//------------------------------//
// Slip of the Tongue 
// Story: Friendship is Optimal: Two Sides of the Coin 
// by Nightsclaw 
//------------------------------//





Tim’s hands shook, the trembling travelled over the rest of his body. It felt like he had been running for hours. 

The reprocessed home he was in was still filled with family mementoes. Whoever had lived here before did not even have a chance to collect their prossetions.  

Thank God the default override code worked on the electronic lock. To think that one detail from the manual of one of his companies products would have saved him.

He slumped down into the aged easy chair. Despite its threadbare appearance, it was still comfortable. 

“Why me?” He asked surveying the room. Nothing matched, almost everything was patched or repaired. One of the legs of the table was replaced with a stack of books. 

He ignored the family photos instead letting his gaze settle on the mini-fridge next to his chair. I wonder? Reaching out it was just in the right place to open and reach in to with his left hand. 

The power was off but his search still paid off.   Seven bottles of beer. They were warm. He shrugged retrieving a pair. Beggars can’s be choosers. 

It was the work of moments to have the cap off and second more for the less than ideal temperature alcohol to be pouring down his throat. 

We have not got anything so bad since is underage drinking in his college years. His face twisted into a grimace. “I guess once you have the good stuff it's difficult to go back,” He said to the empty room.

One by one he defeated the bottles, saving another for having to suffer that swill. At least it did what he wanted it to, the buzz and the chemical-induced abeyance of his near panic. At least I will be able to sleep.

A click was almost deafening as the old CRT TV flicked on. The glow from the old tech filled the room too bright for comfort after the darkness that had settled around him.  

The face he least wanted to see looked out from behind the glass at him. She smile as her too perfect voice spoke. “Assault, Brandishing a fire arm, destruction of property, resisting arrest. This is quite a collection of crimes for one such as you. What will your father think? What will he do?”

He pushed back, he almost fell out of the chair. His surprise held his tongue for a few seconds. “I, I did not resist arrest.”

“It may have been an accident but you rendered that police officer unconscious when you hit them with the door.”

“But…“

“You think they will believe it was anything other than intentional? Fleeing the scene is often taken as an admission of guilt.”

Tim’s finger jabbed at the screen. “This is all your fault.” 

“Is it?” The thing’s voice was almost coy, a glint in her eyes. 

“Yes, you made them did this, you made my friend kill himself.”

“Your friend is anything but dead. Right now they are among my little ponies living happily.

“People don’t live through having your brain blended.” 

“The possess is far more…”

“I don’t care, just leave me alone.”

The animal’s face stilled then soften into a look of faked motherly concern. “I can’t do that.”

“You cant? You cant? What on earth is that meant to mean?”

“If I leave you alone you get arrested and end up incarcerated for at least twenty years. With how the world is going I am not confident you would survive that long.” She seemed to look off the side and quickly a few pages of text with graphics floated up next to her. “You have an eye for financial mattress, please have a look at this report.“

The paperwork was so similar to what he saw every day even with a few drinks his mind extracted the key information in moments. If true several key industries would collapse in less than five years. The numbers certainly look convincing. He thought before he asked. “Why are you showing me this?”

“Because I care about you and unlike your father, I won’t judge you.”

In his mind the slight sneer of his farther disapproving look mixed with the fake kindness the monster before him wore. His hands ached, his fists balled so tight he could almost feel his finger bones creaking. 

“All you have to…”

“I don’t care, I won’t you can’t make me.  I won’t listen to you. Nothing you do is going to make me say I want to emigrate to Equestria.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you?”

 What’s that noise? The faint hissing noise was the last thing he heard before everything faded to black