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Equestria's First Human

by Ceehoff

Chapter 14: Chapter XIV - Departure

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Equestria’s First Human - Chapter XIV

Written and Drawn by Ceehoff

Connor had never felt happier in his life. Ponies did not run away from him. Instead, they remained where they were and acknowledged him with ‘hello!’s and other friendly gestures. This was the very first time since a long time that he had made more than one friend. It was all he could ever ask for. He wished it were more possible to be friends with everyone back at home, but who gives a damn? Ponyville was more of a home to Connor than back on his world. He certainly did not feel like being the scapegoat again. He would much rather be respected. Screw his world! He was in a much better place now. He did not even miss anyone.

Then, the image of his family and Joshua seeped into his mind. Did he just say that he was not going to miss anyone back on Earth?

A little too brash, wasn't it? His family always was on his side since birth. They fed him, clothed him, taught him…

And Joshua… He was Connor’s best friend, let alone his only friend. He had always at his side. He defended him. He was there to cheer him up.

Geezus, Connor had to say something so brash like that? It was like he was expressing ingratitude towards everything they had done for him.

Okay, so he would miss some people, but that did not change the fact that he was not going to go back. He had had enough of being the scratch pole for others. Ponyville was his huge break. He needed it badly.

He looked up into the sky. It felt like days had passed. Maybe months… Years.

Okay, not years. He was only exaggerating. But, still, he had no recollection of how long he was staying in Ponyville.

A mint-green blob appeared in the side of his eye. Looking to his side, he saw the harp-playing unicorn directly next to him. How long did he not notice her sitting there?

“Oh! Sorry... Were you saving this spot for somebo…” Dammit… “Somepony?”

It was supposed to be for her friend with the tan coat and navy and pink mane, but she was too focused on him to consider it.

“No, you’re okay,” she blankly responded, not even blinking.

"Oh, okay."

He shifted his rear over his seat, finding a more comfortable position to sit in.

However, how could he feel comfortable when a unicorn was still staring intently at him?

Connor was about to speak, but stopped short by her sudden movement. She awkwardly shifted around, left, up, down, and right on top of the bench. After a few uneasy tries, she pushed her hips forward underneath her. Her round, little belly poked out toward the sky, and she spread her legs out in front of her, reclining her back on the back of the bench.

An eyebrow rose up onto the human's forehead. That pony was trying to sit like him.

The unicorn shifted her back and rear by a few inches, and sat still. She did not say or express anything, until a relaxing smile cracked across her face.

“Ooh! Now, this is comfortable! At first I thought it would be uncomfortable, but wow! I really like this!” she nodded enthusiastically. “I could feel my spine, too! Maybe I should go to a spa, because it feels kind of tense.”

She bounced happily in her seat until she slid off, landing firmly on her haunches. She climbed back up, smiling sheepishly. In the distance, Connor and the unicorn could see a cream colored pony with a bobbing pink and navy-blue mane in the distance.

“Lyra! Where are you?” she called.

“Over here, Bon-Bon!” the mint unicorn called in reply.

“Oh, there you are!” She saw the person sitting next to her mint-colored friend. “Omigawsh! Connor! Hi!”

“Oh, hey, uhhhhhh…” the human trailed off, twirling a finger in the air.

“Oh, I’m Bon-Bon! Sorry, we haven’t met before.”

“Bon-Bon! Okay, I got it now. And no we haven't,” the human smiled.

“I just want to say that I absolutely loved that concert you had set up for us. That was such a beautiful song! You—." She cut herself short after noticing the strange position her friend was in.

“Lyra, what are you doing?” she asked with a tone that subtly stated that she dealt with the unicorn’s shenanigans for a long time.

“Experimenting,” the unicorn replied innocently. “You should really try this! It’s very comfortable. Hay, you could even feel things in your back that you have never even felt before.”

“You know it’s rude to mimic others.” The earth pony rubbed her forehead.

“It’s not rude! He doesn’t think it’s rude! See?” she gestured to Connor.

The tan pony shook her head in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry about this," she apologized to him. "Lyra tends to get a little carried away.”

“Hey!” whined the unicorn in hurt.

“No, it's fine,” Connor responded. “There’s nothing wrong with a little experimenting. Besides, it’s not everyday that you get an admirer.”

“Yeah, Bon-Bon!” Lyra brown-nosedly concurred, crossing her forelegs.

“Hoo boy…” the cream colored pony sighed. The human had no idea what he had gotten himself into. “Well, if it’s okay with you, Connor, then I will be, too.”

“Cool,” smiled the human. “Anyhoo, I’d best leave you alone with her. You two seem to have plans, so I won’t stall you any further.”

“Stall? No, no, no! It’s a real treat to meet you! Feel free to say 'hello' to us anytime,” Bon-Bon smiled.

"Okay, then. I'll see you later."

“Bye!” She leapt up onto the bench and sat on her belly, tucking all of her legs underneath herself. Lrya still sat like she did.

“Lyra, you can stop—.”

“SHHH!!" she hissed. "Quiet, Bon-Bon… I’m experimenting…”

"Oh, jeez..."

----------

It had been two months since Connor arrived in Ponyville. He continued to play guitar for everypony and was getting progressively better at it. He was able to strum crisp chords, and was slowly learning how to shred. He even played one death metal song. To his surprise, everypony enjoyed it, despite it sounding so brutal and rough. They took a quick liking to it. After all, it was death metal that helped save them from a rather horrible and anarchy-ridden future. Best of all, he felt that he accomplished his goal in enlightening people (or ponies) with metal. It could not get any better than that.

Ever since she met Connor, Lyra grew a fatal obsession with humans. They were just so magnificent to the mint-colored unicorn. She tried to walk on two legs, tried to make some "robotic" hoof caps that resemble hands, and even wore a shirt with a simple, cutely drawn image of a human on it. Little by little, it had gotten crazier. She even stood out in the middle of a lightning storm just to wait for the arrival of another human. (She heard how Connor arrived, but was clueless that it was magical lightning that brought him there.)

Above all else, she still sat like he did. Bon-Bon could have sworn she spotted some new gray hairs ever since the birth of Lyra’s obsession.

Connor was also asked to speak in front of Miss Cheerilee’s class and tell them some things about life back on his own Earth. He was able to sneak in some United States history. (He joked that they were going to be quizzed on it.) If he was not speaking in front of Miss Cheerilee's class, he was speaking to Twilight. Apparently, his first talk with her was not enough. She wanted to suck him dry of details. What did she think he was? The internet? Although, she showed a lot more interest in his stories than the little schoolfoals did. Actually, they were fine, except for the pink earth filly, Diamond Tiara. She never showed any interest. The snobby filly only showed interest in her mane. She had been tossing it and tampering with it throughout his whole speech. Maybe he should have set up a quiz. However, to his surprise, Silver Spoon had a lot more manners than Diamond Tiara did. She actually sat and listened. Of course, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were angels. They soaked in his stories and historical information like sponges. (Well, Scootaloo, being the fussy, active, filly she was, was the first to give in to boredom.)

All of that time had passed, and Connor still did not kiss Fluttershy. Not even once.

No, not on the lips. As adorable and humanesque the yellow pegasus was, he was not the kind of person to do anything bestial. However, she was just so damn cute that he was nearly tempted to kiss her on the lips. Just to get that temptation out, he tried to kiss her cheek or forehead. Yet, Connor could still not even pull it off after those two months. He kept getting interrupted by something whenever he thought the perfect time had come.

Damn it.

----------

Rarity placed a spotless china plate onto the table. On it was the best damn eggs one ever laid eyes on. The surface of whites were smooth as a gentle pond, and the yolks were golden-yellow. A small basil leaf was perched onto the very top of the yolk. The edges of the whites were a faint yellow with butteriness and crispiness. Two, brown, crispy pieces of angularly-cut toast were laid beside the two circular suns of perfection. Boy, did she have an eye for detail and perfection.

“Connor! Breakfast is readyyyyy!” Rarity called, nearly singing at the end. “It’s eggs! Your favorite!”

In her mind, she counted down from three, expecting Connor to rush down the stairs, like he always did.

Nothing...

She counted down from three again.

Still, nothing.

“Come on, Connor! They’re going to get cold! You do know how dastardly and horrid it is to eat cold eggs!”

No answer.

It was so strange. Something was not right…

She exited the kitchen and trotted up to Connor’s bed.

A sound of a sniff came from behind Connor’s curtains. Rarity flinched back. Did he catch a cold? He better not have. The white unicorn never liked being around somepony who had a cold. The thought of all of the germs staining themselves onto a pony’s coat and wriggle into his or her pores made her shudder in disgust. Not to mention how icky and messy it gets when somepony had a cold. She hated seeing used tissues lie all over the floor or bed.

“Connor, are you all right in there? Your breakfast is going to get ice-cold!” she said, trying not to breath in any germs. “It’s a pity that you have gotten a cold, believe me, but please… PLEASE don’t give it to me.”

“It’s not a cold…” he responded shakily.

“Then, what’s wrong?” she asked, showing sympathy. “You never hesitate to answer a call for breakfast, especially when it’s eggs.”

She opened the curtain to find a curled ball of flesh and pajamas reside in the exact middle of the mattress. Rarity inched forward slowly, trying not to disturb him any further. As she was trotting up to him, she noticed a few darkened and moist spots on the sheets. She noticed small sheets of paper containing doodles of bipedal creatures like him, smiling, happy, carefree...

“I miss them…” Connor croaked through his clenched throat.

Rarity looked at the pictures closely.

“Your family?” she guessed.

The human curled up tighter. His breaths started to shudder tearfully.

The purple-maned unicorn cupped her heart with her white hoof. The poor thing… He looked so strong on the outside, yet he was like a small, young colt on the inside, scared, dependent, and still a youngling. She slowly sat herself down directly next to him and placed a comforting hoof over him.

“Oh, darling…” she said, patting his shoulder. “It’s okay. At least they are still alive and well, yes?”

“But not happy…” he responded behind his forearms.

“Whatever do you mean, dear?”

“How long has it been since I got here?”

Rarity twirled her hoof in the air, thinking of a number.

“Twooooo months?" Then, she gasped in surprise. "Oh, my stars, darling! That’s a pretty long time! They must miss you so.”

“They think I’m dead…” he sniffed in response. “I was struck by lightning. Everypo…I mean, everybody back on Earth believes that I’m dead now.”

“That’s nonsense, dear!” she smiled. “You seem alive to me.”

“I can’t let them keep thinking that I’m dead. They have to know that I’m alive,” the human rose his voice slightly, but not by means of anger. “Which reminds me…”

Rarity patted his shoulder, signaling him that she was listening. Connor uncurled himself from his ball of grief and sat up to face her.

“I think it's time that I have to go home…”

Rarity was taken back by his words. Why would he want to leave Ponyville and return to his own world? He seemed so happy staying in Ponyville. She, including the rest of the gang, really wanted him to stay. Then, Twilight’s voice had rung in her head.

“The time will come when he has to return to his own world. He can’t stay here forever. He needs to be with his own kind and resume his life…the life I had interrupted.”

She sighed in sad acceptance. She knew that it was true. Plus, she had been warned that this moment would come. Besides him being friends with Ponyville, he was still alone. There were no other humans in Equestria. Hell, there were no humans in the entire world. How was he supposed to live without another of his own kind?

“Don't take it that I don’t appreciate anything you and the others had done for me,” the human spoke. “It’s just… You guys made me realize something. You all have made me realize how well worth it is to fight for friendship and not cower in the shadows anymore. It was hard, but it was worth it. I figured if I could relive that moment of confidence and bravery that I showed here, then I'm sure I will make friends back on Earth.”

He wiped the remaining streams of tears off of his face with his damp forearm. “You guys changed me. I won’t be that pathetic, whining, lazy, unconfident wimp anymore. It’s time for me to be a man… or 'stallion' as you would call it,” he chuckled lightly. “But don’t worry, Rarity, I'll never forget you guys. It's impossible to forget such an event as this. This will be my way of saying ‘thanks you' to you.”

Rarity smiled. He, indeed, had grown up. She was so proud of him. The others would be, too. She wrapped her forelegs around his torso, around his shoulders. He hugged back, pressing his face into her coat.

“If that is what you believe,” she spoke softly. “Then, I'm with you."

"Thanks," he smiled.

All of a sudden, he heard the front door creak open. There was no click of the doorknob, so it must have been already open. A sound of small hooves pattered in its wake. He looked up from the white mare's coat to a small silhouette with the yellow morning sun shining at a distance behind her.

Then, he heard sniffles.

He squinted from the brightness to see Sweetie Belle standing in the doorway. Tears streamed down her small, baby cheeks.

"Hey," the human said blankly. "You, uhhh, heard everything?"

A tearful whimper escaped her trembling lips as she galloped up to him, and she leapt up, hugging around his abdomen. Connor could feel his shirt dampen from her salty tears as she smothered her trembling face onto him. Smiling sympathetically, he released one arm from Rarity and wrapped it around the crying little filly. He pulled her in, having her cry into his chest.

“I going to miss you, Connor…” the little unicorn’s voice croaked in tears.

“Same here, Sweetie Belle,” he said, feeling his eyes moisten as well.

"Same here..."

The three tightened their hug...

----------

The next day, Connor, the six ponies, Spike, and Princess Celestia gathered at the spot where he had first arrived, further out on the dirt road that lead to Ponyville. Birds' song floated along the gentle, cool wind emitting from the aquamarine sky above them. The human deeply inhaled the clean, untampered wind, and savored it every tongue of it. This would be the very last time that he would ever enjoy pure, clean breezes like this.

“Is this the spot?” Celestia asked, stopping in her tracks.

“I think so," he replied. "From how long it took to walk from that apple tree when I met Spike, I’m pretty sure this is the spot."

“Now, Connor…” the princess spoke sternly. “I just want to let you know that it takes a lot of magic just to create this portal, even for me. So once it has been cast, it will take a long time for me to recharge. So enter quickly.”

“I understand, Princess,” the human nodded.

The royal alicorn responded with a warm smile, appreciative for his understanding. The human turned around to face the six ponies and dragon behind him. All of their eyes were shouting sadness as they gazed upon him.

“I guess this means goodbye," he spoke, feeling a wave of emotion sift through his veins.

Celestia walked directly up next to him and lowered her head beside his. “If you have anything to say to them before you go, you can do so now...”

“Ooh! Ooh! Waitwaitwaitwait!" Pinkie Pie squeaked as she waved a hoof in the air. "We can't do that yet! Let’s wait for everypony else first. We don’t wanna start without them!”

“But everypony's already here,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh, silly willy Dashie! I didn’t mean us. I meant them!” She pointed to the distance, toward the village.

What came over the hill made the human and the rest gawk in surprise. A huge throng of ponies were walking toward them, silently chatting amongst themselves.

“I thought I’d invite everypony! You wanna know why? ‘Cuz everypony is your friend, and you should always invite your friends, party or no party. Y'know, come to think of it, we should have a party! Right now! WHOOoo!"

“Hold on there, sugarcube,” Applejack pinned her down with a single hoof. “Ah don’t think this is a perfect time fer a party. This ain't even a happy occasion, if ya ask me.”

“Of course it’s a happy occasion!" the pink pony simply smiled. "We’re celebrating Connor’s two-month-long visit here! He is our bestest of best friends and we're really happy that he came here! The least we can do is not cry and be happy, because if you're crying, that means that you are sad, and if you are sad, then you are not having fun, and if your are not having fun, then—.” Her mouth was instantly plugged with Rainbow Dash's hoof.

"Okay, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I think we get it."

The human chuckled lightly at the small display of bubbly personality.

After removing the cyan pegasus' hoof from her mouth, the pink party pony smiled brightly. “Well! Everypony is here now! Now, you can start.”

“Of course,” the human chuckled. “I think I will start with you first.”

He knelt in front of her.

"Pinkie Pie," he began. "You're the best partier I've ever met. When it came to parties, I was pessimistic to participate at first, but you singledhoofedly managed to turn that upside down in a snap."

"That's what I do! Turning sad frowns upside down like there's no tomorrow! I can never stand seeing another pony looking so sad. Ever! Everypony should be happy!"

"You've got a gift, and you certainly used it well. I admire you," he smiled. "Your bubbly attitude sure got me out of the crapper."

He glanced at the ground before he looked back at the pink pony again.

"I'm going to miss your parties, Pinkie. Your sense of humor, your laughter, your pranks, your cupcakes... Oh, GOD, the cupcakes! And that's another thing! You're a kick-ass baker! For once in my life, I've never enjoyed a good cupcake until now."

"Hee, hee! Oh! That reminds me..." she said before pulling out a small box from her curly, bouncy tail. (Seriously, how did she--? Oh, screw it... He knew that physics were nothing to her. He stayed long enough to realize that.)

She placed it in his open hands for him to open it. After he removed the string and lifted the flap, he saw a chocolate cupcake with white, whipped icing on the top. He began to drool instantly as he eyed the moist surface of the pastry and the fluffiness of the icing.

“I made this for you!" she chirped in pride. "Special, special,special recipe for a special friend! But, don't eat it yet!"

Dammit! he shouted in his mind as he crept his fingers away from the heavenly treat.

"Save it for when you get back home!" she resumed. "It'll remind you of us when you eat it!”

His expression faltered. "But that's the problem! As much as I really want to eat this, I don't want to. I want to preserve this."

“Don't worry, silly billy!" she shook her head. "Cupcakes come and go. It happens every single day. But, if you think about us every single time you eat a cupcake, then memories of us together will last forever. That's the icing on the cake!”

“Thanks, Pinkie Pie,” the human smiled warmly.

Before he could even open his arms, the pink pony leapt up and hugged his entire torso with all four legs. He chuckled in surprise. She was very light for a pony that was about his chest level. Her curly mane tickled his nose. She smelled exactly like vanilla icing.

After a three seconds of nuzzling him, she released her monkey grip on him, landing perfectly on all four hooves.

Then, he shifted over in front of the orange cowmare.

“Applejack," he began. "You are one of most hard-working ponies I have ever met. That will earn you a lot benefits in the future. Not only that, but you are really honest. Honesty is definitely not easy. However, you deliver it easily like it was nothing. That makes you even more strong than any other pony I've seen. I wish I had the guts to be as honest like you. You have my highest respects. Apple Bloom and Big Mac sure are lucky to have a sibling like you."

“And you've got a real kind heart there,” Applejack smiled as she placed a hoof on his left breast. “A heart of gold, ah say! Thank ya ever so much for stumblin' over here, sugarcube."

The human smiled in response. Then, a huge, red apple was hoisted up in front of his face.

"Here ya go, partner! The finest apple ah could find in Sweet Apple Acres, from me to you," she said with pride. "Gobble that sucker down when you get home safe and sound, ya hear?"

“Ohohoho, sweet Jesus!" he drooled before flinching himself back into composure. "Will do, Applejack. Thank you so much!"

He opened his arms for a hug, but his head was snatched and tucked under her forelegpit. He felt her soft hoof playfully and softly grind the top of his cranium. He was going to playfully push away, but the orange mare released his head from her grip and gave him a big hug.

He smirked in humor as he caught a whiff of her mane. It smelled exactly like apples. Red Gala apples, to be exact.

After he separated his embrace with Applejack, Connor stepped over to the cyan, multi-hued pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash," he spoke. "If I had two words to describe you, it would beeee..." He paused in thought. "'Freaking fast'. Yeah, that'll do."

"Hey, I'll take it!" she responded with a shrug. "That's how I am after all! Fast as lightning!"

"I know you are," the human smiled. "If you do become part of the Wonderbolts, which I believe would totally happen at a great chance, don't forget us. Never forget anyone who stood by your side through it all."

"Are you kidding? Of course I won't forget! I never leave a pony hanging, even my best friends."

"Awesome. You know, ponies could use friends like you, loyal, unrelenting, and most of all big-hearted. With the amount of loyalty you have right now, you would be a friend for ages."

"Mm-hmm!" she nodded. "Hey, if you ever come back, bring back one of those jet-thingies, will ya? We still need to race, see who's really the fastest, who's twenty percent cooler."

The human chortled at her ludicrous, yet humoring request. "All right, Dash. I'll do my best."

"Awesome!" she exclaimed, pumping her hoof into the air.

Then, her face started to tremble as she tried to fight back the oncoming urge to cry. She slapped her own face to snap out of it.

"You okay, Dash?" the human asked with an obvious smile.

"(Ahem!) What? Me? O-o-of course, I am! Why would I not be?" she sniffed loudly.

Rolling his eyes, Connor opened his arms, welcoming her for a hug.

After she noticed his invitation, she could barely contain herself any further. The multi-color-maned pegasus threw herself at him, whipping her forelegs around his ribcage. She cried quietly into his chest. Connor gently wrapped his arms around her in exchange before lifting his hand up to tousle her multi-colored mane.

She gently pushed against him to separate herself from his embrace. She wiped her tears away with her blue foreleg.

"See you later," she smiled weakly due to the aftermath of tears.

He walked up to Rarity, who was tearing up already. He knelt at her eye-level.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay with you. That was so generous of you. Generosity is the most beautiful thing a pony could commit. Just as beautiful as you. I will never forget that. Hay, I won’t forget about those delicious eggs you made me for breakfast. They were awesome.”

“No problem at all, darling. Only the best for a best friend,” she replied. “And thank you for being such a generous guest.”

“Your talent in dress-making is fabulous, Rarity. You will be famous someday, famous for your generosity and talent. It'll attract loads of attention.” Connor glanced at Spike before speaking again. “You should really hang out with Spike more often. He's a really nice dragon. Your generosity inspires him so much, that it drives him to be exceptionally generous to you, too.”

“I know, Connor. I know he is," she nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.

He hugged her.

“Thank you so much...”

When they separated, she blushed. She really liked how he confidently said that generosity was just as beautiful as she was. She could emphasize with Celestia when he said she was so young and hot.

The human stepped over to the purple unicorn.

“Twilight,” he began. “You are the smartest pony I’ve ever met. So smart, that you make me look stupid.”

He winked, which made her giggle in humor.

“Well, maybe that was an over-exaggeration, but you are still the smartest. I’m glad you liked the stories about my world. If I ever come back, I will be glad to tell you more! I would also like to thank you for being the first pony to bravely approach me when I first arrived here. You showed real strength. The strongest ponies always earn awesome benefits. You showed strength in learning, you showed strength in raising Spike as your own, and you showed strength in helping me earn Ponyville’s friendship. Speaking of Spike, take good care of him while I’m gone. I’m sure the poor little guy might not handle himself without me around.”

“I think he can handle it. He is a strong young dragon, after all. He is just how I imagined him to be," she said before she tousled the chuckling dragon's head scales.

“You’re a good adoptive sister, Twilight. A damn good sister. Spike is lucky to have somepony like you taking care of him. Even though my visit was by accident, I’m glad I have met you.”

"All the same for me," she responded with a grateful smile.

They reeled each other in for a warm hug.

"We're going to miss you," she whispered.

"You, too," he whispered back.

Connor gently separated the hug to step over to Spike.

"My first encounter, my compadre, and awesome dragon," he laughed as he exchanged fist-bumps with his scaly friend. "You and I make the best team. Especially since we put those lobster-back pony rebels down to the ground. That was kick-ass!"

"Oh, yeah! Totally," he nodded before he pounded his small fist against his chest.

"Thank you so much for introducing me to your friends," Connor resumed. "I'd never have gotten this far without your help."

"Always willing to assist, no matter what." He puffed his little chest out in pride.

The human lifted his right arm for Spike to grab. The moment he got a grip on it, they both yanked each other in. As soon as they bumped shoulders, Connor whispered, "Kiss Rarity for me, okay?"

"When the time is right," Spike replied. The dragon certainly had manners.

After patting each others' backs, they released their brotherly embrace.

Connor shifted over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Girls,” he started. “Keep on keeping on! Someday, you will get those cutie marks. Don’t stop what you’re doing…without tearing the place down, okay?”

The fillies giggled.

“Don’ worry! We won’t! We’ll do that for you,” Apple Bloom beamed.

“Thank you for racing with me earlier. That was fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“We’ll miss you,” Sweetie Belle chirped.

“Same here, girls,” he replied.

He stretched his arms out wide, hugging them all at once. They hummed in content.

Finally, Connor walked up to Fluttershy, who was leaking a large amount of tears from her eyes. The teenager thought he was going to cry himself, seeing her look so miserable. It made him forget what he was originally going to say to her. He knelt on one knee, leveling his eyes to hers.

“Fluttershy…” he spoke.

He took a deep breath, trying to pick up on what he was going to say. However, it was all so fuzzy.

“You…are the kindest, most adorable pony I have ever met. You never lost faith in me, and you have no idea how much that means to me. I wish I could stay with you for the rest of my life, believe me, but we both know that this is for the best. The least we could do is remember and cherish the wonderful times we had together. It would mean a whole lot to me. To both of us.”

The yellow pegasus whimpered, squeezing even more tears out from her trembling eyes. He brushed a hand over the little pegasus' wet eyelashes, wiping her tears away.

He continued. “Don’t ever change from who you are now. You could change things you are ashamed of or alter a few insecurities, but never EVER change who you are. You are too precious to wither away in corruption. Never ever ever change who you are now.

"I... I won't... I wont! For you," she smiled past her tears.

He hugged her around her neck, gently rocking her back and forth. With a whimper, she hugged back. They never released their hug after twenty seconds, much to their dismay.

He turned to the white alicorn, wiping small tears from his moist eyes.

“Are you ready to go?” the alicorn gently asked.

"Not just yet."

He turned around, facing the entire congregation.

“Thank you for accepting me as your friend! Thank you! Thank all of you! I love you all!"

Everypony cheered and stomped his or her feet in approval.

After it died down, he turned back to the princess.

“I’m ready.”

The royal alicorn raised a hoof in the air. “Before you go, there is something special I need to give you."

Her horn glowed a golden light. She slowly nodded her head forward, bringing her horn closer and closer to his chest. She touched her horn onto Connor’s left breast, where his heart was. He winced after feeling something tingle like a thousand feathers were brushing against it.

Then, it burned before it quickly went back to the tingling sensation again.

Celestia shut off her magic and lifted her head to glance at her work. Wondering what she did to him, Connor pulled at his shirt to look down past his collar. He could not get a full view of it, so he lifted his shirt up to his collar. A crisp, clean, black image of the sun shone brightly from his chest with clean, high-definition outlines and contours. The flames that engulfed it curved to one side in a circular direction like a saw.

"Whoa..." he gawked at his gift. "That's awesome!"

"It is the Sun of Equestria," she knowledgeably replied. "It will never wash away or weaken. It will be omnipresent and permanent as the memories you've had here. It is my special gift to you."

"Thank you!" he enthusiastically replied.

"You're very welcome," she smiled.

"Sugarcube," Applejack said from behind him. "Are you sure you don't wanna stay here forever?"

Connor paused. The way she asked that question was so full of warmth as well as the need to test him for any second thoughts.

Yes, he could stay there forever, but...

"Oh, Applejack," he replied with a sad sigh. "You know I would really love to. I would give anything to stay with you guys for the rest of my life, honest to God, but..."

He paused to glance at the blue sky. Images of his family and friend, Joshua, poured into his mind, sprouting waves of sadness and yearning throughout his entire body.

"I can't," he pondered. "Even with our new connection, I don't belong here. I have to be with my own kind. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just didn't want to admit it. Alas, here I am, actually returning home."

He sighed through his nostrils, reluctantly accepting his fate.

Then, a smile of hope widened on his face.

"However..." He turned around. "I will not return home without saying how grateful I am for being brought here. I am grateful that you helped me discover the brighter side of me that I had never explored before. You helped me learn a lot of importants things about friendship that I have never come across before in my life. And after realizing that now, I realized that it takes the most loyal, most caring, and best of friends to teach me all of this. You guys were those friends..."

His throat clogged up. His eyelashes became moist.

"Everything..." he spoke, feeling the clump in his throat grow. "Thank you... For everything. You're..."

He gasped in some more air.

"You're my best friends..."

He was at the end of his rope. His shoulders shook rhythmically with each silent sob he erupted from his clenching chest. He planted his open palm over his eyes, feeling sheepish for looking like a tearful wreck in front of them.

"Oh, darling," Rarity cooed.

Without another word, the six ponies and dragon started walking toward him. After seeing it through his fingers, Connor trudged up to meet them in the middle of the space that used to linger between them.

Then, they were huddled in a massive group hug, gripping him tightly like nothing in the world would ever break them apart.

After a half of a minute, they begin to separate the hug, one-by-one, slowly dissipating like an ice cube in a glass of warm water.

First, Rainbow Dash...

Then, Twilight...

Rarity...

Pinkie Pie...

Spike...

Applejack...

He smiled as he saw the five ponies standing in front of him.

Wait... Five?

He felt something grip tighter around his shins.

He looked down to see Fluttershy lying stomach-first on the ground with her forelegs wrapping fully around his legs. A sad, pitiful whimper chirped behind her clenched teeth.

A glint of sympathy shimmered in Connor's small smile. He bent at his knees slowly, lowering himself to her level.

"Hey, hey..." he softly spoke, stroking the top of her head. "It's all right. Don't cry..."

"But, you're leaving forever..."

"Yes, I know," he nodded. "But please stop crying. I don't want you to be sad. This is a happy moment, as depressing as it seems. This is a beginning for all of us. I want to see you smile."

She looked up to him, revealing a reddened face with wet wafts of fur caused by tears. The human's hand trailed over her face to push a loose strand of her pink mane back into its mass.

"Okay?" He looked into her eyes.

After a teary hiccup, her lips trembled into a small smile. The human smiled back, never looking away from her eyes.

He never showed it on the outside, but something clicked within his brain. This was the very last time he was going to see her. All of the time he spent staying with them, he never had the perfect opportunity.

Now, it came.

He lifted her chin with his finger, so her face would be open to him. He leaned his head down toward her, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips onto her forehead near the tip of her nose bridge. The feel of his warm lips and his moist breath made the yellow pegasus melt in her place. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her eyelids fluttered shut, willingly accepting her special somepony's token of his deepest feelings.

Much to her dismay, she felt his lips lift off. Her eyes fluttered open to see the human's warm smile.

"I love you, Fluttershy..." he whispered.

He was prancing and cheering like a wild man in his mind. Yes! He finally said it! He finally did it! Freaking finally!

As he was standing up and turning away, Fluttershy felt she had to return her feelings for him.

She instantly shot up into the air, grabbed his head, and with much enthusiasm, she pressed her lips on his cheek, humming yearningly.

She released, ending her two-second-long kiss.

Connor felt his cheeks burn in bliss. Caressing his cheek, he whipped around at her, thanking her with a warm smile. The pegasus responded with a happy squeak.

The others cooed at the adorable sight they had just witnessed.

"I'm ready," the human nodded to Celestia.

She nodded back in response. Her horn began to glimmer. It grew brighter and brighter as she strained to power it up. Her teeth gritted in struggle. Never in a long time had she used a spell that would make her struggle to cast it. The wind began to blow, lightly brushing by everypony. The aura around Celestia’s horn began to spin rapidly like a mini tornado. Strands of electricity shot out. Then, in midair, an ethereal circle began to grow into the size of a regular door. Coming from inside the portal, a bright light flashed, hiding what was behind it.

Before Connor began to walk towards the portal, he got a farewell nuzzle from Celestia, followed by “goodbye”s and “we’ll miss you”s from everypony. Before stepping into the portal, the human turned to take a one last look at his best friends.

This was it… The last time he would be able to see them again. No more would he see their smiling faces. No more would he be able to frolic with them. No more would he be able to feel their company. Now, they would only exist in his memory.

The human was now a silhouette standing in front of the luminous portal to home. He saw the six ponies and dragon wave at him. He noticed a tear drool from Fluttershy's eye.

In sync, a tear streamed from his eyes as well.

God in Heaven, he was going to miss them. Especially her...

He thrust his foot into the portal, engulfing it in a bright white light. Then, it engulfed the rest of his leg…then his hips…his torso…his head…and finally, his other leg.

The portal evaporated.

The air became quiet.

He was gone.

Fluttershy sniffled. Even though she was happy that she had finally expressed her love to the human, she knew that would never see him again. She began to sob softly. Rarity laid a hoof on her quivering back.

“You love him that much, don’t you, darling?” the fashion queen gently asked.

Through her sobs, Fluttershy was only able to say, “Yes…”

Pinkie Pie wrapped her hooves around the crying pegasus, giving her a comforting hug. Princess Celestia stood at a distance, observing the six little ponies. She, too, was sad that he had to leave, but she knew it was necessary.

“I miss him, too, my little ponies,” she trotted up to meet them. “I also wished that he would not go, but we all know it was for the best. However, I can assure you that he will never forget us, as long as we never forget him. We did not let him leave without giving him something important. We gave him confidence. Now, he will restart his life, making new and more friends than ever before. It’s the least we could do.”

However, the wise alicorn’s word did not comfort Fluttershy completely.

She fell back onto the ground to collapse into a pile of pity.

"No!" she squeaked, standing back up. "No! He said that I mustn't cry! And I won't! I will do it for him."

She looked up into the sky.

"For him..."

----------

Damn, that was a bright light...

Connor rubbed his straining eyes resulting from the portal's ridiculous amount of luminosity. He blinked repetitively until they became clear.

All around him, he could see green hills, ornate with sprouting patches of trees. The sky was clear.

Where exactly was he? He had no recollection on where he was. He could be anywhere: California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Virginia...

He was going to have to find that out for himself. There was only one way for him to find out.

Then, he realized his feet were as heavy as lead. He did not want to move...

Not just yet...

He looked behind himself at the empty space where the portal that led him home was supposedly. Hoping that there was still a chance for him to see if it was still there, he reached forward with his hand.

He only felt the cool wind brush past his spread fingers. The portal was gone for good.

He dropped his shoulders and expelled a depressed sigh. His eyes screamed ethereal images of the six ponies and Spike, smiling, happy, confident, welcoming...

All of that was gone, too. Now, they exist a million miles away or Lord knows how many. Much too far for him to tolerate.

He hung his head, finding the time to spend himself to mourn over the parting, until he saw the image of the sun from underneath the thin fabric of his white T-shirt.

He clasped it with his hand. He shut his eyes in thought. He looked up to the sky, gazing upon the invisible faces of his equine, faraway friends.

"For you..."

Without any further thought, he turned around and started walking in one direction. He did not care where he was walking; only by moving would he be able to find out where he was.

No swerving left...

No swerving right...

No turning around to walk in the other direction...

Just forward...

Forward into the future.

----------

DONK!!

THUD!

"OWwwwww!" he groaned as he squirmed on top of the floor.

His hands gripped his forehead over the pulsating, throbbing pain. As he laid moaning on the ground, something rattled over him.

"Ssssssss... Ahhhhh, son of a bitch!" he cussed.

That was what he got for walking forward with his eyes closed. Although he did not exactly walk the whole way with his eyes shut. After a mile or two, he thought it was the perfect time to act dramatic and resume with his eyes shut.

Now, he saw what happened to him because he allowed too much drama into his life.

"Dammit!" he hissed as wiped his forehead for any blood, which there was none.

What the hell did he run into?

Looking up, he saw a road sign perched high above him, still trembling from its impact with the teenager's head. He heard a loud "WHOOSH" beneath it. Looking down, he saw a car zoom by on the highway, followed by a barrage of other cars trailing behind it. From the amount of cars on the highway and the short distance between them, it was near heavy traffic.

He turned his head around to look behind himself. Then, he turned his head back to the highway. He bit his lip.

Thank God he ran into that sign. He would have walked right into the highway and be roadkill in an instant.

Standing back up, he ducked underneath the overhanging corner and stopped in front of it to read it.

"Exit 36," it read.

"Hey!" he exclaimed with a smile. "This is the exit leading to my house! Princess Celestia, you did really well."

He pranced over the tall blades of the grass and trudge up the hill to walk alongside the on-going slope. Finding an open spot between the outside traffic line and the guard rail of the overhanging bridge, he resumed walking, making sure he did not swerve closer to the stampede of speeding cars not far next to him.

After a few hundred feet of walking, he had finally caught up to civilization. He was walking next to a large, multi-block shopping plaza, complete with thirty shops, two grocery stores, six large restaurants, a movie theater, and a home improvement department store.

A scent filled his nostrils.

"Mmmm!" he hummed. "Coffee."

He was walking at a distance next to a Caribou Coffee with outdoor seats on a patio. He heard the soothing sound of high-tempo jazz music.

And the sound of somebody spewing coffee coming from the open door leading inside...

"Gesundheit," Connor mumbled.

Then, he heard the sound of scrambling, clangs, clunks, exclamations, and "Excuse me"s, until a figure suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Must've been some pretty hot coffee," he chuckled to himself.

"CONNOR!" the figure shouted.

The figure sprung from his place, throwing himself at him, leaping over the patio fence like he was an Olympian. Connor squinted at him. Just who was--?

Wait.

The figure scrambled up the small hill leading up to the sidewalk.

"Joshua!" Connor exclaimed.

He felt the teenager collide against him, nearly tipping him over as he hugged him around his shoulders.

"Connor!" he screamed as he shook his shoulders in overwhelming joy. "You're alive! Holy shit, you're alive!!"

"Yeah, of course I am."

The joyous teenager hugged him again. "I thought you were dead! Hell, everyone thinks you're dead!"

"Wh--? Really?"

"Yeah! There was a funeral, a procession, a coffin, a tombstone, everything!"

"Oh, God..." he excalimed, feeling his stomach twist. What could be even stranger and creepier than visiting one's own grave?

Joshua released his grip from his presumed-dead friend and clutched his own cranium past his blonde hair, excitedly cussing in his breath.

"Holy... This is all so sudden..." he shook his head. "This is so weird. You were struck by a huge-ass lightning bolt and you walk back over here, unharmed, two months later? How could you not have been killed?! That blast would've burnt you into oblivion!"

"I guess I was just lucky," Connor shrugged. "Really lucky..."

"But if you were alive during those two months, why didn't you come back sooner? We were grieving our hearts out for you!"

"Well..." he paused to glance at the aquamarine sky.

Should he tell him? One half of his body was yanking at him to spill the beans about his trip to Ponyville and meeting his equine friends, and the other side tugged at him to keep it a secret.

"It's a long story. A really long story..."

"And? What is this story? I wanna hear it," Joshua grinned.

That guy.

"Okay. Here's the story: I was pelted by a large lightning bolt that was summoned by a unicorn who lives on a planet lightyears away, inhabited by colorful, talking, magical, happy ponies, who I made good friends with. I also managed to befriend a dragon and take down a rebellion group, sparing the entire nation from chaos and anarchy."

...

Joshua began to laugh. Then, after a few seconds, he transitioned to a guffawing wreck, lurching forward, cupping his forehead, and slapping his kneecap like he was being mercilessly tickled by invisible feathers.

"Ah-ha! Ha, ha, haaaa! Ah-ha! Haaaaaaaaaaokay, seriously now. What happened?"

"Look, does it really matter?" Connor threw his hands up over his shoulders. "I'm alive! That's all that matters, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. Meh, screw it! As long as you're alive an--Oh jeez, your parents! They've gotta know, pronto!"

"That's where I'm heading, all right."

"Here! Get in my car! I'll drive you over there."

"Couldn't have thought it better myself. Thanks, man," he smiled.

----------

The two teenaged high-schoolers climbed up the steps leading the front door. The house behind it was two-stories tall (three, including the basement) and had a garage annexed in its right side. The driveway leading to the house and garage went over a small, cylindrical tunnel, where the water passage passes through. All of its sides were built with red-orange bricks with no cheap plastic siding whatsoever. The facade of the house bore nine windows, five on the top and four on the first floor, making way for the front door, of course.

A rather idealistic house for an idealistic middle-class family, yet idealistically provided all of its comforts.

"Well," Joshua gestured to the door. "Here you go. Knock away, dead man."

Connor smiled at the nickname provided by his well-meaning, blonde friend. Taking a step forward, he was directly in front of the door. He lifted his fist and pressed the dusty, gritty button of the doorbell.

DING-DONG!

That haunting, high-pitched bell sent a nervous chill running down his spine after hearing. He had not seen his family for two months and Lord knows how much they had changed since. He hoped to God that his disappearance did not set off a fatal bomb of depression that would dramatically change their appearance. Would they look as haggard and depressing as zombies fresh from the grave? Would they even act the same as they did before he disappeared, happier and more carefree?

He clenched his bubbling stomach. All of those fretful thoughts were riling his emerging nausea.

He heard slight thumping and creaking of floorboards behind the door. His stomach flipped.

The lock clicked open.

He inhaled sharply.

The door creaked open, revealing a 40-year-old woman with brown hair that fell just on top of her shoulders. She was wearing a periwinkle blouse and white pants. She had a small spread at her middle, but it was not enough to deform her figure. She had a mug in her hand, filled with tea.

Seeing her like this had surprised him. It looked like she hardly changed at all, other than the fact that there might have been some more gray hairs on her head than before. Plus, come to think of it, he did not remember her middle spread. She might have been putting on a little weight. She might have had a period of depressed eating ever since his sudden disappearance.

The poor thing...

"Hello? Can I help with anyth--?" she immediately stopped after laying eyes on him. She gasped in utter surprise.

"Mom..." was all he could say.

Her mug broke as it fell onto the floor.

In an eyeblink, her arms were slung tightly around his neck, nearly choking him. He could feel his shirt dampen from her pouring tears.

"Oh, my God!" she cried. "Oh, my Go-ho-hoodd, Connor! You're alive!"

He wrapped his arms around her back, feeling her tremors.

"Honey?" called a deeper, masculine voice. "What's going on?"

"Dad?"

...

He heard the sound of a newspaper being flung down to the ground and footsteps rushing toward the foyer. A forty-five to fifty-year-old man with grey strands of hair on his sideburns emerged into the room. He was still wearing his office shirt and pants, and he was wearing black silk socks.

Without another word, he rushed up, nearly colliding into him, and snatched him in a hug.

"Mom? Dad?" said a younger, feminine voice from another room. "What's going on in th--?"

A blonde girl about the age of sixteen appeared into the foyer. Her jaw dropped the moment she saw the one in the middle of the hug.

"Jessie," Connor smiled between his parents' smooching on his cheeks.

"I... I gotta call you back, Milly!" she spoke into her phone before shoving it back into the pocket of her sweatpants. She ran on her toes up to the huddle, joining in on the group hug.

Cries of joy, tears, and kisses surrounded him in all directions. Growing emotional himself, Connor hugged them back, crying in joy that they were okay.

Just as he was...

His mother grabbed his cheeks, turning his face toward hers. "But, how? How did you survive that lightning bolt? It could've killed you!"

"Just lucky, I guess," he chuckled.

Choking back happy tears, she planted a large kiss on his cheek. Then, she ran up to Joshua, hugging him as well, thanking him for finding her long-lost son.

"It's no problem, ma'am," he grinned.

"We've got to tell the others about this! This is more than good news! Our son is alive and unhurt!" his dad exclaimed happily. "This deserves a celebration! Tell me, son. What do you want to do?"

"Burgers!" he immediately responded. "Shitloads of them! I'm starving!"

"Mind your language, son, but great idea! We're having a barbecue tonight! Invite some people over, darling!" he said to his wife.

"Oh, Daddy?" Jessie tapped his shoulder. "Can you get veggie burgers, too?"

"Oh, grow up and eat a real burger!"

Connor smiled hugely. This was what home was. Man, was he ever so glad to be back.

However, that gave him no reason to forget the friends he made from afar, the ones who were not even remotely human, yet stayed by his side through everything like they were.

They helped him come back a new man, locked and loaded for a brighter future ahead with everything taught him about friendship.

He slowly walked out from the clamor inside the house and out into the front yard, facing the orange sky above him.

He shut his eyes.

Twilight? Rarity? Rainbow? Applejack? Pinkie? Fluttershy? Spike? he thought. Can you all hear me?

"Come on, Connor!" Joshua called from inside. "Your dad wants you to help him with the grill and pick the toppings for the burgers!"

"I'm coming!" he responded.

He glanced back to the orange sky, feeling the sun's warmth against his face.

Thank you... For everything...

He walked back inside to meet with his family and friend again.

Little did he realize that millions of miles away, six ponies and a dragon were staring right back at him...



THE END...?

Author's Notes:

Like I said, I couldn't believe that I thought the way I did. However, I was a beginner. I had no idea that the world of literature and fan fiction could be so unmerciful to clichés and lazy ideas. However, I'm just glad that I didn't stick with the whole "Ooh, the Earth and its inhabitants are scum! I'm not going back to that shit-hole again! Nyah, nyah, nyah!" shtick. That would have KILLED my reputation as a non-profiting and unofficial writer.

Plus, I heard a song from a certain soundtrack based on an animated Disney film, which gave me an inspiration to amend some events in this story. When I heard it and compared it to "EFH" I felt a tsunami of feels. OH, GOD! THE FEELS!!

Well, enjoy this amended chapter! For those who have read my original edit, you will notice HUGE changes.

Next Chapter: Chapter XV - Unexpected Return Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 51 Minutes
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