//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: To Live Another Life // by Brony2893 //------------------------------// ”Twilight! You broke a Pinkie Promise!” In all my years of life… of daydreams, musings, wild thoughts, and dreams of fantasy worlds beyond most people’s imaginations… I never thought I would be in a tree-house, while my purple unicorn friend was being pinned to the floor by some lunatic, pink pony. But there I was, watching this crazed mare with poofy hair who literally blew a wooden door into confetti, and I could only watch, dumbstruck. Twilight seemed to have finally shaken off her shock, and quickly stared daggers at the pink pony on top of her. “What are you doing!? Get off me!” Twilight growled to the intruder, whom had yet to notice me staring from across the room. The pink pony was glaring daggers back at Twilight, not showing any signs of getting off of her. There was a certain look in those blue eyes that disturbed me. I had the feeling she was going to hurt Twilight. And something in me snapped. “Get off Twilight now!” I shouted before even realizing what I’d planned. The pink intruder only had enough time to flick her ears in my direction before I charged. With as much strength as I could muster in my new body, I ran up and shoved the strange pony away, turning to my side so as to not impale the intruder with my horn. “Edward! What’re you doing?” Twilight asked from behind me as the pink pony got her bearings on the other side of the room. I stood between Twilight and the intruder in a defensive stance with my head low and ready for anything. “Saving you, of course!” I answered with a quick backwards glance to Twilight. She had a mix of emotions on her face I couldn’t decipher. “Hey! What’s the big idea?” The pink pony yelled at me. She was standing now and got closer to me and Twilight, only a few meters away. She looked very displeased at my actions. “Who are you? What’re you do—“ I questioned the strange mare, only to be interrupted by a hoof on my shoulder from behind. I looked to see Twilight standing there, giving me the silent look that she would handle it. “It’s alright, Edward.” Twilight smiled to me and stepped in front of me. I relaxed my stance and silently watched the situation with great curiosity. “This is my friend, Pinkie Pie.” She pointed a hoof at the pink mare, who looked almost as perplexed as I was. Sure doesn’t act like a friend… I thought bitterly with a glance at where the front door once was. “Sorry about that, Pinkie…” Twilight apologized. “But what are you doing here? It’s late.” “Well…” Pinkie Pie paused to take in a large breath of air in a rather exaggerated fashion. “You broke your Pinkie Promise yesterday and Rainbow Dash said you left town, so I stalked the train station waiting for you to get back. I was going to get you then, but I saw you had this guy with you,” She pointed a hoof at me. “When I saw him I thought, ‘who’s that? Is he a friend? I don’t remember Twilight having any other friends except—“ “Pinkie!” Twilight interrupted. One of her hooves was rubbing her temples. “Can you skip to the part where you destroyed my door for the seventh time this year?” She asked, clearly not amused. “Oh. I was following you two to see where you went or if he tried anything funny,” Pinkie paused to give me a short glare, to which I meagerly smiled, uncomfortable. “My cover was blown when he saw me so I left the mission and went to tell the other girls you were back so you could explain why you broke your Pinkie Promise to be at the Wonderbolts show with Rainbow Dash!” She finished, lightly panting for breath as she explained her long-winded reason for doing everything. “Ha! I knew there was somebody following us!” I proudly exclaimed, before blushing and quieting myself as Twilight and Pinkie Pie began to stare at me. “Anyways,” Twilight began, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Yes, Pinkie… I broke the promise. But, I had a good reason.” Pinkie Pie silently reached into her abnormally-poofy mane and pulled out—of all things— a notebook, pencil, and a wooden pipe. “Go on,” she motioned for Twilight to continue. “Wait, didn’t Rainbow Dash tell you why I left?” Twilight questioned. ’Rainbow Dash’? What kind of name is that? I silently mused. “No, she just said that you couldn’t make it and broke the promise,” Pinkie answered, glaring at Twilight while simultaneously writing without looking. “One of these days, Rainbow…” Twilight grumbled as she brought a hoof up to her forehead and rubbed in frustration. “Look, Princess Celestia summoned me to Canterlot for something of utmost importance,” she finished with a nod at me. Pinkie Pie wrote down everything Twilight said, giving me scrutinizing glances every few seconds. “I see,” Pinkie tapped the pencil on her chin in thought for a few moments before continuing. “Why is he important, who is he, and why is he here? Does it have to do with his blank flank?” She pointed to my side, where my cutie mark would be, if I had one. “Sort of...” Twilight started to explain. “You see, he’s—“ "Gee, Twi. You fix'n to put up a new door or something?" A heavily accented voice interrupted. I looked over to the doorway and saw two more ponies walking in. The first was an orange-tan color with a blonde mane and tail bound together with ties. An old-fashioned western hat was on her head. Her emerald eyes stared at me and blinked as she took in the situation. Behind her was another mare with a yellow coat. Her mane and tail were long, but very well kept. They were a pink almost matching that of Pinkie Pie. Lastly, I noticed a pair of wings at her sides which were tucked tightly against her body. The orange earth mare with the cowboy hat seemed pretty neutral, while the yellow pegasus looked terrified and even hid behind her mane and the orange mare, using each like a shield. “Oh! Hey, Applejack.” Twilight greeted the orange and yellow mares. “What are you two doing here?” “Pinkie came an’ got us all in a hurry, sayin’ somethin’ ‘bout y’all bein’ back,” the one known as Applejack informed. She and the yellow pegasus behind her came further into the room, stopping in between Pinkie and Twilight. “Who’s this fella?” She casually asked Twilight, giving me a polite smile. In this time Pinkie Pie had stopped writing in her notebook and silently watched me with a piercing glare. “This is Edward, he’s going to be staying here for a while,” Twilight informed. “Well Ah’ll be...” Applejack turned to me and took a few steps forward, leaving the cowering pegasus to hide behind Pinkie Pie. “Don’t mind her none, she just gets a lil’ shy ‘round new folks, ‘specially stallions. Pleased to meet ya, name’s Applejack.” She held out a hoof in front of me. I blinked and looked between Applejack, her hoof, and Twilight, unsure of what to do. Hoping my intuition was right, I extended a hoof and awkwardly shook hers. I had my hoof shaken incredibly hard and I could’ve sworn this crazy pony was trying to dismember me, though I tried to hold my smile as the limb-breaking shake finished. I was going to say a greeting, but was understandably distracted. “He’s not much of a talker, is he?” Applejack chuckled to Twilight and took a step back. “This is all pretty new to him, I’m sure he’ll open up more after a day or two,” Twilight hit the nail right on the head with that one. Were I a human and back on Earth, I’d be a little more social, but this place was—quite literally—a whole other world. “Makes sense Ah suppose.” Applejack shrugged to herself. Pinkie had been watching me like a hawk and was back to writing in her notebook. “What’s her name?” I asked with my head craned to get a better look at the yellow pegasus hiding behind Pinkie Pie. I took a few steps forward and planned to greet her the same way Applejack had done for me. “That’s Fluttershy, and as I’m sure you figured out, she’s a bit uncomfortable meeting new ponies,” Twilight explained from behind me. Every time I tried to look around Pinkie, Fluttershy skirted around the other side. “Don’t be a meany rude-pants, Fluttershy!” Pinkie chided and jumped to her hooves, leaving Fluttershy without a body to hide behind. I barely saw her turquoise eyes before she buried her head in her hooves. “It’s alright, Fluttershy, I won’t let him hurt you,” Pinkie soothed and patted the shaking mare’s back... whilst giving me a glare sending the message perfectly clear to not try anything. Fluttershy peeked at me just enough to see what I was doing I slowly extended my hoof toward the cowering pegasus and waited for her to return the greeting. Fluttershy hesitantly released a shaking foreleg and brought it up towards my own. Just as her hoof made contact with mine, it withdrew faster than I thought possible. “Hi—I'm—Fluttershy—nice—to—meet—you!” The timid mare squeaked out in rapid succession. Fluttershy was still shaking like an improperly balanced washing machine. I took a step back and Pinkie came back over to calm the poor pegasus. I shrugged it off and returned to the other side of the room by Twilight and Applejack. The library was silent for a few tense moments as nobody was quite sure what to say. “So back to why we‘re here...” Applejack broke the silence. She gave me a cursory glance before looking back to Twilight. “What’s Edward here for? An’ why’s it Ah had Pinkie here wake me up in the middle of the night an’ get Fluttershy?” Applejack’s tone was a mix of tiredness and some definite frustration. “I’m sorry, Applejack. I know you like to be asleep by now.” Twilight stopped herself and thought for a moment. “Why aren’t Rarity or Rainbow Dash here?” She looked between Pinkie—who had been comforting Fluttershy—and Applejack. “Rarity was busy with Spike ‘n Sweetie Belle an’ said she might not make it tonight,” Applejack replied. “Ah’m not sure about Rainbow, she—” “Rainbow Dash was sleeping when I went by her house and said she was tired!” Pinkie interrupted Applejack, who gave the pink pony an unamused look. “Like Ah was sayin’, she might not make it.” Applejack continued. She gave me a look that seemed like she was trying to figure me out. “So, ‘bout this Edward fella, Ah was wonderin’—” “Let me stop you right there, Applejack,” Twilight quickly cut her off. She closed her eyes and held a hoof out in what seemed restrained frustration. “Look, it is very late, I am very hungry and I think this can all wait till tomorrow.” “Aww, but I really wanted to know!” Pinkie Pie whined and ran up to Twilight with pleading eyes. “Please—” “Come on, Pinkie,” Applejack rolled her eyes and grabbed the pink pony’s tail in her mouth and gently dragged her back. “Twilight’s right, this can wait ‘til the mornin’.” “But....but I—it’s my job to get to know new ponies right away!” Pinkie tried to crawl her way over but was held steady by her tail still being held in Applejack's mouth. That must take a lot of strength to hold Pinkie Pie down... but that doesn’t seem very sanitary, holding her tail like that. I thought to myself as I watched the situation unfold. I decided to finally open my mouth instead of standing around like a cardboard cutout. “Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.” I gave her my best smile. In all honesty, I was only saying that so she’d calm down. I didn’t want her exploding my door trying to see me. Fluttershy had seemed to calm down and decided now was a good time to speak up. “Um, I agree with Twilight. It’s late and my animals will wonder where I am.” She had a very light, barely-audible voice. Fluttershy still wouldn’t make eye contact with me though. “Fine...” Pinkie sighed and flopped on the floor. She looked back to Applejack. “You can let go of me now, AJ.” “Y’all promise to behave yourself?” The cowpony asked, receiving a quick nod from the pink mare. Applejack released Pinkie’s tail and adjusted her hat. She slowly blinked and yawned, covering her mouth with a foreleg. “Anywho, Ah’m headin’ back to the farm. It’s mighty late. We’ll all catch up tomorrow, deal?” “Very well then,” Twilight cleared her throat. “We can meet tomorrow at our usual restaurant for lunch, and I’ll explain everything. “Oh—oh—oh! Can I get there early and bring sweets from Sugarcube Corner!?” Pinkie was literally bouncing beyond what seemed possible. “Sure, why not.” Twilight rolled her eyes in obvious frustration. “Can one of you tell Rainbow Dash and Rarity the plan for tomorrow on your way home?” She looked between her friends, waiting for a response. “I guess I can fly up and tell Rainbow before going home...” Fluttershy whispered and continued to hide most of her face behind her mane. I really wondered how shy she really was, or if she’d ever open up. “An’ Ah’ll head by Rarity’s on mah way to the farm, let her know what’s up,” Applejack tipped her hat and smiled behind her tired eyes. “Come on girls, let’s leave Edward and Twilight alone, Ah’m sure they’re tired too.” Fluttershy simply nodded and was the first to leave. She made her way to the door, looking back and forth between me and Twilight for a moment before slipping outside and away from my view. “Was nice meetin’ ya, Edward. Twilight,” Applejack tipped her hat and made for the door. “Come on, Pinkie, let’s go.” She called out over her shoulder, pausing to ensure the pink pony was in fact following. Pinkie Pie followed a few steps behind Applejack. As soon as the cowpony was outside however, Pinkie turned back to us and was instantly in Twilight’s face. “Don’t think I forget about the Pinkie Promise, Twilight...” She glared. “I’ve got my eye on you... and you too mister!” She moved her face over to mine, annoyingly close. She didn’t even blink as she walked backwards out of the library, and disappeared into the night. I blinked and let my racing heart calm down before I dared move. “You certainly have some... interesting companions there, Twilight.” I turned to her with a raised eyebrow.. “Just wait until you meet Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Spike.” She gave me a slight smirk before walking over to the wreckage that used to be her front door. “What are they like?” I asked after a moment to play the names over in my mind a few times. “You’ll see tomorrow when we meet them for lunch,” Twilight replied, thoughtfully looking over the mass of splinters and confetti littered around. “What are you doing?” I asked, walking over to see what was so interesting. “Oh? You’ll see...” She motioned for me to back up. I did as she instructed and gave her a quizzical look and a shrug, waiting for something to happen. Twilight smiled and lit her horn. In seconds, all the pieces of wood and confetti floated between us, each in its own magical cocoon. All the splinters and confetti met in a single point, and in a blinding flash... there in front of me was a door. “That was amazing!” I exclaimed as Twilight slid the door back on its hinges. “Oh, it was nothing,” She paused to give the door a final inspecting glance. “... just a little something I learned early on living here, especially useful with Pinkie around.” Twilight turned and gave me a slight smile. I opened my mouth to say something, but she spoke up before I could get my voice out. “Come on, lets see what the princesses did to my basement—I mean, your room.” <><><><><><><><><><> “Wow, the princesses certainly spared no expense in making you comfortable.” Twilight was in awe as she prodded the soft covers of my bed. The covers were a bright, royal red with gold designs stitched across the surface. I was laying on top of the covers on my back, reveling in the comfort of the luxurious furniture. The bed wasn’t the only thing I had. Around the part of the basement I considered my room was a simple dresser, a nightstand, a fine desk stocked with everything I would ever need, and Twilight even noted a new bookcase. “Remind me to thank the princesses next time I see them...” I contently moaned. “This bed is huge! Two of me could easily fit in it!” “I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous,” Twilight said. I sat up and looked to her. “This is better than my bed even...” she rubbed the top of the bedspread and sat on the very edge, looking down to her hooves with an expression I couldn’t quite read, but something seemed off. “Twilight?” I asked to get her attention from across the bed. “Is everything alright?” “What? Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just... Do you ever get the feeling that...” she stopped and bit her lip in thought. “Nevermind, I’m just tired and probably over-thinking things,” Twilight slid off the bed and let out a short yawn. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, but I figured it could wait until the morning. “You heading off to bed then?” I asked with a nod to the stairs leading to the main room. “I was going to grab something quick to eat first.” Twilight replied. “Did you want anything?” “No thanks.” I shook my head “I’m just gonna lie down and think... maybe try picking up a quill or something light with magic.” Twilight stiffened up and stood straight up as if something bit her from behind. Her eyes darted around the room in a blur, likely taking stock of anything and everything I might accidentally destroy. “Well... alright,” Twilight bit her lip. “Just be careful, and remember to pace yourself.” “Will do.” I gave her my best smile. Twilight turned to leave, hesitated, then finally turned toward the stairs. “Well, goodnight, Edward.” “Just ‘Ed' is fine, thanks.” Twilight gave me a tired smile and a nod. With a final look, she ascended the last few stairs and closed the basement door behind her. I looked around the basement a few times as the silence set in. With one last look at the door at the top of the stairs, I turned and jumped into my bed. I was finally alone, and it felt terrific. Sure, I may have had that whole hospital room to myself, but I had doctors and other ponies coming and going all the time, not to mention an uncomfortable atmosphere. But here? Here I had some privacy, someplace to call my own. Someplace to call home while I wasn’t really home. And last but not least, the most comfortable, relaxing bed I’d ever been in. I squirmed my way under the covers, stretching and retracting my limbs out of both comfort, and stretching muscles I wasn’t used to. I felt many pops and groans in my legs, and each one felt like a small massage. I turned over and spied a stack of parchment on my desk nearby. With the small bit of confidence I had left for that day, I fed energy into my horn. I remembered Twilight’s advice, keeping my eyes open and focused on my objective. I kept my breathing steady and reached out to the paper. The paper was slowly enveloped in my magical aura, and despite my best efforts... it wouldn’t budge. With a frustrated huff, I got out of bed and decided to blow out the numerous candles spread around the basement. It was then I started to wonder if the candles themselves were magical, considering how much light each one put out. I blew out each small flame around the room, leaving the one on my nightstand lit. I briefly considered trying to light a candle the same way Twilight did with her magic, but quickly dismissed in on account of not wanting to burn my host’s home, and business to the ground. I made my way back into my bed and quickly found a comfortable position on my back. I looked up to the ceiling, wondering how Twilight must feel having an almost complete stranger in her home. My encounter with Twilight’s friends was playing over in my mind. The ones I already met left a real impression, to say the least. I have to admit, I was almost eager to meet this ‘Rainbow Dash’ and ‘Rarity’. I played the name ‘Spike’ over in my mind, but it didn’t seem like much of a pony name to me. “Then again, all the ponies here have weird names. Heh, shows what I know.” I weakly chuckled to myself before turning on my side and blowing out the final candle. The room quickly grew dark and as I closed my eyes I wished for a night of rest that didn’t end in a nightmare. Boy was I wrong.