Day: Sunday
Weather: Sunset, clear skies
Time: 5:45pmAfter everything I've been through since I reformed, I believed nothing could be worse than what happened during the Friendship Games. That's no longer the case. What I thought was an innocent suggestion from Twilight turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. I wasn't against the idea of having another sleepover, but I was against having it at my place. Living in the library did have its perks, but throwing a sleepover wasn't one of them. My friends agreed with Twilight's suggestion, leaving me in a position that I couldn't get out of. If something went wrong, not only would I have to explain what happened to Principal Celestia, I'd lose the only home I've ever known in this world, and most likely be expelled. I wanted this sleepover to go by without any problems, but when magic is around, you can forget all about having a normal experience. It seems Twilight may have retained some of the magic she had absorbed... and has no idea how to control it...
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
May 24, 2016
Bonus Chapter 2: Sleepover Surprise.
" So, that's what really happened to you since the start?"
" Yes. I know it's difficult to understand considering you've only known what you've seen and heard." I answered.
" Why didn't you want to share this information with me?"
" You're not around here as much as you would like."
" It's never stopped me before, has it?"
" Unlike me, you have obligations that must come first before personal pleasure. You may not like to hear that, but it's the honest truth. Originally, I was planning on telling this to you because of the connection between us, but then her connection proved stronger, and I felt more comfortable sharing my story with her instead." I answered.
" If Princess Celestia heard you say those words, she'd be crying tears of joy knowing how far you've come since those days. Everyday, she waits for you to come through the portal and into her arms, and she asks me when that day will finally happen. I've told her that you find it difficult to want to return home because of your crimes. Her response usually involves saying she will bypass the law and grant you freedom."
" She knows that's not how it's supposed to work. I appreciate Princess Celestia wanting to see me again, and heaven knows how much I want to see her. But, right now, it's just not the right time for me. I feel like I've been a huge disappointment because of our falling out. If it wasn't for you showing me the way, I might still be a bully looking out only for myself." I said.
" I understand that you're not ready."
" Thanks."
" I'm still surprised that you decided to share your true story with the other Twilight."
" She became a demonic monster just as I had done and is going through the same aftermath that I went through. To me, that was all I needed to have her be the one to share my deepest secrets with. Twilight does have your curiosity, Princess Twilight, but she tends to ask way too many questions for my liking." I said.
" You don't need to use my title when addressing me."
" It helps me denote which of you is which." I said.
The story of my struggles in life since my early days in Equestria feel like they've become the stuff of legend. Already, I've had to explain my troubled past to Twilight, and then to my friends, who deserved to know the truth. It was a difficult undertaking with a looming fear that hung above my head the whole time. For a long time, I was afraid of telling anyone my true opinions about my friends, other people I knew, the world I call home, and so much more. If they had taken my thoughts the wrong way, my friendships with them would have ended, and I would be alone once again like I had been before. The thought of being alone was something I never wanted to experience again, so I kept everything written down into a journal that no one knew existed. I kept it that way until Twilight got to see it with her own eyes.
About a week after telling my friends about the contents of my journal, I finally mustered the courage to tell my story to Princess Twilight herself. I wanted to talk with her outside the main entrance to the school where the Wondercolt statue stood--it still hasn't been repaired. She agreed to the meeting and arrived a few hours ago at a time when no one aside from me was on school grounds; it was a Sunday, after all. She said that she had some free time, as nothing serious was happening back home, so that gave me the opportunity to share my story.
Why did I decide to leave her until last to share my story with? Her Highness wasn't as accessible as everyone else due to her commitments in Equestria keeping her occupied, yet I found that to be a lousy excuse on my part. I should have been honest from the beginning and showed her the journal first by overcoming my own fears and going through the portal.
By not telling her straight away, I felt like I had done Her Highness a terrible disservice. She was the one who gave me a second chance at friendship. She took some time from her duties to teach me some lessons by responding to my Friendship Reports and coming through the portal to help me deal with some personal problems that no one else could've understood. I'm sure she doesn't feel the way I do about how I left her in the dark for so long, but I feel like Her Highness deserved to be the first to know. In this world, we ponies have to stick together because of how we're different from everyone. There have been times where I struggle to overcome the fact that I'm the only Equestrian who currently lives in the town of Canterlot--the Sirens' locations still remain unknown to this day.
Once I had finished telling my story to Her Highness, she was in utter disbelief over what had happened to me. She only knew what Princess Celestia had said about me prior to first coming to this world, and what I had hinted at from time to time. To learn that so much more about me existed proved mind-boggling, yet she was determined to take it all in at once and process everything. If anyone would understand my trouble past, it was Her Highness. After all, she was a fellow pony and knew better than anyone what it was like having a difficult childhood growing up in a world that was far more vast than you originally thought.
While Twilight and my other friends had asked me numerous questions--most of them involved things about Equestria--Princess Twilight didn't ask nearly as many. She knew more about Equestrian lore than I did, and what I told the others is what she told me through her responses. She did ask about what had been going on in-between her absences--especially if it had to do with Flash Sentry--so that she could be up-to-date without the fear of being out of the loop.
" Well, if you want to use my title, then I guess that's okay. But, back to your story."
" My life has been pretty messed up."
" I didn't know that it started from your parents neglecting you in favour of your siblings."
" Being the youngest in my family, I was full of potential, but I was also behind my brothers and sisters. From the very beginning, I knew that I was gifted in magic, and I believed that I would become one of the greatest unicorns who ever lived. My parents, on the other hand, didn't think I was worth any investment. They pretended to be excited that they had another talented pony, but deep down, they cared more for my siblings than for me." I said.
" Didn't you try explaining things?"
" It proved to be in vain, so I decided to train myself in magic." I answered. Just thinking about those early days living with my family brought back painful memories that I've long since buried. Had I been given the proper encouragement, I wouldn't have developed so much hatred in my heart. Because I was ignored all the time, I believed that everyone else was inferior, and I was destined for something better. If Princess Celestia hadn't taken notice of my talent, I'd still be at home wallowing away while my siblings continued getting so much praise just because they were older. " I no longer associate with my family. In fact, I haven't been home to see them since I left with Celestia."
" That must have been over fifteen years ago."
" Something like that."
" I can understand why you chose to distance yourself from them, but did you ever stop to think that they regret the way they treated you? I know parents can be selfish sometimes by focusing on some things and ignoring others, yet I'm sure your family is wondering what has become of you." Princess Twilight said.
" Celestia received three letters from my family in the years after I left."
" Only three!?"
" Expecting more?" I asked, opening my journal and combing through the pages. " I was lucky that they even bothered to send one, let alone three. In each letter, they misspelt my name--they didn't even try to get it right, which I took immediate offence to--asked if my magic had gotten better, and when they would be allowed to visit Canterlot. Not once did I ask if I wanted to come back home for a visit, or my life in general." Combing through the pages, I eventually stopped at one of the first entries where I wrote down my true thoughts about the family who neglected me. There was no photo, but rather a description in my own words of how I felt about them. " As you can see here, Princess Twilight, I had some pretty harsh opinions about my parents and siblings. I've never once regretted these thoughts."
" What did Princess Celestia think?"
" She was surprised at how I had been neglected for so long."
" Is that why she wanted you to study under her guidance?"
" Yes. Her aim was to get me away from such a horrible family, but unfortunately, she didn't come to see me until a little ways into my life. By the time she came, I had grown bitter from how my family ignored my efforts at pleasing them. If she had only come a year sooner, I wouldn't have been obsessed with wanting power above all else." I answered.
" Sunset... I'm sorry that you had to go through that."
" It's in the past now. I've never kept tabs on my family, so as far as I'm concerned, they are all dead to me."
" None of them were an exception?"
" No."
" And you see our friends as your true family?" Princess Twilight asked.
I nodded. Our friends accepted me for who I was, despite things starting off on the wrong foot. It took them several weeks before they could finally forgive me for the way I treated them during my days as a bully. I suppose my actions were the result of me lashing out against a world for how bad my childhood was. No one deserved to be treated like dirt beneath my shoes, nor did their friendships need to be destroyed all because I never learned the importance of friendship. Our friends have stood by me through thick and thin, despite some problems flaring up because of my temper. We've grown together in a short period of time, yet it feels like we've all known each other forever.
Her Highness was a part of our family but more towards being a distant member who we don't get to see as often as we would like. Twilight herself had since become our newest family member, whose curiosity proved limitless in her bid to acquire more knowledge for the sake of it. It might not be glamourous compared to other families, but I'd never trade them for anything in the world.
" If I may be honest, Princess Twilight, I'd rather not talk about my old family anymore."
" I understand."
" Let me just say one thing before we move on. If I were to ever run into any of them again, I wouldn't hesitate about giving them a piece of my mind before walking away and leaving them behind in the past." I said.
" If you hadn't told me about your past, I would have questioned your ethics, but I know better than that now. No one should ever be ignored by their family. You suffered so much pain because of them, and it changed you into the person who wanted to conquer Equestria using a teenage zombie army." Princess Twilight said. I blushed, knowing that it wasn't one of my better choices. Thankfully, the students of CHS did forgive me for that after a while.
" Anyway, after I told everyone about what happened when I came down with a cold, Twilight made a suggestion that didn't settle well with me." I said, flipping through my journal to the very end, where I had placed a sticker to mark the last entry. I showed Her Highness that a new entry had been written down, and was accompanied by a photo. It showed all of us minus her having a sleepover, yet I looked nervous compared to everyone else. " She said we should have the sleepover at my place, but apparently she neglected to remember where it is I live. I guess a sleepover in the library is fine, but not when you have seven people, one dog, and Equestrian magic."
After the insanity that was the Friendship Games, I was ready to finally get back down to business and resume my life without having to deal with threats from Equestria or that involved magic from my home world. Unfortunately, destiny often had other plans for me, and this time was going to be no exception. I had accepted the fact that Crystal Prep now knew the secret my friends and I had been trying to hide throughout the Games. They promised not to upload anything online about what happened or talk about it to anyone. All of CHS didn't believe they could be trusted to keep this secret, yet I told them that trust was important in allowing our schools to be able to get along.
In the weeks since then, Crystal Prep kept its word, and the events of the Games can now be forgotten. Even Principal Cinch didn't want to mention anything about what happened, yet she had her own selfish reasons for not wanting anything to become public. Her reputation had been all but completely destroyed by her actions, resulting in her students realizing what kind of monster she really was. To keep her dignity--what little of it remained--intact, Cinch refused to talk about anything related to the Games. To her, it was a nightmare she wished never happened, yet the harsh truth of reality would forever haunt her every waking moment. While she remained the principal, Cinch knew that she was under close observation by everyone who attended Crystal Prep. A fitting end to someone who cared little about her students' well-being.
CHS got a boost in the form of Twilight Sparkle choosing to transfer over to our school as the newest Wondercolt. While some would have suggested that she remained at her old school to teach them about friendship, she herself lacked any understanding about it. She believed that the CHS students were experts on friendship--she believed it to be an excellent subject--and that she could learn what it means to be surrounded by friends. Twilight even got to meet her pony counterpart, Princess Twilight, in a meeting I didn't think would happen so quickly, and now, the two Twilights have knowledge that an identical version of herself exists.
While I held a strong connection to Her Highness, I had an even stronger one with Twilight because the pair of us became monsters corrupted by magic and struggled to find our place within a world that didn't understand us. That was why I decided to share my past with her. I wrote down everything that ever happened to me in a journal making sure nothing was left out. It contained secret feelings about my friends, Her Highness, Princess Celestia, other people, this world, and so much more. No one even knew it existed until I showed it to Twilight some weeks ago. I wanted to finally come out of hiding and reveal all I had written down.
I feared revealing my secrets. I believed my friends would end their friendship with me over what I said about them, yet Twilight stood by my side and told me that I couldn't continue running away from my fears. I confronted them and revealed the truth behind the other journal, bracing for the worst to happen. My friends thought it over amongst themselves, and after what felt like an eternity, they accepted my actions with open arms. They followed me and Twilight, and I told them everything I wrote down in the journal, making sure to not skip anything. I believed this would be the last time I wrote anything down in its pages. I thought I would never have to open it up again for any reason, but it turned out that I was wrong.
To allow herself to get to know her new friends better, Twilight suggested a sleepover, and all of us were keen on the idea. I was happy at first about the idea, until she said that we should have it at my place. My heart immediately froze upon hearing what she said. I lived in the school library, arranged by Principal Celestia but disliked by Mrs. Cheerilee and the janitors. I had been trusted with such a privilege, and I feared it being taken away from me were it to become known that six other students and a dog had joined me in a sleepover that also doubled as a party--Pinkie Pie intended for it to be a shindig the likes of which we had never experienced before.
What truly made it a terrifying prospect was magic being added to the equation. All of us, save for Twilight--I didn't know at the time that she still possessed a sliver of magic inside of her--had magic, and while we could easily control it, I feared my friends would misuse their gift just because things were peaceful again. If anything in the library got damaged, I would be stripped of my privileges, banished from the library, and maybe even expelled from CHS.
I tried to convince everyone to have the sleepover somewhere else, but my efforts were in vain. They ignored my pleas and were dead-set on having it in the library. My home and way of life was in jeopardy of being taken away from me.
Later, I spoke to Applejack when we were the only two in the library. Everyone else had yet to arrive, and she could tell that something was on my mind.
" Y'all seem nervous, Sunset." Applejack said.
" I don't want this sleepover to happen." I said.
" What!? Now why would you say somethin' like that? You know this means an awful lot to Twilight, so why do you have to try and ruin it for her? She needs this so that she can get to know the rest of us better and be comfortable knowin' she's among friends who care about her." Applejack said.
" It's not that."
" I know you two got off to a good start, but it don't mean denyin' us the same thing."
" I'm not against the sleepover--"
" But you just said that you were. Shoot! Reckon y'all ought to make up your mind, Sunset."
" I want it to happen, just not here." I said. Applejack blinked at me for a few seconds before taking off her Stetson hat and scratched her head. Did she seriously not understand how serious the situation was? My home was about to become party central--Pinkie's words, not mine--and no one cared about the consequences of having a sleepover at my place. I felt like my life hung in the balance, and my friends were more interested in integrating Twilight into the group. " Applejack... You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
" Fraid not, sugarcube."
" That figures."
" Why are you so dead-set against havin' a slumber party with your pals?"
" You've got it all wrong!" I shouted, my temper flaring up and making me want to smash something just to get it out of my system. Luckily, I quickly realized what I was about to do, so I began to breathe slowly in an effort to calm down before I did something I'd regret. Applejack merely stared at me without making any kind of reaction. She had long gotten adjusted to my sudden outbursts or knew that she had to maintain her cool what with being the voice of reason for us. " I didn't want to have the sleepover in the library because of the public property that surrounds us. If anything gets damaged, I'd be held responsible and get kicked out. This is the only home I can afford, so if I am forced to leave, I'll end up on the streets."
" Shoot! Why didn't y'all say somethin'?"
" I did! Several times, yet you all ignored me in favour of Twilight."
" Guess we should've listened."
" I'm used to having my opinions ignored." I said. This whole situation reminded me of when I was a filly. My parents ignored me in favour of my siblings, and it left me feeling angry that my own opinions never amounted to anything other than pointless dribble. Twilight knew that the library was a terrible place for a sleepover yet insisted on having it there. I knew she was excited about learning more about her new friends, but did it have to come at the cost of me losing my home? " I'd like nothing more than to tell everyone that the sleepover is changing locations, but everyone's gotten so excited about it being here." I said.
" Maybe I can knock some sense into 'em."
" You think it might work?"
" Trust me, Sunset. Reckon I can tell them how much this has upset you, and convince 'em to change it to one of our homes instead."
" If you can do that, I'd be in your debt, Applejack."
" It ain't nothin' at all! Besides, it's our fault for not realizin' what was truly at stake here." Applejack said.
Thirty minutes later, the rest of my friends arrived with their sleeping bags and backpacks. They had been talking amongst themselves over how awesome the sleepover was going to be, but when Applejack approached them, a stern look on her face, they sensed that something was wrong. She then proceeded to explain the situation regarding how my home was on the line should the sleepover happen. As Applejack continued talking, Twilight's expression indicated that she clearly hadn't thought things through. The library wasn't just a roof over my head. It was also a hallowed place of learning.
A sleepover in the vein of what we have would no doubt cause some property damage. Rainbow Dash thought I was overreacting and was jealous of the fact that Twilight was getting all the attention. I then reminded her that Mrs. Cheerilee was a hawk when it came to looking over every last nook and cranny of the library. Should she even see a tiny bit of damage on one of her precious books... the thought proved too unbearable for me to think about.
Moreover, I lacked any credentials to get me another place to live. I may have been registered as a student a long time ago, but I didn't have anything like a health card, social insurance number, or even an official place of residence as required by law. In the eyes of the local government, I didn't even exist. I was an alien living under the radar.
Once Applejack finished her explanation, Twilight was the first to respond.
" I... I can't believe that I completely forgot about Sunset's living conditions." Twilight said.
" Other than the six of us and Principal Celestia, no one even knows that Sunset lives here in the library."
" Mrs. Cheerilee and the janitors know." I said.
" The point is, everyone else thinks she lives somewhere really close to the school."
" If we have our sleepover here, we'd run the risk of causing serious damage to the books." Twilight said.
" What risk? I think we'll be just fine." Pinkie Pie said. All of us immediately looked in her direction with glares cold enough to turn anyone to stone. Pinkie didn't understand why we were looking at her with disdain until we looked at what she brought along for the sleepover. Behind her were several boxes and a large cannon most likely filled to the brim with confetti. " Ohhhh... You guys know that I never go to a sleepover without my party supplies." Pinkie looked at what she brought before turning back to face us. She blushed upon seeing that we weren't thrilled with her antics. The cannon alone was enough to cause all sorts of damage. While the confetti itself wasn't an issue, the explosion that comes when the cannon is fired certainly is an issue.
" That's exactly the reason why I didn't want the sleepover here." I said.
" Maybe we can go to one of your places instead." Twilight said.
" What about your place?" Pinkie Pie asked.
" I live on the other side of Canterlot. I had to convince my brother to give me a ride down to Rarity's house since he was doing something else tonight. To go back and have the sleepover at my house would mean calling Shining Armour again, and I don't think he would appreciate me using him like a chauffeur." Twilight answered.
" That makes sense."
" What about your place, Pinkie?"
" My parents are home right now and don't like the noise that my supplies make."
" Then don't use them."
" What!? Don't use my party cannon!? Are you crazy, Twilight!? That's like asking to be normal!"
" Guess that means your house isn't going to work either. Hmmm... That leaves just four more homes left, so which one of you will volunteer to house our sleepover? I know it's on short notice, but we really do need to change locations for Sunset's sake more than anything else." Twilight said. At first, Pinkie didn't like the idea of not using her supplies, but she quickly caught on to the fact that what she brought would land me in deep trouble were something to go wrong.
Rarity and Fluttershy began talking amongst themselves over which of their homes would make for an ideal location, and Applejack said that she didn't mind having it over at her family's farm like in the past. It did mean having to use the barn again as opposed to the actual Apple Family House, but at least Pinkie would be free to use her supplies without being told to tone it down. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, appeared to be the only one who didn't accept the initial decision of changing locations. In fact, she had been quiet the entire time while we were discussing things, but she eventually decided on speaking her mind, much to my displeasure.
" Are you guys kidding me!?" Rainbow Dash said.
" About what?" Applejack asked.
" You want to change places at the very last minute!? How lame is that!?"
" What are you gettin' at?"
" We all agreed to come here to Sunset's place for the sleepover, so I think we should stick with that plan! I know Pinkie can get a little carried away--no, a lot--with her antics, but if she can show some restraint, we can make this work." Rainbow Dash answered.
I slapped my head. I knew Rainbow was going to say something like that. She didn't want to compromise and instead wanted to see this through to the end. Did she really want to see me get kicked out of the library--the place that I called home--permanently? My fate was hanging by a thread, and she didn't care? I felt like giving her a piece of my mind, but I showed held back--I had to squeeze one of my pillows to let loose some stress--before Applejack turned to face her. If anyone was going to set Rainbow straight, it was going to be her.
" I'm aware we all agreed to come here, but we forgot to take Sunset's arrangements into consideration."
" So? We can work around it."
" You're missin' the point here, Rainbow."
" Just hear me out! We can still have the sleepover here, but we don't do what we usually do in these situations. That means none of your party supplies, Pinkie, no dancing about, no crashing into anything, no food that can stain the books, and no costume changes." Rainbow Dash said, her eyes focusing squarely on Rarity as she finished. While I thought it was noble of her to keep things under control, it wasn't enough to convince me that we could pull it off without something going wrong.
" What do you all think?" Twilight asked.
" I'm definitely against having the sleepover here." I answered.
" Yeah? Well, I want to have it here! Besides, if we were gonna have it somewhere else, we'd be wasting an hour at the very least relocating our stuff. It's already past 6:00pm, and I've got no intention of wasting anymore time arguing about this." Rainbow Dash said.
" Then we're at an impasse."
" Seems like it."
" What about the rest of you?"
" I'm not sure where everyone else stands, but I for one would really like to have it here. However, I will accept relocating to a better home because of Sunset's concerns. I have an idea on how we can come up with a decision without you two tearing each other apart." Twilight answered. She reached into her backpack and ripped out a piece of paper from a notebook. No matter where she is or what she's doing, Twilight always brings along homework and school supplies. Taking the piece of paper, she ripped it into seven pieces, and handed one piece to each of us. " We're going to solve this problem using the democratic process."
" Seems fair to me." Applejack said.
" I'm not so sure." I said.
" Afraid you'll lose?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Where I'm from, we don't exactly use the kind of democratic process that you use in this world." I answered. In Equestria, Princess Celestia has been the only ruler we ponies have known for the last thousand years. Princess Luna was absent for the same amount of time--she's regained her ruling status now--after being banished, and Her Highness doesn't really rule over anything. Princess Cadance, according to Her Highness, have ruled over the Crystal Empire with Shining Armour, Princess Twilight's older brother, for the last year. Aside from them, there haven't been any elections or anything of the sort, at least, as far as I'm aware.
We were focused on traditional means to determine our leaders. In this world, they used a voting system combined with several months of campaigning in order to entice people to choose them. It sounded effective, but then I've read in history books that some choices were abysmal.
" Alright! Both of you calm down before we have to separate you." Applejack said.
" Here's how we're going to do this. Each of us will write down our name on the shred of paper I've given each of you, and then we'll either put down yay or nay to decide if we should have the sleepover here, or somewhere else. If yay prevails, we have it here. If nay prevails, we'll have it elsewhere, meaning a rescheduling is needed." Twilight said.
So it came down to a vote to determine our next course of action. My friends spent no time writing down what they wanted to do, but I was hesitant about the whole thing. I knew that having a sleepover in the library would lead to disaster. There were shelves lined with books, desks, computers, and other things that were really expensive. These could never be replaced without spending a small chunk of the schools budget--they spent a large amount to pay for the relay race used during the Friendship Games. Why couldn't Rainbow understand that we couldn't have a normal sleepover anymore, what with our magic no longer tied down by our instruments.
There was one other factor I hadn't taken into consideration either, and that was Twilight herself. When I successfully changed her back to normal after she spent a short period of time as a demonic monster, my assumption was that I had drained her body of all the magic she had unintentionally absorbed. She would live out her life as she did before she became involved with our magical dilemma, her transformed state being nothing more than a painful memory of how she almost destroyed this world. It didn't dawn on me until later in the evening that magic didn't simply disappear after being integrated with someone.
Several minutes later, I finally wrote down my decision, and we all handed our shreds of paper to Twilight. She looked over each piece, wrote down the totals on her notepad, and turned to face us with the results.
" What's the verdict?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" According to what each of you wrote, everyone aside from Sunset and Applejack voted in favour of having the sleepover here."
" Yes! The 'yays' have it!"
I thought about protesting the decision, but I quickly renounced that thought. Aside from Applejack, everyone else wanted to carry out the original plan. My heart sank knowing that my future in the library was hanging by a mere thread, yet it quickly regained its positive vibe knowing that I had at least one person on my side. Applejack knew how upset I was, and voted to have us change locations. Sadly, our efforts were in vain and the sleepover started almost immediately. Pinkie Pie thought about celebrating by firing her party cannon, but she was quickly silenced when Rainbow glared at her. She knew that she had to avoid using any of her supplies. While Pinkie pouted over being denied her fun, she quickly realized why she had to avoid causing a fracas.
Within the first twenty minutes, everyone was starting to get bored. The sleepover wasn't going as well as expected due to the heavy restriction placed on us. That's why I suggested we change location. By holding back our usual antics, we were getting antsy--Pinkie was really taking it badly--and twitching from time to time. If we were at Rainbow's place, or even Applejack's, Pinkie would be partying like there was no tomorrow. Instead, we just stared at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Luckily, Fluttershy thought ahead of time by bringing a couple of board games for us to play. It might not have been to everyone's liking, but at least we didn't have to spend any longer staring at each other until we could no longer take it.
The Game we ended up playing more often involved moving around the board as a group of adventurers aiming to complete a heroic quest for fame and glory. We even had our own character sheets that recorded our progress such as treasures found, monsters slain, and how much health we had left. I was surprised that Fluttershy had such a game--which proved very addictive. I asked her why she had it, and she said that it belonged to her brother, who used to play it with her all the time until he moved out. Rainbow, who had been the most bored among us, just couldn't wait until she could roll the dice again.
She had become obsessed with this heroic game, named "HeroQuest", and I thought it was a good distraction for all of us. Pinkie got to play the role of the Gamesmaster, the one who decided how the adventure would progress. It may not have been the same as firing her party cannons, but she was enjoying coming up with new rules that further complicated things. None of us complained about some of her more contentious rules, however. We knew Pinkie just wanted to have fun, so we gave her free reign so long as she didn't make a rule that made no sense to the game's mechanics.
After playing for an hour, Twilight had just grabbed the dice for her turn. Her character was a wizard--interesting, given her little episode--and while she did enjoy pretending to be a spellcaster, she began thinking back on the magic she used in her bid for knowledge.
" Sunset? Can I ask you a question?" Twilight asked.
" What is it?" I asked.
" Magic... Does the mentality of the person determine what kind of effects it has?"
" Yes. When someone with a twisted heart uses magic, it becomes an evil force that can harm ponies and other creatures. It can also bring out calamities the likes of which this world has never seen before. On the other hand, if someone with a pure heart decides to use magic, it becomes a truly wondrous sight to behold. Neither good or evil magic is viewed as being bad, Twilight. Her Highness and Princess Celestia have both used dark magic before, yet the strain does prove taxing after a while." I answered.
" It makes me wish that I still had magic."
" You almost destroyed this world for the sake of knowledge."
" I know, but I wasn't exactly myself. If I had been in control of my actions, do you think I could have done some good with magic?"
" Most unicorns who use magic aren't very serious with it. They use it for everyday conveniences and nothing more. Only those who are truly dedicated to studying magic use it to perform all kinds of feats. My magical skills are pretty impressive, yet Her Highness is far superior to me because she completed her studies. I suppose if I had remained in Equestria and not abandoned my studies, I'd have become one of the most powerful unicorns easily." I answered.
" Do you think I could've studied magic if I were a unicorn?"
" Maybe, but it's difficult to say."
" Meaning?"
" If you went through the portal, you might come out as a unicorn, and you might be gifted with magic."
" That would be something to witness."
" Unfortunately, Her Highness doesn't know what might happen if a human were to go to Equestria via the portal. Ponies transform into humans and dragons become dogs, but she doesn't know if the reverse is true from this side. You could go through the portal and end up becoming some kind of hideous monster for all I know." I said.
" Even if I did become a pony, I'd have no magic. You saw to that." Twilight said.
There was no other choice in the matter. I had to take away the magic that she had absorbed in order to save her from herself. While my friends didn't become corrupted by the magic they received, what they got was a small portion compared with what Her Highness and I possess. When Twilight acquired magic, she was completely taken over and had no control over her actions. She had absorbed too much from her pendant.
Did I regret taking her magic away from her? I did, but then I also knew that it was for the best. At least now, Twilight can focus on what was really important and not have to worry about the nightmare she experienced. She had been through a great deal since the Friendship Games ended a few weeks ago. The students of CHS had forgiven her for destroying the Wondercolt statue and for almost destroying this world, yet Twilight still had problems forgiving herself. It wasn't easy for her to move on from being a monster. I knew that better than anyone, thanks to my own personal experiences. That's why I made it my goal to help her get through the difficult times.
Suddenly, a tiny glow began to brighten my place of residence.
At first, I thought it was Rainbow pretending to pony up in an attempt to annoy me over how I didn't want the sleepover at my place. When I noticed her shrugging her shoulders and holding the dice in her hand, I immediately turned towards Twilight, knowing in my gut that she was responsible. My suspicions proved correct. The glow was coming from her hands. She looked at me with a shocked expression, and I tried to figure out what was going on. Before I could come up with something, the glow started to get bigger until it had nearly consumed Twilight's hands.
That's when it dawned on me. That wasn't just an ordinary glow... It was magic.
How was this even possible? I had taken away the magic she had absorbed after I was able to convince her that I could show her another path. Yet, here she was, conjuring up a ball of magic without any way to explain it.
Then I suddenly remembered something Her Highness told me about magic. When a non-magical entity--like humans--use Equestrian magic, even if the magic is removed to prevent them from causing any further damage, a small portion remains. That's because once they have become bonded with magic, no force can take it away, no matter how powerful they claim to be. That meant that Twilight retained some of the magic she had absorbed. While I would normally be celebrating this realization, it took everyone by surprise.
Since she had no idea of how to control this new-found power, Twilight couldn't stop the glow from continuing to grow. It eventually fired from her hands and began to bounce around my place of residence. I didn't care what happened to me. If any damage were to occur, Twilight gaining her own magical powers would be the least of my worries. The magical blast bounced off the ceiling and floor, and bounced towards a book shelf. Knowing that any damage to the books would mean game over, I took the blast head-on and got knocked down. It wasn't very strong, but it still stung.
I checked the floor and ceiling to make sure there was no damage. Fortunately, everything was still intact.
" Sunset! I am so sorry that whatever I did ended up hurting you."
" It's okay, Twilight. I'm used to dealing with uncontrollable magic."
" Is this why you wanted the sleepover somewhere else?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I wasn't expecting Twilight to suddenly shoot out a burst of magic. I seriously thought I had taken all of the magic she absorbed, but it looks like she is starting to develop her own magical skills with what little remained with her." I answered.
" That's a good thing, ain't it?" Applejack asked.
" After what just happened, I think the answer is obvious."
" Guess I should've listened to you, huh, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Don't blame yourself for somethin' that none o' us were expectin'." Applejack answered.
" Be glad that nothing was damaged." Rarity added.
" Oh, yes. While that magical blast was definitely scary and surprising, nothing in the library was damaged, aside from Sunset. That means she won't be kicked out of the library or school now for causing damage to school property." Fluttershy added. Everyone aside from me then turned to face her with a "you didn't just say that" look, prompting her to shuffle over behind a bookcase. I wasn't upset over what she said about me getting hurt. What Twilight did was actually weak compared to other magic I've been hit by in the past, yet there was a serious concern that had to be addressed.
" What now, darling?"
" Is the sleepover cancelled?"
" If it is, then I'll take all of you home in my car, but you will be the hardest to take home, Twilight. After all, you live on the other side of town, and it'll take me at least thirty minutes to drive over there. Also, I don't exactly know the whereabouts of your house, so you'll have to give me some really good directions." Rarity answered.
" But, I wanted to get to know you all better." Twilight said.
" Not with you having wild magic."
" Now everyone just calm down! I reckon Twilight didn't mean to spook us silly with her surprise, and I also reckon she had no intention of causing us harm. If anythin', I think we should have Sunset decide on what we're gonna do." Applejack said.
" Why put the pressure on me?" I asked.
" You know more about magic than the rest o' us do. That makes you the resident expert, so you can easily come up with a decision." Applejack answered.
I didn't like being put in the spotlight. Whenever that happens, I suffer a great deal of stress that, in turn, makes it difficult for me to think straight. Unfortunately, Her Highness wasn't around to help. I had to make my own choices and not rely on her all the time to come along and sort everything out.
Twilight's little magic stunt only proved that she was capable of using magic, but I didn't know what kind of power she possessed. It might have been a small amount, or it might have been magic stronger than the rest of us were capable of. In any case, I had to inform Her Highness that her human counterpart was still capable of using magic. It was best to cut the root of the problem before it had a chance to blossom into something truly terrifying. I'm not saying Twilight's magic was evil, but I couldn't afford to take that chance, knowing that I had a similar issue. My magic was taken from me so that I wouldn't relapse during my reformation; the same could be applied with Twilight. She had the capacity to relapse and want her former power again.
Everyone was now staring at me, waiting for the big decision to be made. Sometimes, I wished that I was just an ordinary girl. If I were normal, I wouldn't have so much pressure on my shoulders.
" I've made a decision." I said, several minutes later.
" Well? We're waiting to hear it!" Rainbow Dash said.
" Not helpin' her, here." Applejack said.
" I believe that we can continue to have the sleepover, despite the fact that I didn't want to have it here to begin with. Twilight's magic seems harmless enough, albeit a little unpredictable, but it shouldn't be a problem provided that we keep tabs on it. I'm going to send Her Highness a message about this and hope that she can provide some advice. I'm not expecting her to show up and solve this issue, just tell me how we can approach Twilight's new-found abilities." I said.
" Sounds like a plan."
" It's not my best idea given how sudden it is, but I believe it's the best option we have. If things get worse, we'll have to go outside and allow Twilight to let loose the magical build-up until she gets it out of her system." I said.
" This isn't going to kill me, is it?" Twilight asked.
" When someone first discovers that they can use magic, it takes some time for their body to grow accustomed to it. They have a tendency to fire off magical bolts without realizing why they're doing it and develop magical build-up that can cause slight explosions if not treated immediately." I answered.
" That doesn't sound very pleasant to me."
" I know, but there isn't much of a choice."
" Since you put it that way, I guess I've got to agree."
" Guess the sleepover got more exciting than you initially thought, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Not sure if that's any cause for celebratin'." Applejack answered.
" I'd celebrate with my party cannon, but I don't think the library would enjoy seeing confetti scattered about." Pinkie Pie added. She then had a brilliant idea that I honestly never would've expected her to do. Reaching into her cannon and fiddling about for a few seconds, Pinkie pulled out several handfuls of confetti and started tossing it in the air without a care in the world. The rest of us were quite surprised with what she did. " What? I might not be able to fire my cannon, but that doesn't mean I should let my confetti and other supplies go to waste." Pinkie Pie said.
" As long as you don't get any in my hair, darling." Rarity said.
" Um, I wouldn't mind it at all." Fluttershy added.
This sleepover was one that I didn't enjoy at first because of the choice of location. Had the others not been stubborn and instead agreed to change the venue, a lot of the stress that plagued me that night wouldn't have happened. Twilight would've still unleashed her magic, but we wouldn't have run the risk of something in the library being damaged. As time wore on, I slowly grew to enjoy the experience, despite the occasional magical hiccup that came up. It wasn't Twilight's fault that she suddenly started to use magic. I should've realized that she would retain some magical essence.
It showed that my knowledge of magic was lacking, and my friends referred to me as a magical expert despite my obvious weakness. If Her Highness had been here to have the sleepover with us, she would have come up with an answer. While it sounded like I was giving her undue praise, it was merely because she had more experience with magic. After all, she went the full distance when it came to her studies as Princess Celestia's prized student. The same couldn't be said about me, however. I abandoned my studies upon learning that my destiny had been denied, and not a day goes by that I don't regret that decision.
Could I see myself going back to Celestia's school and finishing my studies? I supposed that was a possibility, but it would mean being the oldest unicorn student, and I would need to convince her to give me another chance despite what happened.
For now, I planned on sending that message to Her Highness in the morning. Would Twilight's new-found magical skills prove useful in the future? Maybe, but she first needed to learn how to use them without causing some kind of disaster. If she couldn't control her magic, then she would have a difficult time of it later on.
" You were wise to have contacted me about what happened to her." Princess Twilight said.
" I didn't think she had the ability to use magic." I said.
" Just because you took what she stole from her doesn't mean that the magic was gone completely. I suspect that what remained laid dormant for a while until it decided to make itself known. You were fortunate that Twilight didn't make a surprising situation even worse. Had you not reacted fast enough, the library being destroyed would have been the least of your worries." Princess Twilight said.
" Do you regret not coming in person?"
" I'd have liked to have spoken with her again, but my commitments in Equestria come first."
" At least you gave me some advice."
" The only thing we can do is watch Twilight closely to see what further developments might happen. From what you described, she only conjured magical blasts three times that night, and none of them were threatening compared with what you and I have seen regarding magic." Princess Twilight said.
" Could her magic be even stronger than ours?"
" I don't know. I haven't had much of an opportunity to study how Equestrian magic affects humans." Princess Twilight answered.
That thought alone was truly upsetting. Her Highness had spent her entire life researching all manner of subjects. No matter how complicated things got, she never backed away from something until she had it all figured out. It often drove her mad for a bit, yet Her Highness managed to overcome such odds. There have been times where she wanted to simply give up and admit defeat, but her passion for magic and love of knowledge ensures that she continues on until she had understood the root of the issue.
Our friends seem perfectly fine whenever they pony up, despite the awkward transformation. Gaining pony ears and pony tails--and wings for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and of course, Her Highness--make us stand out amongst a crowd, and many have expressed shock over us slightly changing into equines. There isn't anything we can do about it other than try to explain why it happens. I'm actually glad that I discovered the connection between our friends and the Elements of Harmony. They each represent an Element based on a belief that holds true within their hearts, and that manifests into the magic they use.
However, this is only the basic of understandings when it comes to what I've learned. There is still so much more that needs to be uncovered, and it won't be easy to figure out the missing pieces of such a complex puzzle.
" I've not made much progress on that front myself."
" You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Sunset. You told me that you studied our friends' magic in order to figure out why they ponied up. While it didn't go exactly the way you had hoped, it was enough to want to continue going until a better answer came along. Connecting them to the Elements of Harmony was a stroke of genius. I should've realized that was the reason why their magic continued evolving into what it's become." Princess Twilight said.
" Between the two of us, you're the true magic expert."
" Yes, but you rose to the challenge when I wasn't there to provide any advice."
I could see what Her Highness was trying to do. She was trying to bolster my self-esteem and convince me that I was just as skilled as she was when it came to magic. I'll admit that my confidence could stand with a little boost. I've been through so much in the course of the past six months. Despite my successes, I've also had a number of failures that were caused when I lost control of my temper and whenever I didn't understand the situation properly. Maybe I shouldn't put myself down and instead embrace the good that I've done since being given a second chance.
No doubt that I would continue having a mixture of success and failure. It all stems from my insecurities plaguing me, from how others perceive me to how I perceive myself in a world where I'm trying to find my place within it.
" If you hadn't given me a second chance--"
" I knew you deserved it."
" Thanks, Twilight."
" So, where do you go from here?"
" Summer vacation is only a couple of weeks away, and my original plan was to stay in town and find other ways to contribute. Our friends were thinking about taking a trip to a campsite for reasons they haven't told me. Something about saving the forest from something else. It's located in this world's version of the Everfree Forest, but unlike the Equestrian version, this one is actually pretty tame." I answered.
" Maybe you should go. It could broaden your horizons and allow you to see things beyond the city."
" I'll take my journal with me, too."
" The magical one or the other one?"
" Both. I'll still send you messages every now and then just to say hi or to seek out your advice, and I'll continue writing down my experiences in the other journal."
" Sounds to me that your summer will certainly be something."
" Assuming nothing goes wrong."
" I'm sure things will be fine."
" I hope so."