//------------------------------// // A New Twist // Story: Marjoram // by Nekiyha //------------------------------// “I’m not going to the spa. You can’t make me.” “You’ve been worrying yourself sick. C’mon. It’ll be fun!” “No.” “I’ll pay you fifty bits.” “I don’t need the money.” Twilight brought a hoof to her chin, her muzzle contorting in thought. Her eyes brightened, “I’ll write to Shores and tell her you’ve been neglecting yourself.” Marjoram sighed, “You are a cruel, cruel mare.” Twilight smirked, “I know. Now, let’s go. I’ve got reservations for us.” “What about Spike?” Marjoram protested weakly. “He’s helping Pinkie with some new cupcake recipes. We’re fine for an afternoon. Let’s go. We both know Shore’s will be here as soon as she hears about you not sleeping for four days-” “Alright! I get it. Lead the way,” Marjoram gestured toward the door, irritation evident in his tone of voice and body language. Twilight smiled, “Will do! Let’s go!” Marjoram rolled his eyes once Twilight was turned away. He followed reluctantly, not willing to do what Twilight wanted him to do. Plodding along beside Twilight, Marjoram tried to remember how far away from the center of Ponyville the spa was. He remembered hearing Twilight and her friends talking about it before, but he couldn’t remember anypony mentioning distance and travel times. “So, what are you going to do when we get there?” “I have no idea. You’re the one that usually goes there.” “Well I know you don’t want any massages or anything. Maybe a nice time in the sauna, then get our hooves done. You’ve been complaining your left hind hoof has been pretty chipped lately. You can get it fixed.” “I could fix it myself you know.” “Yes, well you’ll be spending time with me. C’mon. Have a sit in the sauna, get our hooves done, maybe get your mane brushed out professionally.” Marjoram glared, “Nopony is touching my mane but me. You should know that by now.” Twilight chuckled, “I always hope you’ll get it trimmed a little. Isn’t it getting a little long?” “It is magnificent, and you know it.” “I never said it wasn’t, but it’s gotta be a right pain to deal with that’s all.” Marjoram shrugged, “Not really-” “Don’t lie to me. It’s past your shoulders now, and with how wavy it is it’s gotta be longer than it looks.” Marjoram rolled his eyes, “You wouldn’t know what to do with me if I cut it all off.” “Use it to make a wig?” Marjoram looked at the sky for a moment, wondering briefly if he could manage to roll his eyes right out of his head and onto the cobblestones under his hooves. Twilight chuckled again, “Come on! This won’t be that bad.” “You’re the one that likes massages and stuff.” “Have you even had a massage?” Marjoram shook his head, shuddering a little at the thought, “I don’t want strangers touching me.” Twilight sighed, “I can’t force you into doing anything you don’t want to do, so I shouldn’t complain. Not if you’re coming with me anyway.” “I don’t want to come with you.” “Well, you’re stuck with me now!”” “Ugh.” “Don’t ‘ugh’ me. What’s rule 47?” “Don’t be an asshole?” “No that’s rule 14. Try again.” “Hmm. Oh it’s one of the rules I made up when you were 15 isn’t it?” “What is it, then!?” “Try new things.” “There we go! Following this rule would be a good plan. C’mon!” Marjoram sighed, “Maker-damn it. Should’ve rescinded some of those.” “Too late!” Twilight sing-songed, smiling brightly. Marjoram sighed, “Nothing too invasive.” “Don’t worry, Aloe and Lotus are really good at their jobs. Just let them know when you’re not comfortable, and they’ll stop.” “I’m not comfortable even thinking about it.” Twilight’s smile dimmed a little, “When was the last time you did anything new?” “Other than move to Ponyville, try this friendship thing, change my entire life to suit your new lifestyle, and take up painting and drawing again?” Twilight blinked, “You’re not upset about moving to Ponyville are you?” Marjoram raised an eyebrow, “Did you not see me the first few weeks we were here? I was very angry. Not so much, now. I just miss Shores and Celestia.” Twilight smiled reassuringly, “I know. I miss them too.” There was several beats of silence before Marjoram broke it it, “What about your parents?” Twilight blinked, her steps hitching for a moment, “I...I love my parents, but...they don’t understand my powers, or my intellect. They try, but I always end up saying things that are so out of their league that they can’t say anything.” Marjoram nodded, before a smirk bloomed across his mouth, “I had some instances like that with Carnation. It got so awkward, so often that she started telling me about guard stuff, or gardening or stuff I didn’t know much about. She returned the favour.” “My parents don’t do that. They just...stare awkwardly. It’s so uncomfortable.” “You should write to them. Relationships aren’t a one-way street you know. I’m sure they love you very much.” “I know they do...it’s just that it’s so awkward. No wonder Shining Armour doesn’t come home.” “Your brother is a military stallion on the frontier. He doesn’t have much of a choice.” Twilight nodded slowly, sighing, “I know. It just makes it worse because we all miss him.” “You have to try with your parents, Twilight. You’ll regret it later if you don’t.” Twilight side-eyed Marjoram, seeing a hint of regret in his tired eyes, “I know. Will you help me with a letter when we get back?” “Of course I will. I’m not a complete monster.” “Than why is Nightmare Night your favourite holiday, not Hearth’s Warming?” The tone of teasing returned to Twilight’s voice. “How much longer to the spa?” Marjoram asked reluctantly, not willing to answer the question. “Not long, it’s to the right, and down the lane to the very end. Past the residences.” Marjoram nodded, eyes downcast as he mulled something over. Twilight sighed, “I don’t suppose you would like to get coffee after?” “After the torture session? Why not. Creators know I’ll probably need the boost of caffeine.” “Have you been to any of the doctors here in Ponyville yet?” “Other than the Ponyville Hospital? No.” “You should go get checkups and stuff from here. Might be easier than trying to get to Canterlot in an emergency.” Marjoram sighed, “I suppose so. I’ve been meaning to get my eyes checked recently. Can’t hurt to get to know some of the doctors here.” Twilight smiled, “Well, we can schedule an appointment soon. Oh look, there it is! Is that Fluttershy?” Before Marjoram could say anything, Twilight had cantered ahead toward the spa and her potential friend. Marjoram sighed, picking up the pace a little, inwardly cringing a little at the realization that it was Fluttershy ahead. Marjoram took a deep breath, steeling himself for several hours of uncomfortable conversation and held tongues. Fluttershy was likely a very kind mare, but Marjoram wasn’t sure if he would always be able to hold his tongue around somepony so anxious. “Oh, hey Marjoram,” Fluttershy whispered. Marjoram forced a smile, and realized it likely turned into a grimace, “Hello.” “I didn’t realize you guys came to the spa.” “We usually don’t,” Twilight shot Marjoram a look, and Marjoram stuttered, “But-um. We decided to treat ourselves?” Twilight looked incredulous. Clearly even she didn’t buy it. Apparently, Fluttershy did buy it, or she was polite enough not to comment. “Rarity and I usually come here every week, to catch up. Rarity does it more for the maintenance and beauty aspect of it I think. I just like to chat more than anything else. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with friends…even if I don’t need the pampering. N-not that I think Rarity does, but...oh,” Fluttershy’s face pinched with anxiety. She stammered for a moment, before finishing lamely, “Spending time together is...nice.” Twilight looked at Marjoram with a smug smirk, as if to say see? Marjoram wanted to turn tail and leave. However, he held his ground. As much as he didn’t care what Twilight’s friends thought about him, he did care about what they thought about his relationship with Twilight. “Would you mind if we joined you?” Twilight asked, “We probably won’t be here as long as you and Rarity, but it would still be nice to spend some time together.” “Of course! Tonight I’m going to look after the Cutie Mark Crusaders, to give Rarity and Applejack a break so they can get some work done.” “That’s nice of you!” Twilight replied, “Later tonight, I’m going to go meet with Zecora to discuss our recent experiment ideas at her house!” “That sounds...nice. What about you, Marjoram?” “I’m just probably going to read with Spike. Maybe play cards. It’ll be a nice, quiet night.” Fluttershy smiled, “That’s good.” “Let’s go inside now. Is Rarity in there already?” “Probably. She usually goes in early to make sure they have our usual spots open.” “I’m sorry we kept you, then Fluttershy.” “It’s not a problem, really. Oh look, there she is waiting for me. Hello, Rarity!” “Hello, darling! And Twilight and Marjoram too. What a surprise! Will you be joining Fluttershy and I today?” “If you guys don’t mind, we’d like to. Though we probably won’t stay as long as you girls might. We have some things to get to later today.” “So do we, darling, but you need to take the time to relax every so often.” “The planning Zecora and I are thinking of doing is going to be quite extensive, so I’ll likely lose track of time! Oh, I’m so excited-” A door opened, and Marjoram looked to see two mares that clearly worked at the spa, if the name-tags were anything to go by. “Ooh! Miss Rarity, you’ve brought some new friends with you today, how lovely. Are we doing your usual?” A mare exited the reception area, her thick accent making it clear that she was from Germaneigh most likely. “Yes please, Aloe. This is Twilight Sparkle and her friend Marjoram.” Aloe’s blue eyes lit up at the sight of Marjoram’s mane, “Oh, good sir, I love your mane. What products do you use, if you don’t mind me asking.” “I have a leave-in conditioner,” Marjoram replied slowly, “It helps. From Canterlot, though the brand name is escaping me.” “Well, the next time you’re visiting us, please remember to tell us. We here at the Ponyville Spa like to keep our products useful and affordable.” “Of course,” Marjoram replied, a little unsure. “Are you treating your friends here to your usual, Miss?” Aloe switched to Rarity, who nodded enthusiastically. “Of course I will! Let’s go everypony, we don’t want to hog the sauna to ourselves for too too long.” Marjoram followed, picking out a fluffy white robe and some towels for his mane. He was led into a sauna, where he sat in an uncomfortably warm room, and sweated in the robe. He noted Rarity’s robe was clearly unique to the store, embroidered with a cursive R on the flank. As much as Marjoram hated to admit it, the steam was nice to his lungs, allowing him to breathe relatively freely. The next stage of the process was a little more weird. Aloe, her sister Lotus Blossom, and several other employees applied a thick green mask to Marjoram’s face, resting cucumbers over his eyes. While he listened to the girls’ idle chatter, Marjoram tried to listen to what was going on around him, his ears swiveling to catch all the noise. He was blind as he laid on a cushy platform, uncomfortable with the sense deprivation. He nearly teleported himself back to Canterlot when he heard a horrible rasping sound accompanied the feeling as if someone was taking a rasp to his horn. “I apologize, sir. I’m just evening up your horn spirals that’s all. Would you like me to stop?” “Yes please,” Marjoram replied tersely, trying to keep the unease building in his chest down to a minimum. A few minutes later, after listening to Rarity and Twilight get their own horns filed, Marjoram was led to another room. He laid upon a cushy table, and tried not to have a panic attack while a stranger was trying to ease the tension in his ill-treated body. After several tense minutes, the stranger went away, leaving Marjoram to relax under a thick blanket. Just when Marjoram was beginning to fall asleep, Aloe’s voice jolted him severely awake. “I’m going to take the mask off of you now. There will be some pulling sensations.” The cucumbers were removed, and Aloe used a tool clutched in her mouth to get the mask away from his face. Once this was done with everypony else, the group was led into yet another room. There, Marjoram was given more cucumbers for his eyes, which he internally chuckled at. It didn’t matter how many beauty treatments that were used, whether they were correct or not, Marjoram would always have tired eyes. “How are you enjoying yourselves?” Marjoram had to bite his tongue from answering Rarity truthfully, “I liked the sauna.” “That’s excellent, dear. It’s always lovely to go for a good steam!” “Thank you for this.” “It’s not a problem! You and Twilight are my friends, so I feel it’s only right to treat you all every now and again.” “You don’t have to do that, you know. We can pay for ourselves.” “Nonsense! I’ve got it this time, everypony. Don’t you worry.” “Thank you,” Twilight and Marjoram replied in near unison. Fluttershy looked between the two of them, a small smile on her face, “I-I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how long have you two known each other?” “Ten years and a bit, I think. I was what, nine?” “I'm pretty sure you were nine- yes you were nine! Celestia helped your parents pull off that surprise party for your tenth!” “That’s a long time to know somepony,” Rarity chimed in. “That and I lived in the castle for most of that time, even with schooling technically over, I still needed tutoring.” “Yeah, only thing we didn’t do with you was socialize you.” “That would have required you to socialize too.” “I know, that’s why I resisted Celestia’s attempts.” “Seriously?” “Other than a few ponies that you exchanged notes with in classes, you refused to talk to anypony that wasn’t your family, or ponies living in the palace. It didn’t take much arguing on my part, actually. I’m surprised Celestia didn’t fight harder.” “Why is that surprising?” Rarity asked, holding a hoof out so Lotus Blossom could shape her hoof properly. “She tried very hard with me. Made me attend some social events. Made sure I was introduced to different ponies of all ages, hoping some would stick I guess. I was a lost cause, really. That’s why I tried to argue so adamantly against her getting you socialized for a while “Huh. Is that why Celestia didn’t push me into going to Moondancer’s party?” “Probably,” Marjoram replied, trying very hard not to remove the cucumbers over his eyes, “I suppose she figured we would work it out on our own.” There was an awkward pause, which was broken when Rarity tentatively asked, “Did you two ever meet any of the fashion icons in Canterlot?” Marjoram wracked his brain, turning up empty, “Maybe? I don’t really know much about fashion to say yes or no.” “I think I saw Photo Finish once, she was photographing the castle gardens. I’m sorry, Rarity, but I have no idea if I’ve seen anypony else,” Twilight’s voice held true sorrow. “Celestia would know them, I’m sure. You could write her a letter, set up a private audience so she can see your work, and I’m sure she’d be willing to introduce you,” Marjoram ventured. “Really?!” Marjoram lifted the slices of cucumber from his eyes to find Rarity standing uncomfortably close. Jerking back reflexively, Marjoram could only nod. Rarity squealed, “This might be the breakthrough I need! I could save enough to open a boutique in Canterlot, and send Sweetie Belle to an amazing apprenticeship! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!” “I-I can’t guarantee anything. I just suggested it as a possibility!” “Still, even if Princess Celestia doesn’t enjoy my work, others will hear I got an audience with the Princess herself! Even if it isn’t the best case scenario, this could help me greatly!” “Well-” “Not tonight. I have too big an order to fill, even for an opportunity like this. Would you help me write the letter tomorrow?” “Sure?” Marjoram wasn’t sure what else to say, not with Rarity standing only centimeters away. Another squeal, “I’m so excited! Thank you so much!” Rarity flounced back to her place, almost as if the exchange hadn’t happened at all. The only thing that hinted at her excitement was her sudden restlessness; as if she couldn’t wait to be done with the day ahead. Marjoram blinked at the mare in quiet shock. He wasn’t sure he remembered being so excited for anything in his life. Shaking his head, Marjoram caught a sly smile on Twilight’s face before she smothered it with a happy smile. Glaring, Marjoram replaced the cucumbers over his eyes. The rest of the day was accompanied by an awful ball of anxiety in his stomach. Marjoram couldn’t figure out the cause. (LINE BREAK) Marjoram lay in his bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling. He hadn’t slept, had barely been able to close his eyes at all. Sighing irritably, Marjoram got out of bed and made his way into the library. Pausing briefly at the top of the stairs, Marjoram’s overtired brain tried to piece together what he wanted to do. Breakfast was out if he could help it. He wasn’t nauseous, but he didn’t want to chance anything either. Wracking his brain, trying to ignore the burning of his eyes, Marjoram’s gaze landed on one of his dark magic books, heavily warded against anypony reading it other than him. To the eyes of anypony else, it would appear to be a book about simple herbs. It’s been awhile since I’ve practiced. Subconsciously, Marjoram brought a hoof to where the ring hung from its chain against his chest. Screw it, let’s do it. Levitating the book and his cloak, he made his way to the Everfree Forest. Getting his cloak fastened properly, Marjoram squinted at the rising sun. Flipping through the pages of his book, Marjoram’s hooves guided him to where he needed to go; a secluded clearing at the edge of the forest. The cool breeze made him shiver, drawing his cloak tighter. Leaving the road, trying to find what he wanted, Marjoram found his way to the clearing. As he was going to flip to the chapter he’d been practicing, his eye focused on a neglected chapter he’d been skimming through mindlessly. The Ancient Art of Necromancy. Marjoram’s heart skipped a beat, remembering his early attempts at quelling his grief; bringing Carnation back to life. Heart hammering in his chest, Marjoram began to read in earnest, having to squint hard at the small letters in the early morning light. To even begin trying, Marjoram would need to teach himself to see the energy that permeated every single living thing and connected them to each other. He would need to see the life and light that was in every organic, living thing. Stopping for a moment, his common sense caught up with him. I’m not a necromancer! A little voice niggled in the back of his head: you’re just a failed one. Why not teach ponies everything that could be rediscovered? Squeezing his eyes shut, Marjoram let the book hit the dewy grass under hoof. Gritting his teeth, Marjoram shook his head, “I can’t. They don’t want to know how healing could be improved-” They don’t know. They would change their mind when they see how they could be saved. Slowly opening his eyes, Marjoram stared at the discarded book; seeing it for what it was amidst his internal argument. A simple, black cover, with silver lettering. Much larger than the average book, but looking plain as if to deceive it’s reader. An Introductory Guide to the Dark Arts. Marjoram needed to learn dark magic, and Celestia hadn’t been strict with what she’d wanted him to learn. Breathing as deeply as he could, Marjoram levitated the book to himself, and opened it again. Flipping to the chapter about necromancy, Marjoram began to read. Energy is the building block of life. Energy allows life, light, movement, and all of ponykind to flourish. Something many ponies look down upon, is the presence of entropy. Entropy is much more common than energy, since many things upon this planet do not live. Energy is like order, always highly structured and highly dependent on one another, while entropy is disorder. Entropy creates the balance necessary to make life possible. Without either extreme, we could not live in the balance between these natural orders. Ponies live, sicken, and die. Sometimes before they are born, sometimes not until they see decades pass, and a lot of times somewhere in between. Using the properties of entropy and energy, a novice necromancer can learn to see the life force that makes everypony live; the careful balance between life and death that many don’t know exist. Marjoram sighed, rubbing his eyes. Entropy and energy usually corresponded with physics, something that was Twilight’s expertise- Marjoram’s ears twitched toward a harsh, growling sound. Dropping the book again, Marjoram wheeled around to find himself only feet away from timberwolves. It isn’t timberwolf season yet, they should still be hibernating for another couple of weeks, until the end of summer, what? Snarling, the leader strode forward, crouched low so it could pounce when ready. Heart hammering in his chest, Marjoram’s mind went blank the same time his knees weakened. He was very, suddenly aware of a full bladder, and he wasn’t ready to die yet- The leader sprung forward, the others springing around from all sides of the clearing to surprise him. Marjoram may not have known what to do, but his magic did. Shields sprung into place, stopping the wolves temporarily. One had even been going so fast, that it’s magical aura had been disturbed and it’s body had crumbled into sticks, leaves, and logs until it could regenerate it’s magical field. Breathe. Marjoram inhaled sharply, his breath tearing at his throat. Five more. Won’t be long before the sixth one is back up. Shields won’t stay for forever, and nopony knows I’m here. What to do, what to do- Marjoram flinched as the leader tried lunging forward again, only to meet the magic of the shield. The gold wavered for a moment, but remained strong. It wouldn’t remain so for long, not with all the other shields going at once. Marjoram’s eye caught the far edge of the clearing. Without stopping to think, he dropped the shields, and teleported to the edge. Hopefully, with no warning, the wolves would have lunged at each other. Taking the time, Marjoram began to gallop through the trees that separated him from Ponyville, teleporting a few more times in an effort to not lead the wolves into the village. Thankfully, his teleportations seemingly worked. Coming to a screeching halt at the edge of Ponyville proper, Marjoram eyed the path to the forest with wide eyes. Panting for breath, coughing harshly, Marjoram’s whole body was shaking from adrenaline. Heartbeat slowing, Marjoram was thankful to notice his cloak was alright, even if he’d left the book behind in the clearing. Coughing harshly, Marjoram teleported himself to the entrance of the library, stumbling through the door. If he thought he’d been tired before, it was nothing compared to this. Listlessly making his way to his room, Marjoram had only the forethought to hang his cloak up on the back of his chair before he collapsed onto his bed. Snuggling into warm blankets, chest elevated so he could breathe a little easier, Marjoram fell asleep almost immediately. Marjoram awoke to chaos upstairs. Thundering hoofsteps, shouting, yelling, and...Spike crying? Marjoram had only known Spike to cry when he was very desperately sad, scared, or anxious. Head fuzzy, limbs not ready to cooperate yet, Marjoram stumbled his way upstairs. Bleary-eyed, still mostly asleep, and worrying already, Marjoram burst into the library proper. He almost lost his balance and fell back down the stairs, but his legs steadied him. Which was good, because his mind was in shock. His heart was racing again, and he couldn’t breathe. Spike was sitting down, sobbing hard. Twilight’s friends were arguing loudly, Applejack pacing. Fluttershy was practically hiding behind Rarity, who seemed to be angrily telling off an equally irate Rainbow Dash. Marjoram’s eyes barely passed over those ponies, however. His whole focus was on the stone statue in the center of the argument. It was eerily lifelike, and he knew instantly that some kind of magic was involved. In fact, he could feel Twilight’s magic radiating from the statue. Venturing closer, Marjoram rounded the room, and his heart dropped into his hooves. The argument stilled, and Marjoram was left in sudden silence. It wasn’t just a statue, not with the magic pouring from it. Swallowing dryly, Marjoram stopped so he stood only inches away from the statue’s lifeless eyes. Twilight, somehow, had been turned into a lifeless hunk of statuary. Her face was twisted in horror. Lifeless stone eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. Marjoram couldn't help but notice Twilight’s hackles were raised. Marjoram stumbled back a few paces, sitting down hard. He came to a sudden realization: I don’t know how to fix this.