//------------------------------//
// Stab 
// Story: Twisted Minds 
// by Booker Longlegs 
//------------------------------//

	The entire class was chattering. Ms. Cheerilee hadn’t come in yet. Either she was late, or they had a new student. Whatever it was, the class was taking advantage of it to gossip with their friends. Scootaloo cut her conversation with Apple Bloom short when Ms. Cheerilee walked into the classroom.
“Hello, my little ponies,” Cheerilee began, “Today, we have a new student. Please give him a warm welcome.” She gestured toward the door and the new student walked in. He was an earth pony, with a dark green coat. It was almost black, now that Scootaloo thought about it, and it was at odds with his blood-red mane. He had a vacant look about him, as if he wasn’t actually here but lost in a fantasy. He also, Scootaloo noted with interest, was lacking a cutie-mark.
“Hello, everypony,” he said, his voice just as vacant as his face, “My name is Knife Point.”
This caused everypony to shift uncomfortably and begin muttering. Even Cheerilee looked a bit disturbed. “Knife Point,” she said, “That’s an…interesting name.”
“Yes,” said Knife, “Supposedly, my mother gave it to me because when I was born, the first thing I reached for was the doctor’s scalpel.”
“Oh,” Cheerilee laughed nervously, “Well, um, what’s your special talent?”
“As you can no doubt see, I don’t have my cutie mark yet,” Knife Point said, “However, when it comes, I presume it will have something to do with stabbing.”
“Oh. And, why is that?” Cheerilee asked.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Intuition, I suppose.”
By now, the entire class was looking on with a mixture of disgust and horror. Some of the students even leaned back in their seats. “I’m sorry if this offends you,” Cheerilee said carefully, “but, did you bring a knife, by any chance?”
“I did, actually,” Reaching into his saddlebags, Knife Point pulled out a dagger. It wasn’t very large, but the blade gleamed and the tip looked very, very sharp. “This is Mr. Knifey. If the childish name didn’t give it away, I’ve had him since I was a foal. I always carry him with me.”
“Well, it’s against the law to have weapons on school grounds,” Cheerilee said, “I’m going to have to confiscate…him.”
“Perfectly alright,” Knife Point said, “So long as I can have him back after school.” Deftly, he reversed his grip and offered the hilt to Cheerilee. She took the dagger hesitantly, putting it away in one of her drawers.
“Alright, Knife Point,” Cheerilee said, “You take the seat behind Scootaloo.” Scootaloo felt a thrill of fear. Out of all the places to have a knife-crazed lunatic, behind her was the last one she wanted!
“Ms. Cheerilee!” Scootaloo cried, “I don’t want-“
“Scootaloo,” Cheerilee said sternly, “That is the only seat available.”
“But-“ Scootaloo began.
“No ‘but’s,” Cheerilee said. 
“It was nice knowing you, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo sighed. Knife Point took his seat and the lesson began. Scootaloo couldn’t concentrate; every second she expected to feel a pencil, or worse, stab into her back. A few times, she whirled around to see what he was doing, only to find him looking at Cheerilee, or hunched over writing something down. Once, she turned around to see him stabbing his desk idly with his pencil. He noticed her looking, and gave a nod and something that could have been a smile. Oddly comforted, Scootaloo turned back to face the front.
The lesson came and went, and then it was time for recess. Everypony streamed out the door. Scootaloo and the other Crusaders went to their corner of the playground. “So, what do y’all make o’ that Knife Point?” Apple Bloom said
“He’s creepy,” Sweetie Belle shivered.
“Ditto,” Scootaloo said.
“What was Cheerilee thinking when she put him behind you?” Sweetie Belle said heatedly.
“I don’t know,” Scootaloo said. She looked over to where Knife Point was. He was walking in a circle, and judging by the rut he’d dug, he’d been at it for a while. “What is he doing?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed her gaze. At that moment, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon waltzed up to him. They seemed to have a conversation. Abruptly, Knife Point turned and stalked away while Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughed.
Apple Bloom whistled. “They got guts. Ah’ll give ‘em that.”
“Should we go talk to him?” Scootaloo asked.
“You can,” Sweetie Belle said, “I wasn’t going to go near him when he was calm. No way I’m doing it when he’s angry!” Apple Bloom seemed to be of the same mind, so Scootaloo went to the corner Knife Point had slunk off to alone. He had his back to her, and he seemed to be doing something on the ground. As she drew closer, Scootaloo could hear him muttering to himself.
“Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab.”
Scootaloo swallowed. Before her courage abandoned her, she said, “Hey there, Knife Point.” He turned, and Scootaloo choked back a shout when she saw that he had a dagger in his hoof.
“Hello, Scootaloo,” Knife Point said, “What brings you here? Stab.” The last word was punctuated by him driving the knife into something in front of him.
“I-I saw you get bullied by Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo stammered.
“Huh. So that was that B-I-T-C-H’s name. Good to know. Stab.”
Despite herself, Scootaloo laughed. “Yeah, she can be a bit of a handful. She’s been bullying me and my friends for years.”
“That sucks. Stab.”
“I meant to ask this earlier, but what are you stabbing and why?”
“I’m stabbing this,” He showed her a pile of leaves gathered in front of him. “I’m doing it to control myself.”
“Control yourself?”
“Yes. When Diamond Tiara insulted me, it made me…angry. So now, I’m pretending these leaves are her. Stab.”
“Are you sure that’s the best way to relieve your anger?”
“I don’t see any problems with it. I get these thoughts out of my head. Diamond Tiara doesn’t get a knife to the face. The police don’t have to investigate a murder. Everyone wins.”
“And, where did you get that knife? I thought Cheerilee took it.”
He laughed. “She got Mr. Knifey. She didn’t get his wife, Elaine.” At this point, Scootaloo was just about done.
“That’s, um, nice,” Scootaloo said, “Well, as long as you’re…coping, then that’s fine. I’ll just go.” She turned to leave, when she heard his voice.
“Wait.” Scootaloo looked back. Knife Point had stood up. She had her eyes glued to the knife held loosely in his hoof. “I know that some ponies find me…frightening. Especially ones who have to sit in front of me. Just, know that I’d never hurt anypony, unless they really deserve it.”
Scootaloo looked away from the knife and at his face. She saw that he was completely sincere in what he was saying. She felt a flush of relief. Still, she had to ask one more question. “What happens when somepony deserves to be hurt?”
Knife Point smiled. A full, genuine smile. That only made his next words even scarier. “Well, in that case, Scootaloo, then the fun begins.”

Scootaloo came back to her friends completely confused. On the one hoof, Knife Point seemed genuinely friendly. On the other, he was Knife Point. He was exceedingly creepy, and he stabbed things for fun. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were waiting anxiously for her.
“Ya were gone fer so long, we thought he’d done ya in,” Apple Bloom said.
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said, “What were you guys doing?”
“We talked,” Scootaloo said, “I asked him about Diamond Tiara. He showed me he was dealing with it. I left.”
“How was he dealing with it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“He had a pile of leaves. He pretended they were Diamond Tiara and stabbed them until he felt better.”
“With a pencil?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously.
“No, with a knife,” Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “Ya gonna turn him in?”
Scootaloo looked over at Knife Point. He was just coming out of the corner. There was no sign of Elaine. “No, Apple Bloom. I don’t think I will.”