//------------------------------// // 2 Sparkle // Story: Synchronicity // by Heartshine //------------------------------// How silly and impermanent language is. So is our tendency to assume everypony always mean what they say. Anything will surely be taken at face value. What harm could there be in doing that? Reading between the lines, and probing the depths of a conversation for subtext is harrowing. Each try exhausts me, and I doubt I’m alone in feeling the strain. Nopony much likes the stress of trying. Especially when we aim to mine a conversation thick with hidden meaning. It’s so much easier to just take ponies at their word, and to take those words for granted – a shortcut I too often took. A part of me wishes that ponies did this to protect others. We tell lies so that the truth-teller would never be shamed. All in the name of kindness. Honesty can take a step back in the pursuit of that virtue. Such spectacle carries on in everyday life. Ponies deceive, inveigle, and obscure the truth behind words and figures of speech. Harmony is supposed to rule, yet clumsiness reigns. Lying is merely a shortcut to our self interests. The story goes that the Princesses banished Discord so peace could mend the three kingdoms back together. Yet I can’t help but wonder if fighting for harmony only postpones the irremediable march into eternal chaos. Harmony is a bright flower in a storm, to be constantly sheltered and cared after. Plucking it out and letting the patch of land fall back to the mercy of the elements is always easier. So is letting secrets and lies back in our daily lives. Easy, quick and dirty. Words are hard to say, meanings harder to get across. The gentle whisper of obfuscation constantly sings in my ears. Metaphors and half-truths are easier to speak, sweeter to tell. Yet… in spite of it all… I choose kindness and honesty whenever, wherever I can. “You know you stare off into the distance a lot, right?” a small voice like blackberry honey asked me as I watched the clouds go by. I’d been sitting in the park alone, shifting my withers from time to time to stave off my muscles sores. It was hard to relax after a hard day of attempting to be an apple farmer. It turned out I wasn’t fit, literally, for the job. Straight out of my mid-afternoon stupor, I turned to look down at a little pegasus filly with an orange coat. “I… I do?” I asked, wondering whether or not I’d been lost watching a napping pegasus’ tail dangle from the cloud above me. I’d gotten stuck imagining what it must be like to sleep on a bed like that. “I… well, you may have caught me there!” “Were you watching for Rainbow Dash too?” the filly asked. “She’s supposed to work  on breaking up clouds. I-I’d hoped that I’d be able to watch her do some cloudbusting!” I shook my head. “I wasn’t. I was watching another pegasus though,” I said, pointing toward the cloud where a bit of blonde tail hung down like a waterfall of sunshine. The filly gave me a confused look. “Why were you watching Cloudkicker sleep? That’s… kinda weird!” I felt my face heat up. “N-No!” I squeaked, flailing my hooves in front of me. “I’m not watching her sleep. Well, I am, but not like… in a creepy way.” The orange filly didn’t look convinced. “I mean I-I… uh… was just wondering what it must be like to sleep on a bed of clouds. That’s… not something you get to do as a unicorn!” The filly’s face scrunched up. “Oh. Well. That’s at least less creepy, I guess. I often kinda think about that too.” “You don’t have a cloud bed at home?” I asked, immediately mentally kicking myself for what was a very silly question. “Uh, doesn’t me wondering about what it’s like to sleep on one kinda answers your question?” the filly quipped. “You’re really weird, you know that? But in a funny kind of way.” I rubbed my forehead. “At least one of my friends has mentioned it on occasions,” I said, letting out a long sigh. “I’m Lyra, by the way. And yes, I’m a little weird sometimes. I’m sorry I wasn’t watching out for Rainbow Dash.” “Oh, it’s okay, Miss Lyra! I’m Scootaloo, and if you ever want to watch Rainbow Dash be awesome, you can totally join the Rainbow Dash fan club!” “The Rainbow Dash fan club?” I deadpanned. Scootaloo’s face brightened. “Yeah! I run it! It’s only the best fanclub in existence! I’m its president. And treasurer. And… sole member,” she trailed off, wilting under a weight that I couldn’t see. “Which gives me a lot of time to talk about how much I love Rainbow Dash! But it’s kinda boring sometimes.” Her loneliness hit me like a ripple spreading over a still pond. I knew her loneliness through her words. But beyond knowing it, I could feel its weight. That feeling spun my insides around. After a moment of awkward pause, I reached out and ruffled her mane. “Listen, that sounds awesome that you care about her. So much so that you made her a fan club!” I said, giving her a warm smile. “Does she know about it?” Scootaloo scratched the back of her head. “Well, not exactly. I’ve been trying to keep it quiet until it gets bigger. Until we’ve got enough pocket money set aside. To throw a party at Sugar Cube Corner!” “That sounds like a fun goal! And it sounds like having some friends would help you with that!” I tilted my head to the side as she hopped up on the bench, beside me. “Do you have some you could spend some time with?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Uh, this may sound weird, but why are you sitting like that?” After a long day of applebucking, my hooves hurt. My cervicals felt chipped. My back bent! And Applejack asking me to use my magic to move the carts around at the farm left my horn aching and out of juice. All in all, I was sitting on my rump with my legs dangling below me. Though my spine protested the way I was sitting, the pain was overridden by the waves of the aches raging throughout my body. At least, I could orient my horn toward Ponyville Park’s lake to try to soothe the pain. Were I with Twilight, I’d ask her why large bodies of water seemed to soothe the strain on a unicorn’s horn. Maybe it had something to do with the leylines of a unicorn’s soul interacting with whatever magic rested in the water. “Uh… my everything hurts. I’m dirty and I’m tired and I smell like a goat?” I said, rolling myself forward so I could lie on the bench next to her. “And maybe ‘cause I’m just a bit weird.” “A little bit weird is fun though!” she giggled, looking out across the park. “It’s fun to be a little silly sometimes.” “Oh, I agree. But it’s even more fun to be silly with friends!” An aura of forlornness drifted again off of the filly. “Yeah… that’d… probably be nice,” she whispered, before moving to get up and off the bench. “I… should probably get back home before Aunt Holiday starts yelling.” “Did you know I recently moved to town?” I asked without looking at her. The focus of my attention had set on a white unicorn filly that walked next to a fuschia mare whom I could only assume was her mother. “Since I moved here, though, I’ve been trying to make friends,” I continued. “A really wise pony told me that trying to do stuff alone is hard.” I cocked my head to the side as I finally looked at her. “What do you think about that?” Scootaloo frowned. “I think you have it easier. You have your cutie mark. I do… not.” My lips puckered together as I went mute with no answers. The crux of her issue hit close to home. “You know, you’d think that, but uh…” I trailed off, scratching the back of my head. “I… Is it always that hard?” “You know what’s good for you. You’re probably an amazing musician,” she rumbled. “Me? I’m just some blank-flank who hasn’t even found her talent yet!” “Your cutie mark doesn’t really mean that you know… anything at all,” I admitted as a knot tied in my throat. “I mean… It’s complicated. Am I good at music? My parents like to think so. But what good is there in being good at music if it’s only to play to somepony else’s tune.” Being part of a symphony still meant you had to follow the swing of a conductor’s baton. “I always wonder if I’m not supposed to be doing something else. Other than what my cutie mark tells me. It’s a cage. It feels like that a lot,” I looked down at her hooves, avoiding eye contact. “So, while it may be kinda hard right now, not knowing what your special talent is, it’s maybe not the main thing to focus on. Maybe the first thing you should start with is making some friends.” “Friends?” Scootaloo asked. I nodded. “Mmhmm! Somepony who knows what you’re going through. And who can help you find what your special talent is! If anything, just having somepony else to hang out with at school helps. That’s starting soon here, isn’t it?” When she nodded, I continued, “So… start with making a friend.” With a low grunt, I dragged myself off the bench and up onto my aching hooves. “You just need to have a bit of an icebreaker.” Scootaloo hopped down and trotted over to a small scooter. “An ice what?” she asked, a bit of a gravelly timbre seeping into her tone, adding just a bit of tartness to that blackberry honey voice. “Uh… something to help get a conversation started. Luckily, I happen to know just the thing!” I paused. “Um, if that’s okay with your Aunt Holiday.” Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively. “Trying the old ‘I have candies in my cart’ trick, eh?” she taunted before letting a long and awkward pause stir my cheeks to a bright red. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Besides, this is Ponyville. Somepony would notice if you were trying to foalnap me.” She jumped onto her scooter and responsibly put on a helmet. “So… where are we going?” she asked. “Ever been to that candy shop on Harmony Lane?” Bon Bon rewarded me with one of her restorative smiles as I held the door open for Scootaloo. The filly’s eyes lit up at the sheer volume of sweets laid out. “Oh wow! I… never knew this was here!” she exclaimed, darting over to the glass display case. “Hard candy, salted caramels, oh! Oh! And cupcakes! Wow… those chocolate instruments are awesome!” I couldn’t help but get swept up in the excitement bubbling over Bon Bon’s shop. “Well, I was thinking that maybe, if you had something to share, you might be able to find another blank flank to share it with?” Bon Bon quirked an eyebrow at me as Scootaloo put her hooves on the clear glass. Her breath lightly fogged up the crystal display as she stared with marvel at the cupcakes. “Um… maybe a cupcake or two would help?” Then she wilted. “Oh… but… I don’t have my allowance with me…” “Oh! I wasn’t gonna let you down,” I said, pulling out my velvet purse. “Which ones do you want?” I trotted up beside her to look at Bon Bon’s works of chocolate art for myself. I watched as Scootaloo looked over the cupcakes. Her eyes focused near the back towards one specific baked treat. Unlike the instrument-themed cupcakes up front, that one featured a dancer mid-pirouette on a pile of yellow frosting. Scootaloo’s ears drooped for the briefest of moments, then she pointed to a blue guitar themed cupcake near the front. “That one!” she said, not taking her eyes off of the dancer. “The guitar is pretty awesome!” “Alright, the guitar one it is!” Bon Bon said, leaning down to pull the tray back to retrieve the cupcake. “How about that dancer one too?” I asked. Scootaloo glanced at me in confusion. “The dancer one?” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure! Gotta have something cool to give away as well, right? I know miss Bon Bon worked hard on every little detail of these cupcakes.” Scootaloo looked rather confused for a moment. “Yeah! Sure! I mean, it’s kinda girly, but I could be friends with somepony who likes girly things. I mean, Rainbow Dash is friends with Fluttershy and Rarity, after all!” Rarity I recognized as one of Twilight’s new friends. Fluttershy? Not so much. “Exactly,” I said with a grin. “If Rainbow is cool with hanging out with a mare like Rarity, I’m sure that whatever friend gets that cupcake will be super awesome too!” Bon Bon chuckled from behind the counter. “That’ll be eight bits, Lyra.” I wiped any semblance of grimace off my face as I realised the cost of my generosity. I still passed over to Bon Bon half my day’s pay in gold coins. I did not complain. As Bon Bon pushed the sugar-filled package to the edge of the counter, Scootaloo stretched herself onto her hind legs to snag it between her teeth. “Who should I share them with, though?” she asked, settling the package on her back. “I- I mean, thank you for the cupcakes, but… But, you said this would be an… iced beaker?” “Icebreaker,” I corrected gently. “As for whom, hmm…” I glanced out the window for inspiration. Interestingly, that same fuchsia mare was trotting outside by the shop. The same pink and purple-maned filly followed in her tow. “What about her?” I asked, pointing toward the filly. “It looks like she hasn’t found her talent yet either.” “That’s right,” Bon Bon added. “Sweetie Belle and Cookie were in my shop just the other day. If my memory isn’t playing tricks on me, she also lamented not having her cutie mark yet.” Scootaloo took a deep breath and puffed up her chest. “I mean, sure! I, uh… haven’t met her yet, but she looks like she’s probably in my class! I’ll, uh, go introduce myself!” She darted away and stopped only short of the door frame. She turned back to Bon Bon and me with a look of hesitation. “That’s… not gonna be too weird, right? Oh gosh, what do I even say?” “Hi, I’m gonna be your classmate in a couple of days and I got this cupcake here that I’d like to share with you. Do you want to be friends?” Bon Bon replied, answering far more eloquently than I could’ve. Scootaloo blinked at Bon Bon, then nodded slowly. “Y-yeah! That could work! Thank you, Miss Bon Bon! And Miss Lyra!” She then opened the door to the shop, snatched her scooter laid against the wall outside, and rolled down the street toward Sweetie Belle and her mother. I watched with a smile as the two fillies talked. It didn’t last long till Scootaloo passed a cupcake to Sweetie Belle. Even from that far and through the open door, I could see the bright blue frosting of that cupcake. “Hello?” It was at that moment that I realised Bon Bon had said something to me. “Oh, goddesses I’m so sorry!” I squeaked, turning back to her. “I… what were you saying?” To my surprise, she was giggling into her hoof. “Do you know that you stare off into the distance a lot?” she teased. My ears drooped as I tried to hide my brightening red cheeks. “I… our young friend may have said something to that effect earlier.” I bit my lip. “I’m very sorry, Bon Bon. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I just...” A part of me wanted to see how my random act of kindness would work out. Another piece yearned to see Scootaloo succeed. In some sort of way, I wished that her success, that of a lonely little filly, would show that even I could make friendship work. If she was going to then maybe there was hope for me. I just struggled to find the right words to explain that. “It’s okay, Lyra, really,” Bon Bon said, pushing up the divider between the counter to join me on the shop floor. “It was a little endearing. To be honest, watching you be nice to Scootaloo was lovely. She needed it.” I blinked. “Wait, really?” Bon Bon nodded. “I… have been known to watch ponies. And, to be honest, I enjoy my fair share of gossip on occasion,” she explained, scuffing a hoof. “Truth is, Scootaloo’s parents are busy and rarely home. Her aunts are a pair of lovely married mares, but… they’re not her parents.” Now I fully understand the filly’s aura of sadness. The heaviness in her words. And that look in her eyes as she was staring up at the clouds… at that cyan pegasus. “I have a feeling that the little bit of attention you gave her today probably meant the world to her,” Bon Bon giggled. "The only thing that could've made it better is if you were Rainbow Dash herself." “Nah, I’m sure that she’ll forget about it by next week,” I replied as my face flushed once more. “Besides, it’s probably nothing Rainbow wouldn’t do if she knew about how big of a fan she had.” Bon Bon frowned. “I don’t know about that, Lyra.” She paused to carefully choose her words. “I know you haven’t been in Ponyville long. Rainbow is the Element of Loyalty, I’m sure you know that. That mare, though, she can be a little… self-centred. It may be a while before she finally takes notice of that filly.” Bon Bon trotted to my side to lightly nudge my shoulder. “So take the compliment for what it is, you mule. Know you probably made somefilly’s day,” she ordered with a playful smile. Swallowing a self-deprecating comment, I nodded in reply. As we were finally next to each other, I realised Bon Bon had a good hoof and a half in height on me. Earth ponies and their affinity for being tall. I was envious. “Anyways, I am, uh, glad that she made a friend,” I blurted. “Though, I should probably get home and not risk dirtying your floor.” “And what happened to you today? You’ve worried me since you came in.” She picked a few twigs off my messy mane. “Were you playing something somepony took offense to?” I looked over my mucked coat, making me self-conscious about my dirtiness and that I probably wasn’t the nicest smelling item in the room. To my defense, it wasn’t that hard in a candy shop. “I’ve been trying to make ends meet. The Apple family needed help with their autumn harvest, after Big Mac got hurt. So, I’m glad Applejack was accepting help! But… it was hard work! And I think my everything hurts,” I whined, taking a step back toward the door. “And I really need a shower.” As her ears drooped slightly, she let out a long sigh that sunk my heart. “Yeah, I should probably close up the shop for the day. It is getting kind of late.” She turned away from me, lifting up the divider again to walk behind the counter. The increasing space between us felt harrowing. “Though, you wouldn’t happen to be busy this evening, would you?” There was a delicate hesitation in her tone that had my ears instinctively pricked up with interest. “Uh… n-no? I’m not! Um, at least I didn’t have any plans beyond not being a dirty filly anymore!” My legs wobbled as I registered my poor word choice. The metaphorical carpet slipped away from under me as Bon Bon broke down into a fully blown fit of giggles. “How about Café Hay once you’ve finished cleansing yourself of all your earthly sins?” she asked with a cheeky grin. “Say six-thirty?” “That should be enough time to complete my cleansing ritual, priestess,” I deadpanned, only to be rewarded by another one of Bon Bon’s bright laughs. With a smirk, I added, “I can do six-thirty.” I’m not Twilight. I’ll never be an Element Bearer. Yet, I’d like to think that the light of the Elements of Harmony shines distinctively through each and every pony’s hearts and souls. I may not be a beacon of Honesty, a bright star of Loyalty blazing in the night, or a harbinger of Generosity. I’m neither Twilight nor her friends. I can always hope that, through my actions, I can sparkle just a bit. And if I’m truly blessed, help others reflect that sparkle in kind.