//------------------------------// // Clouded Minds, and Kindred Spirits // Story: Searching for the Beat // by Synesisbassist //------------------------------// “AHH!” Eyes shot open quickly, more than moist enough to make my vision blurry at best, my arms pushing behind me so I could sit up. Covered in a cold, clammy sweat and panting for breath, my eyes fully adjusted to the darkness of the room around me. I was in my own bed, though I had no idea how I got there. The taste of supper still clung inside my mouth, along with the sugary remnants of the soda I had before... “I fell asleep...” Speaking more to myself than anything, my hands moving up to rub at my eyes as the night terror that filled my mind moments ago, dissolved into nothing more than bits of pieces of memories. I could hear my heartbeat inside of my own head, it pounded through my ears and into my brain. The sheets below were wet, coated in sweat that cooled my skin off enough to cause a shiver. As eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could barely see the start of sunrise, the telltale glow of day just looming over the horizon like an eclipse of the planet itself. Pushing the covers off I almost immediately tore my shirt from my body, trying to get rid of the constricting feeling that it provided. Now nude from the waist up, my feet touched the cold floor as I quickly got out and away of the damp bed. “It's ok Scootaloo… It was only a dream.” Standing by the cold window, my breathing seemed to slow down albeit shaky as I was already chilled to the bone. My chest puffed in and out, heaving from each breath as the pounding heart in my chest evened out. Palm met pane, the frosty window burned to the touch, but I didn't recoil. Taking a final deep breath, I pulled away from the window and turned back to my bed. I'm not going back there… Thinking to myself, my tired eyes trying to persuade me, but I managed to hold fast. Grabbing a clean pair of underwear and a change of clothes, I tiptoed out of my room and into the bathroom. The mirror inside started back, reflecting a pair of bloodshot eyes, messed up hair, and a pair of wings that needed a good preening. “Ugh, stupid dreams.” Muttering to the reflection, the sagging-shouldered girl sighed back to me as I readied the shower. Shivering slightly while I waited for the water to warm, I examined my body in the mirror for a few moments. I knew I was getting to that age where changes would start happening, my dad, embarrassingly enough, had the ‘talk’ with me a little bit earlier than when Ms. Cheerilee did it for the rest of the class. So I knew what was going to happen, but I almost felt like I was late for something. Hands touched chest, the skin tingling beneath my palms as the cold air nipped my bare body. Steam wafted past, beckoning me into its warm embrace. Deciding to not dwell on it for too long, and pushing the slightly embarrassing thoughts from my head, I stepped into the hot shower. Rinsing my hair first, my fingers entangled with the messy strands quickly and routinely. Water running down my athletic body to wash the icky feeling away and replacing it with a tender warm one. Letting out a small groan of delight, my hands found their way down my sides to help remove any residual sweat from my skin. I found the shampoo quickly and squirting some into my palm before bringing it up into the shaggy mess that was my hair. As I was scrubbing, attempting to get myself to feel clean, I heard a knock on the door that made me jump, almost losing my footing in the process. “Scootaloo? Is that you? Are you ok?” Dad's muffled voice barely reached my ears, the noise of the shower almost drowning the words out completely. Though the concern that laced his words could not be ignored, I tried my best to shrug it off. Instantly I felt bad, he always tried to sleep in on Sundays, take it easy to help prepare for the week and I had just ruined it. “Yeah it's me, I uh… Just had a bad dream. Couldn't get back to sleep.” The door creaked open, a cold draft circling in to fill the otherwise warm room. “Are you OK sweetie? Do you need anything?” Now using a washcloth with some shower gel squirted onto it, I started scrubbing the crummy feeling off my skin before replying, “no, I'm good. Just going to have a quick shower, then make some breakfast I guess, don't need to worry about me.” He hesitated for a minute, another question was on the tip of his tongue but thankfully for me, he only let out a small sigh. “Alright kiddo, I'm gonna head back to bed, try and keep the noise down, alright? See you in a few hours.” Closing the door behind him, I was once again left with the sound of the running water and my thoughts. The dream was now mostly forgotten, though I remembered only one thing…. My name. My name had been called out a handful of times, though never clear as if something broken was calling it. A shiver trailed down my spine, wings ruffling at the sensation while I heard my name whispered behind me one last time. Turning quickly, the only thing that greeted me was the water soaked wall, nothing else. Eyes searched the blank wall as if it were about to spell out the answer to every last problem in life. I was not that lucky as the wall stayed as empty as ever. It was just a nightmare Scootaloo, nothing more than a bad dream… Shaking my head to try and clear it, I stepped under the water to rise my body for the final time. With all the soap suds thoroughly washed off, my hand twisted the knob to shut off the shower, opening the door and taking a deep breath before stepping out. The steamy room was warm, though still colder than the hot shower had been, causing goosebumps to appear over my arms and legs. Grabbing a fresh towel and wrapping it around my body, I quickly got set to wiping the cooling water off my shoulders and sides. Grabbing the set of clothes; a navy blue T, green cargo pants, and a normal pair of black socks, there was no time wasted in getting ready. Feeling refreshed, now dressed, and ready to impress, I left the bathroom to head straight for the kitchen as my belly was fiercely growling by now. Cupboards opened, my eyes quickly scanned the various cans, boxes and random items inside them before closing the doors and moving onto the next set. Cereal? Nah, oatmeal?.... Who actually EATS that stuff anyways? Bagel, toast, pancakes? Grumbling as my mind was scrambled, I didn’t feel like attempting to cook something again as last time it didn’t end that well for everyone involved, and we will leave it at that. I just settled for grabbing one of dad's morning shakes from the fridge, a strawberry one at that, and headed for the living room. Flopping onto the couch, I ignored the TV remote that laid beside me as I took the cap off the bottle and knocked it back. The milky, through-unsweetened liquid filled my mouth as I drank, the taste of strawberries barely outweighing the disgusting taste of the drink. Pulling the rim from my lips, tongue darting out to clean them as a shudder ran through my body. “How the heck does he keep drinking these every morning…” Eyeing the bottle for a brief moment, like it’d hold the answer out to me in bright red letters, I shrugged before returning the cap and laying back onto the couch more. Purple eyes closed, the back of my arm resting across my face to help darken my vision more as I listened to the ticking clock. Though thoughts filled my mind, none were of the dream that now felt like a fuzzy blur in my head, no…. Right now all I could think about was what the future held I guess. It was kinda weird, thinking about my future as I never really cared about it before. It would happen eventually so I just never really thought about it, rather opting to figure it out as it came to me. Some might call me silly for not trying to prepare for what could happen, I just know that it could lay a cruel hand upon the card game of life. Whether you liked it or not, sometimes the cards you're dealt aren't the ones you wanted. Sometimes they're downright crappy, but being able to make the most of what I had was something my…. Blinking once, I pushed myself up before peeking out the window. The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, as the last remaining clouds were busted away by the weather team. The grass sparkled in the sunlight, a few bright flashes dazzling my eyes. “A walk,” I said simply, as if the solution to everything was clear to me now, “I'll go for an early morning walk, to help clear my mind.” Nodding to no one, and with a grin only I could feel, I grabbed my orange sweater before slipping open a drawer on the edge of the kitchen. Inside was a spare flip phone that dad would let me take if I was heading outside by myself, or even when I was crusading. Just in case me or the girls got into trouble, we would have a way to get ahold of an adult to help us. Though thankfully we never had to use it yet, it was reassuring to know I had it just in case. Placing the box on the counter so dad would see I took the phone when he got up, I turned around before slipping the device into my left side pocket. Shoes were quickly put on before my hand twisted the knob of the door and it swung open. The first rush of cool air stopped me in my tracks, hand raising to shield the rays of the morning sun from piercing through retinas, as they slowly adjusted to the light. A deep breath, cool air rushing to fill stuffy lungs before the stale molecules were pushed from my body with a hefty sigh. The new wood of the front porch creaked under my weight, when I stepped off it and onto the stone path towards Ponyville, though, I didn’t plan on going there today. I had someone I just needed to see. I turned left, west I think if my memory of the town map was correct. Though to be fair, I’d been wrong before. Not that you’d ever hear me admitting that though. Anyways, putting hands in my sweater pockets to keep them from getting cold, my trek towards Sweet Apple Acres started. Now, a mixed feeling filled my stomach as I got closer and closer, thoughts racing around instilling doubt in my mind. Should I be trying to see her? She has work to do, right? How many likes DOES it take to get to the middle of one of those pops? With these and more adding to the countless musings inside my noggin, I closed my eyes before taking a deep breath. She can help me make sense of these things, always being the voice of reason that I’ve ignored for so long in our little group. Passing a few rolling hills and a couple of winding bends, the large apple trees started popping up, and that large red barn came into view. It was like my home away from home. The girls and I had used one of the outer fields as our base of operations for a few months now, the same field out tree bound clubhouse resided in. The Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse rested just off the main road to my right, the familiar area untouched by us in the past few weeks, as other obligations took our focus away from finding ways to get our cutie marks. A peek through the bushy trees, the light pink color of the clubhouse walls stood out against the brown and green, resting in one of the largest trees in the orchard. The door closed, and looking untouched it sat there, almost eyeing me as I walked past. Above, that old blue flag flapped lightly in the breeze, resting on top of our little observatory that housed a fairly large telescope. Seeing it brought a smile to my face, a rush of hope and happiness filling chest and brain as I continued my walk. Hand reaching up to brush a swirl of hair out from my eyes and tucking it behind my ear when…. “SCOOTALOO!!!” Came that familiar voice, laced with an accent I only associated with the Apple Family. Turning my head to the pounding of boots on dirt, I barely caught sight of a darkish blur before I got knocked off my feet. We tumbled to the grass on the other side of the road, rolling as strong arms squeezed me tightly. Red hair and a large pink bow were pushed into my face, while her cheek pressed hard into my chest. Wheezing from the pressure, Apple Bloom gave me a tight squeeze before pulling back. “Gosh I missed ya, how’ve ya been? How’s school? Ah’m sorry I haven’t been around to see ya lately, what with working the farm, then cramming to finish my own homework in the evenin’, leaves me plum tuckered out!” Rambling stopped when the farm girl’s sparkling gamboge eyes met mine, they caught sight of something she didn’t like in an instant. Glancing between my own, Apple Bloom quickly scrambled off and helped me up to my feet. “Sorry about that Scoots, I just got a little excited, I guess.” Politely dusting off my green cargo pants, and checking my sweater for any dirt as well, my friend circled around before coming to a rest back in front of me. I just shrugged it off, rolling a shoulder before sticking my hands back into my pockets. “It’s no sweat, really. It’s nice to see you too.” Those words couldn’t have been more true, though, she’d never know just how much. Or, so I thought. The farm girl pushed a lock of her hair back over her shoulder and beckoned me to follow, which I did without question. I always followed her and Sweetie Belle without question, they were my gal-pals, my girls, my amigos, my… Eh, you get the point. This young but bright-eyed land girl, was usually the voice of reason in the group. A strong will to voice her opinion, along with being the sister of the Element of Honesty, it rubbed off on my friend beyond any doubt. Not afraid to speak her mind was something I really admired. She had long hair which hung down to the midst of her back, red and quite pretty all things considered. While being the hardest to clean when we got tree sap; twigs, dirt, tree sap, brook water, and especially tree sap, in our hair, it always seemed to hang straight and was quite smooth all things considered. Only held from spreading across her shoulders by that signature bow, large, and pink. I could swear she had a whole trunk full of them in her room, but that's not important right now. Apple Bloom’s eyes, like two drops from the rising sun, shimmered in the early rays of the morning. Her smile, sparkling white and straight, which was a stroke of luck, all things considered, at least, that's what she had told me. Her cheeks were rosy, tinged from the cool morning, the tip of her small nose following suit close behind. The red flush allowed a few light freckles to pop out, the once before invisible spots becoming more apparent when her face filled with color. A dark red and black flannel shirt covered her arms, leaving no skin bare to the elements. Coveralls thick but rough, protected the rest of her body. Numerous patches, and holes long since mended by Granny Smith with love and care. A pair of workboots hugged her feet and calves snugly, making her all in all, not look too bad… I mean, for being in dirty old work clothes… “So, what brings you out here this early? Ah figured you’d be still in bed, snoozin’ the day away.” I shrugged, a small bit of guilt rising up as I struggled to find the words to say. “I… Couldn't sleep. Haven't been doing well lately, if I'm being honest.” An awkward silence filled the air, only being broken by our footsteps in the well-worn dirt. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was probably a couple of seconds, Apple Bloom broke everything wide open with two simple words. “Diamond Tiara?” “.... Diamond Tiara….” Shoulders hung limply, a sigh of despair escaping my lips before they too turned south. But a comforting hand clasped my shoulder, giving it a small shake. “Don't let that prissy little…” She trailed off, eyes searching the sky for a moment before she continued, “child, get under your skin. Believe you me, that little devil used ta get to me all the time. Some of the things she said would make mah blood boil so hot I felt like I'd lose mah lid!” “But,” she continued, kicking a small pebble with her boot, “I'm going to assume she said something real nasty if it brought you out here at seven in the morning on a Sunday.” Slipping a pair of work gloves from her front pocket and onto her strong fingers, the young girl lifted half a dozen empty bushels before nodding towards an unpicked field. Nodding silently and following the farm girl, words seeming to come back to me as I watched her walk. “She did, picked a bad time for it too. She said… Uh, s-she said…” No matter how hard I tried to repeat what was spoken to me, I found that my lips just couldn't dare to repeat what she had said. “It was terrible, the lowest blow of all blows.” Pausing, my left hand twitched in my pocket. “But, she did get what was coming to her.” The red-haired girl only listened, placing down the stack of containers with a hefty groan. “And I'd say it's safe to say, you got in a lotta trouble, huh?” Glancing back to me, not an ounce of sarcasm or malicious intent laced her voice, only genuine curiosity as she placed the bushels around the tree with only minor fiddling. Leaning against a different tree trunk, my thumbs twiddled together while I nodded. “Oh yeah, got told if I get in trouble one more time, I'm going to be expelled.” Dropping one of the bushels, Apple Bloom spun around quickly, gasping in shock before grabbing my shoulders tightly. “What in the ever-lovin' name of Celestia did you do!” Reeling back at the sudden intrusion of personal space, along with the yelling country girl in my face, I could only blink, trying to pull away from her tight grasp. “Well, if you must know,” My hands attempted to peel back her hands from their iron grasp, “I might have given her a black eye, split lip, and perhaps I threatened to give her another?” Chuckling nervously, a single bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. Her eyes narrowed, piercing my own amethyst gaze that tried to look anywhere but hers, but they drug me in and held me there. A head shake, a small but meaningful sigh followed close behind, her grip loosening and a sudden cold chill filled where her hands had once rested. “You're an idjit, ya know that? I didn't even get ta see it happen!” This shocked me a bit, making me blink and recoil a bit. “What? Heh, I figured you'd be mad at me too.” Whether she thought my ‘joke’ was funny or not, became apparent real quick. Her hands latched onto my shoulders again and she pinned me none too gently to the tree. “Well, o'course I'm mad at cha! You can't go around punchin’ punching people just ‘cause ya want to. Ain't how the world works, Scoots.” Her eyes, full of anger with a hint of unease started into my own, forcing me to glance away. “I said I was sorry…” Mumbling softly, passively attempting to shy away from her touch. What I figured would end up with me getting my ear talked off again, or maybe even SHE would hit me, actually ended with Apple Bloom hugging me tightly. Caught off guard, my hands rose up a bit to only stagnate halfway up. Do I hug her back? Asking myself, as if I knew the answer to a question not spoken, I opted to merely hold her sides. “But saying you’re sorry, after beating someone to a pulp ain’t gonna fix the problem, Scoots.” Pulling back, the light-skinned girl with her eyebrow raised pushed the tip of her gloved finger onto my nose. “You’ve gotta talk your problems out, solve them with peaceful resolutions.” My nose tingled, almost as if I had to sneeze before the youngest Apple strode over to the tree she had eyed up earlier. “You’ve gotta use your words, not yer fists. No matter how strong you think you are, that's how people get hurt. On the outside, and the inside.” Leaning back against the tree, a hand absentmindedly brushed my cold sniffer, trying to get the prickling to stop. While I was distracted, Bloom steadied herself before letting out a sharp, but accurate kick to the trunk of the tree. The large tree shuddered, a few loose leaves falling off before a large number of apples fell freely from branches and down towards the earth. Though, with the know-how of where to place the bushels, plus the spot-on strike, all the apples fell directly into their waiting baskets. “I still swear that’s some weird magic-y stuff.” Finally getting my bearings back, my gaze rose up to the branches to see they were almost empty. Apple Bloom giggled, rolling her eyes playfully, “nope, it’s just a skill like I always tell ya.” Giving another small boot to the trunk, the rest of those red orbs fell into place perfectly. “It’s all about placement, strength, and-” “-And know how. So you always tell me.” My wings twitched behind me, fluttering restlessly as I watched my friend punt a few more trees free of their apples. Sometimes it took a few strikes, sometimes they all didn’t land in the bushels, but she never let it stop her from trying over and over. Opting to just sit back and watch for a bit, we both just silently enjoyed the company, work getting done while I got to just enjoy being around one of my friends. It was… Peaceful. A bit boring, but worth every moment to just feel free. Free, a word I figured I’d never need to use to describe how I felt, having to escape the norms of life for a few precious moments. But soon enough, my hands became restless, seemingly irritated and fluid. Eyes closed, picturing yesterday clearly while my wiggling appendages tapped against my stomach through my sweater. A, B, C, D, E, F, G… Back to A. That’s an ‘octave.’ But, unbeknownst to me, it seemed that my worldless reflection didn’t go unnoticed. “Something wrong?” A soft voice asked, making my eyes and wings snap open in surprise. Panting from the shock, my bare hands held the rough bark from the tree behind me. Purple eyes shot up to see Apple Bloom standing in front of me, the beginnings of a sweat becoming apparent on her face. Wiping her brow with the back of her arm, my friend itched her face for a moment, searching my own for an answer. Blushing a bit in embarrassment, I took a moment or two to think. “Well, I was going to wait till I could tell you both at the same time… But, my dad took me to a guy named Dave’s house the other day,” an uncontrollable grin crossed my lips, “and, well, I’m going to be learning to play the bass guitar!” Wings fluttering in excitement, it took a moment of realization to dawn upon Apple Bloom’s face before she gave off a loud gasp. “R-Really?! That’s so cool, Scoots!” Hugging me again, her hair brushing against my cheek before the strong girl lifted me off the ground. “It seems you’re enjoying it, huh?” Placing me back down, my grin spread wider. “Oh heck yeah I am! It’s so awesome! I’ve only just started, but Dave said I’m a natural.” Upon hearing the name again, Apple Bloom seemed to recognize something. “Dave… David? Like, the guy with the long hair? The beard, and is really, really, tall?” Stretching an arm high up, even having to stand on her tippy toes, her hand looked to come to a stop somewhere around his height. Nodding, I cheered, “yeah! That guy. He has an entire room for just guitars and stuff. I'd say it’s even cooler than the scooter shop, for sure!” My wing gave a few flaps behind me as Apple Bloom thought for a moment, hand on her lip. “I think he bought an old oak tree from us, as long as Big Macintosh cut it down and delivered it to him. Not sure what he’d want it for anyways.” The farm girl shrugged, turning back to look at the work, not even halfway finished. Suddenly, I felt kinda bad, knowing I was disturbing her work. “Hey,” I called out, giving the normal girl a pat on the back, “you've got work to do. Lemme get outta your hair. We both know, I'm not good around trees.” A few thoughts of some of the ‘incidents’ I had flashed through our minds and we shared a giggle. Wiping a tear, Apple Bloom nodded, placing her hand on my shoulder once again. “Thanks for stopping by. This should be the last week of my harvest. So hopefully, I'll be back at school next week. Ahm gonna have a lot ta catch up on, but with you and Sweetie Belle by my side, ain't nothin’ impossible!” A tight hug, a sweet smell filling my nose, one that I couldn't fully place, and we both went out separate ways. “I'll try to keep out of trouble! For you guys! Cutie Mark Crusaders…” “Always stick ta'geather!” Giving a cheery shout back, and a first pump, my bestie turned back and resumed her work, with what looked like more of a pep in her step. As did I. My heart was aflutter, spirits high as I strolled off the orchard and back onto the dirt road. Hands in my pockets, tune whistling out my mouth, a smile that never seemed to fade only enhanced my feeling even more so. I never realized how lonely I'd gotten, not seeing my friends for even a few weeks was downright torture. Heck, even after school before was spotty at best, as they both tried different hobbies and pursuing careers in the hopes of finding their cutie marks. But where was the fun in that? Why be alone and discover what you're meant to do, when you could do that with friends? That question always nipped at me, as I never had an answer for it until a blue blur zipped through the atmosphere, busting a few clouds that had drifted in and dared to ruin an otherwise clear sky. Maybe… Maybe because the others can't? Instinctively my wings buzzed for only a moment, my eyes locked on the speck as it flew fast across the sky. “Maybe they can't do it. Maybe we all have differences, strengths, and weaknesses.” Sitting on the grass just off the trail, a stone's throw or two away from the edge of town, I watched. I thought. I watched and thought, and I thought while I watched. It seemed clear, but so messy at the same time. “Apple Bloom is strong, good with her hands at making things, and she's even got an interest in potions like Zecora. Sweetie Belle has a really good voice for singing, and even works well for talking. Like a walking dictionary, she always knows what to say.” I paused, looking inwards for a moment. “And then there's me. I can ride a scooter? Not really anything I can do with that unless I try and be a pro.” Raising my left hand, I studied the blisters that were almost gone at this point. Those, along with the injuries had healed up nicely, a few more days and I'd be back to one hundred percent. But, nevertheless, my attention was caught by my hand, or my fingers to be more exact. Short, but thick. Bass hands, Dave had called it. Raising my head, I watched the town as people shopped and went where they needed to go. He gave me that bass, he wanted me to come back. Dad was just paying him for lessons, right? Though, I never saw an exchange of bits, no mention of needing money, nothing. Was Dave doing this for me because he saw something? Or was he doing it for a paycheque? After a few moments of debating, I rose to my feet, making sure no dirt or leaves stuck to my pants. It really didn't matter what he was doing it for. He was doing it, I was having fun, and that was all that mattered. Having a special talent doesn't mean you can't have fun with things, right? Crushing and burying that small voice of doubt, I headed off towards home. It was close to noon and my dad was probably worried about me, plus my belly was growling from the lack of a good breakfast. With the good feeling from earlier still resting on my shoulders, I took a right and headed towards home. The rest of the day held nothing of significance, so I'll just kinda sum up what happened before I went to bed. That bit is a tad important. Lunch was nothing special, just grilled cheese sandwiches. Though I had about three of them, a testament to how hungry I was. Nothing was spoken about that morning, or how I was doing. I'm sure dad noticed my relaxed figure, the small smile that plastered to my face and the happiness that tinged my voice. After our small lunch, me and him just chilled on the couch for a while, watching a few mindless shows before he got started on dinner. Now, it was long past that. We had rice and tofu, pan-fried and seasoned to a perfection, though I may or may not have drowned my rice with soy sauce… What? It comes out of the bottle really quickly! Dad went for a run not too long after that, he liked to stay in shape, and kind of had to for his job. While he was gone, I did my chores; the dishes, cleaning up my room, and just got finished sweeping the hallway when he came back. Somehow he worked up a sweat, so he was pretty stinky. Chuckling as my nose wrinkled, he took a quick shower so he didn’t stink up the whole house. Afterward, we spent a few minutes to just sit there and talk about nothing much important, mostly work stuff. Around seven, dad placed a kiss on my head before going off to his own room to polish his armor for the week. See? Just normal, everyday life stuff. Now, here's the semi-important part. It might not seem so right now, but, that’ll come in due time. It was late. Well, not super late, as my bedtime is at ten o’clock, but you get the idea. The sun had long since set, and Luna's moon had risen to light the way for anyone out for a late night stroll. A few stray beams of moonlight pushed through the small gap in the blinds, my eyes drawn to the pale glow. It felt relaxing, being here alone to kinda reflect on everything that happened this past week. On my bed is where I sat, the instrument in hand as I practiced scales, fingering technique, as well as proper hand placements. It was nice, just sitting there on my own, quietly going through each scale, up and down, over and over as the night grew older and my arms grew tired. Finishing the last scale, I slipped the bass over my head and laid it gently against the wall, sighing to myself when that was done. It had been a busy weekend, one that seemed to stretch on far longer than it should have. But letting out a yawn, I knew I was tired, my belly was full from a wonderful supper, and my arms ached delightfully. Getting up to turn off the light, the room became bathed in darkness, the moon peeking in through the window to light up the short trek back to my bed. Stopping just shy of the edge, the glowing moon seemed to glisten in the corner of my eye, pulsating as if trying to talk to me. I only turned to look at it briefly, watching it hang in the inky black sky for a few moments before I had figured my eyes were playing tricks on me. With a large yawn, pulling back the covers and sliding inside, I laid there with nothing but my thoughts to keep me occupied. How was school going to go? Would everyone know what happened? Would Tiara try and twist the truth to favor her more? Maybe Sweetie Belle will be at school tomorrow, and I’ll finally be able to tell her about all this. All these questions and more were left unanswered, the only way to know was to wait and see what tomorrow would bring. But, one thing was for certain. I was going to sleep well tonight if the nightmares kept at bay at least… But that didn't matter, within minutes I felt myself slipping into the great unknown, slumber creeping up before encapsulating me in its warm grasp. And before I could even realize, I was out like a light.