Try as I May. Try as I might.

by PredictableOffender

I never asked your name.

You wake up in your bed, your foot is poking through the blanket, it feels really cold outside and you just wanna lay in bed all day. You don’t have to work for a while, but your caffeine addiction forces you out of bed and into your kitchen, your apartment is old and run down. You like the location and you don’t wanna deal with moving, besides you live close to the work. You are a grounds keeper with the Ponyville Scenery Authority and your best friend Harvey, your loyal dog and the only one who understands you.

You should probably get out of be now.

The thought makes you wonder where Harvey is right now, he normally wakes up when you pour him some food. You start up your coffee maker and get yourself a glass of water, you open your cupboard and grab the bag of dog food. You pour the food into Harvey’s bowl, you hear him get up and begin sprinting full tilt towards the kitchen.

The big black Labrador speeds in like a large furry wrecking ball, he face plants into the bowl and begins excitedly eating. Harvey is really the only thing keeping you sane, his endless loyalty and energy is normally enough to get you through each day.

You are really kind of pathetic are you? You should probably go out and do something today.

You finish making your coffee and skip breakfast, Harvey is excited to get to work so you fit a leash on him and exit the building. The sun is rising and the streets are empty, Harvey pulls on you because he is excited to get to work and you hurry down the streets. The pair of you make your way down the quiet residential neighborhood, a mix of apartments and townhouses flanking you on either side. You make your way towards the dog park that you work in every day, you pretty much only take shifts there because barely anyone ever visits it.

You soon turn onto a cobblestone road that leads into the Park you work at. You and Harvey walks past the Gazebos and benches and go straight to the tool-shed. The large and cheap iron structure holds all the tools you need to keep this park from turning into an overgrown mess. You always have work because you are pretty much the only groundskeeper this place has, the mayor is looking for another one but its very low priority. You honestly hope you never get any Co workers avoiding park goers is hard enough.

Harvey knows your job better than you do and has already fetched the climbing gear you are going to need to remove a branch from a tree. You use your magic to lift the riding mower from the shed and place it outside you put the climbing gear and a saw in a bag fitted on the mower. Harvey jumps on the seat and the two of you get to work.

The morning is spent cutting the grass, the two of you take lunch off, since you hadn’t bothered to bring lunch you spend your break watching Harvey play with the other dogs. As noon passed you and find the offending branch and point your hand at it. One precise bolt of destructive magic and the branch falls to the ground, Harvey picks it up and begins to drag it to the lumber pile. Later you arrive at the flower garden to pull some weeds, the sun had begun to set when the you had pulled the last weed out of the ground. You remember your decision on doing something for today, Harvey still seems energetic so you head to Ponyville town square.

As you head there you think of the places you can stop at, there is the library you could go to, or you could visit the local bakery for a treat. You never go out enough to really know of any more places, you are going to the library to spite the part that doesn’t want to go.

On your way to the library, you notice a Buffalo tribe man, very out of place in a town like Ponyville. He is dressed very trashy, a worn red hoodie with torn jeans and beat up canvas shoes.

After you pass the stranger you make your way to the library, the lights are still on. You wonder if they have some sort of library card system or and how much you would have to pay up front.

You look at the old building which had an equally as old tree grown into it, in a way the two structures look almost like they had fused. You can tell the upper floors of the building are residential, the only reason you can think of is that it was custom built for a book loving semi hermit.

You did go to school with the current librarian, you had investigated this after the first time she was in the news. Her surpassing you was one of the many reasons you left the horrid place, you had lost the last thing that had made anyone care about you. You dismiss your melodramatic thoughts and knock on the door, you pray she doesn’t recognize you.

A young boy, Spike, the dragonborn kid who was assigned to assist Twilight after she had aced the entrance exam. You had talked with him several times when he was much younger, you used to be in competition with his master over some advanced study materials. You ask him about their borrowing policy and he informs you that they have a sort of honor system, but more likely he does not recognize you. Harvey’s energy had stalled, you walk him in with you and Spike does not complain.

The first thing you do go straight for the magical instruction and theory books. You pick out a book on Herbology and alchemy and another book about advanced destructive magic and its effect on living beings. As you were picking out the books Harvey was in a very defensive state, he looked like he was in the full watchdog mode, ready to pounce on the first threat. You don’t really know why you picked those books it was just some weird urge you had.

With the two hefty tomes being all you can carry you make your way to the desk, Harvey runs ahead to the desk and starts beckoning the librarian to come to you.

“Oh, hello. Who are you?” you hear the her talk to Harvey.

When you turn the corner to speak to her you get absolutely struck by her beauty. Her slender form is wrapped in a simple but stunning combination of a purple vest, purple skirt and a white blouse. She has perfectly straight black hair with a single purple streak going though it, matching her beautiful violet eyes.

You take a deep breath and take control of yourself, you put on your best fake smile and approach her. You put away the fact you are still dressed like a workman and probably smell like one.

“Hi, I just have a pair of books to check out.” she smiles back and you hand her the books, in order to keep your composure you try not to touch her hand.

“Thank you. Who is your friend down here.” You can tell Harvey is freaking out, he is not normally a very loud dog so you assume she hadn’t noticed.

“His name is Harvey.” You look kneel down to Harvey and try to calm him by petting him but he is to panic to register anything.

“Wow, you are the first person in this town to borrow books like this. Where did you learn magic?” you have to think of a convincing lie now. “I mean not to toot my own horn, but I am the only person I know who can even think of magic at this level.”

“My father taught me everything I know.” half truths are the easiest lies to get away with.

“Your father must be a great game.” she opens the books and writes something down in a book.

“I thought magic wasn’t really for me, I mostly keep to myself and school was too social a place for me.” why did you say that?

“You must be really talented.” She actually leans on the table to keep talking to you.

“I have been out of practice you a while it only really helps in carrying things now.” to demonstrate your abilities you levitate the books into your hands. You feel Harvey give up on panicking and simply lay down at your feet.

“I can tutor you if you want.” You feel you face heat up.

“I have nothing better to do these days anyway.” Twilight starts to giggle.

“I never asked your name.”

“Winter Roller.”

“Twilight Sparkle.”