Josh sat in Otis and Martha's truck as it made its way into down the road, leaning against the passenger side door with his eyes closed, listening to the two elderly farmers chatting idly about Kansas City. Since Otis had caught Josh trying to leave on his own that morning, the producer had realized just how idiotic an idea it had been to just head out and hope for the best. He truly had had no plan for what he was going to do once he got out, having no money and not exactly interested in hitch hiking all the way to the west coast. I probably wouldn't have even made it past Kansas state lines, he thought, barely listening to Otis and Martha's conversation as the truck bounced slightly. Josh couldn't thank Otis enough for talking him out of doing such a stupid thing and more than likely saving his life.

"Josh, dear," said Martha, gently rousing the young man from his ruminating, "We're almost there."

As Josh's eyes opened, he looked out the windshield for the first time in hours, seeing the large, rounded buildings of Kansas City International Airport before his eyes. Planes were all over; some taking off behind the terminals, some landing to unload their passengers. Josh recalled the last time he was here, how he'd been returning to Los Angeles after coming back to earth from Equestria the first time. His manager, Liam, had sent an entourage to get the young producer upon hearing that he had returned after two months of being missing and was more than eager to get Josh back in the limelight and working again. That time, however, Josh hadn't stayed long, having broken down in the middle of a press conference, only to have Princess Celestia, accompanied by Vinyl, come and take him back to his home in Equestria.

Otis's truck made its way through the large, curved drive, pulling off upon seeing the sign for terminal B. Upon reaching the halfway point of the circular drive, Otis pulled up to the curb and quickly parked the truck, allowing Josh to open his door and jump out onto the sidewalk. The terminal was filled with life and noise as people milled about, some heading inside, others making their way out, and even more seeing off their loved ones. The sounds of plane engines filled the place and echoed all around, mixing with the voices of the passengers, and the occasional voice calling out over a loudspeaker, saying things Josh couldn't quite make out.

"I haven't been here in years." said Martha, climbing out next to Josh as her husband made his way around the truck to stand with his wife and the young man, "It's definitely busy."

"I've seen worse." said Josh, looking through the large glass windows at all the people inside the terminal.

Silence fell for a short time between the three standing next to Otis's truck. The farmers glanced at one another, then turned back to Josh, unsure of what to say or do next.

"Well," Otis began, making his way towards Josh, who turned to address the old man, "here ya’ are, Josh. It ain't much, but it'll help get you by for a while in LA till you can get yourself a job."

Otis reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Josh. The young man curiously opened the envelope to inspect its contents, letting out a small gasp and directing a stare of disbelief at the old couple before him.

"Four hundred dollars?" asked Josh, looking up from inspecting the money at Otis and Martha. "Guys... you don't have to do this for me. It's bad enough you're already paying for my ticket to LA."

"Think nothing of it, honey." said Martha, smiling at Josh and cupping his hand around the money, "It's the least we can do for you."

Josh felt a lump form in his throat once again. These two, old farmers whose property he'd landed on without warning twice in two years, who had taken him in both times, no questions asked and given him some of their own precious resources, were once again showing him that there was some sense of civility in the world of humans. The young man reached out and wrapped his arms around the couple, pulling them in close and embracing them. Otis and Martha returned the gesture in full measure, patting him on the back and helping to reassure him that everything would be alright. After some time, Josh released the two and stood before them once again, beaming at them both.

"You guys..." he said, pausing to try and find the right words for the situation, "Thanks. For everything. I don't know how I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me."

"No need, Josh." said Otis, placing his hand on Josh's shoulder, "It's been a pleasure having you here... even if we're still not entirely sure just how you got here to begin with."

Josh managed a chuckle at that.

"We're hoping and praying for you, dear." said Martha, reaching up to kiss Josh on the cheek, "Hopefully, one day, you'll be able to get back to your home and see Vinyl again. But you have to stop by and see us again before you do that, alright?"

"And try to bring her along some time." Otis added, "We'd love to meet this girl. If she's in love with you, she must be a great woman."

"I'll make sure to stop by with her if I ever get the chance." Josh said, chuckling some more.

Martha gave Josh one last hug before saying her final goodbye with a tear in her eye. Once she was back in the truck, Otis turned back to Josh, looking deep into his eyes for the second time that day.

"You're a good man, Josh." he said, "No matter what anyone else says, you're a good man. I don't know what'll happen to you once you're gone from here, but I know that you've got great things in your future. Don't forget what's really important in your life, and make sure to make each day one worth living, even when it seems too tough to move forward."

Josh nodded, and Otis smiled once more.

"Well, I think we'd better get going." Otis said, sharing a look with Martha before turning to Josh with a smile. "You've got a plane to catch."

With that, Otis made his way back around to the drivers side of the truck, leaving Josh to make his way into the terminal.

"Oh, and Josh!" called Otis, making Josh turn around once more, "If you're gonna come see us again, could you warn us ahead of time?"

"Can do!" called Josh, smiling wide as Otis jumped back into the truck and started up the engine.

Martha waved to the young man from the truck as Otis threw it into gear and turned away from the curb, making their way down the road and disappearing around the corner. Josh watched them leave, finally lowering his hand from its wave once they were out of sight. I'll make all this up to you guys some day, he thought, staring at the spot where the truck had disappeared only moments ago, I promise. After standing there for some time, Josh turned around and made his way into the terminal, looking all around for the signs that would lead him to the ticketing counters.

The terminal was fairly busy, with passengers moving all around, checking bags, moving towards security, stopping at the little shops nearby to pick up anything they might need for their long trips. Josh made his way through the large, rounded area, spotting all kinds of people; from businessmen and -women talking on their phones, to entire families who looked to be headed off for a leisurely vacation. After what seemed like an eternity of navigating the cesspool of human stupidity, he finally spotted the ticket counter for the airline he'd need and took his place in the line. Slowly, and painfully, Josh made his way through the line, forced to listen in on the inane conversations of the people around him. After some time, he was able to make it to the front and approached the woman at the counter; a pretty, slender brunette with a smile on her face.

"Hello there," she said cheerily, smiling even wider at Josh as he approached, "how can I help you sir?"

"I'd like one ticket to Los Angeles." he said, watching as she nodded and began to type on her computer.

"One way or round trip?" she asked, looking up to Josh once again with that sickeningly sweet smile.

"One way."

The woman returned to typing on her computer, asking Josh for his name, address, driver's license, and any other bits of information the airline could use in the future. Once he had answered each question, she printed out a ticket and handed it to him.

"You need anything else?" she asked, her smile never once faltering.

"I think I'm alright."

"Alright then. Enjoy your flight."

Josh nodded and made his way away from the counter, looking down at his ticket to see what gate he'd be departing from. He passed through the security checkpoint, letting the security officer look at his ticket and driver's license, then going through the scanners and other seemingly pointless contraptions till he reached the other side. After putting his shoes on and returning his possessions in his pockets, he headed down towards his gate, just wishing to take a seat now and wait for the plane.

On his way to the gate, he caught sight of a large magazine stand nearby. Not wanting to be completely bored through his entire flight, he made for the stand, walking up to the girl behind the register.

"You wouldn't happen to have any copies of the latest EDM Magazine, would you?" he asked.

"Uh... Let me check." the girl said, making her way back to the nearby shelves and perusing the top few selections. After a few seconds of looking around, she pulled a publication off the top shelf and took it back to the counter, presenting it to Josh.

"This what you're looking for?" she asked, showing him the front cover.

Josh nodded and pulled out some money to pay for the magazine. The girl gave him back his change and asked him if he needed anything else, to which Josh said he was alright and the girl thanked him for his patronage. From there, the young producer spotted a nearby sandwich shop and felt his stomach rumble heavily. Goddamn he thought, stopping and staring at the shop for a second, I think my stomach is trying to eat itself...

Josh headed over to the shop and ordered some food and a soda, sitting at a nearby table once he had received his order and beginning to eat while glancing through his magazine. He'd wanted to see if, even after a year of being gone, he was being mentioned in the world of electronic music, and flipped through page after page, expecting at any moment to see a picture of himself or something mentioning him in any way. Thankfully for the young man, the only mention of him came in an article about an up and coming producer named Sydeous, whose style was apparently similar to Josh's own. After he ascertained that he wouldn't be mentioned again, he folded the magazine up and put it away in his pocket, throwing his trash away and making for the departure gate nearby.

When Josh got to the gate, he saw people sitting around, some on their computers or phones, some chatting with those nearby, and some tending to their own children. The young man took a seat as far away from the crowd as he could and pulled his magazine back out of his pocket, intent on checking out the articles to see just how much had changed in the world of electronic music in his time away. He read all about how deadmau5 was intent on advocating against dubstep, how Alex S. and I.Y.F.F.E had unexpectedly managed to rise to the forefront of the industry, and whatever new songs were becoming big. He was halfway through the article on Sydeous when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone come and sit next to him, breaking his concentration a little.

"Whew," the stranger said exasperatedly, "Made it just in time. Thought I'd never get through security..."

Josh ignored the man and turned back to the magazine before him. The young producer wasn't one to try and make any sort of conversation with anyone, especially not now.

"You have any issue at the scanners?" asked the stranger, making Josh cringe internally at the thought of having to actually acknowledge the man.

Josh just shook his head, trying with all his might to return to reading, hoping that the man wouldn't try and talk to him further.

"Huh... maybe it's just me then..."

Again, Josh said nothing, hoping that would end the man's attempt to speak to him.

"What's that you're reading there?" he asked, leaning closer to Josh and peering at the picture of Sydeous on the page.

"It's called EDM Magazine." said Josh simply, turning the page, despite not having finished reading it, "It's all about electronic music."

"That's fascinating." said the man, leaning away from Josh again, "I've heard some of that stuff before. Gotta admit, it's not exactly my cup of tea, but I can appreciate that other people are into it."

Josh didn't respond once more, hoping that his lack of communication would dissuade the man from continuing this painful, forced conversation. For some time, silence fell between the two of them, which Josh relished at this moment in time.

"Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?" asked the man after some time, causing Josh to feel a twinge of annoyance at this stranger's insistence on chatting with him, "I've been to a lot of places, but I'll always think the sunset over Kansas is one of the most beautiful things in the world."

Josh, against his better judgement, glanced up and out the window before him towards the setting sun in an attempt to satiate the man’s desire to talk. Indeed, the sight was quite beautiful, golden rays of sunlight playing over the ground and painting it a vibrant color. Josh thought back to his time in Equestria, watching as Celestia's sun did the very same thing, covering everything in its warm, rich light, causing even the most mundane and boring object to almost come alive with vibrancy. His mind looked back to all the times he'd laid out next to Vinyl and watched the sunset with her, seeing her cream colored coat turn the most incredible shade of gold, making her glow like the most regal of angels...

"Yessir." said the man, breaking Josh from his unexpected reverie, "That's one fantastic spectacle right there."

Josh finally tore his gaze away from the sunset, still seeing Vinyl's visage in his mind's eyes before turning back to his magazine in an attempt to suppress the thoughts that would undoubtedly make him cry once again. For what seemed like the hundredth time, silence fell between the man and Josh, the latter of whom wished that no more words would be spoken between the two of them. However, that wish was, of course, all in vain.

"So, what's taking you out to LA?" asked the stranger, now truly beginning to annoy Josh.

"Looking for work." Josh said simply, now all but willing to give up hope that this guy would leave him alone at any point.

"Ah, I see." said the man, "Well, I wish you the best of luck on that one. There's a lot of people in LA that'd like a job themselves. You got connections of some kind out there?"

Josh just nodded in affirmation.

"That's great." the stranger continued, "Any help you can get will be more than worthwhile."

Josh continued not to respond, realizing in his head that not talking simply wouldn't get this guy to stop trying to converse with him.

"I myself am headed back home." the man said, "Just came back out to Kansas to visit my wife."

"You two get divorced or something?" Josh asked, hoping his abrasiveness would finally get to the man and make it perfectly clear that the young producer wasn't willing to talk.

"No, not exactly." the man replied, somewhat solemnly, "She died over twenty years ago."

Josh suddenly stopped trying to tune out the stranger next to him with that last statement. Looking up, he saw the man truly for the first time, saw the thinning, gray hair and tired, brown eyes he had. But, to accompany the aged look was a small smile gracing his lips, one that completely belied the words this man had just said to Josh. The young producer found himself unable to ignore the old stranger sitting next to him anymore and was now listening as intently as he could for reasons he couldn’t explain.

"What happened?" he asked, almost hesitantly, looking into the old man's eyes.

"She... she got melanoma. Neither of us had expected it at all." the man replied, turning away from Josh and looking back out the window before him, "She said that she'd always had to deal with little marks on her body here and there. Said she'd had them appear and disappear her entire life and that it wasn't a big deal, that I shouldn't worry about it too much. So, true to her wishes, we didn't do a whole lot about it, and everything seemed alright for a while."

"The next year, she started to get real sick, sicker than I'd ever seen her before." he continued as Josh listened intently, "I told her that she needed to go see a doctor about it, but the stubborn woman was adamant that it was nothing and that she'd be fine by the next day..."

The man paused for a second, allowing his words to linger in Josh's mind.

"Did she ever get to the doctor to be treated?" asked Josh, itching to know more of this man's story.

"Well, yes, she did. At my insistence." the stranger continued, looking back towards Josh, "Even up to the point when the doctor came back in and told us what the problem was, she was absolutely convinced that she was perfectly fine and that... and that she'd recover in no time at all."

Again, the man paused for a short time. Everything around Josh seemed to have melted away, leaving just himself and this aged stranger who seemed so normal and kind, but was probably more than broken on the inside.

"When the doctor came back in with the diagnosis, neither one of us was prepared to hear the truth. They gave her only three months to live before... it was too late."

"Wasn't there anything they could have done?" asked Josh, a little more forcefully than he'd meant to, "How could they just give her a timeline and call it good?"

"Her cancer had metastasized long ago, they'd said." the man responded, not even being phased by Josh's sudden change in tone, "Even if they were to try and treat it, all it would've done was prolong the inevitable. She refused to be kept alive by any sort of artificial means, and nothing I said would've ever changed her mind."

Josh was astounded at this unassuming man's ability to so openly and candidly talk about such a tragic event. The young man knew that if he'd been put in the same position with Vinyl, that there's no way he'd be able to have the same sort of attitude and outlook, no matter how hard he tried.

"She lived another four months, and I was there almost every day for her throughout that time. I was even there when she passed away, sitting next to her, holding her hand... You know, it's amazing to me, even to this day... With as sick and broken as she was by that point, with as close to Death's door as she was... to me, she was still the most beautiful creature in all of existence."
"She told me how much she loved me, and that she'd miss me," said the man. "And then, just like that, she was gone."

Silence like Josh had never known fell between the two of them upon the completion of that most final of statements. Again, the young man marveled at the individual sitting before him, so calm and collected while talking about something so tragic. This man had lost the love of his life to a horrific disease, and yet he could sit here, stoic and forthright, and describe such a crushing event.

"We held the funeral some time after she passed away." the man continued, forcing Josh's attention back to his words, "It was... actually rather pleasant. Once it was all said and done, I took her ashes to our old home and spread them around. That way, she'd never have to leave the place we once called home."

"What'd you do after all that?" asked Josh.

"I sort of... shut down." said the man, his shoulders slumping a little, "It was all too much for me to handle, I suppose. I loved my wife like nothing else in all of the world, and to lose her... I became cold and distant to everything and everyone for a very long time. Because of it, I lost most of my oldest and dearest friends. But, at the time, I didn’t care. After all, what was the point of having friends if I didn't have the love of my life by my side?"

"Some time after her death, my sadness turned to anger. I was angry at everything I could think of; from the doctors, to God, to the disease itself. I was mostly angry at myself, though; for not acting when she needed me most. I always thought to myself, ‘If I'd just been a stronger, more capable man, I could have saved her’."

"I was entirely convinced that it had been my fault, and that my spinelessness had cost a perfect and innocent creature her life. I traveled all over, always doing my best to avoid getting close to anyone for fear that I'd lose them as well. Everywhere I went, I became more and more disconnected, realizing that I was completely alone, and wanting it to stay that way."

"Eventually, my anger spread beyond myself, and I even became angry at those around me. I understood that I was accountable for my own actions, but that didn't stop me from trying to place the blame on others as well. Finally, and I'm a bit ashamed to admit this now, I even became angry at my wife; for leaving me so suddenly and causing this misery to fall upon me."

At that, Josh saw a single tear fall from the stranger's eye. Instantly, Josh felt a connection with this man, this simple, aged man who'd lost his love so suddenly and without any sort of say in the matter.

"So, how'd you manage to deal with it?" asked Josh, watching as the stranger pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes dry, "If you were so angry and resentful, how'd you make it through all that?."

"That was a miracle that, to this day, I still can't explain," said the man, beginning to smile once again. "I... got really low about a year and a half after she was gone. I decided that it was time to take matters into my own hands and finish myself off. I had a gun, just a little pea shooter, really, and, one day, I got it out and prepared to do the deed that would seal my own fate."

"Right as I put the barrel in my own mouth and was ready to pull the trigger, I got this feeling that I couldn't explain. It felt like... something was pulling the gun away from me, forcing me to drop it. I'm not sure when I made the connection, or even if it was what I was thinking at all, but I distinctly remember hearing my wife's voice somewhere in my mind, repeating her last words to me. 'I love you, and I want you to be the best you can be, even after I’m gone'."

"After I heard that, I couldn't help but drop the gun. I-I lost myself in memories, then; thinking back to all the fantastic times I'd had with her, and how she'd never really left me at all. You see, it was at that moment that I realized I'd been completely and totally wrong. Instead of mourning her death and festering in my own putrid self pity, I needed to celebrate her life, and live mine the way she'd have wanted me to."

"I don't know that I believe in God, or angels, or even ghosts, but I do know one thing for sure. She'd been watching me all that time, and she was the one who'd stepped in one last time to make sure I didn’t do something stupid."

Josh continued to stare at the old man as a huge smile came upon his face. He turned to look Josh in the eyes, now radiating a strange type of happiness and sense of hope.

"You see, when you lose someone you love, they never truly go away. They'll always live on in your heart, in your memories, and even in your soul, and so it’s important that you never forget that they'll continue to love you, even when it seems like they're gone. I know for a fact that my wife still loves me, and nothing will ever change that. I live each day for her now, making sure she lives on through me. She's gone from here, but she'll never be gone from here."

The old man placed his hand on chest, continuing to look deep into Josh's eyes. The young producer stared back at the man whom he'd seen as nothing more than another annoyance before now, and saw an individual who had been through many hardships in his life, but had also managed to overcome them all with the greatest of perseverance. If he can make it with all the shit he's had to deal with, then what's stopping me? Josh thought.

Suddenly, the woman at the gate counter announced that the flight to Los Angeles was boarding, causing the old man to break his eye contact with Josh.

"Well, what do ya’ know." he said, standing up and grabbing his bag nearby, "Looks like it's time to get moving. It was very kind of you to indulge an old man in listening to one of his stories."

"Yeah," said Josh, still mesmerized by what he'd just heard and thought about. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"What's your name? I forgot to even ask."

"Henry." replied the stranger, smiling down at Josh as he continued to sit there, "And yours?"

"Josh."

"Well, Josh, I hope we run into one another in LA some time." Henry said, turning to look at the gate, "Have a good day!"

Josh waved to Henry as he walked across the room to the counter and stepped into the tunnel to board the plane. Henry's words echoed through Josh's head, filling him with a sense of hope he'd not known since returning to Earth. Though he wasn't with them now, he didn't love Vinyl or his friends any less. They were still the most important things in the world to him, and he knew that, even if he never saw them again, they'd always have a place in his heart, and he in theirs. Whether it be in Equestria or Earth, he will cherish the time he had with them, and keep trying to get back to them, someday. After all, he did promise that everything would be alright, and he’d die before he broke that.