//------------------------------// // Chapter 89 - Blueblood and Twilight's meaningful moments! Tale 10 // Story: The normal life of Nitpick Bittersweet // by Ryusun //------------------------------// There has never been a time where I questioned the acts and decisions I made in my life until that fateful day I turned seventeen. I have always walked through the world with the confidence, pride, and power expected of a member of the Royal Family. As the future Twentieth-third King of Equestria, my birthright was to rule the land with my wisdom. My inheritance, to serve the people. It doesn’t excuse me to breeze away my joy, but rules meant for my lineage are to be followed without exception or complaint. And one of those laws lead me to a test of patience, my so needed duty to acquire knowledge concerning the poorer people’s struggles, all for the sake of two clashing schools’ needs and mine. It may seem out of place for the commoners to see a noble beneath himself to the menial tasks that they so eagerly do every single day. I too once believed that monarchy and people of power should never allow themselves to coexist with the lesser citizens. Everything changed when I began to befriend my Sister’s friends. Never in my mind manifested the thought that the trivialities of the common folks could open in me a panorama that could be the key to rule the land fairly in the future, as my ancestors did before me. There was this certain joy of being around people who could take in full my personality without changing it to please them. It was a pleasure just to be me. Now, living as a servant for a brief periods of my short existence, I was trying to master the art of delivering food to the old citizens with my own hands, using gloves, of course. It took me an hour to perform the deed beside the others. Gilda in particular was so eager to do her part quickly to leave to her home earlier, much to Sugarcoat’s anger. Watching them exert their duties like that, I slowly started to appreciate what my Father always said about my responsibilities to the land and its inhabitants. Knowing your subjects’ struggles gives you a deeper insight and security to the decisions that should be made in the future. Not everything was the meetings that I was forced to assist with him, almost filled with old dinosaurs whose personal interests were rotten to the core. Sometimes politics must be made through the land itself as well. I never liked the idea of studying in a school, or getting along with normal people, no matter how prestigious or important they were… but in the end, it proved to be far better than private tutelage. Not everything in life is taught inside the walls of learning. Nevertheless… I desired from the bottom of my heart that my current activities were far more hygienic and graceful. “Yeeeugh! Is that really a trash bag? It smells like the filthy sewer system of Coltbraska!” “My brother, the sewer systems you are talking about was in reality a water treatment facility.” “It doesn’t matter, the smell is as unpleasant. YEECH!! HOW COULD YOU TOUCH THAT WITHOUT USING GLOVES!?” “My imbecile of a brother, stop acting like a whiny brat and moderate the volume of your disgusting voice.” Reem threw the filled, pestilent plastic bag in the trash container outside the building. “Thee knoweth yond soap exists to washeth thy hands with wat'r, correct?” “Don’t talk to me with that old English dialect! And Rosaline would be convulsing in plain sight if she saw you touching that!” “That is why I sent her to do an errand for me. And besides, that old English you speak of IS our mother language. In any case, please pay a visit to little Meg before leaving. I believe her reset is just a few hours away and you better give her the teddy bear before that occurs.” “No! Do it yourself!” “It is your duty as the future King to learn about your subject’s needs and regrets, or I am wrong?” “Stop reading minds! And you too shall become a ruler as well! You should join me in this!” “I never read minds at will, and I certainly did not do it now. Besides, I already did my part this last weekend, remember?” “Ah, it’s true… very well then.” I hate it when you convince me to submit to such ridiculous demands. “But you always do it regardless of any particular excuse, my brother. And yes, this time I ‘read’ your mind.” “This is why the others get angry at you.” “In any case, go on and do something selfless for a change. Rosaline will soon come for me to take me home. Tobias will arrive in an hour or so, giving you plenty of time to do an act of charity for once.” “I always do charity!” “We shall see about that, fiend.” Reem went to the borders of the park and waited for her sworn maiden to take her home, and as for me, I was stuck inside a nursing home still. “Hmph! Better end this quickly and wait for my butler.” …. The path towards the little girl’s room was quiet. I still wasn’t used to the smell of medicine and old dawns trapped inside this corridors. How many people have been living in this fifty year old building was something that grabbed my curiosity. Perhaps I could ask this to one of the staff at a later date. Simply waiting for my curiosity to die was another option. “Pinkie Pie, we shouldn’t be here!” “But we must give these cookies to her! I’m sure she’ll love them!”” A terrible headache appeared inside my beautiful persona after hearing that super sweetened voice of hers. Miss Pie and Miss Sparkle seems to be trying to get inside an unauthorized room. Room that I was allowed to enter, of course. “Fair ladies, what do you think you are doing?” Both of them looked at me. Miss Pie’s eyes were clear, straightforward, and unfriendly. Surely the news of me convincing the staff to forbid her to enter that room found her way to her. Miss Twilight’s were rather pathetic, on the other hand. “You!” The Miss said with an unwelcoming voice. “That room is forbidden for the likes of you, so if you excuse me, I must get inside to bestow to the little maiden there this present.” “Why?” The Miss asked. “Hmm?” “WHY DID YOU-!?” I shut her mouth. “Mind you surroundings, plebian! This is a nursing home, not a fair!” “You are so rude!” She said as she put away my hand from her mouth. Thankfully I was wearing my gloves. “You don’t have a lot of friend, do you?” “What is the purpose of asking that question now? And I have some friends here and there, thank you very much. Now, leave.” “No!” I cleared my throat. “Leave.” “No!” “Pinkie, we should leave.” “What!?” “We don’t want to become enemies to the crown! It’s treason!” Finally, someone with common sense spoke before me! “But he is just a prince, Sci-Twi!” Miss Sparkle’s eye twitched. “He isn’t the president to be given others around! Rarity said so after reading a magazine about the topic!” “But Pinkie, behind the scenes, royalty in reality-!” “Don’t bother, Miss sparkle. Even if she knew… Nah! I don’t have time to waste on you! Those two would scold me if they hear that I was dealing with you! Now I really need to deliver this present.” “Blueblood, you won’t escape!” “It’s Prince Blueblood to you, Miss Pie!” “Whatever! I want to see the little girl!” “Why?” “To sing her a song and make her happy, of course! I want to dance with her, eat cookies with her, rain her with little presents and make her smile brighter than a-!” “Stop!” Miss Twilight grabbed from behind the arms of Miss Pie. The later had a wild smile and eyes filled with glimmer… a strange, bluish aura was emanating from her body. I winked for a moment and the strange bright was gone, only two awkward and fearful smiling faces were looking at me. “We better go for today, Blueblood!” Miss Sparkle dragged her friend with her. “Our duty here is over!” “What!? No way! I haven´t-” A ringtone sounded from her… hair. Without a care and with a simple grin, Miss Pie grabbed her phone from her… hair. “Mrs. Cake? … … … I’M ON MY WAY!” “What is-?” “I’ll tell you later, Sci-Twi!” “PINKIE, MY BAG!” She tried to catch up, but Miss Pie simply vanished. “Oh, cheeseburger!” “What is it, Miss?” “She took our bags and Spike was in mine.” “Pets aren’t allowed in the facilities.” She looked at me with a dubious face. “Oh… yeah! Ahahahaha… aha… It’s just that I forgot to leave him at home and… well.” “Remember that I’m aware that your puppy is in your backpack to almost every place you go. No point in trying to lie now.” “I’m not… a liar.” She caressed her left arm. Depressed face. Sudden change of mood. Remains of dried tears from a recent cry of despair. Hmm… Change of plans. “My liege.” A familiar voice was approaching at my presence and kneeled. “I came back for you to take you home.” “Tobias, my faithful butler. Good timing. Say, do you have tea for a short conversation for two people?” “I shall prepare it right away. The park is a good place to enjoy it with this weather and there is a nearby spot with chairs and tables for you to use for the occasion.” “Excellent. You’re always ahead of what I’m going to ask of you. Miss Sparkle, come with me!” “What?” “Hey, I just had this urge to try my Sister’s favorite beverage for real. I prefer martinis but you aren’t allowed to drink one of those.” “But you are underage as well!” “I have my privileges and I’m already seventeen!” “But eighteen is-!” “Quiet! Besides, you don’t have anything planned, do you?” “Well… I don’t have anything else to do and it’s still early.” “I hardly call six with eighteen in the evening ‘still early’, Miss Sparkle. It’s really early. Worry when the clock marks the ninth hour and beyond. Now come, Tobias is fast when performing his role.” …. Comfortable seats considering the public target. Impressive scenery of brown and red. The only missing thing is my martini with parmesan crackers. I still don’t understand why Reem enjoys so much drinking tea. I mean, I like it in short samples but it is hardly my favorite beverage. On the other hand, Miss Sparkle was enjoying it at her sweet time. After calling her dog’s kidnapper, she was at ease to hear that he was alright. So much was her moment of peace that I preferred to let her enjoy herself for as long as she could. After all, a troubled heart is easy to spot for people like me. “Why did you make the staff of the nursing home and the orphanage forbid Pinkie to meet the girl?” The Miss put her cup on its plate, exploring the craft with her fingers. That ended sooner than I expected. “Because she is noisy, unorthodox, and she has the type of personality that would scare Meg.” I drank from my tea. “No wonder Nitpick is uncomfortable around her.” “That was mean...” She sighed disheartened. “She is a great friend and you should be more kind to her, Prince!” “Royalty doesn’t waste time with the fabrication of sentences to tell the truth in a gentle way during small, insignificant conversations. And before you ask, forbidding her entrance was Reem’s idea. Nevertheless, I won’t deny that I agreed to help her. Let’s say that it’s been a while since I saw her with a deep, driving motivation. I want to nurture it, whatever the result may be.” “But isn’t that unfair? You’re using your status to make that possible!” “Remember that we can do whatever we want, as long as the staff agrees to it and doesn’t break any rules. Nitpick wanted to hide it from me, remember? The nerve!” “True… Still, it is unfair.” “Unfair is to cheat and sabotage a competition, ending up with more troubles and disputes later down the road. But I don’t hear that from your end, am I?” “…No.” “And that is what troubles you, isn’t it?” “Eh?” “Please, you are like a lake without dark depths. If you wish, I can hear your troubles and give you counsel.” “I don’t have troubles.” “You are a really bad-!” “I’m not a liar!” She scared me with her sudden piercing eyes. “What’s with everybody saying that!?” I took a sip of my tea and calmed down as any King would do. “You see? Anger is giving you away your real state of mind!” She took a long, deep sip of her tea, drinking it all eventually. She asked for a refill and Tobias reluctantly stood there for a second, offended for such rude petition. At least, for our standards. “Your manners, my butler. After all, I invited her.” “I beg your forgiveness, my liege.” He said humbled. After her teacup was filled, Sparkle looked at me in the eye. “Why did you call me a liar? I want to know.” “Your body language told me so. You are more doubtful than usual, your time of response in your answers has increased, and your out-of-character attitude is worrisome, even for me. I’m surprised that Nitpick hasn’t noticed it yet.” “He is busy leading his part of the team with Sunset at school.” “Ah... I bet that he’ll worry once he sees you!” “I don’t want him to worry about me! He has a lot on his mind right now!” “Then tell Miss Shimmer what troubles you! She is your friend after all!” She gripped her cup with increased strength. “Aaah! So she is the source of the problem! Interesting!” “No, she is not!” “You are getting angry over nothing again. That isn’t you.” “What do you know about me?” She said fiercely, but her bravery faded away in an instant. Her face slowly became a passive and reflective one. Looking at her side in reluctance, she started playing with a Rubik’s cube without seeing it. That cube must have been used for thousand times already. “My… cousin, paid us a visit.” “Ah… fascinating.” And boring. “So, what’s the problem?” “I… no. Why you should hear me out? You barely know me for you to care.” “Hmm, it is true. Very well, let’s reinforce our bond of trust to make you talk at ease with me. Let me tell you a little story that will certainly put a little smile in your face.” “I don’t think that is possible.” “But by all means, let me try.” I smiled with confidence. “One morning, during the last cold winter of Ponyville, I received a call from Gilda that there was a breakfast reunion on Sugarcoat’s home. Like Reem, I was told that her folks weren’t there because they had extended work shifts during that season, and since I was really bored and didn’t have anything planned for that particular date, I journeyed to the Little Maiden’s house.” “That sounds pretty sad for royalty.” She said in a fascinating, cynical way. “You are so charming, you know?” I said pleasantly. “When we were reunited, we cooperated to buy the groceries. It was a mess, though. I happen to be allergic to common milk made from dairy sources, and cheap chocolate syrup is unacceptable for Reem’s standards. Not to mention that Nitpick hates with a passion the Tootsie-Belle brand of flour for waffles and Gilda hates the honey that Sugarcoat and Reem loves. I hardly would call it a peaceful breakfast.” “But you must have a good memory of it if you remember the details.” “Indeed. That morning, during breakfast, Sugarcoat was working on her Tpad on the schedules that were needed on that month. Nitpick, to not say other words, cursed her actions and the two of them engaged in a discussion again. As the parley reached its climax, Gilda, as always, got tired of their pettiness and broke in half the table with her fists. To Sugarcoat’s horror, of course.” “What happened next?” “It turns out that the table was in fact a relic of her father’s family. Under further inspection, the table was old and the wood was breaking already. Sugarcoat was about to call her father to tell him about the ‘accident’ but Gilda stopped her. She had this brilliant idea to get super glue to fix the broken relic. As you may imagine, Sugarcoat was perplexed, amazed, and angry at her ‘stupidity’, according to her. Reem and Nitpick on the other hand were just there, cleaning the mess as the other two engaged in another verbal warfare, again.” “I thought that Reem didn’t learn to clean anything until this competition started.” “Holding a trash bag open doesn’t require skill at all... Right?” I mean, it doesn’t require skill at all, am I right!? “That’s true.” She chuckled. Hehehehe… I knew I was right. “In any case, Gilda bought the glue anyway and started uniting the parts of the table, one by one. Nitpick helped her, as he usually does, and during that time, Sugarcoat was complaining that their idea wasn’t going to work, that their stupidity was beyond normal levels and that they should consider throwing themselves from the peaks of the mountains nearby the city. Then she turned at me at yelled that I wasn’t being useful at all. That woman is insufferable sometimes.” “But you are still with them, right?” “Yes. Anyway, it was total chaos, and Reem was laughing the entire time.” “That sounds scary.” “Indeed. In the end, the table was fixed.” “At first, I believe.” “Why do you say that?” “If my guess is right, they used super white glue. Terrible for wood uses.” “Exactly. The table didn’t hold on a single plate I laid on the surface. An old relic of the past. Must I mention that the broken plate was one of Sugarcoat’s mother’s favorite?” “Is it a good idea to tell this to me? She could get angry if she knows of this!” “She always gets angry with something, that little Maiden! Anyway, Sugarcoat called her father in the end and told her the whole story. It turns out that her parents were going to throw away the table anyway. It turns out that the old thing was reaching the end of its life cycle and her father’s parents bought for them a new one, much to their reluctance. The delivery was made that afternoon and the employees were informed to throw the old one away.” “What about the plate?” “Reem called an expert to see how much the relic was worth since she has a knack for old stuff. We ended up paying Sugarcoat’s mother one-hundred-thousand dollars.” “THAT MUCH!?” “It was a plate made from real Aztec clay from the fourteenth century. Far more expensive than the Tenochxican variation after the Spaniards conquered the now-extinct culture in the sixteenth century. Her full set, even without that plate, is worth two million dollars.” “Unbelievable!” “I know, right? She made a wise choice to not donate it to the museum.” “What? Why!? It’s a legacy that should be witnessed to the general public! Imagine how many brilliant artist would get inspiration from such pieces!” “Tenochxicans were proud workers that praised their craftsmanship in the useful everyday things. They would be ashamed and saddened to see their work being hold in a museum, forever damned to be unused. For her family to be using them, it shows respect for their culture instead of leaving them trapped inside four glass walls. Besides, if taken care of, those plates could last them for three or four hundred years in her family lineage. It is best for her to let them stay with her and be useful instead of being eventually forgotten. At least, that is what I think, and I’m not doubtful that I may be wrong.” “Being of use to someone…? I wish I could be that valuable.” I raised my brow with a pinch of reflection. Although her mind was asking to herself what she desired, it didn’t take away her thirst for knowing what she was able to do. Even if she was a reclusive girl, it was obvious that she always strived for being accepted. It must be the reason why she withstood all of her social abuses during her time in Crystal Prep. No wonder both wanted to help her. Such a bother. “Feeling better?” “Yes… Thank you for the story.” “I’m glad that you are at ease now.” “…My cousin is better than me at everything I do.” “Excuse me?” She drank of her tea slowly, trying to delay whatever she wished to share. “She simply… outmatches me. Pinkie enjoys her company. Rarity is delighted in her presence. Fluttershy is at peace around her. Rainbow dash is livelier in her eyesight. Applejack is passionate with her leadership… And Sunset…” She put down the cup in the table as my butler filled my third cup. “Sunset… Sunset… Sunset… Sunset.” I could swear that the air around her turned heavy. A relentless, somber mood dawned in her side of the world. Slowly turning the surroundings… Darkness. “Your cousin was superior than you. But in what exactly? Does she have your same brilliant mind?” “She is even more experimented than me.” “I don’t doubt that genius people beyond you exist in the land but usually they don’t share the exact, same gifts.” “You wouldn’t believe how magically similar she can be to me, but better.” “In times like this, you should smile and challenge this test.” “What did you say?” “Forgive me, the last part was something that I learned from the Twins. Well, Gilda and Nitpick aren’t exactly… Whatever. Be confident that an opportunity will come to make you feel special. You just need to live long enough to prove your worth! Be optimistic that you can be better than you are now in the nearest future, so when you look behind all of your supposed failures, you will laugh at them, saying to yourself that how could you have been so stupid! That is what I always do!” I smiled, and my shiny teeth blinded her for a moment. “What if the opportunity never arrives?” “It will arrive.” “But what if I still keep failing?” “You will eventually succeed.” “But if it is too late when that happens? What if it is for nothing? Would I have wasted my time? Will it even matter? What if no one is around to see what I can do? What if-?” “For God’s sake, Miss Sparkle! I have met a lot of weak-willed people in my travels with my Father before, but never have I witnessed such gloomy, depressive, defeatist, no-hoper, pessimistic, despairing, and worthless person like you. Have no one ever told that nobody wants to be dragged down by anyone who can be obnoxiously weak and needy? At this rate, it will be a matter of time before someone actually makes a fool of you. Right now, you are really petty and… uh, Miss Sparkle?” ‘Sniff’ Oh-oh. ‘Sniff’ My butler immediately came at my side and mumbled, “Prince Blueblood, if Lord Bittersweet and Princess Oakwood know of this…” “I’m thinking on how to solve it. Go back to your post.” I whispered as I tried to drank from my tea. The somber aura increased around her as tender tears traveled her silky skin. Her watery eyes looking at the ground with a shade of defeat and sadness almost made me sweat in fear as a sense of uncomfortable feelings rushed to the tip of my throat. I forgot that I wasn’t dealing with my usual social group and perhaps I exceeded the use of my words. But why should I care? She is just a normal girl, no matter how brilliant she was. Her personality and well-being won’t do a significant difference if she ever grows up or not. She wasn’t a person of power. She didn’t have in her shoulders the weight of expectations that people of power have. All her troubles are just a product of her imagination. At the same time, I found something strange with my drink. My tea suddenly tasted bitterer than ever before. “Does she have a boyfriend?” She snapped for a moment from her depressive state, cleaning her tears as best as she could. Her big glasses may have hid it, but I’m sure she blushed after acknowledging my question. “I-I-I don’t think so.” She tried to speak clearly. “Why are commoners so ashamed to answer that simple question? You don’t see the nobles shaming themselves like that!” “B-but you are a n-nobles! You are practically immune to shame!” I couldn’t help but laugh. Laugh like I have never done so before. As soon as I recovered my composure, I locked my eyes with her. “I never was this direct and ‘shameless’ before. There was a time that I was even afraid of people!” “Really? That.. That sounds impossible!” It is impossible but I will manipulate the truth to save my hide from this particular situation. “Of course it is possible! I never wanted to study in Crystal Prep. Mother always wished for me to study at home, learning from the best professors the world could offer. Father had other plans, and I ended up realizing that he spoke truth! Without social interaction, I would have continued believing that everyone washed their clothes in luxurious machines. Without social interaction, I would have never experienced the thrill of knowing the struggles of the everyday man. Without social interaction, I would have kept the same spoiled mentality that nobles have absolute power in the lives of anyone!” “But you always act like you have the absolute power!” Perhaps it was the truth but luckily I could somewhat adjust the reality to my needs. “Of course not! If that were the case, I wouldn’t even bother to open the door to my Sister and Sugarcoat when we enter a place. I wouldn’t try to learn how to help the elder people and unfortunate children with their food and medicine. If I were someone who would really abuse his power, CHS would be demolished with a snap of my fingers and this competition would end its miserable existence. For God that watches us all, I would force a woman to open the door for me and use her dress to cross a pond just to avoid muddying my shoes! But know the difference. Even as a lowly prince, I can still get almost anything I want. But I don’t do it. And that’s because I chose to receive a better education, and I chose to follow some of my friend’s dogmas! Which sometimes leads to embarrassing outcomes.” I enjoyed my third cup of tea. “I don’t have a single regret.” “Funny that you mention choice. Sometimes… I don’t know if I am doing the right thing. I want to be someone that Sunset can be proud of calling a friend. I want her to see more of my potential. I want her to look at me for who I am. I want… to be me.” “Your cousin is that amazing that makes you doubt of your own gifts?” “…Yes.” She said with regret. “People will always compare you with another person who is better than you. But is that really a justification to stop trying to improve yourself?” “Uh!?” “Think about this for a moment, Miss Sparkle. You say that your family member is better than you at things that you share in common, right? Have you ever thought about improving other things you enjoy, but perhaps she doesn’t?” “…No! I have never thought of that!” “Do you have others hobbies that she doesn’t share with you?” “I don’t know. I’m not that close to her, to be honest.” “Hmph! You are so vague, Miss. Have you tried to do something that apparently you couldn’t possibly do and she does?” “Magic.” “Something realistically possible, please!” “No.” “You are hopeless.” “I have been called that for a while. Perhaps it is true.” “That kind of attitude will crush you sooner than you could imagine. Or worse, people can put you in their palms and do with you whatever they please. Listen, Miss Sparkle. Laugh is good. Hope is nice. Faith in something is everything. But beware! I have seen how easy people like Miss Pie open their hearts to strangers like if it was the best thing ever. In my opinion, that is a very dangerous attitude. I’m sure that you have seen before people that you thought were good friends at first glance, only to find out that they’re different and fight constantly.” “Yes. Sunset and Nitpick are a good example. They have been nice to each other the past few days but the more I think about, the more I realize that their friendship was just… my imagination.” She was left motionless for a long moment. “I thought they were good friends after they started to hang out…” “Hard to believe he had a crush on her.” I said with serenity. “Wh-wh-WHAT!? NO! THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT!!” “Calm down and drank some tea.” She swallowed the drink like if it was cheap water. “You must be lying!” “Ah.. yes. Maybe I am.” She sighed with relief. That topic isn’t going to work and I finally acknowledged that giving counsel was harder than I thought. I don’t even know where to start or finish. “Have you ever felt used, Miss?” “How so?” “Manipulated. A short-term benefit.” “No!” “Are you sure?” “…Perhaps when Principal Cinch used me to win the Friendship Games.” “Do you believe your friends would ever use you for a personal goal?” She laughed with a mix of confidence and innocence. “No! I’m sure that they would never use me for anything at all!” “Answer this with sincerity. What would you do if that really happened? How would you feel if someone you believed was a friend ended up betraying you?” “…I would feel bad.” “Would you forgive him?” “I don’t know. It would depend on what did they do and how sincere they are in their apology. I hope I never experience something like that and just laugh, like if anything didn’t happen!” “You are naïve. It is true that a good laugh with friends can make many good things happen; it can shatter fears and banish bad moods. Sharing your good deeds with people can be a blessing on its own. But sometimes abuses are born under those circumstances. It’s unavoidable to stumble with people who would take profit of the situation and do terrible things to the victim later on. You must learn to be doubtful of people at first! Learn to be more cautious with your relationships! For all that shines isn’t always gold!” “Doubting people all the time will make me look unfriendly! And there may be times that they do actions without thinking straight! It could be just an accident on their part!” “True! That’s why friendships are like a business, Miss. We form unsigned contracts with the people we wish to get close to. We exchange our offers and demands, and we come to a point of stability. The famous middle ground. Conflicts arise, but if the contract was well-founded, there is nothing to fear. But there are businessmen that take the contract and bend them to their will. Those people are the most dangerous of all. Perhaps your social circles doesn’t have those wolfs I am mentioning, but one day, one will appear in your life! Be careful, and perhaps my words may save you!” “Save me from what?” “Let me give you a culmination of everything we have talked so far with a simple example. How do you feel right now in my company?” “…Somewhat at peace, I guess.” “Why?” “Because you are trying your best to make me grow… right?” “Indeed, Miss. But I must say that when you smile, you particular radiance has no match!” She chuckled a little embarrassed, but she took the compliment in a friendly way. “Thanks!” “Your family must be really nice! I have only seen glimpses of your brother, Shining Armor, but I can safely assume that he is a wonderful person with an astounding fiancé! One is a gifted leader in his field of expertise and Dean Cadence is a graceful public servant for the students!” “They look cute together, right!?” Her glasses partially hid the blush of happiness her cheeks acquired. “Obviously, for such brilliant siblings to be born, the parents must be of a particular high quality.” “My mommy and daddy are the best!” “And although I prefer larger and puffy dogs like the St. Bernard, your dog is particularly charismatic!” Never before have I seen such a wide smile from a girl. “Isn’t that right!?” This was so easy that it was painful to keep going. “How do you feel now?” “Much better!” She said sincerely. “I’m glad that you are feeling better. My friend’s friend shouldn’t be sad.” “…That is so nice of you.” “I’m sorry for treating you harshly a few moments ago. I’m not that good with dealing with new people at this level of closeness.” “It’s no problem! I was just feeling sad… But it’s okay now!” “I know that you’ll become better than your cousin if you work hard enough! Strive for success and soon you shall not be her equal, but someone better! Don’t lose hope, Miss Sparkle!” “…Yes! Perhaps I can do it!” “Hehehe… You know what I just did?” I asked seriously. “Eh?” “You know what just happened now?” “What are you talking about?” “I just made you mine, Miss Sparkle.” “… Eh… WHAT?” “Think about it. What was your initial thought of me before having the tea, during the tea, and after hearing my compliments? An answer for each segment, please.” “At first, I thought you were mean.” “Carry on.” “Then, you were nasty!” “Yes.” “Then you acted surprisingly nice… AH!” “You see now why I said that Miss Pie’s attitude was dangerous? In the name of my Parents and my ancestors of the Royal Crown that preceded me, most of my praises were spoken with my true feelings on the matter. But imagine if someone really nasty found you just the way you are now. With just a matter of simple words that you need to hear, a dangerous stranger that hides his fangs behind a bouquet of flowers can easily convince you that he is a good friend. And when that happens, without you noticing it, without you possibly imagining what is happening in reality, that individual, from the bottom of his cold heart will say, ‘I own you!’ …Or something similar.” My tea was finished. “No…! That…! I refuse to believe it! Nobody that can make you smile genuinely can be evil! Pinkie is sure of that!” “And why would you believe someone of your age who barely knows about what is beyond the borders of her hometown when you have in front someone who has a humble experience dealing with merciless people that would sell their countries if they have the chance? Miss Sparkle, the cold reality is that being over-optimistic and excessively friendly is a as bad as being isolated all the time. There may be a few exceptions, but human beings are sociable creatures. Just beware of the wolves! And don’t follow your friend’s footsteps at full!” “Pinkie possess a magic that can understand the true meaning of laughter! I believe in it!” “…I see! Well, I don’t have anything else to say on the matter! Not all knowledge should be free and I hope experience comes quickly to your door. Say, let’s do a little field test, shall we?” “What do you have in mind?” “I have in my possession a teddy bear that is meant for the girl we have an interest in common. And I have a card right here that will grant you access to the room, since the lock of her door is card based. You have in your possession the cookies that Miss Pie wished to deliver, right? Why don’t you go alone and give that girl a moment of laughter? Let’s see who is right when it comes to optimism! Your sweet yogurt with strawberries or my cardboard oatmeal!” “I like oatmeal with strawberries and yogurt!” Her mind is too simple on inconvenient times. “Anyway… Go and give me back this card tomorrow.” I put the card in her hands. “If you do something wrong, the blame will be put on me. So please be careful.” “I’ll give you my word that I won’t do something that will put you in trouble! And you’ll see that I’m right!” The present, the card and the cookies were firmly held in her arms, her travel towards the room of little Meg began. “Is it wise for her to deliver the present herself? That girl…” “Yes. After all, this was part of Reem’s idea. Besides, security cameras are in rooms that host delicate patients. Meg is not in danger and my role here is over. Now it’s Miss Sparkle’s problem!” “You are so resourceful, Prince!” “Of course I am! Let’s go back home now, Tobias! Charles texted me saying that Amelia prepared baked potatoes and soap for us. I don’t want to be late for that!” After a short driving, I was at home drinking my martini and eating some parmesan crackers in my sofa. I found a good movie of mystery on Heaven Premier and put myself comfortable. There wasn’t an appetizer better than this before dinner.