also watch him like a hawk. At the first sign that he might cause any of her friends harm, she would not hesitate to take him down. With a sigh, Twilight allowed her this. At the end of the week, just as she had said, Rarity arrived at the library with his new clothes. “Here you go, dear,” She said to him, handing the three boxed containing his clothing to him. “I know that you are doing a lot of work for Fluttershy and Twilight, so I went against my normal ideas and made your clothing as practical as I could. Although, if I might say, I think they turned out quite well!” Opening the first box, Michael came across several shirts. One had long sleeves, while the other three only reached down to the middle of his bicep. All three were dark, natural tones, colors Rarity had said went well with him. The one with long sleeves also buttoned up, so he could look a little presentable if he had to. The next box contained three pairs of pants. She had used denim for two, like the jeans he already wore, and one pair had a loop on one leg, for a hammer to be held. She had noticed the pants he had on had a strap hanging off of one leg, and hypothesized that it used to be attached to the leg. Upon seeing him pause for a moment when noticing this, but not saying anything, she figured she was right. Another was black in color, which she had included to go with his longer sleeved shirt. She really was determined to make sure he could look presentable if the need arose. In the last box was a few things. In it was a Stetson, similar to the one her friend Applejack wore. Underneath this was a few pairs of underwear, something she had been almost embarrassed to make, after he had told her their purpose. Also included was something he hadn’t expected, a pair of black socks. He suspected that she included them because of the conversation they’d had about human fashion. He had told her that he’d be fine wearing only thick wraps around his feet, but Rarity did not seem satisfied. Included with the socks was a note, “You should really get some shoes, darling. I’m sure someone in Ponyville could do the job.” “Thank you,” He said, closing all of the boxes, and stacking them up. “Well?” She asked, an expectant look in her eyes. “Well what?” He questioned back. He thought she would have something else to say, and he would have to try to understand her himself. Twilight had been too engaged in her studies when Rarity had arrived, and as such Michael had answered the door himself. “Aren’t you going to try one of your new outfits on? I would like to see what my work looks like in action!” Rarity nudged him towards the bathroom, “Go on now, try some on!” Not fully understanding why it was important, but doing so anyways, Michael went into the bathroom with the boxes. Undressing, he looked at himself in the mirror. Standing in only a pair of boxers, he looked so bare compared to the ponies that surrounded him. He looked at the multitude of tiny scars that adorned his slim chest, and the few large ones that could be noticed from a distance. He was never a very hairy person, except on his face. He had started to shave again about a week after he had arrived, after Twilight had decided it would make him appear less intimidating. As it was, he had only a half-days worth of stubble on his face, and his hair was only down to the middle of his forehead. Losing his already minor interest in his looks, he chose some clothes out of the boxes. Redressed, and about to exit the bathroom, he paused for a moment. He didn’t know why, but for some reason the thought occurred to him that Rarity might want him to wear the hat she had made for him. Reaching into the box, he placed it on his head. Stepping out of the bathroom, he noticed Rarity looked pleased with herself. “Rarity, you’ve done it again! He may not be a pony, and he may not be fashionable, but you made it work, nonetheless.” She said to herself, clapping her front hooves together a bit. Michael stood there, one leg in front of the other, almost as if he was posing. He was wearing the dark blue jeans she had made for him to work in, and a dark green v-neck shirt. His duster was still on over this, and the Stetson rested on his head, leaning up just the slightest bit. It was a look that many ponies would come to recognize, eventually.
Return to LifeChapter Three: Return to Life “Why did you leave me, Michael? Why? I thought you loved me! I thought we were going to be together forever! But you just left me there, for dead!” It was the same dream Michael had been having since the beginning of his time in Equestria. Every night, she would be there, that woman. Jessica Reese. Or, as he once called her, Jessie. She would steal him from his peaceful slumber, and deposit him in the wicked forest he had escaped from, every night. “I left because you told me to. You said you were dying, and that one of us had to survive.” Michael told her, just as he did every night. His tone was still even and emotionless. “But I wasn’t dead, yet! I only said that because I was making sure you would stay with me! I didn’t want you to leave, I wanted you to stay! You were supposed to stay by my side until the very end, then cry over my body!” “If I had done that, I also would have died. Besides, why would you tell me to leave if you wanted me to stay? That makes no sense, how could I have known that you meant the opposite?” But his cold reasoning did nothing to stop her tirade. He did not know why the dream kept occurring. Although, he mused, most would call it a nightmare. He didn’t see why, it wasn’t particularly distressing. Mildly annoying, sure, but nothing more. Even then, he never felt annoyed over it as soon as he woke up. But then, she said something different. For the past seventy one days, she had visited his dreams every night. And every night, she would say the exact same thing, over and over again. And some nights, like that one, he would reply. It made no difference, though. She never seemed to hear him. On that night, however, her ranting changed. “How can you stand there like nothing happened? Don’t you have any emotions, or do you feel nothing for me? Did you ever feel anything for me? Was that all an act, and is this your true self? I should have never gave you my time, I would still be alive if I hadn’t!” She spat, coming closer than she had on any other night. And, for the first time in seventy one days, Michael felt something new. It was a small feeling, only the tiniest wisp of an emotion, but it was there. It grew, too, and it was almost overwhelming. She just kept accusing him of never loving her, that he was a heartless monster and it was his fault she had died. And the odd feeling grew and grew until it overcame him. “That’s not true!” He exclaimed, not believing that the words were coming out of his mouth, “I always loved you! I never wanted you to get hurt, it was that monster that did it! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” He degenerated into sobbing, falling to his knees on the forest floor. The rush of emotions was too much for him, after having spent so long forsaking them. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to feel the pain of her death. To face the fact that he would never see her again, except in these nightmares. It tore him up inside, as he lay on the forest floor, curled into a ball. He had loved her with all of his heart, but now she hated him. The pain she was inflicting upon him was becoming too much to bear. But he couldn’t seem to retreat into the emotionless shell that he had in the waking world. The full force of her words was beating on his heart and soul like a battering ram, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it. His head in his hands, tears flowing freely, he heard one last line from his dead love. A harsh blow to his already fragile psyche. “If you loved me, then why did you leave?” Fluttershy had just come back inside from her chicken pen, feed bag on her back, when Michael awoke. He had been sleeping peacefully one second, the next, however, he was flailing wildly. He promptly fell off the bed, and stopped moving. Filled with worry, Fluttershy rushed to his side. “Michael!” She was by his side, “Are you okay?” “I am alright, Fluttershy. Thank you.” He replied, the same dead voice he had become known for muffled by the floor. “Oh, well, alright then, if you say so.” She backed off, “What made you jump out of your bed, though?” “I, I’m not sure… I believe it was a dream.” He told her, lifting himself up. “My memory of it is almost gone.” If Fluttershy didn’t know better, though, she would have swore she saw a lone tear fall down his face. He replaced the blankets that had fallen with him, and made his bed with a mechanical feel. He had only had the bed for a few weeks, having made it himself. He had not felt the need for it, but Fluttershy had become much less timid around him over his time in her home. She still talked softly, and often remained quiet, but more than once she had become forceful with him. Well, as forceful as Fluttershy could be. So, one morning as he was waking up, she told him that he would be making a bed in Applejack’s barn that day. It simply was not good for his health to be sleeping on the floor every night. He had, in fact, been working on Applejack’s farm for many days by then. Not long after Rarity had given him his new clothes, Twilight had come up with the idea to take him to see Applejack. The Princess had said it was a good idea to introduce him to her friends, anyways. At first Applejack had been wary of the human. It was justified, of course, but Twilight decided that she would work on his introduction later. It was annoying having to tell everypony that he wasn’t a threat over and over again. Soon enough, though, she had him put to work. His hands were once again proven useful as he chopped down a dead apple tree in record time. After a day of hard work on his part, Applejack had warmed up to him. Well, as much as one could warm up to a brick wall, that is. The rest of the Apple family had mixed reactions to his presence. Big Macintosh had simply greeted him, and he gave a curt “Hello” back. That was the extent of how much they had talked to each other so far, but Big Mac showed no signs of discomfort with the human. He trusted his sister, after all. If she said that he was safe to be around, then he was. No two ways about it. Applebloom and Granny Smith had different reactions. The elder pony nearly beat him with a stick at first, but she came to accept him after some convincing by Applejack. The filly, for her part, was excited to see such a strange and wondrous creature working on her farm. She was slightly anxious around him for the better part of the day, until he wound up helping her indoors. It was lunchtime, and he was going to and fro in the kitchen, fetching whatever Granny Smith told him to, Applebloom doing the same. The filly and her significantly taller human helper rushed around the kitchen, fetching every ingredient as Granny Smith called them out. “Cinnamon!” Her elderly voice demanded. “Cinnamon!” Apple Bloom parroted, rushing to Michael’s side. She stood on a chair looked around on the counter, but didn’t see the cinnamon anywhere. Looking up, the young mare found the cinnamon. In the cupboard, above her reach. It didn’t stop her from trying, though. Her balance became precarious as she climbed higher on the chair. Michael noticed this, and asked “Do you need help?” With a slightly nervous nod, Apple Bloom accepted the offer. Her anxiety only increased when she felt his large hands grasp her under her forelegs. She wriggled for a second, until she realized that he was lifting her to the shelf the cinnamon was on. She grabbed the spice, and turned to face him. But her attention was caught before she could speak. “Wow,” She gasped, “I feel so tall!” Apple Bloom gazed around the kitchen from a perspective that she was sure only the Princesses had. She couldn’t believe how great it felt, she never wanted to back down to her regular height! Sadly, all things must come to an end. This includes her time in the air. Pouting a bit as she was set back on the chair, she passed the cinnamon to her grandmother. But then, a thought struck the youngest Apple. Turning around, the red maned filly looked directly into Michael’s eyes, and gave him her saddest looking pout. “Do you think, maybe, you could lift me up like that again, Mister Michael?” He looked at her for a moment, thinking. It was the longest he had ever considered something since he had woken up in Fluttershy’s cottage. Her pitiful gaze continued to bore into him, and he almost felt something. “Alright, but not while I’m working.” He told her, his voice stern. “Yes!” She exclaimed with a jump. She never would have thought those pouting lessons Sweetie Belle had given her would ever pay off! While none of the Apples, except one, came to truly enjoy his presence, they certainly welcomed him into the farm like anypony else. Applebloom was the only one to gain any sort of attraction to his presence. He may not have been all that responsive to her attempts at having fun with him, but on the days he spent at the farm, the two were often seen together when not working. Applebloom enjoyed being able to make him do almost anything she wanted, and he saw no reason why not to listen to the young pony who had become attached to him. All of the work he had done was why Applejack had no problem giving him the materials he needed for his bed. He had more than earned them, in her opinion. Aside from the work he did for those three, he had briefly helped Rarity. He was excellent at following orders, but she found that his complete lack of creativity was stifling to her work. Pinkie Pie had also offered him some work, but Twilight said it would be better if the Cakes didn’t meet him. She was already pushing it letting the whole Apple family in on the secret. So, seventy one days into his stay in Equestria, he still had no real friends. He had acquaintances, and what amounted to a landlady, but nothing more. And as it was, Rainbow Dash still refused to spend more time around him than she had to. And he just couldn’t bring himself to care. He worked for Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack when he could, and nothing much had changed. Eventually, things settled into a routine. It was the same day that his dream had changed when Twilight received a letter from her teacher. “Dear Twilight Sparkle, I, along with my court scholars, have searched the Canterlot Archives these past months. We have found no methods of returning Michael to his home world, nor can we explain his presence and ability to speak our language. As of now, we may have to accept that some greater force has brought him here for an unknown reason. As such, I am granting him the same rights as any other citizen of Equestria. This means that you no longer have to keep his presence a secret. Also, your weekly reports on his behavior will no longer be needed. The information you have already sent has been compiled, and we will publish it and include it in the Canterlot Archives. A copy will also be sent to you as soon as it is ready. We will continue to keep an eye out for any information regarding the mystery still surrounding him, but I am afraid that life must go on. Even if it includes a new species. Sincerely, Princess Celestia” After Twilight came down from her excitement over having her research published and included in the Royal Library, she decided it was best that Michael know that he would be in Equestria indefinitely. Normally, she would have been more cautious about telling someone that they were trapped and likely forever separated from their home, but Michael was a different case. At least, she thought he was. As Twilight had been reading the letter from the Princess, Michael had been eating dinner with Fluttershy. Usually, it was a quiet affair, considering the two participants. But that night, Fluttershy had decided that she didn’t want silence. “So, Michael, how was work with Applejack today?” She asked, swallowing a bite of a fried daisy sandwich. He may not have been very enthusiastic about cooking, but he sure did have a lot of recipes up his sleeves. “There were no problems.” Came his mechanical response. His own dinner lie untouched, as he had done nothing more than stare at his own, non-flower sandwich the whole time. “Oh, that’s good,” Fluttershy had forgotten for a moment how dull of a conversationalist he was. “You haven’t touched your dinner, are you feeling okay?” “Yes, I’m fine. I just don’t seem to be hungry tonight. I think I will go for a walk.” He stood up, placing his plate on her stove,. “I will eat later.” Fluttershy was flabbergasted. This was the first time Michael had ever shown a want to be alone. Or a want for anything, for that matter. She might have commented on it, but he was finally started to show emotion. She wasn’t about to ruin it! “Well, I hope you have a good time!” She called to him as he grabbed his rather pedestrian duster and Stetson from the hook he had installed over his bed. He merely grunted in reply as he walked out the door. Just as he exited the house, he came across Twilight. “Oh, Michael, just who I wanted to see. I have some news from Princess Celestia!” She told him, drawing the letter she had received out of the bags on her back. He plucked the letter from her magical grasp, and began to read. He read it over, and handed it back to Twilight. “I thank you for giving me this news. I will have to discuss my future living arrangements with Fluttershy. As it is, though, I will be going for an evening walk. Good evening, Twilight.” His voice sounded as cold as ever, but there was something else there. It was something that could barely be detected, but Twilight caught it. His voice had the barest hint of pain. Breaking out of the slight trance she had found herself in, Twilight said “Your welcome,” and walked into the house of her pink and yellow friend. Once inside she called “Fluttershy?” “Oh! Twilight! How nice of you to visit.” Fluttershy’s voice came from her pantry. Trotting into the room, Twilight asked “Did something seem… Off about Michael tonight?” “Well, he did decide to go for a walk. And this morning, he must have had a bad dream or something, because he was flailing around, and he fell right off of his bed! I do hope he is alright.” Fluttershy worried as she washed the few dishes from their meal. Looking into Celestia’s setting sun outside the window, Twilight said “So do I, Fluttershy, so do I.” The two mares exchanged some small talk, before Twilight left again, citing her busy schedule as a reason for her departure. Fluttershy then spent the rest of the night doing little. She made sure her animals were fed, and settled in with a good book. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon came out, she started to worry about Michael. It had been nearly three hours since his departure, and her mind was racing with possibilities. Finally, at the four hour mark since his exit, she decided to go look for him. Throwing on a scarf to guard against the chilly night air, she trotted out. It was a particularly clear night, so she had plenty of light shining off of the moon to guide her. She searched around the border of the Everfree forest, and into Ponyville opposite that, but saw no sign of him. As time moved on, her worry only continued to grow. She soon took to flight, deciding that she needed a better viewpoint if she intended to find him. Flying high into the brisk night air, she confirmed that he was not in Ponyville proper. So, despite her trepidation, she flew above the Everfree forest. She could hardly see anything through the darkened canopy, and was about to give up and go find her friends for help, when she spotted him. Michael was standing on the edge of Ghastly Gorge, just staring into the ravine. She zipped down to his location, and landed lightly. “Good evening, Fluttershy,” He intoned. A gust of wind blew from behind them, the bottom of his duster following it over the cliff’s edge. “Oh, thank goodness I found you, I was worried sick!” She told him, drawing nearer, “You shouldn’t stay out so late.” “I apologize,” His voice was somber, but not without the slightest of cracks. “Well, that’s alright. Now, you shouldn’t be so close to the edge of that cliff, you could fall.” She warned, “Let’s just go home.” She had turned around, expecting him to follow her without complaint. But a few steps later, she noticed he was still standing at the precipice, looking straight down. “Michael, are you coming?” She asked, turning back. But he didn’t answer. The two stood still for a moment, as another breeze pushed them gently forward. “I could do it, you know,” He whispered, although she barely caught his words, “It wouldn’t be hard.” “Do what?” She asked, already dreading the answer. “Just a small step forward. Just a tiny bit of work on my part, and it would all be over. No more pain, no more suffering. And maybe, just maybe, I’d get to see her again.” He continued, “I doubt it though. There’s no place for me where she is.” “Michael? A-are you okay? M-maybe you should take a step back,” Fluttershy’s voice wavered, “Just come back to the cottage with me, everything will be okay.” “No. It won’t.” His voice was louder than it had been yet, and she finally got a taste of what he was feeling. Michael was crying, she knew it, his tone was overflowing with pain. “Nothing will ever be okay again. I let Jessie die in that forest, and now I should pay for what I did.” He started to curl in on himself, and his face found his hands, “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have left her! I should have done something!” “Michael, please, come back from the cliff! I’m sure she would forgive you, you did nothing wrong!” Fluttershy plead, “You don’t need to do this!” “She comes to me in my sleep, every night! She accuses me of such awful things! There’s no way I didn’t do these things, she wouldn’t keep telling me if it wasn’t the truth!” He cried, “I have no choice!” “Michael! P-please! There are ponies who care about you, you can’t just abandon them! W-what would Applebloom t-think if her new friend just left her? A-and Twilight! She’s one of the ones who found you, she wouldn’t have helped if she didn’t care about you! And m-m-me! I care about you, Michael! I took you into my home and cared for you!” Fluttershy was beginning to cry herself, “J-just c-come back h-home with me! Please!” But his tears did not stop, and he did not move back. The two stood there for a while longer, Fluttershy begging him between her sobs. Then, a foot was poised over the edge, ready to continue forward. Time stopped for the two of them, and it felt like an eternity passed in an instant. “Michael,” Fluttershy whimpered with the last of her energy. He didn’t move, one bandage covered foot still ready to take the final plunge. But then, it moved back. And he turned around to face her. He fell to his knees, tears flowing down his cheeks like twin rivers of pain. Fluttershy ran up to him, and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. He held still as she buried her face into his shoulder, still crying. Then, slowly, he returned the embrace. The two stayed there, crying on each other’s shoulder, for a long while.
Seventy Second or the FirstChapter Four: Seventy Second or the First As it did every morning, Celestia’s sun shone brightly in the sky. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, and many various animals ran to and fro in their daily routines. Overall, it was a pretty good morning. For all but two, that is. On a dirt path leading to a small cottage, a man was walking. He had a yellow pony in his arms, who was clearly asleep. This man was named Michael Greenfield, and he was the only human in Equestria. High above them, a pair of blue wings stretched out from the sides of a small cloud. Soon after, the Pegasus Rainbow Dash was visible, stretching after a morning nap. She looked down, wondering where the cloud had carried her in her sleep. She saw them, then, and her eyes narrowed. There was Michael, a person she could not trust. He was walking up the path to Fluttershy’s house, carrying a yellow bundle. Except, she realized, that wasn’t some random yellow bundle, that was Fluttershy! What was he doing, carrying her like that? What was he up to, had he hurt her? What if he had? “No,” Rainbow Dash decided, “I can’t let him get away with it.” She lived up to her name as she shot down to the human. “Hey!” She shouted, it was almost a miracle that Fluttershy did not wake up, “What did you do? You better not have hurt her!” He gave her a look. But, this look was different. Normally, he had a dead, emotionless stare. Which, frankly, made Rainbow feel a bit nervous. Which, of course, made her lash out that much more. Not this time, though. This time, his eyes were different. Where before his blue orbs were devoid of life, this time, there was something within. Something Rainbow Dash never would have expected. His eyes screamed out to her in pain, of a sorrow so deep it permeated his very soul. But they held firm her gaze, not backing down in the slightest. “I did not hurt Fluttershy.” He stated, continuing to walk forward, “At least, not intentionally.” The later sentence he mumbled, so Rainbow Dash only barely heard it. Not intentionally? Had there been some sort of accident, caused by Michael? Had he done something stupid, and hurt her friend? He better not have, or by Celestia would he regret it! But, still, his eyes remained in her mind. What could have caused such a brick wall of a person to turn into that? It didn’t make any sense, so Rainbow decided that she would be getting to the bottom of the puzzle before her. He was several yards ahead of her by then, so she quickly flew back in front of him. “Hey!” She said, quieter this time. “What’s going on here?” “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Michael replied, stepping around her, “I just need to get Fluttershy home.” Rainbow heard it in his voice, too. It wasn’t as clear, as if he was still attempting to put up a front of emotionless, but the pain was evident. Whatever had happened, it had been bad, Rainbow Dash deduced. She continued to pester him as they came up on Fluttershy’s home. He stood in front of the door for a moment, then said, “Could you get that?” Rainbow looked at him for a moment, sending a light glare his way. Not taking her eyes off of him, she reached down from her spot in the air, and opened the door. Landing beside him, the two walked inside, and Michael shut the door with a kick. “I’m not leaving until I get some answers,” Rainbow told him, “So, start talking.” Michael let out a heavy sigh. “Fine,” He sounded defeated, “Just let me put Fluttershy in her bed.” Rainbow waved him off, and looked around as he walked away. There was his bed, larger than most, standing beside the stove. On the right and above was a large hook, which she guessed he used for that awfully long coat of his. Otherwise, the house looked exactly as it always did. Clean, but not as much as Rarity’s boutique. Every so often, an animal could be heard moving around. Rainbow didn’t know how Fluttershy could stand having so many animals just running around her home. It had taken her awhile to adjust to Tank, and he hardly did anything that could be qualified as “running.” Then, a small bunny hopped up to her, and gave her a questioning look. “Hello, Angel,” She greeted, still distracted, “I’m just waiting for Michael to get back down here and explain some things.” The rabbit did not move, however. He simply looked up at the Pegasus, opened his mouth, and pointed expectantly. “Wait, you want me to feed you?” Rainbow gave him an incredulous look, “I don’t even live here!” Angel crossed his arms, and looked around. They both heard a noise from the stairs, and Angel hopped over to his new victim, err, feeder. He stopped in front of Michael as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and repeated what he did in front of Rainbow. Michael looked down, and sighed. “Fine, I’ll feed you. Don’t expect anything fancy, though.” All three went into the pantry, Rainbow Dash following the other two. As Michael searched through the cupboards, she started her questioning. “So,” She began, “What happened?” “I did something stupid,” Michael replied, his voice curt. “Like what?” Rainbow asked, feeling impatient. “Something I should not have done, and will not repeat.” He finally found something, and pulled out a bag of carrots. “Good enough,” He tossed a couple to Angel. While not entirely satisfied, Angel had more than once butted heads with the human. He knew that he wasn’t going to get anymore than what he had, so he hopped away, off to enjoy his breakfast. “Could you be more specific?” The rainbow themed pony was quite agitated by now. “I’d rather not,” It was unclear to Rainbow at this point whether or not the human was being purposefully aggravating. “Well, tough, I want answers!” Her voice raised, but not too much. Fluttershy was still sleeping, after all. “I’ve already told you enough,” He said, heading back into the main room, “I don’t see what else you need to know.” She glared at him as he hung his jacket on the hook beside his bed, his hat over that. Left in only a black shirt and his jeans, he laid on the bed. “Now, if you could please leave, I am quite tired.” He tried to dismiss her. Her anger peaked, and she was hovering above him in an instant. “Look, you, I want some answers, and I want them NOW!” She grabbed him by his shirt, and pinned him against the wall. It was oddly reminiscent of their first meeting. He eyes bored into hers, once again, but in a different way this time. Instead of a wall of coldness that left her unnerved and confused, this time there was a fire in his eyes. A fire fueled by hurt and anger, though one could not be sure who he was angry with. He stared directly into her eyes, only inches away, and said, “No.” Her teeth ground together, and her brow furrowed in her own seething rage. “I will beat the answers out of you if I have to! Tell me what happened, and why you were carrying Fluttershy like that!” “It is none of your business.” He paused between each word, but still made no move to escape her grasp, “Now, leave me alone.” Rainbow was seeing red by that point, and slowly pulled back a hoof. “I’ll give you to the count of five,” She warned. “One,” His gaze did not waver. “Two,” Michael’s breathing came out in deep gusts, his nostrils flaring. “Three,” She was prepared to do anything she had to, to make sure her friends were safe. “Four,” The tension was palpable. “Five.” He felt a pain on his left eye, and they both heard a loud gasp come from the stairs. Their gazes snapped over, to see a horrified Fluttershy standing at the bottom. “Michael!” She screamed, “Rainbow! Get off of him!” She complied, but was quickly by her friend’s side. “Are you okay,” She questioned, “Did he hurt you? What happened? Why was he carrying you back here? What is going on?” Fluttershy ignored the blue pony’s rapid questioning for a more pressing matter. She was by Michael’s side in an instant, hovering over his quickly bruising eye. “It’s just a black eye, Fluttershy. It will heal in a few days.” Michael assured her, swinging his legs to the edge of his bed. “It seems I won’t be getting any rest.” “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want you to be in any more pain that you have to.” Fluttershy cooed. “I will be fine.” He repeated, standing. “Perhaps we should start on the morning chores.” Neither of the ponies knew what to do. Fluttershy was stuck between demanding he stay in bed until he felt better, considering what had happened the previous night. On the other hand, Rainbow Dash was quickly regaining her anger with the human. The way he tried to brush her off just then, it was infuriating. Just as Michael was reaching for his jacket and hat, he found himself once again pinned to the wall. “Is this going to become a habit with you?” He asked, clearly annoyed. It would seem he had already let go of the anger he had felt just moments ago. “Tell me what you are hiding.” Rainbow hissed, narrowing her eyes. Michael opened his mouth, another dismissal on his lips, when both were stopped. “RAINBOW DASH!” Fluttershy shouted, pushing the two apart, “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!” The sudden burst of confidence displayed threw the Pegasus pony off. She was more confused than ever, now. “Okay, now I know something is going on. What aren’t you two telling me?” She asked, staring at the two. Fluttershy gently landed on the floor beside Michael, as he said “It is none of your business.” “It isn’t something I would like to talk about, Rainbow.” Fluttershy softly added. Groaning in frustration, the blue mare did not give up. “I am not leaving until you tell me what happened!” Once again she and Michael engaged in a stare-down. Her steely gaze met his emotion filled eyes, and Fluttershy was caught in the middle. “Now,” She tried to calm them, “Don’t get angry. There’s no need to fight, we’re all friends.” “I am no friend of his,” Rainbow growled, “And I will find out what happened.” “What happened is between Fluttershy and I, no one else. You should just go home, this is none of your business.” He returned, narrowing his eyes. The two of them were nearing a fight once more, Fluttershy could feel it. Her head moved back and forth between them, not knowing whose side to take. On one side, she had Rainbow Dash. Loyal friend and trustworthy pony, who had never let her down. She knew that her friend had nothing but her best interests at heart, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but think she was going about it all wrong. On the other, she had Michael. He had been through a great ordeal, which culminated into the events of the previous night. He clearly did not want to talk about it, especially not to someone who had opposed him from the start. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want a fight, but she didn’t want to betray Michael’s trust. But Rainbow was stubborn, and she would do just about anything to get the answers she wanted. Michael had to be torn up inside, and this tension was not helping in the least. She just wished he would talk about it, so everything could be over with. But her light blue friend certainly could have taken a gentler approach to the matter. Oh, it was just so confusing! Fluttershy saw them tense, a fight was near. She could tell, and it scared her. She was panicking. “Please, don’t fight!” She cried, new tears gathering in her eyes. But the two were too far gone. Nothing else mattered to them, it seemed the fight was inevitable. So, Fluttershy did the only thing she could to prevent it. Michael would just have to forgive her. “Michael tried to kill himself last night!” She rushed her words, cringing as she said them. “Please don’t fight!” She added through her crying. Michael immediately stood straight, and grabbed his jacket and hat. He was beyond angry at that point, and Fluttershy’s outburst had hit him hard. He stalked to the door, flung it opened, and said “I’m leaving.” He didn’t say when he would return. The door slammed hard behind him, and he stomped down the path. The loud noise of the door brought Rainbow out of the stupor she had entered. When Fluttershy had revealed what had happened, Rainbow fell straight to the floor, a gasp frozen on her features. “He what?” She asked, her voice quiet once more. Fluttershy didn’t answer, she was busy sobbing on the floor, curled into a ball. The rainbow-maned Pegasus noticed her, and was by her side, a hoof around her shoulder, in a snap. “Oh, Fluttershy, don’t cry! It’ll be okay, I’m sure!” She tried to comfort her friend. “Where did this come from, though?” Fluttershy came out of her ball, and was wrapped around Rainbow in a flash. “Oh, Rainbow, it was h-horrible!” The shy Pegasus then told her friend about the events of the previous day. How Michael had had a nightmare, and about the letter from the princess. How she had become worried as the night wore on, and went out to search for him. She ended the story when he had turned back to her and they had cried in each others embrace. It was a lot to digest for the Element of Loyalty. She had seen ponies become sad, some even reaching full depression, but she had only ever heard of something like that. It was something that only happened in the big cities like Manehattan, where everything moved so much faster than everywhere else. Even then, it was extremely rare. Rainbow dropped her face onto the table that they had sat at. She felt horrible, knowing what had happened. She had been incredibly insensitive, and she knew Michael would only dislike her more now. Which made her feel worse, because now that she knew what had happened to him, she wanted to apologize for her behavior. But after that morning, she wasn’t certain he would forgive her. But, Dash decided, there was no way to find out but to try. So, she stood and walked to the door. “W-where are you going?” Fluttershy asked, still crying softly. “I’m going to find Michael, I need to apologize.” The blue pony told her yellow friend. “Oh, um, maybe you should wait, Rainbow Dash. I think he needs time to calm down. Even then, he’s pretty fragile right now. I-I just don’t want to see you two fight like that again. I-if that’s okay with you, that is,” The timid pony hid behind her mane. Rainbow Dash knew her friend was right. Michael, with all of the emotions he had running through him, would be in no condition to talk to her. So, while she loathed to do it, she decided to wait. She re-entered the cottage, and sat beside her friend. Rainbow decided to spend a few hours comforting Fluttershy, and helping her around her home, before she had to leave for work. After that, she would find Michael and apologize. Michael’s day passed differently. Upon leaving the cottage and only place he could call home anymore, he didn’t know where to go. He considered going to the library, and seeking Twilight’s advice. But he dismissed the idea, as she would likely just refer him to a book. He didn’t much want to deal with anyone just then, anyways. The anger he felt dissipated quickly enough, leaving only the soul-wrenching sadness from, well, almost everything. He’d never see his family again, or his home. He would never graduate college, have a family, and grow old with his wife. A sob escaped his lips. He would never see his girlfriend Jessie again. They had been dating for almost three years, when they were teleported to Equestria. He reached into a pocket in his jacket, and pulled out something he had hidden the whole time he had lived in the strange new world. He could never explain to himself why he kept it, at least not during his emotionless state of life. Nothing could pry it from him now, however. He sat on a grassy hill he had found himself at, and looked at the item. It was small, fitting firmly in the palm of his hand. It had a soft texture, too. Velvet, dark in color, to be exact. Reaching over with his left hand, he flicked open the lid of the small box he held. Inside was a ring, one he had intended for Jessie. It was a simple gold band, with three diamonds fitted on the top. He noticed it was wet. “How did that happen?” He wondered, wiping the water away. But another drop took its place, followed by more. He realized then that he was silently crying, as he stared at the engagement ring. “Michael?” He heard a young voice call out, “Michael, is that you? What’re y’all doin’ out here so early?” He quickly slipped the ring back into his jacket, and rubbed the tears from his eyes. Apple Bloom bounded in front of him, and he gave her a melancholic smile. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” She sat down in front of him, amazed. “You ain’t never smiled before.” Her tone was full of amazement. “It’s been awhile since I’ve let myself.” Michael responded, then changed the subject, “What brings you out here?” “What do you mean, silly? You’re sittin’ right outside of the farm!” She giggled, pointing up over his left shoulder. Looking up, he saw the simple wooden sign with the apple carved out. So he was, odd. He hadn’t even realized that his feet had carried him there. “Why are you out here, then?” “Oh! I have to go to school, want to walk with me?” She asked, giving him a painfully adorable gaze. “I don’t know, I shouldn’t go into town like that.” He tried to get out of it. “Nonsense,” A new voice entered the scene, “I saw Twilight last night. She told me all about that letter from the Princess, you’re a full citizen of Equestria now, Michael! Y’all should act like it.” Applejack had been behind her energetic sister, and had only just caught up. Together the two of them gazed at Michael. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” He said, defeated. “Nope,” Both of them replied, and turned back to the road leading from the farm. With a sigh, Michael followed. Soon enough, Applebloom was riding on his shoulders, as they walked towards the schoolhouse. “Oh, this is so excitin’!” She exclaimed, “I can introduce you to my friends now! You could even help us on our crusades!” The young filly’s rambling continued until they dropped her off at school, Applejack making her promise to behave. Surprisingly enough, there weren’t too many ponies staring at him. It would seem that in a world full of many different forms of sentient life, seeing another wasn’t too jarring. As the farm-pony and the human walked back, she asked him “Would you like to talk about it?” “Talk about what? I’m fine.” He tried to evade her question. “Yeah, and I’m applesauce.” Applejack pressed, “I know somethin’s up with you. You didn’t get that shiner there from a fall, I can tell you that right now. Now spill it.” Michael sighed heavily. It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to escape people questioning him. So, he did his best to answer the question without going into detail. “I did something I regret last night. It made me realize that I can’t suppress my emotions anymore. I just have to face them. This morning, however, Rainbow Dash and I had a… Disagreement, which resulted in my black eye.” Michael told her, avoiding her gaze. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded her head, “Good enough for me. If you find yourself wantin’ to talk, though, I’m here for you.” Relieved, he nodded his head. The two walked in silence, until they reached Sweet Apple Acres. He asked if he could start work early that day. She agreed, but on one condition. “Now, y’all are gonna need it, soon. You’re here for good, so we can’t have you livin’ off of Fluttershy anymore, got it?” She told him, after forcing him to accept payment. At first, he was reluctant to accept the money, but he gave in after her statement. But he told her that as soon as he could, he would find somewhere else to work. They didn’t actually need his help around the farm, anyways. A few ideas were forming in his mind, as it was. It was later that same day, and he was just leaving the farm. He found himself once again in a field, this time on his back staring at the setting sun. In his mind, he continuously relived the events of the previous night. The pain he felt, and the guilt. It was still inside of him, and it likely wouldn’t be going anywhere soon. Clearing his throat, he sang a single phrase. It was all he could remember, from a lullaby his mother sang to him as a boy. “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.” He sang, as another entered the scene. She walked up to him, and sat beside his head. Neither spoke for a while, they just watched the sunset together. “You’re singing is nice,” Rainbow complimented, not knowing what else to say. “I’m a horrible singer.” He replied, keeping his voice even. His tone was nowhere near what he had just two days prior, though. He hoped to keep it that way, too. “I liked what you sang, too. Was that some language from your world?” Dash asked. “Yes, I sang it in our language after that. I’m not sure what language the original was, however.” He told her, “Did you want something, or are you just here to talk about my singing?” The winged pony looked down bashfully, and crossed one leg in front of the other. “I came to apologize,” She muttered. “Hmm? I didn’t hear you.” “I said I came to say I’m sorry for this morning!” She repeated, much louder. Michael sat up, and looked into her eyes. She looked back into his. The he held her rosy stare for a short while, until he said “I accept,” Rainbow let out a relieved sigh. Then, she asked, “Wait, just like that? You aren’t angry with me still?” “I spent the whole day thinking about last night, and this morning. I know that what you did, you did because you just wanted to protect your friend. I can respect that. Just don’t do it again, okay?” He gave her a deadpan look, “I doubt I would look good as a raccoon.” She chuckled at his lame joke, but noticed that he hardly smiled. “You sure you’re okay?” “No, and I can only hope I will be.” His voice was quiet. The two sat in silence after that, just watching the sunset. Eventually, Rainbow took off, making him promise to not worry Fluttershy by staying out too late. He stood up just before the sun disappeared over the horizon, and Luna rose the moon. He took the ring box out of his pocket, again, and looked at its contents. “I miss you, Jessie. I think you would have loved it here.” He whispered. Then, he sang out again. “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.” His voice was cracking with tears as he sang.
To Rise and FallChapter Five: To Rise and Fall Fluttershy paced back and forth in her home, a highly worried expression on her face. The moon had risen in the sky, and Michael still had not arrived at home. “Oh, where is he?” She asked, despite being alone, “He should be home by now!” He had said that he wasn’t going to do anything bad, she knew, but she couldn’t help but feel anxious. What if he had become irrational in his depression? Or maybe he had been lying, so they wouldn’t suspect him of anything! No, that wasn’t right. He may not have shown much character, but he was quite honest. But that was the Michael who didn’t feel anything. He hardly had any reason to lie. “Oh, maybe I should go look for him!” She headed towards the door, ready to take off and fly as quick as her wings could carry her. However, instead of opening the door, she jumped back in fright as the door opened itself. “Fluttershy?” Michael called, shutting the door behind him, “Are you home?” He looked around for a second, and his eyes settled on her. He could see small pools of tears gathering, and her face was turning sad. “Oh, Michael!” She was around him in an instant, forelegs wrapped around his neck. “Good evening, Fluttershy,” He patted her back, doing his best to keep his tone upbeat. “P-please, could y-you not stay out so l-late, anymore? I-if it’s not t-to much trouble...” She pleaded, burying her head into his shoulder, “I-I get so worried.” “Okay, for you,” He smiled softly, it seemed he had a soft spot for the shy Pegasus, “You okay now?” “Y-yes,” she hiccupped, letting go and floating back to the ground, “Are you okay, though?” “I’m fine, Fluttershy,” He sounded as though he were just giving her the answer she wanted to hear. “O-okay,” She mumbled, “You know you can talk to me any time you want, right?” “Of course,” He had walked over to his bed, and hung up his jacket and hat, “Thanks for the offer. Good night.” He turned off the oil lamp beside his bed, and rolled underneath the covers. Fluttershy gently walked up the stairs, agreeing that it was time for bed A short while later she was tucked into her own bed, and the last thought she had before sleep overcame her was “I hope Michael is okay…” The next day, Michael awoke bright and early. The morning passed quickly, and Fluttershy even managed to keep herself from crying. He still didn’t talk much, but he seemed to be fine. He even gave her a half smile, once or twice. With his morning duties taken care of, Michael bade Fluttershy goodbye and walked down the path leading to Ponyville. It was a bright summer day, and the sun was beating down on the dark haired man. He slipped his jacket off and slung it over his shoulder, leaving an earthy red shirt underneath exposed. Not far down the same trail, a certain pink pony was bounding down the path, on her way to her friend’s home. As luck would have it, she was on her way to see Michael. Soon enough, the two came to opposite sides of a corner. Michael was admiring the brilliant blue skies, while Pinkie Pie was busy inspecting the brightly colored box on her back. How it managed to stay on her, despite her bouncy movements, was a mystery that no one could fully answer. But, as the two were distracted, nature decided that they were due for some humorous misfortune. Just as she turned to face forward, the mare found herself with a face-full of human chest. The two rebounded off of each other, and hit the ground simultaneously. Pinkie scrambled to catch her package, as Michael slowly stood up once more. “Oh! Michael! Just who I was looking for!” The pink mare exclaimed, suddenly a bit closer that he would have liked. “Hello Pinkie Pie,” he greeted, dusting himself off some, “Was there something you needed?” “Yeppers!” she bounced around him a small circle for a moment, “I have something for you! I know that you have been all grumpy ever since you got here, and that can’t be fun! So, I said to myself, ‘Pinkie Pie, how can we cheer him up?’ And I figured it out! I could bake you a cake! Everyone likes cake! And I had planned to do this since Twilight and I found you, anyways, so it did two things at once! It’s, like, a super double cake!” Feeling somewhat disoriented from her short rant, Michael said, “I take it that is what is in the package?” She came to a halt directly in front of him, presenting the box on outstretched forelegs, “Yup!” He accepted the baked good with a small grin, thanking the pink party pony. He was then quickly on his way, already knowing what was likely to happen. And happen it did. At first, Pinkie just sat in the road, an amazed look on her face. Then, one cheek pulled upwards, slowly. The other followed soon after, and she was suddenly smiling like she had just won the Equestrian National Lottery. Although, only a few days prior, that would have been more likely. “You SMILED!” She shouted, bounding around him in joy. “You actually smiled! It was a little small, but we can work on that. All that matter is that YOU! SMILED! FOR THE! VERY! FIRST! TIME!” Holding the cake under one arm, Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. He would have rather not had to deal with the excitable mare right then, considering the ordeal he was finally allowing himself to go through. But, it would seem that fate had other plans for him, so he dryly said “I’ve smiled before, Pinkie Pie. Just not very much recently.” “Those don’t count!” She was incorrigible at this point, “That was your very first Pinkie Pie smile! Those are extra super-duper special! This calls for a party!” Suddenly stopping and standing stock still, she gasped. “A PARTY! I can’t believe I forgot! I haven’t thrown you a single party in all the time you’ve lived here! Oh my gosh, this is huge! I have to go plan!” He witnessed a pink blur flash in front of him, reminiscent of a certain rainbow Pegasus’s signature dash. Letting out a relieved sigh, he muttered, “Finally, some peace and quiet.” After a cursory look at the box held to his torso, he added ”I wonder if this cake is any good.” He moved it to one hand, and began to undo the bright blue ribbon atop it to take a peek inside. But, just as he was about to glimpse the confectionary wonder, the box was snatched from his grasp. “No peeking!” A familiar peppy voice said, “I’ll have to save this for the party! Oh, so much to do, so little time! I’ll need to talk to Twilight about who I can invite! And the decorations! What should I use?” Her rambling continued and faded as she ran away. Dragging a hand down his face, Michael thought, “I don’t even know what to think about that one.” It was odd, he thought. By all rights, he should be a depressed, crying wreck, not the melancholic man he was. He couldn’t explain it, but it was as if it were almost impossible to remain sad around those ponies. But hadn’t he just the night before last attempted suicide? Any sane person would have had him either racking up therapy bills a mile high, or in some mental hospital. That was just it, though. Any sane person would have done so. The same didn’t seem to be true for any sane pony. He kicked a rock on the road as he walked, not paying the slightest attention to his destination. He realized that even though he said he would be going to the library, he didn’t know if that was true. He didn’t know how Twilight would react to his emotionally renewed state. But maybe her bookish ways and scientific nature could help him. “Now there is a pony Jessie would have loved.” He thought, a pang of sadness striking him at her memory. The thought occurred to him, then. He wasn’t entirely certain how his other caretakers, who insisted he call them friends, would respond. Well, he already knew Fluttershy would be there for him. She always had, even when he had acted “as alive as Tom,” as he had heard Pinkie Pie say once. He would have to ask her to clarify that reference some time. Thoughts of the timid Pegasus brought him to a memory of her that stood out. He had been on her roof, patching a hole a couple of animals had made while playing up there. “I brought you some lemonade,” He heard her say, as she hovered to his left just off the edge of the roof with a platter and the drink. Pausing for a moment, he said to her “There’s no need, I’m fine.” She looked down, and muttered a few words he couldn’t hear. She looked downtrodden as she hovered downwards, returning the drinks to her home. He continued to work in silence, only the steady sounds of the tools on wood, and the ever present voices of nature around him. He was reaching for another nail from a wooden bucket to his right when Fluttershy returned. “Um… maybe I could help you, if you wouldn’t mind, that is.” She said to him, scooping one of the nails up on a hoof to hand to him. He accepted the nail, and quickly had it pounded into the roof. “There’s no need, I’m fine.” he repeated, reaching into the bucket and taking several more nails. “Oh, okay…” Fluttershy left once again, sounding dejected. The summer sun beat down on him as he worked. He could feel the sweat running down his forehead, only aggravated by his overheated black hair. He was starting to wonder why he had chosen not to wear his hat. Finally, though, he was done. Well, he had fixed the hole, that is. He still had to replace the leafy greens she used for her roof. He stood, and stretched his back. He dismissed the creaking he heard as nothing more than the noises his body was already making. He knelt back down to pick up his supplies, and was about to walk away when he heard another creak. Except this time, it was accompanied by a loud cracking noise. What came next Michael was never entirely certain of. One moment, he had been standing on Fluttershy’s roof, about to climb down, and the next he was about ten feet below. It was this scene that Fluttershy walked into, having just come in from a quick check up on her animals. “Oh, no!” she had exclaimed in her still quite soft voice, “Michael!” Michael laid there, thoroughly dazed. “I’m okay,” he coughed, “Just a short fall.” “That was not ‘just a short fall!’” Flutershy was quickly by his side, clearing the debris off of him. “You could be seriously hurt!” Sitting up, Michael told her, “I don’t feel as though I broke anything. Although, there is a strange pain in my right arm, sort of a stabbing feeling.” In a heartbeat, the kind yellow pony had his arm in her hooves, gently rolling up the sleeve of his shirt to get a full look at it. Knowing better than to attempt to keep Fluttershy from doting on him, Michael simply stared forward. Hopefully, it wasn’t anything too serious. He found it somewhat annoying when she became so concerned. Which is why he always did his best to prevent such things. “Because it annoys me,” he thought, “No other reason.” For some reason, though, the idea just didn’t feel right. As though he were denying what he truly felt. Nah, that wouldn’t make any sense. Michael didn’t feel anything like that back then, anyways. He was trying to wrap his head around his conflicting thoughts, when he heard a loud gasp from his right. “Oh my gosh!” Fluttershy’s voice was soft in her shock. “I-I-I, bandages! I need bandages!” She was off in a flurry of yellow and pink. Curious, Michael took a look at his arm. He noticed he was bleeding, which he rather expected after his caretaker’s reaction. But it didn’t seem that bad. Looking at the top of his arm, he noticed only a few scratches. That stabbing pain was still there, though. Rolling over his arm, he looked at the underside. “Ah, that would explain it.” The underside of his arm was a bloody mess. Most of his upper arm was covered in scratches, some deeper than others. However, that still didn’t explain the piercing pain he felt. Carelessly, he rubbed some of the blood away from his arm to get a better look. Part of the way between his bone and his bicep, though, he felt something hard. Something hard, and extremely painful. Gently, he inspected it. “A nail,” he muttered, “That probably isn’t good.” Leave it up to someone like Michael Greenfield to say a nail halfway into his arm “probably isn’t good.” “Must have fallen on the bucket, or something,” He gently gripped the small metal fastener, and pulled. With nary a wince, he drew it out slowly. It came out with a sickening sound, just as Fluttershy returned. Seeing him she shouted “What are you doing!” “I was just removing this nail from my arm. I doubt it would be good to leave it in there.” He remarked, starting to stand. He was back down in an instant, a firm yellow hoof keeping him there. “You could have made the injury worse doing that! What if you had cut something important while pulling that out! Then, then, you might have been bleeding so bad, that I couldn’t fix you!” She continued to ramble worriedly while she cleaned his arm and wrapped it up. Michael found it curious, the way she treated him. The way he understood it, one generally did not care so much for another when the first was as… uncaring as him. “Why are you so kind to me?” The question threw Fluttershy off. No one had ever asked her why she was so kind, they just accepted it. She contemplated the question for a moment before answering “Because that is what friends do.” Michael just grunted, and remained quiet while she worked. Was this timid pink and yellow pony really his friend? Or was she just trying to gain his trust for some other purpose? He glanced at Fluttershy, taking in the look on her face. The concern he saw there was genuine. But it didn’t make any sense to him, the way these ponies behaved. Someone as kind as her would have been taken for all she had on Earth. Was this equine society really so different that someone like her could exist? It was hard to believe, but all of the evidence pointed towards it,. But that brought forth another thought. In this world, where the majority was naturally predisposed towards happiness, could he find it? Michael had dismissed the thought not long after he had it back then. But now, having stopped on the side of the road leading into Ponyville, it made him think. “Even if it is possible,” he thought, “I’m not sure I want to. Not without Jessie.” But another part of him felt otherwise. As much as it hurt to lose her, he couldn’t do anything to bring her back. She wouldn’t want to see him act the way he was, anyways. But even as he told himself this, the words felt hollow. “I’m a real mess, aren’t I?” He said aloud. The rest of his journey passed in silence, and soon enough he found himself outside of the library. “I wonder what Twilight will have me do today,” he muttered as he entered the building, “Or perhaps I should say ‘I wonder what Spike will have me do today.” Inside, he found Twilight standing by a shelf, studying a green book. She looked up as he closed the door, and said “Michael, good to see you!” “Hello, Twilight,” he toyed around with the idea of acting emotionless, knowing that it would be quite the hassle to explain himself. He dismissed the idea, however, when he recalled that three out of the six ponies he knew would know something was wrong. “So, what’s my itinerary for the day? Am I re-shelving books again? Or maybe I’m helping you with your magic?” Snapping the book shut and levitating it back to its rightful place, Twilight spoke “Actually, I had something else in mind.” “Oh, what is that?” “I decided that because you are now a rightful citizen, you need a tour of Ponyville! I have a checklist ready of all the places you will need to go, so we can go as soon as Spike wakes up.” She gave him a warm smile, and headed into her kitchen, “Would you like something to drink?” “No, thank you.” He replied, taking a seat on a short chair. He had to adjust a bit, the chair clearly not having been made for him. "Why isn't Spike already awake?" He asked as she came back into the main room and sat down across from him. "Oh, I kept him awake later than I should have last night. Owlowiscious was out hunting, and I really needed help." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Twilight then quickly changed the subject by saying "How are you doing?" Michael was about to reply with a standard "Fine," but he paused. Perhaps he should tell Twilight what had happened? She had become rather friendly with him, just like the others. And even though he hadn't had enough time to truly reciprocate those bonds, he still felt they should be honored. Those six ponies seemed to trust him, but could he trust them just the same? It wasn’t the same as the previous morning. Twilight had never shown him true hostility, and had only attempted to befriend him.As much as he tried to find one, an answer to his question never came. "Michael? Are you okay?" Twilight asked him, concern evident in her voice. Michael looked her directly in the eyes. He saw no signs of deception, only genuine caring. In fact, it hurt him how much she reminded him of Jessie just then. "No, Twilight, I'm not." He let the words flow out. He wasn’t certain why he was telling Twilight this, but he knew he couldn’t stop himself. "I-I did something horrible the night before last. I wasn't thinking straight, and I very nearly caused you all great pain. I-I am so, so sorry." Twilight honestly had little idea how to handle the situation that had just arisen. There she was, talking to Michael Greenfield, someone she thought would never do what he was just then. He was crying, she could tell. He may have been hiding his face in his hands, but the sobs that wracked his body were as clear as day. So, she did the first thing that came to mind when any of her friends were crying. She walked over to Michael, and wrapped her forelegs around him in a hug. She did her best to console him, gently giving him words of comfort. "I'm sure that whatever happened will turn out okay." “Twilight, yo-you don’t understand. I almost did something irreversible. I hate myself for even thinking about it. I didn’t see then the pain I would have caused for all of you. I only hope you can forgive me.” He told her then what he had done. He detailed the nightmares he had been experiencing, even tried to explain the guilt he felt. It was hard, explaining thoughts that sounded so irrational when he voiced them. But Twilight was patient with him, as he stumbled over his words. He hesitated as he reached the climax of his tale. More tears flowed as he relived his darkest hour, and once again he found himself wrapped in pony arms. When he finished, the two said nothing. There wasn’t much to be said. Slowly, his tears stopped once more, and he calmed down as much as he could. “You know,” he broke the silence, “You’re an awful lot like her.” “Like who? Jessie?” Twilight asked him, having moved across from him after his story. “Yeah, it’s uncanny really. She always studied harder than anyone I had ever met, told me that she had to. She was determined to cure one of the worst diseases mankind has dealt with: cancer. She would work days on end at times, determined to get her degree in genetics. Always said that genetics would be the key to the cure.” He chuckled weakly, adding another memory. “One time, she stayed up for two days straight working on a research paper. As it turns out, eating and drinking nothing but coffee and apples for two days straight is not good for one’s health.” Twilight took the opportunity to cheer him up, and laughed perhaps a bit harder than she would have normally. “She sounds like she was a great person. I think I would have liked her.” Michael gave her a look, “I see what you did there.” Soon enough, the two were laughing with each other, albeit one harder than the other. Michael’s troubles may not have been forgotten, but for a time he could endure them. He only hoped the next time he let them out wasn’t in public. “Can’t a dragon get any sleep around here?” A tired young voice came from their right. “Well good morning to you too, mister sleepy-scales.” Twilight teased him. The studious unicorn was quick to set Spike to work, and even quicker out the door with Michael. “Why the rush?” He asked her, as she nearly dragged him away. “Oh, just trying to keep on schedule!” She quickly replied, tightening the straps on her saddlebags. “Nothing else!” The dark haired man just shrugged it off. He wasn’t one to be overly suspicious, and nothing seemed out of sorts. “So, where to first?” Michael questioned, a hint of anxiety in his voice. A scroll levitated out of her bag, and in front of Michael. “That’s the checklist for your tour. As you can see, we’ll be starting at Sugarcube Corner, after passing through the market district. I think you could use some sweets.” “That actually sounds nice,” he told her, looking further down the list. A few generic locations came up, there wasn't really anything special to be seen among them.With any luck, the day would pass without any more major incidents. Walking through Ponyville with Twilight, hat drawn low and his coat trailing slightly in his wake, Michael couldn’t help but feel like he was on display. “Is it just me, or is everyone staring at me?” He whispered to his purple companion. “‘Cause I am pretty sure everyone is.” “Oh, don’t worry about it. They’ll get used to you, just give them some time.” She reassured him. Pulling his hat down a bit further, and his jacket a up, Michael said “Okay...” He still sounded uncomfortable though. He caught a few whispers, occasionally. “What is that? Is it a minotaur?” “No, it doesn’t have any horns,” “They could be under its hat!” He wanted to just shout that he was a human. Feeling like he was on display frustrated him to no end. Of course, he knew that loudly announcing who he was probably wouldn’t turn out well. “I’m not so sure this was a good idea, Twilight. Some of these ponies actually seem a little frightened of me.” Twilight stopped and looked around. Sure enough, many ponies were gazing upon the duo with mixed expressions. These ranged from confusion and apprehension, to straight out disdain. Deciding that it would be better to nip this problem at the bud, she loudly announced, “It’s okay, everypony! His name is Michael Greenfield, and he is a human! He won’t hurt anypony, I assure you!” A gallery of similar expressions replied to her declaration. The most obvious of which was on the face of Michael. She looked up to him, only to see him giving her a wide eyed look that screamed “ARE YOU CRAZY?” “Oh, don’t give me that look, everypony will accept you now, I’m sure.” But when she looked around, the confidence she held in that statement flew away faster than Rainbow Dash to free Wonderbolts tickets. Every single pony on the street had stopped when she shouted, and were now all staring at one of the two. Each and every one of them held an expression similar to Michael’s, with varying levels of fear. Starting to sweat, Twilight’s mind raced. How could she fix this? She may have just ruined everything! What if everypony became scared of Michael? Then, they would form a mob and drive him out of town! Then, he’d have to live in the Everfree forest, eating twigs and berries for the rest of his life! And she would be responsible for it, so Princess Celestia would personally punish her for ruining the relations with a new species. This would be worse than just being sent to Magic Kindergarten, she’d be turned into some lowly street sweeper for this! Then she wouldn’t have any time to study, because she’d be too busy walking around Canterlot with a broom and dustpan! “And then Spike will have to manage Golden Oaks alone! Oh, it would be burned down in a week!” She despaired, drawing many looks away from Michael and onto her. Just as the two were prepared to slink away in shame, a young accented voice rang out. “Michael! Hey, Michael!” Apple Bloom shouted, running down the road. With her was two other fillies, a white unicorn and an orange pegasus. The three came to a stop in front of him, Apple Bloom wrapping her forehooves around his leg. The crowd seemed to soften at this. Three children had just run up to him, one of which seemed quite happy to see him, and he hadn’t done anything nefarious. “Hey there, Apple Bloom,” he bent down and patted her on the head, thankful for the distraction “Who are your friends?” “Oh! Right!” The yellow filly exclaimed, “These are my friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! And together, we are,” “THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” The three finished with a shout. “Oh, so these are those friends you told me about?” He took a knee, “Nice to meet you two, I’m Michael Greenfield.” He did his best to give them an easy grin. It came oddly easily for him. It was as if he hadn’t been crying his eyes out of Twilight’s shoulder earlier that same morning. Maybe the happiness these girls exuded was contagious. “I’m Scootaloo!” The purple maned pegasus was quick to extend a hoof in greeting, which Michael accepted. “And I’m Sweetie Belle,” the young unicorn wasn’t as confident in her greeting. “What are you doing out here, anyways?” The youngest Apple asked Michael. “Oh, Twilight was just taking me on a tour of Ponyville. I’m allowed to do that now, you know.” He answered, the three of them looking at the mentioned pony. She didn’t look so good. Her mane had started to stand up in places, and she was mumbling to herself. Michael thought he heard something about making sure to fireproof the entire library. “Uhh, Twilight? Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked. Snapping out of her trance, Twilight Sparkle took a look around. The ponies of ponyville had returned to their routines, only a few still glancing at Michael every now and then. She quickly deduced that the Crusaders had inadvertently convinced everypony that Michael was harmless. Relief washed over her as she let out a sigh.”Yeah, I’m fine Sweetie, don’t worry. But Michael and I really have to get going, we’re behind schedule now.” “Oh! Oh! Can we come with you?” Apple Bloom excitedly asked, “Maybe we could get our cutie marks helping you!” “Cutie marks in what? Walking around town?” Scootaloo asked her. “What would that even look like?” Sweetie Belle added, “A few hoofprints?” “You two don’t know what yer talkin’ about! Michael said he was on a tour of Ponyville! So, that means we’d get cutie marks in bein’ tour guides!” Apple Bloom told the others. “Cool! Maybe our cutie marks would look like epic mountains!” Scootaloo sounded quite excited over the prospect. “Well, that settles it, then! Today, we’ll be,” Sweetie Belle started, the other two quickly catching on. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TOUR GUIDES!” Michael laughed lightly at their antics. Apple Bloom was quick to hop onto Michael’s shoulder before he stood. The other two crusaders look a little jealous, so Michael assured them that they would get a turn. “Where to first?” Sweetie asked. “Well, we were headed to Sugarcube Corner, actually.” Twilight tried to take control of the situation. “Gotcha!” Apple Bloom thrust a foreleg forward, “To Sugarcube Corner!” The walk there was full of questions from the curious young ponies. “Do you have a cutie mark?” “No, humans don’t get cutie marks.” “What? Why not?” “We just don’t. We can get these things called tattoos, though.” “What’s a tattoo?” “It’s when a human gets ink injected into their skin, forming a permanent image.” “That sounds painful!” “It isn’t, or so I’ve been told.” “Why do you have Applejack’s hat?” “This isn’t Applejack’s hat, silly.” Apple Bloom snatched the hat off of his head, placing it on her own. “Do I look like her when I wear it?” “No, it doesn’t have that circle cut out of the front like hers.” Michael grinned and cast a sidelong glance at Twilight, finding that her expression mirrored his. “Are they always like this?” He quietly asked her. “Always,” she answered. He let out a chuckling sigh a moment later, when Sweetie Belle demanded that she get a turn on his shoulder. She even took his hat from Apple Bloom, and placed it on her own head, the brim tilted up on her horn. “I take it I’m not getting my hat back any time soon?” The brown-coated man asked. “Nope!” All three replied with silly smiles on their faces. Their playfulness hadn’t abated in the slightest by the time they had reached the bakery. A bell jangled over the door as they entered the confection themed store. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, how can I help yo-” A blue earth pony mare with pink hair similar in looks to frosting greeted them, but staggered when she saw Michael. “Twilight, dearie, who is that?” Her manner was clearly nervous, and her eyes never left him. “Mrs. Cake, this is Michael Greenfield. He’s a human, and a new citizen of Equestria!” Twilight introduced them, “Don’t worry, he’s quite friendly.” “Well, gee Twilight, you make me sound like a pet.” Michael rolled his eyes playfully, and extended a hand to the blue pony.“It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Cake.” “N-nice to meet you too,” She hesitantly returned his gesture. “It’s okay, Mrs.Cake, Michael is real nice!” Scootaloo told her. “Yeah, he’s been letting us ride on his shoulders!” Sweetie Belle added from her perch, “See?” The Cake matriarch seemed to ease up some after the fillies’ reassurances. “Well, can I get you anything?” Twilight was about to speak up, when a certain pony trotted out from the kitchen. “Mrs.Cake, I’ll be right back! I need to go talk to Twilight,” “Pinkie, I’m right here.” Twilight walked beside her friend, “What do you need?” Pinkie raised a hoof and opened her mouth to speak, but saw Michael watching her. “Not here, come into the kitchen with me.” She said to Twilight. Michael shrugged and looked at the baked goods behind the glass in the counter. They did look quite good, he had to admit.The Crusaders obviously thought the same, as they were practically drooling over the variety of sweets on display. Michael patted himself down, recalling something he had received the previous day. Finding it in one of the deeper pockets near his waist, he drew out the bag of bits Applejack had insisted he take. “How much for a cupcake?” He asked. “Two bits each, or twenty for a dozen.” Was the answer. He counted the coins in his bag. The honest farm pony had been generous, he found, as he had more than fifty bits. He considered his choices for a moment. He had originally intended to save the money, and hopefully be able to rent an apartment of his own at some point. But, he also wanted to do something nice for his new friends. And the looks the girls were giving him certainly weighed on his decision. So he bought a dozen, and gave on to each of the fillies accompanying him. Seeing their happy faces, he knew he’d made the right choice. Twilight came back from the kitchen, and looked at Michael with a smile that he knew meant something. He didn’t think too hard on it, though. He trusted her not to keep anything important from him. She gladly accepted a cupcake when offered, and soon the group was back out the door. The rest of the day passed without much incident. Scootaloo was happy to have her turn on Michael’s shoulders not long after they left Sugarcube Corner. “Hey, be careful with that cupcake!” He had said, “I don’t want frosting in my hair!” The four ponies and one human managed to while away the entire day just walking around the peaceful town, introducing Michael to everyone they knew. By the time the sun was setting, Michael was actually starting to feel comfortable walking through the streets of Ponyville. Soon enough, they found themselves at the library. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had made to head home, slightly disappointed that their cutie marks had not appeared, but Twilight told them that she had something to show them inside the library. "You're acting awfully suspicious, you know." Michael gave her a look to match his statement. "I don't know what you're talking about." She countered, "Now, could you get the door for us?" His questioning gaze did not leave her, as he slowly reached down and opened the door. When he turned to walk into the library, he found himself bombarded by a wall of noise. "SURPRISE!" Came the shouts of a crowd of ponies. Michael froze, his mind taking a short leave of absence. Filling the library was more ponies at once than he had ever seen. He spotted the ponies he already knew, the ones who had taken care of him. "Were you surprised? Huh, were you?" Pinkie Pie had popped in front of him. He looked out over the multitude of smiling faces greeting him. It was as if the animosity they held for him that morning had never been. The whole room held a warm feeling of welcoming and happiness. He had never felt anything quite like it, not since he had been back on Earth. They were overwhelming, the feelings he was experiencing. "I... I, just, wow." He started, a clear crack in his voice, "Thank you," He actually started to tear up, but he quickly rubbed his eyes to hide it. "I just don't know what to say." "You don't need to say anything, you just need to PARTY!" Pinkie shouted, dashing to a large speaker setup, where a blue maned unicorn was waiting for her queue.The music came on, a quick and driving style that reminded Michael of rock and roll from Earth. But there was no way Equestria had developed music like Earth had, right? Michael found himself bombarded by ponies, all introducing themselves to him. His arm got a better work out that night than any other he could remember, after the near constant stream of hoof shakes he had. He wasn't entirely certain he could remember all of the names he was given. But the cheeriness they showed him soon had him smiling, his own problems temporarily pushed aside. Wading through the sea of ponies, he managed to find a seat near the snack table Pinkie had set up. He swiped a slice of cake, and started to eat. “Michael!” Rainbow Dash waved, flying over to him, “Pinkie throws quite a party, huh?” “I’ll say, I’ve never seen this many ponies in one place. I know that isn’t saying much, but I’m amazed that Pinkie managed to get so many ponies to come.” He replied between bites of his cake. “Wow, is this good cake.” “Yeah, Pinkie Pie is good at what she does.” Rainbow sat next to him, a slice of cake of her own in front of her. “Oh, and what is that?” Michael asked, one eyebrow raised. “Making everypony smile, silly!” The mentioned mare jumped out from beneath the table. “Whoa! Holy crap!” Michael shouted, kicking back in his seat. The chair he was on didn’t like this course of action, however. He found himself tilted back on the two hind legs, hovering between falling in either direction. For a second, he held a precarious balance. A glance passed between the three, and his balance failed. “That’s the second time you’ve made me fall on my back today, Pinkie.” His voice came from underneath his stetson, which had fallen on his face. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie shared an anxious look. They weren’t sure if Michael was angry or not. The aforementioned man sat up then, and replaced his hat on his head. “Is this going to become a habit for you?” He said playfully. The three friends started to laugh uproariously. To Michael, it felt like the first time he had ever felt so at peace. Maybe these ponies actually did project some sort of magical field of happiness... “I’m glad to see you’re having fun.” Twilight joined them. “Oh, do be more careful though, darling. The chocolate in that cake would be a nightmare to get out of your clothes.” Rarity added. “Oh, hush Rarity, they’re just havin’ fun.” Applejack lightly scolded. “Are you okay, Michael?” The final member of the six sounded worried. “I’m fine, Fluttershy.” He gave her a reassuring smile. The six friends and their human companion found themselves sitting around the table. They traded stories, each trying to do better than the other. When Michael’s turn came, though, Pinkie stopped him. “Hey, everypony, Michael’s gonna tell a story!” She shouted. He gave her a wide-eyed look, astounded at her announcement. “You want me to tell everyone a story?” HIs voice was filled with incredulity. “Everyone?” “Now, don’t act that way, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Rarity patted his shoulder. “Yeah, I bet you have some really awesome stories!” Rainbow added. He stuttered out a few syllables, hoping that one of them would give him a way out. But they all just looked at him eagerly. Even Fluttershy had an expectant look on her face. Sighing in defeat, he turned to the crowd of ponies. They all looked back with the same expression as his six friends. The blue haired DJ had even stopped to music to listen. Michael tugged at his collar in a useless gesture. There were so many waiting eyes gazing at him, and the pressure was on to tell a great story. He almost considered running and hiding, but then he saw the three ponies at the front of the crowd. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all looked at him excitedly. “You can do it, Michael!” Apple Bloom said. “Yeah!” Her two friends agreed, giving him begging looks. “Confound those girls,” He thought, “I can’t say no to those faces.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Michael began his tale. “Now, before I begin, there is something I need to tell you all. As you may have guessed, I’m not from around here.” A wave of chuckles came after his joke. “I’m originally from another planet. Maybe even another dimension. The place I am from is called Earth. But because your world is also called Earth, I’ve taken to calling it Terra. My world is full of people like me. Humans, that is. I won’t go do in depth into that, because then we’d be here all night. If you really want to know more about humans, I’d recommend finding a copy of a book written by none other than Twilight Sparkle, entitled ‘Humans: a Study.” Twilight blushed when the crowd cheered for her accomplishment. “Anyways, I don’t know how I wound up here in Equestria. All I know is that I did. But I wasn’t alone. I originally landed in the Everfree forest with a woman named Jessica Reese. She was my girlfriend, and I loved her very much. It gives me great pain to think about her. You see, she died in that forest. I’d prefer not to talk about the details, suffice to say it was a horrible nightmare, one that I am still living through.” He had averted his gaze when he mentioned Jessica. Looking back over the crowd, he felt he jaw drop just a bit. Each and every pony present had a sympathetic expression. He even spotted a few teary eyes. The feelings only intensified when the three fillies in front of him jumped on him and gave him the biggest hugs they could. The other ponies at his table were quick to join, and Michael found himself in a tangle of equine limbs. “Oh, you poor thing!” Rarity bawled, “You’ve been through so much!” Michael was taken aback. He wasn’t quite so sure how to react, so he did the only thing that felt natural. He wrapped his arms around as as many as he could, and returned the embrace. Silence reigned for a few seconds, until a mint green pony in the audience broke it with a loud “D’awwwww!” Michael and the ponies hugging him snapped out of their emotional embrace, and shuffled back to their seats with heavy blushes. “Yes, anyways, as I was saying,” Michael restarted, “This story is about the night I met her.” “Back on Terra, about three years ago, I was waiting in line in a small coffee shop. It was early in the morning, I didn’t have much to do, and a cup of coffee and a cookie sounded good. Too bad no one told the coffee shop that I was coming, seeing as the line extended out of the store. I believe I was even wearing this exact coat. Anyways, I had been waiting in line for nearly twenty minutes. Obviously, I was growing frustrated with the slow service. I leaned to the side, and took a peek inside. There were at least fifteen more people in front of me, and only one person behind the counter! I groaned, and decided that I’d be better off just going home. So, I stepped out of the line and took off down the street. By to my misfortune, or perhaps just the opposite, I wasn’t paying much attention to the path in front of me. And it just so happened that she wasn’t either. We ran into each other hard, the both of us winding up on our butts. I looked up, ready to vent a bit of my frustration onto the fool who had dared run into me, by I stopped when I saw her. I know it’s cheesy to say, but I felt like time stopped in that moment. She had long blonde hair, done up in a messy bun. Her clothes were wrinkled and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. On her face was a slim pair of glasses, just in front of her jade eyes. I was stunned, and my only thought was “who is this messy girl?” Time quickly caught up to me, along with a flurry of papers.She was scrambling to catch them, doing her best to keep them from the dirty street. I was quick to help, grabbing as many as I could before they were lost to the city winds. Between the two of us, her whole pile of papers was promptly regathered. “Thank you,” she told me, “These are really important.” “Important enough to lose sleep over?” I asked, doing my best to look cool. It came out as a sort of awkward half grin. “Yes! I need to get this in by,” she looked at her watch, “ten minutes from now!” She became even more frantic, and took off running. I ran after her, and caught up in little time. We were forced to stop at a street corner, where I asked her “What is it you have, anyways?” She looked at me, just a little surprised, and replied “I need to turn this research paper in quick, or I’ll fail the class!” I took no time at all to come to my next decision. “I’ll get it in, don’t worry. Where does it need to go?” “I couldn’t ask you to do that!” She was looking impatient at the street light. “Nonsense, I’d be happy to. Michael Greenfield, high school track star, at your service!” I gave her a little bow. She glanced at her watch again, then at me. She bounced back and forth on her feet for a few seconds, then said, “Alright, fine. I’m Jessica Reese, and this needs to get to the West building at the college campus, in room three zero four, got it?’” You see, I lived in a college town. Pretty much everyone who lived there knew the campus like the back of their hand. Or, I suppose, hoof. “West building, room three ‘o four, less than ten minutes to get there. I won’t disappoint you!” I accepted the stack of papers from her, and took off as fast as I could. I ran as fast as I could through the crowded streets of the city, dashing between people as I went. The scenery blurred in my peripheral, I was focused on what was directly in front of me. Soon enough, I found myself in the class, standing in front of a man in a tweed jacket. He had a well trimmed beard, but his head was completely bald otherwise. I sprinted to his desk, and dropped the papers there. “Can I help you?” He gave me a look that showed that he didn’t think highly of strange guys running into his classroom. “This... Is... From... Jessica Reese...” The run had taken more out of me than I had previously thought. “It’s late.” He flatly said, “I’m afraid I can’t accept it.” I looked at the clock on the wall behind him. It was a minute past eleven in the morning. “You’re not going to accept it because it is a minute late?” I growled, “ONE MINUTE?” “You would be correct.” He folded his arms in front of him and leaned forward on his desk. I swear, I was literally seeing red. I carefully set the papers down on the desk, and leapt over, grabbing him by his jacket. “Now you listen here,” I growled, “You will take this paper, and you will grade it like any other, got it?” He gave me a nervous look, and stuttered, “O-okay,” And he accepted the paper, and everything worked out great.” Michael looked out over his audience. They all gave him looks that stated “Really?” “Michael,” Apple Bloom asked, “Is that what really happened?” He took in a breath, ready to defend his story, but changed his mind. “No, he called security and I was kicked off of the campus.” He hung his head. A round of laughter passed through the assembled ponies. “So?” Pinkie Pie asked from his left, “What happened after that?” “Well, she caught up to me not long after I was kicked out. I told her that I was a minute late, and that the professor refused to accept the paper. She just laughed, and told me that he liked messing around with people like that. He had probably accepted the paper, but only said otherwise to joke with me. I told her what I had done, she looked a little nervous, but told me not to worry. She’d just dragged me back into the class to apologize. A quick apology later, and I was back outside the classroom with Jessie. “So, umm,” I started, “Would you maybe like to go out for dinner sometime?” I couldn’t believe I had just so brazenly asked her out. She giggled a bit as I stumbled on my own tongue, and said, “That sounds nice. I need to repay my hero somehow, now don’t I?” And that is the story of how I met Jessica Reese.” Michael said the final sentence with a feeling of extreme melancholy. A single tear traced down his cheek, and dropped down into his lap. He inhaled sharply, and looked around as the ponies applauded for him. More than a few stopped by and gave him a few consoling words. One grey pegasus mare even brought him a muffin from the snack table. It had gotten to be quite late, and everypony soon realized this. They began filtering out the door, a few at a time. A short while later, all who remained were Michael, the now sleeping Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the Elements of Harmony. “Well girls, I’d better get Apple Bloom home. She’s asleep jus’ standin’ there!” Applejack scooped her younger sibling onto her back. “And Sweetie Belle needs her rest too, I think.” Rarity followed the farm mare’s example. “I’d better get Scoots home, too. It’s a shame her parents couldn’t come.” Rainbow Dash picked up the third crusader. The whole group headed out the door, ready to say their goodbyes. Michael watched the six friends as they recalled a few moments from that night. An interesting feeling welled up inside him. It was something he hadn’t felt in such a pure state in a long time. He looked across the group, and his eyes locked with Fluttershy’s. She gave him a small grin, which matched her personality. He grinned back, naming the feeling inside of him. Michael actually felt happy. There wasn’t a shred of depression in him at that moment, only elation. These ponies had taken him in, befriended him when he was probably one of the worst friends to have, and stuck with him for more than two months. He couldn’t believe just so happy he felt. His smile widened, and he was soon beaming brighter than the sun. The rest of the girls saw him, and gave him their own smiles. It was the perfect end to a perfect night, he thought. It’s funny, though, how life treats some people. Sometimes, it brings them to their highest point, almost higher than they could ever remember feeling. Then it stabs them in the back, sending them crashing back down. Michael was about witness this phenomenon first hand. Their laughter was interrupted by a loud explosion. It was louder than anything anypony had ever heard, even than a sonic rainboom. A shock wave rushed over them a second later, nearly sending them toppling to the ground. Then, a voice louder even than the explosion called out. “CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA!” It shouted in a feminine voice, “YOUR TIME HAS COME.” “FOR TOO LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN HAPPINESS. FOR TOO LONG HAVE THE FORCES OF GOOD PREVAILED. THIS SHALL NO LONGER BE. I SHALL CHANGE IT.” “No,” Michael whispered, “No, it can’t be.” “I AM GIVING YOU THREE DAYS TO PREPARE. ONCE THAT TIME IS UP, PEACE SHALL NO LONGER REIGN IN EQUESTRIA.” Michael wanted to turn and run. He wanted to find the deepest, darkest cave he could and curl into a ball. What was happening was impossible, he knew it. He had witnessed the proof first hand. He still bore the scars from the tragedy. “MY NAME IS BALANCE, AND I AM EQUESTRIA’S DOWNFALL.” The voice spoke no more. The six ponies around him bore terrified looks, which slowly morphed into ones determination. They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, what they would do was obvious. But Michael did not share in this feeling. He was too busy feeling everything he had built up fall down around him. Every ounce of happiness he had accumulated was forcibly ejected from his heart, replaced only by soul crushing despair. For, he recognized the voice of the speaker. He dropped to his knees, and onto his hands. “No! No! It can’t be! There is no way!” He shouted at the ground. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy’s concerned voice called to him, “Are you alright?” “No!” He screamed, “She can’t be here, it’s impossible!” “Who can’t be here, sugarcube?” Applejack asked him. His answer came in only one weak whisper, that the ponies barely heard before he curled up and started weeping. He whispered “Jessie.”
Chaos Begets Chaos“No, no, this can’t be happening! I saw her die! She can’t be doing this! This can’t be possible! No, no...” Michael was inconsolable by this point. Not that any of the ponies had tried to do so, yet. They were too busy with each other. “Jessie? Isn’t that the girl he told us about? The one who is dead?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends. “Yes, it is. But this doesn’t make any sense! She’s dead, she can’t be terrorizing Equestria!” Twilight added to the confusion. “Well, I can sure as hay tell he ain’t lying. Whatever’s goin’ on, it has somethin’ to do with that Jessie character.” Applejack turned back to her friends. “Oh! If that is his friend, does that mean we get to throw her a party too?” Pinkie received five disapproving glares, “You’re right, girls. She doesn’t deserve a party after that!” “This is just dreadful!” Rarity held a hoof to her forehead, “Poor Michael was so happy just a moment ago.” “Michael!” Fluttershy was the first to go to his side, but not the last. She held his head to her chest, doing her best to comfort him. “There has to be something we can do for him!” she was close to tears herself. The other mares stood around them, in varying degrees of discomfort. None of them knew what to do with the wreck of a man before them, or the tearful pony doing her best to help him. “Twilight!” Fluttershy cried, “Please! Do something!” “I-I don’t know,” she stuttered, “What should I do?” “Something! We can’t just leave him like this!” Rainbow Dash looked as lost as the others. The prodigious unicorn found herself becoming overwhelmed by the demands to help Michael. Her breathing accelerated, and her horn started to glow. Leaning forward, she touched the tip to his forehead. He stopped moving. He stopped doing anything, actually. He had fallen unconscious, put to sleep by the unicorn’s spell. “W-what did you do?” Fluttershy spoke, still holding Michael close. “I-” she started, pausing to take a breath, “I put him to sleep, and gave him good dreams.” It was then that the six element bearers realized the chaos present around them. Ponies were panicking in the streets, screaming their lungs out. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had awoken from where they had hurriedly been set after Balance’s speech. “Applejack, what’s goin; on?” Apple Bloom’s voice was weary. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, AB. We’ll handle everything.” The orange mare told her sister. “Rarity, why is everypony running around like that?” Sweetie Belle sounded scared. “It’s okay, Sweetie. I’ll explain, later. We just need to get you home for now.” Rarity’s voice belied the comfort she was trying to express. “You’ll handle anything bad, right Rainbow?” Scootaloo sounded the most confident out of the three. “Of course, squirt,” the speedy pegasus ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “Let’s just get you home.” "Okay, you three take the girls home, then get back here as soon as you can! Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, we need to get Michael inside." Twilight took on a commanding tone. Five heads nodded in response, and the ponies set off to their respective tasks. “You two take an arm, I’ll levitate his legs. We’ll put him on my spare bed for now.” The bookish unicorn told them. Fluttershy sniffled a couple of times, and took his right arm over her back. Pinkie wrapped his left over hers, and said “Why can’t you just carry all of him in your magic? He’s not that heavy, even with all that cake in him.” “I would,” Twilight responded, as a magenta glow covered everything below Michael’s waist, “But I feel an odd resistance to my magic whenever I use it on him.” “Magic doesn’t work on him? That’s awesome! He could just walk right up to that weird ‘Balance’ lady and she couldn’t do anything to stop him!” Pinkie would have been bouncing in excitement, if not for the dead weight on her shoulders. “No, magic works just fine. But it’s like it effects him differently. My only theory is that it is because he isn’t from our world, and there’s something fundamentally different about his body. I’m afraid that if I use too much on him at once, there could be some dangerous side effects.” Twilight explained, moving forward with the others. Pinkie Pie had a face of dawning comprehension, and said nothing more on the subject. The three walked inside the library, Fluttershy occasionally glancing at his face, as if she were checking to make sure the spell had done as Twilight had said. “Spike!” the only unicorn present called, “Get the spare bed out, now!” The young dragon came running down the stairs, shouting “Twilight! What happened? Who was that voice? What was she talking about? What is going on?” “Spike!” she repeated, more forcefully, “Get the spare bed out, now!.” He looked at the three ponies, and their burden. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to be having any trouble, but Twilight had a look of intense concentration on her face, and Fluttershy was trembling occasionally. “What happened to him?” Spike asked, pointing to Michael. Twilight gave him a stern look, one that spelled no good things for the young reptile. “Spare bed, that’s right! Coming right up!” he dashed to the basement, and the girls hear a cacophony of clanging noises come from the lower level. Spike was quick to return, following the urgent signals he had gotten from the ponies. He made quick work of the bed, setting it up in the main room in a manner of minutes. With the frame set up, he dragged the old mattress up the stairs, and did his best to place it evenly on the construct. The three mares set Michael on the bed as quick as they could, and each let out a sigh of relief once the weight was gone. It was then that the shouts of the panicking ponies outside finally registered in their minds. “Oh, no! I need to get out there and help!” Twilight was already halfway out of the library, “Pinkie Pie, you can come with me! Fluttershy, Spike, stay here with Michael, in case he wakes up!” Pinkie gave her a stout salute, and was soon beside her. “You got it, Twilight!” The two were almost out the door, when it blasted open. “Twilight Sparkle!” A loud voice called, “Your Princess demands your presence!” “Princess Luna!” Twilight nearly fell over at the sudden stop she had to make. “Yes, tis I!” her voice had not changed volume. She cleared her throat, and added in a quieter voice, “I apologize for using the Royal Canterlot voice like that. But it was quite effective in bringing the populace to order.” “The populace? So you have things under control?” Twilight leaned to the side, trying to look past the Princess of the Night. “Yes, my night guard is handling the situation. But I am here to gather you and the other elements.” Luna took a step inside, the door closing behind her by her magic. “My sister was quite insistent that I bring you to Canterlot immediately.” “Well, of course she was! With the elements, we can handle this ‘Balance’ pony no problem!” Pinkie Pie’s upbeat attitude shone true. This managed to elicit a small smile out of the other two ponies. “Yes, well, I see a third. But where are your other three friends?” Luna questioned, “And who is lying in bed at a time like this?” Luna approached the bed, with Fluttershy still hovering over Michael. “O-oh, this is just Michael. I think Twilight told Princess Celestia about him, but umm... I don’t know if she told you.” Fluttershy said to the Princess. “She did mention that Twilight had found a new creature. But I am afraid that she did not tell me that he would look like this. Are we sure he is safe?” the blue alicorn asked. “Oh! He wouldn’t hurt anyone, he’s really nice! You should have seen him at the party earlier, he was so happy.” Pinkie came up to the bed, Twilight beside her. “And then Balance made her announcement,” the studious unicorn added, “After that he started crying. We couldn’t console him, so I put him to sleep.” Luna had a thoughtful look on her face. “Did you cast a spell to affect his dreams as well?” “Well, yes, I did. Should I have not?” Twilight became nervous, believing she had done something wrong. “Hmm, I am not sure. I can feel that his dreams are currently, interesting, to say the least.” Luna was staring intently at the sleeping human. “Perhaps if I,” she didn’t finish her sentence, her indigo magic sparking on her horn. “Twilight, we’re back!” Rainbow Dash threw the door open as she flew in, Applejack and Rarity behind her. The attention of everypony present snapped to her. The magic in Luna’s horn dissipated, and she stood straight to speak “Good, you are all present. Now, we must go to Canterlot.” “Hold on one second, what the hay’s goin’ on here?” Applejack looked at the Princess, “No offense, your majesty.” “No time to explain!” Twilight told her, “Suffice to say, she’s right. We need to go to Canterlot, now!” Twilight frantically began to search around the library, grabbing any books she thought held even a smidge of relevance. Spike found himself roped into the task as well, as per usual. While the manic unicorn dashed to and fro, Luna approached the other three ponies and informed them of the situation. They quickly agreed to go, and in a short while Luna watched as the five ponies trotted out of the library ahead of her. Spike was told to stay behind and keep an eye on the library, to which he readily agreed. “Wait, five?” she thought, “That’s not right.” The blue maned princess looked back into the Golden Oaks library, searching for the missing pony. She spotted her, the sixth element who hadn’t left her spot. “Fluttershy,” she said, “What are you waiting for?” “I-I can’t just leave!” it took an incredible effort on her part to say that. “Michael needs me!” That’s right, the human. What was Luna supposed to do about him? From what Twlight Sparkle had told her, he might have some useful information. And it wouldn’t due to leave him there, alone. Gently, she wrapped him in her magical aura and levitated him beside her. “What is this resistance?” she pondered, glancing at the unconscious human. “We will take him with us, then.” Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh, and followed the princess. The shy pony was glad that she didn’t have to stand up to royalty anymore. The ride to the royal city passed mostly in silence. The events of the night were replaying in everypony’s heads as they rode in Luna’s chariot. Fluttershy felt the cool night breeze flow through her mane. She kept a worried watch on Michael. The Princess had set him down next to her, his slumber unbroken. “I wonder what he’s dreaming about.” She had taken his hat when Twilight had first put him to sleep. She was clutching it to her chest in worry. Her unicorn friend had told her that he would have good dreams, but only a few minutes later she said she wasn’t certain if her magic affected him like it did ponies. The kind pegasus kept a constant watch on his features, waiting for any sign of discomfort.She wasn’t entirely certain why he meant so much to her. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She knew that any of her friends would tell her that it was just her kind nature that made her care for him so much. But at the same time, she hardly knew him. There were few moments during his stay where she actually learned something about him. But at the same time, she still got an impression of his true personality, even before he had changed. Michael Greenfield, to her, was a strong man. He wasn’t one to let others comfort him, and even less likely to go to them. He could hold his feelings inside for a long time, if only to keep from burdening others. This had been taken to an extreme during the majority of his time in her home. She only knew as much as she did from the few times that his mask cracked, and an emotion leaked through. He had disappeared one morning, on a day that he was scheduled to work with Applejack. She had watched him leave, and thought nothing was off at the time. But when the farm mare had come to her door, asking where he was, worry reared its head inside of her. “Michael didn’t show up at the farm?” Was her first reaction. “Nope, I haven’t seen ‘im all mornin’. He was supposed to help Big Mac with some fences today, too.” Applejack told her, “You know where he might have gotten to?” “No, I don’t. I hope he’s alright.” Fluttershy stepped outside with Applejack, “Maybe we should go look for him?” “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.” The two walked down the path from Fluttershy’s cottage, not entirely certain where to start looking. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen him all morning.” Twilight told them when they asked her. “After the last time when we were almost caught sneaking him into town? No, I’m afraid Michael hasn’t been here.” Was Rarity’s answer. They finally found a clue when they almost literally ran into Pinkie Pie. “Oh, I’m sorry about that!” she apologized. “It’s okay, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her. “Have you seen Michael around anywhere? We’ve been working our flanks off tryin’ to find ‘im.” Pinkie held a hoof to her chin in thought for a moment, and the two were almost certain they saw a light bulb appear over her head as she said “Oh, yes! I saw him walking towards Zecora’s this morning! I waved to him, but he looked a little busy, so I don’t mind that he didn’t wave back.” “Zecora’s? What in tarnation is he doin’ ‘round there?” Applejack looked to Fluttershy. “I don’t know. He’s never said anything about her before.” The pegasus replied. “Oh, I wish I could go with you! But I’m just on my lunch break, I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie looked disappointed for a moment, before snapping back to her cheerful demeanor. “I’ll just have to bake him a cake! Oh, but I might not be able to get it to him for a few days, we’ve got a lot of orders to do! See you later, girls!” she shouted as she bounded off to work. The two just waved to her as she left, making their own way to the Everfree Forest. The short journey passed in silence, both contemplating why someone like Michael had bothered to go to see Zecora. “Well, shoot. I don’t think I could possibly know until we jus’ go up an’ ask ‘im.” The orange pony shook her head. Fluttershy just nodded her head as they turned a corner, putting Zecora’s home in sight. The door was shut, and neither zebra nor human could be seen as they walked up to the hut. As Applejack was about to knock on the door, it swung open. “Oh, Applejack,” Michael looked down to her face, “I apologize for not showing up to work. I had something I needed to ask Zecora. I’ll go straight to the farm now, see you there.” Both Fluttershy and Applejack just looked on dumbfounded as he walked away, as though nothing had happened. “Ah Applejack, Fluttershy. How good to see you, though I must ask, why?” Zecora greeted them from the still open doorway. “Oh, we were just looking for Michael. And we found him, so we’ll just get out of your mane.” Fluttershy started to turn away. “Now hold on a second there, I’d like to know why he was here at all.” Applejack put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, keeping her there. “It was no great task, he just had a question to ask.” Zecora answered. “A question? What kind of question?” Applejack looked downright confused. “I’m afraid I can not just answer that on a whim. For the answer, you must ask him” “Well, thanks to ya anyways. Come on, Fluttershy. We’ll jus’ have to ask ‘im at the farm.” Applejack turned away. “You comin’, Fluttershy?” “Yeah, just a second. I’ll catch up with you.” She answered, receiving a nod as an answer. She looked back to her zebra friend, and asked “It wasn’t anything bad, was it?” “No, of that you can be sure. He may not show it, but his heart is pure.” Zecora gave her a smile. “Thank you, Zecora. I’d stay and visit, but I should catch up with Applejack.” Fluttershy returned the smile. “It is okay. I am just glad to see my friends, even if you can not stay.” The zebra waved to her friend as Fluttershy flew away.Quickly catching up with Applejack, the two weren’t long from Sweet Apple Acres. They found Michael waiting at the border of the farm, leaning against the fence. “Applejack, Fluttershy.” He nodded to the both of them. “Michael,” Applejack said, “Would you mind tellin’ us why you were out there?” “Applejack!” Fluttershy gave her friend a shocked look, “Couldn’t you have been more gentle?” “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” he told her, “That’s just who Applejack is. And to answer your question, I was asking Zecora if she had found anything unusual in the forest. I recently realized that I had a few things with me when I arrived, and I have lost them.” “What kinds of things?” Fluttershy asked. “My wallet, and a pair of reading glasses. I had originally assumed that they simply had not come with me. My memory of my first day in Equestria is hazy, at best.” He looked away “Zecora hasn’t seen them.” Neither pony knew what to do. His voice showed no emotion, but some body language was universal, it would seem. The way he avoided eye contact with them, and his slow movements belied his neutral mask. “Well, that’s a shame to hear. I’m sure that they’ll turn up eventually, though, don’t you worry!” Applejack patted his hand with her hoof. “It is okay, Applejack. We should just get to work.” He walked past her and into the farm. “Okay then... See you later I suppose, Fluttershy.” Applejack spoke slowly, catching up to the sudden way Michael had moved on. “O-okay,” Fluttershy replied, “I guess I’ll just head home.” She spent the rest of the day worried about Michael. But when he came home, he seemed fine. Now, though, looking at his face as he slept she could only wish she had pushed harder to comfort him. All of the pain he hid, how could she had let him push it all down? Maybe if she hadn’t let him bottle up his emotions, if she had forced him to talk about it, he wouldn’t have had his meltdown. Maybe he could have been happy sooner. And maybe he wouldn’t be in a forced sleep, with a good dream implanted into his mind. “Now don’t go beatin’ yerself up about ‘im. It isn’t your fault, sugarcube.” Applejack’s familiar accent broke through her thoughts. “I-I know,” she said softly, “But I just can’t help but think that I could have done something better.” “You did everything you could! It’s the rest of us who should have done more.” Twilight stepped into the conversation. “Yeah! I shouldn’t have treated him so badly, for one.” Rainbow added. “And I should have seen how tortured his soul truly was. You can learn a lot about a person through their clothes, you know.” Rarity helped to comfort her friend. “But he was happy just a little while ago! We all saw that smile he had! That was something special. You can take my word on that, I’m an expert when it comes to smiles!” Pinkie Pie joined the group. Fluttershy looked at the comforting smiles each of her friends were giving her. “Th-thank you. I guess I needed that.” She wiped a tear away. “Oh, come here!” Pinkie Pie said, wrapping her up in a hug. The other four were quick to join, and soon all six with wrapped up in a giant hug. “We’ll be landing soon,” Luna said to them. She was smiling at the touching scene that had happened only a few feet from her. They separated as the chariot landed. Luna was quick to lead them away from the grassy knoll they had landed on, and into the throne room. She instructed several servants along the way to take Michael one of the nearest guest rooms. Fluttershy barely managed to give them his hat before they were out of reach. “Ah, how good to see you my little ponies.” Celestia greeted them from the throne as they bowed before her. “I only wish we were meeting under better terms.” “So do you want us to go get the elements of harmony, find Balance, and kick her flank?” Rainbow Dash spoke up, her voice eager. “I wish it were that simple,” Celestia said, “But there is a slight problem with that solution.” The gathered ponies looked at their ruler, her head hung low in worry. “Sister,” said Luna from her position beside her sibling, “You did not say there was a problem with the elements before I left.” “I did not know then that there was. I had been busy directing the guards in the city, and only was able to go to them after you had left.” She explained, levitating the chest containing them from behind her throne. “It was then that I discovered that something was out of place.” The lid to the chest opened, and everypony present looked inside. “I don’t get it, Princess. They look fine.” Twilight gave her teacher a quizzical look. “Think, Twilight. Does something about them feel different?” She, along with her friends stared at the elements intensely. Luna’s eyes widened, and she looked to her side at her sister. Celestia merely nodded to her, but said nothing. Luna understood that she wanted the other six to discover on their own. “I think I know what you’re talking about.” Twilight said, “It’s like their magic is just, gone.” Apprehension spread through the others, and they quickly agreed. “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Usually when I touch my element, I feel extra happy and excited! But now it just feels like a boring old necklace!” “While I would hardly call them boring, Pinkie does have a point.” Rarity added. “What’s goin’ on here, Princess?” Applejack asked their ruler. Celestia took a deep breath, and looked each of them in the eye. “I myself took some time to discover that. From what I can tell, a magical force swept over them, negating their abilities. I became more worried than I had ever known when I realized this, but something else occurred to me. I had already felt their magic tonight, I just hadn’t realized it. When it swept over me, I thought it was simply them reacting to the shockwave Balance sent out. However, I was wrong.” Both Twilight and Luna took on a look of shock. “No no no! That can’t be possible! There is no way that could be possible!” Twilight shook her head, fear evident in her voice. “What can’t be possible?” Rainbow was quite confused at this point, and she wasn’t alone. “The magical shock wave that spread over Equestria before Balance’s announcement had the same magical properties as the elements of harmony.” Twilight’s voice was filled with dread. They all looked to Celestia for confirmation. She nodded her head solemnly. “Sister, what are we to do?” Luna asked as the others digested the new information. “I am afraid that we have no choice but to defeat Balance without the elements of harmony.” “Without the elements? How are we supposed to do that? It’s not possible!” Twilight’s mane begun to fray in places. “Have you already forgotten that you did just that in the Crystal Empire?” Celestia told her, Luna “I know that it will not be easy, but I have confidence that together we can stand up to this new threat.” Bolstered by their leader’s confidence, the six ponies calmed down and stood tall. “What do you need us to do?” Twilight asked. “That’s the spirit, my little ponies.” Celestia smiled at her subjects. “First, we will need information. Can any of you tell me anything about Balance?” They all looked around, thinking hard. It was Fluttershy who spoke up. “Well, Michael did say something before Twilight put him to sleep.” “Yeah, that’s right! He was talking about that girl he knew. Jessie, I think.” Rainbow added. Celestia took a moment to think on the new information.:”If that is the case, then we will have to question him. Where is he right now?” Luna explained that she had him taken a a guest room. Celestia nodded her head, and stood. The elements of harmony floated from their chest, and onto each of their bearers. “Hold onto these,” Celestia told them, “They may not be able to help much, but they are still valuable. And perhaps their magic will return to them in time.” They made their way to the room Michael was sleeping in, directed their by one of the servants who had brought him to the room. Soon after, all eight of them stood gathered around his bed, watching him sleep. “I suppose we should wake him up,” said Twilight. She shook his shoulder with her hoof when the other agreed. “Odd,” Fluttershy said after almost a whole minute of Twilight trying to wake him, “He’s usually a very light sleeper.” Luna stepped closer, and said “Perhaps I could try something.” She touched her horn to his head, and it glowed for a moment. She lifted her head again, and said “I believe your spell has had a much stronger effect on him than you intended, Twilight Sparkle.” “How so?” her eyes were filled with anxiety. She didn’t want to believe that she had hurt Michael, but she had done something. “You used a spell designed for ponies on the mind of a human. It appears to have placed him in a magical coma.” The younger Princess explained. “The only way I know of to wake him without the risk of damaging his mind is to enter his dreams and convince him to awaken from there.” “Sister, are you sure of this?” Celestia asked. “Yes. If the spell were forcibly broken, there is a very high chance that his mind would follow.” Luna kept her tone as calm as she could. The smaller ponies around her, however, were not so. Twilight’s head was on the floor, her hooves on top as she muttered to herself. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were trying to comfort her, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash were doing the same for Fluttershy. The timid pony had begun to tear up when Luna told them of Michael’s condition. “Very well,” Celestia said, looking at her subjects, “Each of you and Luna will have to enter his mind, and awaken him from there.” They all looked at her. Every one of them looked ready to help their human friend. But Luna burst their bubble. “I am afraid that won’t be possible. I can take two of them in with me, but no more. My magic can not stretch that far. I am sorry, sister.” She looked down, ashamed of her inability. “That is okay, Luna.” Celestia’s tone was comforting, “We will have to make do with that.” “But, Princess, who will she take with her?” Twilight looked to her mentor. “I think that the six of you should decide that.” The solar Princess told her. They looked at each other, and huddled into a circle. “Okay, girls, who should do this?” Rarity asked. “I will,” Twilight said, “I’m the one who put him is this situation. I should be the one to get him out.” The others nodded in agreement, except for Fluttershy. She looked like she had something to say, but didn’t want to speak up. “Oh! Oh! Can I go! I bet he’s having super cool dreams right now!” Pinkie Pie’s peppy tone made the others chuckle. “I don’t think that’d be the best idea, sugarcube.And I don’t think I should go in, either. Can’t say I know a whole lot about magic.” Applejack added. “Well, I would love to help him but I’m afraid I just don’t know him that well.” Rarity chimed in. “I should totally go in! With my awesomeness, there’s no way he won’t wake up!” Rainbow Dash pumped one of her hooves. Twilight looked around the huddle, and asked “Does anyone have a problem with Rainbow and I going in?” They all seemed to agree. They were about to break the huddle, when Fluttershy spoke up. “I don’t think you should go in, Twilight.” They all looked at her in confusion, “What do you mean, darling?” Rarity asked. “Well, it’s just that magic is what got us into this mess. I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring more magic into it than we have to. I think that maybe I should go, instead. I know him the best, after all.” Fluttershy looked at her friends, “I-if that’s alright with everyone.” Twilight took a deep breath, and a moment to think. “I agree. As much as I feel responsible for this, I don’t want to make the situation worse. Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash should go with Luna.” She looked around at them, “Any objections?” They all shook their heads, and informed the Princesses of their decision. “Very well,” Luna said to them, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, stand by my side. I will take us into his dream.” The two pegasi did as they were instructed. Luna’s horn began to glow a brilliant blue, which enveloped all three of them, and Michael. The remaining five watched the spectacle unfold. Slowly, the magical field faded, leaving two pegasi and one alicorn asleep on the floor next to Michael. “What do we do now, Princess?” Twilight asked, looking up to her mentor. “For now, we do the only thing we can. Wait, and hope they are successful,” was her answer. Just as the only awake occupants of the room began to sit and discuss their situation, a guard burst in through the door. “Princess!” he shouted, “There’s a situation in the garden!” Celestia was immediately alert, “Tell me more,” The guard took a moment to breath, clearly having sprinted. He stood up straight, and began :”It’s-” He was interrupted by a magical force that flung him from the room. Each of the ponies present were on high alert, looking around for the source of the magic. The doors slammed shut. They all jumped at the sharp slam, before looking around even more frantically. “Show yourself!” Celestia commanded. Whatever was in the room took this in the opposite direction, however. Every light immediately went out, and every window became dark. “Princess, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, afraid. “I’m not sure, Twilight. Just stay calm, I will keep us safe.” A light came then from behind them. They all spun around, and watched as a circle of fire formed in the air, standing vertical. It separated into many smaller balls, and begun to spin. It’s rotations came faster, and it started to shrink. Eventually it compressed into one large fireball, burning higher than Celestia was tall. It was then that features started to form in the blaze. First, the arm of a lion. Then, the antler of a deer. Following that was the wing of a bat. And then, two yellow eyes gazed upon the ponies, the red pupils boring into them. The pyre disappeared then, replaced by a creature that seemed to be made of many others. “Oh, it is good to be back!” It said, its voice clearly male, “And so soon!” Celestia glared at him, and hissed “Discord.”
Nightmare's EndWhen entering the dreams of another, one might expect some sort of transition, or journey. Such is not the case, as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash found. One moment, they were standing beside Princess Luna as a wave of magic swept over them, a tired feeling enveloping them. The next they were standing in the Everfree forest. “Wait, what?” Rainbow looked around at the eerie forest. “I thought we were going into Michael’s dream, not to the Everfree forest!” “Oh, I’m sure Princess Luna knows what she is doing, Dashie,” Fluttershy said. Luna looked at her surroundings for a moment. She hoofed at the ground a bit, and took in a deep breath of air. “We are most certainly in the human’s dream. It would seem that he is dreaming about the Everfree forest.” “Huh? I thought Twilight said he would be having good dreams. What kind of good dreams could be happening in this place?” the blue pegasus gave her princess a questioning look. The alicorn started to reply, but stopped when she spotted a familiar stone structure. “I believe the answers we seek will be found in there.” The two pegasi followed her gaze, and saw it. The old castle of the royal sisters, just as they remembered it. They shared a look, but followed their princess anyways as she walked towards the ruined building. Their hooves beat on the moss-ridden cobblestone as they sought any signs of Michael. It was peculiar, though, how quiet the environment was. The three ponies heard no sounds coming from the wildlife, only the steady tempo of their hooves. A breeze blew through the dilapidated castle as Fluttershy rounded a corner. The wind caused a bloodied rag to fly directly into her face, causing her to scream. “Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouted, yanking the rag off of her friend’s face. “You okay?” “Y-yeah,” the frightened pony took a few deep breaths. Luna, however, looked down at the cloth the rainbow-maned pegasus had tossed aside. It was torn in many places, but she could still discern a shape to it. It was larger than other examples of the same that she had seen, but the design was unmistakable anyways. On the ground before her lay a mostly shredded, blood soaked shirt just the size for a human. “Quickly,” she told the two ponies with her, “I believe the effects of Twilight Sparkle’s spell have had consequences far worse than we anticipated.” “Huh, what are you talking about Princess?” Dash asked her. “Look at this cloth, does its shape seem familiar to you?” Luna held the shirt in her magic. Both pegasi studied it, looking for what Luna had found. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in comprehension first, and she gasped. “M-Michael!” she exclaimed, “We have to find him!” Rainbow Dash realized what she was looking at after her friend’s exclamation, and was quick to agree. The princess dropped the destroyed shirt and they all nodded, taking off further into the castle. It was not long until they heard a new noise. It was soft, but still audible, sounding like someone was shouting. The new sound only added to their worry, and they renewed their pace. They flew around a corner, and burst into the large room where the Elements of Harmony had been found. Michael was there, at the end of the large room. He was curled up on the ground, sobbing once more. Standing above him was another human, one Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had only heard of. Her blonde hair was not in a bun as she had been described, but instead was allowed to flow down her back. She had been facing away, but upon hearing their hoofbeats she turned to face them, her jade eyes glaring angrily at the newcomers. “You,” she hissed, “What are you doing here?” All three stopped not far from her. Luna was the only one to remain standing, however. Fluttershy and Rainbow found themselves floored their jaws agape as they stared at the woman. “I-is that Jessie?” the speedy pegasus asked. “S-she looks just like Michael described her,” the yellow pegasus said. “Oh, the moron’s told you about me, has he?” the blonde woman sneered, “I bet he didn’t tell you everything.” “That is enough,” Luna stepped forward, ready to dispel the nightmare. Jessica turned to Luna, and marched directly in front of the alicorn. “You think you can just blast me with your magic and make me go away?” she questioned, pointing towards the princess’s glowing horn. “Well, it’s not that simple, you dumb horse. I realize that I’m just a dream of his! But I also know that that idiot over there will just keep on dreaming me up, night after night! And he deserves the punishments I give him, after what he did to me!” “Hey!” Rainbow shouted, rushing up to her, “You take that back!” “Take what back?” the woman looked directly into Rainbow Dash’s red eyes “The part about that moron over there, or about you three being dumb horses?” Dash’s face contorted in anger, and she made to strike Jessica. But the antagonistic human spoke first. “You think you’re so great? You’re nothing but an idiot who thinks her wings make her special! What have you done that’s so great? Nearly beat the crap out of Michael for being in mourning? Then nearly doing it again when it was clear that he was hurting? You are nothing but a dumb blue horse with wings who thinks she is more than she is. I don’t even know why you’re here, what help could you be? You can’t just hit your way out of this one.” “You will stop this, now.” Princess Luna stepped in, attempting to take control of the situation. Jessica turned to her, and spat “I don’t even know you, but I can tell that you belong here even less than the great rainbow failure over there. How could you help him? You think you can just waltz into someone’s head and fix everything because you have a horn and wings? You may look impressive, but I can see right through you. I’d bet that you’re nothing but a failure. You probably live in someone else’s shadow. You’re only here because you want to make yourself look better. You want to know how I know this? Because if you were important, that fuck up over there would have known you!” “You will be quiet!” Luna’s eyes shone with rage. “Oh, no, I’m not going to stop until I’m done. You came to me, so you just have to sit back and listen.” She turned to face Rainbow Dash, who had been attempting to sneak up on her. “And that means no surprise attacks.” She leaned to the side as Rainbow dove at her, causing the blue pegasus to collide with the princess. Jessica chuckled a bit as she faced Fluttershy. “You,” she grinned, “I’m going to have fun with you.” Before the cruel words could start, the scared pegasus shouted out “Michael, you need to get up! Please!” Her eyes caught his, and for a second she thought she saw a spark in them. But it was gone as soon as it came. The blonde woman began to laugh madly. “You think that sad sack of shit can help you now? He’s nothing but a crying mess because of me. And he deserved it, too. Oh, but you wouldn’t know, would you? Poor, innocent little Fluttershy, always trying to be nice to her friends. But what have they ever done for you? They dumped a strange creature you had never seen before on you, they expected you to house and feed him, and they never once even thanked you! And you just took it like the good little bitch you are. You deserve this more than the other two dipshits who came into this dream with you. With your annoying ass whimpering and your constant shyness. I would say I don’t know why your friends stay around you, but that would be a lie. I know exactly why. They can see just how sad and pathetic you are, and they take pity on you by letting you think you’re accepted. They act all nice to your face, but they’re secretly talking about you when you’re not around, I’m sure. They’re probably talking about the best way they can use you, because they know that you are too much of a wimp to say no! You should just go hide away in your home and die, because you certainly don’t belong anywhere else!” Fluttershy’s eyes began to water. Jessica’s comments had cut deep. She knew that what the woman had said wasn't true, but even as she told herself this the words felt hollow. She tried to stand up for herself, but she couldn’t. She just was not strong enough. The downtrodden pony sobbed, wondering if maybe Jessica was right. Not far from the ponies, Michael laid on the ground. The nightmare was the same as what he had been experiencing every night of his stay. But not even the night that it changed compared to what he was feeling then. With his emotions in full force, in addition to the condition he was in while awake Michael hadn’t even attempted to fight. Jessica had every right to say those things to him, he decided. And he did deserve every harsh word thrown at him. Then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had shown up, along with a pony he did not know. He didn’t pay them much attention, lost in his own misery. He heard his tormentor start to tear into his friends. “I should do something,” he thought, “I shouldn’t just stand back and let this happen.” “But what would I do?” he replied in his mind, “I would only make things worse. Just look at what I did to Jessie.” “That is entirely different,” his rational side returned, “Now man up!” “No! I’ll only wind up hurting them! There just isn’t any way for me to help without making things worse, I know it!” “How can I just sit back and watch as she hurts my friends like this though?” “Simple, I’m already doing it. It’s pointless to try, anyways. I have tried before to fight back at the nightmare, and it only ever makes things worse.” “What if this time is different though? What if I win this time?” “Seventy two examples to the contrary would beg to differ.” “Maybe I’m right. I hate to see it happen, but maybe there just isn’t anything I can do. “I may as well just roll over so I don’t have to see this.” Michael began to roll away from his friends, ready to accept defeat once again. But he caught Fluttershy’s gaze just before he did. Their eyes locked, two pairs of the same color. Both somehow managed to convey an amazing amount of pain, even though one sought help and the other sought solitude. He couldn’t do it, though. He knew what she was asking of him, but he could not help. His nightmare was simply too much for him to handle, they would have to fight it on their own. He faced away from his pony friends as Jessica’s cruel ranting carried on. He was ready to sink further into his own self pity, when he heard something. It was something tragic, something horrible. Something that he could not stand to hear, not again. He had already caused enough pain, why did he have to cause more? Fluttershy was crying, he knew that sound from just a few nights prior. But why did he have to cause it again? Why did he have to hurt everyone he cared about? “No,” he growled softly, “I can’t let this happen.” “I already went over this, though. There is nothing I can do, I’ve already tried and failed so many times before!” the frightened part of him thought in an attempt to keep him down. “Well, this time it’s not just me getting hurt, it’s my friend. And now, I refuse to let this happen.” Slowly, as Jessica, Luna, and Rainbow Dash argued at the brink of fighting, Michael stood. He grabbed his hat from where it had fallen on his way up, as he slowly stood straight. He placed it on his head, and turned to face his dead lover. “Hey!” he shouted, “They have nothing to do with this, your argument is with me.” Four sets of eyes snapped to him, each surprised. On his face was a look of determination, and a fire burned in his eyes. “Oh, so the murderer thinks he’s big stuff,” Jessica taunted, taking a step towards him. He in turn marched directly up to her, stopping when his face was only inches from hers. “You better listen, because I am not going to repeat myself.” He snarled, his friends almost unable to hear him. “What happened to you was not my fault. That monster that attacked us was not called by me. I did not let it attack you. You have no right to blame me for that tragedy. If you truly were Jessie, you would know this.” He didn’t know where the words were coming from, but they felt right. His righteous anger burned bright as he said “I would have given my life to save hers. But when that creature attacked, it could only choose one of us. It chose her, but I didn’t escape unscathed. When she shouted to me to run, I didn’t listen. I tried to save her, and paid the price.” He lifted his shirt, baring to them a wicked set of scars. Three lines trailed across the right side of his chest, just above his heart. The ponies gasped, but his nightmare only growled. “You think some stupid little scar makes up for what you did? You left me for dead, Michael. My death is on your hands, you should just accept it.” She was grasping for a hold by then, he could tell. He lowered his shirt once again, and continued “You are nothing but a bad dream. I see this now. You can’t do anything but blame me for Jessica’s death. I suppose that makes you a reflection of my own feelings. But I don’t need you anymore. I already blame myself every time I see that scar. That will stay with me for the rest of my days, of that I am certain. And every time I look in a mirror, I’ll see it, and think again of what I lost. But not of you, never again of you. You are not Jessica Reese, and I do not love you. Leave, you witch, and never bother me again!” Whatever he expected, Michael never would have foreseen her reaction. Rather than continue to fight him, or even any sort of violent reaction, she smiled. In that moment, Michael could have believed that Jessie was still alive and before him. He took in the gentle smile on her face, and gave a small one of his own without realizing it. “Good,” she took his face in her hands, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that.” “W-what?” he stuttered, “What are you talking about?” “It wasn’t until tonight that I did, but I wanted you to stand up to me. I may be a figment of your imagination, but tonight something inside of me felt more real. It was as if some outside force breathed life into me, but not enough. Michael, it wasn’t until you told me off that I could talk to you without being filled with all of that hate you felt. But tonight you overcame your fear, and made me stop. It was like all of those horrible emotions just flowed out of me when you did that. All that’s left is me, Jessica, your girlfriend.” Michael couldn’t believe his ears. What she said was just too incredible to be true. But looking into her beautiful jade irises, he knew that he didn’t care. Whatever brought her to him had his thanks. “Jessie,” his voice was filled with emotion, as tears once again welled in his eyes, albeit for a different reason. “Oh, Michael,” she whispered back. Then the two met in a passionate kiss. Time stood still as they held each other in their arms, and the outside world melted away. It did not matter that they were standing in a decayed castle in the middle of a dangerous forest, or even that three ponies watched on with varying expressions. All that mattered to the two lovers was the other, now that they could finally be together. When they finally separated, Michael saw something that nearly brought him to his knees. It was only for a brief instant, but it was there. Jessie had flickered, as if disappearing. “Jessie,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I know,” she held a finger to his lips before he could say anything else, “We both knew. There was no way we could just be together again. This is just a dream, and it’s time for you to wake up soon.” “But there was so much I wanted to say to you!” he cried, “So much that I never thought to before!” “I know, my love. I know. But there just isn’t time anymore.” Tears were falling from her eyes as well. Michael’s world was falling down around him. He had only just gotten her back, she couldn’t be leaving him again! But there was nothing he could do, and he knew it. He had just about resigned to his fate, when a thought crossed his mind. Reaching into his jacket, he told her “There is one thing I have to do before you’re gone.” The others all watched as he bent down on one knee, and took out a small velvet box. Snapping it open, he look directly into the eyes of dead lover. “Jessica Reese,” he said, “Would you marry me?” The blonde woman drew her hands to her face in a gasp, even as she faded even further away. She cried tears of joy as she nearly shouted, “Yes! I would! I love you so much, Michael!” He stood once more and wrapped her in his arms. It was nearly time, he could feel her disappearing in his embrace. They looked into each others eyes one last time, and their lips met. He felt her fade away, leaving an empty feeling in his arms. But despite this, he did not feel sadness. Instead, a sense of closure came over him, and he look to his friends. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy was still in shock at what she had just witnessed, “Are you okay?” And Michael Greenfield did something that he hadn’t done in a long time. His lips stretched across his face, and he gave the most genuine smile he had ever given in the land of Equestria. For once, his grin did not mask any feelings of hurt inside of him, instead it showed the joy he felt. He had finally overcome his nightmare, and could live again. “Yes, Fluttershy,” he said softly, “I’m just fine.”
False ParadiseSunlight fell on Michael’s face as he awoke, the warmth of its rays gently coaxing him out of his slumber. He sat up in his bed, and looked out the window to his right. Outside, he saw the familiar sights of the city he lived in. Standing, he stretched out the kinks in his body. “I should have probably put something on before doing that in front of the window,” he muttered, hoping no one had seen him in his underwear. Slipping on a light blue robe that had been hanging on his closet door, he turned to face his room and took a deep breath. The walls were painted a shade of green to match his lovely fiance’s eyes, although the ceiling was white. Walking over to his simple wooden dresser, he picked up a framed picture. A happy grin adorned his face as he looked at the photo. It had been taken not long after he had finally returned home. It was amazing, really, the adventure he had been on. But then was not the time for him to reminisce on that. Soft footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor of his bedroom, and Michael turned just in time to receive a warm hug and a soft kiss. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, a loving expression on her face. “It is now,” he looked down to Jessie, and held her tight for a moment, in her plain white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. For some reason he couldn’t place, he felt like it was the first time in a long time he had ever had a chance to just hold her like that. “Oh, you sweet talker, you,” she pulled back a bit in his embrace, and smacked him lightly on his chest. “Come on, breakfast is waiting for you.” He hadn’t noticed it until then, but a delicious scent had drifted into his nose. “Am I smelling what I think I am?” he asked her as she led him on by the hand. “If you think you’re smelling cheese waffles, then yes.” Her voice was full of joy. “Oh, my favorite! Are you trying to butter me up, Jessie?” his grin became playful. “Now why would I need to do that?” she said with a raised eyebrow. “Well, let’s see. Last time you made me cheese waffles for breakfast, I had to spend three hours working on the sink because you plugged it.” Jessica had the good grace to look away as she blushed at that reminder. “You’re not so innocent yourself, mister,” she returned, “What about the time you brought me breakfast in bed because you broke that lamp my mother gave me?” He turned to face her as they walked into their immaculately white kitchen. “Hey, I fixed it!” “Michael, dear, duct tape can do a lot, but it can not hold together a shattered lamp.” She walked over to the kitchen counter where two plates of food awaited, as Michael sat down at their small table. “The kitchen sure is clean this morning. When did you find the time to do that?” Michael asked, just before digging into his breakfast. His blonde haired fiance sat down across from him, sliding a plate of his beloved cheese waffles to him. “What do you mean? The kitchen has always been this way.” Michael may have tried to push the matter, but when he looked into Jessie’s eyes all of his worries melted away. Nothing could possibly be wrong, not as long as he had her. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I love you,” he said in a dreamy tone. “I love you too,” she replied, holding his gaze. As the two ate, they talked about various things that weren’t too important. It was probably the best morning that Michael could remember since he had returned to his Earth. He paused for a moment, a piece of waffle halfway to his mouth, and just looked at Jessie. He noticed that she had her hair up in a familiar messy bun. The happy grin he had been wearing a moment earlier started to falter. She only wore her hair like that when she was working hard on something for her classes. “Jessie,” he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “Did you stay up all night working again?” She gave him a look that screamed “You caught me!” and said “I can’t get anything past you, can I?” “Nope,” his grin returned, “I’ve got eyes like a hawk.” “Yeah, and the stomach of a whale,” she giggled a bit and pointed to his plate. Michael looked down, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Somehow, his waffles were gone, even though he was rather certain that he was only about halfway through them. “Wow,” he sounded surprised, “I guess I was hungry. I didn’t even realize how fast I was eating.” “Well, after all that exercise last night, I’m not too amazed.” Jessie gave him a suggestive wink from the sink, where she had just finished washing her dishes. “I, wait, what?” he floundered, eyes open wide. His fiance never talked like that. Michael was always the one to make those kind of jokes, just to see the cute blush on her face. He might have tried to question her about her odd behavior, but she was already up and headed out of the kitchen. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed him. He caught her gaze as she passed, and once again his worries disappeared. His life was not perfect, but it was about as close as anyone could be. He had a beautiful fiance, a nice apartment, and a great job. How could anything be wrong? Shaking his head to dispel any remaining conflict, Michael stood and took care of his dishes. He caught his reflection in the small window over their sink. His robe had slipped a bit on his shoulder, and the tip of a scar was showing. He set down the plate in his hands, and opened his robe to look at the three lines that marred the skin of his chest. How long had it been since he had received those scars? The exact date was hazy in his mind, but he was sure that it hadn’t been more than a year. He caught himself smiling as he remembered the incredible adventure he had been on. Sure, there had been quite a few hard times, but in the end everything turned out just fine. He defeated the villain, saved all of Equestria, and even got to go home to the life he thought he had lost. His smile became melancholic as his thoughts turned towards the friends he had left behind. He would never forget those six ponies who took him in when he had nowhere to go. Those wonderful mares who showed friendship to a creature that they had never seen before. He found himself leaving the kitchen and heading towards the small living room in his home. Jessie came out of their bedroom, fully dressed and ready for the day. She was headed towards the door, when she spotted the expression Michael had on. “Is everything alright?” she had a concerned look on her face. The dark haired man looked deeply into her lovely green eyes. His mood brightened a bit, and he wrapped her tightly in a hug. “Everything is just fine. I was just thinking about the girls back in Equestria.” Jessie returned the embrace, and said to him “Well, don’t dwell on them too much. You know they wouldn’t want you to be so sad.” He rubbed his hand across her back, feeling the smooth fabric of her sundress. “I know,” he agreed, “I just wonder what they’re doing right now.” “Well,” the blonde woman pressed off of him a bit and looked up to meet his eyes, “I bet they’re doing what they normally do, all of them wishing you the best.” Michael chuckled a bit, and his mellow voice echoed throughout the room. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Who knows, maybe Fluttershy is feeding her animals and wondering what I am doing.” “Maybe,” she agreed, “And if she were to find out, would you want her to know that you’re moping about?” “No, of course not,” he gave her a quick kiss, “Thanks, Jessie, I needed that.” “Anytime,” they let go of each other as she said that, “Now, I need to get going. I don’t want to be late!” Her husband-to-be exaggerated a shudder, and said, “No, you do not. We don’t need another one of your episodes.” “Oh, stop it.” She playfully smacked his shoulder, already halfway out the door. “See you later, love,” he kissed her again, longer than before, “Good luck at school!” “I don’t need luck, I’m just that good!” she laughed. Michael watched her walk away, bookbag bobbing on her hip. He closed the door, still beaming. Walking over to their small couch, he plopped down and leaned back, totally relaxed. He could hear the sounds of the city outside of his window, the constant thrum relaxing him in its familiarity. The morning was definitely the best one he could remember having in a long time. Even as his thoughts returned to the pony friends he had left behind, his mood did not fall. Jessie was right, they wouldn’t want to see him sad. And he felt the same way. He missed them very much, but still felt at peace. Life was great to him, almost as if it were trying to repay him for all the strife he had been through. Leaning his head back in relaxation, Michael uttered a short sentence. “Wherever you are, my friends, I hope you know that I love you. Each and every one of you helped me out when I had nothing, and because of that you are the best friends anyone, human or pony, could have. I wish you only the best of luck.” Yes, after many times of hardship and sorrow, Michael Greenfield had finally found happiness. And life could not be better for him. His reverie was broken by a sharp knocking coming from his door. Standing, he quickly dashed to his room. “Just a moment!” he shouted, frantically looking for clothing. He certainly wouldn’t want to answer the door in a robe and his underwear. He thought he heard a familiar female voice reply. Had Jessie come back for something? No, she wouldn’t have knocked. Maybe she forgot her key, though. But she never forgot her key, she was careful not to do things like that. But if it was not her, then who could be knocking at his door? He didn’t have any female friends that would be showing up at his house unannounced. Rather than continue to ramble, he slipped on a well worn green t-shirt and jeans. He walked back to the door, and found himself wishing he had a peephole. Without one, he had to settle for pressing his ear against the door and hoping whoever was out there would speak. “Are you sure this is where he is?” a boyish voice asked. For some reason, that voice unnerved him. “Yes, I am always aware of where the dreamer is.” The second voice didn’t sound familiar, but her words did nothing to calm his nerves. What she said didn’t make any sense, though. There were a few more words, but Michael had already drawn away from the door. He did not know why he felt he should know who was on the other side, but he did know that there was only one way to find out. Opening the door, he said “Hello?” before looking at who he had just greeted. When he saw who he was speaking to, Michael felt a mixture of emotions. First, he was confused. How could they be here? It didn’t make any sense, they should be at home, living happily ever after. Then, he felt excitement. His friends had somehow found a way to visit him! It was amazing! He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. It was peculiar, though, how quickly he transitioned away from his confusion. Lastly, the nervousness he had felt just a moment ago still burned in him. He shouldn’t have been nervous, they were his friends! There was nothing to be nervous about. Maybe he was just anxious because it was the first time they had seen his home. “Yeah,” Michael thought, “I just want my home to make a good impression.” It occurred to him that he was lucky Rarity hadn’t come to visit him. “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What are you doing here? How are you here?” his voice clearly showed his excitement. “This is amazing! I can’t belie-” he had begun, before he saw the third pony before him, “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” The tallest pony extended a dark blue hoof in greeting, “It is nice to finally meet you, Michael Greenfield. I am princess Luna, my sister has told me much about you.” The way Luna spoke felt almost like she wasn’t certain of her words. “Oh, so you’re the Princess of the Night. It’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, shaking her outstretched hoof. When he touched her, though, it was as if a small shock went through him. Almost as if there was something his was supposed to remember. He dismissed it as nothing more than static electricity. “Where are my manners,” he shook his head, opening the door wider, “Come in! You girls have to tell me how you got here!” Their hooves clacked on the hardwood floor as they entered his home. He directed them towards his living room, and asked “Would you like something to drink?” Rainbow looked like she about to take him up on that offer, but when Luna shook her head the speedy pegasus sat down on the soft, blue carpet instead. When the other two followed her lead, Michael sat opposite them in a simple brown armchair his mother had given him. “Now,” he said to them, leaning forward and steepling his hands,”You three need to tell me just how you got here.” The ponies all looked at each other for a moment, uncertain looks on their faces. A series of looks passed between them, a whole conversation silently communicated. “Look, Michael,” Rainbow Dash began, giving the human a serious look, “You’re-” Whatever she was about to say was cut off as Fluttershy frantically said “Not going to believe how we got here!” Slowly, Rainbow turned her head to give her yellow friend a wide eyed gaze. Even Luna looked surprised. But Michael seemed unphased, for the most part. “Sounds interesting!” Michael said, leaning forward in his seat, “I can’t wait to hear it.” Rainbow Dash, however, had other ideas. She dragged Fluttershy and Luna out of the room, quickly saying “We’ll be right back.” Michael looked a little confused, but he trusted his friends. So he didn’t object when Rainbow nearly dragged her two companions out of the room. Instead, he sat up a little straighter and started to think. Around the corner and inside Michael’s kitchen, the ponies were busy. “Fluttershy, what was that?” Dash asked, eyes still wide. “I-I, oh,” the timid pony began, retreating behind her mane, “I don’t think we should just suddenly tell him that he’s dreaming. He looks so happy, I don’t want to ruin that for him.” “Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, “He has to know! We can’t just leave him in here, we need him!” Luna watched as her two subject went back and forth, neither gaining any ground. Perhaps it was time for her to intervene. “Rainbow Dash,” Luna’s voice was firm, “Fluttershy is right. We can not simply break Michael from this dream. If we are not gentle, he may not be able to accept that he is dreaming. And if he cannot do that, then he may not awaken.” Fluttershy didn’t come out from behind her mane, but she did ease up a bit. Rainbow, though, gave her princess an astounded look. “But we need to get back out there, fast! We don’t know what could be happening!” Dash protested. “I know this,” Luna told her, “Which is why I believe I should be the one to handle this matter.” The two pegasi looked as if they might object, one more so than the other, but backed down when they saw Luna’s commanding expression. “Alright, princess,” Rainbow Dash hung her head, while Fluttershy nodded a bit. With a nod, Luna led them out of the glimmering white kitchen and back to Michael. Once inside his living room once more, they noticed that he was busy with a shiny disc and a black, square device. Hearing their hooves clacking, Michael turned around. “Oh, you’re back!” he said, a grin on his face, “I was just thinking that since you’re on my Earth, you should experience some Earth stuff! It took me a bit, but I decided on some music, and I knew the perfect song to play for you three!” With that, he placed the disc in a tray on the top of the box, closed the lid, and pressed a button on its side. A few more button presses later, the music began. As the first few chords played, all four sat down. Luna looked as she were about to speak, but stopped when she heard the first words of the song. As it played, all she could think was “This song is actually quite good.” She could see that Rainbow Dash seemed to like it, but Fluttershy looked uncertain. Shaking her head to refocus her thoughts, Luna looked Michael in the eye. “Michael Greenfield,” she began, “There is something important that I must tell you.” She paused for a moment, to ensure that he was listening. “Equestria needs you Michael Greenfield. You must come with us, now. We do not have much time.” Michael’s eyes widened, and Luna could only hope that she hadn’t made a mistake. Luna was attempting to get Michael to agree, so that he would already feel that he needed to help when she revealed that he was dreaming. “If only his memories of the nightmare were intact,” she thought. A moment passed, in which no one moved. Then Michael sprung up and said “Well, what are we waiting for? I saved Equestria once, I can do it again!” The ponies watched as Michael burst into action, moving quickly around his modest apartment. He was picking up objects and setting them back down almost at random, muttering various things to himself. Soon enough, he had a black backpack in hand, and was rushing about stuffing it with anything he thought could be even remotely useful. “Michael,” Rainbow Dash said, raising a hoof towards him. But he kept moving, frantically trying to gather his things. “Michael?” Fluttershy tried, her voice barely audible over the music that was still playing. Her voice had no discernable effect on Michael’s rushed searching, however. “Michael Greenfield!” Luna made good use of her Royal Canterlot Voice, finally catching Michael’s attention. It also had the effect of knocking over several small objects, including the stereo, which promptly stopped playing. “Oh, sorry! Did you have something else you needed to say?” Michael scratched the back of his head and grinned, trying not to seem too embarrassed. “Michael,” Luna’s voice softened, “There is something else you must know. I would recommend that you sit down for this.” “Okay,” he replied slowly, trepidation evident in his voice. Fluttershy watched as Luna took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had to say. She knew that what her princess was about to say would be hard for Michael. No, hard wasn’t the right word. The kind pegasus may not have been in Michael’s second dream for long, and she wasn’t certain she fully understood how that was possible, but she knew that something was different about Michael. It was in the way he moved and spoke. It was as if he had been carrying a heavy weight, but it had finally been removed. And Fluttershy knew exactly what that weight was. Dread filled her as she realized that soon enough, the happiness that Michael was exuding would go away. That soon enough, his burden would be returned to his shoulders. It was for this reason that Fluttershy held up a hoof to stop Luna from speaking. “Princess,” she said, her voice as confident as she could make it, “I want to be the one to tell him.” Luna looked as if she were going to object, but didn’t when she saw the steely gaze Fluttershy was giving her, she nodded her head and allowed her subject to speak. Rainbow and Luna watched as Fluttershy walked closer to Michael, and placed a hoof on his hand. “Michael,” her voice was soft and caring, a perfect match to its speaker, “What I am about to say isn’t a good thing. I wish that I didn’t have to say it. I wish that I could be at home, curled up in bed with my teddy bear.” Michael gave Fluttershy a small grin as he imagined the adorable pegasus wrapped up in her blankets, stuffed animal in hoof. “But, I can’t,” she continued, “So, please listen. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just have to do my best to be gentle.” She took a deep breath, and let it out. Her confidence was wavering, but she knew that she had to hold it, for the sake of her friends. “Michael,” she looked straight into eyes, “You’re dreaming right now. I’m sorry, but Twilight cast a spell on you to give you a good dream, and it went wrong. We had to come into your dream with Princess Luna to wake you up, otherwise you may never have. We already brought you out of your nightmare, but now we have to take you from your good dreams. I’m so sorry,” her voiced descended as she finished, and her courage finally fell. Before returning to her timid behavior, however, Fluttershy took one last look into Michael’s eyes. What Fluttershy saw nearly broke the timid pegasus’s heart. It was as if all of the pain Michael had felt in the waking world had suddenly flooded into him, forcing any remaining happiness out. He stared past the ponies and off into space, the truth forcing its way back into his mind. He took a shuddering breath, and whispered “What happened?” “Michael?” Rainbow asked, approaching the human slowly. “What happened?” he repeated with more force. “What do you mean?” Luna asked, not moving herself. “I-I was in that nightmare. But then you three showed up, and all of that crazy stuff happened. And then I-” Michael’s voice broke, but he took a breath and continued, “I proposed to Jessie. Then she faded away, and I was okay with it because I knew that I couldn’t bring her back.But then I wake up this morning in this perfect world, where Jessie is alive, I saved the day, and everyone is supposed to be happy. How is that possible?” “Well, when Twilight Sparkle cast her spell, your mind didn’t react well. Instead of both aspects of her spell occurring at once, they happened separately. First, you were put to sleep, where you experienced your nightmare. Then, instead of waking up, her magic forced you to remain asleep, where you experienced this fake paradise,” Luna explained, hoping that Michael’s regained memories would calm him. “And now you’re telling me that this isn’t real? That my happily ever after can’t be real? That I have to give all of this up? Why?” Michael looked to his friends. “Why what?” Rainbow asked, now sitting beside Michael, trying to be consoling. “Why did this have to happen? Why to me? Why couldn’t I have just stayed in this dream? Why couldn’t this have been real!” Michael’s voice grew in volume as he continued, “Why can’t I have a happy ending?” “I wish I could just go back to the way I was before.” Michael’s eyes were pointed straight down as he softly spoke. “No!” both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy spoke at once. “You can’t go back to that!” Rainbow started, “Look at what happened to you!” “I know!” Michael’s voice had a hard edge, “But at least if I could do that, everything would be easier.” “B-but Michael,” Fluttershy joined in, “You were hardly living at all like that. Please, we’re your friends, you can’t shut us out like that again.” “I know!” Michael shouted. “I know,” he softly repeated. “Michael, you can do this! Just come with us, and Luna will have us back in the real world in no time!” Rainbow did her best to convince him. In his mind, Michael was conflicted. On one hand, he finally had paradise. If what he understood correctly, he could stay in his paradise forever, and never have to face the real world again. But then he would be abandoning his friends. And there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t remember that it was a dream, which would only tarnish any happiness he might feel in the dream. His choices, it seemed, were to either abandon his happy ending to dive back into the world he had left, or stay in his paradise and leave his new friends to their fate. The ponies watched as he slowly stood, and looked to each of them. In his mind, a memory was replaying. The memory left him with a phantom sensation in his arms. In his mind, he was reliving the moment that he had held his love in his arms as she faded away. As he thought of how much he missed her, he wasn’t certain he could leave the dream. The memory came to an end, and with it came a new emotion. He remembered what he had felt as his nightmare finished. The joy that had coursed through him as he told Fluttershy that he was fine. And it was then that his decision came to him, and with it came not an end to his sorrow, but rather a road through. “Princess Luna,” Michael said, his voice strong, “How do we get out of this dream?” It took Luna, and for that matter Rainbow and Fluttershy, a moment to register Michael’s question. Each reacted in their own way as they realized that Michael would be returning to reality with them. “Yeah!” Rainbow cheered, popping into the air and quickly hugging Michael, “I knew you wouldn’t ditch us!” Fluttershy didn’t move as energetically, instead she simply smiled for her friend. He had done the right thing, and she couldn’t be happier. Luna simply nodded and said “Take my hoof, and I will return us to reality.” Michael did as he was instructed. He watched as the princess’s horn started to glow, and a wave of magic swept over him. His body felt light as the world around him faded into darkness. As his dream disappeared, Michael came to a realization. “This wasn’t paradise. Paradise doesn’t mean a perfect world. It means a world where everyone does the right thing. And just being here was wrong for me.” He closed his eyes and smiled. “Look out Equestria, Michael Greenfield is coming back.”
The Death of Michael Greenfield“Well now that’s just plain rude, talking to me like that.” Discord was stretching his limbs vigorously, “I haven’t even done anything yet.” He rubbed his chin for second, mumbling “I should fix that.” Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all stayed behind Celestia, unsure of what to do. “Discord,” Celestia repeated, taking a firm stance for spellcasting, “Leave.” Discord actually froze upon hearing that. It was a rare occurrence that the Spirit of Chaos was surprised, and then was the only time in hundreds of years. “Well,” Discord stood straight and walked directly in front of Celestia, “I wasn’t expecting that.” “Don’t make me repeat myself,” Celesta warned, her horn starting to glow. The draconequus didn’t look intimidated in the least. Instead, a confident grin grew on his face, and he leaned down so his eyes were only inches from Celestia’s. “You’re bluffing,” he sounded as if he had just received birthday presents for every year that had passed while he was imprisoned. “I’m so proud, you’re finally starting to embrace the chaos!” Discord snapped up and tossed his arms in the air, “Come ‘ere, you!” Now, in most situations of this nature the temperature would lower. Most of the time it wasn’t literal, but in Equestria it wasn’t uncommon that a unicorn unconsciously altered their surrounding. However, the power of a normal unicorn could hardly compare to that of Princess Celestia. So, when Discord wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, the magic she had gathered was accidentally released. But instead of cooling the room, for a moment it felt as if the room were suddenly transported to a blazing desert at high noon. The heat was oppressive, and only Discord and Celestia seemed unaffected. When Discord finally let go, he looked at all of the currently conscious ponies. An elation grew in him steadily as he saw the stunned expressions on all of their faces, and came to a head when he realized that Celestia still had not moved. She was only moving her mouth up and down slowly, as if trying to form a sentence that refused to come out. “This whole time,” Discord said, a giddy smile plastered on his features, “All I had to do was hug them? This is just too good!” Just as he was going in for a Pinkie Pie hug, however, he was blasted across the room by a bolt of searing energy, courtesy of Princess Celestia. “Never do that again,” she growled, nostrils flaring. Celestia shook her head and regained her composure. It was then that she realized just where she had inadvertently sent Discord. The sight of a draconequus holding Michael Greenfield like a stuffed animal was not one that would be easily removed from any pony’s mind. “Get off of him!” Twilight shouted, finally jumping into the fray. “Oh, but I only just got him!” Discord sounded like a petulant child, “You’d make me give up my new teddy bear so soon?” “He ain’t no teddy bear!” Applejack jumped in beside Twilight. “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at Discord, “And if he was, you wouldn’t get to hold him first!” “Oh, then who would?” Discord asked, once again surprising the ponies. “W-what?” Twilight was the first to recover. “You heard me,” Discord told her, “If he was a teddy bear, who would be the first to hold him?” “Discord, enough!” Celestia stomped a foot, trying to retake control of the situation. “But I really want an answer!” Discord sat up on the bed, rolling Michael onto his side. “It’s clear that you ponies care about this,” he paused, and looked at Michael, “You know, I’ve never seen one of these? What is he?” Rather than answer, Celestia and the remaining elements glared at him. “You’re not going to tell me?” Discord tapped a finger to his chin, “More fun for me, I guess.” Suddenly, the Spirit of Chaos was pacing back in forth in front of them, a pipe spewing bubbles held in the hand that had been on his chin. “It’s obvious that he is important to you,” he said, “You gave that away as soon as I landed on that bed.” “Discord,” Celestia glared at him, “I’m warning you.” “Come now, Celestia, no need for that. I’m just solving the puzzle you gave me.” Discord stopped and faced her, “In fact, I better disarm all of you, just to play it safe.” And with a snap of his eagle like fingers, Celestia, Twilight, and Rarity found themselves missing some important appendages. After that, taking advantage of their surprise, Discord conjured a cage around them. “Much better,” he said, “Now, no more interruptions.” “Discord!” Pinkie Pie shouted, sounding very much like a disapproving mother, “You let us out right now, young man!” Rather than listen, Discord snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a glowing red arrow appeared in the air in front of Pinkie, and attached to her mouth. Then, it somehow detached her mouth, and deposited it in a tiny metal garbage can. Even Discord took a moment to absorb that. “I’m not sure why I did that,” he told them, “I just got the feeling that was supposed to happen right around now, anyways.” With a shrug, the draconequus blew a few bubbles from his pipe, ignoring Pinkie’s muffled cries. “Now, where was I?” he restarted, “Oh yes, the mysterious creature on the bed.” “Now, I’ve never seen anything like him before. And I know every species on this planet, and even a few that aren’t. So when I say I’ve never seen anything like him before, you know that he is something not from around here. I could just jump into any one of your minds and take the information, but this is more fun.” Discord turned around and paced back towards the bed, “Now, he is also sleeping pretty soundly. I take pride in being able to wake most anything up with just my presence, so he’s probably in a magically induced sleep. Of course, somepony cast a spell on him without thinking about the fact that it would affect him differently. So, he’s essentially in a magic coma.” Twilight tried to hide a blush as Discord effortlessly picked apart what had happened. This did not go unnoticed by the would-be detective. “I should have known it was you, Twilight. Always trying to help, even when you’re not sure of what you are doing.” Discord looked back to the bed and the sleeping human, when he noticed the edge of Luna’s mane. “Oh, what is this?” he asked, walking around the bed, “Some ponies sleeping now of all times?” He looked at Twilight and grinned, “Or are they just trying to fix your silly mistake?” “Discord, I swear if you don’t let us outta here, I’ll buck you so hard you’ll be feelin’ it even after we turn you back inta a hunk of rock!” Applejack shouted, pulling at the bars. “As if you could even do that right now,” Discord grinned once again, “Not only are you down two elements, you’re stuck in that cage! So sit down and listen while I tell you what I’m going to do. Because I have this all figured out now.” “Tell us, then,” Celestia did her best to calm down, “What are you going to do?” “Simple,” he snapped his fingers and his pipe disappeared, “I’ll be riding along in your friend’s body for a while.” Once again, Discord did not fail to surprise. Each of the caged ponies’ jaws nearly hit the floor. Even Celestia gasped and widened her eyes. Chuckling, Discord continued, “You see, I can tell that something else is going on here. You’ve got an alien in the royal palace, you sound even more annoyed to see me than usual, and I am pretty sure the elements of harmony aren’t supposed to be grey.” All of the awake element bearers took an involuntary glance at their element, before returning their gazes to Discord. “So, I can do pretty much whatever I want.” Discord’s smile was coming close to splitting his face. And when the Avatar of Chaos does that, it has a tendency to be literal. This time was no exception, as his head seemed to open on a hinge, and a grey smoke poured out. His body disappeared into the smog, and it hovered over to Michael’s unconscious form. “Oh,” Discord’s voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, “You should probably not tell him. Or do, it doesn’t matter to me.” The smoke suddenly flew into Michael’s slightly open mouth. It only took a few seconds to disappear into his body, and when it did there was no trace that Discord had ever been in the room. Nothing in the room moved. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Luna, and Michael were still asleep. The others were too stunned to move. It was Twilight who finally broke the silence, and said “Princess, how are we going to get out of this cage?” Before Celestia could answer, Michael’s hand shot into the air, held in a fist. It moved sideways so his thumb was facing them, and Discord’s eyes appeared on his index finger. “Oops, almost forgot about that,” they heard him say. Michael’s thumb moved up and down like a jaw as Discord spoke. Michael’s hand opened, and his fingers snapped. The cage disappeared, and the ponies were restored to their normal forms. “Now,” Michael’s hand had clenched again, and Discord was speaking, “Entertain me.” The ponies watched as Michael’s hand dropped, as if it were on a string that had just been cut. “Princess, what do we do now?” Twilight’s voice had a tinge of fear. Celestia did not answer. Twilight walked forward and looked to her mentor’s face, asking again “Princess?” The Princess seemed to shake her head imperceptibly. “Twilight,” Celestia said, turning to face her subjects, “Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie. What we now face is a situation unlike any other. Now more than ever I ask all of you to place your trust in me.” Applejack was the first to reply. “Well, o’ course we’ll trust you, Princess!” “Yeah! You’re, like, the most super-amazing-fantastic pony in the whole kingdom!” Pinkie Pie’s excited demeanor put a smile on the monarch’s face. “Why, if we couldn’t trust you, who could we trust?” Rarity added. Twilight walked closer to Celestia, and looked directly into her face. “What do you need us to do, Princess?” A smile spread across Celestia’s lips. “I’m so proud of you, my little ponies,” she said to them. It looked as if she were going to continue, but she was interrupted by a groan. “Oh, my head,” Michael said, pulling a pillow over his head, “Fluttershy, do I have to wake up already? Can’t the animals wait?” No one spoke for a moment. Finally, the silence was broken by an excited shout. “Michael!” Pinkie Pie rushed to his side on the bed, wrapping him a powerful hug. Michael was taken by surprise, a fact that was not so itself, considering the nature of Pinkie. “Pinkie!” he gasped, his face turning red, “Air!” “Oops!” Pinkie blushed, releasing him, “Sorry!” Michael sat up in the bed, and looked around. He saw all of his friends gathered around him, even Fluttershy and Rainbow. The last two, Luna included, were still working the sleep out of their bodies when he saw them. His face was unreadable, so much that for a moment the others worried that he had somehow regressed. The looks on their faces were starting to make Michael worried himself. “What?” his expression broke, and he did his best to sound like nothing was wrong, “Do I have something on my face?” None of them moved, except for Michael. He was stretching his arms over his head, when he found his face becoming acquainted with a pillow. “Rainbow!” Twilight scolded, looking to her friend, “Apologize!” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and was about to speak. However, she found herself on the receiving end of a pillow assault. Twilight looked straight at Michael, who was simply sitting on the bed, doing his best to seem inconspicuous. He was also failing, miserably. “Michael!” Twilight sounded very much like a disapproving teacher, “Not you too!” Rather than answer, Michael whistled a random tune as one hand slowly crept behind his back. He made sure to keep his eyes facing Twilight as he did so. “Hah!” he shouted, whipping the bed’s second pillow out and blocking the other, “Deflected!” However, rather than the look of disappointment he expected, Rainbow Dash looked horrified. He glanced quickly around, and realized that the others had the same expression on their faces. Although Luna seemed to have slinked off. Michael followed her gaze, and saw exactly why she seemed so scared. Standing beside Twilight, in the same direction that he had sent the pillow flying, was Princess Celestia. She also had a pillow held in her magic, hardly an inch from her face. It was the same pillow that Rainbow had thrown and Michael had blocked. “O-okay,” Twilight’s voice was filled with anxiety, “I think you two should apologize, quickly, befor-” Whatever Twilight was going to say was interrupted. The looks of horror on their faces turned to shock upon seeing Princess Celestia throw a pillow at her own student. “Oh, lighten up Twilight!” Celestia said. She looked at her subject’s expressions of total shock, and held a hoof in front of her mouth as she giggled. She took a step back, and her horn glowed for a moment. A second passed, and a large pile of pillows appeared before her, summoned from elsewhere in the castle. “Have fun!” Celestia told them as she trotted out of the room. “I- bu- wha-?” Twilight’s mind seemed to have come to a grinding halt, as she repeated the same three syllables. “Alright!” Rainbow shouted, dashing to the large pile of pillows, “Let’s do this!” Outside the room, Celestia and Luna stood together, listening to the sounds of laughter as the pillow fight started. “Sister,” Luna looked up to meet Celestia’s gaze, “I do not understand. Why did you do that?” “Because,” she began, turning and walking away, “Sometimes a little fun can go a long way. And right now, that is just what they need.” It was later that night when the largest pillow fight the royal castle had ever seen since Celestia and Luna were children themselves ended. It took some time for the participants to stop laughing at their fun, some more than others, but eventually they all stood and walked away. It would not be difficult for the ponies to find rooms, it was one of the advantages to being so close to the Princess. Soon enough, Michael sat alone on his bed, looking out a window across the room. It was amazing, he thought, how the ponies were so easily able to have fun, despite the impending situation with Balance. Thoughts of the mysterious villain reminded Michael of several things. First and foremost was just whose voice he had heard. “Jessie,” he whispered, “I just don’t know what is going on.” Michael ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. Slipping his legs over the edge of the bed, Michael stood. He grabbed his coat from where it had been left on a dresser, and walked out of the room. His bare feet made almost no noise on the cold stone of the castle floors as he walked. Michael wandered without purpose, taking corners on whims. He paid no attention to his path, however. His eyes were firmly set to the ground as he walked, his mind flooded with thoughts. There were just so many mysteries before him. How had he come to Equestria? How was it they shared a language? Just who was Balance? Was she actually Jessie, or some malevolent force native to Equestria? But the question that plagued him above all others was at the same time more simple, and the hardest question he had ever faced. “Why am I here?” he asked. It was a question that he knew had no easy answer. Even in the literal sense of why he was in Equestria, he could divine to answer. Michael found himself standing on a balcony, high above the city of Canterlot. A cool night breeze took hold of his jacket, the bottom swaying to his right. He let out a deep sigh, and leaned forward on the railing. “You know, you look funny without your hat.” Michael turned, but did not find the source of the voice. It had sounded familiar, but he had been so deep in his thoughts that just who was speaking escaped him. “What the?” he scratched his head, turning fully around. “Who said that?” Michael asked, looking around. “I’m your conscious,” the voice said, “I just thought that you should know that Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pegasus ever.” Michael smacked a hand to his forehead, and turned back around, this time looking up to see a friendly face. “Rainbow,” he said, looking straight into the playful pegasus’s eyes, “I should have known it was you.” “That’s okay,” she said, landing beside him, “My awesomeness has been known have funny effects on others. You may not want to stand too close.” She brushed him playfully with a wing, as if to move him away for his own good. “Oh, of course. I wouldn’t want to overdose on your sheer awesomeness.” Michael made a point to move away. The two friends laughed at each other, sharing in the moment of happiness. Their mirth died down eventually, and Michael found himself once again looking out over Canterlot from the balcony, marveling at the large pony city. “So,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering up to Michael’s eye level, “Why are you out here?” “I could ask you the same thing,” Michael replied, turning his head to face her. “I couldn’t sleep, not after that nap I took pulling your sorry flank out of that magic coma,” Rainbow gave him a confident grin. “I see,” Michael flashed her a knowing grin, “And it has nothing to do with all the naps you take regularly anyways?” “What, no! Of course not!” Rainbow waved a hoof at him, and they both laughed a bit more at each other’s antics. Soon enough, Michael’s mind once again returned to his many questions. As he looked out into the soft lights of Canterlot at night, his mind swirled. “Okay, seriously.” Rainbow moved in closer to Michael’s face, “Something is on your mind. What’s up?” Michael considered for a moment trying to direct her away from the question. But as he looked at her face, he saw only concern. He couldn’t hide the truth from her, and he knew it. It was amazing, really, how much he had come to trust her so quickly. “Alright,” Michael said, hanging his head, “I’ll talk.” When he remained silent for a moment, Rainbow shifted her position so her forelegs were crossed. She tapped a hoof on the leg underneath it, and said, “Well?” “Geez, alright!” Michael held his hand up in a placating gesture, “Give me a second!” Michael took a breath in a let it out before speaking. “I’m just confused, Rainbow. That’s all. I have so many questions, and not enough answers.” “Like what?” Dash asked. “Well, for one, I want to know just how I got here. All I remember is going on a picnic with Jessie. It was a beautiful day, and I had even planned to propose to her. The next thing I know, I’m waking up in Equestria, running through the forest. I don’t even fully remember that first day here, I was too frightened to think straight. On top of that was Jessie’s death, at the hands of a monster I thought was fake. I just- I don’t know what is going on.” Michael grabbed the sides of his head in frustration. “And now, some crazy person, or pony, or whatever, is threatening to destroy Equestria. And whoever they are, they are using Jessie’s voice. I’m scared, Dash, I don’t know what to do.” Rainbow wrapped a hoof around his shoulder, still hovering beside him. “What happened to that confidence you had in the dream?” she asked. “I don’t know!” Michael cried, his hands gripping the balcony rail hard enough to make his knuckles white. “I just don’t know! I guess all I really gained from that was the certainty that Jessie isn’t Balance. She can’t be, Jessie, my Jessie. There’s no way. I just wish I could find some answers.” And then Rainbow Dash asked one simple question. One easy, obvious, and clear question. She asked, “Well, why can’t you?” Michael suddenly relaxed, a stunned expression on his face. “What did you just say?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just asked why you couldn’t find some answers. What’s stopping you?” Rainbow repeated, moving back a bit. “Rainbow! You’re a genius!” Michael suddenly shouted, wrapping the pegasus in a tight hug. “Well, I’m no Twilight, but I do have my moments,” Rainbow accepted the compliment just as she usually would. “Could you let me go now? I kind of need air,” she added in a gasp, struggling in Michael’s grasp. “Oh, right, sorry,” Michael released her, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Rainbow took a seat on the floor of the balcony, and listened. “Anyways,” Michael’s voice was full of excitement, “I know just where to find some answers! The only problem is how to get there.” He held his chin in his index finger and thumb, thinking hard on the task at hand. “How to get where?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow. “To the Everfree Forest! Right back to where it all began!” Michael was pacing back and forth at this point, clearly excited. Michael continued to pace. Rainbow simply sat back and trailed him with her eyes, not sure of what to do. She settled for doing her best to help solve the problem. “I got it!” Rainbow shouted, thrusting a hoof into the air, “We can steal a sky chariot!” “What?” Michael asked, clearly confused. “A sky chariot! The royal guard uses them all the time. We can just sneak in and borrow one, I should be able to pull you there by myself.” Rainbow started towards the door to the balcony, already out by the time Michael caught up to her. “Hey wait up!” he called, “Are you sure we should just be taking one of those sky chariots like this? Shouldn’t we ask someone?” “I’m sure Princess Celestia won’t mind. Besides, we’ll bring it right back! And you need answers, which we won’t be able to find without it!” “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow, and get the others in on this,” Michael sounded hesitant. “Michael,” Rainbow Dash turned and flew up to his face, “If we do things that way, we’ll be lucky to get there in the next week! As much as I love my friends, sometimes you just have to get things done. So, are you going to do this or not?” Michael didn’t know what to say. At first, his doubt started to overtake him, and he almost backed down. But he realized that Rainbow Dash was right. If he waited, there was no guarantee that he would have the courage to do it again. It was just something that he had to do. “Alright,” he nodded his head, “Let’s go.” “That’s what I like to hear. Now, come on, I think they’re this way,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned a corner. Michael was behind her, so he had no idea what was going on when she suddenly jumped back, looking very much as though they had been caught. A second later, he found out that this was true. Michael watched as a familiar yellow pegasus walked forward, driving Rainbow back as she did so. “What are you two doing?” Fluttershy asked, her voice filled with concern. “N-nothing!” Rainbow tried to cover their actions. “Don’t lie to me, Rainbow. I heard you two talking just a bit ago, I know that you’re up to something.” Fluttershy was being more forceful than usual. Once again, Michael’s immediate reaction to cover himself was overpowered by a second thought. He couldn’t lie to Fluttershy, not after all she had done to him. Not after all she meant to him. “We’re going to steal a sky chariot to go to the Everfree Forest, so I can possibly find some answers to questions I have,” Michael confessed. “Michael!” Rainbow scolded. Fluttershy walked up to Michael, and looked straight into his eyes. “Are you sure you need to do this? Couldn’t it wait?” Michael took a deep breath to bolster himself, and said “No. I need to do this, and I need to do it now. Please, don’t try to stop me, Fluttershy.” “But can’t we just stay here in Canterlot, where it’s safe? You don’t need to go into the big, scary, Everfree Forest! I’m sure the Princesses can help you find some answers!” Fluttershy’s voice was pleading, and the expression on her face nearly broke Michael’s heart. “Fluttershy,” Michael kneeled, and put a hand on her shoulder, “This is just something I have to do for myself. There’s a saying from my world that fits here. It goes, ‘A man has to do what a man has to do.’ Please, don’t oppose me on this.” Tears brimmed in Fluttershy’s eyes. Her breaths came in shudders, but she spoke nonetheless, “W-why do you have to do this? You only just came from one bad situation, why do you have to jump into another? Why can’t you just stay here, where it is safe, and let others handle everything? Why can’t you just stop trying to do everything on your own!” “Fluttershy, you know I can’t do that. I realize that while I was in that state of shock, you may not have noticed, but this is just who I am. I am the kind of person who holds the world up, so others don’t have to.” Michael’s voice was soft. “Besides!” Rainbow jumped in, “He’ll have me with him! There won’t be anything to fear with Rainbow Dash around!” Fluttershy let out a few weak laughs, before looking up at her two friends. “O-okay,” she did her best to calm her voice, “I won’t stop you.” “Thank you, Fluttersh-” Michael started, before a yellow hoof held to his lips stopped him. “I said that I won’t stop you,” Fluttershy said, “But I can’t do nothing. As much as I want to be at home, wrapped up in a blanket with my teddy bear, I can’t be. So, I’m coming with you.” Both Michael’s and Rainbow’s jaws dropped. “What?” they asked at once. “I said that I am coming with you two.” Fluttershy repeated, a bit more steel in her voice, “The sky chariots need two pegasi to pull them anyways.” “Yeah! That’s the spirit, Fluttershy!” Rainbow pumped a hoof and cheered for her friend. Michael simply gave a knowing smile, and nodded his head. “Alright,” he told her, “Let’s get moving then.” As he turned the corner Fluttershy had come from, he nearly tripped after coming to an abrupt stop. “My hat!” he said, bending over to pick it up, “What’s it doing all the way out here?” “Oh, well,” Fluttershy said, “I was actually on my way to your room to give it back to you. I don’t know how, but it was in my room.” “Odd,” Michael said, placing it on his head, “But we should focus. Where to next, Rainbow?” he asked, turning to face Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked around for a second, and shrugged with her wings. “I don’t know,” she told him, “I was just kind of wandering around, hoping we’d run into it by coincidence.” Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course,” he said, with no real negative feelings. When he looked back up, he noticed that they were standing by a tall window, one not that special considering it was like any other in the castle. He looked into the sky just in time to witness a cloud move and uncover the moon. Michael was standing directly in the brilliant light of Luna’s moon. His eyes naturally followed his shadow, and were led to a large door. Slowly, he walked to the door, and opened it. On the other side was a large room with an open wall. Spread across it in a neat formation were the sky chariots they had been looking for. “That’s strange,” Rainbow commented, still looking out the window, “Clouds don’t usually move like that.” “Rainbow!” Michael put as much force into his words as he could without being too loud, “I found the chariots!” Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were quickly by his side, looking out into the hangar for the vehicles. “Yes!” Rainbow cheered, “Come on, let’s go!” They rushed towards the open end of the room, and were quickly ready to go. Before Michael knew it, he was flying in the sky in a chariot, two of his friends pulling him along. He felt the cool night air as it blew through his hair. “How long do you think this will take?” he shouted forward. “Not too long!” Rainbow replied, “It’ll be easy flying directly there.” “Okay!” Michael shouted back, “Can you take us directly to the castle in the middle of the forest?” “The landing might be a bit rough, but I think Fluttershy and I can handle it!” Dash turned back to the sky in front of her. The rest of the journey passed in silence, each of the focussed on what was to come. Michael was almost certain he had fallen asleep, because the trip seemed to pass in an instant. Before he knew it, they were landing on a cobblestone path just outside the castle. After Michael helped them out of their harnesses, Fluttershy asked, almost gasping for air, “Are you okay?” “What do you mean?” he responded. “Well, you were acting kind of strange on the ride here,” Rainbow added, breathing somewhat heavily herself. “How so?” Michael was becoming quite confused. “Well, at one point I looked back and you were just sitting there, smiling. Like just being out here was the best thing ever.” Rainbow told him, taking a seat, “I’ll just sit down for a second, to catch my breath.” “Strange,” Michael tried to recall doing what Dash had told him he had, “But we need to focus on the task at hand.” It took a few minutes for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to rest, but soon enough they were on their way. The trees of the Everfree cast eerie shadows through the ruined castle, enough so that Fluttershy kept herself between her friends, as she frantically tried to keep an eye on everything at once. They walked at a sedate pace, the moon’s light guiding them. The castle seemed to blend together, nothing truly standing out. That is, until they came upon a room that was familiar to Michael and the two pegasi for different reasons. “Here,” he said, totally sure of himself, “This is where I first woke up in Equestria, I know it.” “That’s strange,” Rainbow looked around, “This is the room where we found the Elements of Harmony.” Michael walked forward. He looked everywhere he could, hoping to find some sort of clue. But as he searched high and low, he found nothing. It was as if he had never been there before. “I don’t understand,” he said, voice filled with disappointment, “I was so sure that I would find something here.” Rainbow and Fluttershy walked up to where he stood in the center of the room. “Maybe there is something somewhere else in the castle, we just have to look,” Fluttershy said to him. “Yeah!” Rainbow’s confidence was clear in her voice, “We’ll find something, don’t worry!” “You’re right,” Michael grinned at his friends, “We just have to keep looking!” Michael quickly turned around to head out of the large room, ready to search elsewhere. However, as soon as he came to face the exit, he froze. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy did the same when they say what was standing there. Or rather, who was standing there. Standing in the doorway, wearing flowing white robes that seemed to move on an ethereal breeze, was a human. She had long, blonde hair, and brilliant green eyes. She looked at Michael with a small smile, and held out a hand to beckon him. “Jessie?” Michael gasped, his body refusing to move. “Michael,” she responded, softly and caringly. No one moved as she walked towards them, her alabaster robes glowing in a golden light. She walked directly in front of Michael, and held his face in her hands. “Michael,” she said again, “You came back for me.” Michael did nothing to stop her as she brought him close for a kiss. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He knew she was dead, he had seen it himself. But he also knew hands on his face and the lips meeting his were real. And they felt just the same as he remembered. It truly was as if Jessica Reese had risen from the dead. “Wait,” Rainbow’s voice cut through the moment, “I recognize that voice.” Both humans looked to Rainbow Dash as she said this. “What do you mean?” the woman asked, her arms still wrapped around Michael’s neck. Rainbow Dash flew right next to her face, only a small space separating them. “You’re Balance,” she accused. “What are you talking about?” the blonde woman seemed scared, “Michael, tell her that she’s wrong! It’s me, Jessie! You know me! You love me!” Michael’s face was unreadable. For a moment, no one moved, they only watched Michael as he held still. Finally, he looked up and directly into the eyes of the woman around his neck. In them he did not see the familiar love present in the eyes of his dead lover. Only a coldness that he could not recognize. “You are not Jessica. She is dead. You are Balance, and you had better stop pretending to be the woman I loved.” Michael’s voice was filled with an emotion Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had little experience with. In his tone was a level of hatred they had never before heard. Michael placed his hand’s on Balance’s shoulders, and pushed her away. “Get away from me, you imposter!” he shouted. Balance stumbled backwards, before quickly regaining her footing. The loving expression she had held a moment ago had changed to a snarl. She took a deep breath, and calmed herself. “I am impressed,” Balance said to them, “I did not expect you to figure me out so soon. Oh well, there is no use in continuing the charade.” Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, and the three of them were bound to the floor by thick black chains. “Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted, struggling against her bonds, “Let us go!” “Oh, do be quiet. I’m about to fulfill a human stereotype, and I don’t need you interrupting me.” Balance snapped her fingers once more, and Rainbow found that her lips had sealed themselves together. She let out a few muffled shouts, but was met without a reaction. “What stereotype is that?” Michael asked, his gaze filled with anger. “Oh, I should think you will enjoy it. You see, I am about to monologue.” Balance grinned an evil grin. “How cliche,” Michael thought. It was strange though, the thought almost seemed to come from someone else. “Now,” Balance began, “Where to start. I am not going to simply tell you who exactly I am, nor what my plans are. Rather, I thought I could perhaps answer one of your questions, my dear Michael.” “Oh, and what is that?” Michael asked, an eyebrow raised. “Well, you see,” Balance drew her words out, “I know how you wound up in Equestria.” The look of shock on Michael’s face as she said this brought a smile to her face. “How?” Michael hissed from his forced kneel. “Oh, it is quite simple, really. I brought you here myself.” Balance stated the fact as if she were talking about the weather. For a second, Michael did not move. Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at him in worry as a muscle beneath his right eye twitched. Finally, he shouted in a crescendo “You did what!” “You heard me,” Balance’s smile was nothing short of ecstatic by this point, “I am responsible for bringing you to Equestria, and for the death of your precious Jessica!” Michael began to strain at the chain binding him, screaming in rage. “You did this! You’re responsible for her death! I’ll kill you!” Balance cackled as Michael writhed in anger. “Oh, look at this, my little ponies,” she spoke the final three words in a cruel parody of Princess Celestia, “See the true nature of your friend! Look at how he so suddenly turns into a violent killer!” “Michael is a good human!” Fluttershy shouted, “I don’t blame him for wanting to hurt you! If someone took my friends from me, I don’t know what I would do!” “Enough!” Balance’s voice projected through the whole castle, “You will be silent!” As if forced down by magic, all three who were bound fell silent. “Much better,” Balance paced back and forth in front of her prisoners. “Now, to do what I thought would have to wait another two days. I should thank you, you three just made my plans much easier.” She saw the questioning looks on their faces. “I suppose you want to know what I am going to do.” Balance walked directly in front of Michael, and grabbed him by the throat. “Simple,” she said, lifting him into the air, his chain dissolving into mist, “I’m going to remove Michael here from the equation.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked on in fear and Balance held Michael aloft. Slowly, they watched his body seem to stretch. After a few seconds, they realized that he was falling from her grasp. But at the same time, he still appeared to be held up. Slowly, his feet came closer to the floor, but they could still see his head in Balance’s hold. However, it seemed to be almost translucent, as if it weren’t fully there. Eventually, his body seemed to have been severed from some sort of connection, as it fell to the floor in an ungraceful manner. Still in Balance’s hand, however, was Michael Greenfield. However, the one being held seemed to have a certain quality, as if he was there and wasn’t at the same time. Rainbow Dash’s muffled shouts drew Balance’s attention. “I suppose you want to know what I just did,” the Michael held in her hand started to disappear, slowly becoming less visible. “You see, I just removed your friend’s soul from his body. He is mine now, and there is nothing you can do about it!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked on in horror as Michael’s soul faded to the sound of Balance’s evil laughter. “Now,” Balance said, quelling her laughter, “I can’t leave you two alone. What should I do with you?” However, a factor that none of them knew of came into play just as Balance took a step towards the two ponies. Michael’s body suddenly leapt up, and dashed past Balance. Both pegasi couldn’t believe their eyes as the man they thought had died wrapped his arms around their necks. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” a voice that was not Michael’s came from the body. “M-Michael?” Fluttershy stuttered, looking up to her friend. He looked down, and rather than Michael’s friendly blue eyes, Fluttershy saw two yellow orbs with red irises. “Sorry, but Michael isn’t in right now. Can I take a message?” Discord said to her, grinning. “No!” Balance shouted rushing forward. “Woops, gotta go. Toodles!” Discord said, drawing both ponies close. He snapped his fingers on both hands, and suddenly they were gone. “No!” Balance raged, a golden aura enveloping the castle, destroying many things. Far away, in Canterlot, the three appeared in Princess Celestia’s throne room, just as her sun’s first rays shone. Celestia jumped back at their sudden arrival, which was accompanied by a large wind that spread throughout the throne room. “Michael?” she said, looking at the three, “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy? What is going on?” Discord stood, as did Rainbow and Fluttershy. “Sorry,” he said, enjoying the look of fright on Celestia’s face as she heard his voice come from Michael’s body, “Michael has taken an extended trip to the afterlife. This is Discord.” “What!” Celestia was appalled, “What do you mean?” It was Fluttershy who answered. She was crying harder than she could recall having ever done so. But still, she managed to speak on sentence. One line that she wished she did not have to say. It broke her heart to admit it, but she had no choice. Softly, and shakily, she said, “Michael is dead.”
