//------------------------------//
// Sunset 
// Story: The Mark 
// by dragonlover2864 
//------------------------------//

	Night Glow sat staring at the table. I watched her. “I’m sorry.. I shouldn’t have told you this Night, I’m so sorry...” I whispered... She was sad. Sad because of me. It’s my fault. I should never have even spoke to her that day. I’ve caused her so much trouble and sadness.. 
She looked up at me. I looked away. “Don’t be sorry.. What happened wasn’t your fault.. You were only an infant.” I saw Night smile at me from the corner of my eye. “I lost my father a year ago... He.. He was coming into town to walk me home from Note Book’s house, she’s my best friend. Uh back to my story. He came to get me the same night Snipps and Snails led an Ursa Major into town,” I looked at Night, sadly, knowing how her story would end, “It rampaged through town, swiping at everypony who got in it’s way. My father was turning the corner, I was watching out the window. I ran out the door and bolted for him.. He didn’t see it... He only saw me. I... I saw him smile, the way  he always did... He loved mom and me. The Major barely even struck him... A claw caught his neck.. And.. And..” She couldn’t continue.. I only watched her.. In perfect clarity as her depression seeped from her every pore.
“You don’t have to continue.. I’m sorry..” What Could I do? She was crying in front of me and I wanted nothing more than to hold her, whisper to her that it would be alright, but I couldn’t. I knew she wouldn’t let me. “I.. Understand...” What she said next still leaves me baffled.
“Shit happens. It’s better to go with the flow and put the worst behind you. Why dwell on what makes you sad? Wouldn’t you rather be happy?” She wiped her eyes and smiled again. “I was devastated for a week after the incident. My father is the only pony that was.. Taken.. I made sure to beat the shit out of Snipps and Snails. They aren't in the same class as me anymore..  Mom told me to move on.. Nothing I did could bring him back and I knew it couldn’t. So.. I moved on..”
I smiled as I saw her smile again, a happy smile, not sad, but happy. I smiled back and glanced out the window to see Night Glow’s mom waiting patiently for her daughter. I didn’t know if the mare could see us, but I had the oddest feeling she could. Night Glow followed my gaze and laughed quietly.
“Looks like I have to go. I’ll see monday at school, ok?” She held up her hoof waiting for me to  hoof-bump it. I got the hint, and returned the hoof-bump. She left and I watched her hug her mother and leave, both smiling. I took the few bits that I had and paid for the food and left. 
I walked out as the sun was setting and headed for home. On my way I bumped into a light yellow pegasus. Her mane and tail were a well kept light pink. She was buying some apples and had a little bunny sitting on her back. As I bumped her she gave a little squeak and jumped, spilling all of her apples. The look that that bunny gave me... If only looks could kill. I filled the basket up for the pegasus and offered to bring it home for her, to repay her for my little mistake. 
“Oh no, I couldn’t ask you to do that. I was in the way...” She was right next to the apple cart, ten feet from the main flow of traffic. I gave her a quizzical look and slipped under the strap of the satchel.
“I insist.” I smiled at her.
“Well if you insi-”  She looked up at my face. “Oh my... What happened? Are you alright? How can you see?!” By this time she was up in my face examining my face, mostly my eyes, fussing over me.” 
I lightly put my hoof on her shoulder and reassured her with a chuckle “I’m fine Miss, honest. It’s a long story, but I can see just fine.” She looked at me oddly. “It’s my magic. I can ‘see’ perfectly fine, if not better. I can even see the feelings of other ponies. My least favorite is worry,so please stop worrying.” 
“Oh please, do tell me more.” She gestured for me to walk with her and I happily followed. Aunt Carrot Top wouldn’t be mad if I was home late for a good reason. 
“Well?” What would you like to know?” 
“How do you see like that?”
“It’s the magic that I have..” I shrugged “I have been able to see like this since I was just an infant. It’s... Hmm.. Kind of like echolocation. A bit of magic is always radiating from my horn, and the magic ... it.. How do I put this? It... Makes a magical copy of my surroundings and then returns to my horn, showing me what is around me.” 
Her face was scrunched up in thought. “Okay, but what about seeing the feelings of other ponies? What do feelings look like? How does it work?” 
I laughed. “Imagine different colored waves surrounding a pony, just radiating from that pony. I see that with the magic. Like right now, you’re emanating a vibrant bright blue, which is curiosity. One of my personal favorite feelings to see though is sadness, it is a very sad, but beautiful color. Misty dark purple. My favorite thing about it is that when the sad pony begins to cheer up, the mist dissipates, and the pony radiates a bright gold, like the sun.” I had stopped and was staring at the, now almost set, sun. “It’s amazing.”
“Oh.. It sounds wonderful.. “ For the first time since I met her, she smiled. It was a lovely smile, like that of a wise old woman, truly at peace with world. I liked her, she reminded me of my mother, always whispering softly to me, smiling, brightening the dark life I once had. I was one of the only ponies that could remember such an early time in their life. Carrot Top told me when I was young, she made sure I knew I was not her child, that I not forget my mother..
“May... May I ask what happened? Why you’re like... this?” She looked at me.
I began to walk again. “Of course you may...” So I began. I told her about my mother, my father, Aunt Carrot Top.. How I got these scars... I told her that why I always where the hood is so that I can hide the long scar on my chest.  She cried, of course. What normal pony wouldn’t? I know Night Glow didn’t, but she had her reasons, she was desensitized to this stuff.
After she had stopped crying, she rubbed her eyes and looked over at me. “I’m sorry, I had no Idea..”
“it’s not your fault.” I shrugged. We had walked up to a tree house next to the Everfree Forest. 
“This is my house. Please set those apples right on the porch and I’ll run in and get you something to repay you for your help.” I began to object but she dashed in the house. Her little rabbit friend, Angel, gave me another nasty look and went inside. A moment later the pony came back out. 
“Here.” She handed me a bag full of bits. I tried to say no but she pressed it firmly in my hoof. 
“Take it and give this to Carrot Top.” She handed me a small envelope. “It’s a powder she is to mix with the water for her garden. It’ll keep the slugs away. Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you my name!” She laughed quietly “I’m Fluttershy.”
“Slender. Nice to talk to you Fluttershy. Lets do it again some time.” I looked up at the sky, now dark and shuddered. “I’ve got to leave, Carrot Top will be upset if I’m terribly late getting home.” Fluttershy agreed and let me borrow a saddlebag to take the stuff. 
I walked down the path from her house trying to decide the fastest way home. If I took the path it would be well lit but if I  raced along the edge of the Everfree Forest I’d get home a lot faster..
“The forest isn’t that bad... At least the edge isn’t...”..