Chapter Four: The Apprentice
"Are you alright?" The unicorn stallion repeated, his yellow eyes and his words laden with concern. Scootaloo stared blankly at him, stupefied. Up close the stallion was much larger than she expected for a unicorn. He had broad shoulders and a strong, lean build, as if he is used to physical labor. His smokey gray coat was smooth on his body and moderately thick, revealing a pleasant amount of his underlying muscle. Scootaloo's eyes drifted up to the unicorns face. He bore no blemishes, other than a small scar on the left hoof corner of his bottom lip. Who was this stallion?
The pegasus shook her head as the stallion repeated himself for the third time. "Huh? Oh. Yes, I'm fine" She shook her head again and let out an embarrassed laugh. "I apologize, I had to collect my thoughts. You know, after being hit in the head and all." She gave an awkward smile. "Thank you, though. I was not expecting... that." She indicated to the unconscious earth pony. She mentally kicked herself for acting like a school foal that had to give a presentation to her class.
"I understand", the gray unicorn replied. "And you're very welcome. I couldn't stand by as this low-life try to have his way with you. Even though you looked like you could have handled yourself if he hadn't blind sided you." He paced over to the bag that Scootaloo had dropped and picked it up in his teeth, which she found odd considering he could just levitate it. The colt walked back to her and placed the bag in front of her hooves. "Though I have to say I'm glad he knocked the knife from you. With that wound you gave him, I'd wager you had the intent to kill. Not that he doesn't deserve it, but if you had succeeded you would face a murder charge. I doubt the guard would believe it was self defense after you cleaved him into pieces."
Scootaloo retrieved the knife that was only a few feet from her and slid it back into it's hidden sheath in her jacket. "Thank you for the concern, But I could have found a way to get out of it." She gave him an oddly cocky smirk. "I'm not totally helpless, Mister..."
"Night Shade", he replied. "And you are?"
"Scootaloo. So tell me, Night Shade, what were you doing when you found me in the ally?" She asked, rather curious.
Night simply shrugged. "I was in the tourist market place when I spotted you at that clothing stand. I was looking at a few books at the time. When I made my purchase, I saw you heading into the ally. I didn't think much of it, before I saw that stallion follow you shortly after with a foolish grin on his face." Night closed his eyes and shook his head in disgust. "Judging by the looks of him, he was up to no good, so I followed. I heard everything, but stayed back, in case you thought I was with him. A decision I regret making. "
"I guess it's fine now. You got him before he could do any major damage to me." Scootaloo tested her jaw by opening and closing her mouth a few times, wincing in the process. There was most likely a hairline fracture somewhere on it. "Anyway. What brings you to Ponyville? Friends? Family? Boredom?"
Night laughed. "Actually, I left those behind in Canterlot. You see, I'm not a typical unicorn. I was looked down on by the snooty upper class because I liked doing things physically instead of using magic. Sure, I know a good deal of magic, but the majority is transmutation. Turning things to other things." He looked back on his flank at his cutie mark. "Turns out, it's what I'm best at. But now I find that it isn't all I want to do, so I came here to try to learn form the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle."
"You're here to see Twilight?" asked the pegasus.
"Yup. I've heard that she was a student of Celestia, and the Element of Magic. I just hope she will agree to teach me a few things."
"I'm sure she would," Scootaloo assured, "She lives at the Books and Branches Library. It's easy to spot. When you get there you'll most likely be greeted by her dragon, Spike. Just say that I told you to go there, and he'll fetch Twilight. Since you know me, I'm sure she'll teach you. I used to crash at her place a lot as a filly."
The dark unicorn nodded. "Thank you, Scootaloo. I hope you get home safely." He turned and began a steady trot in the direction of the library, calling his farewell over his shoulder. Scootaloo watched him go with a small smile before picking up her bag. She turned and set her course for home.
--==--
The orange pegasus yawned when she opened the door to her house and cringed as pain lanced from her jaw. With a sigh, Scootaloo entered her home. She closed the door behind her and looked toward the basement door. There was no light shining from the crack, showing that Pinkamena was no longer down there. The mare only took a few steps forward when she heard the all to familiar hysterical laughing coming from upstairs.
Scootaloo froze, suddenly filled with dread, only to sigh in relief a few moments afterward. She knew she was safe. She just couldn't disturb the pink pony. She knew this laugh well. Pinkamena's fragile sanity has broken, so she locked herself in her room so she wouldn't harm anypony. The pink mare has these fits often, her mind being lost from both guilt and excitement of the ponies she has killed and butchered. Scootaloo had seen her in this state once, and nearly lost her life to the psychotic pony. Scootaloo feared becoming like her, so she had quit helping in Pinkamena's shop.
With a shake, Scootaloo hurried upstairs and past the door where the laughter was coming from. She went into her own room and quickly closed the door. She was thankful that the thick wood blocked out most of the sound. "For Celestia's sake, can nothing go normal today?"
Sighing, Scootaloo pulled her new jacket and collar from the bag and lied them out on her bed. She thoroughly checked the interior of the jacket and began to fashion a hidden sheath for it. It was always a rule to her, a set of rules, and this was rule number nine: Never go anywhere without a knife.
After about a half hour she looked at her craft, satisfied and slid her knife from her old jacket to her new one. Once she was done she slid it on, fitting her wings through the small holes. She looked at her flank, grateful that this jacket hid it like her previous one. Afterwards she put the collar one and walked to her mirror to inspect her self. She smiled at her reflection, and fiddled with her bangs, fixing them back over her eye correctly. The leather suited her well, she thought. After a few moments she saw her reflection grin and she gasped, stepping back.
"You've had quite a day, Scootaloo", Misery said in her mocking tone, "And you met quite the stallion, haven't you?"
"It's bad enough I have to deal with you in my dreams, bitch. But now you're possessing my mirror? What the hay do you think this is?" Scootaloo barked at Misery, scowling.
"You are avoiding my question, Scoots. And you know it is pointless to try. You can't hide your thoughts from me, nor your feelings. You watched him leave the train. You were infatuated with this 'Night Shade'. And then when he saved you, by the Princesses' you were stunned by his looks." She made a funny face at her. "My hero." She laughed.
"Oh shut up." Scootaloo interrupted her reflections sick laughing, only to be greeted with a mocking look of attention. "So what if I found him attractive? As a mare I believe I have the right. isn't that how things work?"
Misery only shook her head with a grin. "Filly, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You don't know the first thing about Colts. Especially a stallion like him."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Neither do you. You're a part of my mind. You know as much as I do."
"Good point."
"I might talk to Apple Bloom. I haven't spoke to her in a couple years. Maybe she'd.. Dah! What am I saying?" She shook her head, making a mess of her mane. "I'm not going to be some mare hopelessly in love with someone. I probably won't even see him much, even if he does move here in Ponyville. Twilight will keep him busy."
"Look at you, so lost in your emotions." She could hear the smirk in Misery's voice. She continued when Scootaloo faced her. "You need to relax. Take a breath. Stop thinking about how much you want his-"
"SHUT UP!" She screamed at the mirror. And like that, she was looking at her normal reflection. With a sigh she flopped onto her bed and her eyes drifted closed. With in a few moments she drifted to sleep, the day having made her tired.