“So your special talent in the other world is marketing?”
Kayl and Applejack had made it back to Ponyville. Along the way, he had talked all about his work in marketing. Kayl was surprised to see that marketing didn't really exist in the same way in Ponyville as it did in his world.
“I don't know about it being my special talent, but it's what I'm good at. Our firm is hired to help sell products to people. I don't know what kind of, what did they call it? Cutie Mark?”
Applejack nodded, “Yeah, but I wouldn't worry about it. You're plenty talented in my opinion.”
Kayl smiled and shrugged as he continued to walk on three legs. He had really improved his walking, but it was still odd to do.
“Well thank you I suppose. But if my special talent could be building ships that take me to my own world, I'd take that instead.”
They shared a laugh, though Kayl was far from kidding.
Talking with Applejack had been fun, though he honestly didn't think he was sharing much more of himself than he would share with anyone else. Walking through the emotions and same ideas he had spoken about before were familiar, but it was interesting to try and explain his world to a complete outsider.
“Well, I don't think Rainbow Dash is here...”
Kayl looked over at Applejack, who was looking up into the sky. Kayl followed her eyes to see the clouds in the sky. They were small and fluffy. Condensed in an almost comical fashion. It looked peaceful enough, so Kayl wasn't sure what the problem was.
“Rainbow Dash is a pegasus. She's in charge of clearing clouds in Ponyville. And as you can clearly see, they're still up there.”
Kayl looked around in the sky. Clearing clouds? But clouds are particles of H2O in the sky, suspended by their lighter then air consistency. How would you clear them?
“Applejack, does nature just not work without the intervention of ponies?”
Applejack looked at Kayl with confusion, “What do you mean?”
“Well...” Kayl began, but his voice was cut out. Just then, there was a boom of air that blew past Kayl, throwing him to his side. It took him a moment to regain himself and stand back up. As he looked up into the sky he saw a vision out of a dream. Streaks of rainbows stretching in multiple directions as clouds flew into pieces. And just as soon as Kayl had seen it, it was over. Every cloud in the sky he could see was gone.
“Well tarnish my tail, Rainbow really did get that done quick. Are you alright Kayl?”
Kayl looked over to Applejack. He was still at a loss of what had happened. But he also didn't have much time to respond. With an explosion of force something landed near by that startled Kayl.
“Ugh, Rainbow! Stop showin' off will ya! Yer scarin' our new friend!”
Kayl looked to see a blue pony, a mane and tail of many colors, and strong wings. She had a smirk on her face, and began laughing at Applejack's response.
“Heh, sorry Applejack. But did you see my moves! Eight seconds! Soon enough I'll be able to pull this off without even thinking about it!”
Applejack snorted and shook her head, “Well Rainbow Dash, if you go any faster, you're going to clear all of Ponyville away along with the clouds! Just look at poor Kayl here. You right near tore his head off with that move!”
Kayl gave a nervous laugh, “Oh I'm alright I think. I uh, just wasn't expecting that.”
Rainbow gave a little trot over to AJ and Kayl, “Well good, so I've heard a new pony came to Equestria. Word is you're from another world, is it true!”
Kayl cleared his throat, looking around for Twilight, “I suppose word travels fast...”
“Ha!” Rainbow exclaimed, “I'm way faster than words, I am the word! Ponies in Equestria have been saying you talked to Celestia yesterday! That's so awesome!”
Kayl had to admit he had made quite the scene in Canterlot, but it had taken hours to travel to Canterlot by train. How far had this pony traveled in that time?
“I know you look confused Kayl, but Rainbow Dash is just about the fastest thing in all of Equestria.”
Rainbow scoffed, “Just about? More like the fastest thing in all of Equestria, Period!”
"Don't y’all think you should properly introduce yourself Dash, before you go asking a bunch of personal stuff about our guest?"
The bright blue horse laughed, more like a hoarse chuckle. Such puns are lost on Kayl, but you're welcome.
"Oh, good point. Hi, my name is Rainbow Dash. Ponyville's number one pegasus, fastest flier, and element of loyalty, battler of all evil, truest of all true friends, the greatest...!"
Applejack groaned and stamped a hoof, "Consard it Dash, stop being such a egotistical pony and just introduce yourself! I swear, sometimes Dash you ruffle my mane something..."
The element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash, greatest of all pegasus? Well, Kayl supposed since he knew of none other that he had no reason to argue. But by god, what boasting! This was one of the pinnacles of the so called friendship that everyone else had been raving about?
How could Twilight Sparkle or anyone else stand such a egotist like this? Kayl however, tried to keep those thoughts under wraps, as he realized that this was not only going to be someone he had to appease, but also someone that was going to teach Kayl to fly. A feat that he could not imagine himself taking on yet.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Rainbow Dash," Said Kayl, turning on his charm to suck up to the attention seeking Rainbow Dash. "My name is Kayl Jayden. Traveler of worlds, the marketeer of earth, the purveyor of charm and excellence, knowledge incarnate, and avid shoe wearer."
Kayl knew one great thing, that those who sought attention preferred two things. The first to be showed respect and admiration. The other, was to be surrounded by others who thought highly of themselves as well. Just as Kayl suspected, Rainbow Dash smiled brightly and bounced around Kayl in excitement.
"So it's true! You're really from the other world! Oh wow! So you wear shoes! Like, all the time? You're an alicorn! That is...so awesome!"
Applejack stamped her hoof again, shouting at Dash, "Rainbow! Will you settle down! Sometimes I think you need to learn a bit of humility along with all that fancy flying. But I don't have time to lecture you right now. I need a favor."
Rainbow stood, chest out and proud, and declared, "Whatever you need Applejack! What feat of strength do you want me to take on today?"
Applejack waved a hoof over at Kayl, "Kayl here just got his wings, and it seems that he hasn't had a chance to learn to use them yet. Do you think you could help him learn to fly? I'm not looking for any miracles though, Dash. I'm sure flying is hard work."
"Hard? More like hardly impossible. I bet you I can teach this guy to fly in no time! What do you say Kayl? Are you ready to learn with the greatest flier in all of Equestria!?"
Rainbow Dash struck a stance like she was ready for battle. Kayl, who had just recently learned how to use his new limbs effectively put out his legs much like Rainbow Dash's and gave a shout, which was forced from his years of faking enthusiasm.
"I'm ready to push myself to the next level Dash!"
Rainbow Dash gave a laugh, "Alright, come on. We should find somewhere where you can learn. Everyone has been bugging me for lessons. First Scootaloo, than Twilight, and now you. I should just open up a school at this rate."
As Kayl moved to follow Rainbow, as she began to fly away from Ponyville, he turned back to Applejack.
"Well Applejack, thank you for letting me help you with that shed. Also, I guess thank you for being so up front with me."
Applejack gave a nod, than she stammered a bit before taking a step forward, "Hey Kayl, before you go, can I ask you something important?"
Kayl shrugged at first, but than nodded. He couldn't see why not.
"I get that you have problems sharing your feelings. But why is it? Did something happen to make you hate friends?"
Kayl paused. He wasn't sure how to answer it. It was such a blunt question, but perhaps that's what made Applejack the supposed element of honesty. To be honest, as it was the custom with AJ, Kayl had his own question for her.
"Yes, but I'm not interested in talking about it. But let me ask you something. You talk of honesty and friendship as if it is easy. You make it seem like there's no risk in just speaking whatever is on your mind. What about tact? And besides, you can't tell me that everyone is always honest all the time can you? Aren't there times when people lie? Or when they break promises?"
Applejack nodded, "Well of course there's tact, and yeah, ponies lie. Didn't y’all hear me tell about the rodeo I went to? I lost, and instead of telling my friends what had happened, I lied and stayed in Appleloosa. And breaking promises? Sure ponies break promises. Heck it's frustrating as anything else."
"So..." Kayl began, trying to choose his words wisely, "What's the point of trying to be so bluntly honest with others who could just as easily betray you?"
Applejack took a deep breath, and then nodded, "It does hurt when friends don't keep their promises. And I've seen many a friendship end because of it. But I'm talking about what makes a friendship good.
Can you really tell me you don't feel better now that you told me how you feel? Even now, can you really say that asking a question on your heart is wrong? If you have bad friends, I think you'll find that they will break promises. But if you can find good friends, you should always be honest to them."
Kayl was confused, but also lost. Was Applejack implying that his old friends had been poor friends. But they were everything he knew that friends were supposed to be: caring, supportive, sociable, giving, and nice to be with.
"But, if all that I've ever had is bad friends who break promises, than where do I find good friends?"
Applejack shook her head, "I can't really answer that. But it starts when you stop looking at friendship as something so painful and horrible. Whatever happens Kayl, I think you're a good guy. And it's heart breaking that your world has left you thinking like this. Take care with Dash, she's nicer than she seems."
With that Applejack turned and walked back off down the road. Kayl turned and ran off after Rainbow Dash. He was overwhelmed. His friends in high school, whom had hurt him by abandoning him. If they were not his friends, who was? Had Barbara ever been her friend?
No, or maybe yes. Kayl wasn't sure what to think, but he quickly realized he was putting too much trust in Applejack. He picked up speed to try and catch up with the rainbow stream of Rainbow Dash's tail. Applejack had spoken profoundly, and it had distracted him, but she couldn't have known what he had gone through. These were two completely different worlds, after all.
After a minute, Dash came flying back to Kayl, "What's up Slowpoke? I've already been to the peak of the mountain and back twice! I guess I have a lot of work to pull off with you."
Kayl looked off into the distance, there far on the horizon was a looming tall mountain, impossibly steep and narrow. But it must have been many miles away. Dash could not have traveled that fast, and yet as Dash zoomed around, he was amazed to find that it was likely possible that she had.
"Um...Rainbow Dash? That's your name right?" Kayl started hesitantly.
Dash came landing down beside Kayl, "What's up buddy! Got a question for your new teacher? Shouldn't you wait until after I've shown you some more sick moves?"
Kayl suddenly realized what Rainbow reminded him of. Punk kids with too much time on their hands who sat around all day and didn't do anything. Kids who went out on skateboards, and subsequently thought the world of themselves. They would jump around with their parkour, or grind rails with ease, but give one of them a tax report and they were as lost as the children they were.
Kayl suddenly felt himself in a better situation with Rainbow Dash. Dash wouldn't be as upfront as Applejack, and not nearly as insightful as Twilight or Celestia had been. Getting her to keep at a safe distance would be easy!
"Well it's just, and I'm sure I'm going to learn a lot. But, before you show me your sick moves, maybe you can show me how these wings are supposed to work?"
Dash nodded, "Well sure, you just flap them up and down, and do it enough and you'll pick yourself off the ground. Then do it even harder and you can fly forward. But you have to keep your wings steady and tilt your body forward. Okay, now go for it!"
Kayl blinked. There was a long pause of silence and Kayl finally shook his head with confusion.
"Um, but could you explain how it works? How do the wings left my whole body off the ground? The weight alone would be more than the wingspan could handle and..."
Dash groaned and bumped into Kayl. She used her hooves to lift Kayl's wings into the air. They held there and finally Dash gave Kayl a firm slap on the flank. Something about all of this was beyond humiliating.
"Just start flapping! The rest will explain it self."
Kayl wasn't sure what to think, but he looked at the wings. One by one as he put his mind to it, he saw he could move his wings. But he couldn't get them to flap together. He kept looking from left to right, flapping one wing than the other. Rainbow back flipped, landed gracefully in front of Kayl, and--with both hooves--grabbed Kayl's head and pointed it ahead.
"Kayl, buddy, need you to focus up front. The wings do the flapping. All you need to do is look to where you want to go, flap hard, and go there. It's that easy. Now flap!"
Kayl worked his muscles as hard as he could, but he could hardly lift the wings. These were not muscles to him, and he had never had to use them before. The strain was great, and his heart sank as he remained rooted to the ground. But still Rainbow continued her chants.
"Come on, don't give up! You're getting the hang of it now! Just keep flapping! Up and down, up and down. Don't focus on anything else but flapping. You're doing great! Keep it up!"
With each chant, Kayl was growing more frustrated. Think only of flapping? Two days ago all he had to think about was a party. Entertaining guests, avoiding Beth's complaints, keeping Barbara involved on plans, planning ahead for tomorrow.
He was living a lie. Of course he was, that’s what he wanted wasn't it? Or maybe he had convinced himself that he was the better friend. But this is how he had become. This is what his friends had made him into. He couldn't stop being that, he had to keep lying.
But all the while, Rainbow's constant berating kept Kayl in pain. He didn't take the chance to look down at himself, his mind was focused on his anger, not the fact that he had actually began to lift off the ground. Suddenly his wings stopped and he stamped his feet down.
"Will you cut that out you lazy, little, good-for-nothing punk before I smack you!"
There was a pause. It had just been the same as with Applejack and with Twilight. He had spoken his mind, but he knew he regretted it. Before he could properly respond, Rainbow was already on him.
"What did you say!?"
Rainbow glared hard at Kayl, and Kayl averted his eyes in shame.
"No, I"m sorry. I didn't mean that..."
But Rainbow wouldn't take it. She took a step closer and put herself eye to eye with Kayl.
"No, don't try to back out now! I want to know what you have to say!"
Kayl began to pant. So this was the power of Rainbow Dash. She had pushed Kayl to the limit and forced him to speak his mind, just as applejack had done. In doing so he had showed himself unworthy.
He wasn't any closer to making himself a more likeable person, let alone learn some magical lesson about friendship. All he had really accomplished was pushing away everyone who was trying to help him.
He only had one other choice now. He had to run.
"Hey! Why are you just standing there. Say something already!"
But Kayl didn't say anything. In a panic he turned around and quickly ran for his life. He ran as fast as his newly developed legs could take him. He had to find some escape from the banishment.
But it was to no avail. Rainbow Dash was easily able to keep up. She flew along side him and shouted at him as he ran.
"Alright, you wanna do this the hard way? We'll do this the hard way! Hustle! Run run run! Now start flapping those wings."
Kayl did try; he flapped them and sputtered and ran and all he could do was trip over himself. Even though he did not succeed, he could not stop his flapping. The constant words of Rainbow Dash's chants had forced his wings to flap as his legs ran.
Kayl ran into a canyon, not realizing it was a dead end. When he saw he was being blocked he turned to run the other way. But Rainbow was blocking the way.
Kayl was terrified. He had lost everything in his world and now was going to be imprisoned, or worse, for the crime of not understanding an alien world. Rainbow opened up her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, Kayl was already screaming.
"Stop following me! I'm sorry alright, but I can't do this! I can't understand what you want from me! And yelling and screaming at me won't help me understand what friendship is!"
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, "Friendship...? What are you...?"
But Kayl's shouting drowned out her words. And the tears streaming down his eyes blinded his vision from Rainbow's face. He had barely recovered from the thoughts Applejack had planted in his brain, and Rainbow wasn't making it any easier.
"I get it! I don't have any friends. Hell, maybe I've never had friends. Is that what you're all trying to get at!? That I'm some miserable freak who never had friends! Well, you're wrong!
I had friends once! I had good friends, and I was a good friend! And you know what? Those friends betrayed me! So what? So I've taken care of myself all these years. And now..."
"And now you're flying..."
Rainbow's words glazed over Kayl. But what he hadn't realized in his furor that he had continued flapping his wings as he stood there bearing his heart to her. And the momentum had carried him off the ground and allowed him to flutter in front of Rainbow Dash. Only now did Kayl finally look down at the ground to see he was no longer standing on it.
"I'm...flying!?"
Rainbow jumped up fluttered in front of Kayl. Kayl looked at Rainbow with tear stained eyes. His mouth agape in shock. The wings kept flapping, he found it so easy now, as if the wings could not stop flapping as long as he wanted to stay in the air.
"Well not a bad first try. Though I'm still a bit miffed about being called a punk. Ha, you know when some fillies learn to fly, coaches get them riled up. I had no idea you were upset though. Sorry about that. No hard feelings right?"
Kayl shook his head, "But...why didn't you just tell me how it worked? I mean...how does it work!?"
Rainbow Dash groaned, "There you go again, let me ask you something. Do you know how fish breath water?"
Kayl's mother would have slapped him if he didn't know this.
"Well they don't breath water, but they gills that allow them to take water into their bodies and extract the oxygen and release the hydrogen."
Rainbow nodded, "Yeah, but how does that work. How does the fish make the gills work."
Kayl shook his head, "It's their gills. They just do that."
Rainbow nodded, "Right, their isn't a real explanation for how they work, but the fish can use them because he has gills. So how do birds fly?"
Kayl shook his head, "It's not the same thing though!"
Rainbow Dash bumped her head against Kayl, sending him landing back on the ground.
"How does a bird fly!? Answer me Kayl!"
Kayl panted, regained his footing and thought. A bird flies with wings. The bird flaps the wings in just a way that pushes air under the body. The body's structure allows the bird to move the wings effortlessly to keep flight. The bird can fly because it has the structure to fly. That was the answer.
"The bird can fly...because..."
"Because it has wings." Rainbow landed in front of Kayl and smiled.
"There's plenty of things that we don't know about. How do dragons live so long. Or why do changelings feed off of love. But they do because, they just do. They're made that way.
Pegasi can fly because we have wings. Oh sure, I could tell you about thrust, and wind power, and physics. Still, a pegasi doesn't need to know those things to fly. All they have to do is want to fly, and get the work of the wings.
Usually though, it takes a bit of hard coaching to get a filly the confidence to really start flapping. I didn't mean to get you mad. But than you yelled and ran and I wasn't going to let you get away."
Kayl shook his head, "You weren't trying to chase me down and get rid of me?"
Rainbow Dash gasped and then laughed hysterically.
"Get rid of you!? Yeesh that would be weird wouldn't it? For some pony of my caliber to let a brand new friend to Ponyville run away? No way! Never in a million years Kayl! I would never abandon you!"
Never to be abandoned. Kayl could hardly believe the words. To live a life where no friend he had ever had betrayed him. If this totally complete stranger was willing to put everything aside to help him, than why would those he knew as child abandon him when he was in his greatest need. But there it was, staring him right in the face.
Kayl collapsed. He could not bare the truth, it had haunted him for years. An idea he had run from as a child that he had only been forced to face now. He had been abandoned by people who were not good friends.
But then was Barbara a true friend? She was one of them, but she was also the only one who showed up that night. Where Kayl was looking for support, he found only emptiness. And believing that friendship was worthless, he refused to question if those he had found as friends were every really friends.
Rainbow stood there quietly as Kayl continued to weep. She had a pained look on her face that Kayl could not have seen. As she walked over, she tried her best to talk softly. And even as she laid down next to Kayl, Kayl could barely look at her.
"Kayl, do you know what it means to be loyal?"
Kayl couldn't respond. He was hurt, confused, weeping miserably, and above all filled with sorrow. All of his life had been devoid of friends, as far as he could tell. Something that he had never valued had been a lie from the start.
"Loyalty is when you never let your friends hanging. And it's hard. Sometimes, when you try to be loyal to your friends, you end up being taken as being harsh, or even unkind. But it's not easy to never give up on friends.
I don't know what you've been dealing with. I don't know what kind of help I can be. I'm not smart like Twilight and the others are, and sometimes I don't always make my friends happy. But no matter how many times I mess up, or even if I make a friend mad, as long as you don't give up on them. You're always the better friend."
Kayl calmed his tears, but he was still filled with sorrow. His friends had given up on him. But did he not also give up on them? When his friends abandoned him that one night, didn't he turn around and betray them? Did he not reject their reasons, even to the point of forgetting them at that point?
"I don't think I'm a very good friend."
Rainbow sighed. With her hoof she laid it on top of Kayl's, "I think you might be a very good friend if you give yourself a chance."
Kayl chuckled, picking his hoof up he wiped away his tears from his tear stained fur.
"I just called you a lazy punk..."
Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Well technically you called me a lazy, little, good-for-nothing punk. To be honest I took the most offense when you called me little."
Kayl let out a laugh and shook his head, "I'm really sorry, I was completely wrong for even thinking that. I owe you...a lot."
Rainbow stood up and stretched her limbs, "Yeah, well that's just a day in the life of...Rainbow Dash!"
She struck a pose and Kayl picked him self up. He felt himself lighter, though the great burden of darkness on his heart was still there. Rainbow was there to help Kayl carry it. He wasn't sure how to feel about friends, but he knew who he could trust. Although, he would never in his life come to trust creatures like these.
On the way back to Ponyville, Kayl recounted the events that led him to Equestria, part of his meeting with Celestia (he left out the part about Celestia's warning of darkness, but he did mention that Celestia wanted Kayl to learn about friendship).
Rainbow Dash taught Kayl that pegasi had to clear clouds as well as create them. She promised to take Kayl there some time if they had the chance. But Kayl mentioned that with any luck he would be back in his own world before too long. Before long, it was evening. And they found themselves in front of Twilight's library.
“You know, it's getting late. But I think tomorrow you should go visit a friend of mine. She's as sweet as a button, and if the Princess wants you to learn about the elements of harmony. I bet that Fluttershy could help! She's the element of kindness, and she certainly lives up to her name.”
“You know, would I be wrong to assume that all the elements of harmony live here in Ponyville?”
Rainbow nodded, “You'd be right. Twilight told you the story about us didn't she?”
Kayl nodded, “Yes, but from my point of view it sounded more like horses from all around the land joined together to fight an evil force. So, did you all know each other before hand?”
Rainbow nodded, “Yeah, but I suppose ever since that day we grew a lot closer. This is a small town you know. Anyway, Twilight's been in there all day.” She pointed to the library. “No doubt she had to reread a whole series about some egghead topic or other. You gonna be alright?”
Rainbow took off slowly, hovering into the air. Kayl gave a nod.
“Yes, I think I'll be fine. Thank you Rainbow Dash. I have to say, you're the nicest bunch of magical horses I've ever met. I appreciate everything you and Applejack did today.”
Rainbow gave a short salute before flying off. Kayl turned to the door, as he approached it he saw the door knob and instinctively began to reach for it. But he stopped, remembering Twilight's lesson from last night.
“Beads of energy, keep focus, visualize the need, focus on your talent.”
With in moments he felt his horn glow, and visualized the door opening. Slowly, the knob turned and the door gave way to his movement. Kayl gave a sigh of relief. It had taken a great deal of focus, but he felt happy to have accomplished something so magically simple in this world.
As he walked into the library he was surprised to see that most of the books that had been placed there yesterday were still there. But as Kayl recognized the books he also realized that when he left that morning, all the books had been on the other side of the room. At first he thought that Twilight might have already had an answer.
And then, he saw the sign that showed the big empty side of the room to be used for checked books. Twilight had apparently moved all the books, and then organized them—alphabetically by title no less—on the other side of the room.
“Twilight? How long did this take you?”
A voice came from above, “She's been at it all day! I've never seen her so pumped at research.”
Kayl looked up to see Spike sitting on the stairs. It appeared as if he was chewing on a gem. It shined and glimmered in the claws of the young dragon.
“Oh, Spike! Are you, I mean I could be wrong, but are you eating a jewel?”
Spike smiled and waved it around, “Yeah, you never heard of dragons eating jewels?”
Kayl thought for a moment, then shook his head, “I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that. But where's Twilight?”
Spike pointed his thumb up stairs, “She got done organizing the books and then passed out. She's been really working hard on this. How did building the shed with Applejack go?”
Kayl sighed and shook his head, “It was quite an experience, I can't believe this though. Twilight went through all of this. I really should have been here to help...”
Spike jumped down from the stairs. He had a smirk on his face and he was shaking his head. He walked over to Kayl, spinning the gem like a wand at Kayl.
“You know, I think you and I should have a bit of a talk.”
Kayl raised an eyebrow, “About what?”
Spike pulled over a stool and gave Kayl a good look over, “I've been keeping an eye on you...”
Kayl stepped back, he wasn't particularly scared of Spike for his size, but he hardly knew what to expect from a real dragon.
“Okay, so you've been watching me. And what of it? Are you going to ask me to explain what I said to Applejack? Or to Rainbow Dash? I don't know what you want.”
Spike shook his head, “Nah, I went to the human world once. I think I understand where you're coming from. You look out for numero uno! I'm a dragon, I totally understand that feeling.”
Kayl smirked, “So, what? You think all of this friendship is a load of crock?”
Spike gasped, “No! That's horrible! No, but I know why you'd want to take care of yourself. It's in dragon nature, maybe in your world you're a dragon!”
Kayl stared at Spike for a moment. Was he being serious? But he wasn't too far off. He did try to take care of himself, and he hardly cared to really help others. But that didn't answer the important question.
“Spike, what is it that you're trying to ask me?”
Spike blinked, and then rubbed the back of his head, “Well...”
Spike took a deep breath, “Twilight seems worried about something. I tried asking her what it was and she wouldn't tell me; but I could tell it was about you and she was scared about something; and every time she looked at book titles she got terrified; and then when I mentioned your name she looked around paranoid; and then she would get mad at me for making her think you were here when you obviously weren't here...”
Kayl waved his hoof at Spike, “Spike, buddy, you need to calm down. What are you getting at? Twilight is worried about me? She's...”
Kayl's words caught in his throat. Twilight was scared of Kayl.
“Spike, do you want to know if I intend to hurt Twilight or the others?”
Spike stammered, “Well no, I mean I wouldn't want you to. Is that what it is? Are you...I mean...”
Kayl's expression grew somber, “No Spike, I have no intentions of hurting anyone. I promise I will be out of your hair with in good time.”
Spike gave a sigh of relief, “Oh well then that's good. Did I, do something wrong?”
Kayl gave a short shake of his head, “No, I admire your concern. But you have to promise that you not tell Twilight what you've asked me. She probably would not be happy if you were telling me her worries. She clearly has a lot to think about.”
Spike gave another winded sigh of relief, “Phew! Alright! Good night Kayl! Nice to have you here and everything!”
Kayl nodded, “Good night Spike.”
His voice was cold, heart numb, and mind racing. It didn't take him long to start piecing things together. The kindness he had received from Twilight, or maybe everyone hadn't been because they were all so friendly. They knew what Celestia had warned Kayl of, about the darkness.
He had thought he was ahead of the curve, but he was playing in their hands—or hooves—perfectly. That's why Twilight wanted Kayl out of the house. Had she planned ahead for Applejack to watch over Kayl? Of course. Element of Honesty, Applejack would have reported him to Twilight already. Applejack would have clearly stopped by before dropping off Kayl to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash had known more about Kayl than reasonably believable. She knew where Kayl had come from, and that Twilight was helping Kayl return. Of course she couldn't have made such a trip by herself. How had Kayl tricked himself to thinking such ridiculous stories?
Well that wasn't hard. Look at the world he was in. He had been so busy trying to understand the world's magic that he forgot how similar the world could be to his own. People would treat you like a king if they thought you could become a tyrant.
He was growing more exhausted with each second, and by the time he finally arrived to his bed he crashed and fell asleep. That night he had no dreams, but he could hear the sound of a voice telling him constantly to embrace the light. Still he ignored it, and let himself fall into a restless sleep.
When he awoke, it was barely morning.