Chapter 4
The counselor’s office wasn’t too far away from my advisory. Even though the campus was fairly large, having been here for about three years, I knew how to traverse the halls with considerable speed.
It was odd, yet peaceful when the halls were this silent. Fewer people, fewer sophomores especially made for a nice visit to the office I loved to hate.
The counselor’s office was small as compared to the main offices. It was joined by a hub that split up into three rooms, each belonging to each counselor. The carpet that spread between them was like an blue, old-TV-static, and the desks were made of a bright birch. I checked in at the counter, where a new receptionist barely older than me jotted down my name on the back side of a purple sticky note. He hung the note on Mrs. Butterworth’s door, and gestured me to sit down on one of the nearby chairs. I said a small thank you and took a seat.
I flipped my phone out of my pocket with absent-minded finesse, and started scrolling through my network feed. As it was, however, I was barely able to focus. The reality of what I was doing started setting in. Was I really doing this because of a dream I had had? To glean information that I already know? I would’ve known any updates on Celestia’s condition from my mom, but nothing came.
What was I actually here for?
Before I knew it, Mrs. Butterworth came out to meet me, in her normal attire, even though it looked like she’d skipped her morning coffee. She carried a clipboard along her forearm. “Mr. Rodrick,” she greeted. “I’m quite surprised.”
“Apparently, the hospital can’t keep me long,” I said. “Still hurts a lot, though.”
“Well,” she said. “I’m glad you’re not too injured.” She looked down at her clipboard. “So, you needed to see me?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Just a couple questions.”
She hesitated. “All right. Come with me.”
“Okay,” I said, and with a little difficulty, I followed her into her office. It was a pretty roomy place, with pinboards and cabinets all around the walls. The desk cut the room in half, abutting against the wall to the right. On her desk were multiple papers, and a black coffee maker that still emitted heat from the last cup of coffee made.
I sat across from her, flinching as my back hit the hard back of the chair.
“So,” Butterworth said, sitting down in her nice office chair. “How can I help you?”
“Um…” That was when I realized how awkward a question this would be. Asking about the mare in my dreams, hoping that Mrs. Butterworth would believe me. My mind went blank, and I said the next thing that came to me. “So, Principal Celestia… what happened?”
One of Mrs. Butterworth’s eyebrows rocketed skyward. “You weren’t listening to the news… or yesterday? She was in a car crash, went missing. Why?”
“Are we absolutely sure, though?” Her eyebrows managed to raise higher. “I mean, did they find a body yet?”
Butterworth shook her head gravely. “No. They still aren’t able to find her. Even if she walked off unscathed, she would have left some sort of trail. Even the police dogs couldn’t catch a scent.”
I nodded. “And she hasn’t been declared legally dead at all?”
Butterworth rested her chin on the backs of her hands. “No. Not yet anyway.”
I once again considered asking her about my dreams, but decided against it. “Right,” I said, getting up from the chair. “Thanks for clearing that up.”
“Rod.”
“Yes?”
Butterworth gave me a piercing look. “That isn’t why you came here, is it?”
My heart stopped for a beat. “H-how…”
Butterworth shrugged. “I’ve been doing this for many years,” she said. “I’ve seen students come and go, and I’ve come to know them, almost as well as Vice Principal Luna did. This includes you, Rod.”
That’s when I saw a look that I never thought I’d see before. Her eyes weren’t skeptical, and they weren’t filled with the grudges that have all but attached to her name. This was concern, the same look a mother would give to a lost child.
There was a sudden urge to spill the beans, tell her about the crazy dreams I had had, about Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the true reason why I was at the cliff edge that day. But doubt held me back again. Why would she ever believe me?
Butterworth gestured to the chair again. “Sit back down, Mr. Rodrick.”
That was enough. I pulled out the chair and sat once again.
Mrs. Butterworth clasped her hands in front of her. “So, what’s bothering you, Rod?”
At that, I cracked. I told her everything that had happened, about the cliff and the crazy dreams. She first looked perplexed, and then puzzled, but it settled into an understanding, and a relief.
“Well,” she finally said after a hesitation. “I’ll give you that it does sound outlandish.”
My heart sank. I knew that she wouldn’t believe me, I thought.
“However,” she continued, “it is interesting that you had a conversation with Twilight Sparkle. Did you know her at all?”
I shook my head. “No. Haven’t met her at all in my life.”
She knit her eyebrows in intrigue. “Well, there was a Twilight Sparkle that came here about six years ago. She was an odd one, but that Sunset Shimmer, she was the oddest of all. Turned into a demon right in front of the whole school. But she, along with five other friends managed to get Sunset under control.” She rested her chin on the back of her hands again. “If this is the same Twilight Sparkle you speak of, then you shouldn’t discredit your dreams.”
An electric jolt of shock went through me. “W-wait, you actually believe me?”
Mrs. Butterworth raised her eyebrow at me. “You don’t believe yourself?”
I hesitated. “I don’t know what to believe, honestly.”
There was a kindling irritation in her eyes as she got out a paper. She wrote a phone number on it, and passed it to me. “There. If there’s anyone who knows better about this incident, it’s her.”
I read the paper. It read Vice Principal Luna in a pseudo-cursive. The number provided wasn’t a school number.
I took the paper hesitantly. “Thanks,” I said. I hesitated before I got up. “But why are you doing this? I thought you hated my guts.”
Mrs. Butterworth laughed. “You mean the stories of my grudges. I've been working at that for a long time. Before, the results…” She knit her eyebrows, her eyes softening. “... Weren't good. I owe my improvement to my husband and Principal Celestia.
“But long story short, I don't hate you, Rod. I may have more trouble than the next person with forgiveness, and heaven knows that I hate your pranks. But I don't hold that against you.”
That was reciprocal that I wasn't expecting. I couldn't help being frozen in awe. This councilor who was constantly rumored about being the next thing to the devil was more of a saint than I ever was.
The bell rung behind me, and noise almost immediately erupted in the halls.
“You'd better get to class then,” Mrs. Butterworth said. “Unless we're not done here.”
I nodded. “That's all. Thank you.”
I made my way out of the councilor’s office, taking another look at the piece of paper in my hand. Then I folded it and put it in my back pocket.
The rest of the school day went normally. I had the wonderful opportunity to complete a test for each of my classes. I was lucky to score a B- in my Math test. But spring break was here, and nothing could come as more of a relief.
However, the strain of attending school when I was still recovering had expended much more energy than I had originally thought. I waddled through my house like a drunkard, finally passing out on my bed.
“... Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Twilight’s voice said. The world was a blur around me for a second before I saw a light, crystalline structure around me. In the center of the room, there was a pedestal, a heart made out of crystal floating and slowly spinning. In front of me, was a white stallion-unicorn dude and a light rose-coated mare, the same race as Twilight.
“We’ll be all right,” the unicorn dude said in an airy and soothing voice, the type of voice you would expect from a surfer, despite his quite large stature. “After all, the Crystal Heart is made to keep out threats.” He looked at me, his eyes softening in sympathy. “Don’t worry, Twilie. If any threat comes across our border, then I’ll be sure to protect her.”
I took an involuntary breath in, a lavender hoof tracing the movement of air. “Okay. I just want to be sure you two are safe.” It took me a second to realize that Twilight’s voice was coming from me.
The unicorn dude took me—er, Twilight—into an embrace. “I know, Twilie.” The hug broke a second later, and he came back into view. “But I will keep an ear out for any news regarding Princess Celestia. If I get any information, I’ll inform you right away.”
Twilight nodded. “Thanks, Shining.”
“Commander,” a baritone voice sounded behind Shining. “If I may.”
Shining turned. “Sentry. What is it?”
“A recruit tried to bail. He was carrying a royal artifact in hoof.”
Shining cursed. “I’ll be right there.” Shining turned back to Twilight. “Sorry, Twilie, I’ve got to go. That little turd is going to get what's coming to him.”
Twilight nodded, and Shining went up into the tower. The rose Princess took a step forward. “How is Auntie Luna doing?”
Twilight’s look turned somber. “Not good. She’s been really anxious lately. The guard at Canterlot has been doubled, and she’s confined to only a few rooms in the castle.”
The Princess looked down. “I can’t imagine how she’s feeling right now. She’s spent a thousand years imprisoned, and now…”
There was a brief silence. “She’ll be all right, Cadence,” Twilight finally said. “We’ll set things right. It’s only a matter of when.”
Princess Cadence nodded. “Anyways, I know you’re on a tight schedule, so I’ll let you go. But if there’s anything you need, feel free to ask.”
Twilight nodded. “I will. Thank you, Cadence.”
Princess Cadence smiled. “Anytime.”
And with that, she went up into the castle. Twilight breathed a sigh and turned.
So, I said. This is what your world is like, huh?
Twilight jumped. “Y-you! What’re you doing here?”
Turns out going to school with a sizeable injury drains a lot of energy. I shrugged, which made Twilight shrug in turn. Just passed out on my bed.
Twilight looked down, a cold stone of guilt settling in her stomach. “I’m sorry.”
I restrained from any movement, but doing so made Twilight twitch. I-I didn’t mean it to sound like that… I really need to work on my people skills.
Twilight knit her eyebrows. “How much of that did you hear, anyway?”
Just the part where you were concerned, the whole Auntie Luna thing. Not that much.
Twilight exhaled, going down into the city. “I don’t know what to do,” she said, her eyes burning. “I’ve tried researching what could’ve been behind this. I’ve read records upon records… nothing.”
It’s okay, Twilight, I said. We’ll figure this out. I’ve got Vice Principal Luna’s number. Maybe she knows something that we don’t.
It took me a second to notice tears running down her face. “And if she doesn’t?”
I hesitated. We’ll figure it out. Trust me, Twilight.
As the gods of impeccable timing would have it, I woke up immediately after saying that. I sat up in my bed.
I don’t know why I wasn’t convinced the first time. One would think that once you miraculously survived a few hundred-foot fall and met with the person in your dreams numerous times, you would believe within the first day.
But having been with Twilight like that, I felt something that I never would expect from a lingering dream. The anxiety, fear, and worry she felt were almost tactile. I felt those same things. She wasn’t just a character in a one-dimensional dream. She was driven by her love for her friends, a love that I’ve never witnessed before.
I picked up my phone and dug through my pocket for the piece of paper Mrs. Butterworth had given me. I dialed in the number, putting the phone to my ear. The phone buzzed in my ear for a few seconds before reaching voicemail.
“Hey, Ms. Luna,” I said. “Rod here. I’m calling about Twilight Sparkle… the pony/unicorn/pegasus person. Please call back.”