Everharted

by Camlio


Chapter 7: Attempting a nightlife

"You should convene with your wards whenever possible, for the growth of your bonds increases the vessel's strength. At least, when the vessel is in a world not under the threat of a Malicious." - Lesson on the Vessel by the creator

Your eyes begin to open to the now familiar shapes of the library's basement. You're awakening doesn't go unnoticed. Within moments of you leaving the chair, you’re set upon by the lavender librarian who you recently learned was your ward. She apparently had been crying due to the puffy rings around her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Was all you could think to ask. Although, you felt as if you made some mistake when she began to tear up again. Only adding to your confusion was the fact that you were soon pulled into a hug as the unicorn sobbed into your shirt.

"Am I okay?! What about you? You go and pass out right after helping me earlier... you, you,... I-I don't know a good enough word to summarize how I feel about you right now but..." She continued to cry into your shirt. It was obvious now, that your fall into unconsciousness the day before had weighed heavily on her mind.

You wrap your arms around her and sit down so she'd be more comfortable. "I'm fine, I just merely overtaxed my abilities and required time to rest. Please don't worry. As long as I'm keeping you safe, I can do whatever it takes." You say with a soft smile, though your mind was slightly reeling.

"Did I really say that? It was like my mouth was on autopilot." The thought ran through your mind as you continued to console the unicorn. Judging from the lack of sobbing and the addition of weight, you could tell she must have cried herself to sleep. A quick check of her face confirms your theory. Gently, you applied your hovering ability and levitated the unicorn to her bed in the upstairs loft.

The sight of the moon high in the sky as well as the sleeping form of Twilight's assistant, Spike, cued you that it was the middle of the night. So you decided to gently tuck your charge into bed and then go explore for a bit. The change in light was a key to revealing things you hadn't seen before.


Fifteen minutes and an awkward kiss on the forehead of a sleepy purple unicorn later, you were now in the town square. Surprisingly, there were still a few ponies out and about, though they all seemed to be heading to one location. A building that was close to the center of town with rather loud music being blasted from within.

As you walked closer to the building, you were tackled to the ground by two ponies. A mint green unicorn and Pinkie Pie. The unicorn's horn had a faint golden glow around it, and this glow was tied to something in your pocket.

"So, I found him for you... mind telling me why again Pinkie?" The unicorn asked in a tone that implied annoyance and a desire to be in bed rather than walking around.

"Well, I was hoping to find him because I never got to say hi and introduce myself yesterday or earlier today." Pinkie said like it was the most obvious thing ever. "So I asked you to track this piece of paper I slipped in his pocket. And in return, you got this coupon for two free desserts from Sugarcube Corner. Remember now Lyra?"

A nod from Lyra confirmed her remembering. "You're lucky I have a sweet tooth and that this would make going on a date easier." She said levitating the coupons away from Pinkie. "Take care Pinkie, I'm gonna head home and then straight to bed." And with that, she was gone.

You however, were still being held by Pinkie who was simply staring at you as if waiting for something. This uncomfortable staring and silence went on for several minutes until Pinkie blinked.

"Oh you're really good at that. I can't remember the last time I lost a staring contest." Pinkie said with a giggle, as if it was obvious that you'd entered into a staring contest.

"Um... right... thanks for that. But, can I ask why you're holding me down in the middle of the street?" You ask as Pinkie steps off you.

"Oh... it's because I wanted to give you this. It's in two days at the time listed so don't be late, okay?" She said holding out a paper invitation to a party, which you took with a gentle smile. Looking up after you read it, you saw that she had vanished.

"Right... that's not creepy at all." You say as you stand and decide to head back to the library. The mysterious musical building would have to wait till tomorrow night. Here's hoping that tomorrow would be less eventful.