Screw Ball's fore hooves were spread on the table. The two books in front of her seemed to mock her inability to use them. Her eyes swirled, one direction came to an abrupt stop and started spinning the other way. “Ugh, why won’t these things work?” Screw Ball asked the two books in front of her. “Four days and no progress. Why is this so difficult? What kind of crazy pony wrote this nonsense anyway?” She grabbed the two books in magic, and threw them to the corner of the room. She let out a heavy sigh, and put the books back on the table using her magic. “No more miss nice Screw Ball.” She said as she rubbed her temples. Her eyes started spinning, and the books started spinning in the same direction. Soon everything in the room was floating upside down and spinning.
“What are you doing Screw Ball?” Zecora asked. “Don’t you know you could fall?” Screw Ball gave a startled shriek, and everything fell to the ground. The zebra let out a little chuckle, and smiled playfully as the filly rubbed her head.
“That’s not funny,” Screw Ball said as she rubbed her the back of her head. She stood up, and using her magic put everything back in its place.
“Au contraire little filly,” Zecora said “I think it is quite silly” Screw Ball wobbled, and got on the chair for support. “And now my dear, to the reason why I am here. Many here myself included think it best; that you should take a break, relax, and get some rest.”
“How can you say that?” Screw Ball asked. She glared at Zecora like she had just committed treason, and attempted a coup d’état. “How can anypone think that?” she asked, leaning on the table because she couldn't sit up straight. Both books opened up; she let out a yawn as they started spinning. “And even if they were right, even if I should get some rest, how can I?” She growled at the books which spun even faster. “The Doctor, Trixie, Spitfire.” The book spun even faster. “Flash, Braeburn, Ditzy.” Zecora stood by the door calmly, and watched as the book spun so fast the text look like two hipnotic wheels. “Everypony has lost some pony else, some pony they really cared about. So tell me, how can I take a break? How can I relax? When the answer to fixing it, the answer to fixing everything. The way to make everything right again, Is right here, and the only reason they can't have their lives back is because I'm too STUPID TO FIGURE OUT THESE DUMB BOOKS!"
"Screw Ball, listen to me well," Zecora said, "and let me tell you a tale. Once there was a silly filly who had to take a test," Zecora walked up to Screw Ball's side. "So she studied all through the night so she could do her best. But when she went to class she wasn't thinking, Instead of taking the her test she was sleeping." Screw Ball bit back the tears, nodded and released the books.
"Zecora." She stopped at the door. "While I'm resting, would you please try and make some progress on deciphering them?"
"Of course, I shall do my best now please Screw Ball go and get some rest."
Screw Ball kept her eyes down as she walked down the halls of the CMC's base. Everypony gave her a wide breathe as she went through the earthen corridors. She knew that they were all looking at her, many of them would whisper. Most of them at least waited for her to turn down another corridor, some weren't as considerate. She didn't care; she didn't look up from the ground. She just kept walking to her room. How many had it cost to get those two books, dozens, tens of dozens? Those books had cost so many so much, and now that they finally had reason to hope; I'm holding them back. She walked past her room. Sorry Zecora but if anypony doesn't deserve a break that would be me.
"Told ya she'd try it," Apple Bloom sighed.
"Really predictable Screw Ball." Scootaloo shook her head.
"What are you two doing here?" Screw Ball looked around. "And why only the two of you?"
"Sweetie Bell is in there telling Snails and Comet not to let you in," Scootaloo said.
"Thanks," Sweetie Bell said backing out of the door. "And remember if-"
"No need fer that, she’s right here."
"Oh. Oh my ah." Sweetie Bell stared at Screw Ball. "You should probably get some sleep. As much as you want."
"Well then I'm going on shield duty, because I don't want any sleep." Tears welled up in her eyes as she fell to her haunches. "I want to do something right. I want to be able to walk down the halls without ponies avoiding me, and whispering behind my back. I want to be, to be. Useful. I wanna be accepted." She started to shake, ten days and nights of stress finally got the crack it needed to bust out.
"Shh, now, now there ain't no need fer that," Apple Bloom said as they walked over to her. She put her hoof on her shoulder. "Yer one of us Screwy."
"And if you don't want ponies avoiding you and whispering in the halls; you should get some sleep you look like you're two days past dead," Scootaloo added. "Seriously when was the last time you saw yourself in a mirror? You look bad, no offence."
"Come on dear let's get you up to your room, no but's." The three of them calmed her down. Once her stress fueled breakdown was dealt with, they helped an emotionally drained Screw Ball back to her room. "Now then get as much sleep as you need."
"Yeah tearing yourself up isn't going to help anypony."
Screw Ball walked down a dark stone wall. This wasn't her normal kind of dream. Things were orderly, and for once it didn't bother her. Since there was only one way to go there wasn't any fear of getting lost. "What is this?" she asked as she walked down the dark stone stairway. "This is boring my dreams are never boring. So much for getting a restful sleep." She clapped her front hooves together and nothing. "Hey!" she yelled. "That's crossing a line. You can be orderly; you can be boring, but when you take my cotton candy clouds you've gone too far! Hey are you listening! Whoever I see first is in so much trouble." She mopped as she descended further down. After an eternity of descent the stairway vanished. She was in a room surrounded with glowing blue runes. Which turned to words in the Zebraic glyphs some she recognized. They changed to the strange characters of the Changeling scripts. They continued to change into different symbols Screwballs eyes started spinning as they changed to the equestrian alphabet.
"Of course!" Screw Ball shot up in her bed.