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Irritable
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Alpha sat in the library with his hooves kicked up on the table, as he idly read through one of the biographies Rarity hadn’t destroyed with her magical outburst. It wasn’t that he was interested in the history of Commander Easyglider really, he was just curious how the book had made out, after the explosion it had endured.
All in all, it was readable. But, if he was dying to heard about the founding members of the Wonderbolts, he’d just ask Pinkie to rap about it for him. She was much more engaging with her hip way of conveying information.
Tossing the book over his shoulder in to a pile of others he had been checking, he looked around the rubble next to him for anything else he could check for Twilight. But, after a few moments of scanning, he decided that the rest of books were simply too destroyed.
Levitating the pile off of the ground, he cast a teleportation spell, sending them all to the bottom of the nearest ocean.
He knew it was littering, but what was a hundred burned books anyway? Practically nothing!
Yawning, he got out of the chair, and decided to look around for something to eat. His day was coming to a close, and he knew that Twilight would be home at any point. So, having dinner ready for the mare would be great for him, in terms of getting closer to her.
Opening a cupboard in the kitchen, he frowned at the severe lack of variety Twilight kept in this place. He would need to go out to the store at some point here.
“Hey Alpha!” Twilight’s voice called from the massive hole in the middle of the building, “How many books did you save?”
Alpha approached her, a little dejected that he wasn’t able to cook her dinner.
“Fifteen, and that was being generous,” Alpha shook his head, gesturing to the pile of books on the floor, as she stepped inside of the library.
“I can’t believe Alex let her do that,” Twilight grumbled, walking past Alpha and opening the same cupboards he had just checked, “Aaaand there’s nothing to eat.”
Alpha frowned, not sure how to handle Twilight in such a sour mood.
Not saying another word, Twilight walked back across the room, and sat down in the chair Alpha had just stood up from.
“Are you okay?” Alpha asked carefully, approaching her slowly from the hole in the wall, “You seem a bit… crappy. Is it about the hole in the wall?”
“It’s about the books!” Twilight shouted, before crossing her arms and huffing loudly.
“They’re just books Twilight, I mean—“
“Just books? Just books?” She bellowed, as she suddenly stood up and faced him, “Those are my life! I love books more than anything in this world!”
Alpha shrunk back, wishing he hadn’t said that to her.
“Some of those were first editions, in mint condition!” Twilight shouted, stepping hoof over hoof toward him, “Some were irreplaceable!”
Alpha was about to apologize, when he noticed a tiny flicker on her horn. It may have just been a strange reflection in the light, so he let her continue for the moment.
“And, I’ll have you know, that a rare biography on Princess Celestia herself was one of the destroyed books!” She screamed, as a tear escaped from her left eye, and ran down her cheek, “I- I just can’t believe Alex was so irresponsible!”
There it was again.
Alpha watched as a darkness enveloped her horn, before vanishing again. It was almost like it was trying to flicker to life.
“Twilight, you need to calm—“
“I do not need to calm down!” She growled.
“I’m serious!” Alpha said, trying not to get into a screaming match with her, “Stop and think for a second!”
“Don’t tell me what to—“
Without letting her finish, Alpha raised his hoof in the air and shook his head apologetically.
“Sorry, sweet cheeks.”
Throwing his hoof across her face, all that could be heard was a painful smack, as she recoiled in shock, and the blackness on her horn faded.
“What was that for?!” She coughed, shaking her head quickly, “Was I just yelling?”
“I guess we know what’s going to happen to you,” Alpha sighed, his face riddled with regret, “I’m sorry I had to do that, Twilight.”
“What just happened?” She asked again, as the past few minutes came back to her mind, “I… I was really angry!”
“No kidding there,” Alpha nodded, pointing to her horn, “There was dark magic all over your horn.”
Twilight sat down on her rump in silence, as she ran though how much rage she had just felt.
“That was only twenty percent…” She mumbled, confusing Alpha with the number she had just pulled out of thin air.
“Twenty percent?” He asked, cocking his head with a confused frown.
“Discord told us that I would change along with my friends… and since only one of my friends changed, that’s one in five.” She explained quietly, exhaling audibly, “When Applejack, Pinkie, Dash, and Fluttershy change… I’ll get even worse.”
Twilight was clearly distressed by this happening, and Alpha had to try his best to cheer her up.
“You don’t need to worry about going too crazy,” Alpha smiled, approaching her and bending down to her level, “If you start to get mad, I’ll just smack you again!”
Twilight wanted to smile, but it simply wasn’t enough.
“Is there anypony you’d like to hug right now?” Alpha asked, as he started to cycle though several forms of her friends, and family members, before stopping on a chubby, balding Pegasus, “I can even do Cuddly Bear, if you were feeling like hugging that weirdo.”
Twilight looked up to him and gave him a small smile.
“Actually… if you don’t mind,” She said softly, wiping a tear from her eye, “Can I just hug Alpha?”
Smiling himself, Alpha returned to his original changeling form, and sat down next to her.
“Thank you.” Twilight said simply, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself close to his cheat, “With Spike gone… I’m happy to have somepony here who cares about me.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Alpha replied softly, nuzzling into the side of her head, “I’ll be right here for this transformation, and no matter what you do, or say, I won’t leave your side.”
She didn’t answer him. She just kissed his cheek, and rested back on his shoulder.
There was nothing more she could have asked for.