“I could save him, you know.”
The voice shattered the air and bit into the very psyche of the pony in the room who had, until he spoke, gone unnoticed. Fluttershy whirled around, her eyes wide. She hadn’t heard the door open, let alone the approach of the bipedial monster that had been terrorizing the castle. She breathed deeply and silently, trying not to show her fear. She was fairly certain he could smell fear. Or was that bears? Maybe it was both, they had some similarities after all, like being scary when they’re angry.
Fluttershy recovered fairly quickly, all things considered. She also had a great deal more courage than Author remembered her having. But it had been ten years after all. A lot of things change in ten years. Too many to count really. Six important things though. “Save who?”
“The balding colt.” He answered plainly after a moment, never looking away from the hat in his hands. “No negative effects involved. I could heal him completely, cure him of his ills, no pain, no displeasure, nothing. Just a cure.” He spun the hat around again, his hands being kept busy by the act but his brain far away from the head gear that he twirled. Fully occupied in some foggy battle that whirled through his mind with each passing second.
“W-why don’t you then?” It seemed the mention of his raw magicial ability had finally pushed the situation home, bursting through the shy pony’s mask and revealing her true face, or maybe it was an old face, one she had given up a long time ago. Either way, her shy stutter had come back. She was afraid of him. Just like everyone else. The pony that hung out around predators of great strength… scared of him.
The one pony he had hoped wouldn’t fear his mere presence…
Author decided that he should at least give her his answer, even if he knew with every fiber of his being that she wouldn't like it, that it might scare her more, that she would certainly be uncomfortable. “Because I don’t want to force him to stay here, I would be responsible for all his pains he has after I saved him. Truly I wish that I could swap him places with some spell or another, I’m not very keen on sticking around anymore. But, as it just so happens to turn out, immortality of my variety isn't the best thing in the world.”
Fluttershy slowly approached the creature, the larger part of her brain holding her back and slowing her down as she drug her hooves over the ground and towards the biped. She was scared to death of him, how bloody cute. How fantastic! One thousand years he had waited to meet the element of kindness, to have tea with her, to chat about animals even if she wanted too. Here she was struggling to approach him.
He would have preferred to hang out with Luna of course, he had always enjoyed the idea of being friends with the princess of the night. But turns out she was the one who had tried to keep him locked up for as long as possible. Everything was going just great.
Fluttershy could see the turmoil that haunted Author's eyes, she could see the anger that raged against his mind, fighting to get out and into the air. With a long glance at him, she decided to change the topic as she spoke up. “That hat looks familiar…” She stated, knowing full well that continuing on the topic that the creature had brought up wouldn’t go well, wouldn't go well at all.
“I bought it from Rarity.” Fluttershy nodded at this, instantly recalling having seen it in Rarity’s new Canterlot boutique. “I just had to promise not to be seen with her in public. I got the worst end of that deal, no doubt.” His voice sounded hurt, and he slowly set the hat down at his side. Silently, Fluttershy began to wish she could take back what she had said, he was even more emotionally damaged than she had thought. She didn't know why he was so hurt, he hadn't even known Rarity for the majority of his life, but here he was, wallowing over his promise to her.
Then again, it's not like ponies' emotions made any more sense. Nor gryphons', nor dragons'. You just had to be careful, and you had to respect them. But the biped next to her... he was just so very malevolent. He had attacked Blueblood, he had been spying on them over the course of the past few days, he had helped Discord those thousand years ago.
Author stood from his seat with some small difficulty and hoisted himself onto his feet, leaving the headwear behind. “I suppose I’ll go heal him now. Might as well even do it in front of his parents with my green glowing hands. Not like I can make them any more scared of me then they already are anyway.”
As he made to leave a call from the custard colored mare caught his ear. “If you ever need to talk to anyone…” She had to force the next words out of her mouth. “You can always talk to me.” Her voice reached near high pitch, and Author came to the realization he had just sent back her work on assertiveness by about ten years.
He looked at her, blinking slowly, and frowned. “Just two more bad introductions to go, then I can get on with my life.” He said simply. “Not that there’s much to get on with, but at least I won’t have to worry about first impressions anymore, I’ll be fully aware that everybody completely and totally hates me.”
His words went through Fluttershy, they weren’t meant for her after all. He was just talking to himself.
“Why is it so damn lonely at the top?” Were his final words before he closed the door behind him, leaving the pegasus to her own scared thoughts. At least until she tried to get him out of her memories anyway...