The Journals of Silas Sombra

by DreamWings

Chapter 2- Getting To Know You

"You'll get used to it, Diddy, I promise," Silas told the young colt as they both walked together into The Living Space. Diddy's eyes dilated in fright as he saw the cheerless atmosphere, complete with lifeless hosts, for the first time. This was a look that Silas knew quite well, and he wasn't quite sure what to say to make it seem any better. Nopony liked the place, no matter how long they'd been there-- and he didn't want to tell Diddy an outright lie. "It just takes some getting used to," he told his new friend.

Diddy didn't seem convinced. He clasped his claw over his arm and wouldn't let go, despite the fact Silas was tugging at the very same arm. Ponies of all different shapes stood around, lifeless and cold, filling Diddy's heart with an unfounded sorrow he'd only experienced a few times before in his life. "Are they dead?" he asked. His voice came as more of a whimper than anything comprehensible in a normal conversation. His voice only highlighted his alarm even more, and Silas had to turn away from him for a second to get the nerve to be as positive as he could make himself.

Diddy's alarmed expression only grew bigger when he saw how wide Silas had forced his smile; and forced it was, for Silas struggled as much as any to be happy in the situation. "Not dead, no; just, going through their own issues right now."

It appeared to be more than that to the young draconeqous. He looked worriedly at a young colt nearby banging his head on a large wall, whilst muttering angry words into the air. The other foals around him appeared not to notice, and nopony even attempted to help him in any way. Silas nodded his head and shouted, "How's the day going for you, Cheery?" The head-banging colt stopped, gave a groan and then went back to his first activity. "He's in a good mood today," Silas said with a chuckle. Diddy looked at him, appalled by his sense of humour, but Silas decided not to take much notice of it. "You'll get used to Cheery. He's a good one for games-- full of laughs. On a good day he's the life of the party. Speaking of which--"

Diddy felt a sharp tug on his arm as he was pulled towards a group of fearsome looking ponies in the corner-- if you could count them as ponies, that is. The gryphon colt seemed by far the scariest of them all. Silas introduced him as Petie, and Diddy looked for any sign of friendship from the bird-lion, but it was to no effect. The gryphon didn't show any sign of friendship to him; not even Silas got a word of welcome. Petie wiped his claws on his feathers and then collapsed down onto the floor, staring at the wall as he did. His lips tightened up, and Diddy flinched and moved backwards as his great long tail came close to hitting him on the snout.

A small hoof fell nearby to Diddy and he could feel a cold, scanning stare on his behind. He jumped and came face-to-face with a blue colt with wide staring eyes. The perfectly cut and set mane of this colt was the complete opposite of Diddy's own jagged brown spikes, and for a moment it was this one small thing that came into the young draconeqous' view most.

"You have a bit of dirt on your coat," Siren told him with a menacing glare. His eye flinched slightly, and Diddy shuddered.

"I've only just had a bath," he answered back.

Silas tugged on his arm and hissed into his ear, "Trust me, if Siren says you have dirt on you, you just have to believe him."

"Do I?" Diddy asked, concernedly trying to look behind at himself.

Silas gave a cheeky grin. "No, but Siren sees dirt when others can only see clean. Just-- don't let him try to fix it or you'll be here for hours."

A loud bark sounded in Diddy's ear and he jumped again. A filly in a large white coat stood panting beside him. She cocked her head to one side and gave a small whimper, before brushing her wet, slimy tongue against Diddy's cheek. Diddy rubbed his cheek, disgusted.

"No, bad dog," said Siren, hitting Bow Wow on the snout. She whimpered and quivered down to the floor. Diddy gave a giggle, despite his nerves and copied Siren. Bow Wow didn't find it as acceptable from him however, and growled ferociously at him. Silas just about managed to pull him away fast enough to avoid being bitten quite badly on the leg.

"She's like a dog, Diddy. She has to get to know her masters before they can control her."

The filly in question reached up her hind leg and scratched behind her ear, with a satisfied smirk as she did. Diddy stuck out his tongue and waggled it. She copied him, and barked happily.

"Good doggy," Diddy said. She barked again.

"Where's Nana?" Silas asked his friends, while Diddy played tug-of-war with Bow Wow (a game he was losing quite badly, it should be added).

"Language tests. They're still trying to get her to speak 'normal'," Siren told him, wiping his hoof accidentally over the soft material of the wall, and shuddering. "Horrible."

Petie said nothing, and Silas looked towards him. He could sense what was running through his mind; the same thing that was always running through his mind. There was no point trying to talk to him or console him in this mood. Talking might just make his condition worse, Silas knew, and it was a shame that none of the nurses or doctors ever seemed to realise that as well. Many an upset had been caused by their lack of understanding. Silas couldn't blame them. They only wanted to help, after all. At the end of the day Petie's depression wasn't their fault-- just like his faults weren't down to them. He felt sad to think of his own problems.

He sighed and looked back towards Diddy. The other colt was happily copying Bow Wow without a second thought, and was currently rolling around on the floor like a mad puppy. Silas smiled and sat down nearby.

'Only a couple of hours,' he thought to himself. 'A couple of hours and then back to the lonely plains of my own company. Worst of all-- it won't just be my own. It just won't be the ponies I want to be with.'

He looked across at the disgusted face of Siren, and then at the many different shades of sadness littered across this one room. If you didn't know better you could even assume Nurse Temple was a patient by her bored expression. Silas chuckled to himself and then closed his eyes.

'Maybe this colt can make it better,' he thought. 'Probably not, but it's a nice thought.'

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