//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - To Turn (R) 
// Story: Finding a Place 
// by Battlecat 
//------------------------------//

Thursday, September 29, 2016 - Continued

By the time lunch break rolled around, the headache had been joined by a massive lump in my stomach.  I was already running late to meet the girls at the front entrance of the school thanks to my teachers and the Diamond Dog crew.  My teacher for the second class had held me back to ask about the homework I'd failed to finish the previous night.  Then, on my way to the front door, I'd been forced to turn around and slip out the back door of the school to avoid the three Diamond Dogs who were hanging around in the lobby.  On my way there I had managed to avoid getting tripped twice by students who usually ignored me.  

Of course, the five girls were long gone by the time I managed to get to the front door.  There was no doubt in my mind that Twilight and her friends would think I abandoned them.  I actually had no idea what the next plan was after meeting at the front door.  I began hunting around the school grounds, looking for any sign of Twilight or the other girls.  It was only pure luck that I spotted Pinkie's incredibly distinct hair out on the bleachers in the sports field.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I jogged wide around the school grounds to stay out of sight.  When I walked around the bleachers I was presented with a bizarre spectacle.  Twilight was out on the soccer field trying to kick the ball around.  My eyes were then drawn to the striking and unmistakable appearance of her opponent.

Rainbow Dash?  You have got to be kidding me.
Hah, you are a dead man when she sees you.

I slouched down in my sweat-shirt and was considering turning around to leave when Fluttershy spotted me.

“Oh my!” She gasped in surprise.  “I didn't hear you arrive Silver.  Sorry, we couldn't wait for you but Twilight was in a hurry.”

I sighed and climbed up on to the bleachers, trying to keep a low profile.  “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Fluttershy.  I got tied up with a teacher thanks to an unfinished assignment.”

Rarity muttered something to herself that I didn't catch but she didn't look pleased to see me.  Applejack and Pinkie were concentrating on the game.  

“Oh, that's too bad,” Fluttershy said.  “We're glad you made it.”

I nodded though I doubted the 'we' part extended as far as she thought.  “So what's going on here?  Why on Earth is Twilight trying to play soccer against Rainbow Dash?”

Pinkie leaned backward and grinned at me.  “Oh, Rainbow and Applejack had a biiiiiig fight over a bake sale that turned out to be all the fault of Sunset Shimmer because she messed around with their phones and so thanks to Twilight they made up and are friends again but now she won't help Twilight become the Fall Formal Princess unless she wins this game of soccer.”

I blinked a couple times at the information dump.  “How bad is it?”

Applejack just gestured at the field.  “See fer yourself, there she goes again.”

We all watched Twilight run down the field trying to keep her balance while kicking the ball.  I was struck by how clumsy she looked.  I wasn't even sure she was going to manage to stay on her feet.  It was almost like she didn't even know how to use her body properly.  Twilight wound up comically to try for a big kick but missed the ball completely.  She fell flat on her back while the ball just slowly rolled over to Rainbow Dash who was standing in the goal.  With a sharp kick, she sent it flying clear to the other end of the field and straight into the opposing goal.

“Fraid that's five,” sighed Applejack.  “Ah don't know what the point of this was.  Dash is a tough opponent for athletes.  I can tell at a glance that Twilight ain't one of them.”

I watched Rainbow Dash jumping up and down in the goal, celebrating like she'd just won the world cup.  It was a bit over the top in my opinion but I bit my tongue.  All I had to do now was figure out how to politely excuse myself before I was spotted.  Instead, Pinkie Pie grabbed my hand, pulled me up and started dragging me out to the field.

“Come on Silver, we need to check on Twilight!” She said cheerfully.

There wasn't an opportunity for protest, the best I could do was try to stay out of sight behind Pinkie's crazy hair.  Fortunately, Rainbow Dash was entirely focused on Twilight with her back to me.  Poor Twilight was still flat on her back gasping for breath.

“I . . . really thought you were gonna . . . pull it off there in the end!” Rarity said while laughing nervously.

Rainbow Dash reached down and pulled Twilight to her feet.  Twilight's face was bathed in sweat and she looked completely fried.  She shot me a brief relieved smile but her attention was quickly pulled back to the colorful athlete.

"So what's the plan?” Rainbow asked.  “How can I help you be the princess instead of Sunset Shimmer?”

Twilight was still gasping for air from the exertion. “But . . . I . . . lost!”

“Of course you lost, I'm awesome!” Rainbow Dash said shamelessly.  “But I'm not gonna help just anybody beat Sunset Shimmer.  The Fall Formal Princess should be someone with heart and determination.  You've proved that you've got 'em both!”

Well that was unexpected.
A bit.  Here comes the pain.
She might be reasonable about this.
Hah!  You're delusional.

Twilight smiled as Rainbow Dash gave her a hug while the girls cheered.  When they broke the hug Rainbow Dash looked around at the group with a smile on her face as if taking in the sight of her friends for the first time in ages.  That smile evaporated when she saw me.  Her lips curled in a snarl and I swear her eyes flashed red.

“YOU!?  I WARNED YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM FLUTTERSHY YOU CREEP!”

She drew back her arm and drove her fist straight towards my face.  Instead of trying to block, I closed my mouth and started moving my head backward to reduce the force of the hit.  On impact, I just let myself fall down, rolling on to my shoulder while bracing mentally for the next strike.  My head was spinning since the hit aggravated my headache.  I was just hoping I had moved enough to avoid a concussion.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a laced boot swinging at my chest so I closed my eyes.

“LEMME GO APPLEJACK!  LET ME AT HIM!”

I opened my eyes when the impact failed to occur.  Applejack had caught Rainbow Dash under the arms and lifted her off the ground.  Rainbow Dash wasn't fighting back too hard but she was struggling a bit while Applejack tried to calm her.

“Hold yer horses there Dash!  He's here to help Twilight, just like the rest of us.”

Fluttershy stepped in and her voice was dripping with a cold fury.  “RAINBOW DASH, you should be ashamed of yourself attacking him for no reason!”

“But, he's nothing but trouble,” Rainbow stammered, ceasing her struggle against Applejack's grip.  “You've all heard the stories!  He's hurt people, stolen stuff and what he's apparently done to girls.  Why would you want the help of a criminal!”

It was the first time I'd heard accusations more detailed than overheard whispers.  Even though I knew the rumors had to be about something serious, it actually hurt more than I expected to hear the truth.  Well, the stories that were accepted as truth at the very least.

Criminal or Sports Captain.  I think Twilight will be done with you now.
They do need her more than they need me.
Exactly.  You're totally worthless to her.
I guess I'll just wait for them to leave.
You do that.  Wretch.

I held my breath and just stayed on the grass watching through barely open eyes.  Not moving was a defensive measure and I hoped Rainbow Dash would refrain from adding another bruise to my collection.  That hit was going to leave a black eye from the feel of it.

Applejack let out a snort of disgust.  “Ya know, I would have agreed with ya yesterday.  Knowin' what we do 'bout Sunset's efforts, is it so hard to believe Silver here is a victim as well?”

“But- But what about what he did to Fluttershy on Tuesday?” Rainbow Dash pleaded.  “I saw her running away from him and warned him to keep his distance after.”

Fluttershy crossed her arms and sighed.  “You mean how he was polite and gentle with my animals when we barged into his hiding spot?  You're a good friend Rainbow Dash but it's not your place to decide who I should spend my time with.”

Rainbow Dash glared at me while I cautiously sat myself up.  “So he's 'helping' is he?" She grumbled.  "Fine, whatever.  I'll let this go for now because of Sunset but I've got my eye on you creep.”

Twilight crouched down next to me and had a worried look on her face.  My head was still spinning when I sat up and I closed my eyes hoping it would stop.

“Are you ok?  Why didn't you defend yourself?”

“Hah!  Don't make me laugh,” Rainbow Dash mocked.  “There's no way he could handle me.  He can't even throw a punch to save his life.  Gilda even said-”

I had hardly been listening to her and instead just answered Twilight's question without thinking.  “I probably could have dodged or blocked but sometimes it's less painful to just take the hit,” I said, my voice wavering a bit from the dizzy spell.  “Fighting back just leads to more pain.  That was a solid punch but she telegraphed so I managed to roll with it.  I'd probably have a broken jaw if I had just stayed still.”

I rubbed my temples to try and clear my headache.  When I opened my eyes I looked down at the grass and was relieved to see only one image.  It took me a moment to realize the group had been dead silent since I had spoken.  I looked up and took in the confused expressions on their faces.

“Wait just a minute,” Rainbow Dash said incredulously.  “YOU seriously think you can take me?  Hah, yeah right.  Bring it on creep, anytime.”

I just shook my head and began trying to get my feet under me.  A hand hooked under my arm and helped me to my feet.  I looked over to find Applejack helping me up.  I was surprised she would initiate contact with me like that.

“Not now Dash,” She snapped.  Her voice softened when she turned to me.  “Why would ya take that hit if it could hurt you that bad?”

The reasons snapped through my mind.  Because I didn't want to escalate.  Because I deserved to hurt.   Because collapsing after one punch usually ended the attack.  Because I feared fighting back would make my reputation even worse.  I brushed the excuses all aside.

“Thanks, but it's not important,” I finally replied, dismissing the issue.  “I'll be fine for now.  Right now, we need to focus on helping Twilight win her crown.”

I could feel Fluttershy staring at me, making me shiver.  “Once this is done we are going to have a talk Silver.  I don't like seeing my friends getting hurt.”

“Blah blah blah,” Rainbow Dash interrupted.  “He says he's fine, so he's fine.  We have a lot of work to do.  What's the plan?”





“The Sweet Shoppe?!  I never go in there!”

Pinkie Pie was laughing as she hauled me down the street.  “Well, it's high time to fix that you silly boy!  You haven't lived until you've had one of the Cake's cinnamon buns!”

After the less than stellar introduction to Rainbow Dash at lunch, the girls had decided to meet at the end of the day to go somewhere to discuss the plans to fix up Twilight's reputation.  I made sure to be on time.  While the six reunited girls began a cheerful conversation, I just drifted to the back of the group and followed along behind them.  The occasional venomous glares from Rainbow and Rarity were more than enough to keep me from participating in the conversation.

I hadn't really been paying attention to our destination but I stopped dead when I realized we were heading towards the single most popular after-school hangout for CHS students.  As such, I had avoided it like the plague.  I was half contemplating just fleeing when Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up beside me, scaring the wits out of me.  I had no idea how she got beside me without me noticing.

Now I was half walking, half being dragged through the doors of the shop by Pinkie Pie while fighting off an honest to god panic attack.  I was swept through the door and into an empty chair by a large couch in the corner near the front counter.  The other girls settled down on the couch or on nearby chairs. 

“Here we are!” Pinkie sang cheerfully.  “You sit right down while Auntie Pinkie gets you all snacks.  Just like old times!”

She skipped off with Twilight following behind saying she wanted to look at the menu.  I stared at the floor and took several deep breaths to calm my nerves.  Unfortunately, my mind had other plans.

Everyone's eyes are on you.  Dozens of students staring.
There's only a half-dozen other than the girls.
But they're all staring at you.
If I have to run, I can go out the fire exit.
You can't escape your fate.  Watch out for fists.

“Excuse me, Silver Spark?”

I was pulled out of my miserable introspection by the mention of my name.  Rainbow and Rarity were talking quietly and appeared content to ignore me.  Applejack was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

“You sure do seem to drift off in thought,” Applejack said.  “Ah was jus' wondering, where are you from?  You're new to CHS this year aren't ya?”

“I moved here from Manhattan during the summer break,” I replied after only a moment of hesitation.

Rarity gasped in surprise and turned to stare at me.  “Manhattan!  Really?  Why would you ever leave such an amazing city?  The glitz, the fashion, the glamor!”

She put the back of her hand on her forehead as she spoke in a dramatic tone.  Rainbow Dash and Applejack just rolled their eyes at her over the top behavior.

The nightmares, the pain, the-
SHUT UP!

My reasons for moving weren’t exactly pleasant but there was an easy way out.  “It's not all glamorous,” I simply replied.  “I never really liked the crowds.  What do you want to do in Manhattan?”

“Oh my where to start!” Rarity gushed.  “Well, I'd start in the shopping district.  I am a fashion designer after all and I need to make some contacts . . .”

I only half listened to her, just satisfied the focus of the conversation had turned away from me.  In reality, I just didn't want anyone to know the truth.  This wasn't about me; it was about Twilight at the end of the day.  Applejack was watching me with narrowed eyes; I think she was suspicious about my deflection.

Great way to fail to earn her trust.
I barely know them!  It's not like I'm their friend.

Before Applejack could call me on my non-answer, Pinkie came back carrying a tray of drinks and snacks for everyone.  She put a plate with a cinnamon bun and a steaming cup of coffee in front of me.  I sniffed the cup, savoring the aroma before taking a bite of the bun.  It was still warm and had lots of raisins in the sticky cinnamon sauce between the layers.  It was absolutely delicious and I closed my eyes to enjoy the taste without distraction.

I almost spilled my coffee when a shout and a crash near the till startled me.  We turned to see Twilight trying to clean up the mess from crashing into a blue-haired boy.  It looked like she had dumped her drink all over him.  Twilight was acting oddly shy before she fled back to the group and hid behind my chair.

“Don't even think about it Twilight!” Rarity said. “You're already trying to get her crown.  Who knows what Sunset Shimmer would do if you ended up getting her ex-boyfriend too?”

Twilight looked completely flustered as she tried to sort her thoughts out.  “I'm not trying to.  I don't even know . . . We just accidentally . . . Ex-boyfriend?”

Fluttershy had a worried look on her face.  “Flash Sentry broke up with her a few weeks ago.  I can't believe she hasn't done something awful to him yet.”

As Flash Sentry walked out he glanced at Twilight and gave her a smile.  His eyes scanned over the rest of the group and the smile persisted.  That ended when he noticed me his eyes hardened into a familiar nasty glare.  I did my best to ignore him and just returned my attention to my snack.  I didn't relax until I saw him leave out of the corner of my eye.

Applejack snorted.  “That was a downright awful look he gave you Silver.”

I shrugged my shoulders and swallowed a mouthful of coffee.  “I'd be more surprised if he was pleased to see me.  That wasn't anything unusual.  Anyhow, we need to get down to business.”

“Ah suppose you're right,” said Applejack in a tone that said she didn’t really want to move on.  “The dance is tomorrow night and we need to figure out how we're gonna get Twilight the votes she needs to be named princess.  Right now, folks only know Twilight from the videos Sunset posted.  We need to help 'em see her differently.”

The girls and I barely had time to agree with Applejack's statement before Rarity's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet.  “I'VE GOT IT!” she shouted.

Her eyes widened when she realized everybody in the shop was staring at her.  She blushed then cleared her throat.  “I mean, um, perhaps I have a solution . . .”





In spite of my discomfort when it came to the hostile fashionista, I had to admit that Rarity's idea was clever.  At the beginning of lunch hour, the six girls would hold a flash mob style pep rally in the cafeteria.  They would use the song and dance routine to focus attention on how Twilight had brought them back together.  She had a design for headbands and clip-on tails in school colors that had been used in past school spirit events.  There were still a few details to be sorted out as we walked to Rarity's shop.

“. . . of course I don't have many on hand but I do keep the materials in my shop.  With you girls helping we should be able to assemble more than enough to hand out during the performance.”

I was trailing along at the back of the group, sipping a second cup of coffee.  I was going to regret this later but it was too delicious to pass up.  The planning process hadn't involved any contributions from me so far but I wasn't offended.  It wasn't like I was part of the group or anything.

Twilight sounded more optimistic.  “We don't have a lot of time to learn the song, but we can practice while we put the headbands together.  Do you think Silver should dance as well?”

I managed to swallow the cup of coffee instead of spitting it out and coughed a couple of times.  “As far as ideas go, having me dance in a pep rally is pretty terrible.  I'll probably be more helpful if I stay well away from the cafeteria.”

Rainbow's reaction was entirely expected.  “Squirming out of helping already creep?  Why am I not surprised?”

I just rubbed my eyes with my free hand and sighed.  The accusation stung more than I expected.

“Come on now Dash.  Ah' have to say he'd look a bit outta place in one of those miniskirts Rarity's foisting on us,” Applejack chuckled.

I snorted at that mental image while the others laughed.  God help me if that cropped up in my nightmares.  Still, it was a fair question and one that deserved an answer.  My voice was flat while I tried to explain.

“I have yet to set foot in the cafeteria.  My presence would be an unhelpful distraction at best or a total hindrance at worst.  I don't want to see this fail because of me.  I can get everything set up before lunch starts but then I'll make myself scarce.”

Twilight drifted back to walk next to me.  “Are you sure you don't want to join in?  I want to bring unity to the school and you could be part of that.”

“There’s not enough time to chase two goals,” I cautioned.  “You only have one day to convince the school that you deserve the crown.  You heard what Rainbow Dash thinks of me so please assume the rest of the school feels the same way.  My contributions will have to be indirect.  Any direct involvement from me could screw your chances up.”

Nobody stepped in to contradict my statement as we continued to walk.  Twilight seemed to be at a loss for words.  Fortunately, we were saved from a completely awkward silence by Rarity.

“We're here!” Rarity said in a sing-song voice.  “Welcome to Carousel Boutique!”

Rarity's shop was a pink and purple building just off the main street.  It had been decorated to look a bit like an old-fashioned carousel.  Her home was on the second floor.  The interior was equally well set up with good colors, a selection of clothing, and several changing rooms.  A flight of stairs leads to the upper floor in the back.  The whole space was roomy and inviting.

Rarity looked proud as we looked over the space.  “My parents travel overseas for work quite regularly so they gave me permission to set this shop up.  I can only run it part-time while I’m still in school but that will change!  I live here with my little sister.  Speaking of whom, Sweetie Belle!  I’m home and I brought company!”

“Coming Rarity!”  There was the sound of feet running on the floor above and then a familiar girl came rocketing down the stairs.  She looked around excited but when she spotted me her expression changed.  Her eyes went wide with fear and she covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.  She was shivering as she walked over towards her sister.  I sighed and stepped well away from both the girls and the doorway to make sure nobody felt like I was trying to trap them.

What is with these coincidences?
That girl looks like she's going to have a heart attack thanks to you.

“Umm. Is everything alright Rarity?  Why are they here?” Sweetie Belle asked in a nervous voice.

“Yes, everything is fine darling.  We’ve got some things to prepare for school tomorrow.”

Sweetie Belle’s began to fidget nervously, her eyes shifted over to me again and then back to Rarity.

“Oh, okay I guess. I’m gonna go out and visit Scootaloo then.  See you later!”

Before Rarity could even respond, Sweetie Belle had darted around her and out the front door.  The door slammed shut behind her.  Rarity opened and closed her mouth a few times before turning to glare at me with cold eyes.

“Would you care to explain why my sister is terrified of you?”

“We bumped into each other going around a corner yesterday,” I apologized.  “Your sister and her two friends ran off out before I could tell them it was ok.  Honestly, I wasn't paying nearly as much attention as I should have been.”

I looked at the floor, not wanting to see the accusation on their faces.

“Very well,” Rarity relented.  “I will take your word for it until I speak with my sister.  So you mentioned something about helping indirectly?”

“I'm here to help put these together and I’ll be able to pick up the stuff you need for this rally with my car in the morning.  My biggest concern is Sunset trying to disrupt your performance by pulling a fire alarm or something.  I think I can get her away from the cafeteria long enough at the start of lunch for you girls to work your magic without interruption.”

I shuffled my feet nervously while the girls whispered to each other, discussing the idea.

“Ya really think Sunset'd risk suspension over something like the crown?” Applejack finally asked.

If it was just a normal crown, probably not.  For a magical artifact on the other hand . . .
You are completely delusional.

“Some people take strange things seriously,” I countered.  “I've seen the pictures of Sunset from previous events in the hallway by the office.”

“Ah suppose you're right,” Applejack conceded.  “Granny always says better safe than sorry.  I guess we'd better get to work since these things won't assemble themselves.”





We wrapped up work at Rarity's place around 8:30 in the evening.  The seven of us had assembled a couple hundred headbands and tails.  Short of pausing to eat a couple of slices of pizza, I spent the entire time hunched over a worktable with a glue gun putting them together.  Not that I was complaining since it gave the girls time to sort out their song and dance routine.  It was a catchy little tune even if it was a bit cliché.  Honestly, the best part was hearing Twilight so animated and excited.  It was intriguing to hear her talk to the other girls like she'd known them for years.

Even with the distraction of assembling headbands, it was an uncomfortable evening.  I avoided looking at the girls and kept my nose to the grindstone.  Fortunately, they didn't ask me my opinion on their song or dance because I wasn't watching.  Every once in a while I imagined the feeling of cold, angry eyes skimming across my scalp.  I knew they were only accepting my help because Twilight insisted.  I wasn't going to push my luck by letting my eyes wander even though part of me really did want to watch.

Yeah, just ignore the hot girls dancing across the room.
That's the plan.  I can't risk watching them.
Just a peek?  They'll just think you're sizing them up for something.
I know.
You're never going to get a chance like this again.  Just look.
No.  Frack, I just glued my fingers together.

At least they were all in high spirits as we left Rarity's place.  I was exhausted both mentally and physically.  The constant nagging from the aggravating half of my mind and the aches from bumps and bruises coating my body had me weary.  I had called up a taxi to save myself the walk back to my house.  As we dispersed, I noticed Twilight had turned down the street to head towards the school with Spike walking beside her.

“Twilight, please wait!” I said, hurrying over to her.  “I have something I need to ask you.”

She turned and looked over at me with a smile on her face but I wasn’t watching her.  My suspicion about the situation grew when I saw that Spike had stopped at the same moment and turned to listen as well.

“Sure!  What is it Silver?”

“I have something I need to ask you, but I’m not sure how to phrase it,” I replied, wringing my hands nervously.  “I suppose I need you to understand that getting beaten up isn't unusual for me.  Yesterday morning I was nearly knocked out in the corner of a dark hallway.  I was just about to pull myself up to my feet when you and Spike were arguing with Sunset.”

Twilight and Spike exchanged a glance.  They had both tensed up and I feared they would run away so I pushed onwards.

“Please, hear me out.  I don't care where you're from or about any of that.  I just need to ask two questions to see if I'm going insane or not.  You don’t actually care about being Fall Formal Princess, do you?  It’s only the physical crown that is really important, right?”

She nodded after only a moment’s hesitation

“So everything else I heard is probably true,” I murmured to myself.  “Do you need somewhere to sleep tonight?  I can set you up with a bed at my place and I'd rather know you were safe and comfortable given how busy tomorrow is going to be.”

You can't do this!  You'll regret it.
I have nothing to lose at this stage.  If she needs somewhere, she's got it.

Twilight’s posture instantly relaxed and a huge smile spread across her face.

“Are you serious? That would be really nice.”

“Totally serious.  Then there's one last thing I need to take care of before our ride gets here then,” I said, crouching down and extending my hand to the dog.  “Hello, we haven't been properly introduced yet.  My name is Silver Spark.”

Spike looked up at Twilight who simply nodded at him.  He turned and put his paw in my hand.  His voice was that of a young man.  “Nice to meet you.  I'm Spike.”

“Good to meet you as well and thank you for confirming I really wasn't hearing things yesterday.  I was honestly worried about my sanity when I heard you talk.  Oh, there's our ride.”





The taxi driver dropped us off at the foot of my driveway and we started the walk up the driveway towards my house.  I’ll admit I was second-guessing my choice to bring Twilight here.  Thoughts of the mess inside made my stomach churn.  I heard Twilight’s footsteps stop.  I turned and saw she was staring at the sky.  I followed suit and let out a surprised breath.

The sky was spectacular, a painted tapestry of stars the likes of which I had never seen.  There was no moon out, leaving the sky a velvety black that sparkled with a billion tiny diamonds.  My jaw dropped at the stupendous sight and I felt so very small at that moment.

“It’s so different from the sky back home,” Twilight whispered.  “I wish I could get my hooves on a telescope.”

“I’ve never seen the night sky," I murmured.  “It was never visible where I grew up because of light pollution and I haven’t really given it much thought since I moved here.  Can’t believe I never noticed it before.”

I tore my eyes away from the sky and continued walking up the driveway.  Twilight started following a moment later.

“Silver, something’s bothering me,” Twilight said.  “If you heard my argument with Sunset, you must know I’m well . . .”

“Not from this world?” I finished for her in a flat voice when she trailed off.  “From a place where magic is real?  Trying to retrieve a magical artifact called an element of harmony?  Not normally human?”

She inhaled sharply.  “Well yes.  It’s just . . . well, you seem awfully calm about it.  If what I’ve seen of this world is accurate, magic isn’t a normal thing in this world.”

I shook my head and continued walking up to the front door.  “If I hadn’t heard Spike talk we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.  I’m honestly still not entirely convinced this is entirely real.  I almost dismissed it as a hallucination but your quirky turns of phrase caught my ears.”

“I- I- don’t – what do you mean?” she spluttered.

Before I could answer, Spike snickered.  “Oh come on Twilight, they don’t have hooves and they’re not ponies.  You gave yourself away half a dozen times over the past two days.  I'm surprised Silver is the only one who put it together.”

“Well actually, you were the final piece of the puzzle Spike,” I teased.  "It's obvious you're listening to the actual words we're saying, not just to the sound of our voices like most dogs."

Spike just snorted while I fumbled with my keys in the darkness, trying to find the right one.  

“Not knowing how to use your fingers and hands was pretty odd as well,” I added.  “Anyhow, I’ve had a night to come to terms with the weirdness, though I’ll probably give in to shock again later.  Honestly, I don’t really care where you're from after what you did on the roof this morning.  Giving you a place to stay tonight barely even begins to repay the risk you're taking by including me in this.”

I unlocked the front door and pushed my way inside.  When I turned on the lights, the barren, box filled living room made me wince and I really hoped she wouldn’t take offense.

“Well, welcome to my house, such as it is,” I said quickly, flushing with embarrassment.  “I’ll just run upstairs and put fresh sheets on the bed.  Make yourselves comfortable in the meantime.  Sorry about the mess.”

I scurried up the stairs before either of them could respond and began gathering up the dirty clothing scattered around my bedroom.

I am an idiot for bringing her here.  Maybe I should have gotten her a hotel.
This is hilarious.  Keep an ear out for slamming doors; I’m sure she’s leaving.
Ugh I know.  Why didn’t I unpack more?
Because you suck at life.  And now Twilight will see how useless you are.
Yeah, I guess she will. 

I didn't want to agree with the voice but it was right.  The bedroom was bereft of decoration just like the rest of the house.  Once the bed had fresh linens I pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of light pants with a drawstring in case she wanted to wear something else.  They were way too big for her but sleeping in her normal clothes would be even worse.  It wasn’t great but it was the best I could offer.  I hurried back down the stairs, speaking as I walked.

“Ok Twilight, the bed is ready and I put something out you can use as pajamas if you want. There’s a bathroom right next to-”

Before I could finish, Spike bounded past me and scampered up the stairs.  “Thanks, Silver, I’m beat!  Goodnight!”

Twilight was leaning against a pile of boxes in the living room.  She wasn’t looking at me and there was a shadow across her face thanks to the absence of floor lamps.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

She gestured at the floor near her.  “Could you sit down?  We need to talk.”

Anxiety flashed through me and I feared this was going to be a trial or interrogation about the events of the day.  Instead of running, I just walked over and sat down against a different stack of boxes.  I chose a seat so she was well out of my reach.  I didn’t want her to feel threatened or crowded by my presence.  My eyes were firmly fixed on the floor and I imagined I could feel her eyes on me, boring through my skin.

“Do you trust me?” she asked in a quiet voice.

 “Maybe?” I said uncertainly, not meeting her gaze.  “Trusting is hard after- . . .  Why does it matter?”

“Because it’s obvious something’s wrong!” she blurted.  “You said you moved here several months ago and this is how you’re living?  Surrounded by piles of unopened boxes?  Where is your family?  What happened?”

“It-it’s really not that important,” I stammered.  “You should get your rest-”

“NO!” she exclaimed.  “You avoid it at every turn, dismissing everything about you as unimportant.  Do you really think so little of yourself?”

I concentrated on the carpeted floor and sighed, trying not to let her words get to me.  “You’ve got a dangerous magical artifact to deal with; isn’t that more important?  My life isn’t worth stressing about, it’s just the way things are.”

“There’s nothing more I can do about that tonight,” she replied.  “Please, will you let me try to help you?  I don’t want to see a friend suffering.”

The passion in her voice forced me to finally look up and I was struck by those purple eyes once again.  The worry and fear were apparent in her eyes but what struck me was how it felt.  Those eyes weren’t worried about how I would react or my presence.  Somehow I knew she was actually, honestly just worried for me.

Whatever you do, don’t tell her anything.
Why not?
You should suffer in silence.  This isn’t her business.
I’m going to talk to her.
You’ll regret this.

I leaned heavily against the stack of boxes and pulled my knees up to my chest with my arms.  I stared down at them, trying to collect my thoughts and ignore the aggressive voice in my head.  My resolve was collapsing quickly.

“My parents died a year ago during the same . . . uh incident that gave me the scars,” I admitted wearily.  “I chose to move here because I couldn’t face living in the family apartment.  I guess a part of me hoped that a new place might give me some purpose or peace but that hasn’t worked out.  What’s the point in unpacking a life that I’m barely capable living?  Some days I’m not even sure why I even bother anymore.”

My heart was pounding a mile a minute while I spoke.  I was struggling to hold my emotions in check but they were threatening to explode.

“What happened when you started school?” she asked gently.  “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing Dash and Rarity say about you.  Don’t you have any friends?”

“I met Fluttershy for the first time totally by accident the day before you arrived,” I said bitterly.  “She’s the first person who treated me like I wasn’t a monster.  It was one quiet hour of sitting near someone who wasn’t getting ready bolt because of my presence.  Shame there isn’t going to be a repeat but that’s life I guess.  It’s really not a problem you should burden yourself with.”

I didn’t know where to look or what else to say at that point so I just stared at my knees.  Twilight didn’t say anything for a moment and I wondered if she had decided to leave.  What I didn’t expect was to suddenly feel the weight of an arm wrapping around my shoulder.  I actually gasped with surprise from the contact as I realized Twilight had just moved beside me and was pulling me into a tender hug.

The long forgotten sensation of a caring, gentle touch made something inside me snap.  I just began to cry.  The dam built over months of trying to be stoic and controlled while hiding my grief collapsed.  After a while, I managed to pull myself together.  I let out one last sniffle and began to pull away from Twilight.  To my surprise, she held me tight.

“You stay right there Silver,” She said firmly.  “You obviously need this.”

“I'm sorry,” I sighed, wincing as my voice cracked.  “I'm usually better at controlling my emotions.  I probably sound like a miserable wimp right now.”

“Don't worry, I'm glad you trust me enough to let your pain out like that,” she murmured.  “I don’t know about humans but ponies don’t handle the absence of affection well.  When was the last time you got a hug or even a kind touch?”

I stopped pushing away and hiccoughed once.  “Unless you count Fluttershy touching my arm on the roof this morning, it before my parents died.  All I've seen at school is disdain or pain depending on the student.  I don’t have any living relatives though I suppose there’s my mentor Steel Rain.  I couldn’t face him after-”

I cut myself off and cursed my loose tongue.  I knew what her next question would be.

“After what?”

 My mind was screaming at me to keep hiding the truth but I acted anyhow.  I reached down and grabbed the sleeve of my sweatshirt.  I pulled it back revealing my wrist and lower arm.  The web of ragged scars petered on my lower arm.  They were completely random when compared with what I was truly ashamed of.  There was a tidy line of parallel scars on my wrists.  I felt Twilight tense up when I revealed them but didn’t shy away.  Instead, she reached her hand out and brushed her fingers across the lumpy marks.

“Are these what I think they are?” she asked.

“Probably,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice calm.  “I started after I was released from the hospital.  I never cut deep enough to risk bleeding out but I could have slipped.  Steel Rain caught me and managed to convince me to try using a martial arts routine instead.  That was the last time I saw him before I moved away.  I was too ashamed to face him again but I’ve been using the coping technique.  That’s what you saw on the roof today but it wasn’t working.  I don't know if it will again.”

Twilight was quiet as she continued to idly brush my wrists with her arm wrapped around me.  I wasn’t sure what could be said next.  She sounded lost in thought when she finally spoke again.

“You know, I wasn’t a popular pony when I was in magic school.  I was a nerdy bookworm, mostly oblivious to the world around me.  There were a few bullies but I can’t even imagine the horror you’re going through.  I buried my muzzle in my books until I wound up going to Ponyville.  It was the friends I made there that finally pulled me out of my shell.”

“You really aren’t human then?” I asked quietly.  “And you’re not in school either?  You must be older than you look.”

“Yes, I’m actually a Uni- sorry Alicorn pony.  I’m nineteen years old now.  From what I read on the internet yesterday, it seems humans mature much more slowly than ponies.  I started school at three years old and our equivalent to grade school only lasts eight years.  Then we move to apprenticeships or specialized schools.  I attended Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“Interesting.  Ummm, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you correct yourself?  What’s an Alicorn?”

She sighed and shook her head.  “Umm, could you pinkie promise to keep what I'm telling you a secret until I have a chance to tell the girls?  I’d rather they hear it from me than someone else.”

“Sure, no problem, could you do the same with what I've told you?”

When she nodded, I held out my pinkie finger.  She looked at it with a perplexed expression on her face and then began to laugh.

 “That’s called a pinkie finger, isn't it?” she said.  “And you have a promise based on it?  That's so weird!  My version goes like this: Cross my heart and hope to fly.  Stick a cupcake in my eye- OW!”

She accidentally poked herself in the eye with her hand while demonstrating the motions.  I chuckled in spite of myself and then copied her words and motions, minus the eye poke.

“I assume that little rhyme has special significance.”

“Yes it does,” she said with a little giggle.  “It’s one of the most important promises you can make in my world.  Breaking it could have . . . hazardous consequences.  Anyhow, being confused about what kind of pony I am sums up my life now.  I was born a plain old unicorn and my life was all figured out.  I work as a librarian in a small town but I had all the time in the world to research magic at a whim.  I could spend time with my friends whenever the mood arose.”

“What happened?”

“Princess Celestia sent me Starswirl’s unfinished spell.  It almost ruined up the lives of my best friends but I fixed it.  When I finished it there was a massive burst of magic.  Next thing I know, I’ve sprouted wings and I’m being crowned the newest Princess of Equestria.”

What? She’s a princess?
You should feel bad for wasting her royal highness’ time like this.

Her voice was sad as she continued.  “I don’t mean to complain because it really is an honor.  The problem is now I’m dealing with royal duties, ponies are bowing to me and I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.  I just wanted to be a scholar but instead, I’ve been thrust into a role I have no business taking.  I’m not a leader and I have no idea what to do now.”

I was at a loss for words as I gazed over at Twilight who still had her arm around me in a half hug.  Her expression was forlorn and even a bit lost.  After a moment of hesitation, I lifted my arm and wrapped it around her shoulder.  I had no idea if I could help her but I was going to try.

“I’m honored that you’ve trusted me with all this, Twilight,” I consoled.  “Honestly, only a natural leader could bring those girls together as quickly as you did.  Anyone can boss people around with a big enough stick.  You convinced those five to put aside their differences with words alone.  As for the rest, I can’t even imagine what it would be like to sprout wings or rule a country.  All I can suggest is make time for the ones who keep you happy and grounded.”

That brought a proper smile to her face.  “My friends.  I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

I gave her shoulder one more squeeze before letting go.  “Then keep them close and cherish every moment.  You never know how long you’ll have.”

Twilight was silent but I felt her nod her head.  I barely whispered my next question but I couldn’t finish it.

“How long until. . ?”

“I have until tomorrow night.”

A fresh wave of sadness washed over me but I somehow kept myself calm on the outside.  “So soon?”

“I wish I could stay longer,” she whispered.  “I really do but I have to leave after the dance tomorrow night.  The portal between our worlds will only stay open until the moon reaches its highest point in the sky.  Then it closes for thirty moons.  I can't abandon my responsibilities back home.”

“That's over two years,” I said mostly to myself.

“Not to worry,” Twilight declared.  “The girls will help you out if you let them.  I'll make sure to ask them.  They're some of the best people I know.”

How could she possibly know that?
She's just humoring you until you’re out of her hair.
Twilight wouldn't lie to me about this.
Why do you believe her?  You're letting her delude you.
Hope is not a delusion.
Those girls will kick you to the curb the instant Twilight is gone.

That damn pit was forming in my stomach again.  “I hope you're right but don't be offended if I don't get my hopes up.”

Twilight gave me a comforting squeeze.  “I think you'll be surprised.  Don't worry; I won't break my promise to you when I talk to them.”

“I am exhausted,” I simply said.  “Completely and utterly wiped out.”

“With all that bottled up emotion I can only imagine,” Twilight said.  “Just one last question before I head to bed.  Is your reluctance to talk about your past an issue of trust or trauma?”

I looked up at the ceiling and considered the question.  It was an odd way to phrase the question but fairly easy to answer.  “I wouldn't have told you as much as I did if you hadn't earned my trust today.  The trauma certainly doesn't make it easier.  Believe me, I haven't told you everything that happened to me but I don't think I can face any more today.  Given enough time I'd be able to talk to people I trust about what happened.”

“Good.  Make sure you do once the girls have earned it and I guarantee they will.  Fluttershy is particularly gentle when it comes to life challenges.  Whatever happens, it isn't healthy to keep things bottled up.  I wound up seeing a therapist for a while after the mess with Chrysalis at my brother's wedding because I refused to deal with it right away.”

I raised my eyebrow at her.  “It sounds like there's quite the story there.  I guess I’m going to have to wait for thirty moons to hear it though.”

“I’ll make sure to tell it on my next visit.  Goodnight Silver.”  Twilight gave me one last hug and got up to her feet.

“Have a good sleep Twilight. The bedroom is upstairs on the right.   And thank you for listening.  Sorry I was an emotional wreck.”

“It happens, Silver.  May Luna bring you sweet dreams.”

I couldn't help watching her walk up the stairs.  While I watched I did my best to push aside the idle thought that she was really very cute.  Twilight was leaving tomorrow and even with all her leadership qualities, she couldn't force the other girls to want anything to do with me.  Even if she did, the voice of doubt was echoing louder than ever in the back of my head.

I'll make you regret your choices tonight.  You chose wrong.

I walked over and settled in on the lonely recliner in the middle of the living room and settled down to try and sleep.