//------------------------------// // Chapter seven: Back at the library // Story: Dreamstrider: Tale of the Impossible // by Alasdair Edom //------------------------------// Chapter seven As we reached the library, the silence stayed steadfast between us. Whenever I think about my relationships back home, it always hits a raw nerve, not because I don't like my crushes anymore, but because all of my relationships fell through the floor before they even started. I hate being alone. But I'm rather used to it, I never complained about being lonely openly because I had gotten used to being in my own little world. It usually fell under the criteria of, 'Just the computer, internet, and me.', because I didn't want to socialize to anyone outside of my house, and the only people I really went out for is family and friends. When I found My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I felt happy again... Not just a distraction from my loneliness that video games provided, but a true inner... Happiness. Like a space had been filled that I thought never could be filled. But when it came to the point someone literally walked up to me and said 'Hello', I could at least act like I was a normal person who can actually socialize. I let out a deep sigh as I let my thoughts wander, and also see Twilight glance at me for a second before turning to the library and opening the door. "Twilight..." I almost whisper as she opens the door. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. "Back there with Dash... It was just a hug, nothing more." With this, she took on a more serious face, and tried a stabbing stare through me. Lucky, it takes one hell of a stare to unnerve me. "It was rather long for, 'Just a hug'." She says in a very serious... Almost annoyed tone. She obviously is being touchy because she thinks that the new guy is hitting on one of her friends after only a day of being here. I feel conflicted, because that would be partially true. I do have a crush on RD, but I wasn't flirting with her. I suck at flirting. "It was a supportive hug." I say, "I get easily depressed okay?" I let out another sigh, and Twilight lets down her failed stare. "Fine." She says in a neutral tone, "We are here now, and I would like to discuss some ground rules with your stay here." I just nod and walk in. I can feel the depression digging in now, its cold claws sapping my energy and emotion, much like how I would imagine getting attacked by a Dementor would feel like. I hang me head low, and just collapse in the middle of the room. Twilight just gives me... Some form of agonizing glare, but the depression is getting deep enough so I don't care. The depression is digging into me faster than normal, but again, I don't care. "Dreamstrider, what are you doing in the middle of the floor?" She says in a very annoyed tone. I didn't want to talk, but I did anyway. "I'm depressed, tired, lonely because you brought up my past relationships, struggling to not totally space-out here, hoping I won't get strapped to your machines in your basement for 'Scientific purposes', and all of the above." I lazily move my head so my eyes meet hers, "Besides that, I'm just perfect, thanks for asking." I drop my head and just lay there again. She sympathizes for me a little, but not much as she almost shoves me back on my feet with her magic. I stumble around and prop myself on the side of the staircase that runs all the way up and down of this place. "Right, ground rules discussion thingimiewhatsit?" I said, honestly not caring about my grammar at this point. She just raises an unimpressed eyebrow at me, "Yes, now come and stop your moping." "Right." I say as I stand up and attempt to push the depression out of my system. I succeed mostly, but not entirely. "We can do the ground rules, then I'm going to have a nap..." I say with a yawn. We go upstairs to the lounge and sit down, it was a nicer place in full light, not nearly as nice in the early morning or late afternoon. "So, the ground rules." Twilight says as soon as we sit down, "Firstly, you need a job, even if it is temporary job around Ponyville." She continues, "We can't have you lazing around all day and getting asked questions continually, the townsponies might get curious, and the rumor mill will start turning." I grunt and nod in agreement, it would be bad if people started to suspect anything. Especially Lyra... "OH DAMN! LYRA!" I shout, as I realize that might be a problem. A big problem. "What?" Twilight says in a surprised and slightly concerned tone, "What about Lyra?" I calm down from my sudden outburst, "I uhhh..." Twilight raises an eyebrow at me, "You what?" "A certain pale cyan pony with a white and gold mane may or may not have used the cover of being a professor on the obscure history of humans to strike up a conversation with the pony in question." She looks confused at me for a second, then comprehends what I just said. "WHAT?!" She exclaims, "You pretended to be a certified professor in humans to have a conversation with somepony you don't even know?!" "Hey Twilight, clam down." I say, trying to avoid Rapidhash Twilight, "A: I do happen to know her from a distance, and B: I didn't feed her any lies. "But I agree that there is still the problem of someone in town thinking I am a professor, which could be a pain in the flank." "Language Dreamstrider!" She said, not in a disgusted manner, but in a very matter-of-fact way. I realize then that ponies here are less tolerant of that kind of language here. "Oh, right, ponies are more sensitive to that kinda language I guess." I say in a retreating manner. She just giggles and says, "Don't worry, some ponies use it quite lightheartedly, I would just advise to avoid it when talking to other ponies, we wouldn't want you dismissed as a filthy mouth would we?" I giggle along with her, at the end saying, "Yeah, that would be bad I guess." I continue, "Next rule?" She straightens herself up a little, "Rule two is you can't go around parading your magical skills around like you are a street performer." "Like Trixie?" She just gives me a slightly weirded out look, "Yes, like Trixie. "And thirdly, try to keep the knowing everything thing to a minimum okay?" I smile, "I wouldn't want to get run out of town by ponies with pitchforks and flaming torches now would I?" She just gives me a momentary look with narrowed eyes, and I give a somewhat small sheepish smile in response. "And rule four, I don't want you to lave things scattered around the place if your going to stay here, you make a mess, you clean it up." "Of course, I respect your tidiness and origination, I do know the basic morals of living in someone else's home Twilight." I say in a slightly irritated tone. "Just making sure." She said, "Also, you do realize that with you being here, you will be asked a lot of questions?" I give a sly smile, "Yes, of course I do. But like I said before, I will only answer a big question if I think you have 'Earned' it, as it were. "But personal questions and basic ones come free of charge." I say with a wink at the end. She just looks at me, unimpressed. "Right then," She said, "Time to get you your own room then." I squee for the third time today, and have an un-naturally large smile plastered to my face. "Did you say, my own room?!" I exclaim. She gives me a friendly smile and replies, "Yes, your own room. But we will have to get it ready first, I keep the mattresses and such stored in a closet to keep them if they aren't being used, so we will have to-" She was cut-off as I lunged forward and hugged her tight as I dare. "Thakyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" I almost scream as I hold her tightly, "Twilight, you are the BEST!" "Dream... Strider..." I hear her gasp. I let her out of my embrace, and she instantly gasps for air, "Heh, right... sorry." She composes herself and lets out a smile, "It's fine." "Lets setup your bedroom then." She says. I get up with that smile still plastered on my face as we make our way to the cupboard, and I see a couple of mattresses, three pillows, and two duvets. Twilight picks up a mattress with her magic and says, "Could you grab that duvet and a pillow?" "Sure." I say, that smile still straining my face. I levitate a duvet, level it out, and lace a pillow on top of it and follow Twilight over to my new room. She giggles as she looks behind her to see me hovering the mattress and pillow behind her. "I guess I still have to get used to having another Alicorn around." Her gaze turns back to the door we are standing in front of, "This is your room." She swung open the door, and a relatively small room with not much in it was present. There was a bed frame made out of a fine wood, a bedside table covered in dust, a wardrobe similarly covered in dust, and a curtained window dear the bed. "Sorry for the condition of the room, but I don't tend to have anypony over that often, and even less often use this room." I look around with my smile softened, but still apparent, taking in my new residence. "Twilight, this is perfect!" I exclaim, "Its just like my old room, except slightly larger, and made of wood. "And much nicer." "I'm glad you like it." She says, "Help me put together the bed would you?" I nod vigorously and take one end of the mattress, and guide it in while Twilight is levitating it into the bed. I take levitate the pillow over to the bed and place it down, followed by the sheets which I carefully straightened out to look nice and placed down. "The place is still a little dusty..." I say, and before Twilight has time to answer, I begin to collect all the dust in the room into a big ball, hovering in the middle, and then proceed to open the window in my room and chuck the dust out, releasing my magical field, and spreading the dust to the winds. I look back to see a Twilight standing there with her jaw wide open. "That was incredible!" She blurted out. "Twilight? Did you hit your head or something because that wasn't very impressive." I say with a raised eyebrow. Now she looked at me with a confused look, "You picked up individual particles and levitated them into one central area. How that is not impressive I have no idea." "Individual particles?" I said with a grin on my face, then began to start laughing. "No, no, no Twilight! Think more practical like, I didn't levitate separate specks of dust, I flooded them all with a magical field the same consistency as water, therefore containing them all, and therefore able to gather them all with little to no effort!" Twilight's face turned from one of confusion, to one of understanding, and then gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, of course. How silly of me." She said in an embarrassed tone. I stopped laughing and turned to her, "I thought that you, of all ponies, would have figured that out at first sight." She was starting to look severely embarrassed at this point, so I decided to stop with the teasing. I walked up to get and gave her a light, but friendly hug. She didn't know what to do for a few moments, but eventually returned the hug. When we exited the embrace, she looked at me with a happy face, but not a sappy, teary-eyed one you get in movies. "I was just teasing Twilight." I say reassuringly, "I would never insult you, or anypony, in that manner. Ever." "It's fine." She said, "I never would have taken it that way anyway." I fully recompose myself from the hug. "Friends?" I ask. "Weren't we already?" She says with a smile. I return that smile, "Thanks again Twilight for that bedroom, I didn't think I would fit in so easily and quickly here." "Just know that your friends will always be there for you." I smile again, "I learned that from you a long time ago Twilight, and it has helped in more ways than you could imagine." She gives a blush and looks cutely away from my gaze. "Why does she have to be so damn cute?" I think to myself as I walk into my room and flip the light switch. "Mind if I take that nap now?" I ask Twilight, still a little flustered at my compliment. "Of course, I'll be here if you need me." she says with a land-lady's smile. I smile and make my way to the bed, and tuck myself under the sheets. "Hello my old friend." I think as I close my eyes to go to sleep. 'I made it... I made it to Equestria...' Was my last thought before the darkness of sleep enveloped me.