//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Her Bright Smile // by reyin poetic //------------------------------// Surprisingly, I got back to what is still my house without issue. Even more surprising is that the party was gone, as though she had never flooded my home with ponies in the first place. The most surprising thing of all, actually, is that she's still around. I would have thought by now she'd have gotten so uncomfortable that she'd give up trying to enjoy herself around me. All things in time... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ She's been visiting me every day for two weeks after the unnecessary parties. I'm not sure what exactly she comes to my house for, but she spends most of the time talking at me about her day. If nothing else, it gives me a reason to clean up the house... She's asking me why I don't get out of the house? That's a stupid question... Nowhere to go except work and the market, and that's just so I don't starve to death. Plenty of better ways to die. And I don't have any friends to visit, either. Why she would think I'd have any to begin with is beyond me. ... She wants me to come on a picnic with her and her friends? Why would she want me to ruin an outing with her friends? And for that matter, why is she wasting time here when she could be with friends? \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Knock It's my day off, and I actually was having a dreamless sleep for once. Figures it would be interrupted. It's her. She's actually going to take me to that picnic. I get the feeling I should just give up sleep completely with her dropping in all the time. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I didn't know the Ponyville Park was this nice... Not that I've ever had reason to come here. Pinkie's friends have to be somewhere around white here. one of them That pony... she's unnerving... She doesn't look familiar, though. run I force myself not to run screaming. I'd know soon enough if they were going to take me back. Besides, I should trust Pinkie. If I trust her she'll betray me sooner. Get it over and done with. Oh. She was introducing them to me. And I missed every single one of their names. That's going to work out swimmingly. She... she's asking me to introduce myself. As if letting my name out to my boss wasn't enough. Wait a sec, isn't that my boss laying in the tree above them? ...And she saw me. Brilliant. Great, even more attention focused on me. Well, at least she told them my name and job, so they know everything of interest about me, and I don't have to say anything. ... Nice try. Should have known it couldn't be that easy. Where am I from? Canterlot. The scary one is interested. She knows. She's one of them. What's my family like? I don't have one. They all seem bothered by that. What does my cutie mark mean? One of them recognizes it as my namesake. I can't answer them. Eventually they give up on getting an answer from me. Another several ponies disappointed with my existence. I'm not the only one. They ask Pinkie about how she knows me. A couple of them remembered hearing about the psychotic jerk who ruined two of Pinkie's parties. The scary one said it was almost a punishable offense. I believe her. I hear footsteps in the distance. RUN It's a small lizard brandishing a scroll. That's new. Apparently it's for the less scary unicorn. Something about a teacher visiting, nothing that concerns me. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Unless, of course, if Pinkie drags me along for this, too. Apparently this teacher is someone I can't miss out on meeting. Reasonably sure they could miss out on me, though. We seem to be headed for a tree. The library, if I remember right. Needs slightly more rainfall than the rest of the town. Now I know why. What's intriguing is the fact that the building is hollowed out, but still alive. It even has a doorway... no no no why she betrayed me all of itTHEY SEE ME she wanted me to stayshe wanted to catch me why do all this to catch me?breakyoubreakyouBREAKYOU did you hope? Hope is for breaking idiot scum worthless worthlessworthless they know you're WORTHLESS curl up and wait it out give in to the pain and you'll learn your lesson just die and make the world a better place CRACKcripple SKELCHugly SNAPweak SCRAPEworthless whymewhymewhywon'tidie they're just watching watching me cry laughinglaughter CRY FOR ME YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH there's another nononononononononononono she can't be here why is she here is she here to kill me? no if she wanted me dead i'd be dead she's taking me back what did i forget i am disobedient i am worthless i am HUTCH \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I'm on something... soft... That worries me more than anything else... The last thing I saw before passing out was... oh no. I have to find a way to run, but there's something in my way. White and gold walls. Familiar walls. Someone yells, and another voice answers quietly. ...I'm back there. These are the same walls, the same ponies as before. I am 'home'. They took me back. Another pony comes forward. She is like the others, but is even more foreboding, intimidating. She looks down at me. Celestia. Celestia, the most beloved pony in all or Equestria, looking upon me again. Like before. I'm faintly aware of speaking. Lies. Slander. Truths. All like before. All like before. I can't hear over the sound of a howling winter wind taking over my ears as I wither under her gaze. Celestia. The pony who ordered I be corrected.