//------------------------------// // Blurring Lines // Story: Never Dream // by Ximer //------------------------------// A gentle shake disturbed the deep sleep that I had fallen into, despite last night’s circumstances. Isabella was standing over me, a concerned look on her face. I noticed the absence of a warm body beside mine and looked down to find Scootaloo missing. “We started breakfast without you. I guess you had a full night huh?” Isabella asked. “That’s one way to put it, where’d Scootaloo run off to?” I asked standing up. “I moved her to your bed when I came home last night. She woke up with me this morning and started to wake you up as well, but I told her to let you sleep.” Isabella replied, pointing towards the table. I saw Scootaloo idly poking at a half-eaten pancake. Her ears were folded down, matching her crestfallen expression. I hadn’t forgotten about the long inward battle with my thoughts from the previous night. I felt like I knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t let her know, not yet anyways. “Hey Scoots, how are you doing this morning?” I asked, walking over to the table. “Okay…” Scootaloo replied quietly. “Sorry I didn’t wake up when you guys did. I guess I stayed up a little too late.” I said, feeling as if I was trying to break through a wall of concrete to get her talking like her old self again. “It’s fine, Isabella made breakfast…you’re going to take me back, aren’t you?” Scootaloo asked, not making eye contact. “Scootaloo, I can’t keep you here. I’d get in trouble, last night was excusable, but I’m sure your caretaker is worried sick about you.” I replied. “I know…it was nice to get away from that place for a night though.” Scootaloo said. A part of me wanted to tell her my idea, but I couldn’t. If I did and for some reason it failed, it would probably crush her. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew I was responsible for something like that. A trip to Twilight was in order; I had slept long enough anyways. “So, what are we going to do about her scooter?” Isabella asked. “I plan on fixing it. My list of things to do is pretty big today." I said trying to figure out where to start on it. Getting Scootaloo home seemed like the best place to start, but it definitely wouldn't be the easiest, on her at least. "Do you need me to take her?" Isabella asked, biting her lip as her gaze remained fixed on Scootaloo. "I'll do it, I've got some things to do around town. Besides, how often do I get to hang out with the coolest filly in Ponyville?" I asked. That managed to make Scootaloo crack a smile, even if it was a small one. It was a step in the right direction, hopefully it was the first of many, but before I got ahead of myself, I would need to talk to Twilight. "We do need to have a chat later though." I sighed, looking at Isabella who nodded in response. --- "So you're serious about this?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at me skeptically. "I'm sure, you should've seen her last night Twilight. The things she said, and the way she was treated...I haven't felt that defense about somepony in a long time. Oh what I wish I could do to that brat Diamond Tiara." I replied, clenching my fist. I calmed myself down with a deep breath, pushing the horrible night out of my mind. I could only recall one other time I had felt so angry during a situation, but helpless to do anything about it. "Twilight, I'd take a hit for that kid. I feel this is what I'm supposed to do, or at least try anyways." I said. Twilight studied me for a while, her eyes boring deep into my soul. It was as if she was trying to find any shred of doubt or hesitancy on the topic of adoption I had brought before her. She eventually sighed, her poker face faltering into a frown. "I won't lie, it will be extremely difficult for you to do this, since you and Scootaloo are not of the same species." Twilight said. "So much for equal rights." I said rolling my eyes. "It's less about rights, and more about a productive growing environment for the filly or colt in question. The inspectors will judge you much more harshly than they would if it was another pony interested in adoption." Twilight said. "I didn’t expect it to be easy, how long do you think it would take to get past the red tape?" I asked, curious as to how high the odds were stacked against me. "It’s hard to say, but it will take longer than usual, not to mention all of the hurdles you’ll have to jump, figuratively speaking. This isn’t going to be a quick or easy process by any means. Just something to consider, it’s going to become a pain in the flank, you’re going to have to go the extra mile." Twilight replied, making my heart sink. "Hey Twilight, if other species date and eventually marry, wouldn't they have to adopt? Since they can't make a kid through...traditional methods?" I asked, surely it couldn’t be as unheard of as she was making it out to be. "Not exactly, its different here than Earth. You see, all creatures have a bit of magic in them, sentient creatures having more than those of say...horses, for example." Twilight said, going into lecture mode with a smile. Great...why did I have to ask that now? I asked myself. As I prepared to endure the reprocutions of my poorly timed question, I noticed a chalk board clearing itself of what appeared to be old notes. Apparently she didn't need them anymore. Several new notes about magic that I didn't understand, as well as a diagram that I could have lived without seeing, ever, were wrote down by a small glowing piece of chalk. "So, as I was saying," Twilight said as the piece of chalk continued to scribble on the board. "If a Griffon and a Pony were to mate, the magic in both of them would come together. The result would be one or the other, a fledgling or a foal." "Okay, that kind of makes sense...so magic makes up for the incompatibility." I said. "Correct, and speaking of magic, I needed to talk to you about tomorrow." Twilight's voice suddenly shifted to a more serious tone. "If this is about Discord's magic-" I said. "You'll need to meet Rainbow Dash at five thirty in the morning." Twilight said cutting me off. It took my mind a few seconds to come to terms with the fact that Twilight was agreeing to the use of Discord's magic in such a way. She had clearly expressed her distaste for the spell, the sudden change of heart left me speechless. "Um, I thought you hated that spell?" I asked. "I don't hate trans-configuration spells; I have a problem when magic of that magnitude is cast on others so carelessly." Twilight replied. "I'll be sure to go to bed early. I guess we'll table the adoption discussion for another time then?" I asked. "If you're absolutely serious about this, then we'll talk more after the snow is cleared. Focus on getting ready for tomorrow." Twilight replied with a nod. With that I left the castle, having already dropped Scootaloo off, my list was a little bit smaller. The next thing I had to take care of was going to be much less difficult, to talk about anyways. From what I could remember about adoptions from home, some agency would send an investigator out and see if you were stable enough to support a child to begin with. There was probably more to it, but if I was being honest with myself, I couldn't support Izzy and Scootaloo on what I was making now. Izzy would find a job, sure, but I had been incredibly lucky that day at the post office. There was no guarantee that she would find one as quickly as I had. My sister aside, if I was going to take care of Scootaloo, hopefully, I would need to take the next step up in my occupation. I approached the post office, hoping Crafty Crate was still there. I had been mindful of the time and taken care of the more menial task, such as groceries, before having a sit down with my boss. There was no guarantee this particular conversation would come to a quick conclusion. “Oh, hey Daniel, what brings you here today?” Swift Stamp asked as I entered the post office. She was a nice earth pony, a bit on the impatient side at times, but Swift Stamp had a good heart. If ever one wanted speedy service, she was the mare to talk to. Her candy cane colored mane seemed a bit odd against her yellow coat, but who was I to judge? “I’m just here to talk to Crafty Crate, is he in?” I asked. “He is.” Swift Stamp replied, still looking a bit confused as to why I would be at work on my off day. I nodded my thanks and walked around the counter with no objections from the mare. The staff today was small; Timber and Strong Deck were nowhere to be found which was good. I didn’t want to have this conversation with them around to over hear something. I knocked on the door that read Manager’s Office on the glass. A few second later I was greeted by Crafty Crate, his expression upon seeing me was similar to that of Swift Stamp's. "Daniel? What are you doing here?" Craft Crate asked, quickly regaining his gruff expression. "I came to see if that offer was still on the table." I replied, not wanting to give too much away to listening ears. "Offer...oh that! Right, come in." Crafty Crate said as it occurred to him what I was referring to. The office was as cramped as ever, papers and shipping boxes that were used as makeshift sorting trays lined the room in what could be considered organized chaos. One would do well not to judge him based on his office alone, however. "So...what made you interested in being a carrier all the sudden?" Crafty Crate asked, taking a seat behind his desk. "Honestly, some things have come up, and I could use the bits." I said, knowing the stallion wasn't the kind of manager you could dazzle with fancy words or explanations. "Things huh? What might those be?" Crafty Crate asked, idly spinning a pen on his desk. "I'd prefer to keep that to myself if possible, sir." I replied. Crafty Crate looked up from his desk with a raised eyebrow. I really didn't want to bring any more in on this little plan of mine than necessary, but it seemed my boss wasn't going to give me that luxury. "I'm trying to get ready for a family." I replied, crossing my arms with a huff. Crafty Crate nearly fell out of his seat at the word family. He quickly recomposed himself though, and tried to look as professional as possible. I did find his reaction a bit surprising, surely I wasn't the first to have a reasoning similar to this. "You're starting a family? With whom?" Crafty Crate asked. "An adoption...right now there's not really a special somepony in- you know I really don't feel comfortable talking about this with my boss." I replied. "I got ya. Just can't put private down on the form is all." Craft Crate said. "Wait, what form?" I asked confused. The forestallion opened one of the top draws on his desk. He pulled out an employee information form, similar to the one that I had filled out after I became official. I noticed that there was a bit more to this one, which made sense since it was a step up from what I was doing now. "This is the real thing. I don't know why you've been content working part time for as long as you have." Crafty Crate said. "Can we keep my reasoning between us?" I asked as he slid the paper towards me. "Just leave it as….personal growth. Have you told Timber and Strong Deck yet?" Crafty Crate asked. "No, I didn't want them to be here when I was talking with you about it anyways. It might be awkward, since I've worked with them for so long." I replied as I filled in the requested information on the sheet. "Next week they'll find out one way or another. It's not my business if you tell them before, but you might want to consider speaking up about it before then." Crafty Crate said. I nodded, it was true that they would find out when I stopped showing up as early as I did. I should be happy taking this job, it meant more bits, a slightly more reasonable time to wake up in the morning, and a new experience. Despite all of the benefits the job offered, I still felt guilty. It meant I would see less of the two ponies that had been among the first to befriend me. In a way, it felt like I was stabbing them in the back. I shook my head trying to dismiss my paranoia as another one of my unrealistic fears. "That's everything, I'll pair you with Ditzy for your first day next week. I know she'll be happy to see her daughter at an earlier time." Crafty Crate commented as I slid the papers to him. "Thanks for keeping my reason under wraps, it's not going to be an easy process." I said. "I didn't think it would be, but if I was a gambling stallion I'd put bits down that you'll find a way," Crafty Crate said, dropping his normally rough expression. "Now beat it, you're off duty." With that, I left the post office. Now there was only one more stop I had to make, but I wanted to work on the scooter, or try to at least. I had no idea where to start, I assumed glue was a given, but past that I was drawing a blank on what to address next. I would have continued to ponder on what to do next, if there was a scooter to work with. A note from Isabella was left on the table. Daniel I’m taking the scooter to someonepony that might be able to patch it up a bit more efficiently. I have to get this off my mind now though, who the hell builds a scooter out of wood? I mean really why in the world would you pick something so freaking flimsy? Sure skateboards are made out of wood, but that’s beside the poi- I put my sister’s letter down once it was clear she was just expressing thoughts on the page. I was grateful that she had managed to keep them bottled up while Scootaloo was present. She needed to be home, but as long as I had taken with the ins and outs on my to-do list, she was probably already on her way back by now. Due to my sister's spur of the moment decision, I was left with only one thing left to take care of, getting ready for tomorrow. This seemingly innocent and simple task required a special touch, however. This was a touch that only one being in Equestria would be more than thrilled to provide. "Discord." I said aloud. --- Isabella knew she should be reading her second to last book, but that could wait. She had come home late to find her brother sleeping on the couch, with a rather exhausted tangerine filly pressed as close to him as possible. She had seen the obliterated scooter in the corner. For the most part Scootaloo had appeared unharmed, physically at least. That scooter was practically a part of her, for it to be treated so poorly must have devastated the filly. Isabella was no mechanic, or a craftsman, but she knew of one pony that could help. She had seen him around town before, fixing things occasionally, most recently the gazebo in the park. She had thrown the parts of Scootaloo's scooter into a saddle bag she had found in Daniel's closet and set out towards Sweet Apple Acers. For most of the walk to the apple orchard Isabella's mind dwelt on what it was her brother wanted to talk about in private. Isabella had hoped that their conversation would be more light hearted this morning. She had planned on giving him a little grief about his night out, but that was clearly out of the question now. She pushed those thoughts to the side as the Apple Family farm came into view. “Um, anypony home?” Isabella called out, knocking on the small door. Applejack answered the door, a shocked expression washing over her face upon seeing who was. The farm pony had yet to see the woman pay her a visit, which made the mare wonder why she had walked all the way out here in the cold. “Hey there Isabella, ya’ll doin’ alright?” Applejack asked. “Uh, sort of, I was actually wondering if Big McIntosh was around. I might need his help with something.” Isabella replied, opening the saddle bag to show Applejack the damaged scooter. “Sweet Celestia! Is Scootaloo okay? Ah’d recognize that there scooter anywhere.” Applejack said, stepping to the side to let Isabella through. “She’s fine; she bunked at our house last night. I guess whatever happened to cause this,” Isabella said, pointing at the saddle bag. “Must have ruffled her feathers pretty badly, she didn’t talk much this morning.” “Poor filly, she ain’t got much ta begin with.” Applejack said with a frown. "Daniel was planning on trying to fix this today, but I doubt he'll find the time to get around to it...is there any way you guys can help me with this?" Isabella asked. Applejack smiled "Ah think we can manage ta breath a lil life back into it, don'tcha think Big Mac?" Isabella jumped when she noticed the stallion standing beside her. He had been so quiet she didn’t even hear him approach, she found this slightly unnerving. Big Mac seemed harmless for the most part, but she had seen him carry another stallion on his back, her brother, with little effort. "Eeyup." Big Mac replied walking over to the bag, taking a peek inside. "Let's head out to the barn, we can work on it there." Applejack said motioning for them to follow her. "Daniel said you guys stay pretty busy, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Isabella asked. "Nnope." Big Mac replied, following his sister. "Ain't much ta do the day before Winter Wrap Up. The day after's when things really start back up." Applejack added. The trip to the barn was short enough; a heavily trodden path through the snow covered ground marked where the Apple Family had accessed it frequently throughout the winter. Inside it was surprisingly warm, with half empty barrels of various food. One of the walls was lined with tools, some seemed similar to those of Earth, while others Isabella wasn't quite familiar with. She wasn't a pro around a wood shop or garage, but if the amount of tools was any indication of Big Mac's knowledge then he could probably do a better job than her brother anyways. Big Mac walked over to a work bench and patted the top with his hoof twice; he truly was a pony of few words. Isabella carefully emptied the saddlebag’s contents onto the work bench, allowing the stallion to study the pieces more closely. A low “hmm” came from the farm pony, as he examined each piece intently before removing the wheels and other parts until only the deck remained. Sliding the two pieces of the broken scooter into clamps, Big Mac grabbed a bottle of glue that had the strongest hold available. Isabella watched as the stallion worked, shoving the two pieces together before the glue had a chance to harden without binding the two pieces of wood together. Two more clamps were applied to the right and left of the crack. “So did she say how it happened?” Applejack asked, as her brother continued to work. “Not to me, you’d need to talk to Daniel about that.” Isabella replied. “It’s only temporary.” Big Mac said, looking down at his work on the deck before moving onto the wheels. “So she’ll need a new one anyways?” Isabella asked. “Eeyup.” Big Mac replied quietly before turning his attention to the wheels. “Do they even sell those in Ponyville? I've never seen one before in the stores in town." Isabella said. "Ah ain't too sure where that scooter came from. I don't reckon Canterlot would have any, might have ta order one." Applejack said. "So much for scratching something off his to-do list." Isabella sulked. "Shoot, why would ya worry about somethin' like that?" Applejack asked. "Because I haven't been hitting the books like I should, and I know he's been trying to help me when he can....can I be honest with you Applejack?" Isabella asked, sitting on a small stool. "Of course ya can sugar cube, what are friends for?" Applejack asked rhetorically, taking a seat beside her. "Now what's eat'n at ya?" "I've been rushing through the material, I've never been the kind of person to stay in one place for too long and I've been trying to hurry through things just so I can leave. In my world, I had it all, I couldn't ask for more." Isabella said, bringing to light what was on her mind. Applejack didn't cut in, or interrupt. The earth pony simply listened, closing her eyes at times, as if in deep thought. At other times, she simply nodded her head with a soft, knowing smile. "I don't know what to do here. Daniel found a niche, but what am I supposed to do? I feel like everything I worked to accomplish is lost now, you guys don't care about the Aztecs, or how the Egyptians built the pyramids. All of that is human history, I feel...out of place." Isabella sighed. "Ah've been there...I know what you're feel'n right now." Applejack said, taking off her stetson, staring at it fondly. "What do you mean? You guys seem so happy here, how could you be discontent?" Isabella asked. "When Ah was a filly, 'for mah cutie mark appeared, Ah ran away from home. Ah didn't think that livin' on the Apple Orchard was the life fer me, so Ah tried findin' mah own way. Sometimes the good things in life are right under yer nose, ya just don't know it til they ain't there no more." Applejack replied, putting her hat back on. "What was it that made you realize you were missing something?" Isabella asked. "Family." Applejack replied, smiling as she watched Big McIntosh. Isabella felt a tinge of guilt rise within her. She never would have imagined that Applejack could relate to her, but the mare had proven her wrong. She had come to get help with a scooter; the woman never thought she would take something more from her visit. “Thanks Applejack.” Isabella said. “Any time sugar cube. So, are ya gonna be takin’ part in Winter Wrap Up?” Applejack asked. “I don’t know what I could do that you guys can’t do already.” Isabella replied. “Ah bet you could put those ta good use,” Applejack said, pointing at Isabella’s hands. “Since unicorns can’t use their magic, ya could probably find somethin’ ta do in a jiffy.” “If you really think I’ll make a difference, I guess it’s worth a shot.” Isabella said. --- Discord’s house was located on the outskirts of Ponyville today. It changed positions periodically; it was one of the avenues in which he could exercise his chaotic magic without disrupting the lives of others. As comical as it was, it made finding him a bit of a problem sometimes. The door had teeth today, red and white peppermint colored teeth. It grinned at me as I walked up to it, I had learned my lesson about knocking on it the first time I tried to pay Discord a visit. Discord’s doors took offense to being hit in the head just to gain the attention of another. “Hello…uh…” I stumbled with the name. Discord changed their names frequently, why an individual would name their doors and almost every other object in their house only to rename them all days later made little sense. “Stubs.” the door said in a deep voice. “Right…is Discord here?” I asked nervously. “….yes.” Stubs replied. “Can I come in?” I asked. “….password?” Stubs asked in return. “Ugh, do I really have to do this every single time?” I sighed. “Password.” the door repeated. “Fine, I’ll play his little game,” I said, taking a deep breath before shouting. “Shave and a mane cut!” “Two bits.” Stubs added before swinging open. The walls of the house shifted color like a poorly made anime music video on YouTube that only displayed one picture at a time that changed from shades of pink too dark blue, and everything else in between, sporadically. The walls were more than enough to give someone a seizure. The insanity of Discord’s house didn’t stop there, however. The ceiling fan that had foam blades was located on the floor, making it a floor fan? The pictures in the room were of the frames that normally contained them. This was only the living room; I couldn’t begin to imagine what the rest of the house was like. “Ah so it was you. Here I thought I was losing my mind.” Discord said appearing in front of me. “Jury’s still out on that one I think.” I commented, my gaze shifting to the easy chair that seemed to spin and follow my every movement. “Ignore her, she’s new.” Discord said waving a paw dismissively at the chair in question. “Um…have you ever considered a hobby?” I asked. “I enjoy world watching, it’s like bird watching, but much more rewarding when something unexpected happens.” Discord replied as a large map of the world I now dwelt in lowered from the ceiling. “Right, well I was-“ I started to say, glancing over the map at the various kingdoms. “Your day to help Rainbow Dash is tomorrow, I’m aware. First I want to know how it went, all the dirty little details, you dog you.” Discord said elbowing me. “What are you-oh that, it wasn’t a real date Discord.” I said rolling my eyes. “Please, that’s the biggest wad of nonsense I’ve ever heard, and I’m the king of nonsense. You can have a participation medal though.” Discord said snapping his fingers, a crown appeared on his head, while a medal suddenly adorned my neck. “How did you even know about that anyways?” I asked with a deadpan tone. “I just told you, I like world watching.” Discord replied with a grin. “You like spying.” I retorted. “Watching, and if you really must know I was passing through the area and was curious. I thought you didn’t like ponies in that way.” Discord said. “I don’t.” I said, feeling a bit of pain in my heart for some reason. Apparently it was reflected on my face, judging from Discord’s growing grin. “Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?” Discord asked, draping his lion like arm over my shoulder as I reflected on the strange feeling. I had enjoyed my night with Minuette, up until the incident with Scootaloo. Had the lines between my humanity and new life here blurred to the point that such things as species no longer mattered? “She’s a pony though.” I said. “Mmmhmm, that she is. What’s your point?” Discord asked. “She’s an animal Discord, it’s not right. I’m a human, it’s considered taboo.” I replied. “So what does that make all of Fluttershy’s little friends? For that matter, what does that make any of the pets these ponies have to them based on your logic?” Discord asked. I opened my mouth to respond, only for my words to fail me. In a weird way, Discord was actually making sense. I had stayed up most of the night thinking about how I could manage adopting Scootaloo, so why did I draw the line at falling in love? “Suit yourself,” Discord sighed pressing his lion paw firmly against my chest. “Just giving you something to think about.” I felt a tingling sensation sweep over me, it was just part of the process. It was also the scariest part, to me anyways, I was completely helpless. The next part was what I assumed was the equivalent of an acid trip; the second Discord poked me with a finger from his eagle claw my vision started to swirl with a mixture of colors, mostly purples, blues, and yellows. After what felt like an eternity the colors started to fade as the rest of my senses dulled. The already fading colors were consumed by darkness, leaving my consciousness in a state of limbo, not completely asleep, but not awake either, that is until something sharp poked me in the side. “Hey, you awake yet?” a familiar voice asked. “Nnmm….go away.” I groaned. “You’re impossible.” the voice sighed. "Mrph...Izzy?" I asked groggily. "Who else would it be? Does it really make you that tired?" my sister replied, her face slowly coming into focus as my vision cleared. I stretched out my stiff limbs, a yawn escaping me. As my senses became sharper, and my mind more alert, I noticed I was in my own house. This struck me as odd, since the last thing I remembered before Discord's spell was being inside his rather unique dwelling. "How did I get here?" I asked. "How should I know? Your fuzzy blue butt was on the couch when I walked in." Isabella replied. "So his house must have moved." I said thinking aloud as I brought a han-hoof to my mouth in thought. The odd limb took me by surprise for a second before I remembered why I had asked Discord to work his magic. It was to help Rainbow Dash, and I couldn't leave one of my best friends hanging tomorrow. "So, where'd you take the scooter?" I asked. "The Apple's farm. I didn't know who else would be good with tools, granted you're okay with them, but the scooter's going to have to be replaced anyways." Isabella replied. "Crap, so is it trashed or something?" I inquired. "No, Big Mac tried to fix it. Some paste he set it with is drying right now. It'll last for maybe two weeks before it just snaps in half again. All he can do is patch it up, I'm sorry." Isabella said taking a seat next to me. "Well....I guess getting a new one is a bit easier." I said, putting on my best fake smile. "We'll cross that fun bridge when we get to it. By the way, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Isabella asked. I tensed a bit, Twilight had taken my idea in stride and not dismissed it as another one of my human shenanigans. Izzy on the other hand, normally didn't like having bombs of this magnitude dropped on her so suddenly. "So...hypothetical question....do you think I would make a good dad?" I asked, deciding to try and ease into the topic. "Yeah, it's something you've always wanted. Why? Did you knock a mare up?" Isabella asked. "Hardly, though I have been struggling with some other things on my mind as well." I replied. "You know you want that horse p-" Isabella started to say as a grin worked its way across her face. "Please stop! I'm trying to be serious with you about this whole adoption thing....oops." I said, breaking subtly in an attempt to cut my sister off. So much for easing into the topic. "Adoption...." Isabella repeated quietly, her eyes lighting up as she put two and two together. "You want to adopt her, don't you? I can't say I'm surprised." My sister's response threw me for a loop. This was a pretty big commitment I wanted to make. I had expected her to be shocked and try to discourage me from trying to go through with my plan of action. Instead, she seemed unfazed by the news, almost as if she had been expecting it. “You’re not upset?” I asked cautiously. “No, I mean the way you get protective of her it doesn’t really surprise me-wait we are talking about Scootaloo right?” Isabella looked to me for confirmation, which I gave with a nod. “Okay, just making sure.” “It’s going to be hard though, apparently they’re only supportive of ponies adopting foals. That can’t be all there is to that little guideline, there has to be a waaa-mmm.” I tried to finish before feeling a tingling sensation on the back of my head. “You’re stressing, stop worrying about the future when it’s not here yet.” Isabella said, slowly scratching behind my ears. I wasn’t sure if I should consider this a disadvantage, or advantage of being a pegasus. “No….I need to stress and stuff….because bad things….” I mumbled as I slowly started to nod off. “You worry too much, get some rest for tomorrow.” Isabella said, both hands now following my sinking head, abusing my weakness. My mind became progressively fuzzy, a part of me was pouting from the treatment, finding it a bit degrading. This was how one would treat a dog, or cat, not a brother. That part of me was the one currently being ignored, too caught up in the pleasant feeling. Maybe she’s right; maybe I am worrying too much. What was I worrying about anyways? Oh Scootaloo….I need to work on that….but, I’ll work tomorrow….feels too good…. my thoughts slowly turned to mush before I finally dozed off, a goofy smile on my face.