> A Cog in the Machine
>  by Zoom zoom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Welcome [Final Mix]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sounds of the train running along the tracks is enough to dull you back to sleep, but the mare shaking you awake isn’t about to let that happen it seems.   Your eyes fissure out as you look at your traveling partner.  The police Unicorn from Las Pegasus that picked you up to bring you on this stupid trip smiles at you.  “Time to get up child, we’ve nearly arrived at your new home.”

You groan as you rolled back off the seat you had laid in upside down so the blood rushed to your head since it allowed you to think and drown out her noise better before.  It’s always supposed to be your new home.  You’re not even sure why these ponies even bother.  You already know what your destination is and the course of the rest of your life should be.

You are supposed to live in an orphanage.  There you’ll watch as all the other ponies get taken one by one till you’re on your own.  Along the way you end up helping your dad with his work.  At least long enough to get both of you caught.  Then spend the rest of your life in the dungeons.  Life had dealt you a hand that said you would be alone and in a prison in one form or another.  And you were totally content about that.  Some pony has to get the short end of the stick after all.

The roar of the Train as if leaves get you interested though.  You had been on the stupid thing long enough to never want to see a train again.  You could even still remember the instant your brain decided it wasn’t fun to pass another set of cows when you know you’ll be seeing them again inside a week tops.

Outside the station, you and the police unicorn stand as you both wait for whoever it is that is supposed to pick you up.  “Hey, don’t worry.  I’m sure your new guardian is going to love you.”  You just stare at her unmoving as she continues.  “I mean you shouldn’t take the fact she was the only one who was willing to take you this time as bad.  Third time’s the charm right?“  

You shake your head.  She must not be used to dealing with foals.  Terrible fumble really.  But that didn’t even scratch the little wall you have up in case of such things so it was okay.  After the last guardian you sort of had to.

The police pony started to freak out, having caught her fumble.  “How-How about I help you with your magic till she gets here?”  You blinked again staring, the panicked look on her face telling you how she must also be new to the force if she’s screwing up this much and cracking under pressure.

With a huff, you answer simply, “I can’t use magic miss.  It never surfaced.”  This was true.  But the face on the mare really did start to faultier into that of morbid depression.  That made you feel bad.  If there was one thing that did set you off it was seeing a mare cry.

“How about a game instead,” you say pretending to act your actual age for once.  You playfully touch her hoof and gallop away.  It takes a bit but soon the mare is laughing as she tries to catch you.  The game of tag didn’t last long but it did help, the sour look now smiling happily at you and the world.

Why were ponies and things so easy to read to you?  Your dad had told you it was so you could be the perfect partner to help with his work.  But now he was far away again, and that last time he had shown you what his job was that you were helping with was the only time you had ever used magic.  It was so you could wink as far away as possible.  No, stop it.  You can’t think about such things now.  You shake your head  to get rid of the bad memory.

You actually got your travel partner singing while you did the background music to pass the time, and clear your mind, before you hear the sound of a wagon in the distance.  At least you won’t have to put on a fake smile to be part of the fun.  You hated to smile, it hurt your face.

The wagon comes to a stop.  The mare that was pulling it looked like a living piece of cotton candy.  Her bouncy hair, lighter shade of pink coat and bright blue eyes were all shiny.  Every part of her seemed to erupt with energy.  If you didn’t suspect why this mare was here you’d almost have a crush on her at first sight.  Key word being almost, age not withstanding she wasn’t your type.

“Hiyah!” she calls as she stops her wagon.  “I’m your official welcoming committee to Ponyville!”  She bucked her wagon and a slew of bass horns and various other random things popped right out of the thing.  It was such a sight you could barely process what you were looking at.  Almost like the pure concentrated essence of imagination was materialized as a musical cart.  Then she sang a song along with a dance and pulling out various instruments for nearly every other word.  Oh Celestia she was THAT kind of pony.

Welcome welcome welcome 
A fine welcome to you 
Welcome welcome welcome 
I say how do you do? 

The pink pony blew a horn and you could swear it was so loud and blown so hard the thing went through the police mare’s head and came out the other side.

Welcome welcome welcome 
I say hip hip hurray 
Welcome welcome welcome 
To Ponyville today 

The wagon seemed to have no other purpose than to carry the bells and whistles to go with her song.  Even a set of flags waved around frantically from all sides.  Not even a minute into knowing her and she was already embarrassing you.  If nothing else that technically made her family.  Oddly after finishing the dance that went with her song she stayed in the same position.

“Wait for it,” she said smiling.  The sound of the resounding blast was enough that you were sure you would have gone deaf in you had not noticed something was going to happen and ducked, covering your ears.  The next thing you knew a flood of goop hit the three of you.  Everything was white and you couldn’t see.

“Oh how silly of me,” came the voice of the annoying pony as the weird whistling died, “I just don’t know how I keep mixing up all this stuff.  I’m not even sure how thunder powder got in there.”  Well that explains the loud boom.  “Come on you two, it’s edible and delicious if I might add.”

You risk letting your tongue pass you lips to taste this white stuff as you wiped what you could off your eyes and, it was cake mix.  Why did she think blasting you and a police officer with cake mix was a good idea for showing how responsible she could be with you?  Scratch a week you could get out of here in five days.

In some sense of seeing she did something wrong, she assists the police unicorn with taking off her cake batter.  A cutie mark showing three balloon huh?  That plus the singing and cake, this meant the girl loved to throw parties.

“Whatcha doin?”

You turned back to see somehow this pony had come right behind you and was looking you over now.  Startled, you back up quickly.  “Hmm, the coats a bit dull.”  You look at your dark grey coat suddenly self-conscious.  “But I love that mane.”  Well that was sort of the thing you liked about yourself too.  It didn’t blend well with your dark coat at all but you had flame colored mane and tail.  It started blonde at the roots and grew redder to the ends. 

Still what was this mare saying?  She was looking at you more like a toy or prop then a pony if she was using words like that.  “Oh sorry did I hurt your feelings.  Didn’t mean too little guy.  Guess I’m not that good at this guardian stuff yet.  The name's Pinkie Pie.  What's yours?”  

You give your own name reluctantly and shake her outstretched hoof.  Pinkie then used that to pull you into a hug and start pushing on your face like a plush toy.  “Eeyup,” you tell yourself seeing that any sane pony would call social services on Pinkie Pie raising a child. “She’s not going to last four days.”





You stare are your new “home”.  Much like Pinkie Pie it looks like it is made of candy.  You’re tempted to try taking a bite, but that wouldn’t make any sense so you don’t.  In fact one of the candy canes that act as part of the doors is being sucked by a yellow unicorn foal.  She was floating in the air with her magic easily.  That made you feel pathetic since you couldn’t even make your horn glow, but past that it was a cute site.

“No no Pumpkin Cake,” came Pinkie’s voice as she jumped to grab the foal and brought her down.  “What did we say about putting things that are not food in our mouths?”  Random goos were the foal’s reply.  Pinkie looks back at you as you watch.  “Well come on Mr. Downer wowner.”  You follow, noting how Pumpkin showed no signs of looking like Pinkie, unlike yourself who had the same eye shape.  This meant likely that no one else in this place was related to your guardian, thus she’d be on her best behavior here.

You’re not three steps into the candy house when you’re tackled by a different foal, this one a Pegasus.  His coat was a similar color to your own but with a lot lighter and more of a golden tint.  Based on color and size you can tell this must be the twin of the other foal, if not at least a relative.  The foal started to jump happily on top of you.  It hurt a bit but it wasn’t bothersome so you didn’t say anything.  

It was a blue mare with light red hair that pulled him off you after your fourth reactive grunt.  She was much older than Pinkie and looked far more like a proper mother/guardian to you than Pinkie ever would.  “Now Pound Cake,” said to the foal sweetly, “you shouldn’t go attacking ponies for fun.”  

The foal struggles a bit but calms and nuzzles its mother.  You were able to tell instantly when compared to the last member in the room.  A yellow stallion with some hairs beginning to make a beard.  The only odd thing was how the twin foals were different types from their earth pony parents.  But who were you to talk since you were somehow related to….whatever it was Pinkie Pie counted as.

“Allow me to introduce you to everyone,” said Pinkie giving Pumpkin to the father.  She did some standard introductions of you, throwing in more comments about you frowning as she did so and making jokes in an attempt to get you to smile.  They didn’t work.

“You already know the twins first hand,” stated Pinkie when she finally gave up.  “These are their parents Carrot and Cup.  But I just call them Mr. and Mrs. Cake.”  You nodded to the both of them, giving a bow and inducing yourself.

“My he has such good manners,” commented Cup as you lifted your head.  Of course you did, not having proper manners in your last home ended with a no dinner.  Lucky these ponies are more down to earth though, you’d forgotten that you were supposed to wipe your hooves before entering.

Pinkie decided to give you a grand tour of the house.  It was fairly normal bakery with an apartment on top, well aside from the fact the Cakes didn’t actually live there anymore.  You and Pinkie would be staying in the upstairs.  Your room had a set up so that your bed was on the other side of the wall dividing her bedroom from the rest of the place.  The wall was thin too so she could hear you.  That was something you were not sure if it was smart or creepy to have her able to know everything you did in your own bed.

She finished with stating, “It’s too bad it’s a school night though.  I wanted to have your welcome party tonight.”

You held back a groan and the annoyance in your voice as you asked, “Didn’t you already give me a welcome party?”

“Oh no,” said Pinkie giggling.  “That was just a normal welcome.  I mean I didn’t even bring any of my friends over.  Besides it’s all the better we wait for it.  Maybe you can make some friends on your own by inviting them over for the party.  You seem like the kind of pony that needs to make friends on his own first.”

You’re not sure why Pinkie Pie would think that.  Nothing really strikes you as something notable.  You finally get a good look at yourself in the mirror and decide something.  “Hey can you take me to get a mane cut?  I prefer my mane short and I haven’t had the chance to in a while.”  

You’re new guardian just keeps smiling, “Well sure I can.  We can go after dinner, but if you ask me you look better with it long like that.”

That’s exactly why you’d want to cut it.  You don’t want to attract attention.  If you cut your hair short enough to look like any old blonde pony you’ll stand out far less.  Well as less as a pony with short hair was in this town, this didn’t seem to exist.





Dinner, as it turned out, didn’t go over so well.  Pinkie made faces as she helped feed the twins who splashed their mush everywhere.  At one point Pound had accidently caused his bowl to land square in your face.  Everypony gasped, and Pound did seem remorseful but you just ignored all that and kept eating.  There wouldn’t be a reason to bother being part of these ponies.  It wouldn’t completely work, but hell last time it at least made it so it wasn’t so bad when your dad came to have a ‘visit’.  Then again those guys didn’t try washing your face with song like Pinkie who seemed to be doing her best to force you to get involved.  Still your face never moved bit from all this.

After dinner, you decide to go up to your bed and unpack while Pinkie is preoccupied with the twins and the Cakes with preparing for the next day.  The sound of laughing and fun rang below you as you took out your box that had been mailed in the day before.  

Inside were only a few modest items: an advanced math study guide, a Timber Wolf action figure, and a picture of your parents.  Well to be more correct it was a picture of your mom with her face slashed and taped back together and your father with his head missing.  The latter was your doing, the former was the reason.

You crawl with these items to a self were Pinkie apparently kept some things before since it was neither new nor was it dusty from lack of use.  They fit easily enough as you jump back on your bed.  Both surprisingly and unsurprisingly it was then you noticed it was somehow a water bed on top of a foam bed.  After a few waves you to stabilize.  You again take note that Pinkie can’t be qualified as a guardian since you are a unicorn.  Then again your horn is sort of dull and it isn’t like you’ll use magic in your sleep or something.  Still the idea on sleeping on a big water and soft foam balloon doesn’t sit too well with you.

Pinkie calls out to you, “why don’t you join us?”  You don’t say anything.  You just lay back and look at the ceiling.  Pinkie couldn’t even leave that normal.  That image, the thing looks like it was made by Pumpkin and Pound, heck even a filly your age.  But this was really weird for some considered an adult to have for her living room.

Well it wouldn’t take long.  The police unicorn said the social worker would be by see how Pinkie was as a care giver in a week.  You were not sure how Pinkie even got passed the screening or even wanted to take someone who was a total downer in with you.

Only Pinkie finally breaks the silence you had in your mind thinking about this.  “What are you doing silly.  You asked if we could go for a mane cut and the barber closes soon.  Let’s go.”

She actually remembered that?  Well you crossed off completely flighty off you list of reasons Pinkie isn’t good to raise a child.  So the two of you go off as Pinkie continues her frantic actions along the way, it doesn’t bother you though.  One week.  Any longer than that and your father would likely track you down anyway, and you don’t even want to imagine Pinkie as the next target.  You realized that somewhere.

Despite avoiding her when you could and speaking very little, heck you only said maybe two sentences to her all day.  Somehow she got to you enough that you at least wouldn’t enjoy your father’s arrival like you did last time.  And that make you feel uncomfortable.

> First Day at School [Final Mix]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	You wanted to really call whoever designed this building and slap him/her upside their head.  Everything about this schoolhouse seemed to scream cliché.  The old looking building with an old timey bell, the rather young and kind looking teacher, and even a freaking school yard with a large sandbox and jungle gym in the back, nothing about this place stood out to you to even bother taking a mental note of.

Your teacher wasn’t helping.  She was talking to Pinkie Pie like an old friend, which based again on signs of aging the two could have gone to school at the same time at one point, though Pinkie was obviously younger by a year or two.  The talk itself was not important.  As soon as you realized it was going into stallions you tuned them out.  Such talk was of little importance to you in the long run since you didn’t like the idea of being a “player” with such information as your mom put it when describing your father.

This teacher, Cheerilee you thought you heard, finally turned her attention to you after some exchanging with Pinkie.  “Hello there my little pony.”  You just stare at her.  She grimaces to Pinkie and tried to whisper in her ear, “Not very talkative is he?”  It was easy enough to hear, you do have some pride in your observational skills after all when it isn’t an inconvenience.

Something else is getting at you now that you see her up close.  What was it?  The evidence was there but it wasn’t something you knew well so you couldn’t draw from your well on this pony.  Her rose colored coat caught the eye too much for you to see exactly what it was that stood out to you at first.  “Well how about you come in with me?  Pinkie, I can handle this from here.  I’ll tell you how everything goes later.”

“Oki Doki Loki,” said Pinkie happily skipping away.  You roll your eyes.  She just had to be so happy all the time didn’t she?

“Hey,” commented Cheerilee’ voice looking at you, “Rolling your eyes is disrespectful.  When Pinkie comes to pick you up I expect you to give an apology.”

She can’t be serious.  She looks like the type who does it all the time herself.  Talk about a pot talking to a kettle.  So in turn you respond with a stare and rolling your eyes again with a shake of your head as one would do if they were imitating someone.

“Ugg,” said Cheerilee rolling her own eyes now, “Let’s just get you introduced.  I’m sure you will get to like it here once you have a friend or two and all the fillies and colts around your age come to school here.”

“I doubt it,” you mutter not caring if the teacher hears you.  If she does she doesn’t look back and her smiling face returns in full the closer you get to the classroom.  It doesn’t really matter though, soon enough she’ll see why.

Once inside you were greeted with the sight of a wide variety of ponies of all shapes and sizes.  In fact they look far more different that the others you’ve seen around town.  What you found interesting was that no stallions looked anything like any of the colts here, and thinking about it you didn’t look like your father at all either.  Did this mean all boys go through some massive face morphing at puberty?  You shudder at the thought of what your face would morph into because of this and how you would feel with your jaw extending.  Another pony shared your color scheme, only since her mane was longer this filly had full blonde hair.

Your own hair was cut back, but Pinkie refused to let you have it all done short so little tuffs of orange showed at the ends of your hair.  As you expected that was the cause of all these new kids to take a second glance at you.  Well aside from two fillies in the middle that looked at you once, laughed about something and went back to talking and snickering between each other.

“Now quiet my little ponies,” announced Cheerilee with her grin returning, what did she just love being meta without realizing it?  That aside, apparently you couldn’t keep her frowning long, but it wasn’t like you were trying….yet.  “Today we have a new student joining us.  Please say hello to…” She paused, and you held back a grin.  In all the talk she had forgotten to ask your name from Pinkie, or at least if she did get your name it was lost too her now.

Only something strikes you, if she tries to say your name and gets it wrong you will be mocked with that name until you leave.  You had already been on both ends of that situation and even a week of that sort of bullying isn’t going to fly well on your tolerance level.  Worse yet, those two foals who didn’t seem to care about you suddenly seem interested in the teacher again.  Either they are going to use what she said against you or were going to make fun of the teacher herself for it.  And while Cheerilee would deserve it if it was the latter, the risk of the former and something inside told you it was best to give a save.  So in a polite tone you bow and introduce yourself, being careful to avoid telling anything about your family.  It wasn’t long till you finished with, “Just call me Cog for short, I don’t much like my full name.”

Any thought to admiring this teacher was lost the moment she couldn’t say your name.  True it was a long one not many would have bothered to say or even know existed in equestrian language unless they were book smart.  But at least Pinkie Pie had decided to call you Coggy outright instead of failing as this educator was.  In fact why were you quite about it?

“I mean that has to be easy for your simple brain.”  There it was, you did it.  You just couldn’t hold back could you?  You could hear a pin drop after the gasps all the students made from your comment.  

Cheerilee however didn’t look mad.  In fact she looked rather glad to hear that for some reason.  Then suddenly she winked, but not at you, to the entire class, “Gotcha.”  Then she goes and pronounces your name in full with no issue what so ever.  “Now your desk is in the back over there.  And thanks for that little bit Cog, but I think your acting was a bit off with the delivery.  Next time I have to remember to tell you to smile.”  

You couldn’t believe it.  The teacher actually spun this into her favor AND got you to introduce yourself properly.  The little snake.  This teacher defiantly gained some points with you now.  You scratch annoying the teacher off your list of ways to get out of this quicker.  Even if you tried harder this teacher would find ways around it, you were sure of that.  So you just took your seat in the back row and didn’t’ say anything. 

The three students around you were the only ones still staring at you by classes start, the two colts on either side of you with cutie marks already and a girl without one.  One of the boy’s marks is barely visible with his white coat but a feather nestled his flank.  The other on your left was chubby and had an odd cutie mark you couldn’t place and seemed to have nothing to do with why his face was in the news paper with a fez on.  To each their own you supposed.

It was the last one of the three, the filly directly in front of you, which struck you as off a bit.  Her yellow coat was bare, and the bright big bow in her red hair somehow even redder than the hair is what first struck you.  The second thing was how she was obviously only a few months to a year younger, and then her eyes that like your hair seemed to change color a bit, at least in shade from top to bottom.  The two colts you understood, as the guy next to them you’d logically have to share text books with them, but why was this filly still staring at you?  Did she notice that you were not acting earlier?  Well whatever, at least I can use this to your advantage.

You proceed to then stare daggers at the filly.  She’s taken aback for a bit and, wait she looks like she’s about to cry.  Or is that her normal sad face?  Before you could decide you feel your face soften as you exhale and extend your hoof.  You cursed your own nature sometimes.

This was another thing you did since you were a foal.  Not exactly something either of your parents made you do, but when your mom would tell you stories of a valiant knight defending princesses your boyish dreams were set to roost as you wanted to be a canterlot guard at one point.  That of course led to helping as many damsels as you could find to help and the rest just naturally happened.  You cursed your younger self sometimes for giving you this compulsion.

However, unlike what you expected, the girl doesn’t take your hoof.  She scoffs at you and turns back to see her teacher again.  You frown confused, was your dagger staring face really that good?  You glance at the two colts next to you.  The feather flanked one shrugs and other had gone back to his paper at some point.  Not wanting to extend a hoof for no reason you throw it instead to the feather flanked one, who shakes it and greets you as Featherweight.

For the rest of class up to lunch Featherweight shares his text books with you and you get to know one another a bit.  You didn’t tell him much about yourself but that was easy since featherweight seemed to be able to talk about being a reporter for forever.  His own deductive skills seemed to be better than yours in some ways.  He didn’t notice the useless stuff as much which left him to notice all the things you didn’t.  Like pointing out how that yellow pony, Applebloom he tells you, was staring at you at first because she saw you didn’t have a cutie mark.  This meant you were one with only five others in class now who didn’t have one out of all twenty.  “That filly has some club with two of the other blank flanks,” he explains, “careful you don’t get mixed up with them.  The only reason they didn’t go after Pip was because he’s too young for one still.”

You give him a nod but still ask, “Why avoid them then?  Do they bully ponies around or something?”

“Oh no,” said Featherweight shaking his head, “it’s actually the opposite.  I don’t personally but most ponies listen to those two.”  He pointed at the two fillies that mostly ignored you at introduction, “Diamond Tiara is the pink one.  She is the class bully if there ever was one.  The grey one with the snow white mane is Silver Spoon.  I’d say to avoid them, but if you do when they come looking for you it would be far worse.”

“I’ll take your word for it then,” you reply noticing Cheerilee is looking at the two of you and shutting up to focus back on your studies and grab the pencil in your mouth to appease her.  Gets you to clam up quick with just looking at you?  Yep, she was definitely a teacher you did not want to cross this week.





Recess began after lunch.  Featherweight had invited you to play with the other colts in some activity, but you decline saying you’re tired and lay against the fence.  That was a lie, but you couldn’t go and just keep interacting with Featherweight.  If you did hang out with him and his friends outside class that would mean you’d get friends.  Friends you may not want to leave when the time came.  

So you just lay against the wall trying to think.  You don’t exactly want to be a problem child, but if you don’t try to be one you’d end up staying here until your father showed up, and already you didn’t want that, at least not as much as last time.  With nothing better to do, you look at your right hoof just by the joint.  It’s small, but the pink scarred skin still shined against the dark fur.  It doesn’t really sting, but you could feel it like it was fresh just looking at it so you put your hoof back down.

From the corner of your eye you can see Applebloom and her friends playing together.  The orange Pegasus seems to ask something while the white unicorn watches you, but Applebloom shakes her head and said something and they start playing again.

The recess likely would have gone on without incident if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had not decided to bother you.  You could feel the other ponies’ eyes on the three of you when they approached.  Well, let’s get this over with.

You meet them with a strong stance.  There are two ways this could go.  Either way is good for you, but the first would be preferable.  “Can I help you?”

“Well looky what he have here,” said Diamond Tiara, “a blank flank who thinks he’s too good to interact with any pony.”  She continued to say something while you took full mental notes on the two.  Silver Spoon only seemed to either repeat or agree with Diamond Tiara.  Finally they finished with, “You’ll never get a talent like this you dull looking clod.”

You were waiting for that, “Actually it’s Cog, and really if I were you I wouldn’t make fun of other ponies’ talents or lack thereof considering your own.”  The two blinked and looked confused so you elaborated.  “Tell me, what is your special talent?  You know aside from the obvious that your vapid snobs that only spend money other ponies give you.”  The two didn’t seem like there were going to answer and shrunk back a bit when you finished so you continued.  “No retort?  Well I’m on the money it seems, and I guess you would know it since that’s all you two will ever be good at.  Heck I’d guess you two only push other ponies around because you know that deep down you have no decent talent anyone wants.  I kind of feel sorry for you, every pony else will be so much better at one thing or another than you and you’ll be unable to do much except use it for personal material.”

You close your eyes and pulled back your ears to minimize sound as you trotted back into the school building.  You knew that would make them cry but it doesn’t affect you if you don’t see it firsthand.  You notice the entire class is still quiet so you do look out the window to see what is going on.  Instead of agreeing with you the ponies, including Applebloom and her friends are gathered around the two to try and console them a bit.  You had been harsh.   Hit them right in their life purpose.  There was no way any of them would like you at all now.  Heck Featherweight would quickly disassociate with you and say he was only helping because Cheerilee said too.  Mission accomplished.

Only something was off, Applebloom and her friends look at you in the window.  The orange one has the mad face, but it was obvious she was holding back a laugh.  The white one is annoyed.  But Applebloom is the only one that looks sad about this for some reason.  Whatever, you go back to your desk alone where you belong to wait for class to start again.  Cheerilee said she was going to quiz everyone this afternoon so you might as well keep busy by studying for all the good it will do you.


> Applebloom [Final Mix]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A rancid smell invaded your senses to awake you from your slumber.  The dried liquid was all over your hooves and face.  You’re not bound, at least not anymore.  Some of your memory returns to you as you shake your head and cough loudly.  Your mouth spits out blood too.  Courtesy of Dilly Dally you assume.  A quick tongue check and you seem to still have all your teeth in the right spots, then again even Dilly was not dumb enough to leave something that lasting on you.

Ever since you came to this stupid house it’s been nothing but work and if you don’t do exactly as instructed you’re punished harshly.  You don’t even recall when exactly you left the house since the incident that gave you the scar on your hoof.  For a moment you wonder what punishment you were given before that forced you to recall being tied up, wait even she wouldn’t tie you up.  Social services would notice those kinds of burses.  You’re afraid to look up once you notice this.  You had already known what is going to be in front of you when you do.

A low voice laughs and comes closer till it is whispering in your ear.  “Like it?  I figured I should have some fun with her too.  Thanks so much for letting me in Cog.”  

“No,” you try to say shutting your eyes.  This only enhances that rancid smell.  “I didn’t.  I didn’t mean…”

The low voice of your father laughed harder, “Good one son.  But you see boy, you are my kid.  This is just as much your fault as mine.  You knew what I would do and you still gave me all I needed.  You didn’t even warn her.  You wanted her dead, and I couldn’t agree more.  Hell she deserved this more than my other victims ever did.  No one touches my son.”

“No, no no no no.” you just keep repeating it pressing your face to the floor of red liquid that is still wet.  The smell is stronger than ever.  It’s only a red liquid, nothing else.  This there is just no way your covered in something you could never wash out.  Liquid and nothing more.

Your father’s voice echoes as it drifts away.  “Say it all you want my boy.  If you wanted to, you could have turned me in when I came to ask.  In fact I think you’re ready to be my assistant.  Hell, next time how about you give me a nice young one so I can have a little more fun before I finish.”

“You’re not here,” you tell more yourself than to your father.  “I’m safe in my bed.  This isn’t happening.  I don’t want this.  I can’t want this.”

“Like father like son.”  The voice sticks to you as you shake.  The sound of hooves trotting slowly away tells you your visitor is gone.  But his present will forever remain with you now.

Dilly Dally, the horrid mare you wanted so much to leave you alone and get what was coming to her.  Your fault, it’s your fault.  No it isn’t.  But it is.  This would have been something you would have done yourself if pushed too far and you know it.  And that fact, more than anything else, scared you the most.  You were a killer, not matter what you did from now until your own life ended, you would forever know you were reasonable for ending a life.

You stare at your work, burning the image into your mind.  You couldn’t forget this moment.  You must not.  Whatever you choose to do in your future, this part would shape you.  Only as you stared did you see that sudden half open eye look at your with contempt again.



You jerk awake from your nightmare.  Tears had stained your cheeks but whatever it was that caused this had faded.  All you can remember is that it was your father laughing, but the one that sent shivers down your spine.  More memories of his visits you suppose.  That was something you would rather forget but you couldn’t run from it in your dreams.  Something else you didn’t forget was that smell and now you know why.

Pinkie, from the looks of things, had only just gotten home and passed out drunk on the foot of your bed.  She had vomited all over the floor nearby at some point.  You go to buck her but only get her hair that just bounces.

“Couldn’t even be bothered to pick me up from school and comes home this late,” you mumble.  Or is it early?  You look at the wall clock.  Just great, school started in 15 minutes.  You were not used to the time difference here and overslept.  “This is just peachy.”

Suddenly Gummy popped out of Pinkie’s hair with what looks like a yawn.  You honestly couldn’t tell because the alligator looks like it’s either brain dead or in its own world all the time.  You pet him as you get up and go to get a mop to clean up Pinkie’s mess and her face before you roll her onto your bed and you get ready for school.

Granted you could just skip and get Pinkie in even more trouble, but that would require spending the day avoiding the cakes.  A quick face rinse was all you managed, there wasn’t time to shower.  Not showering was part of the plan anyway, well and you didn’t like taking baths or showers unless you had to, but no pony had to know that part.  Lucky you the cakes were already fast at work getting everything ready as you called out your goodbyes and shut the door behind you.

The walk to school wasn’t much but already a few of the ponies who were up early were glancing at you and gossiping.  This wasn’t going to take long at all.  At this rate the social worker will stop by this time tomorrow to investigate all the claims the townsfolk must have issued by now.

A loud hum comes into your ears as you round the final corner to school.  You look to your side and see that orange Pegasus, what was her name again?  Zooming on a scooter, her wings acting like a smaller version of the motors you studied in school yesterday that keep machines running.  She stops just in front of the building and in a flash she runs inside.  Guess she was late too.

Once inside, you were greeted by Cheerilee yelling at that orange pony as you try to walk past them and take your seat.  Everyone’s attention is on the teacher’s shouts with you only getting a few glances except by Featherweight and of course for some reason Applebloom.

As you had predicted yesterday, Featherweight didn’t talk to you as you approached.  However now he seemed to be looking at you and then back to that orange pony.  You could guess he was thinking that you both being late at the same amount of time was suspicious despite the truth of it being a coincidence.  So for effect even though it hurt your mouth you smiled and winked at him to confirm his suspicions.  It was cruel, and you knew it as soon as you saw Applebloom’s reaction.  Oh for the love of Celestia, she has to know you’re teasing.  Whatever.

You take your seat behind her ignoring things and put your face to the desk.  You don’t really care to bother until class starts.  You just wait for some pony to say how you were even later.  To your surprise that doesn’t happen as Cheerilee decides to give Scootaloo, well with all the shouting you finally got her name, detention.

You mumble your annoyance you your conscience as you feel your hoof raising.  Well you had nothing better to do anyway.  “I was late too Ms. Cheerilee,” you say simply.  Unfortunately you might as well lie while you’re at it.  “In fact it’s sort of my fault Scootaloo was late.  I sort of trip her up on that scooter of hers and we fell into some muck.”  You rubbed your hoof over a still sticky part of your fur to show this.  It wasn’t like they’d suspect Pinkie of you being this messy anyway since to any normal pony nopony is THAT irresponsible.

Scootaloo did have a few scratches from crashing though you don’t know why.  You had noticed that as you passed.  Again you curse your own nature.  Every Pony just looks at you.  Scootaloo seems like she’s about to object when you pipe up.  “So if you’re going to punish anyone you can punish me.”  When every pony isn’t looking you are going to bang your forehead on the desk so many times for all this.

“No,” said Scootaloo, “He’s just lying to cover for me Ms. Cheerilee.”  You look up to see Scootaloo staring at you confused and the white unicorn friend of hers smiling at you.  You heard the Fez wearing colt next to you rustle his paper, his attention on you too.  You can only assume so is the rest of the class.  Every pony else has no idea how to react.  That is except for Cheerilee.

“That’s okay Scootaloo,” she said simply, “you don’t have to cover for him.  I think it’s very nice you told the true to protect a friend Cog.  I think I’ll reduce the sentence to cleaning up the classroom before you get to leave.  Fair?  Also Cog, you really should use the school sink to wash the rest of that off.  I’ll hold class until you’re done.”  

You nod and trot to the bathroom, feeling Scootaloo’s gaze fixate on you till you close the door behind you.  The sink’s cold water got you to clear your head for a bit.  And the sound of that running water drowned out the repeated smashing of your horn against the wall.



The rest of the school morning was pretty forgettable after that.  The only thing of note was that Cheerilee wanted to speak to you during recess after class and asked you to skip it.  You took it as it also being a punishment for lying to avoid any sassy backtalk.  So for now you were given an hour to eat lunch and return, with the last 30 minutes going to recess for the rest of the class.

You sit on the picnic table with your stomach growling from not eating all day.  You’re not a fan of grass.  For an omnivore with not sharp teeth, not liking grass and hay gives you few options right now.  In your hunger pains you wonder what it would be like to be a Timber wolf so you could eat raw meat.  You also wonder if in a sick way they are your favorite animal because they have to eat nothing but flesh animals for food.

Your stomach growls again.  It’s now apparent to you Pinkie either is still out of it or completely forgot she needed to make you something.  You brain growls at you with your stomach for thinking Pinkie was competent.  And all three growls occur when Applebloom, Scootaloo and that white unicorn come to see you at the bench.

“What’s his problem?” The white unicorn had asked this with an annoyed face still.  You sort of expected Scootaloo for the average thanks but you still wonder why Applebloom came since that forced the white unicorn to come.

“I think he’s hungry,” stated Scootaloo no longer reacting like she did before.  Apparently ponies in this town must forgive and forget over night.  Your too hungry to keep up the leave me alone act so you just roll with your dog act and give and agreeing yap.

This apparently broke the part of the white unicorn and she giggled.  Applebloom took a deep breath and the seat across from you before speaking.  “Mah sister said I should try bein friends with ya so I guess now would be good time to bribe ya into it.”

It was kinda cute how honest she was about the matter.  And it did solve the mystery of why she was so interested in you.  She passes you half her CLT sandwich and you take it without thinking and scarf it down saying thanks after the final bite gets passed your throat.  All three of the girls giggled at this.  Well there goes your plan to be hated by every pony.  Damn that Pinkie Pie, she’s either a complete idiot unsuited for raising children, or a total genius.  Please be the former.

The three fillies ate and talked, you were able to get the last one’s name: Sweetie Belle.  They told you pretty much all you needed to know about them.  You did find it off that only Applebloom had a country accent despite the location but ignored that when she started talking about farm life.  She seemed to have a love/hate relationship with it.  Not being strong enough to help with the big jobs meant she had plenty of free time that she enjoyed, but it also meant she couldn’t ignore such work completely even when she wanted to go out with friends.

Sweetie Belle had the opposite problem, wanting to help her sister and parents but mostly just being forced to stay outside and play.  Guess that means she’s a klutz, though you wouldn’t say that out loud as you take a sip from an extra juice box Sweetie Belle had.

Scootaloo didn’t say much about herself.  She mostly only talked about her scooter and Rainbow Dash, who Pinkie did rave about at your welcoming dinner as you recall.  You did ask if she was related to her and apparently not.  Given what you did pick up from the TONS of exposition Pinkie had said about her own friends it seemed obvious that Rainbow is either indeed the most amazing pony in the town or you had somehow found two mares that were crushing on her hard.

Whichever it was annoyed you for some reason, so you kept Scootaloo to talking about her scooter noting of all four of you her talent was the most obvious.  You didn’t want to ruin it for her so you didn’t say anything though.  Your own mother had done the same for you, and she was right.  While you didn’t pursue finding your own talent, if someone had just told you about it would feel like you were partly dumb for not figuring it out sooner and disappointed that you couldn’t do it yourself.

Applebloom finally asks you a question, “So what about you?  Ah mean ah know you live with Pinkie Pie now.  But that’s ‘bout it.”  All three of them looked at you in unison.  It was equal parts cute and creepy.

Before you can come up with something, Cheerilee calls you in for your talk.  You wave your new “friends” goodbye and let them have fun as you go.  “Thanks for the save,” you say to Cheerilee as you take your seat.  She seems confused but you don’t elaborate.

“Right,” she said taking a deep breath, “Well the reason I called you in is that I got your results in how well you did in school before coming here.”  You don’t react.  You know what is coming.  “Your scores in science and math are decent.  In fact you’re at a level ready for advanced studies.  But what concerns me all your other subjects.  They are not very good.  In fact you’re far lower than anypony else in class.  Even Pipsqueak is better than you in his worse subject and he’s only been at school for a month now.   So in light of this I want you to tell Pinkie Pie to meet with me.  We have to schedule a way for you to catch up to the rest of class.”

“I’ll get right on that,” you say as you get out your books, “As soon as I actually get to talk to Pinkie.”

“What was that?” Cheerilee sniffed a bit, "And what is that smell?"

“Nothing really,” You reply with a wave of your hoof, “please don’t linger on it.”  That look tells you all that you needed to know.  The seeds are sown back in.





The school bell rings as everypony starts galloping home.  You however don’t head home.  Pinkie didn’t do anything with you at all today.  You might as well add the fact she would have no idea where you were to her issues with raising you.

In the corner of your eye you can see Applebloom and her friends going up to you so you start galloping far.  You can’t really have friends, but having no fun all day isn’t exactly something you can keep up all week.  You had to let off some steam, at least till the bakery closed.  Then you could eat the leftovers like yesterday.

After a good gallop you see it: a Forest.  Only other kids would go into this forest, but it’s so big you can lose any of them quickly since you were so used to this type of terrain.  The countless times Dilly Dally’s rule had forced you to stay out of the house as much as possible was a good motivator.

The forest itself is to your liking.  The trees work as great cover and with some quick glances you won’t be lost so long as you don’t panic at all.  You feel you’ve gone deep enough when there is basically no bare ground left to put your hooves on.  Yes this was great.  The sun barely peeking through the branches, the sounds you couldn’t identify.  All if it was fantastic.  Here you could let your imagination run wild.

First off you imagined your horn glowing.  The simple stuff, a leaf falling is because you pulled it from the branch.  It is drifting for you.  You put it away and it does so.  Now for some real fun, you wink everywhere you go.  You’re so good at winking, on top of a tree, around the bend through the brush, nothing can stop you.

Countless time passes as you play out scenes from some of your favorite books.  Daring Do wasn’t exactly your favorite, but the action pieces were easier to imagine with your current setting.  Plus you get to save this hero from a danger even she cannot defeat.

Next is you’re a timber wolf.  Owe you have not done this in ages.  You imagine your pack mates around you.  Loudly snapping twigs with each step.  You don’t care, nothing can out run you.  Diamond Tiara comes into your packs sight and you all pounce.  Ripping at her as she cries out in horror, and you laugh.  So help yourself you laugh.  You look around trying to imagine Silver Spoon to have a full meal.  Instead in the distance you see Applebloom.

She looks so innocent.  You lick your chops as this time you’re going to catch your prey off guard.  She’s like a big lollipop with a chocolate center.  In fact why are you a timber wolf?  Why not a Manticore?  Yes, one with long claws that can shred your victim in seconds but enjoys slow tastes of its prey.

She doesn’t even notice you at all as you jump out at her.  You snarl as you do and she turns.  Now you’ll be able to see her fear.  “Cog?”

That voice, your victims never speak in your…..oh crap.

You smack right into her.  The two of you roll down the dirt road that Applebloom was walking on until you hit something.  It was a hut with many foreign masks.  You had pinned Applebloom and you were so close to her.  Her bow was now covered in dirt and her eyes were wide as they stared into yours.  This was awkward.

A zebra with décor fitting to her house is looking at you both as she said, “I’m glad you came for a visit my hut Applebloom.  But perhaps next time you have some pony with you it should be in your own room.”  The two of you quickly separate as she laughs nervously.

You try to excuse yourself but the zebra cuts you off.  “You cannot leave so quickly my young lad.  Why not allow Applebloom show you my pad?”

Did she always have to rhyme?  But then the zebra takes a whiff of you.  Rolling in the dirt and sweating must not have helped your smell situation.  “Actually I take it back.  You entering now would stink up my shack.  I will set out a tub.  In which I suggest you wash bub.”  Applebloom giggled at this until the zebra’s attention came to her.  “The same for you Applebloom, you look like the underside of my broom.”

“Get that smile off your face,” she said a few minutes later as Zecora dumped some water into the tub.  You were not smiling but you were amused.  In that time bathing with Applebloom she had explained Zecora’s herbal profession and how she often visited to see what potions she had cooked up.  Zecora had also used some herbs to help you both smell like fresh flowers, much to your chagrin.

By the time the bath was done, Applebloom had suddenly remembered having to meet with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for something and started running off.  You were going to just wave her off and return to your playing in the forest, maybe hang out with Zecora.  The potion making sounded like a decent thing to watch.  Of course as you guessed Applebloom doubled back to pull you along.  “Come on now, we’ll be late.”

You try to object but she already has a counter before your first word is out, “I know ya’ll don’t like the idea of playin’ with others, especially girls.  But you don’t have a cutie mark and you’re older than me.  We have to fix that.  Oh and just between us while you did go a bit far I kinda liked seeing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get what’s coming to them.”

This girl was honestly doing her best to make you like her enough to be her friend.  You groan but eventually just go along with it.  What could it hurt?





“Where have you been?” Scootaloo did seem very annoyed as she was finishing something by a tree outside the forest.  That face dropped into one of confusion and delight when she noticed you trotting behind Applebloom.  Sweetie Belle looked like something in her just freaking busted down and was replaced with something you couldn’t put your hoof on, all you knew is that she was trying to hide a giggle.

“Sorry ‘bout that.”  She gave you a stare, “this guy sort of made my trip to Zecora’s take longer.”  Both of her friends looked confused so you elaborated a bit, “Long story short we had to take a bath.  Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“You both had to take a bath?” Sweetie Belle noticed the flower smell, “Together?”

You didn’t get why that was an issue, “yeah.  Otherwise she’d have been even later since Zecora said I needed one way more.”

Sweetie Belle looked as if her favorite holiday was striking.  Applebloom suddenly became interested in talking to Sweetie Belle and pulled her aside to talk alone quickly.  You may be able to figure out things fast, but when you don’t understand them it was hard to keep up.  So instead you turned your attention to Scootaloo and what she had set up.

“What’s this?” with all the rope and complicated set up you are honestly curious.

Scootaloo smiles as she waves a hoof to the ropes.  “A while back the three of us tried zip lining.  That didn’t turn out so well.  But that was because I didn’t know how.  When I did figure it out it was kinda boring so I decided to set this up.  Now this will show if I’ve got a Daredevil cutie mark.”

“Considering if you didn’t have the power to fly I can see three places where you would seriously hurt yourself I’d agree.”  Your reply was mostly business talk, but suddenly Scootaloo looked at you in disbelief.

“Y-Your serious?” a hint of a scared tone came up in her voice.  “How can you tell?”

“Simple physics,” you say pointing to the first of the row of trees tied by rope.  “The knot you used there isn’t right.  I’m guessing you realized you didn’t do it right and did it for the rest.  So with that knot and how tight it is, if anyone but a foal got on the zip it would snag.  You’re safe there but for future reference it’s good to note in case you put this over water or something.  Also that safety harness is sort of faulty, did you make it yourself?”

“What are you a dictionary?” but Scootaloo agrees and soon the two of you are in a heated discussion talking about what to do to fix the zip line.  You never new talking could be so fun.  You don’t know much about sports so Scootaloo corrects you on some things that you have to note when looking out at this set up.  You’re not sure how long the two of you talk but before you know it Sweetie Belle is yelling in your ear and you both jump away from her.

“What’s your problem?” you said trying to shake the ringing out of your ears.

“If the two of you are done, Applebloom said she’d be the first to try out the new Zip line.” Sweetie Belle’s answer had a hint of anger in it, and you could see a twitch of it in her eyes before it was replaced by glee for a second then came back as full anger.  Fillies are very strange.

Your eyes dart to the start of Scootaloo’s accidental death trap.  Applebloom waves at the three of you as she gets ready to jump into it.

“Quick,” you yell to Scootaloo.  “You have to stop her before she gets too fast!  Fly up and stop her before she gets halfway to this tree.”

“But,” said Scootaloo in shock, “I can’t fly.”

Horror fills your head at the possibilities as Applebloom jumps into the Zip.

You’re not sure how everything happened after that.  You only got flashes of running into the tree.  Pretending to wink, when you really somehow climbed the tree to catch her just as the safety harness releases on the snag.  Searing Pain shooting up one of your front leg as you hit the ground.  You try to stand despite the Pain in your leg.  No good, you’re passing out.  The three fillies looked down at your leg in horror as the darkness takes you.

> No Show [Final Mix]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Darkness and light make an ill mix.  But that is what you see as you wake up in a hospital bed from the sharp pains.  You shake your head a bit as you look around, the pain receding as you kept it still on instinct.  Based on the clock, it was a little past eight.  This meant you had been out of it for two hours or so.  Your right leg seems fine enough.  It’s wrapped in bandages and in a sling.  You must have fractured your elbow on the impact to the ground.  

No pony else was really around, and in your head all you could think about were the three fillies’ faces when they looked at you.  Your sure Scootaloo zoomed off somewhere now that you thought about it, and Applebloom had done something so Sweetie Belle’s concerned face was the last thing you remember before completely going under.  Guess that’s the last time they’ll play with you if the first thing you did was get hurt during something they seemed to do all the time.  No problem, “Not like I need friends anyway.”

Outside your room you could hear two ponies talking.  One was obviously Pinkie Pie, but the other wasn’t familiar to you.  Slowly they voices rise to the point you couldn’t help but hear the foreign voice yell as your current guardian.

“-and THIS is how you finally show up?”

“I’m sorry, I was in the middle of work and-“

“So you’re saying work is more important that a colt you are taking care of?”

“No, but-“

“And I overheard one of the children he was with.  Seems all he had today to eat was half a sandwich that was given to him by one of them.  Are you even feeding him?”

“How dare you!  We’re friends miss Redheart.  I’d never let a pony starve.”

“No, no you wouldn’t.  But as I recall you didn’t leave that party we all had the other night even after I left at 2 am.  And that started as a simple dinner party.  Knowing you I don’t think you even got up to make the child breakfast.”

“Well, no.  But the Cakes could have fed him and-“

“The Cakes are not the legal guardians Pinkie.  You are.  By law I have to report this to the social services since if it was any other mare I’d think they were a horrible parent since I didn’t know them.  I suggest you get your act together before that worker visits.  If you don’t I’m afraid they will deem it better for the colt to stay at an orphanage if you’re the only option.”

“Y-you can’t do that to him.  No pony should go through life alone like that.”

“He won’t be alone there.  He’ll have others his age.  I highly suggest you consider the fact you are not ready to care for another pony yet and relinquish your rights as a guardian if you are not going to take this seriously.  Colt’s his age need family more than ever, but even no family is better than what you’re currently giving him.”

You could hear the sound of Pinkie hanging her head.  You couldn’t blame her.  Even if somehow the Cakes trusted her with the twins, and even that was impossible to see, she would only need to care for them now and then when asked directly and get to play with them a little too with only responsibility over them in that time.  With you she has to be responsible all the time.  And for a pony whose entire purpose in life is to have fun and make sure others are too, that would cut into her time a lot.  It was for the best you did leave before you or she got too attached.

You turn over thinking about the last three days.  While they did have their low points overall it was the happiest you had been since before you were taken in by Dilly Dally.  That was sort of sad, but in its own way it was comforting.

You waited for Pinkie to enter your room to check in.  You two would have to talk about this and you knew it.  She’d come barging in like the happy pony she was even if she wasn’t feeling that way on the inside and try to cheer you up first like she did the first two days you were with her.  You would have to convince her to let you leave.  She’d protest of course, just like yourself she didn’t like other ponies telling her she couldn’t do things.  Heck, she’d likely try to raise you just to spite that friend she was just talking to.

You mentally prepare yourself as you sit up, the pain your arm spiking for a moment in doing so.  If you were going to make her see it was useless to raise you herself you had to be ready.  This was a pony that literally and figuratively pulled things out of nowhere to win her arguments.  You stare at the door waiting for her to enter.

But she didn’t.  You listened and heard her trot away.  Had she already checked in on you before?  No, if she had, you would have been woken by her instead of the pain from your shoulder moving during your little fantasy earlier.  She wasn’t going to come in to see you.

Somewhere inside you snapped, you felt a sharp sting.  It was what you wanted, but part of you expected a happy dance and a song from Pinkie to make some of your pain go away.  When did that happen?  She was nothing but an annoying older sister of sorts if there was a relative one could relate to her as.  And you didn’t know her for long.  Most of what you knew came mostly from hearing other ponies and what you put into your mind after meeting her.

Your vision blurred as you felt a tear roll from each eye.  No, this is from the pain in my leg, and nothing more.  It couldn’t be that you…  Dilly Dally had been right, as was your father.  Outside of him, no one truly cared about you.  You knew it was true already and set out to prove it.  And now that it was you should be happy.  But all you can think of is the pain coursing through you as you lay there alone, forever alone.





By the time you’re up again it is well into the night.  Every pony has gone to bed or left.  What little hope some part of you had for any pony coming to see you to cheer you up was gone.  You sort of understand why nopony came to see you.  You had woken up pretty late in the day and they all had school in the morning.  Meaning all of them likely had a curfew.  But another part of you growled that you were making up excuses.  You had no friends, even Applebloom had said so herself that she was only trying because she promised her sister.  So really you have no one.

You hear the sounds of night outside as you think about what you had thought of doing long ago.  It was actually the most logical thing for every pony really.  You didn’t have a decent shot of surviving it but it mean you would be out of every pony’s mane.  And if you did survive everypony would be happy.

You were surprised how little security there was in the hospital.  Then again no one expects an injured colt to try to leave much do they?  You limp and wobble a bit, trying to get used to walking on three legs.  It takes a bit but you get your stride soon enough as you begin your journey.  You see sugar cube corner in the distance as you start, the lights in the apartment are still on.  Guess Pinkie didn’t have a party planned for today.  Then again if everyday had a party none of them would be very special would they?

Taking a deep breath you continued.  It takes what feels like an eternity but you finally make it too the forest again.  The lights of the house nearby are enough to let you see the road.  Chickens seem to go crazy as they notice you limping your way into the entrance.  As the lighted path stops you start to hear a mare’s voice talking to the chickens.

You do your best to keep from being heard, but at that moment you took a misstep.  The distraction of keeping your attention in making sure you didn’t make a sound took what you needed to make careful steps in the dark.  Searing pain shoots up your leg through the damaged elbow.  It burns white hot and you want to cry out, but you hold your tongue knowing it will cost you all your progress if you do.

“Is s-somepony out there?”  Crap, she must have heard you.  You bite your lip and stay as still as possible.  Hoping your curled in pain body looks like a rock at this time of night.  You can’t look back to see if this mare is falling for it or not.  You don’t hear much of anything, though your burning pain may be covering that up.  “R-Rainbow Dash?  Discord?  Red?  Oh please, whoever you are, just don’t scare Elizabeak.  She’s easily startled.”  You’re not sure who she’s calling, you couldn’t even figure out her tone much.  Time seemed to take forever as you waited.  Laying on your elbow made it all the worse but you didn’t feel anything snap again.

Finally, you hear a door slam and slowly you felt yourself lurch as you forced yourself to roll into the nearby brush.  Just that had taken a lot out of you.  By your guess you were still too close to ponyville so all you could do was hope no one saw you as you started to rest again.  Soon enough you would be deep enough in the woods where you’d either be eaten or become a wild pony like you wanted for some time.

For a moment you thought of some of the ponies in your life.  Even Dilly Dally despite how bad she treated you, and especially your mother.  Or at least what you could remember of her.  You laugh a bit.  When she was gone all love was gone from your life in any way.  Your swelling eyes blur your vision again, this time more from your physical pain.  As the night took you, you made a silent prayer to Luna.  “Make sure the next party she has when I’m gone from her life is the best she ever had.”

> Found [Final Mix]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sun beamed on your cloak.  The castle in front of you had a few guard dogs around it, not a problem in the slightest.  Your magical powers was unmatched by all others outside the eldest and most well trained practitioners.  Putting such creatures into a long slumber was as easy as taking your first step.

The bard following you takes this as a cue for some reason.  Her two-tone mane bouncing as she made sure she looked good while practicing her scales.  Sir Scootaloo was clad in armor made of the toughest steel you had ever seen, far better than yours the lucky filly.  The final member of your party, a small yellow earth pony with a red mane, wore a cooking pot on her head and a spear in her teeth with an edge sharpened finer than your own horn.  Both had made smarter choices in preparation than you.  But what did you care?  You were so good at magic you didn’t need armor anyway.

With that stupid bard still singing loudly about you as your party passes the sleeping dogs.  Most of them wake up due to the song and start chasing the bard.  Your magic however will not allow them, and with a loud crack sound from your horn you call out, “You shall not pass!”  The dogs hit the wall and remain flat against it as they are bounced off.  The three girls giggling at your well executed spell that honestly didn’t go as you wanted, but they didn’t need to know that.

The Castle isn’t exactly big.  In fact it was way more like a cave that just wasn’t built into a mountain.  There were only two or three rooms, all of which were huge in order to house their keeper.  The final room at the end held your enemy.  The dragon that had been kidnapping ponies all over town, and you had been hired to save his most recent capture. 

The beast had been waiting for you.  Its long claws drumming the floor boards, the scaly tail swishing through the air in front of you so hard you had to use magic to keep yourself on the floor.  Your friends were fine in armor.  Okay they were right about the armor being needed but too late for that.

Only then do you notice the oddest thing about this dragon.  The eyes of this thing were not normal for a dragon.  In fact the eyes looked just like a ponies.  Yet somehow that sent even more fear into your heart has this was shown, like you had seen those eyes before.

You dodge its claw and tail with ease as you run up its back.  Your three friends are distracting the dragon’s minions so that you can focus on the creature, Scootaloo showing the most impressive work as she was able to handle working in synch with Applebloom perfectly.  The Bard however was just smashing these creatures over the head with her beauty products.  

You turn your attention back to the creature who does nothing but destroy, with eyes you now see are much the same as yours.  Flames leap from its great maw, nothing a simple bubble spell will not dispel.  In fact while you’re at it, why not change the flame into your own armor.  Crying out a transformation magic spell your magic sucked in the flames.  Henshin a gogo baby!

Unfortunately this causes the Dragon to panic and it holds out something pink in front of you as a shield.  In its claws it holds the princess.  The one you must protect more than any pony.  The princess calls for you to save her, but you hesitate as you try to consider why this dragon had a princess.  Was she just an illusion?  Or perhaps a ally of the dragon.  Whatever the true reason, it matter not as the dragon is too fast.  Its fangs sink into your skin past your flame suit made of its own fire.  Princess Pinkie’s eyes water as you struggle through this pain of your nearly torn out arm.





Celestia’s sun forces one of your eyes to open, your rub them miserably only to make them worse. As you get up you feel a jolt of pain through your front leg, and it hurts like hell. It takes you a moment of rolling out of the brush and rubbing the sleep from your eyes to get your bearings and notice the pain is mostly gone, the wonders of modern magic.

You’re still weak since you didn’t eat or drink yet, but the sleep has finally refreshed your mind enough to notice things.  Unfortunately there is a downside, sleeping out in the cold wasn’t exactly good for anypony’s health.  Your nose was runny and your head still hurts from all the mucus which makes you regret sleeping out in the cold.  How did you get this sick so fast?  Also there was the problem that along with less pain your limb had gone stiff with far less movement.  You could only twitch your ankle a bit and your shoulder joint wasn’t reacting to your commands outside feeling muscles when you tapped it.  Both of these will make moving through the forest quickly impossible.

Looks like your only option was to move slowly and carefully through this forest, at least you were used to using two or three limbs to get around now.  Walking carefully your goal was first to make it to Celestia knows where, maybe Zecora’s hut possibly.  Yeah... Once past there you’d be far enough for no pony to come after you.  As a plus, you could get some herbs that could help with your cold and maybe even your leg.  Considering it was the only option outside crawling back where you got to live you had to push forward.

Each limping step took forever, and it seemed like hours by the time you did reach the hut. You were thirsty and your stomach growled with hunger.  With all signs of the rhyming Zebra gone, it was the perfect time to “get” some nourishment. “Rare is the time thievery is born out of abundance.”  You’re not sure where that quote came from or if you got it right but it was something that came to mind to help ease you about having to do what you were going to do. Which might be something you’ll wish you haven’t done later? Nah. 

You found everything you needed inside.  All except for food, which explained why Zecora wasn’t there and you didn’t see her on the way.  If it wasn’t for the fact she was friends with Applebloom you could have asked her for tips on how to hoof it on your own.  Still, with water and the ability to clean your limb with herbs was more than enough to keep you going for the rest of the day. Food wouldn’t be a real problem for you until tonight so you had better get going while you still had energy.  You try but you can’t roll the bandages back on your limb so you just put it in your sling, and turn to leave.

The door opens with a bang and you hear a loud yell.  “Zecora, ah need your help!  Cog went and missing at the hospital this morning and….”  The yellow filly’s voice trails off as she spots you.  Your face has likely lost all color after being spotted, but the other half of your mind is trying to work out what to do next.  Sure you were bigger than Applebloom and normally you could just run and push a filly her size out of the way.  But you were injured.   And being a farm pony, Applebloom was likely stronger than you even at full health.

Your eyes dart to the window.  You may be able to make it there if you bolted for it now.  Which you attempt to until Applebloom cuts in front of you.  “Just what are you doing here of all places?  Don’t you know everypony in town is looking for ya?”  You don’t answer, the doorway is open now but Applebloom catches your hind leg and you fall on your bad shoulder.  “Oh mah gosh, I’m so sorry.”  She helps you up as you twitch in pain, did you somehow forget it hurts? Well if you did the burn is blaring now.

By the time the pain is gone and your shoulders are sore, Applebloom had somehow positioned herself so she could wash your bandage and stop you should you try to bolt again.  You gave up.  There was nothing you could do about this now.  Part of you even questioned how you didn’t think Zecora would walk in on you and stop you from leaving.  You guess whatever rational part of your mind that was left this morning had tricked the rest of you into thinking it was a good idea.

Applebloom helped wrap you back up tight.  You glance at her work and say, “You know, you’re pretty good at this. I kinda wish you weren’t.”

She gives a weak smile and brushes some of her mane out of her eyes.  It was only then that you noticed she didn’t even have her big red bow on.  Had she found out about you leaving and rushed that fast from home to get Zecora’s help? Or did she think of that later and was out looking for you all morning and like it seemed everypony didn’t think you would come into the forest?  Whatever the case she was tired from running and still taking some fast breaths that brushed your fur as she finished up.

She mumbles something.  “What?”

“Ah said thank you.”

“Thank you?”  It took a second for you to get it.  “Oh sorry, thank you for wrapping me back up.  Thing would have been much worse if you didn’t help with…it.”

“No no,” she said shaking her head.  You can see a hint of tears in one of her eyes as she looks away.  “Ah meant I was thanking you for saving me yesterday.  Ah only got a bump that went away by the time I got home and you….”

That got you to chuckle a bit, which is weird to the filly you expected since you didn’t smile while doing it.  But Applebloom wasn’t looking at you anyway.  “No thanks needed.  You just paid me back with the bandage job.  We’re even. A simple favor repaid is all.”  She wasn’t lifting her head.  You’re pulling random straws at this point now that she’s starting to cry, for what you had no idea.  “Look we’re friends right?  So friends help each other out now and then.  Besides it’s not like I planned this.  Heck even if it was Diamond Tiara I’d still help….probably.”

“That’s my point,” she said wiping her tears.  “You would have helped anypony, but if I wasn’t so…” she trails off again.

Okay, seriously, you had NO idea what was wrong with this filly.  You had expected her to be angry for making her run all around the town looking for you.  She just kept going against what you expected, just like Pinkie Pie.

That was a sour thought, a really bad one.  You got up and put your leg back in the sling again.  “Listen.  I’m going to go now.  Can you tell everypony they don’t need to look for me? Not like I’d be a tough find with this you know.” Gesturing towards your injured leg, you turn to leave.

As you expected that snapped Applebloom out of, wherever the hell it was she was upset about, and she blocks the door with resolve.  “Oh no ya don’t, Pinkie’s been looking everywhere for ya and Ah an’t ‘bout to let ya go without talking to her first.”

You groan as you look at her, “Look, either way me and Pinkie can’t really live together.  She’s better off without me and I’m better off on my own thank you very much.  Pinkie made her choice quite clear last night, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“NO!”  And with that Applebloom pulls your good foreleg with her and leads you out.  “I’ll tell Zecora what happened later.  YOU are going home right this minute.”  With that you were off and you hoped never to learn why she was crying. The answer might haunt you anyways…





“Say…”

You had been following Applebloom without protest and without words outside your growling stomach until you both got to the mouth of the forest.  You chewed on some herbs Applebloom had picked up on the way to keep it quiet and help with your cold.

“I was wondering, why do ya not like Pinkie?  She’s friends with every pony in town.”

You blink, that has to be a lie.  Sure she has an open personality but no pony could make friends with every single pony in town, even one as small as this place was.  “Never was much for others in general.  Pinkie’s just so….”

“…Pinkie?” Applebloom suggested.

“Pinkie,” you agree.  There really wasn’t a word to describe it.  “You’re lucky Applebloom.  You’ve spent your entire life in one place with the ones you love.  I’ve bounced around from home to home with hardly anyone even wanting to tolerate me being around.”

“Grass is always greener on the other side ah guess,” replied the filly.  “At least your dad is still around when you want to see him right?  Applejack was saying how you might have gone with him to Pinkie when I started running out.  Ah don’t even have any memories of my folks.  They died before I could even trot on my own.”  You didn’t want to tell her why your dad wasn’t taking care of you after hearing that, not like it would help her out much.  Whatever Applebloom would guess would be decent enough to run with.

“Listen,” you start to say. Sweet Celestia this was going to be hard to do.  You’ve never actually said something like this.  “If for some reason I’m still around this weekend, Pinkie said she would have this party….I was told to invite friends so could you….”  She looks at you with something glinting in her eyes if only just a little.  You quickly say something else to defuse that, unsure why you would even think to say it.  “Tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to come?  I mean all three of you should come, and I guess Featherweight too now that I think about it.”  

She seems mostly unaffected by that glint is gone, thank goodness.  “Sure,” she agrees, along with a nod.

The journey back to the hospital didn’t take long after that.  The lecture you got from the nurse did, and boy wasn’t it annoying.  Applebloom stays with you as you get back into your bed, now with a guard staying in the room watching you.

It doesn’t take long for word to spread that you returned since you felt a shift in the winds as a Pink flash rushes into the hospital.  There she was.  Strangely it looked like she had not slept a wink all night and was looking for you so long she was about to keel over.  In fact based on your own judgments Pinkie should have passes out some time ago yet was still moving. There was too much energy in this pony. Though the fact her normally puffy hair had lost all bounce and lay straight made her look off.

Pinkie being Pinkie the tears in her eyes were not the normal ones you saw in other mares.  They raced out of her eyes in heavy streams like they were a river.  Dear Luna how does she even exist?  

She wobbles toward you.  You flinch as she comes closer.  It’s completely reactive from your days with Dilly Dally.  She’s lifting a hoof to you.  Closing your eyes is going to help.  It makes it so you can try to ignore the pain that is going to come.

Instead you feel warmth on your chest, around your neck as well.  She’s hugging you.  Why?  It’s the only thought going through your mind.  You had basically shown nothing be indifference at best to her and yet she was hugging you.   Before you knew it you found your good foreleg wrapping around the pony as well.  At first that was pleasant, and then it slowly started to choke the life out of you.  “Pinkie,” you start to say before your windpipe is completely cut off for your barely saying it, “please stop.  You’re choking me.”

“You are so punished when you get home,” she said through her tears before passing out on top of you.  With air now returning to your lungs you cough and Applebloom tries to hoof you some water.  You decline not wanting to mess with the sleep of our guardian after all she went through.


Proofread by 
UltimateRuin009
> Lunch Rush
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Due of your injury, you had spent the week stuck in the hospital.  During that time, Cheerilee had brought the entire class to wish you well during that time.  As you supposed, only Applebloom and her friends were there in earnest.  Though with their help you were able to get Featherweight to drop off your homework and help you with it.  It only took a few visits for the two of you to get back on good terms again and you were able to see it was more Sweetie Belle having Featherweight around her hoof than Applebloom’s persuading, which allowed the two of you to be friends even faster when you promised not to say anything.

Even that fez wearing pony came in and the two of you got to know each other since both he and Featherweight worked on the school newspaper.  It was a while before you finally found out his name was Truffle Shuffle and he showed his kitchen wear cutie mark clear as day.  Granted it was from you finally asking and both he and Featherweight realizing he never said anything to you till that point.  You agreed to look into helping out with the paper when you get back to school.

But today was now the first day of your life with Pinkie which you were keeping an open mind about.  Pinkie had not visited you much after last time.  That was a bit confusing.  Why would she get so emotional over you leaving and yet still not come see you at the hospital expect to just say hello for a few minutes and leave?  Heck even the Cakes came to see you and Pound for once wasn’t trying to hit anything because he was curious about your injury.  You had a longer conversation with a pony who couldn’t even say words yet.  You couldn’t exactly not let that get to you either since that Nurse friend had complained about Pinkie not even showing up to pick you up and walked you to Sugar Cube Corner on her way home.

Outside the shop was a line of angry ponies.  This was likely the reason for Pinkie not showing up.  If the store was this busy she likely forgot what time it was and couldn’t pick you up.  Still that didn’t explain why she had cut her visits short.  You made a note to get to the bottom of it yourself before asking, it was more your style.  In fact you made a small bet that you could likely figure it out before you even walked into your room.

You open the door, which involved squeezing past some an obvious married coupled arguing over something trivial, you find an odd sight indeed.  The two Cakes were working frantically.  Carrot Cake was doing his best to frost twelve cakes at once.  You notice that twice as many were nearly done in the oven.  This was quite the sight for an earth pony since even you would find it easier just using your magic less horn to do this task for frosting two cakes.  Cupcake on the other hoof was running the orders and giving what little was done out for reduced prices while bouncing the twins in her lap, again quite the feat for an earth pony.

You don’t even have to consider what to do next, you rushed to the register and before Cupcake can argue, Pound makes a loud noise from his diaper that causes his sister to follow in unison and she decided to leave things to you for the time being.  The register set up is simple enough, any idiot can operate one and even special buttons must have some use you would not need to practice here anyway.  At seeing you taking the register and Cupcake’s plight the crowd died down a little and gets in a single file as you ask them to.

The customers are irritable, which makes sense since they have to wait, but they don’t lose their tempter in front of you.  You silently thank Celestia that you were still young enough to pull off cute to the mares in line.  Carrot was too busy to notice what was happening with you and by the time he did Cup had come to assist her husband and the three of you were able to get orders done with relative speed.

The three of you all worked for a good hour and a half before it finally died down enough for the Cakes to relieve you and insist you go to your room to get some rest.  “Pinkie was very specific,” said Carrot Cake.  “You have to stay in your room for a week when you’re not in school.”

“Something tells me she didn’t think of that on her own,” you comment.  Carrot Cake gives a guilty looking smile and when he notices your face gulps and leaves to go back into the kitchen.

“Well,” commented Cupcake, “with how well you did on the register I may be able to convince Pinkie to make working part of your punishment.  It’s the least I can do since I forgot to pick you up in her stead.”

You blink suddenly remembering.  “Wait then where is she?”

“Oh you didn’t know?”  Cupcake seems surprised that you were really had no idea.  “I told her she should discuss things with you before taking that job.”

“Wait,” now you were confused, “I’m really lost here.  Isn’t working here her job?”

“Again you’d be right,” said Cupcake, “but Carrot and I have so much to spend on the twins we haven’t been able to pay Pinkie as much as we used to lately.  She used to compensate by teaming up with a friend of hers to charge for weddings and baby showers.  But both are kinda scarce in this town so she needed more money when you got hurt.  I don’t know what the job is but it must pay a lot for her to basically only do the morning prep baking to pay for room and board only with us.  I didn’t get a chance to find someone who’d work for as little as Pinkie used to work so Carrot and I were really swamped today.  I even forgot to pick you up and I apologize for that.”

“It’s no problem really,” you assure her.  “But then when is she supposed to be home?”

“By this evening she should be back.  She’s been getting here as soon as the shop closes up.  Still I should thank you for helping us out today during rush hour.  How about you get to pick dessert for dinner tonight?”

Not wanting to show too much concern about what Cupcake had just said you told her your favorite dessert and moved on to your room.  It doesn’t look any different than the last time you had been in it.  The only difference is that there was a neat stack of books on the self next to your Timber Wolf figure.  They must be the school books you needed, Pinkie must have ordered them.  Meaning she had to pay for them too.

Something about that struck you as not right.  This mare didn’t even really know you, and you had no problem before because you had assumed you would be leaving soon.  But now with some hope of having a normal life you couldn’t feel good about her paying for these things.  And while you had not known her long you had deduced much from the little time you got to spend with her.  Whatever this job she got was, it couldn’t have been as fun to her as working at this bakery.  Meaning your very presents was doing more than just eating at her party time.

Still, nothing you could do about that right now.  Your best bet was to make sure you did all your studies and wait for Pinkie to return from whatever it was she was doing.  It would also keep your mind from racing as to the different jobs she might have that meant she wasn’t back till dusk.  Getting paranoid was not going to help you here in the slightest.

Strangely you didn’t have all of your books.  In fact the ones Pinkie had gotten you were all the ones you were not very good at yet, Cheerilee must have told her to do that.  You grumble a bit with the mixed feelings of this as you open your Grammar book.  The lingering words in your mind of your mother reinforcing your resolve, “Never simply refuse a gift when given with thought.”

Words and words of useless text, this stuff was so boring.  At least with math you could have a solution so you could figure things out fast and be done with it.  Heck even if your work meant reading a book you could at least get into figuring out the characters and enjoying them working.  But sentence and grammar structure was something was you just didn’t get.  What use could this possibly have for anypony who wasn’t a writer?  You do your best to speed through it and move on.

That must have taken longer than you thought because by the time your studies is all complete you hear Carrot Cake calling you down to help fix the table for dinner while he closed up shop.  Even you were surprised how long you could concentrate on something without break at that.

Dinner is all ready soon enough, but Pinkie it seems is still not home.  This is upsetting to the part of your brain that caused you to normally do things even against your will.  You were doing your best to not voice your concerns as you eat with the family, but it’s obvious they are watching and waiting for you to do so.  It took a few hard swallows to get everything down, and your eyes kept darting to the door, but nothing moved from over there.

Excusing yourself back to your room you trot slowly enough to try and eavesdrop on the Cakes.  They obviously knew Pinkie wasn’t coming home for dinner and wouldn’t tell you why.  Going slow didn’t help, but it did allow you to keep quiet as you waited for them to talk.

“I think we should stay over in our old room tonight,” said Carrot.  “Celestia knows when Pinkie will come home and we shouldn’t leave him alone after last time Cupcake.  Ponies in town are already worried enough as it is.”

“She’ll be home soon enough,” assured his wife.  “I already had a good talk with her before.  Besides she is a hostess after all.  We’ll check on her on the way home.”

A hostess?  So wait, all this just to hide the fact she was still throwing parties all over town?  You don’t get it.  There has to be something more to this.  Then again it is Pinkie Pie we are talking about.  Left with more questions than answers, the Cakes gather the children and call out to say good night to you.  On the plus side you didn’t have school, tomorrow was the day you got your party which you just reminded yourself about.  If anything that would get your answers tomorrow since Pinkie would be home to prepare that.

Still something nagged at you to stay awake until she got home.  The two of you were talking less than you and Dilly Dally did.  In fact you never even had that talk you expected in the hospital yet.  Pinkie was avoiding you for some reason and you had to know why.

The slight chime of the doorbell rings and you do your best to stay quiet during your gallop to meet Pinkie.  She looks slightly tired, which to the normal Pinkie meant she was about to fall over, her hair was still strait as could be and she was holding some kind of package.  What caught your eye most however were the several small red marks on her neck.

Anger burned from your loins.  Not anger at Pinkie, anger at the ones you knew gave her those welts.  Anger at yourself for being the reason she’s putting up with it.  You had caused Pinkie to become a hostess.  And part of you crushed to a near point you couldn’t forgive yourself.

Still the two of you had to talk, so you approached with caution before staring at the package and asking innocently.  “What’s in there?  Is it something for the party tomorrow?”

It was a simple question.  One you felt would be best to ask so that you didn’t have to go into the marks on her neck or what she was doing out so late.  You however didn’t see the reaction you got out of it.

As if somehow missing for days she slowly smiled big and wide.  Her hair even made a little cute confetti sound as it suddenly puffed back up to how it was when you met her, and overall she seemed to gain a brighter shade of pink than before.  This made the red marks brighter too, but the sheer joy she was showing seemed to take your mind off it for a moment.  “That’s a secret,” she said with a giggle and pulls you into a suffocating hug.  “What are you doing up so late anyway?”

Remembering the marks you just stare at them.  Pinkie looks confused until she sees herself in the glass display for cakes.  She covers them up frantically, or at least attempts to before you voice her to stop.

You do your best to stay calm for this.  “So, what’s this new job you have?  Mrs. Cake said that was the reason you couldn’t pick me up today.”

Pinkie Pie doesn’t flinch, but you notice a slight deviation in her eyes.  “Oh well I just found something that makes a little more money is all.  Who knew you could stretch a talent for partying so far?  Anywho, I better get to setting up for the morning baking.”

“And you’re sure you wouldn’t rather just work here full time again?”

“Oh I never worked here full time before silly.  The Cakes don’t need my help that much.  Besides, Cupcake passed me on the way home.  Sounds like you can help them till they replace me as part of your punishment, which I guess is over next week.  Oh but whatabouttheparty? Ah I got it, wecanjustmaketomorrowanexception.”

You only barely understand that as she starts speaking fast again and grabs her package in her teeth again.  You watch as Pinkie trots into the kitchen and tells you to go to bed.  Something was up and you were pretty sure what this new “job” of Pinkies was.  Swallow the raising anger at everypony for this you head off to bed as told, determined to have this talk with her when she’s fully rested at the party tomorrow.


> Lame Party (Fixed)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sound of so many ponies in Sugar Cube Corner has drowned out your own thoughts.  Though the fact that your own caretaker is throwing the biggest party she has ever planned for the place, and not to mention that she’s one of the most popular ponies in town makes it so you’ll already have a lot of guests tonight. It seemed like despite you being new half the town was there, meaning there were quite a few ponies all about coming to hang out with each other rather than you.  Not that it hurt you at all since you had just spent the last half hour greeting ponies since Pinkie insisted it would help and be polite.

Now you sat at your own table with Featherweight and Truffle Shuffle. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had somehow not shown up yet, which was more a relief if anything since it gave your mind some time to do what it did best, think.  If those three were here, Featherweight would be too out of it over Sweetie Belle to help you with the mission of figuring out Pinkie’s new job.  Not to mention the last few times Applebloom showed herself your brain suddenly seemed to fumble the ball it was holding for some reason, metaphorically speaking but to you it always seemed literal. 

“I’m not convinced,” said Truffle taking a bit out of his fourth slice of cake.  “She seems fine to me.  I think you’re just over thinking things.”

“I’m not,” you insisted.  “She was really depressed about something.  This jobs got her stressed, I NEED to at least find out what it is and why.  Why else would she not just tell me what it is then?”

“Well,” chimed Featherweight, “considering it is Pinkie I think it might be she’s more embarrassed for you then for herself on it.  Maybe she thinks you’d think less of her if you knew.  She does seem really fond of you.  I’d hate to have a bad image for myself to somepony I’d care about.”

Featherweight had a point.  For that you felt a slight sting, but it was understandable.  Pinkie was so friendly nearly everypony knew her as well as you did, in fact more so.  In time you’d be able to get to know her better, learn from her, take comfort in what care she could to offer to you.  But right now you were basically a dunce.

You knew Pinkie was actively avoiding you, she was doing everything she could to keep busy during the party.  In fact you had not even seen her in the last few minutes.  She had gone in the back with a Pegasus friend of hers with pink hair, hopefully that was a friend. 

“I know,” exclaimed Truffle, “let’s go bob for apples.  Pinkie always make that more interesting.  During my last birthday she put some jaw breakers in there.  Despite the confusion I had over the jawbreakers on how they didn’t just break down it was an awesome time.  Well, until Featherweight here had to go to see Ms. Minuette after he chipped his tooth.  I’m not sure how she can do things so fast but she didn’t get that cutie mark for nothing. It was the best birthday ever!”

Featherweight winced at the memory before turning to Truffle.  “Nah, darts is a heck of a lot more fun than that.  Besides, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you thought it was a great birthday because of Ms. Minuette.  I think some pony has a crush.” carrying the u syllable in a sing-song tone. 

Without missing a beat Truffle looked up with his blushing cheeks, “N-No I don’t.  Besides what about you and Sweetie Belle, I’ve seen what happens when she comes within ten feet of you, care to explain that?”

Not wanting to start talking about crushes here of all times, you all agree to play some of the games set thanks to yours truly.  You made a mental note to yourself to bring this Pinkie situation up with Scootaloo when she showed up.  She’d be the easiest to convince to help you out, which is only if she knew though.  But on the plus side you could be more popular with the other colts and fillies in town.

Starting with darts was easy enough.  Another classmate of yours, Archer was playing there already, every shot landing on a bulls-eye much to her friend Dinky’s irritation as she tried to match it.  No wonder Featherweight wanted to play that, somehow he was really good despite his skinny frame not appearing to be much weaker than that of Archer.  Darts wasn’t as physically demanding as shooting arrows but you had to have keen eyes and just as keen precision to get the darts to where you want them, the bullseye.  Something you and Truffle were sadly missing even with the filly’s assistance.  You left that game feeling defeated, but hey! You’re at least getting to know Archer better because of this game. 

At the bobbing for apples game your group came across two others, Snips and Snails.  Somehow the two had gotten themselves stuck with gum and were struggling to get it off each other. They were both unicorns but you supposed they weren’t even smart enough to use their magic to find the solution to their dilemma.  It was sort of amusing to watch but what made it odd was how they didn’t seem all that panicked by it.  Truffle however, was laughing his flanks off at this sight.

It was Featherweight who noticed your confusion and cleared it up, “Ever since they got popular once in the paper for doing that they keep trying to make that their entertainment routine.  Just chuckle a bit and move on, they can get out of it themselves at this point.”

You did as instructed and made a note that even though they may seem pretty cool to hang out with, they would make horrible project partners for school.  It was distracting hearing them grunt to get unstuck now that their little gimmick was over.  As the five of you made a single file line for the game with you going first, you look down into the murky by clean waters to see where to plunge your head in. 

Many red delicious apples stared back at you as you did so.  At the bottom however were a few dark objects that you couldn’t make out.  Dare you go after those instead?  The risk factor did outweigh the apples at first glance.  But this was your party and Pinkie seemed to have you pegged pretty well already.  Could something in there be a thing you’d enjoy the most? The possibilities were absolutely limitless. 

“Hey don’t hold up the line,” called Snips.  “I wanna do other stuff after this ya know!”

That got you going and you went in for one of those dark prizes.  Only now do you realize something is wrong.  You’re frozen with your head under here.  This feeling, something about this feeling froze you on the spot.  Thinking back you only took showers ever since you were able to do things on your own.  This is the first time in your life you can remember having water all around you.  But if it’s really the first time, why can’t you seem to move?

Sound, you were hearing something while you were under.  It was a familiar voice, one that used to calm you, the voice however was panicked.  Somepony is holding you under.  You can feel it now, he was doing this.  The feel of his magic is unmistakable.  This wasn’t the first time this happened.  There is a crash, and then you can only see your mother lying with her eyes wide upon the floor.

You can feel somepony shaking your back but you can’t respond.  You haven’t been holding your breath and you weren’t taking in the water into your lungs as even breathing escaped you. What was going on?  You felt a tug and gasp as your face stop being submerged, coughing furiously.  Your two friends were patting your back as you spluttered.  Lucky you didn’t have any water past what went up your nose from being under that long.

“What happened?”  That voice.  Oh not that voice.  Why does she always seem to show up lately at the worst possible moments?  You don’t respond and just take slow breaths as you hear several voices muttering various things, you couldn’t tell what they were saying but you could tell it was about what had happened.  You had to calm yourself.  Your heart was leaping in your chest.

“I don’t know.  He just stopped moving when he went bobbing in the tub, I just pulled him out.” said Featherweight.

“Wow Featherweight, you’re a hero!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, her big, adorable eyes lighting up to what Featherweight saw was brighter then the stars themselves.  

“We’ll I just- I…I…I.” stuttered Featherweight. 

“What he means to say is that it was nothing.  But that isn’t the point, somepony get Pinkie, he isn’t talking to us.”

“Perfect,” you thought trying to calm your racing heart.  “I didn’t exactly plan to do this, but at least the up side is I can talk to Pinkie sooner.”

“I’ll go.” said Scootaloo.

“Oh great,” you think as you here her trot off.  “Why did she have to be the one to go out of seven foals to start looking for her?”  So just as expected, with Featherweight gone stupid from seeing Sweetie Belle and Truffle Shuffle still too far away to stop it, Applebloom raises your face to see her’s so she can check on you herself.

You’re filled with even more confusing and conflicting thoughts than ever before.  First off, unlike everypony else -which included Sweetie Belle- Applebloom is in a dress.  At the same time while your brain is asking why she is even in a dress, your eyes are darting all over now making part of you compliment the designer since it made her look… nice.  This in turn caused an epiphany that it must have been Sweetie Belle’s sister, but then if that was the case why wasn’t Sweetie in a dress?

And all this was to avoid looking at the worry in her eyes.  Your brain was shutting down from all this since you were also still trying to figure out what to say to Pinkie first, and why exactly you froze while under the water.  That combined with the shock from nearly drowning and you were crashing.  In other words, you’re faking being silent and unresponsive had become real.  Yet another reason you didn’t like being around Applebloom was now added to the tally.  Things got blurry quick as somewhere you decided to reboot your brain with a quick snooze.



By the time you were able wake up, it was Nurse Redheart who was looking you over.  “Oh, back to reality I see.  Well you don’t seem to have anything wrong with you physically as far as I can tell.  I’d suggest more of a psychologist Pinkie, I suggest looking into one in Canterlot if this happens again or if you have the time.”

“Okay Doki nursy,” chimed the Pink mare.  “Oh, but I really have to get back to the party prep so please enjoy yourself while he rests.”

You still couldn’t process everything that was just said and junked it as you collected the important thoughts.  Applebloom’s dress, no get that out of your head.  Pinkie, that’s right you were going to talk to Pinkie.  Now you two were alone and you could get everything out in the open.

Looking around however you don’t see her.  But she was just here.  How in the world could she just leave and ditch out on you yet again?

“So… yah need anything?”

Pinkie’s head popped in front of you so fast that you fell back off the counter, and bumped your head as you landed on your horn.  Why were you even a unicorn was your only thought as you rubbed the pain out from it.

Strangely however of all things that set you right again.  “What just happened?” you found yourself saying.

“Oh I just noticed you had some kind of moment of shock,” Pinkie explained, “happened all the time to me as a foal, so a good bonk of the head solves it usually.  I really didn’t wanna hit you so I figured that would be the best way to get you out of it.”

You really did feel better somehow, what were you freaking out about again anyways?  Something about water was it?  All that stuck with you was another image of Applebloom in that dress, why of all things did that have to stay in your mind?  “How long was I out?”

“A good hour,” said Pinkie Pie, looking you over.  “You seem okay now but based on your reaction I think I’d better retire the old Bobbing for Apples game for a while in case you fall in or something.  Gotta check taking you to the beach and lake off the list too which is a bummer, but your needs come first after all.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Oh sorry, did you hear from Redheart?  I used to have a part-time job as a counselor some time ago.  It was fun but no steady paycheck so I only do it when I notice a pony in need now.  You obviously have some trauma a real psychologist has to look at, but for now you should be okay.”

You were taken aback by this.  Pinkie had that same ability to know ponies only better sure, but this?  You were really impressed by this.  Why couldn’t this be the job she had?  Wait, that’s right, you were alone with her now, and it was perfect to ask her here and now.  “What’s your job now then?  It can’t be as good as these two you’ve had that I know about.”

“Oh I thought the cakes told you,” she said with a smile.  “I’m a hostess!”  She could see that you were very concerned about her.  She plastered on a big smile and said, “I just had a little issue yesterday is all, that’s why I looked so down.  And I have plenty of other jobs both now and before you got here thank you very much.”  Now that was interesting.  But Pinkie didn’t continue.  “Now I believe you have some guests to entertain yourself.  Go on, it isn’t right to leave them worrying even if you were not the host of this party.”

Wait…then it all clicked.  “Hold on.  How in the world are you making money being a party hostess?”

Pinkie just winks at you and said, “You’d be surprised.  Now go on.”  And with that you’re pushed back into the main customer area of Sugar Cube Corner.  The transition is helped a bit by the fact Scootaloo and Archer is calling you over to a table with them, Applebloom, Truffle, and Dinky.

You were about to ask what happened to the rest of the gang, until the sound of Snips and Snails arguing about who got to bob for apples next instead of just going at the same time, and Sweetie Belle over at a karaoke box set up solved that mystery.

“So why aren’t you guys over with Sweetie Belle?” you ask as you pull up a chair.  You did your best to completely ignore the nagging in your eyes to turn your attention to Applebloom.  Who for the moment you did look at her to show you were NOT avoiding her you could actually notice what the dress was this time.

It wasn’t as covering as you remember.  In fact in reality without the half drowned brain warping things you could see she was in a very simple dress any foal would be in when at some sort of occasion like a birthday of a friend or a fancy dinner.  Still the fact she was the only one in one was still odd and you didn’t want to bring it up and thus decided to keep your attention on Scootaloo and barring that getting to know Dinky and Archer better.

Small talk was annoying, but not completely unpleasant as you got to know the home lives of everypony interspersed with greeting a new mare or stallion that came in to welcome you to town themselves before leaving the party.  For something made up by Pinkie you were surprised your little crash seemed like the biggest thing that happened this day.  Only other thing was a mare with gold covering all over his legs giving you a box with a hole in it as a gift to open later and to take good care of it.  She left soon after before you got to ask what it was about.

And then the lights dimmed.  Next a spotlight seemed to appear out of nowhere to shine down on the entrance to the kitchen.  Everypony who remained had gone quiet aside from the goos of the cake twins and the other babies their age that were still there.

You spot Pinkie working the light and somehow the drums on the ground as the music build for the big reveal.  Nothing happened.  The drums build again, nothing.  Once again she plays, and nothing.  Everypony is starting to wonder what the point is and this time Pinkie plays yet again and dashes into the back and pushes out a pony dressed in a very odd costume indeed.

The entire thing was purple of different shades, the brighter being in hat and cape.  She was covered head to hoof with cloth.  The thing is fur tight and thus is the only way you can tell she’s a mare based on her jaw line.  You couldn’t tell who exactly it was under this but the instant she appears something happens.  For a moment she’s shaking, but the cries of joy around her cause her to gain confidence.

Blinking you look around, all the foals are calling happily at her.  Apparently she is some sort of idol to them.  You didn’t see why, especially when all she did for the rest of this presentation was fly around like any pegasus could and chase foals around the room when the lights came one.  Still the parents seemed happy and most of your friends went off to interact with her.

In the commotion you notice Pinkie sneaking off.  You smile as you decide if nothing else you’ll get to see what exactly she’s been doing with your own eyes.  You take your package from the gold footed mare with you and move to go after her.  As you leave you hear trotting behind you.  It couldn’t be.  You turn your head and see that it is, Applebloom was following you.

“Why are you here?” you couldn’t help but get annoyed with her at this point.

“Well ah just though ya’d need some help.  Besides Scootaloo’s here too.”  From out of the bush nearby, Scootaloo hops out with Sweetie Belle.

“I told you to hide with us Applebloom,” shouted Scootaloo.  “How are we supposed to get our cutie marks in sneaking around if you won’t even hide?”

“But ah didn’t want to mess up the dress,” Applebloom replies holding up the frills of the thing that was barely over her back legs.

“I don’t get why you even came in that thing in the first place.”  Just what you were wondering.  A silent thanks to Scootaloo is in order for keeping you from asking.  However you can’t stay.  If Pinkie get’s too far from sight it will be worse.  If these girls didn’t give you away first.

“We can talk about this and how you guys snuck out later.  Pinkie’s getting away.”

“Oh that’s who you were following,” said Sweetie, “Did you have the same idea as us?”

“Not the point,” you correct, “I gotta go.”

Off you went with the sound of the girls following you ringing in the background.  You hoped they didn’t give you away already as your mission began.

Edited by UltimateRuin009
> Terrorize (Extended but not fixed)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The streets of Ponyville were quite busy despite it seeming like half the town was at sugar cube corner.  Your little disguise as a bale of hay would have worked perfectly as you hoped around and had gotten rid of some odd set of glasses and a big funny shaped nose on the rim to complete it.  However, the longer you continued to follow Pinkie, the more you realized how dumb it was to even bother.  First off there was no guarantee at all that she was going to her job when you decided to stalk her.  Then your friends- or at least the closest you’ve had to them- do nothing but make loud sounds that should be getting Pinkie’s attention yet somehow doesn’t.  To top it all off, that box with the small hole in it had a buzzing sound coming from it that would have been getting to you if you were not already hearing Applebloom and Scootaloo fight for the fourth time since starting this.  Only when Pinkie finally stops hopping around to talk to a pony at a flower stand do you have the time to finally address all these issues.

First was the box as it seemed the easiest to deal with so that you didn’t snap at your friends.  Something about it had struck you somehow and you had taken it along for some reason.  At first the box seemed empty as you open the lid.  Only then do you hear the buzzing now even louder and look at the lid.  It was a rather large bug, a bulky wasp to be more accurate.  He clung to the lid with a very simple letter attached reading:

Hello, I give this gift to you since Pinkie mentioned you may need a pet to help you out.  Unfortunately he already has a name that he reacts too pretty well.  Feel free to train him otherwise but I kinda like it.  Please enjoy.  

A tag at the bottom read: “Hello my name is Waspinator.”  This was a pretty cool name to go with anyway.  You’d have to thank that mare.  What was her name?  Waspinator covered the golden hoofed mare’s name, but that wasn’t important at the moment.  What was important was that look you were able to catch in Sweetie Belle’s eyes.  She was about to scream and you knew it.  Thinking quickly you shoved your hoof into her mouth to shut her up before it got too loud, Waspinator buzzing around you before resting in your hair.  Apparently he just didn’t like confined places since he was so quite now.

This action got the other two fillies to pay attention and stay quite as well when they noticed the wasp in your hair.  Wapinator quickly dodged Scootaloo’s attempt to kill him as she didn’t know it he was a gift.  That didn’t help you though as not only did you get yet another head smack, but your hoof got a cut from Sweetie Belle’s mouth from your flinch.  Said flinch had you rolling out of the bush and into the road right in front of Pinkie and the mare she was talking to.

“Well hello,” Pinkie said blinking a grand amount of times that made your eyes blink just to make sure you were not seeing anything.  “Did you get bored of following me already?”

“You knew?”

“Well of course.  Not only were you loud but I’m all blinky right now.  Oh that reminds me, I gotta check in on her and Inky don’t I?  Better get a family reunion set up too, that way you could meet them.  OHMYGOSHANOTHERPARTYIDEA!”

You gave up, that’s it.  Nothing, you had nothing.  Pinkie was just pinkie and ran on such little logic you couldn’t be bothered.  She was just as smart, if not way smarter than you but in a different way so you couldn’t catch her in the act anyway.

“Great timing though,” Pinkie finally said when she slowed down and noticed the crusaders in the brush as well.  “I had to go pick up my pay at work.  So you can come along then.  Besides, Scootaloo I think you forgot to pick up your pay before you left your last shift too.  I heard the manager complain about it.”

“Wait I did?” replied the Pegasus ignoring the face your face just convulsed from all this new information.  “Darn I thought I was low on bits lately.  Sure I’ll come along.  But I think we better patch him up first.”

You were about to lose it when again Waspinator somehow sensed your grown frustration with everything around you and landed on the edge of Pinkie’s nose.  The resounding scream of having a weird thing on her face as she ran around was enough to quell your anger with everyone involved enough for you to not wanna smack Scootaloo for not telling you anything.  At least you decided if you got to keep this bug you’d keep the name now.

After many failed attempts to swat it, Pinkie finally took a few heavy breaths and gave up.  Waspinator, now sure the Pink giant wasn’t going to kill her, flew back into your hair.  Apparently the yellow by your scalp was alluring to it.  Pinkie didn’t seem to take her defeat with ill will and smiled before inviting the four of you to follow as you continued her bouncing and she hummed another tune to herself.



After the shock that Scootaloo also had a part time job at this place Pinkie worked at and the understanding that because you never told her why you were following Pinkie she didn’t correct you, it wasn’t long before you gave up and laughed as everything fell into place.  The only part of this job that through you for a loop was the fact that Pinkie and Scootaloo were some of the top employees, getting many tips left by satisfied customers, though the fact it involved both of them cross-dressing of all things just had you on the floor.  You hadn’t had a good laugh like that in ages.  Apparently nether did Sweetie Belle or Applebloom as they laughed even harder then you.

“Yeah yeah laugh it up,” muttered Scootaloo to her so called friends with her sack of bits under her wing.  “This is why I didn’t tell you guys where I go when you are all busy in the first place.”  Then she turned toward your direction, “and you!  Why are you not surprised about all this?”

You hid your first few comments you could have made with more forced laugher as you tried to think of one that didn’t get you socked for calling her unladylike.  “It was sort of obvious after I looked at everything Pinkie had said and the Cakes.  Hostess because she doesn’t see that she’s supposed to be an object for ponies to gawk at.  Something she’d think fun and different from what she done before, which acting like a boy certainly qualifies.  And the spots on her neck was either from being freak out by a customer coming on to her which wasn’t likely as she’d be mad, so that left the fact she had a fake stage fight and got yelled at because she hit the other employee in the face.  Not all of it would work normally but it is Pinkie so it lines up just fine.”

“Sheesh what are you some kind of detective?”

“Nope just the keen-eye for details,” you reply, “I’m more like that odd older brother that hardly leaves the house and yet is smarter than the genius detective younger if you must put it so.”  It was only a vague reference to two of your favorite books that you had seen as the only good thing about living with Dilly Dally.  So it wasn’t surprising this went over the fillies head.  In fact based on everypony’s expressions only Pinkie and Sweetie Belle even knew one of the references, guess one of the books wasn’t popular enough to get attention.

However, now everything was settled, all except one little thing.  “And YOU,” pointing a hoof at your red headed friend made you actually feel like a detective.  Applebloom flinched a bit at the gesture as Waspinator seemed to wake up, only to notice he was in a place he would be easily swatted and crawled back into your hair.  That if anything got Applebloom to ease up.  “I’ve been really wondering why you were wearing that dress all day.  Everypony else isn’t.  Sweetie Belle I could understand with her sister and all, but since your sister Applejack wasn’t dressed up that ruled out it was some kinda family thing.  It can’t be your birthday or something because Pinkie would have rescheduled everything or at least told me.  So care to enlighten us please?”

You knew.  You pretty much knew since you had to go to the hospital what the deal was if it wasn’t you experiencing it.  And with all the Pinkie clutter clear it was all too clear.  And that, was something you couldn’t have.  You had no feelings for her, it was best you get it out of the way now rather than later.  Why you suddenly needed it to be in front of your friends you were not sure, but you ran with it even as that part of you nagged to bale on this plan.

Applebloom blinked and blushed until her cheeks were the same hue as her trademark bow.  Not a good sign, you’d rather have been wrong about this and be the only one embarrassed.  Still all she had to do was say something like ‘no reason, just felt like it’ and everything would be fine and you could easily backpedal.  Unfortunately…”Well it’s cause I wanted to look good for your party.  Cause I like ya.”

Crap, the floodgates were opening and you couldn’t close them.  The right thing to do would be to just tell her outright, but then she’d be mortified in front of all her friends.  Sure, you could admit Applebloom was cute and her presents fogged up your mental capacity a bit, but that didn’t mean you liked her.  Liking somepony is supposed to make you feel warm and happy, not confused and scared.  You were not sure how you felt about Applebloom but it couldn’t possibly be love of any sort.

“Well that’s nice,” you mumble.  Nice?  Oh boy, you were so flustered you couldn’t speak the first thing that should have come out of your mouth, just peachy.

Then suddenly it seems like everything around the two of you is quite, all except Pinkie and Sweetie Belle.  Pinkie was wide eyed and obviously holding back a cheer at something happening in front of you.  Sweetie looked like her fricken birthday just came early, again girls are weird sometimes.  Scootaloo had only a mix of various emotions, but whichever dominated it looked like she was smiling at this.  Great, just great, no pony else is going to back up your rejection.

Turning your eyes back to Applebloom you see she’s tilted her head a bit and her face is coming to meet yours, double crap.  You had to get out of here.  You had to leave somehow.  Leave, find a way out.  You can’t run from this outright without it hurting her though and even then many ponies were blocking the exit, triple crap.  You had to do it.  You pushed past everything that told you not to, every part of you that was trying to freeze your limbs and accept Applebloom.  The force of your hoof touching her mouth was harder than you wanted but to everyone else it would look like a twitch.  You didn’t exactly hit her, but it was sudden and you missed the timing so it was like being pushed hard.  “I’m sorry, but I can’t.  I don’t think of you like that Applebloom.”

Something inside you felt crushed as that left your lips.  You were not sure why.  The look on Applebloom’s face was going to be burned into your brain now.  You already had issues with girl’s crying but somehow this you knew was something you never wanted to see again.  You were compelled to make such a thing stop, but you bite your lip and held back doing so.  You didn’t look at anypony else as Applebloom, full of the emotions you knew would come when you said it galloped out of the café.  Your legs started to move on their own but again you held your ground mentally.  You couldn’t let your stupid reflexive code take control now.

“What are you doing!” came the broken squeal of Sweetie Belle.  “Go after her right now you idiot!”

“But I-I,” you couldn’t find words.  Nothing would work for this.  Sweetie Belle pushed you forward trying to get you started and again your legs go, but as you leave the shop you close your eyes and focus again to stop yourself.

“Why are you doing this?”  Sweetie was trying to keep from yelling at you since she considered you a friend but you could tell she was hard pressed to.  “You can’t just lie to her like that.”

“But I’m not lying,” you thought.  “I can’t be lying.  I can’t possibly like somepony.”  The creep of a grin you remembered caused you to shake in place.  Sweetie saw this and backed off.

“Scootaloo,” she called, “come on I think we need to talk to Applebloom.  He needs some time alone I think.”

The orange filly nodded and the two galloped off in Appleblooms direction.  Meanwhile you swear you could hear it.  A low hum you didn’t even want to remember again.  Something had triggered and you couldn’t stop it.  You stood there shaking for some time until Pinkie put her hooves around you.  Her presents helping you calm down.  It was going to be okay, but it wasn’t.  You had just hurt somepony close to you and could do nothing about it.  You just stayed in Pinkie’s arms for who knew how long.

> Deals and Reels
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	You lay in your bed looking at the ceiling for some time.  You were not sure when Pinkie had gotten you home and broken up the party, but that mattered little as you continued to remember the look in Applebloom’s eyes.  “Did I really have to turn her down like that?  I could have just taken her aside and not made it so public.  I could have been far gentler about this.”  These thoughts flooded you as the pain in your chest increased.  You needed to do something to take your mind off this.

With little else to do in this way you went back to look at your school books.  Suddenly you were not as confident in being able to catch up to everypony else.  All the contents of these books looked like nothing but gibberish.  Even your mind wouldn’t let you hide from figuring out what to do with Applebloom it seems.  But what else could you do?

Just then you hear the door to your room open as Featherweight and Sweetie Belle come through.  You see them through the reflection in the glass, only now noticing it has gotten dark.  How long were you out of it after what you said?  Based on the way the two are holding themselves Featherweight was originally on his way alone when Sweetie must have noticed  and joined him about halfway up the stairs and he was already at the top by the time he noticed, otherwise you would have heard him falling down them from the shock of being this close to his crush, which even now was making him quake in his hooves.  Normally you’d be happy at the fact you were able to do what some of your favorite book heroes could do, but now it just made you more aware of things that were making you feel uneasy.

Sweetie didn’t seem angry with you, but she was still obviously upset.  Her attempts at setting you up with Applebloom had blown up to nothing.  She apparently thought she was going to make a good match maker in the future.  You were mad enough at her for encouraging Applebloom into such an embarrassing position you wanted to spoil what her real talent was to her right now, but you thought better of it.  It wouldn’t help anything and really she hadn’t done something to outright hurt you.  And still no matter what, at the end of the day she was still a friend to you.

“Scootaloo is still mad,” she said with a tone that you could tell was supposed to come off as both informative and cold.  She was attempting to be so, but while not the closest to you of your friends, she must have known you better than anyone besides Applebloom and Pinkie to even encourage such behavior.  “I don’t think she wants to talk to you anymore.”

“How’s Applebloom doing?” you asked simply.  You had to know sooner, even if she was crying her eyes out you could at least start putting your mind at ease and agree there wasn’t anything you could do about it.  And yet something in your gut hurt at even the thought of that.  What was this nagging feeling?

“Not good,” the filly’s replied.  “I guess I shouldn’t have gone and told her to dress up.  She wasn’t too sure about you feeling the same way in the first place.  Guess I pushed her too much and now she’s shut up in her room.”

It was obvious what Applebloom was feeling.  But you couldn’t let that get to you.  It shouldn’t involve you.  You should really care beyond the fact a friend of yours was hurt by you.  But the more you tried to control this flow of emotions, the more it was getting to you.  You kept swallowing the first things coming to mind to say.  Such things were irrational, and it led to more hurting if you said them.  So instead your lips parted to say in a dull tone that you made sure came off as uncaring as possible.  “Well at least it’s all said and done.  She’ll be over this by the time school starts and we can all just forget this ever happened.”

That if anything finally got Sweetie Belle to try to lunge at you.  Featherweight gained some composure enough to hold her back from doing it.  You flinched as she shouted every other word in anger.  “You THINK Applebloom with just get OVER THIS like it was NOTHING!  She’s so torn up about what just happened I don’t think she’ll come out all WEEK.”

You kept your acting up.  It was hard to swallow whatever it was trying to bubble out of you, but you had gotten used to hiding emotions you did know from others in the past.  Dilly Dally would likely have given you scars otherwise.  “It’s just a simple crush she has.”  You made a laugh that any actor could call robotic, but for a girl who wasn’t in the know of her true talents to strengthen them yet it was working fine.  “It’s just the fact I’m the new guy and didn’t have a reason to laugh at her anyway.  It’s not like we have anything in common that we like.  I can’t think of one besides hanging out with you and Scootaloo.  We’d get bored in an instant.”  The pain was increasing but you continue.  “I’ll bet she’ll forget all about this when somepony else catches her fancy.” 

You prepared yourself.  You needed to sell this.  When Sweetie Belle hits you, you can play the bad guy.  Applebloom will hear about this and be out of her stupor even faster.  Granted the result will be seeing you as the enemy of all girls but you can live with it since time heals that kind of thing so best you suffer instead of a friend.  It doesn’t come however.  “Look me in the eyes and say it then.”

“I hardly,” you began.

“Face me right now!”  Her voice shook you to your core and you complied.  Her anger seems so hot and yet as she sees you look at her it cools almost immediately.  Did she see something?  You were keeping your face as straight as you could.  Was there something you didn’t notice?

“Look at you.  I could tell you liked her, which was the strange part.  I still don’t get why you are keeping up lying to yourself and to her.  You only hurt each other doing this.  Applebloom doesn’t have a small meaningless crush on you.  I tell you that much.”

Now this was getting to you, who was Sweetie Belle to tell you all this?  Your gaze fell to your friend sitting there with not much to say because of his contact with the girl and slowly a plan crawled into your mind.

“Okay,” you finally say, “I’ll make a deal with you.  It will prove if you’re right or not.  The downside is you can’t tell Applebloom or Scootaloo about this bet I’m about to throw at you so Applebloom won’t be recovering as fast as a result.”  Sweetie looks as if she noticed you say something but you keep going.  “You get Featherweight here to act lovey dovey with you and date you for two full weeks.  Even if it doesn’t really get serious, two weeks and at least two dates where every single time I see you two together you will be all over each other.  Let’s see how you like being forced to be with somepony.  And if Applebloom doesn’t have her little crush gone by then I’ll do anything you wish of me then.”

At this Sweetie Belle all but laughs, “Is that all?  I can do that easy.  You are on!”  Then she remembered there was a pair who had to agree to this and turned to the white Pegasus who had gone even more pale than usual.  With Sweetie now at full attention to him to give him a wink, which was forced but still honest if that gut throb would just go away.  “That is if that is okay with you Featherweight.”

“F-Fine,” was all the poor guy could manage.  It was enough though and Sweetie pulled him out of the room before looking back at you to confirm.  You nodded as Sweetie did an odd gesture that ended with poking her hoof in her eye.  She still refused to leave so you copied and she finally was satisfied and left.

The house grew quiet after that.  You could hear Sweetie talking to somepony before leaving.  Then you caught her talking about the details of what she would need from Featherweight outside but didn’t hear what it was about.  Your friend was either going to bash your head in or give you a giant hug the next time you saw him, maybe both.  Part of you was glad though, if this worked out maybe Sweetie would at least clear the air with Featherweight so that even if she didn’t like him like that he could stop the entire issue of going completely stupid around her.

Waspinator hummed loudly into the room along with Pinkie and Gummy.  How had you not noticed the bug wasn’t even in your hair all this time?  Was that was Sweetie noticed?  That you were off your game a bit?  What seemed more pressing was that Pinkie was carrying in a large projector with a roll of film in her mouth that she sets down before turning her attention to you.

“So you wanna talk about what just happened?”  You say nothing.  Pinkie went back to setting up the projector.  “Twilight ordered a new one of these so she let me have this one since it’s still in pretty good shape if you line up the audio tracks with it.  I don’t get how it works with a newer film like this though.”

“I’ll help,” you suggest trying to get something to do that didn’t go back to Applebloom in some way.  The system was easy enough to figure out from sight, but the audio set up for this newer film was indeed tricky as you had to point out that it needed an attachment.

Pinkie looked disappointed but not defeated.  “Oh well.  This stuff is better with audio but just visuals is enough anyway since all it would be is sounds since I don’t think you would pick up the language, comes with subtitles at the bottom to follow along too.  I’ll ask Twilight for that tomorrow.  You should watch this with me.  I bet you’ll love it.”

“I’ll bite,” you say not wanting to point out that since it is set up in your room you can’t avoid watching it anyway.  “What is this movie?”

“Only one of the finest examples of a little genre called Kung fu.  Ever hear of it?”  You shook your head.  “Well then let’s watch.  You need some schooling in this before I can let you move on.”  You were not sure what that meant but sat down as Pinkie started up the movie and got Fresh Popcorn from under your bed.  You just stopped questioning it at this point.

> Repairs and Scares (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Few Weeks Later:

You were ecstatic.  Helping out a friend was one thing but what you had just done for Sweetie Belle and Featherweight?  That would be something neither of them could get around not telling others even if, and at this point you considered that was a big if, they didn’t end up married when they were older.  Nothing could bring down your high, or so you thought.

In your wide smile you had forgotten only momentarily that you were still not on speaking terms with the other two members of the cutie mark crusaders.  Applebloom especially couldn’t be made up with at all since she had gone to Manhatten for the spring break to see her cousin before you had a chance to make good on your end of the bargain with Sweetie Belle.  Not that you were not relieved at that thought and equally worried for Applebloom’s return as you had no idea what to say to her now to even make up for what you did.  That got you to flash on her face and the hurt in it and your chest hurt again.  “No,” you told yourself trying to keep up your running, “stop it right now.  You have to stay happy.  You can consider what to do with Applebloom when she comes back, besides there is somepony else to handle first.”

Right, Scootaloo was still not talking to you.  And what’s more, she encouraged Applebloom not to say a word to you long enough for her to go away before you apologized in the first place.  If you were ever going to make up with Applebloom, the first thing you needed to do now was make up with Scootaloo.  Something you could only do now because she would see how well you helped out Sweetie Belle.  Without delay you decided to go to Scootaloo’s house to at least gadge what exactly was needed to get back on her good side.  Just like with helping out Featherweight the first part to any good plan is to know your target, and that meant the old detective play only minus Featherweight’s more useful ability to see a pony’s feelings in a lesser but still useable capability of you seeing the workings of things.  Still workable though.

The first thing that struck you about the place was how low to the ground it was.  This was not a home a Pegasus pony would normally like at all.  Heck with all the light that was blocked out by this half bunker like place you were not sure any Pony could actually enjoy living in such a dark house.  But this was the address alright.  You could tell because Scootaloo’s trademark scooter lay spralled in front of what you calculated must be the garage.  Meaning one of Scootaloo’s parents either owned a cart business or a repair shop.  Taking the sawdust, a few broken wooden planks and various bolts around the place, it was fairly obvious to you that if one of her parents wasn’t a carpenter that they were at least skilled enough to constantly repair Scootaloo’s death trap.

It took you some time to work up the courage to finally alert the home dwellers of your presence.  You listened, there was a small reaction to the fact somepony was knocking on the chamber door.  A chair shifted, but no one said anything.  Not even an “I’ll get it.”  Meaning whoever answered the door was either there alone right now or always answers.  Considering Scootaloo isn’t very rich the former is likely the case.

The door does finally give the click of the lock and creek of the opening when you spot who you expected.  Scootaloo sees you and immediately shuts the door in your face, understandable.  So you allowed yourself to gaze curiously at Scootaloo’s scooter now.  You had ignored that notion at first since it was more important to have Scootaloo know you were here.  But now that it was done, your honest curiosity could only help you at this point.

From afar the thing looked pretty simple, and up close it still was.  But only up close could you see the story behind it that the scooter told.  A few knicks in the wood from various bumps, the obvious attempt to repair a large crack that would have snapped the thing in half if it wasn’t for replacing the main piece in the wood, and a Wheel slightly lose with bush leaves in the workings told you how despite how well you had seen Scootaloo do on the thing that she not only was using the same scooter since she learned to use it, but that she in fact still continued to test herself constantly even without knowing her talent involved it.  The fact she, out of all three members of the CMC, wasn’t the first to get her mark astounded you.

With no response from the house yet you decided to attempt fixing the wobbly wheel on the scooter.  Perhaps one of Scootaloo’s parents was a mechanic.  The wheels and axels showed a very skilled hoof, something that seemed beyond Scootaloo’s level even if she was supposed to have made the engine of a float before.  That you still had to see to believe when it came to Sweetie Belle’s bragging.  More so than the stupid thought that Applebloom’s body was actually skilled enough to not break a bone from a disease long thought dead that caused one to perform actions only skilled ponies could do without that effect. 

Just peachy, your mind goes right back to Applebloom again, for once though you are not remembering that face that has been haunting you.  Her smile that seemed to carry everyone’s spirits up out of even the deepest sadness and made you forget about your own issues for just a little bit.  Her determination when it came to doing a task.  Even some of the faces you had yet to see her make yet but that Granny Smith had showed you in the family photo album when she kept trying to do the impossible.

You felt a smile slowly crawl up your face as you thought of all of that, and it got even wider as you started messing with the knut that kept the wheel on and finally popped it off.  Here was something you could fix, something you didn’t have issues understanding at all.  That was when the thought occurred to you.  You could use your hoof to bend this back in shape easily for now, just as you could just simply fix the issues you were having with Scootaloo and Applebloom.  Sweetie Belle was right, sometimes you do think things through way too much.  Sometimes, like that time you saved Applebloom from that fall.  Your actions without your thinking were the best things to do.

You replaced the wheel and turned the knut as best you could.  You didn’t have any tools so the thing was still pretty loose but outside that was looking pretty good.  Slowly the creak of the door opening came into your ears.  And with a sudden gasp a orange blur snatched the scooter from your hooves and barreled back into the house.  Heck you thought you could see a barrier of wind or sound around Scootaloo as she did this and shut the door again.

You waited, and finally Scootaloo opened the door yet again.  She looked confused but finally asked the question that was plaguing her.  “What do you want?”

“To apologize,” you said firmly keeping yourself looking like you were sure of yourself.  This was mostly true anyway.  You had to admit a month ago you were being a pretty big ass about it, you were so desperate not to even consider obvious signs that you were not prepared as usual to deal with Applebloom’s confession.  As a result Scootaloo had all the right in the world to want to kick your plot five ways for hurting her friend with your ‘honest’ reaction.

Scootaloo went through what you could see as the signs of considering what you just said.  In general most ponies are easy to accept forgiving, and really while you had hurt Applebloom nothing should really keep someone who considered you a friend to hold a grudge that long for a minor betrayal, especially when you were here to apologize for it.  “Alright how do you plan on doing that exactly?”

So she needed more than a sorry?  Well you had planned for that somewhat, even if it was a bit demanding of her.  “I wanted to learn how to use your scooter if you don’t mind.  If you show me that I can guarantee you’ll forgive him in no time flat afterward.”

Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow expectantly, “I doubt that.  But I can’t right now anyway.  My dad will be home soon and he wants me to stay home tonight.  He doesn’t get to come back too often so…”

“More than understandable,” you added.  “Then I expect you to meet me for said lessons tomorrow at noon.”

“Wait I didn’t agree to give you lessons,” she replied.

“But you didn’t say no either,” you said in your best imitation of your dad you could muster, “and no backing out of it now.”  It left a bad taste in your mouth but you couldn’t argue with the results that it wins over fillies way better than how you normally talk.  Besides use what Celestia gave you was the family motto.  Likely why Pinkie couldn’t stay with her parents after finding her calling wasn’t rock farm related as she had told you a few weeks ago.

Whether it was the logic or the voice, Scootaloo slowly nodded  with a slight pink grazing her cheeks and closed the door quickly.  You’d have to look into that at some point later.  She was your friend and for her that was pretty weird even before she agreed.  So with nothing else to do you stretched out and headed for home.  There were two more movies tonight with your name on them, you couldn’t wait to see Pone Lee kick some asses, and literally it was supposed to be him verses the champion donkey karate master as the ads in the sleeve told.

> Repairs and Scares (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	By the time you had arrived at where you had agreed to meet Scootaloo you were already five minutes late.  Pinkie had the wonderful idea to make this morning’s breakfast far more interesting for everyone.  And it was fun for all of you, the only problem was the Pinkie had forgotten her friend Twilight Sparkle had gone away for Canterlot business and thus the two of you had made a far bigger mess than you should have.  You were cleaning bubblegum for hours afterword and you could swear there was still some in your nose that would take a week or so to get all out but it was still worth it.  It was days like today that you figured would keep Pinkie from getting too depressed with the fact she didn’t have as much free time anymore since she had to both take care and support you.  Plus it helped that it was the most fun you had since Applebloom leaving for her cousin’s house.

“What kept you?”  Scootaloo did not look amused at you being late but she tossed you a helmet and you hopped into the wagon she had attached to her scooter.  Before long she had taken you to a giant hillside in Ponyville where not too many ponies would show up due to how hard it was to walk and the steep drop should you not know what you’re doing or be able to fly and hover on the steeper half like Scootaloo could.  The girl still couldn’t and by your guess never fly because of what you noted as some off breeding that kept her from being light enough and her wings strong enough, but she was still able to hover and that was fine in a emergency so you didn’t argue about the location.

What did catch you was how alone the two of you were.  “What happened to everypony?  I figured you’d invite someone else along.”  Scootaloo couldn’t possibly want to be alone with you even if she was giving you a second chance right now right?  That was what confused you about all this, and it had been why you didn’t invite Truffle over since the fewer ponies the better but this was too much.

“I tried but everyone I called was busy,” answered the orange Pegasus.  “Applebloom still didn’t come back from Manehattan yet, not that I think it would be a good idea to invite her, and Sweetie Belle is still all over Featherweight for some reason.  Everyone else is just busy.  I don’t get it, is having a boyfriend really so hot that it had to go and mess up my friendships?”  She suddenly realized what she had said and blushed looking at you.  “Sorry, I know it isn’t exactly your fault but it is getting to me.  I mean we haven’t even had a proper club meeting for the Cutie Mark Crusaders since you arrived.  It’s sort of depressing.  Especially since it looks like Sweetie Belle is going to be leaving the club now.”

You winced.  You hadn’t thought of that when you decided to help Featherweight via a admitedly convoluted plan to get Sweetie Belle her cutie mark using a series of speakers and a spring board trap door, and four dozen mice.  The entire point of the club was so that the girls would find their special talents sure, and that was another reason you never just flat out told them what it was.  But in return they also didn’t have a plan for what happened when even one of them did get their marks and the others didn’t at the same time.  It somehow didn’t even cross any of their minds and as a result had completely eluded you own considerations as well.

That got you thinking.  Was it really right to also help Scootaloo now to realize her own calling?  Even if this didn’t end up separating the three, which nothing should since they were still friends and schooling would keep them from full pursuit of their arts anyway, it would also be harder to show Applebloom her own talent.  You were not even a hundred percent sure what that talent was yet either so it would be pretty bad if you had left her alone to be a blank flank.

Still the focus you had was Scootaloo, and to both recover your friendship and be a good friend it would be right to at least help her along this road.  And at this stage of the plan even if she found out her talent it would be mostly by her own power and natural anyway right?  So you were worrying for nothing.  All you had to do was chop off the parts of the plan that would make the talent even more blatant and just trust it what will be will be.

“I don’t think that Sweetie Belle is going to just stop coming to your club meetings just because she has her mark.  Just invite her.”  Scootaloo didn’t raise her head.  “Well then,” you said in a slow tone trying to think of what to say.  “How about when Applebloom comes back you bring me into the club then?  I guess that would make me the first male member of the team.”

At this the filly brightened and smiled, “really?  You’ll join?”  You did the Pinkie promise that you were forced to memorize out of family tradition that Pinkie wanted to start and nodded.  “That’s awesome.  I can’t wait to tell Applebloom and Sweetie Belle then.  Oh but you won’t be the first male member, just the first of the main Ponyville branch.”

“Branch?” you asked confused.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo nodded happily, “That cousin Applebloom went to visit, Babs Seed, is another member and the runner of the Manehatten branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.  Last I heard she got four boys and two girls to join since there are so many more ponies in the city than over here.”

“Wow,” you said impressed, “if that’s the case maybe you guys should spread out more.  I’m sure even though my other cousins at the rock farm all have their marks they could pass along the idea and you could get penpals going or something.”

“That could be a nice idea,” Scootaloo laughed now.  Friendship reestablished, rang part of your brain.  “But first things first.  You wanted a lesson, we gotta get the basics covered first.”

The first thing that made your plan actually sell without Scootaloo being able to see it was the fact you honestly had issues standing on just two hooves which made it really hard to use a scooter in the first place.  “See if you put all your weight forward,” she explained, “then especially on any slopes you’re going to be more prone to falling forward even without a rock or something to trip over.  You gotta get used to holding yourself up for a good minute at least in case you have to pull back or jump off since you don’t have wings.”  This seemed like sound advice so you made a good attempt.

After about an hour of trying though it was obvious you needed help to not go immediately back down on your fore hooves.  Scootaloo, who was an expert from all her exercise and use of the scooter, did her best to keep you upright this time by holding onto your back while looked weird since you were clearly taller than her because of your slight age difference.  This attempt was easier said than done as you felt your legs wobble after about twenty seconds.  “Come on,” she encouraged, “focus and put all your strength into it or it won’t work.”

“I’m trying,” you claimed, “but this is a lot harder than it looks.”  And with that said you flopped over face first pulling Scootaloo off the ground so that she was sprawled on your back.  “I think this is hopeless.  Can’t we just ride on a flat surface first or something?”

“Nope,” replied the orange filly getting up like it was nothing.  She did however feel like she was shaking a bit and her voice came out like a frog was in it for the first sentence after.  “I told you it had to be learned for a reason.  If you get used to using a scooter without this fundamental you’ll still put too much weight in the front even if I teach you to stand for three minutes because it will be familiar and far easier.”

“Fine,” you agreed with a grumble, “but I’m only trying one more time today.  My legs are killing me.”  She nodded and this time held your chest to keep you up longer.  To the idea’s credit, that got you past the forty second mark.  But eventually you felt your weight bare back down on you.  

“Move,” you called trying to push Scootaloo off at the last minute.  It was too late though and you tumbled on top of the girl.  A sharp pain striking your mouth in the process as you landed.  When you were able to get back to your senses your mouth was still hurting a bit and you pushed off to get a good look at Scootaloo, using one hoof to cover your hurt area.  “You alright?” you muffled.

Scootaloo looked like something cracked in her somehow.  You noticed a bruise forming on her own mouth edge too, which meant the two of you had bumped your lips together and struck the other’s teeth.  She seemed ready to twitch one eye and scrambled out from under you red in the face with embarrassment, likely from you being able to overpower her unintentionally.

“I-I gotta go,” she muffled covering her own mouth and scrambling to her scooter and zooming off with wagon in tow.  She had just left you there by yourself.  You blinked a few times taking in what just happened.

“Well that was weird,” you thought, “didn’t think she’d freak out that much about a little bruise on her lip.  Guess all girls care about how they look.”  Deciding to apologize tomorrow you sat down resting your hurting legs before beginning your trek back home.

> Luna dang it Featherweight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“So she still isn’t back yet huh?” asked Truffle as his sipped his soup.  You knew the result would not be pretty.  He looked down into his pale and you could hear the sounds of him regurgitating the broth as he dunked his head into it.  He then took another ladle full and offered you some.  It smelled like an old sock Snips found out behind a dumpster behind the school’s playground.  Cheerilee was rather upset by it when Snips brought it up and had prompted her to call a Sabbatical from work.

“Yep,” you replied taking a sip yourself.  It tasted like rotten eggs.  You twitched trying to hold it in as you passed it to Featherweight and swallowed.  Your voice came out a lot more horse from it.  “Applejack said she was due back today, but they got a letter saying she still wanted to stay.  Needless to say that ended up with them questioning me for so long I looked like…“  You couldn’t take it anymore and tossed your own into the pail.  It looked like a giant grey soup with yellow lumps.  Oddly more edible looking than the first thing Truffle Shuffle had you try today.  “…yeah basically that by the end.”

Featherweight sniffed at the broth left in the ladle and winced.  “I’m not eating this.”  Saw Truffle do his best ‘oh yes you are’ face.  You copied it down to the muscle and gave Featherweight the same look.  “Oh come on.  It’s so stupid.  You guys already tried it out.  And it’s going to make my breath stink.  I got a date with Sweetie Belle in like two hours.”

Truffle pulled out a bottle of mouthwash and turned his attention to you.  “What about Scootaloo?  Is she still not talking to you?”  He slid the bottle near Featherweight while you kept the face going.  The pegasus looked like he was about to cry for a moment, but finally shrugged and choked back the remaining broth in the ladle.  Didn’t even last as long as Truffle.   You found yourself smiling at your little victory.

Finally turning your attention to Truffle you answer.  “Actually the other day I finally got her to agree to meet me and tried to ease into becoming friends with her again.”  

Featherweight looked up from the pail, his eyes going bloodshot from the sheer force of what came out of his thin frame.  Even his voce came out more horse than yours, “I take it from the fact you are not at that meeting with Sweetie Belle that it didn’t go well?”

“Well,” you admitted, “I didn’t really think it all through.  I’m not too good at just standing on my hind legs so Scootaloo tried to help.  But then I ended up falling on top of her and she freaked out and ran away because I gave her a bruise by accident.”

Your friends exchanged a look of confusion.  Feather finally piped out, “That doesn’t sound like Scootaloo.”  Truffle nodded.  “You sure you’re not leaving something out on this?”  He immediately went back to barfing while Truffle emptied the rest of his crappy soup in the sink and checked off something on his list for his review on this latest recipe he got from Diamond Tiara.

Being the resident food critic for the Foal Free Press, Truffle Shuffle had sworn to take all recommendations seriously.  He used to use Snips and Snails for his work on tasting things, but they caught on to the con recently so it meant until he could get somepony else he was playing his friend cards on you and Featherweight since he needed to see if it tasted different to a unicorn or pegasus anyway.

You thought about telling them about your little accident with Scootaloo while they finished up.  You didn’t really talk about it with Pinkie.  She was so focused on catching up with all the fun she was missing out on lately because of work she only stopped by to check in and asked the Cakes to sleep over last night.  It was able to get your mind off both fillies.  But now with your friends reminding you, it was best to just run it by them since maybe you missed something since they knew Scootaloo longer. 

“Yeah,” agreed Truffle when you were done, “I really can’t see what the big deal is.  She gets bruised all the time.  There is probably something else to this.”  Featherweight on the other hand stayed very quiet and licked his lips every now and then.  You caught on to this very quickly but had no idea what it was about.  He had not really done that before, but the sudden movement of his eyes not being able to meet yours.  He was hiding something.

“What do you know?” you asked slowly as you stepped to tower over your lanky friend.  It was really that much but your size age wise still made you look imposing to a Pegasus two years your junior in respects, especially one who had trained himself to avoid a one on one confrontation for his reporting.  He twitched a bit before galloping out of the house as fast has his wings would take him.

You and Truffle watched him go into the distance and your portly friend shrugged.  “Well you’re never going to catch him now.”  Looking at his list again with a smile he said, “You know Diamond Tiara really does make a lot of suggestions lately.  Think she likes me?”

You considered smacking him upside the head for that thought.  But the other option was that Diamond was trying to get revenge on you embarrassing her.  So you let him keep his little fantasy as you said a proper goodbye and went on the hunt for Featherweight.





It became obvious that even if you couldn’t get Featherweight to say what he knew you’d likely be able to figure it out with more information anyway.  And he did have his date to keep so meeting up with Sweetie Belle would allow you to cross his path again when he calmed down.

Finding the clubhouse was easy enough.  There wasn’t much outside town that was foal safe that wasn’t somepony else’s property so a deeper part of Sweet Apple Acres was the likely candidate.  One asking of Applejack politely later and you were standing outside in only a few minutes.

“Y’all go on in Sugarcube,” the older mare had stated, “Ah gotta get back to work on the farm anyway.  Member to stop when Applebloom does come back, Granny still wants ta see the look on Applebloom’s face when yer at dinner.”  She laughed a bit as you got embarrassed and a little mad so many thought you two were like that.  “Reminds me of the time she invited mah first special somepony over.  I was a nervous wreck for weeks, but it did help me see it wasn’t going to work out.  Maybe it’ll help you and Applebloom sort things out too.  So don’t chicken out on that when the time comes, alright?”  You nodded nervously as she trotted off, Applejack was not somepony to mess with.

Walking up the ramp wasn’t that hard, but what caught you off guard was how quiet it was.  Had the fillies gone and finished their meeting already?  Sweetie Belle lived too far from here to go and double back now and there was no way you’d convince Scootaloo to get out of her house long enough to apologize until school started back up again when whatever holiday Cheerilee celebrated was finished.  Personally you thought she was just taking a sabbatical from working with kids and wanted to have two weeks off to find somepony for Hearts and Hooves day which was coming up, but when you asked her about it both her and your classmates all seemed to not wanna talk about it.

Putting your ear to the door you were finally able to hear voices.  They were small, but it was indeed the fillies Scootaloo, Sweetie, and Dinky Doo.  Dinky had only recently been included in the club but she didn’t have as much time on her hooves as most of your other classmates and had her own friends so she didn’t hang out with them much.  You were glad Scootaloo had at least one other member to bring in, even if it was a off and on one.

You were about to open the door, keeping your usual face that seemed to show little interest since you still couldn’t smile easily.  You were stopped however by Sweetie Belle’s voice yelling suddenly, “HE DID WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!”  Fear suddenly struck you and you couldn’t move your limbs for a moment as the voices continued.

“He didn’t mean too,” defended Scootaloo in an uncharacteristically smaller voice than her friend.  “It was kinda my fault and he did try to warn me.  It was an accident.”

In a flash however Sweetie had burst from the doorway, the force of which sent you flying against the railing.  You made a audible cry of discomfort which caught Sweetie Belle’s attention.  Pure fiery anger erupted from those dead eyes as she rushed up to you.  “How could you do that?  I thought we were friends!  But then you go and mess with my two best friends like this?”

“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about,” you stated feeling your flank against the railing.  You were going to fall off if you were pushed anymore but Sweetie Belle didn’t seem to realize this as she pressed her horn to meet yours.  You thought you hear some wood splinter as you tried to back up more.

“I mean,” she said is a voice that you swear would make lesser colts pee a little.  Yeah lesser colts, that tingle in your bladder was nothing.  “I thought you liked Applebloom.  Now you go and kiss Scootaloo?!”

“Ki-kiss?” the words felt foreign to you.  As if you didn’t even know what that word was.  It sounded familiar, but something in that memory hurt you and you winced.  Sweetie sees this and suddenly snaps back to her old self as Scootaloo pulls her back to say something.  It just sounds like a bunch of buzzing however.  It took you a bit to realize Waspinator had been buzzing in your ear and that snapped you back as well.  He angrily zips away from being woken up from his sleep in your head, it was a rather lazy bug.  What was the big deal about a kiss?  Besides you didn’t kiss Scootaloo, you only landed on her lips…with your own.

The facehoof you gave yourself was going to hurt for a long time.  It caught the two’s attention as you scratched the back of your head trying to work out what to say.  You were also confused why you were so close to a panic attack just from finding this out.  It was gone now but it worried you a bit, it wasn’t important now however so you put it out of your mind and considered how to apologize.

“Look,” you say slowly still not sure what to say since this was a hard to string a decent sentence for this.  So you just said, “Sorry.”

Scootaloo blushes a bit at what you guess is the memory of it and accepts.  She stayed quiet for a bit before answering you, “I know, I tried to explain to Sweetie Belle it wasn’t a big deal and that I didn’t want to talk about it.  But she insisted.”  Then her eyes got wide.  “Oh I almost forgot, you agreed to be our newest member right?  Well Applebloom may not be here but Dinky is so maybe you could…”  She starts to trail off looking behind you.

You follow her gaze and see Featherweight dressed in a little suit.  You had time to question if his family was rich or if he had borrowed money because it a really good fabric.  In one of his wings he held a set of flowers all of different shades that looked hastily put together and badly wrapped.  However you doubted that the pony he was going to give it to was going to be unhappy with them.

Sure enough the squeal of Sweetie Belle was ear piercing as she rushed down to her boyfriend’s side, snaching the flowers from his wing and thanking him with a rain of kisses on his cheek.  “Well,” you found yourself commenting to Scootaloo.  “At least she’s easy to win over if they ever have a fight.”

Scootaloo chuckles and agrees as Dinky came out to watch them as Featherweight finally got up with Sweetie stopping her barrage.  He was a bit dizzy but a stupid grin plastered his face.  He spotted you still a little wobbly and shouts up to you.  “Wow Scootaloo, I thought you were going to avoid Cog until you got over your crush on him.”

Everypony could hear a pin drop after that came out.  Sweetie Belle quickly grabbed her boyfriend when coherence was re-achieved by her and rushed away with a, “Well better go bye.”  You didn’t turn to see anything until you noticed Dinky trotting slowly back into the treehouse and mumbling something.  When you did finally turn, Scootaloo twitched and bucked you in a panic as a dust cloud trail fly down the ramps and into the Everfree Forest.  The last thing you hear was the snap of that wood you leaned against giving way.  

It wasn’t as bad of a fall this time since the Treehouse wasn’t too high.  But as you rolled to your hooves you took a few deep breaths and decided to chase after the orange filly.  Then when you got back you were going to think of a way to screw Featherweight over.  Yeah, that would work.


> Nightmares and Blackouts Part 1(Draft)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sound of a scream woke you.  Woke you?  When did you get to sleep?  You were still in the forest.  What the heck happened?  You could remember rushing through the forest, tracking Scootaloo by her hoofprints.  Normally it would help that Scootaloo ran in one direction for you to be able to find her.  Unfortunately, she ran into the Everfree Forest.  Meaning even if she was still running in one direction, as her tracks were telling you, she was still going into a darker part of the forest you were hesitant to step through.  Did you trip somewhere? 

Your mind was racing as to how you even got to this point.  Something was nagging at you and you felt like you had just gotten over a something serious.  Like your breathing only recently returned to normal.  Something was wrong here, was it something in the magic of this forest?  That same scream sounded again and jerked you from that line of thought.  Whatever happened could wait, that sounded like Scootaloo.

The low branches scratched at your coat as you broke through various branches.  You were still on her trail but apparently she was either an ace at dodging these things in a panic or you were just that much bigger because it slowed you down considerably.  

“H-help!”  You only made it to the end of the cliff when you saw it.  The stink sinking into your nostrils told you what it was long before you could see what it was.  Scootaloo lay at the bottom of the cliff, obviously hurt.

Part of you had to fight back how ecstatic you were about seeing a Timberwolf for the first time.  It was the most interesting creature to you in all of equestrian after all.  But your friend’s safety came first and you were not about to allow her to be hurt because you were too busy admiring the thing carving her up.  The image of Scootaloo’s mangled body flashed in your mind for a second and you shook it off.

“Oi!” you called out in your best Trottingham accent.  It wasn’t very good but then again you were not sure why you instinctively switched to it.  Likely so that later you could meet these majestic creature and hope your real voice was different enough.  That’s what part of you reasoned anyway.  “Up ‘ere ya twig sack!”

Talking like Applebloom might help this too so you focused on that sort of speech.  At first they ignored you, that was until you started tossing some pebbles at them.  That caught their attention.  “Come on, wha’ yer doing?  That fillies a pile a bones.”  Scootaloo looked up with a mix of various emotions, especially to that last comment, but you continued.  “Nah, wha’ you need is something bigger.  Come on ya’ slowpoke I’m right ‘ere.”

The creature had bounded up to you faster than you expected and you found yourself backing away to get Scootaloo out of sight.  Once she was, you felt no issue with allowing your floodgates to open.  The fledgling emotions about this moment sprang into you and in a feeling also completely new you, you had rushed to peer into the creature’s eyes.  The act of which caught the beast off guard and it didn’t immediately attack.

The glow was nothing like you pictured it.  You had assumed because of how fearsome they came across in the books and articles you read that it was glowing from the sheer magic needed to see in the dark.  But no, these eyes were lively but still endless.  The glow was literally what they were, and the wood quality?  You wanted a branch from this so bad but you just couldn’t take it from such a majestic creature.  

A sudden thing slams into you as you grab the twig ear in your teeth hoping to keep from being thrown off.  With a snap, the twig stayed in your teeth as the wind rushed through your face.

You blinked as you looked up to see a pony you had never met personally, but was hard to miss with all the talk Pinkie and Scootaloo did about her: Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in Equestria, at least if the gossip was true.  That was seriously starting to seem completely true as the mare just as quickly scooped up Scootaloo and flew the two of you out of the forest and back into the main street of town in ten seconds flat.

“What the heck were you thinking kid?” Rainbow asked as she set the two of you down.  Scootaloo was still somewhat in shock from all that had happened.  “I mean that was kinda brave and all to try and wrestle a Timberwolf.  But you could have totally died back there.  I’m gonna have to tell Pinkie about this.”

That would have worried you, but it wasn’t your biggest concern.  Scootaloo was still shaking him place staring at you.  You stepped closer to make sure she was okay and suddenly found yourself on your back once again from the tackling hug of the orange filly.

“You’re alright,” she cried hugging you tightly.  “Thank Celestia you’re alright.  I don’t know what I would have done if you got hurt because of me.”  You couldn’t talk because of the hug.  Part of you wanted to flick her sprained wing to get her off.  But the other part of you would feel bad about doing it.  And a scary part of you actually was enjoying this, even if it was hard to breathe right now.

When she did finally let go she was staring into your eyes.  Something froze you dead when that happened.  It was pure fear that kept you from moving, of what you had little to no knowledge of.  “Just like me,” whispered a familiar voice in your ear.  Again the mangled body of Scootaloo stuck in your mind and you twitched your eye trying to get rid of that image that just wouldn’t leave your head.  That motion did get Scootaloo to finally move.

“Oh no,” Scootaloo exclaimed suddenly pushing you away and hitting you in the face as she quickly shuffled away.  “What am I doing?  Applebloom likes you and I almost.  Oh no, no no no no.”  Her wing obviously pains her again as you got up holding your eye that just got stepped on by accident.

Rainbow looks confused at first but then noticing Scootaloo’s injury finally she lifts her up.  “Whoa there Scoots, we’d better get that fixed up.”  She turns to you and blinks, obviously holding back a laugh.  “I’ll hold my tongue about the forest since you just got that shiner.  But if I catch you near there again I’m really going to speak to Pinkie about this.  Got it?”  You nodded and she flew off.

“Well,” you thought to yourself looking over your scratchs and finding nothing resolved.  “Least I still have my health.  Still why did I blank out in the middle of the forest?  I’d better-“

Your train of thought was cut short by Sweetie Belle and Featherweight trotting into your vision.  Somehow, as you came up with a far more plausible and less insane reason you were fighting a Timberwolf, you lost track of everything that happened when it came to that blackout.  What did it matter anyway?





Waspinator greeted you when you entered your room finally.  The little guy wasn’t much for playing half the time but he was still a good friend to bounce things off of.  Maybe that was why Golden Legs gave him to you.  Any other pet would take too much of your time for you to even want it around, Waspinator was basically more like a roommate than an actual pet sometimes.  He buzzed his concern around your head before you shook your head.  “I’m fine.  I just need to rest for a bit is all.  I gotta lot to think about.”  Somewhat satisfied the bug nested in your hair which was basically his bed at this point as you went back down to clean up before dinner.

It was easy enough to treat your cuts, but the magic ice pack Pinkie had still needed to be kept on for a good hour total to make sure it didn’t swell which meant you were going to be at his on and off all afternoon since it was too cold to keep on for more than a minute at a time.  Still you had time till dinner and thus sat back to watch your favorite kung-fu movie again to lighten your spirits.

The sound of your guardian’s hoofsteps and bell as the door to sugar cube corner opened was simple enough to catch because of the gasps and cries of the cake family below.  It didn’t take long for her to come upstairs.  “What happened to you?” Pinkie asked while coming in with her own black eye and a bandage over one leg.  A lop sided mustache hung from her lips and she had a thin cut on her left ear and her one good looking leg was bound to a broken bedpost while another had a ball and chain attached, and her forelegs had a symbol and a chicken bone glued to them.  When Pinkie parties, she apparently really parties.  Though even you couldn’t figure out how she got all that in such a short amount of time when she seemed fine last night.

“Trade you my story for yours,” you offer to her. 

Pinkie narrowed her eyes at you and considered what to say for a moment.  She opened her mouth and closed it again.  “Touché,” she replied and limbed off to her room while you sat back and relaxed.

> Nightmares and Blackouts (Part 2) Draft
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Thanks to the creep of the setting sun and the bell ringing for study period, your awareness returned to you.  You gave the classroom a quick once over.  Outside Truffle Shuffle talking a lot more to Twist than he usually did nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Cheerilee was still going out, and the two class bullies entertained your mind with speculation thanks to their own little struggle mentally as they stared at Pipsqueak and Dinky Doo talking.

With only a small ting of hope you had your eyes glance over to Scootaloo.  She had not bothered to talk to you at all since almost kissing you.  You were too tired to bother with conserning yourself with the feelings there.  The more pressing matter was the flashes from your dreams that involved darker and less pleasant thoughts with her and Applebloom, which had caused your sleep deprivation.

In Scootaloo’s case, she blushed upon noticing your gaze and then immediately went off to talk to Sweetie Belle and Featherweight.  This left you there contemplating with your tired brain, drowning out everypony’s talk of Hearts and Hooves Day’s slow approach finally arriving tomorrow.  A day you slowly feared more and more as it came.  You only hoped your now red ends that showed you were almost due for a mane cut again was hiding your own face well enough.

Even with Pinkie’s help, you had yet to get any of your problems done.  Today was the first of your meetings with Twilight Sparkle to see what was going on with your head.  The dreams of Scootaloo and Applebloom making out where understandable, you knew that.  But ever since the blackout you had in the forest things had become far worse for you.  Cold shivers, headaches, and a sense of paranoia were pledging you lately.  Normally you’d have talked this out with your guardian as well but it was the other day that the two of you had been hit with yet another blow. 

The letter had come in the morning after Pinkie had calmed you down after your nightmare.  You had nearly forgotten about the fact a social worker was supposed to come an assess Pinkie’s ability to take care of you.  The result was of course the realization that while it was paying the bills, Pinkie’s new job wasn’t exactly going to be favorable to this pony either, especially if it came to explaining how you were working at the bakery because you wanted to.  This meant Pinkie was now scrambling to find some other job that she could do along with working at the Cakes when she realized this and thus you had not been in contact with her since this morning when she devoted the entire day to job hunting.

Sure you could explain it away easily enough, but a social worker’s purpose was also to give their opinion on how this would affect your future.  And if they looked into Pinkie’s and your past that wouldn’t leave you with any options for a good magic school to attend.  Not that you wanted to, but it was expected out of all unicorns that they at least go to one, much like Scootaloo would one day go to a flight school, but at least she wanted that.

“What’s with the moping,” the slightly annoying chortle of Snips making you wince.  “We have two days till Hearts and Hooves Day and you of all ponies are depressed about this?”  You felt your eye ping in pain.  Sleep would be so good right about now, but every time you shut your eyes you would see somepony you knew in pain with a cut across their throat and your eyes would snap open.  You tried to rise to no avail.

“First off it’s tomorrow,” you mumbled under your breath with just enough force for the unicorn to hear.  You tried again, but better but still useless to your mission result to get up so you could go to the Ponyville library.  “And secondly, what’s ‘you of all ponies’ supposed to mean?”

“Oh come on,” groaned Snails from behind you.  “I mean you already got Applebloom right?  I got noin’ and nopony.”  His gaze focused for a second on Twist for a moment which you made a mental note off.

Attempt number three got you on your hooves at least.  Now to try walking... nope still delayed.  “I don’t have Applebloom, didn’t you hear?  I basically shut her confession down.”

Snails looked like the bottom had fallen out of his stomach.  It was Snips however that flicked your horn with his own magic.  The result had caused you to jump back more than either of you expected and you fell on your back and crashed into a chair.  Snips looked from his horn to you in worry, but not before you caught him looking at Diamond Tiara for a moment before looking at you, “Oh, sorry.”

Again, a cold chill ran up your spine as your brain registered the shorter colt’s betrayal of his feelings down as well.  For a moment as you refocused, you could have sworn you heard a familiar voice that wasn’t Pinkie in the back of your mind, but you shook it off.

“Are you alright?”  That voice, out of everypony in the classroom was the last you’d think you’d hear.  Scootaloo held out a helping hoof to get you back up.  You took it and felt the heat rush to your face as you looked away from Scootaloo and muttered your thanks.  “N-no problem,” she replied.  You could tell she had not really thought about talking to you until this point.  She had solely helped you out of concern for a friend.  That knowledge helped you calm down a bit so you could turn your attention back to her.

“So,” the words were hard to come out.  “Um are you doing anything tomorrow?”  The three foals almost double take before you can clarify.  “I mean as friends, I don’t really have anything to do since Pinkie’s going to be busy and Featherweight and Truffle are going out with their special someponies and all.”  This was a lot harder to say than you expected, even if you really didn’t have any romantic intent behind it that you were willing to let out.  You had decided to at least wait till Applebloom came back to work everything out.

“You could always just hang out with us,” piped Snails.  This caused you to both want to hit Snails for saying that and yourself for not thinking it.  Luckily Snips beat you to that.

“You moron,” shouted Snips, “He’s trying to ask her out for Hearts and Hooves Day.”  Or unluckly as it would now seem.	You could hear a pin drop after that.  You didn’t even have to look around as you braced yourself for the tackle that was the white blur of Sweetie Belle on your side.

“Explain,” to her credit she was able to get out one word sentences.  This was something you thought beyond her based on how angry she was.  You’d likely feel the need to pee your pants at this if you were not already used to nightmares every few hours being a regular thing.  You didn’t really even have the energy for a proper terrified look, though now your attention was returning again.

“What?  Is there a problem with hanging out with a friend?”  You honestly didn’t care anymore.  Sweetie Belle’s tackle had gotten you closer to the door.  Sweetie wasn’t going to let up but you just faked a laugh to throw her off.  “I’ve got a meeting right now.  We can talk after I’m out.”  And with that you turned to go, and fell right on your face.  Dang legs are still not working well in a lack of energy state.  Should not have wasted it spouting off.

You felt yourself being lifted by gentle hooves and gaze up to see Scootaloo.  “You really should get some sleep.  You look awful.”  You deadpan back but ask to go to Twilights all the same.  The orange filly groans.  “Sweetie Belle, help me get this idiot onto our wagon.  Pinkie has afternoon shift today so Twilight’s is a good a place as any to leave him if he’s this determined.”

Darkness takes you again for a moment.  No images this time.  Maybe having Scootaloo so close means you know nothing is wrong now, but you have not good dreams either.  It’s just a short dark minute until you are awake again where you needed to be.  You could only hope Pinkie’s friend really was good with all forms of magic or at least knew who to go to for this problem.

> Nightmares and Blackouts (Part 3) Draft
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Surprisingly, waking up this time didn’t feel like it did the last few days.  No burning eyes, muscle response was back to normal, and you were starting to think clearly again.  It felt as if you had an entire night’s rest, which by the look of the shadows cast and the sun being shown through the library window meant either you slept for twenty five hours, or just an hour off.

That idea was ridicules at first, but the logic was sound since you’d had hour long naps before and by now the tired would start to creep back in which it wasn’t.  At the same time you knew you’d still be tired if you did sleep that long.  But most of all you wanted to have slept past a day.  It both gave you an excuse to avoid Scootaloo after what you slowly recall as something very much facehoof worthy, and it gave Pinkie time to get all her work mostly done at Sugar Cube Corner and hopefully get information on a new job to take some of the stress off you.  Neither seemed likely.

A quick scan around the room showed quite a few books of various types.  You had been here before with Pinkie when she was going around properly introducing you to her best friends, but this was the first time you actually got to look at it without work paper everywhere or a mare hastefully hiding her pictures of some stallion you didn’t know along with some rather confusing pictures you didn’t even wanna think about since it led into more flashes of Applebloom and Scootaloo in the same positions and made you feel weird.  All in all it wasn’t the best first impression considering you only saw them by wondering off and snooping around the basement when Pinkie and Twilight were having a long conversation that didn’t appeal to you.

Getting out of the bed you walk over and put your ear to the door first.  The company on the other side was disbanding with a loud, “On it!” before slowly drowning out and the sound of many hooves and a scratching sound left the building.  Only then did you push open the door to look at the purple mare.  She looked lost in thought for a moment before noticing you and pulling a smile that you were hard pressed to tell if it was genuine or not.  Considering the way she came off with Pinkie before you decided it was likely real.

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” she chuckled.  “I take it you enjoyed my little spell?  It makes one hour of sleep worth eight.  I came up with it after finding a few incidents where it would be useful.  Downside is of course your internal clock gets messed up and your muscles will still be sore if you worked too hard so I can’t really use it all the time.”  She trotted closer to you and whispered in your ear, “Just don’t tell anypony you were actually sleep deprived.  The last thing I need is other ponies, especially Applejack, to come to me for this and get too used to it.”

“What did you tell them then?” you asked backing away a little.  It was a bit overwhelming, you never imagined Twilight Sparkle being THIS powerful.

“Oh a half truth of sorts I was told when I was your age and had nightmares too,” she chuckled at the thought.  “I figured you’d already know magical back up didn’t exist so I didn’t bother with you, but it may have been too cruel of me to add what my mother did.  I ended up telling them that you were going to inflate like a balloon and then pop because you hadn’t used magic.  But it did get them out of the way long enough for us to get this time so why don’t we get started hmm?”

You found yourself lifted by magic to a couch as Twilight suddenly sat beside you, her hair now in a bun with glasses perched on her head and a notepad.  You had the feeling she had done this before if she was able to get this done so quickly.  “Now then tell me, what is on your mind?”





It felt like a weight had been lifted from you.  After telling Twilight about the dreams, all of them thanks to a spell you didn’t consent to but the ends justify the means was her defense; you were relieved when Twilight didn’t just laugh at you and actually started seeping through books she thought was related to your case.

“Ah,” she finally exclaimed after some time skimming through twenty books at the same time and dropping the read ones in a pile.  “Here we are, ‘Dream spells and Symbolisms’.  I’m sure this will be able to tell us what all your dreams mean.  I mean they can’t be prophetic since you still can’t use magic yet so…”

“Actually I can,” you correct.  “It was only once though, and I mean besides when I was a baby and was likely using it like crazy.”  Twilight peered back at you as you recounted the tale of your first conscious wink out.  You tried to avoid recalling the way your mom looked, but your mind wouldn’t let that nugget out of your head once you fished out the memory of the wink since it went hoof in hoof with it.

The entire time you noticed the purple mare switching between scanning the book in front of her and looking at you as you told this tale.  Surely Pinkie must have explained all this before hand, but Twilight’s attention was as focused as it could ever be by the time you had finally gotten to the point of the feeling after you winked and the panic in your mind from what you had seen.

You hear the smack of her licking her lips, a long pause.  Finally her attention returned to the book as she continued reading.  You tried to speak up to her but found she had made a sound proof bubble around her on instinct as she finished up.

Before anything else could be said the door to the library burst open.  Pinkie, and all you classmates that had helped you in class came rushing into the large room.  While everypony was wearing a face of worry, none was more so than Pinkie.  She had once again gotten straight haired and it took her a minute after rushing it and nearly slamming her head into Twilight’s bubble and popping it for her to notice you.

Before you knew it you were in that hug you had grown to love and hate from the pink mare as she squeezed the life out of you before frantically checking everywhere on your body.  Random outbursts of “Your okay” and “Nothing wrong” came before she finally calmed down enough for her hair to suddenly inflate again.  One of these days you had to figure out what that was about.

“It’s okay Pinkie,” Twilight finally said when your caretaker had returned to normal, great timing there.  “I’ve done a preliminary examination of him and he’s perfectly fine.  He’ll likely need to come by a few more times for me to be sure but I think I know what the problem is.”  Pinkie and your friends were about to go on a rant before Twilight magiced another silence spell that muted them all but kept her own voice clear.

“Now then,” she continued, “As I have said he is fine.  Dreams are made up of memories and your own imagination so he’s basically having these nightmares since he magic is actually starting to come in to maturity for him to use.”  

Your eyes grew wide with realization and Twilight nodded as she must have guessed you understood, “Exactly.  Cog’s magic is linked to his father since your cousin was an earth pony like yourself Pinkie.  Combine that with the stress he just told me he’s been under lately since Applebloom left and everything got mixed up and caused insomnia.”

Your eyes darted to Scootaloo who seemed to be going through a rather darker set of emotions at that last bit of news.  There was no denying she was the cause of it as well but Twilight knew better than to say that in front of everypony.  Still he made your heart sink and you suspected she would get the wrong idea out of it before you could even know what the proper idea was.

Twilight continued, “I can’t really recommend anything but you had better go to a doctor for him Pinkie.  The sooner he gets his magic under control the better and proper therapy would be best.  I can be a pseudo replacement for him till you can afford it though since I know your sort of in a bind right now for bits.  Plus I can help train him a bit.  Everyone understand?”  A room full of foals and the pink mare nodded.  “Good, now please go for now.  Cog, I’ll see you the day after tomorrow since I’m…..sorta busy tomorrow.” 

You couldn’t help but notice she trailed off and blushed for a second.  She had a date and with it being Hearts and Hooves day couldn’t exactly reschedule if it wasn’t an immediate need.  You agree and everyone started to file out of the library.  Sweetie, now relieved you were okay, went rushing out first; likely to go meet Featherweight one last time for planning her own day with him.  Snips and Snails waved out of sight too.

Scootaloo kept her head down as she trotted slowly till she noticed you coming up behind her and rushed away again as fast as she could.  Your own eyes found the ground now.  You were not sure what to do.  If you did go after Scootaloo it would lead to something you were not sure of since Applebloom still lingered over both of you.  You cared far too much for Applebloom to do anything that you knew even if it didn’t really mean anything special could come off as it while she was gone.  And Scootaloo would hate you for it too.  Completely stuck.

A Pink hoof found its way around your neck and you lifted your eyes to find Pinkie’s smile.  “Hey now,” she said softly, “You heard Twilight.  You can’t be all sad and mopey right now or you’ll get more nightmares.  We gotta get you super happy and stat.”  

You’re not sure where the nurse’s hat came from but why question it.  Pinkie put you on her back and gave an even bigger grin.  “I got just the thing,” she laughed.  “But first I gotta make sure we get all the prep ready for it.  You up for watching the new movie starting Princess Luna, The Feather Fairy, Slash, The Tooth Mouse, and the Reester Bunny fight Slendermane?”

You blinked, “That sounds like a pretty good movie idea actually.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”  Pinkie exclaimed galloping off.  “We gotta get some dinner first though.  How’s –“

“Griffoni’s?” you finished.  It was her new favorite place and you enjoyed it a lot yourself.

“You know it,” she exclaimed galloping faster.

That night you still had a dream.  Nothing was going to stop that.  But thanks to Pinkie and Twilight, for just a moment you forgot about your troubles.  Like all boys do, and that dream was one that didn’t wake you.  It was simple as in it you gave Scootaloo a party and she was smiling just as wide as Pinkie had that night.  Perhaps that was your brain trying to tell you something.  Something you could use for when you woke up.  All you know however was that with Scootaloo’s smile also came Applebloom and the two of them playing and running off happily together.  

For a moment, you thought they had left you, but they turned and invited you along.  You followed, and for once you were woken not but something back, but by the pain in your mouth.   The pain of doing something it had not done it years in earnest.  The pain of a full on and true smile.



> Hearts and Hooves Day (Part 1) [Draft]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	You questioned how you ended up in this mess.  You should have known something like this was going to happen.  All the signs were there but still you were dumb enough not to see them.  Was your mind just so fixated on your struggles with Scootaloo and Applebloom that you just couldn’t see this coming?  But we are getting ahead of things, what should have tipped you off was how nothing about this day seemed to go as Scootaloo planned.

It had all started by the filly’s sudden appearance in front of your house at the crack of dawn.  “Come on!” she called out as you were still rubbing your eyes and gaggling with mouthwash.  The shock from the knocking caused you to swallow the stuff and it stung like   “I got a full day ahead planned!”

To your credit, it you didn’t freak out about this until after you washed your face and let her into the house.  Granted that was because you were still gagging a bit on Pinkie’s special mouth wash.  It took you till Scootaloo got through the door to remember what day it was: Hearts and Hooves Day.

You swallowed hard as Scootaloo rushed into the kitchen and rang the bell for service several times impatiently.  How can she be so bold and in control right now?  Yesterday she was better than she had been but she was still freaking out a bit when it came to talking to you.  Now it was all gone just like that?  Did you miss something?

“Come on,” Scootaloo repeats ringing the bell again and again.  Her wings beating frantically to keep her from falling from her jump to the counter.  “Come on!  I need some service here stat!”

“Um,” you finally manage to say shaking off your initial confusion.  “Scootaloo, the Cakes are not here for another hour.  Pinkie isn’t even up yet since we don’t open for three more hours.”

Scootaloo looked crestfallen, “Oh but I need to get my order in now!  Rainbow Dash will be so disappointed if I don’t get her something today.”

Now it all started to click into place.  If there was one pony that could get Scootaloo to forget everything else, it was Rainbow Dash.  “Why do you need to get Rainbow something so early anyway?”  You avoided asking the question of why she wanted to get her anything for a day lovers usually only give gifts.  Though the thought was going to give you some weird dreams later.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Scootaloo said still hyper.  “I just found out that Rainbow Dash doesn’t have a special somepony.”

You held back commenting with a huge, “Well Duh.”  The fact was even if this town didn’t have a high ratio for female to male, that in general it was common most ponies didn’t have a special somepony on this day.  You decided to go with the tried and true, “What’s that have to do with you then?”

“Well I figured what she needed was a sweet based on how she really wanted one but couldn’t have one to cheer her up.  If not I could catch her a guy with it, still haven’t decided.  Maybe you heard of it cause I haven’t.”  You blinked, there was no way she’d think something like that would work.  Then again you do recall helping Carrot throw out a stallion who was hitting on Cup because her cake was so good to him.  You were not strong enough to help lift him, but your horn did give get the point across.  Sorry, sorry, I just had to do that, it was too easy.

“Okay shoot,” you say trying to think of all the sweet available at the shop.  You still didn’t know all of them, but you knew enough to know if it was a least possible to make and how long something would be depending.

“It’s called a Rubbing,” Scootaloo stated looking like she was trying to remember.

“Do you mean a Rum Cake?” You asked not sure what a Rubbing was.

“No,” replied the filly, “I’m sure of that.  I overheard her complaining to Fluttershy the other day that she really needed a guy to give her a good Rubbing for Hearts and Hooves Day.  It isn’t a toy or any gift I’ve ever heard of so I figured it was a sweet.”

“Well it sounds like one,” you agreed.  If it wasn’t a Rum Cake however you were at a lose what a Rubbing was.  Was it some kind of taffy like treat, or was it really just some item to two of you never heard of?  Time was not on your side if it was a treat, since it may take hours to make.  Especially if it was something uncommon to the point neither you or Scootaloo knew of it.

“Isn’t there an easier way?” you stated taking your seat on the register to sit across from her.  “I mean couldn’t you just get somepony to drink a love potion or something?  That at least we can get out of a book or something.”

“Tried that already,” she stated off hand ringing the bell again, “Needless to say, the last thing I need to hear is more gushy romance terms on Hearts and Hooves Day.” You made a note of asking her about that later since it seemed backwards as she cried out to the upstairs.  “Come ON!  Pinkie Pie, get your sorry flank down here.”  Well she’s not going to win any friend points with Pinkie today with that attitude.

“Tell you what,” you offer, “Pinkie obviously isn’t coming down so how about the two of us try to make something.”

“I don’t know,” Scootaloo replied, “I’ve tried baking before.  I didn’t get my cutie mark in baking AND I blew up my mom’s oven.”

“Well you only tried that one time,” you countered, “Practice makes perfect.  Besides, just because something isn’t your calling doesn’t mean you’re not good at it.  We may not be as good as Pinkie, but if speed is needed we can’t do THAT much worse right?  Besides, even if we can’t make this ‘Rubbing’ thing, if Pinkie can’t either in time it will at least be a decent gift you can give Rainbow right?”

“I guess,” Scootaloo nods.  So with the two of you in agreement you let her into the kitchen and get to work.  You’ve cooked with Pinkie before, nothing could go too bad.  I mean it isn’t like you’d let Scootaloo use the oven anyway, just in case.

> Hearts and Hooves Day (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Be careful,” you cry stopping the orange filly from climbing into the fridge for a bottle of milk.  “Take one from the door.  We need to cycle through them here.”

“Yeah yeah,” said Scootaloo annoyed taking an open bottle in her teeth.  Once she put it down you made sure to check you had everything ready in case of anything in sight.  Whisk? Check.  Measuring cups?  Check.  A Few eggs?  Well you’d need to go get them now.

“Why do you guys have so many fridges anyway?” asked Scootaloo looking around as you opened the egg container to take out a half dozen.  The first two as usual with you slipped out of your hooves, which was why you grabbed six in the first place.  You really needed to get your magic going, but aside from that the remaining four were put well and you could then answer.

“Not really sure,” you admitted.  “I asked Pinkie once, and aside from saying something about an incident with the local Milkmare she was tight lipped about it.  Maybe Cupcake was just jealous of her or something but the result seems to be all this to keep the produce fresh enough to only get her milk once a week when Carrot’s out of the house.”

“Nah,” stated Scootaloo, “Must be something else.  She’s like our second biggest customer at my job.  I don’t interact with her too much but she seems pretty nice and always asks for Pinkie first so she must be on good terms with everypony here.”

Something about that made you not want to delve any deeper into speculation.  The clues were obvious of course, but considering you couldn’t figure out your own feeling it would be hard to be sure of everything; especially since there were still a few different outcomes from the evidence.  It wasn’t worth trying to understand right now.

“Well whatever the reason,” you say moving on, “Let’s just get this cake started.  You start mixing the other ingredients like it says in that guidebook and I’ll clean up the eggs I spilled and get the flour.”

“Rodger that,” saluted the filly with a smile before picking up the guide and reading over it again.

The rest of the cake making actually went on without a hiccup after that.  Both you and Scootaloo worked together fine enough and as you waited for the Cake to finish baking, the two of you just had a normal everyday talk for once.  

You realized just how much you missed talking to her like this, without her being all freaked out about one thing or another concerning others.  Well besides Rainbow Dash.  Most of your conversation outside of school was slowly becoming more of Rainbow vs. Pinkie for best Surrogate sister.  

“Rainbow congratulates me when I actually do some great work.”

“Pinkie actually works hard.”

“You take that back,” shouted Scootaloo.  “She trains hard for the Wonderbolts.”

“Which she’s yet to get into,” you countered, “Tell me when she finally has a position.  Pinkie’s already got two Diplomas so she wins.”

“Yeah, well Rainbow is a black belt and can kick Pinkie’s flank.”

“Oh yeah?  Pinkie’s got a cannon she can pull out of anywhere and fire Rainbow out of Equestria.”

“Well Rainbow is teaching me so I can just kick her flank if she does that.”

“Yeah, well Pinkie showed me how to inflate my hoof.”  Wait what kind of retort was that?  That was just plain weak.

Scootaloo paused for a moment at that and deadpaned, “You can’t inflate your hoof.”  Oh good she didn’t notice or was feeding into you.

“Yes I can,” you argue getting ready to show her, despite the fact you’ve never done it, when the bell in the oven chimed, saved by the bell.  “Well, cake is done.”  That’s right, just play it cool and you likely won’t be called on your bluff if she’s distracted enough by the cake.

“Ooh,” Scootaloo exclaimed, “I’ll get the frosting.  We’re going to need all the colors if we’re going to get Rainbow’s cutie mark on it.”  The idea was actually a like simplier than you thought.  At least she was staying within means of what was possible since with how small the cake would end up being you’d be able to help with the proper frosting spread for the design.

“Hey what’s this stuff?” came Scootaloo’s voice as you set the cake on the table.  You looked over to find her staring at a jar of pink goop.  You had not seen it before yourself so you trotted up to take a better look at it.

The contents were very watery so it wasn’t jelly, but still too thick and left a trail that didn’t make it juice either.  Well this is a kitchen so many it was edible, but you didn’t want to take that chance either.

“Let’s just leave it alone,” you finally said.  Before you could turn however, Scootaloo had spun the lid of the jar and popped open the top.  “What are you doing?!”

You tried grabbing for it but Scootaloo jumped back and smelled the contents.  “Wow this stuff smells really good.”  She suddenly seemed unable to stand straight and a large blush was over her cheeks as she looked back at you.  Just what was in the jar?  “Ya know Cog, I’ve been holding back on somethin’.”  Oh crud she was slipping into an accent and slurring.  This wasn’t good.

The jar tumbled from her grip as she trotted toward you, the liquid spilling all over the floor and getting on her hooves.  You held your breath, not wanting the same effects to take you in as you tried to back out of the kitchen.

Instead you were met with soft flesh.  “Oh hi Coggy,” chimed Pinkie Pie is her usual bubbly tone.  Oh no, don’t inhale.  For the love of Luna Pinkie, do not inhale.  “What’s that smell?”  Shit.

It was at this point Scootaloo caught up to you and brought you into a very odd embrace with her hooves on your leg joints that corresponded as Pinkie’s nose wrinkled.  You needed air.  You couldn’t last very long if this pink goop was now on your shoulders too.

“Oh for the love of Luna,” cried Pinkie Pie scanning the kitchen.  “Which one of you opened my Heart’s Desire Frosting?  I didn’t even get the sticky stuff out of it yet to put on Milky Way’s cake yet.  It’s gonna take forever to clean.”

Well that at least finally confirms your earlier ignored train of thought.

> Hearts and Hooves Day (Part 3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	And thus we are now back to where you are now.  Stuck to a filly who made your body feel weird now that she was standing on it with her hooves on your shoulders and hips.

“Oh isn’t that cute,” said Cup Cake as she took in the sight of you.  “How long are they going to be like that?”

“About four hours,” Pinkie answered.  “Scootaloo really got a lot under her hooves before trying to stand.”

By this point even Rainbow Dash had arrived and was busy rolling on the floor laughing at the two of you.  As it turned out, she did in fact have a date.  It was just not too serious and she didn’t want her protégé to get the wrong idea so she didn’t tell her.  This factor only seemed to make things funnier to everyone but you and the filly stuck to your back though.

Scootaloo kept her face in your mane to try and hide from her mentor, being unable to use her hooves and having small wings likely was the reason.  Though you were not sure how you felt about the half nuzzling she was doing with it.  It was obvious she was trying to hide completely to no avail, but besides Rainbow Dash it was obvious from a look around everypony else was getting the wrong idea.

“Is there any way we can get loose sooner?” You asked.  The feel of the filly’s nose against your neck acknowledging to you her agreement.

“Well maybe if you ask Zecora,” Pinkie admitted, “but I’m too busy to escort you and I’m not sure you can run very well like that.”  You could feel your legs buckle a bit as that became aware to you.  It really was odd how a pegasus could fly if she was this heavy.  Then again it wasn’t like you were about to admit it when Scootaloo could just head butt you from behind for saying that.  “Could you take them Dashie?”

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow was gasping as she laughed.  “This is just too good.  I need to get my camera or something.  You two stay right there.”  And with that she was off.  It was about then you felt a sting of pain in the back of your head.  Scootaloo must really be trying to drill her head in back there.

“Somepony please dig a hole to bury me in,” you heard Scoots whisper through your hair.

There really had to be some way you could get Scootaloo’s mind off all this and enjoy herself.  Celestia knows you do not want to be doing this for the next four hours.  You puzzled this for some time until Rainbow had returned with her camera.

“Come on,” she insisted, “it may be funny, but you both are gonna laugh looking back at this.  At least try to smile and look goofy or something.”

Looking goofy…that was it!  “Can you hold off on that for a moment Rainbow?  I got something I wanna try out.  And I guarantee a great picture either way.  Deal?

“You got it,” Rainbow nodded.  Maybe she was seeing what you were getting at.

“Come on Scoots,” you said rubbing your head against hers, “I’m going to need your help with this if it’s gonna make us look cool.”

Scootaloo didn’t know what you were thinking as you slowly started trotting outside.  Sure enough there was her scooter.  “You better start flapping or I’m gonna fall on you and bruise one of your wings,” you slightly threatened.  You really wouldn’t, you had been practicing a little bit and at least knew the max angle you could be to still land on your forehooves as you attempted this.

In a panic, Scoots did finally start buzzing her wings frantically and you were able to put a little more balance into it.  Finally you were on your hind legs for longer than ten seconds.  Meaning this was the perfect time to ride her scooter and get her to come off as a good teacher.

“You up for this?” you asked pitching Scootaloo her helmet and putting on the spare to your own head.

Finally noticing what this was, Scootaloo seems to lighten up and all the worry and panic that was in her face melts.  This was the face you wanted, one that had been hard to see lately.  What was odd was that it seemed like something you missed dearly.  You had only really seen her like this a few times and only when she didn’t notice you watching her, on the way to school, randomly during your two weeks in hiding till Featherweight got you back out.

Did you actually like this filly for this?  Whatever that thought was however soon took a backseat as you felt the wind hit your face as Scootaloo pushed you down the road with her wing power.  It was all you could do to stay balanced as the scooter started gathering speed.

“Keep your arms still,” called Scootaloo over the rushing wind.  Not like you were not anyway but that ensured you were going to keep your arm stiff as a board.  Scootaloo started steering with your arms since she couldn’t touch the handles herself.  Soon enough everything was blurry and all you could make out was some G-forces.

This, this was how Scootaloo must see things all the time, at least when she was doing what she was meant to.

You could tell her now, even a little hint couldn’t hurt right?  But then you remembered when Sweetie Belle got her own cutie mark.  That look from figuring it out on her own was magical, you couldn’t take that away from Scootaloo.  You could only hope this would be how she found out.

And then you hit a rock.  Well to be more accurate you hit some purple and green rock for all you could see.  And the result sent you flying.

You couldn’t duck and roll, not with the orange filly on your back.  This really was a bad idea.  What exactly were you thinking?  That was it wasn’t it, you were not thinking with your brain.  All you wanted was to help cheer up Scootaloo, and now you’d be paying the price since you were going to keep yourself still.

But something else happened.  You didn’t feel the ground.  It should have hit you by now.  You looked around.  You were not moving, but you had stopped in midair.  Scootaloo was able to support you along with her in the air.

“Oh yeah,” called Rainbow from even higher.  “Now that is something for my scrapbook.”

“Ooo, you have a scrapbook?” asked Pinkie.  You gotta show me!

> Hearts and Hooves Day (Tail end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“So,” you finally said collapsing on the ground, “any ideas?”

Your hind legs were spent from the entire scooting incident and trying to walk back home and failing halfway through.  “I’m not exactly as athletic as you are so I’m sort of stuck here.”

“Well that’s going to change when we get out of this,” said Scootaloo as she tried again in vain to get out of being stuck to your shoulders and hips.  “First thing I’m gonna do since you can stand on your own is put you into a strict training.”

“Yeah,” you agreed knowing full well she was either going to forget or you would just use it as a reason to start your training with Twilight a lot quicker.  “Keep telling yourself that to make yourself feel better.”

“Come on, it will be fun.”  You could feel her hooves wriggle in excitement.  She was really serious about this.  Well better shut her down fast.

“No thank you.  I may like you, but there is nothing in the world that will make me get this tired ever again.”

The wriggling stopped.  “What did you just say?”

With no way to show your confusion you had to put more into your tone as you replied,“I just said ‘there is nothing in the world-“

“No no, before that,” she insisted.

You thought about it.  Nothing seemed off about anything you just said so why did she need you to repeat it.  Heck you already did repeat it just without the lead in.  Wait a minute…. 

Your eyes bolted open as you realized.  You had to just say something, unfortunately it came out way too fast to be believably honest.  “Nothing, I’m just tired from carrying you around for three hours.”

“So now you’re saying I’m fat?”  Why didn’t she sound upset?  Better not risk it.

“Nope, just that I’m a twig who can’t lift and I like it like that.”  That had to be a decent save, well the best under this pressure right now.  Note to self, physical activity beyond your normal limits will make you dumber.

“Well I know what I heard.  And after what happened before I’m not going to clam up about it.  I know you know how I feel.  I’m just waiting for your response.  I won’t push you, at least not until Applebloom comes back.  It wouldn’t feel right if I actually did anything as something more than friends with without telling her first.  She deserves that much.”

“Speaking of which, why is it taking so long for her to come back anyway?”

“I’m not sure, I actually stopped by Applejack’s first.  It was how I found out about Rainbow not having a date.  She was wondering the same thing but she couldn’t get in contact with her cousins in Manehatten.”

“Well that gives me something to do.  Maybe by now she’ll have found out something.  And if not I’m sure I’ll have enough exercise to last me the next two years.”

“I’ll help,” she laughed buzzing her wings again.  The weight on your legs soon when with it.

“You could’ve done that all along.”

“You’re free to try getting revenge later.”

“Oh don’t worry, I will.”

You struggled to start moving, it was slow but working well enough.  In fact it seemed way lighter than you would think possible.  Your hooves were not feeling the ground either and-

This feeling, this was familiar.  It couldn’t be.

“Who is that?” Scootaloo asked.  You turned your head in the direction she had hers.

You couldn’t answer.  Your mind was racing.  This could not be happening, not now of all times.

“Why hello Cognitive,” said the mare with a hint of a grin as she looked at you.  "It's been some time."

No.  No.  no.  no.  no.  no.  NO.  NO.  NO.  NO.  NO.  NO.  This was not happening.  Not now.  Of all times, this could not be happening.  The puzzle fell into place now.  Now you had to fight not to collapse.

“Hey…mom,” was your only reply through gritted teeth as you tried to focus.

> Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was another long night for you and your dad.  He had gotten you to help with selling off some of his “items” and you were catching on.  You couldn’t believe how stupid you were.  Your own father was using you to steal and lie to ponies.  And to make things worse he was lying to your mother about it too.  There was something your mother called such ponies, scum.  She had told you how such things are below ponies of her family line. 

“Hey,” came the deep voice of your father, “Something wrong?”

“We,” you started, but soon you closed your mouth back up.  Why should you bother?  This stallion was just going to spin you some yarn about why.  But in the end, a crime is a crime.  That’s what your mother said.  It’s what she lived by being an officer of the law before she had you.

For now you just had to swallow it.  If you confronted him now you’d only get him to run.  It was best to tell your mother and have him arrested.  He could rot there in jail.  

Then again you were also a criminal now weren’t you?  Even if you didn’t know what you were doing.  It would mean you would go to jail too.  Just as well, with both of you out your mother wouldn’t have to bother worrying about your dead weight; and when your time was spent, by the law a few months to a year because of your ignorance till this point.

You were so lost in these thoughts you found yourself running into your father’s hind legs.  You took a deep breath as you looked up at him.  That warm smile, the kind eyes, they must be just as much lies as everything else, a false persona to show you to get your agreement.

“Look I’m sorry I had to keep you so long with helping sell stuff today.  It is late, but how about tomorrow I make it up to you.  We’ll get a nice pizza at and Karma’s, and with this much of a haul we could get you a little something from the toy store.”

You tried to return the smile, but you were not as good at lying as this stallion.

Your father frowned, but scooped you up in his hooves and bounced you onto his back.  “Now come on.  I know mom’s been sick and I don’t make as much since I had to start scavenging, but you know it will pass.  One day I’ll get a new job, then I can repay all the debts we have.”

“I thought you just said we could afford a toy for me?” you countered.  “I don’t even want one anyway.  Save it for mom or something.”  That was it, just keep things civil.

“Well that is too bad,” he said in a sing-song tone.  “Because…”  He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a figure: a cruddy looking Timber Wolf toy.  It looked horrid compared to some of the toys in the store, but very sturdy even if it was made up of some string to keep the parts there.  “I had the string enchanted.  A carriage could hit that thing and it would be stay in one piece.  I didn’t have enough to make a full on puppet, but you are a unicorn so I figure you can use magic on it anyway.”

You were speechless.  But after a long stare at it, a small thing that escaped your muzzle without any control from you as you felt your mouth grow score from smiling so wide.   “Thank you.”

Your father chuckled as he trotted further; your moment of happiness taken from you as you were reminded as to who had just given this to you.  He was a filthy thief, one that you could not bring yourself to cut off your connection with.  You did love your father, but how could some small bobble make you forget for even a moment that you had to condemn him.  It is for the best, you told yourself as you lay onto his strong back.  Closing your eyes, you tried to focus on remembering this one last feeling while he would still like you.





“Get your hooves off my son,” your father growled as he put you on his back.

“It’s better this way,” your mother said coldly.  Your body shivered in her arms as you spat out globs of water.  “I will not have such scum pass on any further in the bloodline.  Cog even agrees with me on this.  I can’t have children anymore, all will be right.”

Your father swore and it shook you, “you are sick Merry.  You need help.  He had no idea what you were doing.  So just pass him to me, I’ll get him to a hospital.”

You felt so tired.  Most of what was happening was escaping you rapidly as it went on.  All you could get were somepony saying “You will never change.”






Your breathing was heavy as your mother kissed your horn.  You could hear the knife being raised, but you didn’t care.  It was your fault.  If you had not been out of line, Dilly Dally would not have thrown you down the stairs.  And she would still be alive as well.

You really were just scum, a murder just like your mother.  The sound of sirens and the knife dropping came to you in the back of your mind as you wept.  When it became obvious your mother had fled, what was done was done.  It was time to fix this before more damage was done.






The memories were flooding but you couldn’t lose focus now.  Your heart was racing and your body was weak, but you knew what would happen if you allowed that to get the best of you.  This mare, she would take Scootaloo just as she did… no, how could you have forgotten?

“Sweetie,” sang your mother with a smile.  “Is something wrong?”

Out, you had to get out and tell somepony.  You had to get away from her.

“Oh,” she said looking at your face.  “And here after I had to keep that poor red-head, now you have another girl.  Just like your father, he’d flirt with mares all the time before I corrected that behavior.”

“Um Cog,” said Scootaloo doing the closest thing she could to hugging you.  “Is that r-really your mom?”  She was shaking.  Your mother’s malice hit all your other senses and was so transparent with one to call out to it was like you could smell it too.

Something snapped as you heard her tone.  You had to get out of this.  A familiar feeling overcame you as you allowed it access.  You even focused to put even more into it.  The energy released as you closed your eyes.  When you opened them, you were back in the bakery kitchen.  Scootaloo was still in your sight, she had landed further but had still gone with you.

While she seemed to be getting her bearings, the feeling of blackness took you again.  It was easy to see where this was going to lead.  So speeding it up was needed.

Your mother had Applebloom.  This was the most clear part that was hidden.  Blocked because you couldn’t handle the fact your mother was around, but luckily still alive.  But for how long?  That was the question.  How long was Applebloom gone and how long could she have.

It is for that reason you needed to rest your body.  It is for that reason your mind needed to shut down and think so fast that time itself slowed and an hour for you would become a few minutes out here.  It was the reason I could see where it was going.  And it is for that reason I’m summoning you to have a little chat.

> Transition (You may skip this chapter but it does fix one small hiccup in logic)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Now how should I go about it to you audience?  This story is of course second person, but here is where we have an impasse.   See if I keep this up I’m not sure you would be able to keep up with who’s who at this zoo.  So I believe at least for this chapter, I must change things for now.  So as unfortunate as it is for me to do so, I’m going to need to change this into a third person story.  DON’T LEAVE!  I assure you it is only for this chapter, and it is only for the good of all.  But you know, to make things a bit more fun I think I’ll have to have a special story teller instead of myself recapping for you.

Question is, who could it be?  Ah, no that wouldn’t work.  Maybe….yes that will.  Besides because his cameo in another one of these author’s stories got canned he needs the work.  What do you say to in?

*Snap*

Why I’d be delighted my good sir.  Now go on and speak to your heart’s content about your concerns.  And you know what?  I’ll even do you a solid and keep it second person.  Sound good?

A smile crossed his face, “Perfect.  Thank you so much.”

Hey, helping those in need is what I live for.  Besides this should be fun and lets me scratch off service time with Celestia.

“Don’t forget it keeps the entire, ‘Why isn’t Luna or Celestia helping if Pinkie is an element of harmony?’ plot hole at bay.”

Well I’m sure the readers will understand.  Though shining a light on it may not be the best course of action.  Guess we’ll see in the comments.

“Oh,” he said suddenly remember.  “Cog’ll wake soon.  Better get into position.”

Have fun.  I’m sure this will be far more chaotic for here on out if you had to call me in.