>As you're looking back and forth between the room your body is headed toward and the room Jennifer is in, Lezard turns on his heel and starts to walk away.
>Decision time...
>Curious as to why and when you moved, you decide to stick with yourself.
>You step into the room beside Dash as the attending ponies move you onto the bed.
>There are wide channels of matted fur beneath her eyes, like she's been crying heavily.
>Her stare is intense.
>Lots of medical babble goes on as your body is fussed over, but nothing of note seems to happen for a while.
>You start to think you chose poorly when the attending ponies finally leave the room.
>Dash moves for the first time since entering the room.
>She plods heavily across the floor to the side of your bed and leans over you.
>Her face presses into your chest, and you hear her cry softly.
>She collects herself and picks her head up, staring into your rather peaceful face.
>And then she leaves the room.
>You stick your head out the door to see where she's going, but snap your attention to one of the walls when you hear a dull thud.
>You blink at it before approaching the wall and putting an ear up to it.
>There's a conversation going on, but you can't make out what it's about.
 
>Another thud, and a pause from both voices.
 
>You're thrown across the room by the wall exploding.
>You slam into the wall and fall to the floor.
>Your vision and hearing both blur, but you can pick out some words and two vague shapes.
>One is bigger than the other.
 
>"...an accident, I swear..."
 
>And then what remains of your vision starts to fade.
>Just before everything goes black, there's a sharp snap of violet light and you bolt upright, sitting up in the middle of Fluttershy's living room with Twilight standing over you.
 
>"Anon?  Please tell me you're alright!"
 
>You shake your head, holding a palm against the side of it and blinking a few times.
>"I think so... what happened?"
 
>"I had to pull you out.  You were in danger of losing your anchor.  Being lost."
 
>"Is it... because of that explosion?"
 
>Her face scrunches in confusion.
>"Explosion?  I don't know what happened, but if you were in an explosion, that would certainly be capable of doing it."
 
>Well there you go.  You guess you're lucky she pulled you out when she did instead of letting your projection die and your anchor be severed.
>Still, something's wrong...
>"Shit, I didn't figure out anything!"
 
>She shakes her head before putting a hoof on your shoulder.
>"It's okay.  We're already committed to plan A.  As long as we don't lose you, I can just send you back again."
 
>"Wait, really?"
 
>"Yeah.  Not immediately, I'll need a bit to rest and recharge, but it's not a problem.  Meet me back here in... I don't know, four hours?  Does that work for you, or is being projected tiring?"
 
>Your thoughts are a little cloudy...
>You figure it's better to get some rest yourself, and probably some food before or after that.
>"Ten hours?"
 
>Her eyes wander up and to the left, her lips silently mouthing some numbers.
>"Busy then.  Twelve?"
 
>You nod.  "Sure."
 
>"Okay then.  I'm going to head out.  Dash should be back pretty soon.  She left about a half hour ago to water the farm."
>She looks out the nearest window, then back to you.
>"You're sure you're alright?  I can leave you alone?"
 
>You stand up and put your hands behind your head, stretching a little.
>"I think so."
 
>"Alright.  I'll be back here in twelve hours, and we'll try again."
>She leaves.
 
>So then, what DO you know?
>Lezard was talking to Celestia.
>Fluttershy was checking on Platina, whose room is in an unknown location.
>Dash carried you in after you fell unconscious and had a quick chat with Celestia.
>You were carted off to a room OTHER than the one you woke up in.
>Fluttershy talked to Lezard, then went to go see Jennifer, whose room was where it should be.
>Dash stood in your room for a while, watching you, then she left.
>Whoever was in the room on the other side of the wall had a guest, and something exploded through the wall into your room.
>Some time later, Dash had a conversation with Jennifer and SOMEHOW doomed her.
>Then everyone who was there died or disappeared, except you.
>Dash had left.  Jennifer and Fluttershy had not.  Celestia and Luna are gone, along with their respective heavenly bodies.
>Other humans were in the building.  Some of them left before that.
 
>Twilight says you can try again.  You're not sure when or where you'll be, so you don't know what you can or can't investigate, but you'd like to see Dash's conversation with Jennifer and catch a glimpse of the catastrophe.
>It's probably a good idea to see what that explosion was.  It's obviously why you changed rooms, but what caused it is a mystery.
>It couldn't hurt to check out Lezard, Platina, and whichever other humans were around.
>You have your work cut out for you.
 
>You're snapped out of your thoughts by Dash tackling you in a hug, burying her face in your chest with a nuzzle.
>"You're okay!" she shouts, smiling at you as she squeezes you around the waist.
 
>You chuckle a little before remembering the other night... err... day... set of hours?
>You chuckle a little more, albeit somewhat nervously.
 
>She looks into your eyes silently for a moment before blushing and loosening her grip.
>"Sorry."
>She lets you go.
 
>"...Anon?"
 
>"Yeah?"
 
>"You're not... mad about what I did, are you?"
 
>You blush a little right back.
>"No.  Just... confused."
 
>"If you still need some time to think about things, that's totally cool.  I mean, I did kinda-"
 
>"Well yeah, that too, but I just don't get... what am I?  To you?"
 
>Her blush deepens and she breaks eye contact.
>"Do I really have to say it?  I'm not good with those kinda words..."
 
>You reach your arms up around her, giving a little squeeze.
>Her wings spring up, pressing into your arms.
>"So you... really?  Me?"
 
>She gulps, then nods, still looking away.
>"Mhm."
>Finally turning her eyes back to you, she trembles a little.
>"Do... you?"
 
>You hesitate, then let go.
 
>Her ears droop.
>"...Oh..."
 
>"Nonono!  I don't mean... I... look, I don't KNOW okay?  You're... you're a pony!  I'm not!  And you're still keeping something from me and you won't tell me why!"
 
>She raises an eyebrow and throws you her best 'are you fucking serious' face.
>"EVERYTHING I've been quiet about was about this.  There aren't any other secrets, Anon."
 
>"Then what did you do to Jennifer?"
 
>"You... you loved her, didn't you?  I was a little disappointed when I saw how well you two were getting along, but if she made you happy, that was okay.  Then... well then while you were out, I went to lay the cards on the table with her.  Let her know that I wouldn't get in the way unless she hurt you.  It turns out, she still had feelings for you.  But you know what she did?"
 
>You don't say anything.
 
>"She gave me a shot.  She told me to go confess to you.  She said that after I took my chance, THEN she would come back to you.  When I flew you in, she was just about healthy enough to leave already.  She only really stayed for you."
 
>Does that mean...?
 
>She's starting to cry again.  Teardrops are brimming in the corners of her eyes.
>"And I... I was too afraid.  Too afraid you'd say no.  So I left.  I flew off.  I... I ran away.  And she waited.  She could've been out of there, but she wanted to wait for me to confess.  I stopped her.  I... I killed her."
 
>But she didn't!  You... you're not sure how to feel about anything anymore, but you don't blame Dash for that.
>It's true that it hurts that Jennifer died.  You're over her, romantically, but she DID mean something to you once, and that doesn't ever stop being true, no matter how many years it's been since you were together.
>But Dash never meant to do anything wrong.  And she never DID.
>Her only mistake was falling for an idiot like you.
>"Dash, no-"
 
>"I did!  It was my fault!  All mine!  So I thought that... I thought that since I'd made my choice... the coward's choice... and cost her her life and the two of you the chance to be together, I didn't think I deserved that shot anymore.  I was gonna take care of you, because I owed you at least that, but I wasn't gonna be selfish enough to try anything.  But then you went ahead and decided to risk your life, and then I was gonna be left with nothing!  I couldn't... I couldn't accept that.  I'm too selfish.  And then I had to be an idiot and go get drunk and-"
 
>Why would she, anyway?  You're...
>And she's...
>And you ARE different species!  It doesn't... it doesn't work that way.  You can't...
>"Stop.  Just... stop.  You didn't kill her.  Even if you hadn't talked to her at all, she still could have been there, but either way, you're not responsible for what happened."
 
>"But I-"
 
>Your mouth is getting ahead of your brain now.
>You're still trying to process how you felt BEFORE this conversation.
>"No.  That's not how it works.  You can't blame yourself for something you didn't do.  You can't dwell on the 'could'ves' in your life.  That isn't good for you, and you deserve better."
 
>She wipes a hoof at her eyes.
>"Deserve better?  Like WHAT?  You can think and twist it all day, but in the end if I had been a stronger pony, then Jennifer might've lived.  It's my failure that sealed her fate.  You know what I deserve?"
 
>Something inside of you takes over, and without a moment's consideration, you ready your hand.
>"This."
>You pull her toward you and press your lips over hers.
>Nothing makes any sense, but maybe it doesn't have to.
>The whole world is cold and dim without its celestial guardians, but the room is warmer and lighter than it's ever been.
>Her eyes close and her wings flutter, as do yours.
>The two of you melt into one another as you collapse to the floor, losing yourselves in the moment.
>Everything else falls away as you hungrily pull her into yourself.
>It's only when the two of you part lips, panting and gasping for air, that your thoughts finally start to catch up.
>You've felt something similar once before.
>You knew a name for it then, even if you couldn't fully understand how or why those feelings took hold.
>You're not quite sure now, either.
>It doesn't matter.
>You're here, in this beautiful, perfect moment, and so is she.
 
 
>After a long rest and a good meal, Twilight arrives to begin the next session.
>Dash sits anxiously to one side, struggling to stop fidgeting.
>Twilight's magic engulfs you and your body goes slack.
 
>Your eyes slide open to reveal a hallway.
>Lezard is pushing a door open.
>You glance about, see nothing else, and follow him into the room, not quite sure when you are.
>You hadn't noticed before, but his shirt seems unusually tight.
 
>"Platina, dear, are you awake?"
 
>A younger girl is sitting up in the bed.  She's certainly younger than you, but notably beyond childhood.  Maybe somewhere in her teens?
>Long silver hair falls from her head, flowing past her shoulders.
>A horn protrudes from her forehead.  She looks to Lezard and blinks.
 
>Lezard grins.
>"I was hoping you could try casting a few spells for me."