Swirling Gray

Part I

A MLP-FiM Fanfic

By Connor Leaderbrand (Debelie)

Part I

Descending down the beige carpet stairs, my appetite was growing far more than it did this late at night. Usually, a healthy dose of Pepsi and Nacho Cheese Doritos did me in for a swell night of playing miscellaneous RPGs, or watching re-runs of 'My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic'. The rough stringy shag carpet that ran between my toes with each step felt wonderful. It was likely cleaning eons of dirt and refuse from the mice I roomed with.

I'm Derek Raymond, a 17 year old hermit. Life for me went pretty downhill when dad left. He was a good man. Ran every day, supported his family with his job at the pharmaceutical company, attended church regularly, all this while staying sane, which was beyond me. Shit, we did everything together. Rode bikes, went fishing. I even interned at his work for a while, which was pretty fun, mostly because his secretary always flirted with me.

I think mom took it the worst. Dad always told me that women have soft hearts which break easy. If only mom's heart broke. Instead… I think she redefined the word, "batshit crazy". When dad got hit by the bus, I should have foreseen her death in the near future as well. I would listen late at night to her scream dad's name into her pillow. I found it extremely disturbing, but ignored it anyway. When it hit me that dad was truly gone, I was just numb. No emotion could compare or come close to what I felt.

Three months ago, a call came in early in the morning to our home saying that my mother had taken her own life in towns square, right next to the white cross that marked where my father died. They kept details minimal and only said that she did it with an old rifle. Ever since then I've moved into a desolate part of Wisconsin with my Uncle Trey. He's an alright guy. At least he set me up a place in the "upstairs", which was more or less an attic.

During the excruciating months of imprisonment in this place, there's only one thing that keeps me sane. 'My Little Pony'. When the only thing that can bring a smile to your face is talking girly horses, that's when a man questions his sexuality. I first discovered the show near the time my dad left. My only thoughts on it were clear and simple. "Gay". How could a male individual such as me, fall so madly in love with a show directed towards little girls?

Although for the most part I never let my parent's death get the best of me, there are the days when I feel like all the joy and love inside me was sucked dry. Many a times I have thought of committing suicide, it would be an easy alternative to the everyday hell I lived in. But then there is 'My Little Pony'. Seeing such peace, love, and harmony between these characters restores the joy and love I miss out on. It gives me the false sense that somewhere in this desolate universe, things aren't as fucked up as they are on planet earth.

"Damnit", I muttered softly as I reached for the Doritos. They quickly fell to the floor of the small musty cabinet. I sighed, and began picking up the aged crumbs off the ancient wood floor. My finger ran along a diminutive crevice in the planking. I began clearing out the old dirt and realized that this was not just a crack… it began to form a perfect square etched into the old flooring. As I dusted more and more off, I began making out hand carved letters. Right dab in the middle of the trapdoor, it spelled out "SB", and right under it, a small depression of hoof print.

This hoof rang a bell. Somewhere deep in my filing cabinet of dead memories I've seen this before… Ding. There it is. I remember clear as ever now. When I first saw Uncle Trey's home when I about 8 or 9, I recall myself holding a bag of gummy bears as I asked my Uncle, "Why is there a horse shoe above your door Trey?".

He responded smiling at my innocent question, "Well, der's a story of how an ol' saint was in his forge one night when the devil walked in dressed as a business man. He had his eyes set on tryin' to steal 'is soul. But de' saint saw through the devils disguise and chased 'im out with a hot poker. From then on, the devil was afraid of horse shoes made by tha' careful hands of a blacksmith. Dat's why horseshoes are so lucky".

Having sudden clarity on this event drove me to the front of Trey's home. Closing the door quietly to not wake the sleeping man, I glanced above the weatherworn doorway. There it was, shining dully under the clouded night sky. I reached up and knocked it down with my index finger. It fell, creating a loud metallic cling sound. I cringed and froze momentarily, as this had disturbed the peaceful night, then quickly settled and picked up the silver horseshoe.

I studied it, and made out the letters "SB" etched ornately on the top. I got goose bumps. It had been a while since I looked forward to anything, and I really wanted to discover what lay beneath that trapdoor. As I approached the cupboard, I noticed that the horse shoe that rested in my hand began getting warmer, which was very strange. I dismissed it as I had my eyes set on more important matters.

I had no doubt in my mind that the horse shoe would not fit, I was still astounded none the less. As the mysterious shoe rested in its cavity, it began making a light wrrrr sound that gradually became more and more discernible. I heard a few faint mechanized clicks and gears turning until one final click and then nothing…

Pure excitement was a feeling I longed for, and god was I excited. Should I tell Trey about this? "No", I answered myself while grinning. What lay below this door? I pulled at the aged wood. It was much heavier than previously thought. It began to rise as generations of dust that were caked in the sides broke off. The rusted hinges screamed at me as I pulled harder. Finally, at one last heave, the trapdoor opened, revealing nothing but a kind of darkness that could only be described by as an empty void of black.

I searched for the heavy metal flashlight that my uncle kept under the sink. I gripped it in my right hand and took a deep breath. My right hand patted my leg repeatedly out of pure excitement. I had been smiling for a good five minutes now, which was incredibly rare on my part. Flicking the light on, I aimed the beam down into the abyss, ever ready for what lay beneath.

The light danced to and fro, revealing a solid stone floor, with what looked to be remains of a ladder. The drop down was not too far, but the sharp landing sent pain through my heels. With my first breath, I took in a mouthful of stale air and the aroma of old textbooks. It reminded me so much of the old basement we had back at my parent's home. I got up and dusted myself off.

I was standing in a small, gray brick walled cellar. In front of me, lay a grand, red wooden dusty table, with countless tomes, scrolls, and miscellaneous loose papers adorning it. To my right was a very short, moth-eaten bed, with a cracked wooden chest under it. I then shined the beam towards my left. Before me stood a circular purple stone archway, in the middle, a swirling gray haze circumvolved like a drab, smoky, whirlpool.

I approached the archway, attentive to the whist hum it made. During this, I placed my fidgeting finger into the peculiar doorway. My arm jumped as a numbing shock shot up my arm. I was breathing hard now. Never in my life have my own eyes gazed on a sight such as this. The smooth archway gave off some kind of energy I could not describe in my own words. Perplexed by my new discovery, I sat there, in front of the archway and stared in bewilderment into the cloudy face of this anomaly. I needed to find out what this was.

I began sifting carefully through the old tomes on the wooden desk. Who or what was "SB"? This question boggled my mind. I glanced at some of the faded titles of some of these books, such as "Art of Horn-Craft", "Conjuration of Tangible objects", "Plane-Shifting", and other odd entries of the sort. Through my search, I found a more aged, cloth covered book. It had no title on it, but, it had a large pure white feather stuck about midway through.

The first yellowed page read "The Entries of Starswirl the Bearded". I chuckled a little then muttered, "Heh, that's ironic", though… could it be? "Impossible" I stated in a more serious tone of voice. I flipped the page carefully, trying not to damage such old fragile work, to the beginning Starswirl's entries to what looked to be old styled lettering done with a quill.

I began to read…"Ha-ha! I've done it! My kin are foolish to have misjudged my abilities. Even Celestia doubted my skill. Through decades of trial and error with this spell, the arc finally failed me not, although it seems to have arrived in some sort of cellar. I believe it's time for me to unpack and explore my new surroundings. I feel discovery in the air! I will need to get acquainted with the area, and hopefully, the locals".

"No… no, no, no, thi…this just can't be true" I stated aloud. I knew it was true. My head hurt. I lay down on the cold stone floor and stared at the journal which lay in my sweating palms. Does this mean that ponies exist? Some things an individual himself cannot fathom. This is a great example. I took a long deep breath of the dry cold air. I had to continue reading this. Maybe then, something would make sense.

Opening up the page where I left off, I began skimming through the ancient text careful not to damage anything. I skipped many notes he made about this new environment. A select few were about how very similar the flora and fauna were to his world or how lucky he was to have arrived in a vacant home. I myself on the page marked with the large white feather.

It began, "I finally finished the chore of setting up my equipment. This cellar shall be perfect for my studies on this strange world. I am grateful that the arc allowed me to show up in one piece, my other attempts proved… less remarkable" The entry stops for three or four lines, then resumes, "Gah! My hat was left in the palace library. Woe is me, too wrapped up in that time travel spell to give much thought of it… Luckily, the arc shall continue working for another four trips to and from Equestria. Now where did I put that vial of tears at?"

This portal leads to Equestria…? The Equestria? There must be some kind of catch. Some form of gimmick has to exist. No questions will be answered sitting here pondering to myself. I grasped the book in two hands, and flipped to the third page in the journal, "The job of collecting the tears for my return home was exhausting. It would have been much simpler if one could use a normal tear. But no, no, no, not any simple tear. In this manuscript, it says quote 'A tear of pure emotion from heart', I swear, unicorn magic is odd". I lay the book down softly atop the rest of the volumes. I thought long on it, and I've finally decided, this is what I must do. I remember my father telling me like it was just a few days ago.

"Son, there're people in this world who are true monsters".

I recall my horrified face as I learned the terrible news.

He chuckled as he saw straight through my misconception, he then clarified, "Well, not true monsters. Not like Dracula or Wolfman, but there are people who are truly evil. Men who create war for money, politicians, drug cartels, gangs, murderers. Someday it will make more sense to you, but heed my words. These men are what make this world imperfect. Greed, Derek. Men want money. Men will do mean things to get their hands on money. But then, there are the kinds of people who fight greed. These people are the ones who wish for a better world. They give and give and give, rarely taking time to fill in on their own pleasures. These are the good guys, are you going to be a good guy Derek?"

"Yeah, Yeah!" I said in my days of youth as I punched the air, thinking myself some sort of superhero. Dad was a good guy… Mom… Dad…

The warm tear rolled down my cheek and grazed my lip. I let the tear roll onto my finger. I approached the arc. "I wish for a perfect world." With that said, I flicked the tear into the gray shifting cloud. I'm leaving this planet. I have nothing to live for here. In this new world, I can finally live for a purpose. The haze shifted from dark grey, to a bright magenta. With a deep breath of air, I stepped into the arc. Warm tingling energy enveloped me…

The energy coursing through my veins invigorated me so. The arc made a high pitched whining sound that seemed to pierce my eardrums. I was nervous, yet ready for whatever fate that lay beyond. Should I die in this gateway to Equestria, I would have no regrets. For whichever way destiny played its cards, I would never see this place again, hopefully. Suddenly, the whining stopped for what seemed like a millisecond, and then a great flash and a thunderous roar took place. My body shook relentlessly as the small room soon vanished into nothingness.

I witnessed many different colors flashing before me that were constantly changing form and making patterns. My heart was in my throat, and I was certain I would be sick, but closed my eyes and tried to fight off the ill feeling.

With my eyes still shut, I could feel myself being shoved out of the arc with tremendous force. The momentum of me whirling out of the warp caused me to trip on some unknown thing as I stepped through. I went tumbling down what felt like uneven stone steps. On my way down, one of the steps collided with the back of my skull. Everything went black…

Cold sweat stung my eyes as they cracked open slowly, only to reveal a vision of blurred grey. I attempted to wipe my eyes, hopefully to reveal my location. I was stopped short in my action. The stinging in my eyes allowed for moisture to congregate on them. The field of view slowly cleared as the stinging went away.

My head tilted back as I looked up at the stalagmites which hung crookedly downward. Something was off about them… Not the fact that I hadn't expected to arrive in a cave, but… it was the color. It seemed… simpler. A manic grin crossed my face.

Turning my gaze towards the ground, another discovery confirmed that I just might be in Equestria. I wiggled my animated fingers around in the coarse, thick rope that held my wrists. The color of… well… me, was very odd. It would be another thing to get used to. I had made it. Either I was dead, or I've made it. Oddly enough, I would be okay with either.

A stern feminine voice verified my belief. "Welcome to Equestria plane shifter".

I quickly turned my head to the right. Sitting on its haunches, head cocked sideways, was a pony. Its coat was a brilliant azure, which shone in the dim light. Its mane was white rush, highlighted with just a hint of blue. Her eyes scanned my body. They had a confused, curious look to them.

"You took a little bump to the head, but there's nothing Trixie can't mend." She stated with a smug look to her. "I have to admit creature, you are a complete puzzle to me. Do you speak?"

I glared in astonishment and said slowly, "Umm… ye...yeah". My mind was racing.

"Good, then you can tell Trixie how you manipulated it to spit you into Equestria". She spoke, while sitting in her cocky pose.

Still in disbelief I said, "Err… what?" Looking at her with a puzzled look on my face, I finally computed what she had said to me. "Oh, it's a rather complicated, err… story." I took a deep breath, and relaxed a little. I was speaking with a character from a girl's cartoon. So? What's the big deal? My self-made sarcasm did not amuse, nor calm me down. "Why do you wish to know...?" I shot back shakily.

Trixie looked away quickly. I had hit something sensitive with her. "That's not…important, I just need to know which spell to use to activate it." Looking back at me she said "Well creature? What say you?"

The simple thought of me speaking to Trixie made me ponder. There was the slight doubt I had that the portal would not work. Even if it did, I surely did not expect her to be the first pony I came in contact with. "Relax Derek", I told myself. "You're sort of in a pickle. Think clearly now, stare in disbelief later". I cleared my throat, "Unbind me, and we can speak like two normal individuals." I stated haughtily. "The spell is very easy, someone as talented as you could surely master it, I can demonstrate it to you, if you'd be so kind as to remove the bonds that hold me".

She questioned "Why should I trust that you won't try something sneaky?"

I smiled, "Nothing sneaky, I promise you".

With a reluctant look on her face, her horn began to glow. The ropes that held my wrists to the chair began to unwind. Before long they fell to the floor in an uneven heap. She then stepped back and gave me a look as if saying "Try something, I dare you".

Placing my hands on the sides of the chair, I forcefully thrust myself upward. A sharp pain on the back of my head caused me to fall backwards. The shock of it sent my hand flying upward to the source. I began comforting the injury, only to feel warm, thick liquid wipe onto my hand. I had always hated blood. It was one of those things that made me cringe with just the thought of it. It coated my hand in a thick, maroon, sheen. My eyes widened.

I heard a faint flicker of energy as Trixie let out a quiet grunt. I looked up, and saw her horn glowing. It brightened the dim cavern with soft blue light. The back of my head began tingling as her horn glistened. I didn't have to feel the abrasion to know it had been healed. I looked up at her in slight confusion. Her eyes met mine as if they were waiting for me to look upon them. I could have sworn I saw her smile a little, but I was too focused on her deep violet eyes which seemed to twinkle in the light of her horn. The way she looked upon me made me relax my tensed muscles. "Thank you, it feels much better now" I said shyly as I turned my gaze away from her.

"You're welcome creature." She said with a more fluid, soft tone.

"It's Derek." I stated while getting up. My knees popped from the prolonged sitting session.

"Sorry, err…Derek. I think we got off on the wrong hoof. You must excuse my barbaric behavior. It hasn't exactly been the easiest of times for me recently". Trixie sighed, and placed herself atop a patched up, thick cover. "Where are you from Derek?" she asked with a curious look.

"Ehh, an unimportant place really", I looked away as I spoke. Looking around the cavern, I began taking in the details. Behind me, a winding stone staircase, carved into the very cave itself. At the top, the purple stone archway stood empty. No gray haze stood within its confines.

As if reading my mind Trixie broke the silence, "When you shot through, you nearly scared Trixie to death. You spiraled down the steps, and the gate simply stopped working. Then Trixie had to deal with your head injury, for I could not let you lay there unconscious" She paused for a moment, I sensed a bombardment of questions coming. "What are you exactly?"

Likely, the only thing closely resembling me in this world was a monkey, so I could understand her confusion with seeing a hairless, bipedial, mammal. "Well, on my plane of existence, we are called 'humans'." I turned back towards the sitting pony, "I would prefer if we would not talk about that place."

Trixie nodded, and then questioned, "Why come here, and how? Much magic must have been harvested to send one to our world."

"All I'm going to say to that question is that its better I'm here now. Things seemed like they would be far more suitable in Equestria. You know, except for getting knocked out and tied up, very welcoming". I chuckled softly. She responded to me with a quiet giggle. She's completely contradicting how I thought her behavior to be. Although I first perceived her to be much more up tight, Trixie's attitude towards me showed a taste of friendliness and compassion.

Trixie arose from the old blanket, and trotted slowly towards a small wooden cart which I hadn't noticed. In it was an assortment of trinkets and odds and ends. A star studded cloak hung of one end of it, and a hat to match it was balanced neatly on top. She began sorting through the objects and protruded a cracked clay jug. Turning around, jug in hoof, she lay it in my lap. Its liquid contents swished inside it. I had forgotten how parched I was.

"You had better savor it, my supplies are dwindling." She spoke as I took a swig of the fresh water. "The recent snow storms and biting cold weather have completely sealed the entrance with ice". I glanced over to where she nodded to. A clouded glasslike wall stood protruding towards us. Through it, I could make out rays of soft moonlight.

Sitting the earthenware jug to the floor, I asked Trixie, "Where are we exactly?"

"You are stuck with Trixie in a long forgotten cave in the mountains near Whitetail Wood" she responded.

"How did you end up in here to begin with? Seems like an odd place to take refuge from the cold." I questioned.

Trixie sighed. "We'll, we both ought to get to know one another better. So I'll tell you what Derek. I'll explain to you why I'm here, if you vow to tell me how and why you're here".

I nodded, and put my hand to my heart. "I promise, but… you should go first". I smirked at her. She yet again sighed.

"Well, my story begins with me as a small filly in great Manehattan. Being a street urchin was truly a difficult feat for a youngling like I was. Bits came in short supply in that city, which made being able to feed myself difficult. I never knew my father, but memories of mother are very vivid and surreal. She was an extremely talented magician, one of the best in Equestria. Celestia herself taught my mother what she knew then. On an urgent errand, she had to travel through the Everfree Forest to send word of an impendent danger that resided there. She never came out. I had no other family in the city, so I was forced to live on the streets. With my mother's magical drive, I began teaching myself the wonders of this mystic skill. Though I was very novice, I also had talent for my young age. To make little extra bits, I performed street magic along the crowded streets. It caught on quickly. Some days, I would find myself with 5 whole bits! This was around the time I got my cutie mark. Wait… you probably don't know what a cutie mark is do yo..."

I nodded that I understood before she could finish her sentence.

Trixie cleared her throat, "As I was saying, this was when I got my cutie mark. I knew that entertaining others was what I was meant to do. I conjured up enough money to pay my way to different towns to put on shows for the townsponies. I had always been kind to everypony, as my mother had told me years past. But with all of my newfound wealth, its splendor corrupted my heart. I often lied to get my way, and boasted my deeds to everypony. Fame was something I desired, even as a small filly I wished to be known throughout Equestria. I thrived in it, until I came upon Ponyville…"

She paused, and stared in deep thought. "I felt very good about the show, the crowd was at large, anticipating what their eyes were about to witness. My boasting began, as I told the crowd the tale of me 'defeating the Ursa Major'. As was common in every town, ponies did not take my word for granted. So as a demonstration of my talent, I showed up a handful of townsponies with little magic at all. The crowd cheered as I accomplished all of the meager tasks with graceful ease. When the show ended, it was far too late to begin traveling again, so I took refuge from the night in my travelling cart. I was dreaming of bits and glory when I heard frantic rapping on my door". Trixie shuddered. "Those two fools travelled to the Everfree forest, just to get an Ursa Major for me to vanquish. Standing face to face with the behemoth is when I finally saw the error to my ways. I suppose the saying 'What goes around comes around' was very valid at that point. I did what any sensible pony would do then, I ran. I hid in fear. Not that I was scared of the monster, but of myself. What kind of image had I made myself out to be? I had never in my life seen an Ursa, let alone defeat one. I was no great magician. I was a greed filled abomination".

"I heard great commotion, and the earthshaking roar of hooves stomping in delight. Coming out of my hiding place, I saw a purple hued mare surrounded by ponies in towns square. The Ursa was nowhere in sight, so I assumed that Ponyville had been saved by her tedious deed. I was not needed there. I ran from Ponyville, completely shameful of what I had become. That was a year ago. Since then, I've wandered Equestria. No pony wanted anything to do with me. I isolated myself from the world, only visiting others when supplies ran short". Trixie halted for a second to take a swig of water.

She sat the jug to the ground, and commenced her story, "One day, I was travelling to town to buy supplies during a biting cold month, when an unscheduled blizzard sent me scrambling for shelter. I could not see a thing, and wandered far off the road. Through the snow, I could see a dim light break through the white. Trudging through thick snow drifts, I finally made it to where the light was imitating from. Inside this cave, the arc shined brightly. From the moment I had seen it, I knew what this was. Old mare's tales often mentioned of a mysterious portal created by Starswirl the Bearded himself, which could send a pony out of Equestria to a completely different world. I knew fate's hoof guided me here. Long days I've spent, learning how to activate the portal to leave this place. I was not needed to burden Equestria any longer. Through the arc, I could find a place to start over. A place where the bonds of people I held dear could be forgotten. I was close to breaking the code to the spell, when you showed up… Now, you and me are here, stuck in a hole in a mountain". The room fell dead silent.

My gaze never once lifted from the ground. What did I have to say? What could I say? Maybe the silence said it all.

The pitter-patter of drops hitting the floor of the cave produced the only sound. Minutes passed, not a word, or look, were exchanged between us.

"It's rather late, and you've understandably had a long day. You need to rest" she chimed.

Trixie was right, but her story had kept me attentive enough not to fall asleep. Only when she finished speaking did I realize how worn out I was. Recollecting on today's events, it really has been the longest night of my life. I discovered a cellar under my uncle's home that housed an ancient unicorn sorcerer, entered a portal that shot me through time and space to Equestria, and now I've found myself stuck in a cold, damp, cave, with a pony that also had her eyes set on leaving her planet.

Trixie's horn came to life, and in a few short seconds, an old felt blanket arose from her cart and landed neatly on the floor. "You'll have to excuse the sleeping arrangements, as one can tell I wasn't expecting guests." Trixie trotted over to a hooded kerosene lamp and turned it down. The homely yellow light made the cave much more comfortable. Without a word uttered, she laid herself on the old mat she had arranged. I watched as her chest rose and fell rhythmically. I too took position on the felt blanket she had provided. The uneven stone surface ached my back, but I was too sleep deprived to mind it so. With Trixie's story in thought, I fell into deep, much needed slumber.

Drip. My eyes slowly opened as I wiped the cave water off my forehead. The lamp was flickering, barely staying alive in the cold damp air. My ears picked up something. Not the drips of cave water that had awoken me, but something quite different. It came from where Trixie was sleeping. I looked over my shoulder to barely make out her form in the darkness. The sound I was hearing were quiet sniffles. Trixie was crying.

I could not imagine what it must be like for her. Most of her life, she had no family, no one to teach her right from wrong, no one there to comfort her when she was down. Her reason for wanting to leave Equestria was completely understandable. She was not loved anywhere. The amount of loneliness Trixie experienced must be horrid. Perhaps we shared something in common.

I quietly arose, and stepped carefully towards the back of her body, which was difficult to make out in the darkness. I knelt down near her as her barely audible sniffles continued. I extended my arm to her mane, and let it run through my fingers with each gentle stroke. The faint blue strands reminded me of the clouds of an early spring morning. I had never felt a thing as soft as it. Her sharp breaths of air slowed calm, and her crying had ceased. I stopped, and sat there next to her with my arm at her side. She had not moved since I had sat down, but her steady breathing continued on.

"You're the first pony that ever heard my story. No one took out the time to listen to what I had to say, but you… now you seemed to care considerably for the words I spoke" Trixie stated quietly, not moving a muscle to her. "So many ponies despise what I am… I despise what I am. The past is too riddled with my mistakes to ever hope to patch up broken trusts I had destroyed…"

"We all have pasts. Some are more regrettable than others. I guarantee that what happened back then is etched in stone, but now for the future? The slate is clean, and you have the chisel. You mustn't let it get to you." I said in the same soft tone. I got up from the side of her mat, and began my slow trek back to my own blanket.

"I'd much like it if you'd stay…" Trixie said as I walked.

I stopped for a quick second, and then continued on to the felt cover. I reached down and lifted it by its corner. Turning around, I dragged it along the floor. It trailed my footsteps closely. I flung the thick cover into the air, and let it rest over Trixie. I could feel her luminous eyes staring up at me. Her horn flashed, and the cover lifted so I could slide in. I kneeled down, and rested my body a generous distance between each other. The cover fell over us both. "Trixie?" I asked, while looking towards the stalagmites that hung down like jagged teeth.

"Hmm?" She responded.

"I keep my vows. Do you wish to hear my story?" I questioned. My peripheral vision caught her flash her stunning white teeth. I took that as a yes.

I began, "Life before the arc was rather… how should I put it… Terrible? There was however, a point in which I was completely contempt with myself. At a young age, my parents nourished my curiosity. I had always questioned the wonders which surrounded me in our world. As years went on, my curiosity flowered into a love for the arts. At age six I began practicing the piano, and by age eight I had surpassed my music instructor. They said I was a prodigy. I could hear a song, and repeat it back, one time through with little mistake. Many said I was destined for fame, and I believed them. My mother and father could not have been more proud of my skill". I gleamed at the thought of my old keyboard. It broke years ago.

"Yet again, years went on, and my creativity held strong. I could not have been happier. But… grim news awaited me one evening. My father had developed a tumor in his brain. It was terminal. I took it rather well, as my father told me to stay strong. We constantly attended athletic events to support cancer victims, to hopefully give a chance to others who proved to be less fortunate. In the end though, the cancer did not take my father's life".

"My world halted. I was ready for his death, but not so soon. The doctors said he had three months. His visit with them was only a week prior. I became a shut in. I completely gave up on my musical abilities. You would never find me outside the vicinity of my room. My mother took no interest in me as she began going insane, so I kept my distance at all times. A month after my father's death she took her own…"

With a scratchy voice I continued, "My uncle was the only immediate family I had, outside of my brother who was in Afghanistan. Oh… I mean, he was forced to fight in a pointless war in a very distant land. Both of my grandparents were gone, so sensibly, I moved in with him. Life unsurprisingly didn't change much. I kept to my room, only leaving to attend school, which might I add was torture. There, people could not leave me alone. I was sought after, and often ridiculed for being a 'City Boy'. I cherished the time away from society. Until, earlier today, I discovered the strange cellar beneath my uncle's home. Upon further investigation, I found it had it housed Starswirl the Bearded, the fabled unicorn, as well as his magical arc. Through it, I knew I could escape the struggle I lived in daily. Arriving here, I thought things would be different. I guess even in Equestria, life is not much easier…"

With that said, my fray tale ended. I hadn't noticed the tears flowing freely from my irritated eyes. I forgot what it was like to be lonely again. Even though I now resided here in the only place that could bring joy into my world, it still didn't make up for the lack of people I held close. I closed my eyes, and lay there. Nothing can change the past...

Repositioning myself on the mat, I felt slight pressure on my chest. Unveiling the whites of my eyes, I looked down upon Trixie's head, which rested snuggly above my heart. She looked up at me and smiled, "We all have pasts. Some are more regrettable than others. I guarantee that what happened back then is etched in stone, but now for the future? The slate is clean, and you have the chisel"

My arm wrapped around her, and pulled her in close to me. I had nearly forgotten the feeling of holding something that actually held back. Having my mind set on the present and not dwelling on the past made me think for just a second, that maybe it was great to be here in Equestria. Trixie got comfortable and settled down into a cozy position at my side. Even through my rest, I don't believe my smile faded one bit.

End of Part I