//------------------------------//
// Aggression 
// Story: Talking Is Hard 
// by Leoshi 
//------------------------------//

"Do you ever get tired of being stepped on all the time?"

"What?"

"You. Stepped on. Ignored, exploited, and all that other junk that those friends of yours do to you so often."

"No, I know what you meant. And sure, that's weird, but when I said 'what,' I meant 'why are you talking to me?'"

"Oh, my apologies, lord dragon child. I didn't realize I was lower than you."

"Didn't you turn me into a bouncy ball when you took over Ponyville?"

"Yes, but I was corrupted by an ancient magical relic. That makes it forgivable."

"I never said I forgave you."

"Your precious Twilight did."

"As much as she looks out for me, I don't need Twilight to do my thinking."

"Hmph! Could have fooled me, with how poorly they treat you all the time."

"I can't really think on their behavior when you're hardly being friendly right now. Have we even spoken to each other before?"

"No. Well, you did try to heckle me when I first came to town. But I wasn't listening."

"Obviously. I wasn't heckling, I was saying that you were wrong."

"And I remember that your dear caretaker proceeded to pull you aside and tell you to be quiet."

"Look, is there a point to this? I know you're just waiting for Starlight to finish up..."

"My point is that I'm curious."

"Could have fooled me."

"Curiosity doesn't have to mean kindness. Every magician knows that in order to find new ways to wow the crowd, you need to be aggressive in your tricks."

"Aggressive...what, aggressive fireworks? Aggressive light shows?"

"'Aggressive sensory feedback' is what I like to call it. New ways to capture, enrapture, and make things grander."

"So bigger fireworks and brighter lights."

"Name one artist whose shows aren't improved by big fireworks."

"Octavia Harmony."

"Hmm. I honestly didn't expect that. Nice."

"Thank you. Are you done being curious? Because I still have to—"

"Oh, no, not nearly. All you've done is dodge and deflect, after all. So, spill. Do you ever get tired of getting stepped on all the time?"

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"I only promise to listen. That's gotta be more than what these rubes do."

"Those are my friends. They're aren't rubes, they do listen, and I don't feel like telling you."

"Oh, okay then."

"You—what?"

"Okay. I'm curious, but I can't force you to talk. So I won't."

"Is this a trick?"

"Why would it be?"

"It's kinda in your name."

"Har-har. If I had a bit for every time I've heard that one..."

"You'll forgive me for not trusting you. Every time I've gotten involved around you, I've suffered for it."

"Oh, please. Being a ball was probably the highlight of your day."

"Yes, because in the same day, you cast out Twilight and took over Ponyville!"

"Yeeeeah, see, darling little Twilight forgave me for that. And that was a slight against her, not you."

"Slight means it was accidental, you know."

"Corruption."

"Gr... You can hide behind that reason all you like. Sure, it was corruption, but don't deny what you did."

"I don't. I was still forgiven for it."

"Mm-hmm. And you're all about facts and results now, is that it?"

"Just because my show uses illusions doesn't mean I don't appreciate the power of a fact. Especially when it benefits me."

"Oh, there it is! You know what? Wait here."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Starlight. I'm going to find her and beg her to keep you away from me for the rest of the day before I do something I'll regret."

"Oooh, make it something that affects Twilight! I want to see if she forgives you before or after she mistreats you!"

"STAAARRR-LLLIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!"