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>It finally worked.
>It FINALLY WORKED.
>Hours of staying in the chats had yielded fruit, and you had successfully linked up to the home dimension of Lyra Heartstrings!
>Through your conversations, you had learned a few things, and you would put them to use.
>Logging off, you pack your computer, a spare battery, a solar charger, and as many little bits of tech you could scrounge from your lab.
>Why weren't you packed already?
>Your boots were already on and strapped, the canister on your hip, and Fiddle's hat on your head.
"Hey Discord."
>"Yyeessss?"
>You flip him the bird.
"I will be there tomorrow to high five you yesterday, my friend."
>With your famous last words, you Jump.

>You land, your bag of swag crunching loudly.
>You open it and pull out the book you got from "FRGE" and give it another look over.
>It had used much of your time since you were waiting on Lyra.
>Your skill with the book was sub-par. Equestrian was a difficult language. You hoped she would at least respond well to a smile or something.
>Looking around, you identify your location as near Fluttershy's house.
"Of course. Just got to walk into town and find her..."
>Wait. usually you didn't disturb the populace because humans were common. Or they were all rapists. Or zombies, that one time.
>You sigh.
>If you go into town, you'll cause a ruckus.
>And then the mane 6 could get involved.
>And then the princesses.
>Man. Okay, time sneak around.
>With a gulp, you pick up your bag and pull the neck down from your sweater.
>You thought a turtleneck and tophat would be classy.
>This was a big step in an online relationship, meeting in person.
>P0ny.
>Whatever.
>If you sweat any faster, spaghetti will propel you all the way to the moon, and you haven't even seen a single p0ny yet!
>Smacking yourself in the face, you begin to talk to yourself.
"Come on man, get a hold of yourself!"
"But what if she doesn't recognize me? I never told her what I would look like!"
"That's just doubt. YOU'RE WEARING XBOX HUGE BOOTS. You're pretty obvious!"
"Aren't we supposed to be sneaking?"
>You stop, aware of the creatures of Fluttershy's cottage that have surrounded you in curiousity.
>Taking the chance, you walk past the animals and go into town
>There isn't anyp0ny around.
>it's kind of...awkward.
>Not like when Zecora was shunned, but more like the zombie apocalypse.
>Doors and shutters are left open, though there are no signs of struggle.
>No odd sounds from afar.
>The animals didn't even follow you past Fluttershy's gate.
>A clip clop alerts you to somp0ny around the bend,
>Wracked with worry, you dive into a nearby bush, bag of goodies making a clamoring noise.
>Peeking only a bit around the bend, you see a p0ny.
>Not green.
>Not Lyra.
>Don't break cover.
>They appear to have hear you, however and are heading directly for you.
>Shitshitshitshit.
>You creep from the bush you were in to another one nearby, and then from there to an alleyway, once you were sure the bush was obscuring you from the p0ny.
>You peer out the other side of the alley.
>You can see names on the houses.
>Well, words anyway.
>You pull out the book in an attempt to translate on the go.
>>Mai-l res-i-d-en-ce.
>Probably Ditzy's place.
>You look to another house and try again.
>>Bo-n-Bo-n-sDe-l-igh-ts
>Ha, bingo bango bongo.
>You peek to both sides of the alley into the street.
>Nop0ny in sight.
>You step quietly and slowly to the window and peer in.
>It is a small candy store.
>Of course.
>You back down into another alley.
>You hear a voice.
>It's not sounding happy or mad or distressed.
>But rather...sad?
>You can hear it from quite a distance.
>You could SWEAR it sounds like crying.
>Sobbing.
>You check the nearby signs first, sounding them out.
>Neither have anything to do with Lyra or Bon Bon.
>As you move from alleyway to alleyway, the sobbing sounds louder, angrier.
>You catch a syllable.
>"SURE!"
>Sounds like english to you, bub.
>The voice loses its anger, and goes back to sobbing.
>There is a window on the bottom of some of these houses, you realize, like there are basements underneath.
>You add peering into them to your list of things to check for.
>After about 10 houses or so, you come to a house with a light on in the basement.
>You peer inside.
"No way."
>Lyra Heartstrings is sitting at a computer table, crying.
>Every once in a while, something she says makes sense.
>"Sure...wa...leev! NO!"
>Oh hey, looks like no means no, no matter the language.
>Really though, that language is THICK.
>You pull the book opnen to basic syllables and vowels, complete with notes Forge stuffed in them.
>They weren't really useful, being in "common" but you appreciated the effort.
>You start to piece together Lyra's words, reading them aloud as you finish each one.
"No...sherm...I want...you...dont...do..it...dont...say it."
>Was Sherm breaking up with her online?
>Good.
>Well, he wasn't really dating her to begin with...
>Back to piecing this together.
"Don't...care...boots..just...want...you."
>Your heart sinks.
"Please...please...no..."
>You slump against the wall in defeat, accidentally hitting the window with your book
>The sobbing stops, and you can hear hoofsteps to the window and the telltale sound of unicorn magic.
>With a fright, you scramble, dropping the book and the bag.
>On instinct, you Jump, leaving your possessions behind, going to another random Equestria, hat falling to the ground and stopping just short of the window pane.

"Shit, shit shit!"
>Everything was still at the window in another dimension.
>You sigh, pacing.
>What was your issue, anyway?
>Was it finding out the mare you liked was head over hoof for some other human?
>Heartbroken as he tries to convince her to give you a chance?
>Or was he dying?
>You open your laptop and look over some of the lat few logs.
>It seemed she didn't believe you were serious after all.
>Maybe that was true. You just left, after all. You left, and you promised.
>You didn't deserve to be there, in the end.
>Maybe you were better off dying in that STUPID PIT YOU CALL EARTH!
>Your silent rage is apparent, face red, fists swinging, and tears streaming.
>You put away the laptop before you do something you regret, reattaching it to your belt loop with the canister.
"I'm sor-ry."
>You choke on the word.
"I'm sorry."
>And you cry yourself to sleep in the alley of a world you had never been in before.

>You awake to a feeling of pain in your legs.
>You lazily open your eyes to see a pony with a buzz saw cutting directly into your leg.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
>"AAAAHHHHH!!!"
>"Shut it down! Shut it down!"
>Another unicorn fires a beam at your leg, healing the damage done.
>You can't feel your legs now, but at least you're pretty sure they're attached.
>"Hello? Can you speak?"
"Yeah of course I can!"
>The "doctor" looks guiltily away for a moment.
>"Well, there hasn't been a human sighting in well over 3 thousand years, since before the reign of Dsicord! I...we had no idea what you were capable of, and were going to separate your technology by force. I apologize."
>You simply nod in abject horror.
>"We found you in P0nyville, curled up in a ball, and had you hauled to Canterlot for...err...dissection, really."
"At least you're honest here."
>"Yes, Honesty, a valuable element."
"Uh, can you let me down?"
>As soon as this four-eyed mother bucker lets you down, you are activating the boots and getting the HELL OUT OF HERE.
>"Uh...no."
"Oh, COME ON!"
>"But you won't be dissected! Instead, princess Cadance will be here soon to extract your memories and unlock these boots of yours."
"Those boots are my only way back to...my world and I'm NOT giving them up."
>You couldn't say it.
>You couldn't have said go back to Lyra.
>Did you REALLY want to go back to Earth?
>To Discord and a dying planet?
>Who was really to blame?
>Was it you, who forced Lyra and Sherm to break apart? Was it Sherm who decided that now of all times was the best time to break her the news? Or was it Lyra, getting attached?
>No, not Lyra's fault.
>Not anyone else's fault.
>The blame fell solely on you.
>These thoughts held your time until such that bitch-princess Cadance herself appeared.
>"This is the 'fearsome' monster? He's a human. What is your issue?"
>"Welll...we don't know what the boots do, aside from bringing him to his world, like he said earlier under interrogation."
>That wasn't interrogation, you yellow bellied toad!
>"Leave me alone with him."
>"Yes, your highness."
>The unicorns leave the room. A click is heard behind the door.
>Cadance's horn glows, and you feel an itch all over, then the manacles and straps release.
>You fall to the ground, a hiss of pain escaping your lips.
"That...hurt."
>"I apologize. I have to say, I've seen many heartbroken ponies, but never anything else...and of them you are the most in turmoil. Tell me, did you lose someone recently?"
"SomeP0NY."
>She looks left and right, then back at you, eyebrow raised as you lift yourself to a sitting position.
>"I was not aware humans were in the habit of having ponies as life partners."
"Well it doesn't matter now. She doesn't want me."
>You look in her eyes, expecting some aggravation or boredom, but find pity in its stead.
>She puts her horn to your head.
>"Is it alright, if I see the problem? Fixing love is my special talent, after all."
"Why bother..."
>Her horn lights up, and your mind goes blank.
>Every memory of Lyra, Earth and Discord flash before your eyes in mere seconds.
>When you blink, Cadance has her head turned away, crying.
>"You broke your promise to her. Why?"
"She didn't care. She didn't really want me. She never thought I'd make it either. It was..for the best that I never crushed her dreams further."
>Slap.
>You weren't sure how they slapped with hooves, but you just felt it, so you know it's possible.
>"I find it disheartening that my power is called upon more often that not as of late. I had expected to relax with my husband."
"What do you-"
>She focuses her energy and two hearts float out.
>One into you, and the other into your boots.
>It...hurts.
"Why? What is this supposed to do?"
>"When you see each other again, it should help you sort out your feelings. It is no spell that causes love, but focuses on what is already there and helps you to understand if it is true."
"I don't feel any less confused here, Princess."
>"It will work when you confess yourself to Lyra Heartstrings...though I think, for now, you ought to stay here as my guest. Giver her some time to get over the...other man."
>With a sigh, you;re unsure if this is supposed to be her way of testing your conviction for Lyra.
>"I knew a miss Heartstrings once. I had asked her to be my bridesmaid."
>You look up at her again.
>"Of course, she ended up being replaced by a changeling, the day of my wedding. I haven't seen her since. She never replied to my letter of apology."
>Now you feel even worse. had this happened to your Lyra too?
>No, not your Lyra.
"Sure, Princess Cadance. Mi Amore Cadenza, right?"
>"Yes. Now let's get you set in. it may...be a while."