Edger shivered as he tightened the scarf around his neck. It was autumn, and while it would be warmer in Ponyville, he was glad he decided to bring the scarf along with him while he waited for the train to arrive in Manehatten. Here, the leaves had already begun to fall, leaving behind empty brown branches. Edger considered them as his eyes traced each branch as they twisted upward toward the sky. Celestia’s sun had just broken over the horizon, and the pocket watch he kept with him ticked seven o’clock. The train would be arriving in fifteen minutes. Edger looked around the platform; there was nopony there. But Edger knew that the first train that would come in would carry within it numerous ponies that commuted to Manehatten each day. Sometimes, he would sit in public just so he could watch the different ponies interact with each other, to get a feel for their dialogue. Their speech patterns, their inflections, and their body language – each of these things fascinated Edger. Unfortunately, it was only him on this cement platform as he waited for the train to arrive. The trains always left the Canterlot hub station early in the morning, arrived to their destinations, and then returned to Canterlot in the evening. Edger heard the sound of the Manehatten clock tower ring; each bell clang echoed through the air, the waves of sound bounced through the streets, the language they spoke, unintelligible yet stern. They rang with the finality of a judgment.
The sound of flapping wings woke Edger from his reverie, and he turned to see Twilight Sparkle as she stepped onto the platform, her wings ruffling back and forth as she climbed each step.
“Are you still getting used to your wings, Miss Twilight?” Edger asked.
“It’s just the little things that annoy me, really.” Twilight Sparkle replied, “Flying turned out to be pretty easy, but it’s the whole walking around while keeping them attached to my sides that’s tedious.”
“That and the occasional accidentally slapping me in the face part.” Rarity added from behind Twilight.
Edger looked behind Twilight to see Rarity and what must have been fifteen suitcases, all surrounded by her aura. Edger chuckled to himself and looked down at the small bag he had next to him.
“Oh Edger, darling, do your pants always have to be so large on you?” Rarity asked.
“I like them that way.” Edger replied, “They help me move easily.”
“Well,” Rarity continued, “At least let me design a pair of slacks for you, please. I’ve been inspired to design a line of coltware pants, and I would feel honored if you could model some for me.”
“No, I’m fine, Miss Rarity.” Edger replied as he tapped a hoof on the platform, “I don’t want you going through that trouble.”
“Nonsense.” Rarity said, “You don’t even have to model them for me, if it makes you uncomfortable. But I would like to make one design for you, oh, and a wonderful black vest to match, and a hat to complete the ensemble.”
Edger looked over to Twilight Sparkle, who simply shrugged her shoulders.
“Very well, Miss Rarity. I suppose so, given your history of fashion, and if Fancypants has a good opinion of your work, then I guess I’ll have to give you a try, too.”
“Oh, you know Fancypants?” Rarity asked.
“Not too well, I’m afraid, but I did see him at one of my readings.”
“And what did he have to say about the reading?”
“Well, I could tell that he was uncomfortable with it, but he’s really a nice stallion, so he shrugged his shoulders, smiled to everyone else in the audience, and said ‘I, for one, find it-”
“Charmingly rustic?” Twilight and Rarity asked in unison.
“Yes, that is what he said. How did you two know that?”
“I get the feeling that ‘charmingly rustic’ is his comment for anything that makes him uncomfortable.” Rarity replied.
“Fortunately,” Edger continued, “None of the other ponies could read his expression, and they all jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak.”
“Well then, I can’t wait to see what you think about what I have in store for you.”
“I’m sure it will be charmingly rustic.”
“Just you wait and see, my little stallion.” Rarity replied.
Something shuffled behind Rarity, and Edger looked back further to see Fluttershy approach the station. The moment he saw her, Edger knew that Fluttershy had read the last part of the story. Her eyes were red, as though she had been crying. Some of the feathers in her wings stuck out as odd angles; Fluttershy hadn’t thought to preen herself this morning. Fluttershy looked at him for a moment and then turned her head away.
“Miss Fluttershy,” Edger asked, “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine, Mr. Poeny.” Fluttershy replied quickly, “I just get bad allergies when I leave Ponyville.”
Edger nodded, knowing from her hunched shoulders and her turned head that she was not telling the truth and that she was uncomfortable near him. Edger turned to Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, who had moved over to the side of the platform where the train would arrive. A few more ponies had arrived as well, but they remained on the other side of the platform.
“So,” Edger said, “Do we have a plan for the reading?”
“I’ve already corresponded with Mayor Mare last night and she thought it was a wonderful idea. She felt it best to give you a day or two to get the feel of the town and get to know some of the ponies, so she was thinking of you performing the reading the evening of the day after tomorrow, which would be a Tuesday.”
A train whistle blew, and moments later the train pulled into the station. Edger watched as the doors opened and ponies rushed out of it. He glanced from face to face as they each exited the train. The colors of each pony were different, as were the shapes of the eyes, but the mouths and the eyes themselves were all the same. Their mouths were emotionless, and Their eyes carried in them a cool indifference as they stared forward to their final destination.
“What were you thinking about, Edger?” Rarity asked.
“A sea of faces, blank as the waves. The blankness is their judgment. Their judgment floods the city.”
Twilight Sparkle and Rarity turned to each other and then back to Edger.
“Was that a part of a poem?”
“No, that’s just how my mind works. Come on, let’s get settled.” Edger turned to Fluttershy. “May I help you with your bag?”
Fluttershy turned to him and moved to the door.
“No thank you, Mr. Poeny, I can manage.”
Fluttershy immediately entered the train, followed by Twilight Sparkle. Rarity and Edger stayed on the platform for a moment, and then Edger turned to Rarity to help her with her bags. A light blue aura surrounded half of the suitcases, and a purple aura surrounded the others.
“Fluttershy is just really shy, as her name suggests.” Rarity said.
“I know she finished my story.” Edger replied, “And I know that whatever it did to her, it has made her not really fond of me at the moment.”
“Oh just give her time. She likes everypony after she gets over her nervousness.”
As they made their way onto the train, Twilight Sparkle waved them over to a corner cabin. Fluttershy sat at one of the window seats and stared out towards Neighagra Falls in the distance. Edger immediately took a seat next to Twilight Sparkle, leaving the empty seat next to Fluttershy for Rarity. After only a few moments, the train had started up again and started its way towards Ponyville.
“So Edger,” Twilight Sparkle said, “What are your friends in Manehatten like?”
“Friends?” Edger asked.
“Yes, darling,” Rarity replied, “Any mare friends… or colt friends?”
“No… nopony like that.” Edger chuckled. “When you move to a place like Manehatten as an adult, it’s difficult to obtain friends. Besides, I prefer observing ponies to interacting with them. I do have my agent, Script, but he’s more of an acquaintance, really.”
“Well, who knows, maybe one of the stallions in Ponyville may strike your fancy.” Rarity said, “After I put you in the outfit I have in mind, I would be surprised if you weren’t beating off the stallions left and right.”
“You certainly do have a way with words, don’t you, Miss Rarity?” Edger said, not wanting to point out the double entendre, “Please, excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
Twilight Sparkle and Rarity nodded as Edger stood up and made his way down through the carts. When he was out of sight, Rarity turned to Twilight Sparkle with a smile on her face.
“Rarity, no.”
“What?” Rarity asked.
“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not a good idea. He’s not interested in having any special somepony at the moment.”
“But who knows?” Rarity replied, “Lightning may strike. Why, he’s just the sensitive, brooding type. He was probably really shy as a colt, which is why he doesn’t feel like he could be with another stallion. What if he’s a virgin, just waiting for some more experienced, handy small-town stallion to show him the way out of his shell?”
Twilight Sparkle watched with curiosity, and then a twinge of fear, as Rarity’s face slowly reddened as she continued with her description.
“I bet he’s just secretly desiring for some big stallion to come and sweep him right off his hooves. Oh Edger will probably play coy for a bit, as a protective measure, of course. But then the big lug of a stallion will do something goofy and dramatic to show him how much he cares for him.”
“Rarity…” Twilight Sparkle began.
“And then Edger will want to say how much he cares for him, but because Edger’s so artsy and sensitive, the big idiot stallion will completely misread the message and then become upset, leaving our poor Edger wondering what to do next. He’ll do the only thing he can think of.”
“Rarity…” Twilight Sparkle repeated, louder this time.
“He’ll finally become impulsive for once. He’ll run up to that big lug of a stallion and he’ll press his softer, more delicate city stallion lips to the other’s rough, sun baked lips. And he’ll throw his chest into that big lug’s, and that big old idiot lug of a stallion with wrap his hooves around him, and then throw him down onto the hayloft, and they’ll moan in ecstasy and-”
“Rarity!” Twilight Sparkle yelled.
“What!” Rarity exclaimed.
“You’re banned from checking out anymore romance novels in my library.” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“Well then,” Rarity said as the flush left her cheeks, “Fluttershy, what do you think?”
“I don’t think you should try to set him up with anypony, Rarity.” Fluttershy whispered.
“Why in heaven’s not?”
“He has a cruel mind.”
“Fluttershy, it was just a story.”
“Did you finish it?”
“Well, no, but-”
Fluttershy dove into her saddlebag, pulled out the book, and gave it to Rarity.
“The part where he left off begins on page one hundred thirty-seven. It’s one of the last stories.”
*****
Edger shut the door to the lavatory and latched it shut. The train began to wobble back and forth, sending Edger into the wall. The lavatory was white, and all of the surfaces shone off of each other to the point where Edger almost couldn't tell where the main light source came from. He sat in the corner for a moment and tried to regain his bearings. His breathing was short, and his heart pounded. Finally, he levitated from the two pockets of his pants a small bottle from one and a small flask from the other. Seven-thirty in the morning and I already want a drink, Edger thought as he opened both containers. He tilted the bottle until a small pink pill landed on his hoof. He took the pill with a small swig of his drink.
“My special somepony is named Grey Moose Vodka.” Edger laughed to himself at his corny joke.
Suddenly, the train jolted and the lights flickered. Edger stood quickly and started to run toward the door. He fumbled with the latch with his hoof, but when that didn’t work, he tried it with his magic. The door wouldn’t unlatch no matter how much effort he put into his magic.
“Please, please,” Edger pleaded as his pulse raced, “Celestia, Luna… anypony… please... not here.”
Edger struggled with the latch for another moment before taking a step back. The lavatory light still flickered, and each time it came back on, the light reflected off of everything in the room, until Edger couldn’t even stand straight. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing.
“It’s just another hallucination, Edger. You are going to walk up to the door and unlatch it. It’s just a latch. It was probably magnetized or something.”
Edger slowly made his way back to the door, but before he could touch it, he caught his reflection in the mirror. Or what was supposed to be his reflection. When he turned to the mirror, he saw that the stallion that stood before him had no facial features. But each time he moved, the image moved with him. Hallucination, it’s just a hallucination. A sound echoed off of the walls of the lavatory, and it took a while for Edger to catch the words, but finally he began to hear it. The whispers echoed one after the other.
A sea of faces blank as waves… a sea of faces blank as waves…
“Stop it!” Edger shouted, covering his ears. “Stop it!”
The walls rattled around him and even seemed to bend with his every movement. Edger fell to the floor as the rattling moved from the walls to the door. Edger looked ahead and waited for whatever it was on the other side of the door to come through.
“Please, just stop…”
A black aura surrounded the door and the latch, and Edger held his breath as the latch slowly came undone. The door flung open and Edger lowered himself to the floor as best he could.
“Sir,” a low voice called out, “Are you all right?”
Edger looked up to see a unicorn with black fur with a concerned look on his face. The small amount of white mane he had on his head was mostly covered by a conductor’s hat. Edger’s legs wobbled as he struggled to stand once more.
“Sorry,” Edger said, “I just get panicky in small spaces, and the door was stuck.”
“Ah, my daughter gets claustrophobic, too.” The conductor said. “Do you need any help finding your seat?”
“No!” Edger said too loudly, “I can find my seat on my own.”
Edger quickly moved past the conductor and made his way back to the three mares he was with. As he made his way, he could see Fluttershy as she looked out towards Neighagra Falls. Soon, they would be passing Foal Mountain, and then they would switch trains at Canterlot to Ponyville. He wasn’t sure what he could possibly say to Fluttershy to make her not feel as hurt as she did. Maybe reading some poetry would help her see that he wasn’t the monster she obviously thought he was. Edger finally got back to his seat, only to find Twilight Sparkle nose first in his book.
“Oh, I see Miss Fluttershy shared the book I gave her.”
“Yes, dear,” Rarity replied, “Twilight is just finishing it as we speak. You were gone quite a while.”
“Oh, I just went for a little walk. I woke up early this morning, so I just wanted to make sure my hooves were stretched.”
“I see. Well, I did find the story to be quite dark. There was no resolution in it; it was just that this horrible thing happened to him, for no other reason than him being with that Forge stallion. It just seems so barbaric.”
“That’s how horror sometimes works, Miss Rarity.” Edger explained, “With horror, things just happen to ponies, sometimes without proper explanation. When that happens, the reader is left to wonder 'if something like that can happen to this pony for no reason, can something happen to me, too'?”
“The anatomical detail in this conclusion is pretty, well, detailed, Edger,” Twilight Sparkle commented as she closed the book, “When you write, how much time is spent studying these things?”
“A good writer wants to know as much about his subject matter before attempting to write. I felt that those details added to the gruesomeness of the story.”
The questions continued on for a while, and Edger was comfortable once again as the two mares confronted him with questions he was used to. He answered Twilight Sparkle and Rarity’s questions with practiced ease. What is it like being a writer? Where does the inspiration come from? The answers always came with a practiced sincerity. Writing is like letting one’s soul be seen. Inspiration comes from everything – dreams, nightmares, they both contribute.
“But if writing is letting one’s soul be seen,” Fluttershy asked, “Why are we seeing this story?”
Edger looked over to Fluttershy, who still hadn’t even turned from the window to face him. Instead, she moved her attention to the city of Canterlot that rested at the top of the mountain. Edger thought for another moment, and his mind went to the small book of poetry that nopony wanted to read, and then to the small blue book that Twilight Sparkle held in her hooves that had people clamoring for more. Which is the writer that ponies want me to be? Edger thought as the train began to enter the tunnels beneath Canterlot.
“I do have other things that I have written, Miss Fluttershy. They aren’t all gruesome like this one.”
“But why is it this story that you’re using to make yourself famous?”
Edger turned back to the aisle and watched as window by window turned to dark as it continued through the tunnel. The darkness wrapped like rings through the seats, and the ponies disappeared, one by one, until finally, their own train car entered the tunnel and everything turned to black.
“I wish I knew, Miss Fluttershy. I wish I knew.”