Imbalanced

by Nameless Narrator

Making Things Right-ish: Stairwell

[Choking's Entry]

It's strange how well Blaze took my rejection, aren't stallions supposed to be devastated by something like that?

I'm sort of sad he didn't stay a while so we could talk about things but perhaps it's for the best, I have no illusions about his feelings not being hurt. The thing is that with Void here and Scream's blessing I think I have a shot at something incredible and Blaze just wasn't it.

Ah well, if there's somepony who wouldn't be angry about me being happy no matter the circumstances it's him.

I'm sure he would understand, right?

[End Entry]

---

In an orange glow, Blaze disappears again and I close the door. It was all so sudden. What did Blaze think coming out of nowhere and asking me... that? Nevermind, I'm just confused right now and a cup of coffee and maybe Void's second opinion might help.

"What was that?" asks the alicorn in question, still yawning and trying to force his eyes to open.

"It was Blaze," I answer.

"Oh? Is he fine, then?" continues Void with genuine curiosity.

"Probably. He asked me to go out with him," I admit slowly. Something just doesn't feel right and I can't say what or why.

"That is a good thing... right?" asks Void again, this time carefully.

---

In Void's head, things aren't making sense. Why aren't they here, hugging and kissing? Considering how devastated Choking was about the whole thing and how Blazing felt about her the situation should have ended in both of them rolling on the floor making draining bathtub noises.

---

"I refused," I answer.

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try it, please. It might be easy to understand."

I blush, it is the first time I've ever felt like this.

"I-I asked Scream if she didn't mind the two of us being together and she was fine with it. Then I thought that nopony else has ever been as understanding and... mature as you. Eehm, what I'm trying to say is that I want to spend time with you and not anypony else. It's not just the bedroom stuff, I can actually see us staying together."

Void's sigh is somehow longer and more tired than usual.

"If Scream does not have a problem with it than I am fine with it as well. You are a charming young lady, even though a bit too wild for my tastes, but you might be thinking about this the wrong way."

"Huh, Scream said the same thing."

"The things you call understanding and maturity are not something I was born with. I used to do stupid things just like everypony else but I have had enough time and, thank heavens, enough opportunities to gather what little wisdom I now possess. It is hard to hold somepony young to such standard, which means that if you wanted somepony with similar qualities they would probably have a long, white beard and would be completely incapable of fulfilling your other... desires."

"That's why I'm lucky, right?" I ask, getting increasingly nervous. Void is, of course, right but something seems off about his answer and I need to get some assurance.

"Or do you think I did the wrong thing?" I continue.

"You did what you did, that is all that matters. The usual way to grow up is to have somepony with enough patience to keep kicking your butt the right way as you two go together through life."

"So you DO think I should have accepted."

"I just think you should not have rejected him for the wrong reasons. I hate to say this, but if you keep comparing youngsters to me then you will miss out on the experience of actually teaching somepony something and learning as well in the process."

"So... what now?"

"I do not know about you but I am going back to bed, it is too early in the morning. You have made your choice."

"Yea... I did," I say to myself when Void disappears through the door, not so sure about it being the right choice anymore. Maybe, just maybe, being the right choice doesn't matter but being the choice that comes through does.

Damn.

I should be happy. I landed the best catch possible so why are there chills running up my spine and why does everything seem to be spinning around? Was Void... angry? I mean I chose him, shouldn't he be happy? He won, he proved to be better than Blaze in all aspects so WHY ISN'T HE CELEBRATING RIGHT NOW WITH ME IN BED?

I've had stallions dancing around me at every party and every single one of them would eat their own grandmother to be with me. So why did the one I'm interested in leave, thinking I'm stupid?

Damn.

I need a second second opinion. Somepony who would talk to me without his balls getting in the way, somepony I've known for a veeery long time. Not bothering with breakfast, it's too early for my shift but I hurry to the castle to catch a certain pony before his shift ends.

The door of the Nightguard leader office opens.

"Hi, Sharpie. Got a minute?" I begin.

"Whenever that saying leaves somepony's mouth they should be lynched," says Sharp Biscuit, his eyes looking up at me from some paperwork.

"Thanks," I let myself in and sit down in a chair.

"So?"

That's the problem. I have no idea where to begin.

"Eeehm. I... hmmm," is the best thing I can come up with.

"This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then wait here and let it go through your head. I'll make tea and sort something out."

The ticking clock on the wall isn't helping at all and I still have no idea how to even begin and what I actually can tell him but there's no need for secrecy, is it? The princesses know about us and we are free to do whatever we want so...

The door resonates with somepony knocking on it. I open it. Sharpie's office or not, I can always kick an unwanted visitor out saying what we're doing is official Nightguard business. The blue-maned white earthpony is somepony I don't want to kick out at all though.

"Hi, Heavy," I greet him.

"Uh. Hello, commander," is his explanation-demanding response.

"Ah hello, Heavy," waves Sharp at him, careful not to spill out the tea.

When everything is ready and there's one more cup than before Sharp explains the situation.

"You see, I was supposed to go out with Heavy after my shift but then you came in, looking more desperate than a kitten with too many yarn balls. So I immediately knew our romantic morning just wasn't meant to be."

"I just don't know where to start," I admit.

"At the beginning. That's usually the best time and place."

Sighing, I recount to them everything that's happened since the morning I drugged Blaze. They are polite enough but Heavy's grinding teeth and disbelieving expression makes it difficult to keep going on. When I'm done, Sharp just makes a pyramid with his hooves and stays silent.

Heavy Hoof isn't as civil though.

"You've got to be kidding me! You caused Blazing's death just so you could score an evening with the dumbest sack of flesh in Canterlot? How cock-hungry are you?!"

I've never seen Heavy Hoof angry but his outburst leaves me glued to the chair and trying to look as small and inconspicuous as possible.

"Calm down, Heavy-" begins Sharp.

"And then, THEN you just watched him break down while having fun with your new four-legged dildo?"

"CALM DOWN!" tries Sharp again.

"You can't seriously be taking her side in this."

"I'm not, I just know her much better than you and Blazing Light was/is my friend as well. So while I can understand why you're angry, I can also see Darky's point of view."

"Fine! Tell me one thing that would make me stop wanting to snap her neck right here and now," growls Heavy.

"Exactly that," Sharp points at the fuming earthpony, "you've been in love with Blazing since the day he led you to my office and, despite everything, here we are. The heart wants what it wants and sometimes it wants too much. That said, what she did is something to go to prison for."

"Well that's where she should be then. Maybe they could put her in some mixed-gender facility so she could have all the 'fun and games' she wants."

"Heavy, you know I love you, right? Then stop acting like an idiot, sit down and listen. The little black sack of unhappiness who has yet to say something is your friend as well. And yes, at the moment I'd like to throw her out of the window but unfortunately she's got wings so it wouldn't help."

Sharp's little joke seems to work and Heavy sits back into his chair.

"Why did you tell us all this though?" Sharp's attention turns back to me.

"Well, I wanted to know if you think I made the right choice between Blaze and Void."

"THAT'S YOUR MAIN CONCERN AFTER WHAT YOU DID?!" Heavy bursts out again but stops himself in time and just facehoofs.

Sharp frowns.

"This time I have to agree with mister berserker here but I'd be a pretty poor friend if I didn't answer your question first. I think you made the right choice. From what you said about this Void he seems to be somepony perfect for you with your... problem and with Blazing you would have taken a big risk. On the other hoof I know Blazing, despite all his flaws and Luna herself knows there's enough of those, would live for you, die for you and maybe even survive the company of other ponies for you."

Therein lies the problem, as the poets would say.

"I don't want that," I interrupt, "I don't want somepony relying on me to control his life. I just want him to be there when I need him."

"And you think that's a good thing? All you're saying is that you want somepony to be there when you need him, when you want him and then you want him to go away and don't bother you until you want him again. If that's the case and I'm right then I know where you could find exactly the right company."

"Where?" I just mumble.

"It's made of plastic and it's running on batteries, you can take a guess. The point is that you chose what you thought was the best for you and whatever it will lead to is your responsibility."

"How can you be so calm about this?" asks Heavy his partner.

Sharp just looks at me and after a second I nod. I know what he wants to share and somepony as smart as him might be able to explain it better than me.

"The problem with our little batpony friend is that she's a sex addict."

Okay, maybe even I would have been able to say it like that.

"And that's bad because and excuses her how...?" asks Heavy.

"Think with your head for a second, love. How would you feel if you thought our relationship was just about sex? How would you feel if I, trying to avoid making you think it, had to sleep around with other ponies. All that just so you'd think you are something more to me. How long would it take for you to break up with me because you'd think I didn't love you? Ask yourself all that and then think about how understanding you'd have to be to be able to take that in stride."

Heavy just grumbles something but doesn't press the issue. Sharp turns back to me.

"Is it enough for you?"

It did help a little but all it really did was to make one of my friends hate me.

"I guess..."

"Good, then it's time for a little friendship lesson."

"What do you mean?"

"This," he says and before I can react he jumps from his chair and punches me in the face which sends me and my chair tumbling.

"I'll leave you with this, Darky - what you did is unforgivable and if I were Blazing Light I wouldn't even think about giving you a chance by asking you out, not after all you did and didn't do. And I'm telling you this as a friend."

I sniff, trying to get back up and to my surprise it's Heavy who lends a helping hoof.

"Thanks."

"Hmmm," he just grumbles.

"Good, is it all?" asks Sharp.

It seems so. There is nothing more I want to say and I have my answer, although it's a strange one. Apparently, tough love means something different than I thought.

Three bursts of light appear in the office and bring princess Celestia, princess Luna and Void with them.

"Welcome back, your Highness," bows Sharp his head to Luna who just nods and turns to me.

"When you're done here, meet us in the throne room," she says and they all teleport out again.

"Eh... time to salvage what we can," says Sharp, "I don't think we can make it to the farmer's market so how about we just go to my place, pop open a bottle and watch some movies?"

"I can't, I've got the newbie lessons in about half an hour. Who would have guessed her story would take so long?" sighs Heavy.

The schedule of a batpony and an earthpony is apparently pretty hard to manage but I can deal with it.

"Um, I can push your shift on Rising Thunder's shoulders so you two have a day off. At least that's something that temporarily leaving him alive and free is good for," I offer as a small apology for wasting their time.

They just nod and rush out of the office carrying some empty bags upon which I write a short note and leave for the throne room.

"What was that all about?" asks Void curiously when I get there.

"I just needed some advice from a friend,"

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah, it might just take some time to understand it."

Void just smiles. I can't read him at all but my respect for him is growing with every second he's around.

"Let's get ready," says princess Luna.

"For what?" I ask.

"We're going to send you to Tartarus and make sure you appear in the Crystal Empire after you leave the place. While you're there, we will travel to see Cadence and Shining Armor ourselves and get our defenses ready. If what Scream told us is true then we can't let Sombra have the Crystal Heart. Since time flows differently in different dimensions then you might appear there before us or you might get there way too late. In any case, we will need Void's power to hold off the enemy so don't waste time. Any questions?"

I have no idea what I could even ask so I just nod and so does Void.

"Good luck," says princess Celestia and then the horns of both alicorn sisters begin glowing.

With a familiar falling feeling we appear in front of a staicase leading somewhere into the depths of the land. Behind us there is a huge three-headed puppy sleeping happily while drooling on a green tennis ball. As much as I'd like to throw it somewhere and watch the Cerberus fetch, we have to descend to the darkness.

"Is it dangerous?" I ask Void.

"Not really. It's just very different from what ponies would expect."

After going down what seems to be not more than few minutes we enter an underground city and before us there is what looks like a shopping mall.

"The heck?"

Comments

[JazzyWaffles]

"And then, THEN you just watched him break down while having fun with your new four-legged dildo?"

Heavy is my spirit animal tbh