Edger stood for a moment at the large tree before him and at the red door that beckoned for him to enter. Rarity was right; the Ponyville Library was impossible to miss. The tree stood above the houses that surrounded it, its leaves shook in the wind that rode above the town, and as they shook, a small hiss echoed through the streets. The pegasi had decided that today would be another overcast one as evidenced by the row upon row of grey cloud that lined the sky. Edger knocked at the door and took as step back as he waited for Twilight to open it. He looked back at the tree and wondered how it was that a hollowed out tree was still able to retain its leaves. At that matter, how could a tree that had been hollowed out remain alive at all? he thought. As he reached out to touch the bark of the tree, Edger realized that the bark was artificial; the tree was merely a façade.
The door opened, and a small purple dragon stood at the doorway.
“Can I help you?” The dragon asked.
“Yes,” Edger said, clearing his voice, “I’m here to see Miss Twilight about the reading?”
“Oh, so you’re Edger.” The dragon replied, “You know, I don’t think your book has stayed here more than one night since it came here. The stallions here haven’t really seen that much horror.”
Edger nodded and then made his way into the library. Even with the overcast day, the lights remained off, and the main room of the library was bathed on shadows. In the corner, Edger could make out a small shadow that was darker than the others. Edger’s pulse quickened as he continued to stare at the shadow. Suddenly, the shadow’s eyes opened to reveal two yellow irises.
“Owlowicious, stop that.” The dragon yelled as he turned on the lights.
Edger sighed as he watched the shadow turn into a small owl.
“Sorry,” the dragon said, “Owlowicious really likes doing that to new ponies. Twilight!”
“Yes, Spike?” Twilight Sparkle called down from the floor above.
“Edger is here.”
Edger looked up and saw Twilight Sparkle as she exited the upstairs and stood at the top of the stairs. The way she looked back and forth before she made her way down made Edger think of a monarch inspecting her own kingdom. Edger could tell that Twilight Sparkle took her job as librarian seriously – not a single book seemed out of place, and not a speck of dust could be found. The only thing that Twilight Sparkle could not get rid of was the musty smell of the older books that wafted through the air. Edger never minded that smell; he loved the smell of old books as much as he loved the smell of old wine. Just as an expert sommelier could tell where a fine wine came from and what kind of grape had been used, so, too, could an expert reader smell an old book and tell what tree had been used. His own publisher had always used the trees from the forests in between Neighagra Falls and the Crystal Mountains, but the publishers in Los Pegasus tended to use the trees of the White Tail Woods, and the Vanhoover Publishing House used the trees that surrounded Smokey Mountain.
“Miss Twilight,” Edger said, “I simply adore your library.”
“Thank you.” Twilight Sparkle replied, “If you follow me, I’ll show you the anteroom in which the reading will take place.”
Twilight Sparkle turned her head and made her way to the door on the side of the library. Edger chuckled as he thought of this library being Twilight Sparkle’s castle, and in a way it was. Twilight Sparkle seemed incredibly proud of what she did, regardless of her new royal status. The doors to the anteroom opened, and Edger took in the sight; it was similar to the main room of the library, with the exception of the missing tables in the middle of the floor. A projector sat on top of a cart in the corner of the room, with movie reels on the shelf beneath it.
“As you can see,” Twilight Sparkle began, “There is more than enough space for us to host a reading like the one you had in Manehatten.”
“That’s very kind of you, Miss Twilight,” Edger replied, “But remember, this reading is incredibly short notice, and besides that, I’m here to give a reading on my poetry, not on the stories that everypony is obsessed with. We shouldn’t expect too much of a turnout.”
“About that,” Twilight Sparkle said as she levitated a small book from one of the nearby shelves, “Have you given any thought on which poems you’d like to read? Maybe you’d like to go ahead and read some of them, just to get a feel for the acoustics of the room?”
“I think you just want to hear me speak again, Miss Twilight.”
“It’s true,” Twilight Sparkle said as she blushed, “It’s just that I’ve always been surrounded by books, but it’s so rare that I ever get to meet the author of a book. You know exactly how it’s supposed to be read, if that makes sense.”
Edger wrapped his aura around the book that Twilight Sparkle held, flipped through some of the pages, and then handed it back to her. He then made his way towards the side of the room where a large window opened toward the Everfree Forest in the distance. He turned and faced Twilight Sparkle, who had pulled up a small chair and sat down to listen.
“Sestina fourteen,” Edger said:
Maybe I should simply sit here tonight,
listen as the music’s notes float through air,
while I wonder where you are until light
of morning reaches towards me once more.
Even now, I feel beams of Luna’s moon
caress my face, softly as could your hoof.
I long to touch you once again, hoof to hoof,
but I learn it is now, only tonight,
that I have always yearned for it, like air.
Always there, but in shadow, like the moon
when she turns to her dark side. But the light
of your love is always there. I need more.
Without you, I cannot breathe nor see. More
than air and light, you are the one whose hoof
is mine as I reach out to touch the light.
Will you show your face to me tonight?
Or will I be left consoled by the moon
as she dances in circles through the air?
Once, when we kissed, we shared each other’s air
and our lungs rose and fell together. More
than that, our eyes glowed brighter than the moon.
Even our manes touched, each strand a hoof,
reaching out to touch each other. Tonight,
I wait to see if it will be the light
of Celestia’s sun or your own light
that will greet me first. Will I breathe the air
from pegasi cloud or your own tonight?
Can we move this love beyond ourselves, more
and more, throughout these streets, from hoof to hoof,
so it shines around us all like the moon?
Love, elemental, like the sun or moon.
A palpable force, like darkness or light.
As I open the window with my hoof
and inhale to breathe in this city’s air,
I turn my gaze down through the streets once more
to listen for the sounds of you tonight.
A shadow stands beneath the moon. A hoof
falls. The air catches in my chest. Tonight,
I know that there is no more light but you.
Edger looked over to see Twilight Sparkle with her head down as she read each word that Edger had spoken. Her hoof traced along the writing as he spoke, as though she had made notes as to where the correct pauses were. As she finished, Edger looked around the anteroom. The room seemed brighter for a moment, even the musty smell of the books had dissipated. Edger stood in front of the window and turned his attention to her as she looked up into his eyes.
“You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since I’ve seen you.”
“Did you… like the poem?” Edger asked.
“I loved it.” Twilight Sparkle replied, “It… reminds me of someone I know.”
Edger watched as Twilight Sparkle turned her attention away from him for a moment and instead to the Everfree Forest in the window. She recollected herself a moment later.
“But it’s not just the words,” Twilight Sparkle continued, It was the way you said them. It was as though the words themselves were magic and you were casting a spell.”
“Well, in a way, poetry is a form of magic spell.” Edger replied, “You aren’t just writing words, you’re writing sounds, pauses, and many other things. All spells are poems, too.”
Twilight Sparkle had levitated a quill to her and was writing notes on a scroll as he spoke.
“Even the energy in the room seems to have changed a little bit.” Twilight Sparkle said, “I hope that we’ll have a lot of ponies here on Tuesday.”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Before Twilight Sparkle could call out to Spike, the dragon had already opened the front door to greet whomever it was that had come to visit. Rarity appeared in front of the anteroom door and stopped, causing Spike to bump into her leg.
“Twilight, I,” Rarity began, “Did you change something in here, dear? The lights, perhaps?”
“No,” Twilight said, “Why do you ask?”
“It just seems brighter in here, is all. Spike, did you do any heavy cleaning in here?”
“Nope,” Spike said, “Everything looks the same in here. Everything is in order.”
“Strange…” Rarity muttered to herself before she turned to Edger,” Oh Edger, darling, I’ve just put the finishing touches on your outfit. Why don’t we go out this evening? I know it’s not as lively as Manehatten, but there are still a few watering holes to go to. Besides, it will give you an opportunity to promote the reading that you’re going to give.”
“She does make a good point, Edger.” Twilight Sparkle offered, “If you want, I’ll come with you.”
“Of course I make a good point, Twilight.” Rarity said, “And I also invited Caramel to come with us. So come on, now, Edger. Let’s go ahead and get ready.”
Rarity turned around to leave. Edger looked over to Twilight Sparkle, who had instead smiled and shook her head as though this behavior were normal for Rarity. As Edger left the room, Twilight Sparkle thought that a small cloud must have passed over the area in between Celestia’s sun and the window to the anteroom, because Twilight Sparkle noticed that the darkness had reentered the room.
*****
The silhouettes of the ponies as they danced to the music stretched against the walls of the club. They combined with one another, moving back and forth like black flames. Above the earth ponies and unicorns, a few pegasi had taken to the air to dance in figure eight patterns near the ceiling. Some of the ponies who had not started to dance yet simply stood along the edges and leaned against the wall and looked on over the crowd, while a few others sat in the small booths that surrounded the periphery of the dance floor. Glasses clinked against one another and laughter filled the outer edges of the building as those who sat in the booths conversed amongst themselves.
In one of the booths near the corner sat Edger, Twilight Sparkle, Caramel, and Rarity. Edger simply looked back and forth at the scene in front of him, while Twilight Sparkle and Caramel talked to each other and Rarity flirted with the server as she ordered another daiquiri. Edger turned to his party to listen to the conversation that had occurred while he wasn’t paying attention.
“So after you guys spent all that time making the cupcakes,” Twilight Sparkle asked, “You guys taste them only to find that she had used salt instead of sugar?”
“Yep,” Caramel laughed, “But she didn’t even stop eating them.”
“I’m fairly certain that with the way Pinkie eats she didn’t even taste the salt.” Rarity added as she turned back to the table.
“I’m really going to have to meet this Pinkie,” Edger said, “She sounds like a character.”
“That she is, Edger,” Rarity said, “Oh Twilight, would you be a dear and accompany me to the little filly’s room?”
“Um, sure Rarity.” Twilight Sparkle said as the two of them edged out of the booth.
Rarity turned around and winked at Edger as she and Twilight Sparkle made their way away from the two stallions. Edger slowly lifted his glass of wine and took a sip.
“You do realize that Miss Rarity has intended for the two of us to be together like this, right?”
“Of course I do,” Caramel sighed, “It’s just what Rarity does. She thinks it’s her job not only to be a fashionista but also a matchmaker. But how did you know?”
“Besides the wink she just gave me?” Edger asked. “I overheard her creating a conversation with two of her ponnequins.”
The glasses around Edger clinked louder than usual, And Edger looked around at each table to see the hooves that held the glasses slowly grew talons. He looked back over to Caramel to listen to what he was saying, but the sounds that came from his mouth were inaudible. Instead, the laughter and singing died down, only to be replaced by whispers that scratched against Edger’s ears. Edger looked down to the pocket of his new pants to reach for his medications. As he used his magic to pull them out, they slipped out of his aural grasp from the unexpected tightness of the pants and fell onto the floor at his feet. The noises grew louder around him as he opened the bottle beneath the table. He levitated a pill quickly as he emerged. Caramel’s body had changed to all white, just as the ponies around him and on the dance floor had. The shadows stood over them, and the dark hooves emerged from the walls and reached out to nearly touch the white ponies. As Edger reached for his drink, he saw one of the hooves emerge and brush against the white pony in front of him. He swallowed down the pill with his wine, closed his eyes, and covered his ears with his hooves. A few minutes had passed, and the whispering soon went away and was once again replaced with the sound of ponies laughing and singing.
“Edger?” Caramel asked.
“Yes?” Edger replied as he opened his eyes.
Caramel had returned to normal. The ponies had returned to normal. Everything was as it should be.
“You really zoned out there for a minute, dude.”
“Sorry, I’m just not used to loud noises a lot.” Edger lied. “In fact, I think I would like to try to get home to get some rest, but I don’t know how long I should wait for Rarity.”
“Nopony in Ponyville locks their door.” Caramel replied, “I’m sure you could just open the front door and get some sleep before she even notices you’re gone. Unless you wanted someone to walk you home?” Caramel added in a joking manner.
“That is exactly the ammunition we need to give Miss Rarity.” Edger said as he stood to leave, “No, I’m fine walking home.”
“No problem. And thanks for signing the book.”
“I always love to meet new fans.”
Edger made his way through the crowd of ponies and onto the street. As the door closed, Edger took in a deep breath. Good, Edger thought, now to get to Rarity’s before another hallucination arrives. Edger made his way through the streets, passing a large building that looked like a cross between a cupcake and a gingerbread house. There were no other ponies out at this hour, save for those in the club. Edger reached for his pocket watch. Midnight, Edger thought, the enchantress’s hour. He knew that this was the road back to Rarity’s Boutique, because it was closer to the Everfree Forest. He passed the Ponyville Library and watched as Owlowicious stared out the window at him, his yellow eyes glowing through the glass. He passed over a park, and he listened to his hooves as they clacked against the stone. As Edger continued, he heard the water beneath him burble against the shore.
Suddenly, Edger reached up to grab his head. Another wave of energy had passed through the air, and he fell to the ground. The sound of water sharpened until it shrieked through the air. Edger looked up and saw that the shadows in the distance had begun to move. Why aren’t my medications working, Edger thought as he started to run back to Rarity’s Boutique. Everywhere he looked, shadows emerged from the sides of buildings. He shook his head and followed the curve of the road. Finally, he could see the boutique in the distance.
That was when he heard the scream.
Edger turned towards the Everfree Forest as the screaming continued. The trees of the Everfree forest towered over him as he ran along the edge, searching for a way to get in. The shadows continued to move along the edges of the trees, but Edger knew he had to ignore it. This was a different sound. The scream wasn’t coming from his imagination; he knew that there was a mare screaming somewhere. Finally, Edger saw what he was looking for; there was a small opening near the road over another bridge, and he immediately turned towards the darkness. The screaming was louder, and he knew that whatever it was had to be nearby. But as he turned another corner, he heard a sickening snap and a flash of white.
Edger stood for a moment, not sure of what he saw. A white blank faced pony lay on the ground as shadowy hooves covered her and picked at her. The flash of white landed by his side, and he saw that it was a wing of a pegasus. Not real not real not real, Edger shouted in his head, but that was when he heard another voice.
Edger… Edger help…
Edger ran toward the shadows, the only thought in his head was to destroy their darkness. Another snap echoed in the air, and Edger saw another wing land on the forest floor. Edger's horn began to glow white as opposed to his usual blue hue. A palpable force, like darkness or light… a palpable force… a palpable force. He ran his horn through the shadows, and one by one, the shadows disappeared into the darkness. The white pony throbbed beneath him, and he took the body in his arms. Edger reached for his bottle again. He knew if these hallucinations got any more real he would have to either get his prescription increased or simply be committed. He couldn’t take this anymore. He couldn’t take these visions. He released the white pony from his grip and ran his hooves against his head. Not real, not real.
Suddenly, there were lights in the distance, and he shouted out to them. But instead of more white ponies, Edger breathed a sigh of relief as police ponies appeared near him, followed by Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Caramel.
“Edger,” Twilight Sparkle asked, “What happened to Fluttershy?”
Edger shook and looked down to see Fluttershy’s body as it quivered beneath him. The space on her shoulder where wings should have been now spouted blood and it ran down her sides, turning pink as it blended with her yellow fur.
“Edger,” Twilight Sparkle asked again, “What happened?”