Mad Love

by All of the Above


Chapter 2

As the clock struck six, Xavier noted the unicorn walking to the library. Like always, she didn’t do anything else. Nothing else of interest. Not a single change to a formula that had been long outdated and replaced by a new, more accurate formula.

Xavier waited with baited breath for a change in behavior like he was waiting for his cue to pull the trigger. Just the tiniest, most insignificant change in her routine would warrant a sudden floor painting, mainly consisting of the color red. A misstep from the trench she crafted, a simple trip out of her train track was all that it would take for him to have a feeling of closure.

Come on... Just crack already.

She disappeared into the library with a rainbow of ponies going in and out of the building. Pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies. Xavier swore he even saw an alicorn walk in with her, but that might have been the ponies blurring together from staring for too long.

Xavier felt his brain tear itself apart from lack of activity. It rolled around in his head, finding its newly discovered activity to be a lot more interesting than watching this mare do the same thing over and over again.

“I’ll take the cheese and broccoli soup, please,” Char responded.

“And for you, sir?” the waitress asked.

“You know what I want,” he replied.

The waitress didn't say anything. She only marked something on her notepad and went to go attend to the needs of other customers.

Char took a sip of his drink from his straw, making that unbearable sipping noise that Xavier could never stand. It was like a broken soundtrack of frogs bursting into flames being played over and over again.

“So, how’s your love life?” Char asked.

“...”

“Forgive me for pressing, but I think you might be dodging a question.”

“Char,” Xavier said, turning to his friend, “I think you might be a genius!” Xavier smiled a sarcastic smile, distorting it into a disgusted frown and turned back to the window.

“Come on. Letting it out will give you some much-needed help.”

“Funny, you sound just like that door-to-door salesman that came to my house a week ago.”

“I’m being serious. You know, sometimes...” Xavier turned to Char, not expecting him to go silent. “Sometimes letting out your sexual frustrations verbally can—”

“No!”

Some of the restaurant patron’s eyes looked over to them. Including a couple who heard the “sexual frustrations” bit.

“How can you be so blind about this? I just don’t want to talk about it,” Xavier shot.

“Maybe because I actually am,” Char said, with a look of death in his eyes. After which, he cracked a smirk.

That same adjacent couple gasped.

“Don’t worry, he finds it funny,” said Xavier, slightly angry about the fact that he could never truly insult Char.

“I do!” Char tilted his head back, so he could give them a good view of his faded eyes. He didn’t realize that they were sitting on the opposite wall.

They took their noses out of Xavier and Char's businesses and put them back in theirs. The mare of the couple shot them looks every now and again.

“Look, it’s been a month since you sued Dr. Steed, your trembles haven’t bothered you, and arguably the most important part, it’s been a month since you’ve talked to that unicorn,” Char said. “Quite frankly, I think you need to stop staring at her from a window and start talking to her at a booth.”

Xavier’s head leaned towards Char. “I think I’d rather just observe.”

“Xavier—”

“That was always my favorite part of conducting experiments. Just watching as chemicals bonded, reactions took place, letting science just... Be science. I think I just might let science do science right here. I don't need to do a thing. All I have to do is just watch while taking notes.”

Though Char was blind, Xavier still felt the burn of his stare. Char’s eyes were the sun and he was a little colt that was dared to stare at it. After a little bit, Char looked off into space. His personal default that Xavier was getting more and more tired of. And it wasn't even because Char was an idiot. Unfortunately, Char had a brain. And as much as Xavier hated to admit it, Char was probably a lot smarter than him.

“I just want you to get what you want before you miss your chance.”

“Now you sound like my Mom.”

“I’m being serious. One of these days, you’re going to realize that you were too late.”

“And one of these days, I’ll be terribly ill with somepony there to take care of me.”

“You’re wasting your time. Cancel your order and go and do what you're afraid of.”

“You act like you're right—”

“I know I’m right.”

“Look, I’m sorry I don’t see the way you see, but the both of us have a completely different outlook on life. So let's quit acting like you're the master, and I’m the pupil.”

Char flared his eyebrows. Xavier stared daggers, not caring that Char didn’t even know what he was doing.

Char chuckled.

“That was terrible,” Char said, leaning back in his chair.

Xavier’s serious demeanor melted away into a silly attitude. He laughed at himself, completely forgetting what he was angry about in the first place.

“It’s not like your’s are any better.”

“Mine are always funny.”

Xavier spotted the waitress walking their way carrying plates of food in her magical grasp. She approached the two, a confident smile protruding from her face like a big, bloody scar.

“Cheese and broccoli soup for you, sir. And garlic bread and steak rice for you. Okay, if you stallions need something, just give me a holler.”

She trotted away, a little skip in her step.

“Did she forget my spoon?” Char asked.

“No, she didn’t,” Xavier lied. He smiled a devilish smile, watching his friend feel around the table for an imaginary spoon.

“You liar. It’s not here,” Char snickered.

“Sorry, I thought it was there. Hold tight, I’ll go grab you one.” Xavier scooted out of his seat.

With one more glance out of the window to look at the library, Xavier prepared to take off.

His head nearly snapped off as he saw something that he never thought he would see.

That unicorn was leaving the library early with somepony. And before she even left the steps of the library, she was looking right at the restaurant that Xavier was in. Staring directly at Xavier with a tired look on her face, as if to say, “Stop staring, you creep.”

Xavier had always feared that this day would come. He would stare at her so much, she’d eventually stare back. She was cold. Emotionless. There was no curiosity in her eyes, only a deep feeling of abandonment. Like she was a dog that was dropped off at the pound to be euthanized.

He didn’t know how long he stared, but he knew that it was long enough to be classified as awkward for her, and downright terrifying for him.

Xavier turned around, dashing away from the window.


Xavier and Char left the restaurant some time later. Xavier didn’t even know what to make of her anymore. He had gotten so used to her sticking to a schedule that not even a concentrated blast from a 600-degree laser could cut through, that when it actually broke, his mind couldn’t even handle it. It was as if he had experienced what Aegis felt during that experiment. The rest of the day, all he could think about was her. What she could have possibly been doing, what kind of mare she was.

And at the same time, he had no business in her life. They were two separate entities that happened to cross paths in a world full of ponies and other less important species. He could have met some griffon across the planet and the feeling in his body would have been much the same. What was so special about this one?

Answers were as scarce as common sense, and it was driving Xavier absolutely bonkers. So bonkers, he was starting to use words like bonkers.

Xavier’s head was lying on his dusty desk. Normally, it would be inhabited by papers of plans and assorted experiment sheets. It was so much paper, he had developed a chin that was impervious to paper cuts, due to the long nights of testing out theories and banging his neck on the desk thinking of questions and answers.

But, instead of the science of... Science, he was obsessing over the science of pony attraction. There were no books or experiments that he could use for reference, all he had to go on was a personal experience and his own thoughts guiding him. His own thoughts could be of use, but his personal experience was a level 0 Mage with the Staff of Obsession and Black Tome of Self-Deprecation.

What am I thinking? Science is what I really need, not a stupid romance.

The moonlight shone through his window. He looked up. The moon stared down at him like it was... That stallion. Averting his eyes from that stallion, Xavier depressingly put his thoughts back into his work.

That stallion threw down an A- paper down onto the desk. The resounding force of the smack blew a hurricane against his face. Xavier still refused to look into that stallion’s eyes. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them away before that stallion could notice.

That stallion let out a long, frustrated sigh. He stepped away from Xavier to grab his Mother from the next room. Xavier knew it was coming. They were sending him away. All that he could do just wasn’t enough for their unreasonably high standards.

Xavier felt his muscles shaking. Gradually, the shaking overtook his entire body.

Bags were thrown down next to him. He dreaded having to turn around and face them. He couldn’t even stand the thought of them being right behind him.

Xavier picked up the suitcases and somberly walked out of his door.

The illusion was broken when he felt the cool of night against the back of his neck like a snake.

There were no suitcases with him, and there was nopony in his abode. Just an empty desk with nothing on it.

Xavier looked up to the sky. There it was, the same moon peering down at him. Significantly more happy to see him and much more benevolent.

Xavier’s breath created small clouds, evaporating into nothing in just a few short seconds. A twinge of cold nipped at his body, and he remembered just how chilly the night can get in Canterlot.

Xavier re-entered his home, shutting the door behind him.

Tomorrow, he thought to himself. I’ll start tomorrow.