Shadows into the Light

by Kagemoon

Shall We Play A Game

Pinkie’s party was in full swing. Multicolored ponies milled about talking to each other. Other’s raided the confection table. Jotting Shadow held a mug of hard cider in his magical grasp. His target of interest had yet to show, but at least Rainbow Dash had been a good distraction to take his mind off the too informed Twilight Sparkle. Dash had left his side for the first time that night to strike up a conversation an orange earth pony JT identified as Applejack.

“Don’t worry she’ll be here,” a now familiar bubbly voice said from behind him.

“You read minds don’t you?” he answered without turning around.

“Nope, just books. And recipes. And tarot cards, but Twilight asked me to stop doing that,” Pinkie hopped around to face him.

“Oh well. It’s a great party Pinkie anyway Pinkie. The guys really do appreciate it.”

“No problemo. Parties are what I do best.”

“She’s right. That and breaking every law of nature, but I’ve learned to ignore it,” a new voice said from behind them.

Jotting turned to see Twilight Sparkle with a purple baby dragon riding on her back. JT remembered Spike from his earlier interrogation at the library. The dragon had remained silent the entire time with a smile on his face.

“Miss. Sparkle, just the mare I was waiting for. I was hoping we could carry on our earlier conversation,” JT said with a false smile plastered on his face.

“I’d like that, but first I’d like a drink.”

Without moving, Jotting used his magic to lift both a plastic cup and the punch ladle behind him. When the cup was filled he floated it to Twilight who accepted it with her own raspberry color magical aura. A warm feeling spread over JT was their auras intertwined. Spike, oblivious of the tension whistled at Jotting’s use of precision magic.

“Spike, I think I saw Rarity talking to Bon Bon and Lyra. Why don’t you go take her a cup of punch.”

Jotting repeated his earlier feat only this time floated the cup to Spike who slid off Twilight’s back and practically ran over to a white unicorn with a purple mane.

“So, where were we?” Twilight asked.

“You were going to tell me how you found out about my job,” JT ventured.

“No, I think you were telling me how Princess Luna is doing acclimating to her various positions,” she said with a sly smile.

Jotting realized she was trying to play his game.“Let’s try this again,” Jotting dropped his voice to his most threating yet sociable level. “How did you find out?”

“Hmmm. Walk with me,” the purple unicorn said the smile never leaving her face. She led Jotting over to where Spike and the white unicorn Rarity were carrying on a conversation. “Rarity, this is Jotting Shadow, the author.”

“Charmed,” Rarity’s Manehatten accent seemed out of place in the country town. “So tell me Mr. Shadow, do you go to many formal book signings? If so I’m sure you could use a new suit, yes? It may be outside my normal expertise, but if I can make Spike a working tuxedo I’m sure a suit for a stallion such as yourself would be no trouble.”

Jotting looked over at Twilight who simply nodded. “It’ll be a while before I finish my next book, but I’ll make sure to take you up of the offer.”

“Wonderful. Now if you’ll excuse me I believe I see another potential customer. Come along Spike, I need a gentlecolt, er dragon on my arm tonight. A lady always must be escorted at a party after all.” With that she and the dragon, who was somehow magically floating behind her with hearts replacing his pupils, left the two unicorns alone again.

“And the point of that was?” Jotting asked his companion as he magically refilled he cup.

“Well if you’re going to keep an eye on us it’ll help if you know everyone, right? If I introduce you to everyone then you’ll have an easier time.?”

It took a lot of effort for Jotting to keep his jaw dislodging itself. “And now I have two questions. Who told you? And why are you helping me?”

“How bout we play a game,” Twilight said as she led him to another corner of the room. “You ask a question, except for the one you really want to know and keep your secret. After every question you meet someone new at tonight’s party. Deal?”

“I am so bucking confused right now. You know I’m here to spy one you and the other elements. You know I was sent by the princesses. You know all this is supposed to be a secret and yet you’re offering to help me. So here’s the first question. Why?”

“Well the other elements and I have had a few incidents over the years. Applejack running away because she didn’t win any money at a rodeo comes to mind,”

“And the Great Ponyville Riot, caused by a certain enchanted doll,” Jotting offered. He felt a hint of satisfaction when Twilight’s smiled dipped, even if for only a moment.

“Yes, that too. I think it would help us if somepony else was watching out for us. Plus I read in a book having a few friends outside out you’re main group is a good thing. Now let’s go see if we can’t find Fluttershy.”

Jotting walked beside Twilight as she talked about her friendship findings, she also gave him a quick briefing on Fluttershy. They found the butter colored pegasus talking to trio of filly’s.

“Now girls I know you want to try to get your cutie marks in mosh pitting, but I don’t think the other guests will appreciate you running into them and spilling their drinks,” Fluttershy reprimanded the sulking fillies.

“Then they shouldn’t be in our way if they don’t wanna mosh,” an orange pegasus with a purple mane whined.

“Yeah,” an off yellow earth pony interjected. “We set up chairs markin’ tour area an everything.” She pointed to three chairs randomly placed near the dance floor.

“That’s not really… well I know you see the boundary but maybe, if you don’t mind, you could ask Pinkie for some extra streamers and, well rope it off. Just encase.”

“Hi Fluttershy. Hello Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. I’d like you all to meet Jotting the author from Canterlot,” Twilight called out as they approached the group.

“Oh, hello Twilight. Um… hi Mr. Shadow. I really like your novels,” Fluttershy said sinking lower and lower behind her pink mane with each word.

“Thanks. Twilight said she didn’t like my books,” JT said. The declaration shocked all those gathered.

“Twilight doesn’t like a book. Is it really bad?” the white unicorn Sweetie Belle asked in asked.

“But if Fluttershy likes it, it can’t be scary or anything.” Scootaloo reminded her friend.

Fluttershy peeked out from the folds of her mane. “Well they are scary sometimes, but they’re really well written. Why don’t you like them Twilight?”

“I never said I didn’t like them. Just that I had trouble reading them.” Another round of gasps made Twilight realized what she had insinuated. “I didn’t mean that they’re too hard for me to read, I mean… I meant.” She shot an angry look at JT. “Help me out here.”

“Two questions,” Jotting proposed ignoring the confused fillies and mare.

Twilight scowled. “Fine.”

“My writing has some adult themes and Twilight was too embarrassed to get more than a few pages in.”

“What are those books called again,” Sweetie Belle asked with a mischievous look in her eye.

“Well there’s—“ Jotting started only to be shut up by Twilight’s hoof being placed over his mouth.

“The Dark Dragon Series and the Hyperpony Saga,” Fluttershy finished for him. Twilight looked at her friend in shock. “They’re really not that bad Twilight. I’ve writ… read a lot worse.”

“They’re just fillies Fluttershy,” Twilight said pointing at the innocent looking youth. Fluttershy, realizing what she had done hid back behind her mane.

“So where are you livin’” Apple Bloom asked Jotting hopping to steer away from the awkward conversation.

“The tree house that used to be a clock store. Right by the library.”

“Wait, why did you move there?” Scootaloo asked, sounding almost distraught.

“It’s where my um… real estate agent decided would best suit my needs. Granted I haven’t even seen the entire place yet, but it’ll work.”

“Sure, um… sounds cool. Anyway, let’s go see if Rainbow Dash will help us with our mosh pit girls,” Scootaloo said. The three fillies dashed off toward the rainbow maned pegasus.

“Excuse us Fluttershy,” Twilight nodded to her friend as she headed toward the refreshment table.

“It was nice meeting you Mr. Shadow, maybe when you have some free time we can talk shop.” Fluttershy left JT wondering what she meant as he caught up with Twilight.

“So how long did you know I would be coming to watch over you and your friends?” he asked after filling his mug with more cider.

“Before you knew you were coming here I bet?” she told him, her expression telling JT she was still aggravated about the conversation.

“So one of the princesses did include your input in the mission then.” Jotting said with a smile.

“Nope,” Twilight returned with an even haughtier smile.

“Fine then, do any of the other elements know?”

“Nope,” she repeated knowing the one word answers were annoying JT.

Jotting let out a sigh as the two approached Applejack who was flanked by a very large red earth pony and a smaller caramel colored one.

“Hey there Twi, Ah was wonderin when you’d get around to bringin your date ta meet us?” Applejack teased Twilight.

“He’s definitely not my date AJ, I’m just introducing Jotting to my friends.”

Applejack held out a friendly hoof. “Pleasure ta meet ya. I’m Applejack. This here is ma big brother Machintosh, everyone calls him Big Mac.” She gestured at the red stallion next to her. “And this is Caramel, our farmhand.”

Jotting shook each offered hoof. “Nice to meet you. I’ve been drinking Sweet Apple Cider since I was old enough to drink. It’s good to finally meet the ponies behind it to say thanks.”

Big Mac and Applejack beamed at the praise, while Caramel blushed. “Thanks partner. Good ta see even the stuffy fru-frus up in Canterlot can enjoy our apples,” Applejack said. Twilight gave Jotting a worried glance, wondering how he’d handle the accidental insult.

Jotting laughed. “Ug tell me about it. I swear some of the nobility can’t eat something unless its jewel incrusted. I do know both the princesses don’t go a day without a bushel of your farm’s apples.”

Applejack tipped her Stetson cowboy hat in embarrassment. “Thanks for the compliments partner. I here ya came here with some friends. Ah met the stallion calling himself Doctor, but I ain’t seen the pegasus Pinkie was talking about.”

JT scanned the room and quickly sighted his friend laughing with a green unicorn mare and a beige earth pony. “That’s Lethe,” he comminted pointing at the pegasus.

“Talking with Lyra and Bon Bon, huh,” Caramel pointed out. “He’ won’t get anywhere there. Those two are a couple.”

“Trust me that’s the last thing on his mind right now,” Jotting smirked. He wasn’t about to out his friend to a family of farm ponies who, in his experience, made up a good deal of the tribalist earth pony groups. Hooves had written a pager on the reasons behind the trend but Jotting never got around to reading it.

“Yer friend’s barn door swings the other way then?” Big Mac asked. Jotting did his best not to look panicked. The large earth pony was surprisingly perceptive. Jotting swore the whole town was throwing him off his normally perfect game. “There ya go then Mel. Go talk to the feller.”

“Damnit Mac, Ya don’t need ta announce it to the room,” Caramel growled swinging his head to see if anyone had heard the comment.

Applejack huffed. “Pu-leese Caramel. Bout everypony knows ya play for the other team. Go talk to em. If anything ya’all can be friends at least.”

“Let’s go Mel, I’ll back ya up. Pleasure meetin ya Jotting. Nice ta see you again Miss. Sparkle,” Big Mac nodded his head and ushered a distraught Caramel toward the group.

“I agree with Big Mac. Nice meetin’ ya. Now I got ta find Rainbow and the Crusaders before they get somepony hurt,” another tip of her hat and Applejack left.

“You were quiet,” JT remarked to Twilight as she sipped from her cup.

“I’m still mad at you for embarrassing me like that in front of Fluttershy. She doesn’t need to know there’s a book I can’t finish.”

Jotting was about to tease her more when he noticed she was being very serious. “Wait, you’re really worried about somepony else thinking you had reading trouble. Isn’t that a bit… shallow?”

“I’m Princess Celestia’s personal student. I have and image to keep up. If somepony thinks I can’t read a simple book series then it reflects on the Tia, if I make her look, bad she might dismiss me as her student or worse as the Element of Magic. I’ll lose my friends and my home, I’ll be homeless.” Twilight’s hair became more and more frazzled with each statement. Jotting saw she was breathing erratically and her eyes were glazed over, seeing only a dystopian future for herself.

Slippery slope arguments to her own detriment. Check. Jotting thought remembering the briefing files. “So read the books,” he challenged.

Twilight looked at him as if hearing his voice for the first time. Her eyes went from glazed over to an overly excited glimmer. “Of course. It’s that simple. That’ll show them. I’m not afraid of any literature,” she shouted the last statement and rushed out of Sugercube Corner leaving a confused Jotting staring after her.

“Did I just save us or doom us,” he mused out loud. “I need another drink.”

Comments

[Maniac92]

Poor Jotting has no idea what he just did, does he?

[Kagemoon]

983779

Nope. No Clue.

[Grekoy]

This story is so awesome!