Equestria's Phantom

by RayRox360

Chapter 5: Phantom and Friends Part ll

Chapter 5: Phantom and Friends Part ll

Over the years, Danny had grown accustom to stealing glances at the sky in search of enemies. It had saved him from many painful sneak attacks on multiple occasions. And while checking the skies for a certain "friend" was . . . . different, Danny was still uncertain whether it was a good different or a bad different.

Sure, if Rainbow Dash was going toactuallytry to get to know him forhim,and not by what Twilight told her, then sure, things were going to be okay. Yet somehow, Danny figured this would not be the case. No, most likely, the mare would be just as suspicious as the other girls, if not even more so.

Danny let out a sigh as he continued to walk through the grass, the short green blades licking up against his hooves as he slowly trudged up the small hill where he wassupposedto meet up with Rainbow Dash. Keyword:supposed.Still, he was almost glad the mare hadn't shown up yet. It gave him time to ponder everything he had gathered in the past few days, along with what his next move might be.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning." The teen muttered to himself, thankful nopony was around so he could finally have a chance to talk . . . . tohimself. "Equestria: world of magic and the occasional monster; inhabited by magical ponies who can fly and . . .magicat things . . . yeah." He murmured, unsure and uncaring of the proper terminology. "Safe to say this world's already seen a couple dangerous things in its past."

He slowly began to pace back and forth as he finally made it to the top of the small hill. "Okay, doubt Plasmius is around here somewhere or he would have already made himself known as the superior creature . . . .self-centered prick." He grumbled.Wonder if he's having as much trouble as I am . . . .Danny thought to himself, the notion that the man was having just as many problems as him making him feel slightly better.

Another sigh built up in his chest as he thought of his true mission. "Alright, not getting anything done in this town." He realized. "Maybe I should just find the nearest train station and figure it out from there." He wondered aloud. Yet that strange twinge in the back of his mind flared up once more at the thought. After a moment, he was finally able to decipher just what that strange twinge was.

Doubt.

Leaving the town wasn't going to get him anywhere. Not when he had no clue where to go, or where to look. After all, he might just put more distance between Plasmius and himself, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. No, as much as he might come to regret it later, staying in Ponyville was his best option right now.

Yet underneath that layer of doubt, Danny could feel something else. Something settling into the pit of his stomach. Something that made him ache all over as his chest seized up. "No." HE muttered to himself. "No way!" He growled out as he began to realize just what that feeling really was. "There's no way . . .!"

He narrowed his eyes angrily as he glared down at the ground. Those girls meant nothing to him. Nothing! They were merely a distraction - - a distraction to his real goal. Sure they were nice and all, but he couldn't be wasting his time with them. Besides, they didn't even like him. They were finally beginning to make that clear. Yet . . . .

Yet, was that the truth . . . . . . . or just something Danny told himself was true to make it easier?

He had the right to say theyweren'this friends. After all, they continued to wrap him up in a game of lies and suspicions all because of a vision that wasn't even true . . . at least, he didn'tthinkit was true. But . . . . maybe they weren't wrong. What if that vision . . . . . what if it revealed something about him? Something he had promised himself he would never share in this new world?

He shuddered at the thought of that possibility being true. Yet, if it was . . . then he couldn't truly be mad at them, could he? Danny lowered his gaze and sat down on the grass, staring down at his hooves. "They're scared." He finally realized. "Scared of . . . . .of me."

He shut his eyes and felt his ears droop slightly as the feeling bubbling inside his chest finally came to the surface. There was another reason he didn't want to leave Ponyville. He didn't want to leave his friends. He almost chuckled at the word.Friends?He could count the number ofrealfriends he had ever made onone hand,and still have three fingers to spare. Safe to say, the concept of friends was alittlenew to him.

Yet, when he thought back to Applejack's family force-feeding him delicious treats they had made just for him, Rarity slaving away at creating an entire new wardrobe, just so he wouldn't be cold, Pinkie Pie taking time to help him learn how to bake, Fluttershy introducing him to her pet - - and helping hold his hair back as he threw up into the trashcan, he couldn't help but smile. They had done it all forhim.Thathadto meansomething!

. . . .right?

Sure they were cautious of him now, but that didn't mean he couldn't convince them otherwise, right? He glanced off in thought. Maybe if he could convince Twilight that they could trust him, the others would as well. After all, they listened to her about the suspicion thing, why not this?

Yet as he thought over what he could say to the mare, he couldn't help but feel a small twinge of resentment built up in his chest. Why should he have to proveanythingto them? He hadn't even done anything! Taking a deep breath, Danny stared back up at the empty blue sky.Maybe Twilight will be different. Maybe she won't try the whole interrogation thing.He thought to himself, hoping it would turn out true.

He let out a tired groan as he flopped down onto the grass, silently cursing his existence as to why it had to behimdealing with all this crap. "Plasmius, I swear, as soon as I find you, I'm going to kick your butt all the way back to Amity Park!" He snarled to the empty air. Unfortunately for him, the air didn't stay empty for too long afterwards.

He gasped and stumbled backwards as he suddenly found himself face to face with a steaming Rainbow Dash, the mare glaring down at him angrily. "And justwhois this Plasmius?" She asked, flapping closer, causing Danny to unconsciously take a step backwards. "Uhhh . . ."

"And why exactlyareyou in Ponyville? And I don't want to here it's cause you 'need a change in scenery' or whatever!" She demanded, watching as Danny's face morphed from one of confusion and shock into one of anger and frustration. "Well tough, that's exactly what you're gonna get." He growled out, all his bubbling frustrations threatening to steam over. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the frothing mess back down into the pit of his stomach.

"I'm on to you, kid." Rainbow Dash said, eyes narrowing as she began to stalk closer. "You're not all that you're letting on, I can tell. And I'm not about to be fooled by another 'friend'of mine." She growled out angrily at the colt. "Now I got a couple questions andyoubetter answer them."

Danny merely looked back at her, a set frown on his face as his eyes glared back. "Fine, whatever." He muttered.

Rainbow Dash nodded in acceptance and stepped closer to the teen. "Alright, what's the name of that village of yours?"

"Amity Park." He growled out. "You already know that!"

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you stayed consistent in your answers." The mare huffed out as she folded her hooves across her chest. Danny merely rolled his eyes and glared down at the ground, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from shouting at the mare.She's just scared. She's just scared.He repeated the mantra over again in his head as he held himself down.

"Where do you go to school?"

"Casper High."

"How many friends do you have?"

"Two: Sam Manson and Tucker Foley."

"Just two?"

Danny gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Not much to choose from at school. Most of the other kids are either busy with band practice, glaring at me distastefully as they flip their hair, playing nerd poker in the cafeteria, or beating me up after school after they've yelled in my face." He growled out. "Congrats, you've succeeded in making me feel more at home by filling in that last category." He mumbled, before a small chuckle escaped his lips. "Although the similarities in your names is pretty coincidental, it actually works."

But Rainbow Dash wasn't really listening anymore. As soon as the teen's words had hit her ears, she had instantly clammed up.Beating him up?She said quietly to herself. "Y-you're bullied at school back home?" She finally uttered out.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Ehh, they're either shoving me into the lockers, pushing me against the lockers, hanging me from the lockers, and every once in a while they'll dunk me in the trash can, just to mix things up a bit." He explained nonchalantly.

Dash shook her head slightly and blinked in shock before Danny continued. "Of course, I'm kind of Dash's favorite. Though it's probably because I'm the only person who's weaker and/or averagely smaller than him that doesn't run away at the first sight of him." He snorted. Only Rainbow Dash didn't share in his merriment.

"Why don't you run away too? I mean, I know it's not ideal, but at least you wouldn't get beat up all the time."

Danny gave another shrug of his shoulders. "Well if I run away, that only means he'll just go after someone else probably even smaller than me. So as long as he's toughening his knuckles on my face, nobody else is in his path." He explained with a casual tilt of the head.

Rainbow Dash stared at the teen for a moment before turning away, staring hard at the blowing grass around her hooves. She remembered her own experiences of being bullied. Those colts at flight camp had harassed her day after wretched day. Shouted at her, threw things at her, called her names. In fact, though she would never openly admit it, they were the main reason she had left.

She couldn't take it anymore.

Though, she assumed she owed them something. After all, if it hadn't been for their constant berating, she never would have pushed herself day after day, striving to get better, to show them up. To prove that they had been wrong about her. They made her who she was now. And sad to sad, Rainbow Dash was partly ashamed of who she was at the moment.

She stole another glance at Danny, who was staring lazily at the grass as well, rubbing his foreleg absentmindedly. She couldn't help but release a pent-up sigh from her chest. Even though those bullies only made her stronger, she would be lying if she didn't say they had made lifeveryhard for her. And she could only assume Danny was going through the same thing.

She had to admit, when Twilight had explained her visions and had instructed to keep an eye on the teen, Rainbow Dash had been skeptical. She knew what it felt like to be betrayed by someone you assumed was your friend.

It totallysucked.

And it was a feeling she never wanted to feel again. Maybe that was why she was giving the teen such a hard time. Maybe if she never made those deep connections to begin with, then it wouldn't hurt as bad when they betrayed her. Yet, staring down at the small colt, hearing how he sacrificed himself every day just to protect ponies he didn't even know, and who would probably give him up to the bully in a heartbeat . . . . well, someone who was willing to do that couldn't beall bad.

Danny stole a glance up considering nopony had spoken for at least five minutes and found himself scrunching his nose in confusion. Rainbow Dash was staring hard at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. Yet her body language said otherwise. Her shoulders were tense and her posture was rigid. Whatever she was thinking about, it wasn't anything particularly enticing.

Suddenly, the mare stared back up at him, startling him out of his thoughts. "Danny . . .I'm sorry." She finally spoke, making the teen blink in shock at her words. Her tone of voice had drastically changed from a few minutes ago. Instead of sharp and clipped, it was low and melodic. It wassincere.

Before he could respond, the mare continued. "I'm sorry they bully you. I'm sure you don't deserve it. And . . . . andI'msorry for being a bully as well. It's just. . . ." She trailed off slightly before continuing. "It's just I've been tricked by ponies I've considered my friends and- - "

"And let me guess . . . it left a bitter taste in your mouth." Danny finished for her.

The mare shrugged her shoulders before turning back to him with a serious look on her face. "And I've been bullied before, too. I know itsucks!" SHe groaned out. "But itdoesget better. And if those two friends of yours are the real deal, then I'm sure they make it a little easier."

Danny smiled as he gave a nod of his head. "Yeah, those two are the greatest." He said with a small wistful smile before shaking himself out of it. He smirked and waved his hoof around dismissively. "Besides, it's not like I don't punch right back. One time, I stuffed his locker full of pink and purple stuffed bear plushies." He chuckled.

Rainbow Dash chuckled at that. "Well . . . that doesn't soundtoobad . . ."

"Heownedthem."

"Ohhh . . . ."

The pair began to laugh as they both placed hooves to their mouths to stop their giggles. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat before turning a mischievous smirk towards the teen. "Well I showed my bullies up by performing a seemingly impossible stunt at a competition while simultaneously saving Rarity's life." She stated nonchalantly, standing up as she turned the other direction, preparing to leave before a voice called her back.

"Uh, hello? Don't just grab my attention and then walk away, excuse me?!"

The mare smirked.Works every time. "Alright, alright. But sit down. This story's gonna take a while." She instructed as she sat back down on the grass, Danny smirking beside her as he sat down as well.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, it's not like I'm going anyw-wait!" He shouted, mockingly glancing down at the nonexistent watch on his hoof. "Aww, sorry. I'm late for hanging out with myothergroup of all-female friends who are keeping me hostage in their town." He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry." He chuckled, Dash punching him in the shoulder with a large smile on her face.

"Shut up, you dork and listen up. Alright, it all started at the Young Fliers Competition . . . ."

---

Twilight paced back and forth in front of her friends - - well, her friendsminusRainbow Dash - - hence thepacing. The others glanced at each other in slight worry, though they were pretty much used to their friend's occasional meltdowns. After a small game of rock, rock and bigger rock (what? They all have hooves!), Applejack was chosen to say something (choosing smaller rock isn't the best strategical move)

The chosen mare let out a small sigh before turning towards Twilight, who was oblivious to the others as she became lost in her thoughts. "Uhh . . . Twi?" Applejack called, raising a hoof in front of the mare's face.

Twilight blinked in shock before letting out a small sigh. "I'm sure Rainbow Dash will be here soon." The workhorse assured with a small smile. The friendly gesture sadly did not have its intended effect. If anything, it seemed to set the mare off even more.

Twilight let out a chuckle. "Of course Rainbow Dash will be here soon. Why wouldn't she be here soon? So you think there's a reason as to why she wouldn't be here? Of course you don't. You're the one who assured me." She rambled, her pacing quickly picking up speed. "Okay, so I mean, maybe sending my friends off by themselves with a stranger who may or may not be dangerous may have not been one of my most well-thought-out plans, but still . . . that doesn't mean anything happened." She stuttered out, her words beginning to jumble together slightly. "Right? I'm right, right? Of course I'm right. Why wouldn't I be right? I'm right. Yes, yes I'm right . . . .Why aren't you agreeing?!"

"Dear Celestia, you've awoken the Beast." Rarity muttered, glaring back at Applejack, who raised her hooves in surrender.

"Maybe something happened. Maybe she was kidnapped, or drugged, or sold off to an unknown underground fighting ring! Oh Celestia! They're going to name her The Rain-blow!" She shouted, pulling tightly at her hair.

"An underground figh-WHAT?"Applejack asked, exasperation evident in her voice. "How would Danny even know about an underground fighting ring?!"

"THAT'S JUST IT!" Twilight screeched. "WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM!"

"I wouldn't sayanything."

The girls turned towards the door as Rainbow Dash strolled in, only to be tackled to the floor by Twilight. "Quick! Where did he inject you?! Where's your tattoo with your fight number?!" She asked, lifting the mare's foreleg as she checked for any unknown marks.

Rainbow Dash twisted her head around to stare at the other girls, who either shrugged their shoulders, shook their heads or twirled their hoof next to their head in the'I'm crazy' fashion. Safe to say, that was enough for Dash to "Ohhh . . ."in understanding.

Helping her friend to her hooves, Twilight stepped back and turned to address everyone in the castle library. "Okay, Dash you were last with him. Any idea when he'll get here?" She asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders. "Probably not for a while. We met up a little ways past town so it'll take a little while for him to get here." She explained, Twilight nodding her head in satisfaction. "Alright, that gives us some time, but not a lot. So let's get down to business." She said, her voice quickly taking on what Pinkie Pie called her"Princess Pitch."

"So, let's talk about Danny."

Dash let out a sigh. "Well, sorry to say Twilight - - actually, no I'm not- -Danny's AWESOME!" She exclaimed, quickly catching the alicorn off guard.

"Wait, what? Really?"

She glanced at the others, who were each nodding their heads in agreement.

"Yes, I d have to say that even though he can be a bit snarky at times, Danny really is a wonderful little colt." Rarity exclaimed. "I was a bit behind on folding and storing some new wardrobes and Danny offered to do them without hesitation." She explained. "I mean, even Sweetie Belle gets bored of helping me from time to time."

Pinkie Pie smiled and hopped closer. "Yep, and he's a pretty good baker! He helped me with my Cheesy Peanut Butter Cinnamon Surprise cupcakes!" She shouted happily, unbeknownst to the way Fluttershy's face became slightly greener than usual.

"Was that as bad as it sounds?" Rarity whispered to the pegasus.

"I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a couple minutes."

"Ohh . . ."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah, he helped me with some chores too. And I have to say, that colt is one mighty strong little feller'!" Applejack exclaimed. "I watched him buck a couple trees and he was able to knock down every apple perfectlyevery...single...time!" She stated. "It was pretty incredible."

Twilight hummed in thought before pulling out a pad and quill from who knows where and began to jot down what everyone was saying.

Yet Applejack's last comment made Rainbow Dash furrow her brow in confusion. "Wait. He's strong?" She asked. "Because when I talked to him, he confessed that he's bullied at school, like all the time!" She shouted, the others deflating slightly in sympathy. Though it'd only been a few hours, they'd grown quite fond of the young colt, at least enough to know he didn't deserve to be bullied. "But he said that bully picks on anyone smaller and weaker than himself. So . . . if he's strong, then why doesn't he stick up for himself?" She asked.

The others grew silent at that, unsure as to why anypony wouldwillinglyallow themselves to be bullied, especially if they could do something to stop it. Still, Twilight continued to listen to the others talk, quickly jotting down whatever she thought would be useful. Yet as she continued to mill through what everyone was saying, she felt a large bubble of confusion begin to blow up in her chest.

I don't understand. According to the girls, Danny's nothing more than an average kid - - scratch that - - an averageteenwith average levels of sarcasm and above average strength. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's just a normal kid with a couple problems back home and a school with intolerable bullies who decided to run away to get away from his problems and see what the rest of the world is like outside a townofworries.

But Idoknow better.

I know he's not just some average kid. That vision is enough to prove that. No normal pony has enough raw magical energy available that they're able to produce Vision Fields.She told herself. While the other girls had been preoccupying Danny, the mare had been conducting a little research of her own.

After combing through a healthy mound of books, she had finally found out just what had happened to her. Apparently she experienced a Vision Field: a strange magical anomaly that occurs when one powerful magic wielder comes into contact with raw untamed dark magic found only in select creatures - - most of which having been extinct for centuries. The rare process can include moments of blackouts, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and the most common: visions. Said visions usually include the creature and can extract thoughts and/or feelings and project them in front of the victim's eyes.

Twilight could only infer she suffered from a Vision Field. Yet she still wondered how it could be possible.For a Vision Field to happen, I'd have to come into contact with a creature of Dark Magic, and alotof it. But . . . then how could I experience one of Danny? It . . . it just doesn't make any sense.

Even though the details were still unclear to her, Twilight knew it was smart to be cautious of the teen. Dark Magic had been outlawed from Equestria centuries ago, if only for its corruptible qualities. In other words, it was dangerous, the creatures that could wield it even more so. So, if Danny was suspected of being a wielder, it was enough to put the mare on edge.

Dark Magic is supposed to make ponies hostile, violent, dangerous, deadly. Yet . . . . Danny's the exact opposite of this. At least, that's what they've all been saying.Twilight let out a sigh and sat down, eyes focused on the cold crystal floor beneath her hooves.Guess I'll just have to see it for myself.

"Umm . . .Hello? Twilight?"

Everyone instantly perked as Danny's voice filtered in through the cracked library door. Twilight was instantly on her hooves, whipping her head around towards her friends. "You need to get out of here, now!" She whispered harshly. "Quick! Into the kitchen! Go, go, go, go, go!" She urged, levitating them all off the floor before "gently" throwing them into the kitchen.

"Aarrgghhhh . . . ."

"You're fine!" She half-whispered, half-yelled.

Before she could say anything else, the library doors were hesitantly pushed open, Danny's face peeking through. "Come on in, Danny." Twilight called, motioning him over. As the colt trotted over, Twilight's head whipped around frantically before her eyes landed on a large brown book up on the shelf.

Quickly floating it down, she flipped to a random page and turned back to Danny with a large grin. "Just catching up on some...reading . . . hehe . . ." She chuckled before her eyes actually glanced over the words, realizing it was the book that first mentioned the Elements of Harmony. "Sure . . . why not?' She murmured to herself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing?!" She exclaimed with a bigger than needed smile, gazing nervously at the teen as she chuckled once more.

Danny glanced sideways before turning back to Twilight. "Uhh . . . you seem a little nervous. Is everything alright?" He asked, gazing up at the mare in concern.

Twilight was about to give another louder-than-needed answer followed by an awkward laugh, but the words stuck in her throat as her ears picked up on the sincerity in the teen's voice.He's . . . he's actually concerned.She realized. After a moment, Twilight gave a genuine smile as she gazed down at the colt. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." She said before turning back down to the book. "Hey . . . ." She started, remembering something the colt had said earlier in the day.

"You said you don't know much about Equestria outside of your village, right?" She asked, Danny giving a small nod of his head.

Twilight smiled and pushed the book closer. "Well then prepare to learn, kid. I just so happen to be a pretty good teacher when I need to be, and it seems I'm lacking a few students." She said with a knowing smirk. Danny couldn't help the snort building up at the mare's cheesy grin. "Why don't you just teach your friends a couple things?"

Twilight shrugged and waved her hoof dismissively. "Ahh, they're not the best students. Last time I tried to teach them about stars and astrological events they tied me up and locked me in the pantry. Apparently I was becoming 'unbearably annoying'" She quoted with her hooves, rolling her eyes. "Still don't knowwhatthey were talking about." She muttered.

Suddenly, a stray can of beans flew out from the kitchen and slammed into Twilight's head, the mare letting out a shocked yell before flopping onto the ground. Danny gave her a quizzical look before turning the gaze towards the kitchen. "What the heck was that?!"

Twilight threw him a small nervous smile. "Oh, my kitchen cabinets are a bit wonky. Sometimes they just . . . spew random cans out." She explained before turning a dangerous glare in the kitchen' s direction. "I'll have tofixthat later." She said menacingly only to yelp and duck underneath a second can that shot out of the kitchen.

Danny had to stifle his laughs behind his hoof before clearing his throat. "Well, I happen to love space, so you're open to teach me whatever you want on it. Although I do have to warn you, I might end up teaching you on the subject." He smirked, Twilight growing a smile of her own.

"Oh, really?" She challenged, a large smirk taking over her usual smile, Danny turning a smug look her way as well.

"Try me."

Twilight quickly stood to her hooves, Danny quickly doing the same as the pair stood off against each other. Though Twilightdidhave to suppress a sigh as a stray tumbleweed blew across their path, Danny staring at it with a look of bewilderment that only came from a newbie to their friendship circle. "What in the . . ." He murmured

Oh, Pinkie . . .Twilight internally sighed.Where the heck did she even get that?!

Nevertheless, the mare turned back to Danny with narrowed eyes before releasing the first shot.

"Did you know that on Venus, a day is longer than a year here?"

"Pshh . . . . of course." Danny scoffed before countering with his own attack.

"Did you know neutron stars can spin at a rate of 600 rotations per second?"

"Duh!" Twilight remarked with a roll of her eyes. "Did you know that if a star passes too close to a black hole, it can be torn apart."

"Please! Did you know Venus is the only planet to spin backwards."

"Come on, babies could figure that out!" Twilight quipped. "Did you know that there are more volcanoes- -"

"- - on Venus than on any other planet!"They both shouted simultaneously, each staring the other down before they both began to crack up for a moment, they both regained control of their breathing as they wiped the tears from their eyes. "Well, it seems I've been matched." Twilight smirked. "Geez, if you know that manyrandomfacts about space, then your grades must be off the charts."

Danny rolled his eyes. "If by off the chart, you mean so low they don't even fit on the chart, then you're right." He muttered, Twilight cocking her head in surprise. "Really?" She asked, confused as to how the teen could retain so much knowledge about astronomy, but not much else.

Danny seemed to sense this and gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Hey, when they start incorporating random astronomy questions to the Calculus curriculum, then I'll crush it, but until then a C-average is my best bet." He explained.

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, quickly trying to decipher whether her next thought might have any consequences, but finally decided to take a chance. "Well . . . if you ever need any help with anything, you can always ask me. I'm notjustgood at astronomy." She quipped with a small smirk.

Danny blinked in surprise before lifting his head. "Really? You'd do that?" He asked hopefully, watching as the mare nodded her head once more. "Yep, in fact, I'm sure I have some math textbooks in here somewhere, and probably some science as well." She said absentmindedly, gazing around the library as she tried to locate said books.

Danny couldn't help the snort that filtered out of his mouth. "Causewho doesn'tjust keep random math textbooks in their house years after they've completed school?"

"I know, right?!"

The teen chuckled as the mare continued to search for the books before turning back to the open brown book she had set up for him already. Normally, he wouldn't be one for reading, but . . . . this one had pictures. And a lot of them.

Good enough for me.The teen thought to himself as he began to flip through the pages.

Twilight stole another glance behind her at the teen currently sitting on the floor, flipping through the book. She bit her bottom lip in thought as she quickly reconsidered what she was about to do. But her hesitation was quickly wiped out as a pair of liquid green eyes flew into her mind, a shiver running up her spine at the memory.

Taking a deep breath, the mare walked back over to the teen.

"You know,since we're on the topic of your home, you ever notice anything strange going on over there?"

It was hard to miss the way Danny's muscles instantly tensed up as he froze. Strands of black hair fell into his face, hiding his eyes in shadow as he sat in silence. For a moment, Twilight thought he wouldn't respond, but jolted back at the coldness and sharpness in his voice when he did.

"No. Nothing." He muttered darkly.

Twilight bit the inside of her cheek before reluctantly continuing. "Really, cause some strange things happen in Ponyville sometimes. You sure nothing weird ever happens?"

"Yes."

The mare felt her body start to go stiff as well as the palpable tension in the room grew to uncomfortable levels. She knew her questions were beginning to make the teen uncomfortable and annoyed, but shehadto know. She justhad to!

"Really? Nothing dark or dangerous? . . . . Nothing involvingspiritsof any ki- -"

"- -Why are you asking me this?!" Danny growled out, his hoof beginning to scrape against the floor angrily. "What does it matter to you?" He muttered darkly, turning an angered glare towards the mare. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to deter the mare from her mission.

"No reason. I was simply curious as to - -"

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe your friends were'just curious' when they asked questions that were almost identical to yours?!" He shouted, quickly rising to her hooves. At this, Twilight rose to hers as well and backed away slightly, holding her hooves up in surrender. "Look Danny, I was simply tryin- -" She began, only to be cut off once more.

"Trying to what?! See if I'm dangerous? If-if I'm here to stir up trouble or something?!" He snarled at her. "What do you expect to hear, Twilight? That I come from a long line of bank robbers and Ponyville justhappensto be the next stop on my list? Th...that I'm a dragon in disguise and just decided 'Hmm . . . that's a nice village. I think I'll destroy it now?!'"He shouted angrily, all the frustration and tension he had been pushing down before suddenly boiling over.Why couldn't they just trust him. Why couldn'tANYONEJUST TRUST HIM?!

Twilight felt her eyes narrow as the teen's words began to annoy her. It's notherfault he gave her a Vision Field. What was she supposed to think?!

"Hey, I'm just trying to look out for my friends and keep my town safe." She countered angrily.

"FROM WHAT?!Danny screeched furiously, surprised by the fact his eyes hadn't already shifted to green. "I haven't done anything to you! Oranyonefor that matter!" He shouted. "Actually . . . Ihavedone something. I've helped your friends!" He snarled. "I helped Applejack with her chores, I-I helped Rarity when she was behind on her work, I helped Pinkie Pie bake those God-awful cupcakes, which I'm pretty sure were the worst things that have ever touched my tongue, and I once had a hot dog that bit me back!" He exclaimed in exasperation.

Twilight couldn't help but be surprised by the teen's sudden outburst of rage. From what she had seen, the boy was usually laid back and nice, yet here he was, screaming his lungs out at her.Anyone who can shift so suddenly definitely has something to hide and . . . .She trailed off from her thoughts and couldn't help but berate herself.Maybe there's something wrong with me. She muttered to herself. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she had secretly been hoping Danny would turn out to be what they suspected he was: dangerous. Not because she didn't like him, but because it would just make things so much easier. It would explain so much more. But . . . . she had no idea how to deal with a teenager who was . . . . well, exactly that: a teenager.

Danny let out a sigh and ran a hoof through his hair. "Look, Twilight. I don't know what you want me to say, I . . . I don't even know what Icansay- -" He trailed off and stared down at the ground in thought. Silence filled the room as neither ponies uttered a word, too lost in thought so mutter anything.

Is this what it's like everywhere?Danny asked himself. It was hard not to make the connections between Ponyville and Amity, at least the connection between both inhabitants.Trust. That's what it all comes down to. The teen muttered to himself.Some people back home would rather die than trust me, and apparently this place isn't much different.He growled internally.I've done nothing but help, both here AND in Amity, and yet that still isn't enough!

Twilight was the first to snap out of her thoughts, glancing over at Danny in concern considering the child still had yet to say anything else. "Umm . . . Danny?" She called hesitantly, reaching a hoof out to lightly graze his shoulder.

The small tap made the teen jerk backwards before turning a glare towards the mare. "I should have known." He growled out. "I should have known this place wouldn't be any different." He muttered. Twilight gazed at the teen in confusion before he continued. "You know, I thought the sprinkles and rainbows and smiles in this darn worl- - town would mean it would becompletelydifferent than home. That the ponies here would actually give me a chance. . . . ." he trailed off slightly before continuing. "Serves me right." He sighed.

Twilight lowered her gaze shamefully before lifting her head, extending her hoof out, only for Danny to glare back at her. "If you guys can't even bother to trust me enough to give me the benefit of the doubt, then I see no reason to stay here any longer." He muttered before lowering his head, black strands falling into his eyes once more.

"You know what the worst part of this is?"

Twilight stared at the colt, not bothering to actually answer him. He lifted his head and turned a sorrowful gaze at the mare. "I actually liked your friends." He confessed. "I liked working with Applejack, helping out Rarity, baking with Pinkie, learning about animals with Fluttershy, swapping stories with Rainbow Dash . . . . and I even liked talking to you the most." He sighed, the confession catching Twilight off guard as she blinked in shock.

She watched the colt's ears flatten slightly as his expression shifted from sadness into one of exhaustion and defeat. "Whatever. Guess I'll get out of your hair. Thanks for the hospitality and suspicion. I'll try and remember this the next time I'm dumb enough to try and make friends with anyone else here." He sighed as he rose to his hooves and began to move towards the door.

Suddenly, he felt his body quickly become enveloped in a bright pink light as he was lifted off his hooves and dragged back over to Twilight. A small'oof'escaped his lips as he was promptly dropped back onto the floor by the mare's hooves. He cast a weak glare at the mare, but she quickly ignored it in favor of staring desperately at the colt. "Wait! Pl-please don't leave!" She shouted.

Danny slowly sat up and began to dust himself off as the mare continued. "Listen . . . .I'm sorry." Twilight sighed, the teen freezing as he glanced up at her, the sincerity in her voice even more present than when Rainbow Dash had apologized. "I . . . I've been a total jerk." She confessed.

"Look, I only did all those things because . . . because I-I . . . .I was scared."She finally uttered out. "When we first met, I saw a strange vision and . . . well to tell the truth, it totally freaked me out. So. . . . I-I wanted to make sure . . . . make sure that- -"

"- - That I checked out." Danny concluded in a soft voice.

Twilight gave a small nod. "I know it was stupid, but .. . . but we've been tricked by ponies we thought were our friends and it led down some dangerous paths. I . . . I just couldn't let it happen to my friends again. So . . . so I made them keep an eye on you, try and figure out whatever they could, see if you were actually a threat." She explained.

At Danny's crestfallen look, the mare quickly continued. "But the exact opposite was true!" She exclaimed, the teen raising a brow in confusion. "Before we met up, my friends and I got together to discuss . . . well, you. And everything they told me discreditedeverythingi'd first thought. You weren't dangerous, you were kind, you were caring, honest, and you were willing to help all of them with little regard for your own. . . .safety."She added, shuddering at the stories she had heard about Pinkie's cupcakes.

Danny gave a small chuckle before lifting his head, finding Twilight's hoof now on his shoulder. "Danny, I'm so sorry. And I don't know if this'll make you feel better, but my friends like you . . . . and, I do too." She finally said with a smile, Danny giving one of his own.

"I promise all the secrets, lies and suspicion is done. As long as you're here, we'll treat you like we do any friend, cause that's what you are now. You're our friend." She said, wrapping a wing around the teen, who whipped around to gaze at her. "Really? W-we're . . .friends?"

Twilight smiled warmly at him. "You bet. So please . . . . please stay." She urged gently, the teen glancing down at the floor for a moment of silence. Twilight bit her lip as she waited for his answer, hoping her words had been enough to convince the teen. Finally, Danny gazed up at her with a large smile. "You worry too much, you know that?" He smirked.

Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding before scruffing up the teen's hair. "Yeah, I get that a lot." She chuckled as Danny tried to push her away and free his head from her hold, a large smile plastered onto his face.

"Oh, by the way, you can tell your friends to come out now." The teen said with a wave of his hoof. Twilight's smile disappeared as a look of confusion appeared. "Wait, you knew they were here the whole time?" She asked as the kitchen door opened and five ponies plus one dragon shambled out, each with looks of embarrassment on their faces.

Danny rolled his eyes as Twilight's question. "Please, I'm fifteen, I'm not stupid." He scoffed, the others glancing at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter, Twilight lifting Danny off the ground with her magic once more before placing him on her back. "I was right you know."

"Thisreally isgoing to be interesting."

---

Spike felt his eyes droop slightly as his feet stumbled across the cold crystal floor. A yawn escaped his mouth as he ambled down the hallway, his parched throat and slightly rumbling stomach the only incentive for leaving the comfort of his nice, warm bed.

Even though his eyes were adjusted for seeing in the dark, the baby dragon still found it hard considering the dark crystal walls blended together when there was no light of day to shine against the smooth reflective surfaces. Still, after a moment of blind stumbling, his hand gripped the handle that led down the long winding staircase.

He let out a small sigh of relief and slowly began to amble down the stairs. Though, after a few seconds, he could hear what sounded like a second pair of hoofsteps. He paused and strained his ears. Yes, they were hoofsteps. They were coming from the steps a little ways below him. Yet he merely shrugged it off, after all, Twilight was usually up and pacing at this point for some reason or another.

Yet another sound quickly filtered into his ears. It was the sound of small wings flapping nearby, along with a soft, low-pitched 'hoot.'Once again, Spike shrugged it off. It wasn't unusual for Owlowiscious to be flying around the castle at night. Neither he nor Twilight really minded, as long as he left them alone.

You only need to be awoken in the middle of the night by a bird with large piercing yellow eyes staring you in the faceonce. Spike shuddered at the memory and continued to walk. Yet it wasn't long before anotherhootfilled the air, one much louder than the last. At this, a loud yelp of shock sounded from where the hoofsteps had been.

What the . . ?Spike wondered, never noticing his feet's precarious position until his front leg slipped out from under him and he toppled forward with a shout of shock. As he tumbled down the stairs, he felt his body slam into someone else. The two rolled down the rest of the way before landinghardon the floor. Well . . . . the ponyunderneathSpike landed hard.

The dragon shook his head as he tried to clear the stars that were currently dancing before his eyes. After a moment, the dragon blinked back into reality and finally realized he was currentlyonsomepony. Quickly scurrying off, he realized Danny was not sprawled on the floor, eyes rolling around his head dizzyingly.

"Oh, geez! I'm so sorry!" Spike exclaimed, quickly helping the teen to his hooves, Danny letting out a groan as he placed a hoof to his throbbing head before giving it a good shake. "No, no, it's fine." He reassured.

"Really?" Spike asked worriedly, especially considering Danny wasn't even looking at him, instead he was looking at the small potted plant next to the baby dragon. Alright, so maybe not soooo fine? Yet Danny still gave a shake of his head and a dismissive wave of his hoof. "Naw, who wouldn't tackle someone off the stairs?" He groaned slightly, rapidly blinking his eyes to try and clear the ringing out of his ears.

Spike couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Well actually, you kind of scared me a bit." He confessed. "I mean, why'd you yelp?"

Danny finally cleared the ringing sound out of his head enough to turn back towards Spike. "Well I was walking down the stairs and thishuge . . . . . bat - -?"

"Owl."

"- - owlattacked me!" He finished.

Spike furrowed his brow in confusion before a loudhootfilled his ears once more. Whipping around, he noticed Owlowiscious flying overhead. The bird seemed angry about something. And Spike was quickly able to decipher what as the bird swung down, Danny having to duck to avoid getting a bird to the face.

"Whoa!" The teen screamed before leaping behind Spike, whose hands were quickly waving up at the bird. "Owlowiscious, stop! It's okay! This is Danny. He's staying with us for a while!" He explained before glancing back down to the teen who was currently peeking out from behind him.Should have seen this coming. The dragon realized.Owlowiscious wasn't here yesterday when Danny first got here. Of course he would attack a random stranger he saw on the stairs.

Nevertheless, the owl quickly calmed down as it flew down and landed on the window next to the stairs. Danny finally stepped out from behind the baby dragon before throwing the bird a small glance. "Yep, thanks for trying to kill me." He muttered, before glancing down to where Spike had once been, only finding the spot empty.

He glanced around before noticing the dragon walking in the direction of the kitchen. He bit his lower lip in a moment of thought before deciding against his thoughts and quickly followed the dragon into the kitchen. Danny felt a small smile form on his face as he watched Spike pull a stepping stool out from one of the cabinets and place it against the counter, quickly hopping up as he poured himself a glass of milk and set up a plate of cookies.

The dragon took a sip from the glass before glancing up, finally taking notice of the young colt staring at him from across the counter. He swallowed the mouthful of milk before turning back to Danny. "Umm . . ." He murmured, glancing sideways awkwardly. "Can I help you with something?"

Danny's eyes widened slightly and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he realized what he had been doing and quickly turned away. "No, it's nothing. Just, uhh . . . . what are you doing up?" He asked.

Spike gave him a weird look before glancing down at the milk and cookies in front of him. "Oh, just paying some bills." He smirked with a roll of his eyes. The color on Danny's cheeks turned even darker as he began to rub the back of his neck. "Umm . . . right." He chuckled.

Spike snorted before turning back to him. "How 'bout you?" He asked.

Danny quickly lifted his head back up before lifting his hoof, quickly rubbing his foreleg nervously. "Me? Oh, I . . . . well I was just . . . " He let out a small sigh. "I couldn't sleep." He finally settled on.

Spike took a bite out of one of the cookies and let out a small chuckle. "What? Have a nightmare or something?" He joked, only to stop chewing as he watched Danny flatten his ears slightly and turn away, lowering his gaze down to the floor.

"Ohh . . ."

Danny let out a small sigh and kept his gaze locked onto the floor.He wished it had just been "or something"as the little dragon suggested, but it was, once again, the same nightmare as always. Only this time, Twilight and the others had been included as well.And I thought those stupid dreams couldn't get any worse.The teen muttered to himself. Anyway, once the nightmare had pierced its way into his mind, the teen knew he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon.

Spike slowly swallowed the mouthful of Triple Chocolate Chip Nut-Cluster Cookies he had baked a few days ago and lowered his gaze as well.Geez, where's Twilight when you need her? I don't know anything about comforting ponies! Let alone kids! No, scratch that, TEENAGERS!Yet the dragon's thoughts silenced as he noticed the teen across from him. His eyes were shifting back and forth slightly in worry as he ran his hoof up and down his foreleg nervously.

The baby dragon sighed.Well, I don't need to be an expert to tell how much nightmares can suck, especially when you don't have anyone to talk to afterwards.He realized. He'd had plenty of nightmares in the past, and Twilight had been with him through all of them. But . . . . but Danny didn't have anyone. He was alone here, especially considering he wasn't comfortable enough to talk about it to Twilight.Well . . . . nopony wants to be alone after that.The dragon decided.

"Well . . . do you want some company?" Spike finally asked, Danny quickly lifting his head up at the question. After taking a moment to process what the dragon had said, Danny gave a small shake of his head. "You don't have to do that, Spike." He said quietly, only for the reptile to shrug his shoulders.

"Ehh, it usually takes me a while to get back to sleep anyway." He said casually, leading Danny out of the kitchen and over to a separate room past the library, which Twilight used as a study most of the time. All Spike knew was that the couch inside was the most comfortable and the view from the window was spectacular.

Walking in, the dragon hopped onto the couch before patting the empty seat next to him, motioning Danny over. The teen hesitated for a moment before walking over, slowly climbing up onto the cushions before resting his head on the back of the couch, staring lazily out at the window behind them.

Outside, the moon hung in the dark black sky, illuminating the nearby clouds in a silvery glow. The street below was silent and empty, save for the occasional squirrel or rabbit that would scamper out in search of food. Small wooden signs swayed gently with the breeze, stray fall leaves danced and twirled about in the air.

Yet the calming sights outside did nothing to ease the churning in Danny's stomach. It'd been a while since the dreams had affected him this bad. He's woken up in a cold sweat, almost certain his scream had awoken someone, thoroughly shocked when he discovered it hadn't. Then again, a second longer trapped in that nightmare, and he was sure the produced scream would have been enough to get all of Ponyville banging on the castle door as they attempted to catch the murderer that was surely killing someone.

His pillows and blankets had been soaking wet, drenched in sweat, his hair plastered to his face. As he glanced around, he noticed the room was aglow in a strange bright green light. After a moment, he finally realized the light was coming from his shininggreen eyes!The sight had thoroughly freaked him out. His eyes had never glowed with so much intensity before. It was . . . .scary.

Danny sighed and ran a hoof through his hair, the stray strands quickly falling back down into his face. He shut his eyes and turned away from the window, lying down on the couch as he curled his tail around himself comfortingly. Spike blew up his cheeks in thought before turning towards the teen. "Uhh . . . do you want to . . . . talk about it, or something?" HE asked awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed with comforting someone.

Danny tensed his shoulders before giving Spike a strange look. "I'd rather not." He murmured, Spike nodding in acceptance, slightly relieved he wouldn't have to traumatize the teen whiletrying- - key word:trying - -to give advice.

The two remained in awkward silence for a moment before Danny softly cleared his throat. "So . . . . how long have you known Twilight?" He asked, a small twinge of nervousness bubbling in his stomach.

Spike must have sensed the kid's unease cause he chuckled and grew a small smile, placing a claw on the colt's shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. She likes you. The others do, too." He explained. "You're fine." He said, watching as Danny gave a small smile in response. After a moment to ponder the teen's question, Spike grew a wider smile.

"Actually, I've known Twilight all my life. Literally." He chuckled, continuing quickly when he received a look of confusion. "Well, Twilight was given this egg at an entrance exam for some hoity-toity magic school thingamajig. Anyway, her task was to hatch the egg." He explained.

"And I'm assuming you were the prize inside?" Danny smirked.

Spike chuckled. "You bet. And I've basically been stuck with her ever since." He confessed. "After that, she kind of just filled in the slot of paranoid big sister." He explained. Danny nodded in understanding after a moment of thought. As another bout of silence filled the room, a small curious question filtered into the dragon's mind.

"You got any siblings?"

As Danny turned a questioning glance his way, the dragon quickly backtracked. "Not snooping! Simply curious." He quickly said, holding his claws up in surrender. After a moment, Danny deemed he was telling the truth. "Actually, I have an older sister, too. Her name's Jazz. She's an neurotic annoying know-it-all who sticks her nose into things that don't concern her . . . . .soooshe's pretty great." Danny confessed with a small smile.

Spike snorted. "Sounds just like Twilight." He quipped, Danny letting out a laugh of his own. After a moment, Spike watched the teen glance down at his hooves, seemingly becoming lost in thought as a small sense of sadness could be detected in his face.

"Do you miss her?"

The teen glanced back up in slight surprise at the question. After a moment, the teen let out a long sigh and grew a weary smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." He finally said softly. "You know, her and my friends, Sam and Tucker are basically the only things that miss home . . . " He blinked in thought for a moment. "You know . . . apart my parents." He finally added.

The small pause was enough to warrant confusion in the small dragon as he cocked his head. He bit the inside of his cheek as he thought over the question mingling in his head, unsure as to how the young colt would reallytakethe inquiry. "Do you . . . .notmiss your parents?" He finally asked, against his better judgement. Yet, instead of getting mad, which Spike had expected, Danny merely flattened his ears slightly and rested his chin on his hooves.

"Probably not as much as I should." He finally whispered.

As Spike tried to decipher what the teen could really mean, Danny lifted his head up. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutelylovemy parents. I couldn't wish for anyone different. It's just . . . ." He trailed off slightly before continuing. "They just . . . .don't understand.And when I think about it . . . . my friends don't really, either." HE confessed.

"Sure, they know more than my parents do, but . . . . I don't know, I guess they just can't really understand the things I go through cause they've never been put into the same situations I have. I mean, they try to help me as best they can, and I really appreciate it. They make my life a lot easier, it's just . . ."

"- - they'll neverreallybe able to understand."

Danny blinked in slightly shock, seeing as it wasn't him that uttered those words. He turned back towards Spike, who was now glancing down at his claws. The dragon glanced back up with a small smile. "I guess I know what you're talking about."

"What do you mean?"

The dragon chuckled. "You have seen the circles I run in right?" He asked, Danny letting out a small'oh' in realization. Spike simply nodded. "Yep, not many dragons can say they spend most of their time with ponies." He snorted before giving a light shrug of his shoulders. "I can't really complain. They're the best family I could ask for. But . . . sometimes I wish they could see how hard it is for me to fit in. How left out I feel sometimes. I just wish they could- -"

"- - understand." Both boys said simultaneously, before glancing over at each other. Small smiles grew on their faces at that.

"Guess we have a lot more in common than we first thought." Danny smiled, Spike doing the same as the two were slowly dropped into another bout of silence, only this time, no awkwardness twinged between the two of them. Instead, it was a calming quietness that seemed to match perfectly with the setting outside as silvery trails of light shone in from the window.

Spike let out a yawn as he rested his back against the soft plush pillows of the couch, the action causing Danny to repeat an equally tired yawn. "You know what's great about you staying here?" Spike asked quietly, feeling his eyelids begin to grow heavy.

Danny rested his head on his hooves as he closed his eyes. "Hmm?"

Spike let out a content sigh and folded his arms underneath his head. "Now I have someone else who can babysit Twilight while I take my naps."

A soft snort drifted out from the room before it fell silent.

---

Twilight yawned and rubbed the last traces of sleepiness out of her eyes as she continued to walk down the halls, a small mug of coffee hovering next to her as she did. The mare knocked on the door in front of her before stepping back. After a few more moments, the silence that greeted her was enough for curiosity and concern to outweigh privacy as she pushed the door open.

Her frown only deepened when she saw that the room was empty.

Just like Spike's.She thought silently to herself. After a closer look into the room, she saw that the bed sheets were ruffled and wrinkled, meaning the bed had been in use at one point in the night.Spike's was like that, too.She realized before closing the door to the empty room.

"Where the heck are those two?"

She let out a sigh and turned around, ready to make her way back over to the kitchen before heading into her library. She had quickly realized something was off when she noticed the castle didn't smell of coffee and cinnamon, sugar, honey, or whatever else Spike would tinker around with during breakfast.

At first, she had merely assumed the little dragon had slept in. Though it was rare, she knew it still happened sometimes. Yet after finding his room empty, her confusion had only increased. And adding in the fact Danny seemed to be missing too was more than enough to warrant concern.

As she continued to walk down the hallway towards the library, she casually passed the half-open door to her study. Her hoof froze mid-stride as her brain caught up to what her eyes had just seen. Slowly backtracking, she glanced back into the room, wondering if her eyes had played a trick on her or something. But at second glance, she quickly realized it was no trick.

Lying on the couch, Danny and Spike were both fast asleep. The young colt was on his stomach, his hooves tucked up close to his chest as his head was currently burrowed in one of the pillows. Next to him, Spike was tucked up alongside the boy's side, his short black tail curled around the sleeping reptile.

Twilight blinked in shock at the scene in front of her for a moment before a small smile spread onto her face.Told ya' you just needed to give him a chance. She thought to herself as she turned and quickly trotted out of the room, vaguely wondering where she last left her camera.

Comments

[gamerbro123]

Lol! Blackmail material, here we come!

[jen_lee_hattie]

9711574
Eeyup

[Pr1deM0rn1ngstar]

I for one think it's cute