A Deal From The Past

Chapter 17

You managed to sneak out of your new home while Heather was asleep. You traversed through the woods to the Mystery Shack, memorizing the ways from your last life. You were about halfway through your journey when a man appeared in front of you. He seemed angry, and he pinned you against the tree as he snarled.

"How do you remember?"

You struggled in his grip, glaring. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man wrapped a hand around your neck, squeezing. "I believe you do, Celestia. How do you remember your past life?"

"I don't know, now let me go!"

The man eased up, but still kept his grip on you. "How do you not know? It's your memory."

"I just don't, okay? I'm just as confused as you are."

"It can't be Pharos, he's not strong enough for that... this place must have a magical pull or something."

You pushed him off of you, rubbing your sore neck. "Don't ask me, I can't tell you. Now I really have to go-"

"How long do you think you can keep this from him?"

You froze. "What?"

"He's going to figure it out. You can't hide it from him forever."

"That's not my plan." You quickly ran away before he could hold you back any longer.

Soon enough, you reached the shack. Bill was standing out on the porch. He sensed you approach and turned, smiling. "There you are. I thought you'd never come back."

"I had to wait until my mom went to sleep. Plus, someone stopped me out in the woods."

"You shouldn't be talking to strangers this late at night."

"He wasn't a stranger, more like an old friend. We haven't seen each other in a while, though."

"I trust you. So, what is it you wanted to know?"

"I haven't actually thought about it. I guess... how did it start?"

Bill sighed. "Let's just say, I tracked an old enemy of mine to this town. Due to the magic surrounding this place, I couldn't find him here. It made it really easy for him to hide his powers from me. But I stayed, hoping to find him one day. I've always had an attachment to this place, even before I tracked him here. I made deals, tried taking over the town a couple of times, hoping he'd show his face, but he never did."

"What did he do?"

"He wronged me, several centuries ago. Me and my one true love. Cursed us so we could never truly be together. Every time we kiss, she disappears to another timeline and another life."

"Where is she now? What's her name?"

"Celestia." He smiled for a brief second before sighing. "And I don't know where she is. She disappeared again. We were trapped, and we had to escape. She did the only thing that could save us."

"Bill, I... I'm so sorry." You hesitated before grabbing his hand. He jumped, looking up and staring into your eyes. "I'm sure you'll find her again soon." You gave him a smile.

He smiled back. "I hope so, too."

It was quiet for a moment, until you saw his brow begin to furrow. "Bill? What's wrong?"

"Your mind... I can't see into your thoughts. Who are you? Really?"

Suddenly, you heard a loud ringing in your ear. You looked around, realizing you could only hear it and recognizing it as the summoning ring. "I can't tell you right now, but you'll know soon enough. I have to go. I'll see you soon, Bill."

Before he could say anything or follow, you ran back into the woods. You knew you were deep enough so no one could see you. A portal appeared in front of you, and you quickly changed into your other form before stepping through.