"I don't know how to deal with this!"

by Dirty Bit

Chapter 14

Fluttershy and Crona sat in the library with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Discord. Needless to say that Crona was rather nervous about the whole ordeal, but the silver lining to this was that its anxiety was lessened after the latest visit to Canterlot. Silence hung in the air before it was broken by a confident Twilight.

"Okay, Crona. Are you ready?" Twilight smiled.

"I think so..." Crona murmured, looking down at the wooden floor with mild reluctance on its face. Fluttershy and Twilight felt that it wouldn't be easy with that particular response, but they weren't deterred from their goal. Twilight took a deep breath and looked over towards the stairs.

"You can come down now, Spike!" She called out. A moment later, the aforementioned dragon was seen going down the stairs and approaching the group, with Crona instantly looking away and mildly trembling. Spike crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side as he stared at the black pony.

"Don't worry. You're doing good so far, Crona." Fluttershy said encouragingly while she gently rested a hoof on Crona's back "Just remember that Spike is just as much of a friend as the rest of us, and we'll be there for you." She gave a brief nuzzle to punctuate her fact.

"O-Okay..." Crona said quietly before slowly turning its head to face Spike, only to quickly look away after catching a small glimpse of his face.

"Ummm, are you sure this is a good idea, Twilight?" Spike asked, turning to the pony in question with a raised eyebrow "I mean, Discord already gave me the gist of Crona's fear, so wouldn't it be best for me not to be anywhere near him?" He paused before shifting his eyes at Crona briefly before looking back at Twilight "Her?" He corrected himself hesitantly.

"It's no trouble at all, Spike. We're going to try our best to help Crona overcome their traumatic experience and see you as a friend." Twilight explained before looking over at Crona, who was still looking away while Fluttershy comforted them "...That is, if we can make good progress while doing so."

"Why not let them talk with each other and see what they have in common?" Pinkie suggested with a smile.

"Pinkie, we're trying to make Crona and Spike friends, not get them to date each other." Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes.

"Besides, that would be a bad idea, considering one wouldn't easily converse with the other." Discord added matter-of-factly, although he couldn't deny the hilarity of possible awkward silence between the two.

"Why don't we do some activities together and try to connect from there?" Fluttershy offered "I'm sure we can find some things to do in the library together."

"How about some Daring Do books?" Rainbow Dash asked eagerly "Crona hasn't lived til she's read the awesome adventures of a great treasure hunter!"

"Treasure hunter?" Crona blinked.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash replied instantly "She's as awesome as the adventures she goes on. So awesome that ponies are making unofficial stories of their own based on her."

"A-Are they good?" The swordpony asked, to which Rainbow Dash paused.

"Well, some of them are..." She then leered outside of a window "Others just make the stupidest stories, I was unlucky enough to read one of them." Noticing Rainbow Dash's expression, Twilight merely heaved a sigh and shook her head while Crona, Fluttershy, and Discord traded glances. Meanwhile, Pinkie only giggled and muttered something about 'Excalibur'. Fluttershy then smiled awkwardly.

"How about we let Crona decide what we should do together?" Fluttershy asked, hoping that everypony else would comply.

"Maybe you're right, Fluttershy." Twilight responded before smiling warmly at the swordpony "Something in their comfort zone would possibly work wonders for future friendships. What would you like to do, Crona."

"Um..." Crona looked down, clutching their right foreleg with a hoof "I don't know how to answer that one..." They said uncomfortably. Twilight hummed before an idea came to her.

"Okay, is there something that you would do that would lift your spirits? Something you and Maka did together?" Crona perked up at the mention of Maka and decided to think back on the memories they spent together back at the DWMA.

"Hmm...Well, Maka once told me that she writes poems whenever something's bothering her." The swordpony suggested.

"Poetry? Really?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow while Twilight's eyes lit up.

"That's a great idea! Maybe we can each make our own poems and read them to each other." Twilight said vigourously while clopping her forehooves.

"Poetry? That sounds fun!" Pinkie chimed in. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs and closed her eyes.

"I dunno. I mean, yeah, I'm writing a novel of my own, but I don't think I'm up for poetry." Rainbow Dash said with mild protest.

"C'mon, Dashie. I know you'll make an awesome poem." Pinkie grinned brightly at the cyan pegasus, who picked up a smile after hearing her praise.

"So this is turning into a poetry corner, then? Very well." Discord snapped his talons and was seen wearing a black shirt and beret, as well as framed glasses while holding a set of bongos "If it's what Crona wants, I suppose I'll try and project my muse." He said before hitting the bongos rapidly with his paw and claw. Fluttershy giggled before smiling at Crona.

"I'm glad you're willing to cooperate with us, Crona. I can't wait to read what you'll write for everypony." Fluttershy said warmly. The black pony looked down and fidgeted their hooves. Twilight glanced at Crona with a grin.

"Say, Crona. Have you ever wrote a poem with Maka?" Crona nodded to Twilight's question, to which her grin widened "Great. Why not show us that one?" Crona looked up and blinked at Twilight.

"R-Really? Well, okay..." Crona murmured.

"I'll go get the parchments!" Spike said with a smile as he scurried back up the stairs.
_____

Sounds of scribbling filled the air as the group worked on their own poems. Crona, however, was struggling with using its mouth while the other ponies did so flawlessly. It gave up on trying to write while staring down despondently at the scribbles that covered the parchment. Crona then looked at its forehooves with a frown.

"I miss my hands..." The swordpony said somberly. Fluttershy looked up with a frown before she had an idea. She trotted over to Discord and began whispering into an ear, making the draconequus stop what he was doing as he stared blankly before a smile graced his lips. With a snap of his talons, Crona's forehooves flashed and developed five black digits.

"Wh-What?" Crona muttered in surprise.

"Just to help you out with your little problem. Thank Fluttershy for the idea." He directed a claw to an equally surprised Fluttershy.

"Um...Discord, when I asked if you would please help Crona, that wasn't what I had in mind..." Fluttershy explained as she stared at the black pony's mutated hooves. Pinkie gasped as she looked up as well, although she grinned at the sight.

"Hey! I can do that, too! Watch." She said before she took a deep breath and breathed into her right hoof, while the left hoof began sprouting four tiny digits resembling a hand. Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash shuddered at the sight of it.

"Maybe one of us should help Crona with her poem?" Rainbow Dash asked. Crona, after flexing the fingers on their new set of hands, spoke up.

"I think I can work with this. It feels weird in this body, but..." Crona balled its hands into fists "Thanks, Fluttershy. And Discord, too."

"No problem, my friend. Anything to get your creativity flowing." Discord said as his eyes shifted to resemble orange lava lamps. Crona stared at the draconequus and smiled awkwardly before picking up a pen and began to write more on their parchment, much better than before. The others went back to their own papers and did the same.

"You can give Crona hooves again when this is over, right, Discord?" Fluttershy whispered, to which Discord nodded with a genuine smile.

"Anything for you, Fluttershy." He replied.
_____

"Okay, everypony. Who will read their poem first?" Twilight asked her friends as the entire group held their own respective finished projects in their grasp. Crona, now with forehooves again, kept its parchment face down, away from any curious eyes. Pinkie flailed a raised hoof as she grinned ecstatically.

"Oh! Oh! Pick me!" Pinkie asked with glee.

"Why not let Crona do it?" Spike asked "Isn't this what the whole exercise was about?"

"Good idea, Spike." Twilight responded with a proud smile before turning to Crona "What do you say, Crona? Care to recite your poem to everypony?"

"Um...I-I'd rather not. I don't know how to deal with reading to crowds..." The black pony fidgeted its forehooves before Fluttershy came to their side with a warm smile.

"It's okay, Crona. I understand completely." Fluttershy said while placing a hoof on Crona's back, setting them at ease. Spike tilted his head before he smiled.

"Why don't I read it, then?" Spike asked as he went to pick up Crona's poem. He stopped to look up at the nervous pony in front of him "Do you mind?" When he was met with a shaking head, he picked up the parchment and skimmed the contents for himself before going over to Twilight. He was surprisingly silent as he continued reading until Twilight joined him.

"I'm curious about this, too. What's it say?" She then found herself enraptured by the parchment as the two read it in silence. Rainbow Dash stared at them before cocking her head to the side.

"Hey, what's the holdup? You gonna read it or not?" She asked. Instead of a verbal answer, Spike had placed the parchment face down on a nearby coffee table and walked over to a corner with Twilight following behind.

What happened next surprised everyone in the room, bar Crona, as they watched Spike and Twilight sit down and curl up next to each other with their backs turned to the others. Both of their ears were flopped downward to show their apparent depression before they croaked in unison.

"I wish I was never born..."

Needless to say, the others were shocked about this sudden happening. Crona merely stared at them before looking away in slight embarrassment.

"Wow. I look at Twilight and get a case of deja vu." Discord piped up incredulously. Three sets of glaring eyes followed after his quip, to which he pointed at Twilight "Don't give me that! This is practically a spitting image of our first encounter; the only difference being that a piece of written paper did this and not me!" Fluttershy looked over at the parchment and went over to pick it up.

"Crona, what could you have possibly written?" The timid pegasus asked with morbid curiosity. She skimmed the poem for herself, quickly joined by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

"I wanna see, too. It can't be that bad, can it?" Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically.

"Yeah. It's just a poem, right?" Pinkie asked as she read silently with her friends.

In one quick motion, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie joined Spike and Twilight in the corner, sitting down in the same depressive fashion as them. Pinkie's mane and tail even became straight somehow, much to Crona's surprise.

"I wish I was never born..." They whimpered.

Crona saw how Spike and the ponies had gathered to share their newfound misery together. Depressing as the sight may be, it felt oddly nostalgic to Crona. So the swordpony did the one thing possible to support its new friends.

By joining them.

"I wish I was never born..." Crona moaned in the same depressive tone as the others while sitting with them.

Discord was the only one who remained, silently staring at the face-down poem in front of him that somehow held the power to bring down two thirds of the Elements of Harmony. If he hadn't have been reformed, he would've used it to his advantage, but right now, he was entirely curious about the poem's effectiveness.

This curiosity was replaced with caution. He knew what would happen if he decided to read it for himself and did not feel up to following the crowd. He looked away with his arms crossed, muzzle in the air as he attempted to look strong-willed against the piece of paper beneath him.

He continued to stand tall, until one of his eyes opened up, looking down at the poem. Then he merely closed it again.

Discord then opened his eyes to stare at the wall of books, wondering if he should eat one of them. Maybe he could eat the poem, he thought, but he realized that something that bad would probably give him indigestion.

He continued staring at the books until something slowly rose up into his vision, held up by his tail.

It was the poem.

Discord cursed his curiosity before he dropped the poem and decidedly joined his new friends in the corner, literally shrinking down to size before curling up with a look of profound sadness on his face.

"I wish I was never reformed..." Discord mewled.
_____

Later, after Pinkie Pie was the first to get out of her funk and quickly baked some cupcakes for her friends, they decided to skip their poetry session, especially when Discord volunteered to send Crona's poem into 'another dimension'. They were now currently mulling over alternative activities to help Crona and Spike bond with each other.

"Okay, since poetry's out of the question, who has some other ideas?" Twilight asked, oblivious to the shameful look on Crona's face while she asked her question.

"Anything that doesn't involve us getting sad aga-" A look from Fluttershy instantly silenced Rainbow Dash as she rolled her eyes, trying to think of a better idea "Uh, h-how about something fun? Maybe reading some Daring Do books?"

"Daring Do?" Crona blinked "Who's that?" Rainbow Dash wanted to appear shocked, but remembered where the black pony once hailed from before she donned an enthusiastic smile.

"Only the best treasure hunter ever seen in a story." She boasted "Twilight owns all of the books made so far, and I've read through each one twice."

"Oh." Crona looked down "I'm not really much of a reader."

"Neither am I, but this series is what got me into it!" Rainbow Dash countered with a grin "It's that good!"

"You must have at least one hobby, Crona." Fluttershy said before directing a hoof towards herself with a smile "My hobbies include spending time with my animals, and going to the spa with Rarity. Sometimes, all of my friends go there, too."

"I like to read, study, and socialize with my friends, but of course, you already know that." Twilight giggled sheepishly.

"Whenever I'm not making sweets, I like to make sure everypony has a smile on their face." Pinkie chimed in brightly.

"I like to exercise and practice some tricks while flying, myself." Rainbow Dash added pridefully "Though, I always love me a good nap or two."

"And I personally enjoy some chaos now and then." After all eyes were on Discord, most of which unpleasant, he cleared his throat "Of course, I also enjoy spending tea time with Fluttershy." Crona looked around at the group until its gaze focused on Spike, which made the swordpony tense up slightly.

"Wh-What about you?" Crona asked. Spike smiled as he held up a claw

"All I ever do is assist Twilight around the library and clean the place, but I also like to help Rarity dig up gems whenever she needs them. But other than that, I like to collect comic books! Oh, and I also play piano, but I barely do that." Crona perked up and looked at Spike with intrigue.

"Maka said that Soul plays piano as well." The black pony uttered with a nostalgic look on its face. Spike blinked.

"Soul? Who's he?" He asked inquisitively.

"An old friend of mine. He's Maka's weapon." Crona explained briefly. Spike stared blankly at Crona before turning to Twilight in bewilderment. The lavender unicorn giggled at his expression.

"It's complicated, but maybe we can introduce you to Crona's friends the next time we visit Canterlot." Twilight said.

"Huh. Well, anyways..." Spike turned back to Crona with a smile on his face "Maybe you're not much of a reader, but you haven't lived til you read a good comic book."

"Are they better than Daring Do?" Crona asked Spike. Before Rainbow Dash could speak up, Discord sealed her lips with a zipper with a smirk on his face.

"They're pretty good. Wanna read some?" Spike asked. Crona stared and hesitated. It felt so sudden to see a trigger of bad memories as a friend, but considering the effort everypony was putting into helping Crona overcome its fear, there wasn't any other alternative. Suppressing a shiver, the swordpony nodded with a small smile.

"S-Sure. I'd like that." Spike grinned at the answer.

"Great! Follow me. I'll lead you to my stash!" He said as he waddled toward the stairs with Crona looking. It cast a quick glance over at the others, namely an ecstatic Fluttershy, before tentatively following Spike up the stairs. After they were out of sight. Discord made Dash's zipper vanish, ignoring the baleful glare he received from his actions. Meanwhile, Twilight looked up the stairs in contentment.

"Well, I'd say that we're off to a good start, everypony." Twilight chirped "Crona might adjust to Spike faster than we realized!" Discord inspected his bird claws while he hovered in the air.

"That's good and all, Twilight, but I believe we're forgetting one more little black and grumpy obstacle." Discord said matter-of-factly. Everypony present perked up.

"Oh no, that's right! Spike hasn't seen Ragnarok yet!" Twilight nearly shouted.

"It's weird that he hasn't shown his ugly face yet. You think he's just tired or bored?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

The group looked up the stairs, hearing the sound of Spike screaming. Fluttershy paled slightly while Twilight's ears flopped.

"Whatever it is, we should probably go up there..."