Fitting In
Nightshade finally passed into sleep, and for once, he was alone in his dreams. For the past two years, whenever he felt the embrace of sleep, Lyra was always waiting for him. This time, she was not. It was very late at night, so she must be asleep, but since she wasn't there that meant that her training with Celestia had gone well, and she was no longer forced into his head whenever she slept. Although he was glad to have some peace and quiet, it was also a little unnerving.
In his mind, he went over the various things he needed to do. He was staying at Fluttershy's house, and although she would never kick him out, as she was far too kind to do so, Nightshade hated relying on others. He had always done things himself, and while he would accept the kindness of others, he would always make sure to return the favor. The first thing he needed was a permanent place for him and Scootaloo to live, and this time he wanted it to be a proper house, with appliances and furniture, not just some shack out in the woods. There was plenty of room at the edge of the forest, and he could have a house right across the path from Fluttershy's. Partly because he wanted to see her a bit more, and also because it could get scary being so close to the forest and living all alone, and he thought having someone else out there would bring some relief.
To do that however, he's need money, and a lot of it. He had visited Zecora quickly after the party, and found that she had already collected all the herbs and the like she needed for the winter, with his help. It was mid November, and the various plants would not grow again till next spring. He could help out at the orchard, living around plants all his life he knew a thing or two about farming. He could also help at Sugarcube Corner, although he dreaded the thought of having to hang out with Pinkie all day. Nothing against her, but she was just too hyper for his lifestyle.
He couldn't help with the weather preparing for winter, as he could not fly, although maybe he could do some home repairs to help Ponyville get ready. After all, he did build a house out of nothing but logs and thatch. Maybe he could ask Twilight what needed doing around town. His train of thought was cut off by a presence entering his mind. Not something familiar like Lyra, it was something powerful,not as powerful as Celestia or Luna, but definitely not a pushover.
This thing, whatever it was, was silent, and he could not see it, but it's presence was something altogether sinister. He awoke in a cold sweat. He hadn't had a nightmare in years, mostly because he didn't sleep for years, and the times that he did he had Lyra to keep his mind from wandering. Figuring since he had some deep mental scarring, he was probably going to have nightmares for a time until he could actually cope with the events of his past, he just brushed it off.
"6:00 am? great. The first time I get some shut eye without psychic interruption, and I can only go for four hours." Nightshade said absent mindedly. Although considering his previous sleep schedule, and that before he learned to use his powers he always had mild insomnia, it wasn't too much of a surprise. The sun wasn't even up yet. It was nearing winter, and so Celestia raised the sun later to allow the temperatures to drop. He stepped outside to get some fresh air, and found none other than Luna flying overhead.
Seeing the moon princess, he waved to her, and she flew down to meet him. "Enjoying the night I presume?"
"Well, considering how long I was strictly nocturnal, and the rest of the time sleep was either random or non existent, I guess you could say I'm having a little trouble adjusting." He explained quietly, not wanting to wake up the others in the cottage.
"Couldn't sleep?" Luna said, raising her eyebrow at his excuse.
"Yeah. So, what brings you here? I thought you were headed back to Canterlot." Trying to change the subject. While they had resolved their differences, he was still walking on thin ice with the royal sisters, and didn't want to do all the talking.
"We have.... discovered that an old enemy, one who we thought we had defeated, has returned. There is no cause for worry however, it is still weak, and we shall put an end to it shortly. I was tracking it, and it seems to have passed by here." She explained. She was trying to hide her feelings, and her face and voice portrayed no emotion, but by looking in her eyes he could tell that whatever this thing was, it had hurt her personally.
Nightshade recalled the presence he felt in his mind, but it was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, brought about by his troubling past right? Then again, he thought the same of Lyra, and she was all too real.
"I think you may be right. I felt something a little earlier, maybe ten minutes or so ago. Something, sinister. It didn't say or do anything, and I couldn't see it, but it felt like a mix of cruelty and misery." He decided that, even if it was a dream, he better tell her, just in case it wasn't. It's not like it was something he needed to hide, after all, both princesses had been in his mind for several days, and all his secrets had been revealed to them.
"Then I was correct, thank you for your assistance. I must continue chasing it immediately." And with that, Luna flew off over the forest.
Heading back inside, Fluttershy was now awake as well. Despite having been very quiet, she could here him well enough to be woken up, partly because of the regular silence, and partly because she was just possibly the best listener in the world. She was making breakfast, and had already set out food for the animals.
"Oh, umm, you're up." She said meekly.
"Yeah, I, umm, couldn't sleep." He responded. She was obviously still feeling a little awkward around him, judging by how she blushed. She tried asking him why, if it was maybe the couch was uncomfortable, or if it was drafty, or any number of other things. He had to explain that he usually didn't sleep at that time, and that he was just switching his sleep schedule over. That made her calm down a bit. She made homemade pancakes, with raspberries on top. She was going to use strawberries, but Nightshade explained that he was allergic to them.
"I hate to impose but, do you have any maple syrup?" he asked.
"I'm sorry?" She didn't understand.
"Oh, well if you don't have any, that's okay." He backpeddled.
"Umm, I don't know what that is." She said confused. What the hell. Ponies didn't have maple syrup? But they had pancakes. What is wrong with this place?
"Well, where do you get your sugar?" He asked.
"Well, we normally have it shipped. There are several sugarcane farms in southern Equestria, and they make it there." Fluttershy said. Well, as soon as he got his house built, he knew exactly what he was going to be doing to make bits. Living in northern Michigan, he had been to Canada several times during the fall, and on his visits, he practically LIVED at the various sugar shacks, all dedicated to making, and showing tourists how to make, maple syrup. They made some of his favorite treats. He saw plenty of maple trees out in the Everfree, and knew exactly what he needed to do to make it. It would be in late spring, when the sap started to flow. Perfect timing. Although he really didn't want to bring any influence from Earth to Equestria, this was one thing that they simply could not do without, and it was harmless.
"Well then, come spring time, I guess I'll have to show you something new." He hadn't been this excited in a very long time. While they did have things like caramel apples, it was all made from processed and refined sugar. They needed the natural stuff. But first, he needed to get his house built.
"Say Fluttershy, do you know anywhere in town where I could make some bits?" He asked casually.
"Well, you could help me here, taking care of the forest animals." She said shyly. " I mean, they tend to get injured since the forest is a dangerous place, and you are so good at healing things."
"I couldn't charge you for that. You're already letting us stay here, and besides, the forest has given me so much, I think it's about time I start giving back to it. So I'll do it, but not for money." He couldn't make her pay him, she's letting him and Scootaloo stay in her house, for free, even though things were awkward between them.
"Oh well, umm, if you want to." She was surprised that he wouldn't accept payment. Heck, if he had asked, she probably would have just given him the bits, partly because she couldn't say no to someone who needed help, partly because she liked him, and partly because despite her humble abode, she was actually fairly wealthy. This was due to having a frugal lifestyle, and taking care of Opal, which Rarity insisted she pay her for, being the element of generosity after all.
After using his abilities to treat several injured animals, and then pass the injuries onto the trees, he thanked her for breakfast, and got Scootaloo ready for school. She was dying to have him meet her class and teacher, and since family appreciation day was coming up (which she had never had a parent for previously) she was very excited to finally show him off to her class.
"Alright Scoots, I'll go, it's not like I have to hide anymore anyway." While staying hidden was the best for both of them at the time, he always regretted not being able to be more active in her life. Now that he was out in the open, he could do all the things he had missed out on, particularly, the upcoming running of the leaves. Held on December first, the ponies would run through the forest in a marathon, the vibrations from all the hooves knocking the leaves off the branches. Why they didn't fall on their own, he didn't know, but hey, different world, different rules. He wasn't about to question it.
Time went on, Nightshade could heal the injured animals so much faster than with the traditional method, that Fluttershy actually found herself with more free time than she knew what to do with. She thought about spending more time with him, just as friends mind you, to maybe see if he would open up a bit more. Nightshade on the other hand, was extremely busy with all the odd jobs he had been taking on to earn money, and building his new house, right across the path from hers.
"Monday, help Pinkie Pie make the week's orders. Done." While she was too hyper for him, she made a damn good cupcake.
"Tuesday, help Twilight reorganize library, for the umpteenth time, uuuuuugh, Done." Why she had to do it every week was beyond him.
"Wednesday, fix town hall's roof. Maybe we ought to fix Derpy's eyes instead." Ditzy Doo, also known as Derpy, had crossed eyes that for some odd reason he couldn't heal. Maybe they weren't damaged? She wasn't mentally ill, she was just silly, and her eyes matched her personality, although it meant that several parts of the town had to be periodically repaired due to her mess ups. Working as a mail mare, she was most frequently around town hall, which doubled as a post office, and took the brunt of the damage. "Done."
"Thursday, meet Scootaloo's teacher and classmates. Okay. Friday, deliver some dresses from Rarity to Manehatten, I sure hope they got the news about me, or it's going to be tough. Saturday, day off, and Sunday, running of the leaves. I'm looking forward to that." It was Wednesday, only one in the afternoon, and he had already finished fixing town hall. What can I say? He's a hard worker who doesn't get tired. All he had to do was take a 10 minute break after three hours to recharge, and he'd get right back to it. It helped that he actually had proper tools this time.
After delivering a cake to some very surprised ponies, (half because of it being a surprise cake and half because of who delivered it) he collected his bits from the Mr. Cake, and on his way out, bumped into Applebloom.
"What'cha doin Mr.Nightshade?" Mr. Nightshade? Since when was he old? He was only 21.
"Hey, that's UNCLE Nightshade to you." Why not? He was Scootaloo's dad, and she was like a sister to her. "And I'm trying to draw up some plans for me and Scoots new house. Unfortunately, I'm no artist, and everything I try turns out, well....." He showed her.
"Yikes, that's pretty bad." She said. Sure, he was good at minecraft, but that was because he could build it as he went, and change whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. That and it didn't need to obey the laws of physics.
"Mind if I give it a whirl?" She said excitedly. For once, she didn't say anything about getting her cutie mark, which none of the trio had, despite their age. "Sure. That reminds me of something, you still crusading?"
"Sure am." She said with the pencil in her mouth. Seriously, this pony could draw better with her mouth than he could with his hands. "But not as often any more, we're kind of starting to run out of idea's. I guess it's just like everypony says, it's something you just can't force." She finished in record time. While Nightshade may not be able to draw, he could definitely read blueprints, and this was a masterpiece of structural engineering. "Thanks, I'll get to work on it right away."
Since he only needed nails, an axe, a saw, hammer, and some bricks for foundation to get started, as he could just get lumber from the forest right next door, he spent the rest of the day gathering wood and making it into planks. "Heh, minecraft's got nuthin on me."
Nightshade took out the blueprints again, and taking another glance, he noted that they really were well done. It left room for everything they needed, as well as room for additions if they needed it. How this kid didn't have her cutie mark in home design, he didn't know. That's when he got an idea. It would have to wait for another day though.
On his way through town, checking to see if there was anything else that needed to be done, he noticed Sweetie Belle singing. When he asked her about it, she said it was just something she made up. It sounded beautiful, and the lyrics were pretty good too. This gave him another idea. Yes, yes, things were working out well.
Arriving at Fluttershy's house, he found that Scootaloo was already there. She was inside, crying, and Fluttershy was comforting her.
"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" He said in as soft a voice as he could. He could tell that she was really upset.
"The other ponies, they made fun of me again." She sobbed.
"Is this the whole 'blank flank' thing again?" He knew that she had been teased about it before. She shook her head no.
"They said you're not real. They said I lied about being adopted, just for attention, and tomorrow, on Family Appreciation Day, when you don't come, they'll all laugh at me." She said, tears welling up in her eyes.
There were thee thing Nightshade hated more than anything, the greedy, manticores, and bullies. Since he had often been bullied in school due to not having friends, he knew all too well what she was going through. It didn't matter what they said, it was they way they said it that even if it wasn't true, it hurt. Now, having been hit several times by kids, who only had the damages passed back to them, they had to resort to name calling. Words stung even more than being hit.
"Well then, when I show up tomorrow, I'll just have to be my regular awesome self, and then they'll feel like total morons for saying I don't exist. I mean seriously, weren't they at the town meeting? Everypony was there." Scootaloo shook her head no.
"Let me guess, spoiled rich kids who were traveling with their parents on a business trip?" She nodded yes. Ohhh, this was going to be fun. "I've got something special planned for tomorrow." He put on an evil grin.
"Promise you'll be there tomorrow?" She asked with pleading eyes.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." He had been hanging out with Pinkie too much. "By the way, no matter what anyone says, if you know it's not true, then that just makes them idiots for saying it. Don't let em get to you, besides, after tomorrow, I think that they will be strangely quiet."
Heading off to sleep, he found that it was much easier to relax when you didn't have a belly full of sugar. He didn't understand how Pinkie could not be diabetic, given the sugar she eats every day. When he finally passed out, he felt the same, sinister force in his mind.
"Okay, first time around, I'll admit, I was scared, but now you're just pissing me off. You show up out of nowhere, uninvited, and go poking around in my memories. What's your game?" He said, trying to sound intimidating. After all, this was his mind, and he was basically god in there, able to do whatever he wanted, other than kick something out.
"You have such delicious memories, little human." It said with a voice that made his skin crawl. It laughed. He could finally see it, a cloud of pitch black smoke in his mind. It was looking through all the times he had acted with hate and anger. It was also intrigued at the fight with the princesses.
"What are you?" He asked, somewhat disturbed by this entity.
"I am your worst NIGHTMARE." Suddenly, he was looking at his own face, from when he had fought Gilda. He truly looked like a monster. Seeing himself act like that stirred up something in him. A mix of fear, and anger. That used to be him, not anymore.
Even though it was less than a month ago, After dealing with the princesses, meeting Twilight and her friends, more specifically Fluttershy, and finally be able to go out in public, he had changed. He wasn't some demon that needed to be feared, he was a part of the town now. He had somewhere he belonged, and people, ponies who cared about him. Calling on his fond memories, to comfort himself from the negative feelings, the creature shuddered, like it had been creeped out, and then left. He was glad to be rid of it's presence, and was left to sleep in peace, that is, until Lyra popped in.
"Hey, I've been trying to get a hold of you for an hour now, what have you been doing?" She asked.
"Nothing important, I need to talk to Celestia and Luna though." Nightshade responded.
"That's why I've been trying to get a hold of you, they need you to come to Canterlot tomorrow. Something urgent." Lyra responded in turn.
"Tomorrow, as in, tomorrow tomorrow?" He didn't know why he said that.
"Yes, tomorrow tomorrow, first thing in the morning."
"Sorry, can't, it'll have to wait for the afternoon." He had to go to school, or Scootaloo would be devastated.
"Royal order, you have to come RIGHT AWAY." Lyra was getting annoyed now.
"Tell the princess that, with all due respect, too dang bad. I have to be at school tomorrow for family appreciation day, Scootaloo has been looking forward to this forever, and if that's not reason enough, the kids are already teasing her. If I don't show up tomorrow, she'll be crushed. I Pinkie Pie Promised I would. If Celestia or Luna needs to talk to me that badly, then I'm afraid they will just have to come here, or wait till Saturday when I have a day off." He may have smoothed things over with them, but that doesn't mean he was just going to be a push over. Besides, he'd rather tick off the princess than break a Pinkie Pie Promise.
Okay, I was going to make this all one chapter, but I added some more plot elements, finally getting towards the main story and the big baddie, dropping a bucket load of hints as to who it is, and look at that this chapter is huge. I decided to end it off the day before school, and split it into two parts. If I wrote it all as one chapter, it would be over 9000 words. So, yeah, this chapter not much happened, just explaining life in Ponyville, much as I did when he first found himself in the forest, and then after he adopted Scootaloo. I'm also having him sleep more regularly. I once went a year with no sleep at all due to insomnia, and went partially insane. Never diagnosed, but if I went to a psychiatrist, they would have given me meds for a mild case of mania. That was MANY years ago, and you don't have to worry about me.
What does Nightshade have planned for the class presentation tomorrow? What is the shadow in his mind? What do the princesses want? Find out in the next chapter of 'Monster', Standing Out!
Ps: I may or may not get a chapter out tomorrow, babysitting most of the day.
Pss:Discord isn't dead, apparently immortal spirits of chaos can survive intestine pulling. I just deleted his mouth is all. After all, he can't be dead if I need him for the sequel.