Division
#10 of A winter wonderland
Letter to Princess Celestia from Mark Robertson
Dear Princess Celestia,
Firstly, I want to thank you for the excellent advice you gave me in your last letter. Winter and I have been dating since autumn, and I couldn't be happier. She had felt the same way as I for a long time, and was beginning to think that she should give up. So your advice was not only right, but timely as well. We are getting along so well, I think I may propose to her within the next twelve months.
Secondly, I wish to ask you to convey to your sister my sincerest thanks in dealing with a nightmare I had a while back. With her guidance, I have been able to fully come to terms with my situation and not avoid dealing with it.
I think both Luna and yourself know how hard it has been for me to come to terms with being here and I thank you for every bit of help that you have rendered to me, and the kindness you have shown at every turn. When I arrived I kept to myself, seldom talking to anypony, preferring instead to turn inwards, clinging to my old life as much as possible. Today all that has changed. I am in love with a wonderful mare and my business is doing far better than I ever expected. I am truly happy here. Which leads me to the main reason that I'm writing this letter.
I need to let you know of a very strange thing that happened to me the other night. I went to bed as usual, but then I found myself in a long room, though it could have just as easily been called a corridor, as it was longer than it was wide.
It was incredibly ostentatious, with wooden panelling and a solid mahogany table. One wall had a large landscape painting in a silver frame, the other wall had two large windows with lead diamond patterns. At the far end were two doors. As though moved by some irresistible force, I moved closer and I arrived at the opposite end of the room in a few short steps.
Two doors of heavy oak with golden handles stood before me. Above each there was a placard carved in exquisite scrolling patterns. The one on the right said "Aye" and the left read "Noe" in bright gold paint. A sign hung on the space between them, which read as follows:
If ye would go back to whence ye came, say "Aye". If ye would go home, say "Noe" Ye may leave by but one door.
In a brief flash of panic, I looked to the far end and indeed there was no door. I ran back and examined the unyielding oak, but there was no sign of an entrance. So how did I get here? I asked myself.
After I few deep breaths, I examined every inch of the room twice over. Despite checking every nook and cranny, I could find no hint of a secret entrance - just perfectly solid walls and floor. The windows too were firmly fixed and did not open. Had there been a chair hardy, I might have tried smashing one. Slowly a thought came into my head.
'Is this a dream again?' I asked aloud.
My voice seemed to echo, and I began to believe that the light that was streaming in through the windows wasn't sunlight as I had thought, but some otherworldly light. It was far too bright, and it made everything shimmer most unnaturally. Furthemore, it didn't warm my skin, as sunlight would have. The more I began to follow that train of thought, the more the room now took on very unreal quality, as though it wasn't quite there, and the air seemed heavy and hard to breath.
All in all it was like being in that place between sleep and wakefulness - that liminal world where all things were possible. The only thing I wanted was an end to it, and that I could not get. I would need some help.
'This has to be a dream. Luna! Princess Luna? What do I do? This doesn't make any sense!' I called out, expecting her to appear, just like last time.
I waited what seemed to be hours waiting, hoping that Luna would come again and explain everything to me.
Slowly it dawned on me that whatever this was, it wasn't a dream. If I wanted to leave this strange place, had to make a choice. I don't know how long I stood in front of those two doors trying to decipher the riddle of which would take me where, but eventually I made my mind up. I had stayed in this bizarre place far too long already, and felt as if any longer would drive me out of my wits.
'To hell with this! I hope this is the right choice.' I exclaimed, as I threw open the door marked "Noe". I had decided to interpret the riddle as suggesting that if I wanted to go where I considered home I must choose "Noe" Whereas "Aye" would return me to my old life.
With thumping heart, and trembling knees, I walked through the door into pure, white light. As I crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind me, and it all went black, as if someone had turned off the light.
It was then that I found myself on the floor of my bedroom, hopelessly entangled in my bedsheets.
Princess, I cannot be certain if what I experienced was just a dream or if it was real. If it was a dream then it makes no sense to me other than as a repetition of the message already imparted to me by the dream I mentioned above. However, if it was real, then I think it was offering me choice between staying here and going back to my world. I am happy that I chose the right door, for I am certain I would be devastated had I not - to say nothing of how Winter would have reacted. The only compliant I have is that this incident has shed no light on how or why I ended up in Equestria in the first place. Perhaps I'll never know? If you have any thoughts on this, I would gladly hear them, for it is certain that I am utterly perplexed by it.
Having chosen this world, that I know consider to be my home I think it is time to choose a more pony sounding name. After much thought I have decided on "Quillswell" . I decided to take what was meant as a backhanded compliment, and make it my own. Because I do quill very well, so why not? I will still go by my old name, but for day-to-day use, I'll slowly switch over to my new name.
Yours sincerely,
Quillswell, AKA Mark Robertson