Insanity is its Own Reward

  The sound of writing is the first thing I hear when I wake. I immediately lift myself out of my bed and look at my desk, and sure enough there is Red. Did he even sleep at all? He must have there's no way somepony could be this intent on making a spell, even though his determined nature is mildly refreshing...and a little bit disturbing. I jump out of my bed and stretch also attempting to make my bed head look presentable. Red doesn't even turn when I jump. He just gets out of the chair and gets close to the window ad begins to write on it. I feel curious as to what he was writing about so I go towards the desk and attempt to read his writing. Most of it is hard to make out other than my blood type and a few large X's over a few things. I look over at Red who is drawing a large diagram on the window of a badly drawn pony. I'm still mad at the fact that he's writing on my things but I let it slide since I'm now interested.

"I can tell your curious." Red says.

How did he know? "Well I am...a little."

Red turns to me and smiles. "And that's why I wrote this for you." He moves to fully present the drawing. He caps his marker and points to the ponies badly drawn eye. "You see Eve the eye is a very delicate, yet stubborn thing. And unicorn magic can be very unpredictable at times." He says pointing to his horn. "And the iris is the most delicate and complex part of all hence my problem." He says putting his hoof to his chin thinking.

I shrug confused. "And the problem is, what exactly?"

"I just told you the iris is extremely complex." He says as if talking to a stupid filly. "If I make one wrong move on you than I might-"

I cut him off by moving my hoof. "Wait, wait, I told you last night that I wasn't interested in becoming your guinea pig Red. I don't want to end up blind."

"Oh. Oh yeah sorry." He says disappointed. But he brushes it off quickly and continues. "Now as I was saying if I made one wrong move on you...or I mean somepony then they might go blind or something else may happen. That's my dilemma." He finishes looking at the pony he drew.

  There is no way I'll ever say yes to being this weirdo's lab rat. I don't plan on going blind or suffering some other unknown fate. I sigh and decide to change the subject. "So Red what time do you have class?" I ask.

"What time is it?" He questions me.

I look over at the small golden clock and tell him. "Nine o'clock."

"Right now then." He says coolly.

My eyes widen. "Wait what?"

"Right now, my class starts right now." He says writing more notes around his badly drawn pony.

"But shouldn't you be getting to class?" I ask feeling slightly concerned.

He shrugs. "Class dulls the mind."

I feel my ear twitch at that. "Why are you even here then?" I ask.

"Just needed someplace to think, don't worry though I'll go to class whenever there's a final or something important." He says still writing.

"But class is important, its what leads you to success." I tell him.

Red continues to write. "Eve you don't understand, this is what will lead me to success, not some boring class taught by some boring teacher."

That's nonsense, professor Twilight Sparkle is the best magic teacher ever! But no matter what I say he probably wont listen, so why even try? The most I can do is cope with him, but I also feel concerned for his well being no matter how strange he is. "So did you sleep at all last night Red?"

"Nope, too busy." He says still writing.

"Red don't you think that you should I don't know, take a nap?"

He shakes his head at the remark. "Nope too busy." He says again.

I sigh, there is no getting through with him! "C'mon Red at least some breakfast?" I ask again.

He stops writing and looks down at his stomach which rumbles loudly. Red takes notice of this and looks at me with his dark blue eyes. "Well I am very hungry." He admits.

I smile. "C'mon I'll show you to the café." I tell him trotting to the door.

  He follows me (reluctantly) to the door. I open it for him and motion for him to exit, he eventually does. Not without looking at his work of course. I close the door behind us making sure to keep the it unlocked, (since I always forget to bring my key with me) and I go down the marble stairs with the strangest pony I've ever met.

                                                                    ***

  The café is a small quiet place, located near the colleges grand library. I sit with Red at a mahogany table, the table matching the color of the café. A few other ponies sit around too sipping their coffee or eating their breakfast. I sip my own coffee and take a few bites out of my salad. Red however hasn't eaten any of his food, instead he just stares into his hay lost in thought. He's probably just thinking about his spell.

"Aren't fwoo foing fo eat Red?" I ask him, my mouth full of salad.

"Oh yes sorry, just thinking." He says.

He still just looks at his hay. "Red?"

"Yes?"

"What's on your mind Red? You haven't eaten any of your hay." I say pointing with my hoof at his stack of hay.

"Just thinking about my spell, don't want to mess it up." He says still looking at his hay.

"Red stop worrying, and eat just relax a little." I say reassuringly.

"Eve you know I cant I need somepony to test it on."

I narrow my teal eyes at him. "Red I already told you I am not going to be your lab rat." I tell him with a hint of anger in my voice.

"But." He sighs. "Eve I understand your concern, I get why you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either!" He says jokingly pointing at himself. "But Eve I have to do this you know I'm not socially adept either, nopony would trust me to try something like this on them."

Yeah no crap. "Red I just don't feel comfortable doing this, you even said yourself that something might go wrong. And I don't want to risk that. I'm sorry Red." I tell him firmly.

  Red now makes eye contact with me, but only for a brief moment before looking out of the window next to us, where outside the JV hoofball team is practicing. Red looks back at his hay and takes a small nibble of it, along with a swig of his coffee. I know its his goal to make a spell that could benefit other ponies but I just don't want to take the risk, especially not with this abnormal stallion.

"Eve are you sure?" He asks one more time.

I nod. "Yes, Red I'm sorry but like I said before something might go wrong." I tell him.

He sighs. "But Eve, every day we risk our lives. We risk our lives going outside, like who knows maybe you'll be struck by lightning or something. We risk our lives when we swim, we risk our lives doing everything Eve. But you'd be helping me Eve, please will you just let me test it on you once?" He stops. I open my mouth to tell him no again but he stops me. "Listen and if anything goes wrong you kind tell the professors, the police, whoever! At least I'll know that I tried. But if you don't want to its understandable, it'll just be hard for me to find somepony else for the job." He finishes still looking at his hay.

  Is this spell really that important to him? I mean all it'll really do is change ponies eye color. How will this help ponies? I mean this is more of a cosmetic thing if anything. But he's just so intent on doing this. I look at him, he's still just staring at his hay with a disappointed expression written allover his face. I look at my own salad now feeling a little pity for him. He's worked so hard on this, he's even been kicked out of a college because he was chasing his dream. But what if something happens? Oh but look at him, he really wants it to work. I breathe in mustering up my courage, OK Eve whatever happens, happens just go with the flow.

"Alright fine." I say soon after taking a large bite out of my salad.

Red's ears perk up and he looks up at me. "Really? Eve are you sure?" He asks me.

"Yep, Red you've been working hard on this, you deserve a chance." I tell him smiling.

"Wow thanks, don't worry Eve I'll do my best!" He says beaming with pride.

I nod. "I'm sure you will." Oh Celestia help me.

                                                                   ***

  We are back in the dorm. Red is ecstatic to try his new spell out on me, he stands in front of me full of joy preparing the spell. I feel happy for him, but also a bit worried for my own life. C'mon Eve you cant turn back now, especially not when he's this happy. Red looks back at his notes on the desk, and the badly drawn diagram on the window. He looks back at him inspecting my teal eyes, looking at each and every detail of my eyes. He looks back at his notes once more (And the diagram) then back to me. He breathes in deeply and smiles at me.

"Thanks again Eve for helping. But you said your favorite color was..."

"Orange." I tell him.

"Oh yeah right, right. OK so you ready Eve?"

I breathe in deeply. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He laughs. "Don't worry It'll be over before you know it." He reassures me.

"I sure hope so." I tell him.

"OK Eve stand still for me."

  I stand in place making sure not to move at all. Red breathes and is horn glows a bright red. His horn gets closer to me. Last chance Eve. His horn is inches from my head. Eve c'mon. His horn is now touching my head and I feel a warm sensation going through my body. It feels nice like being wrapped in a very warm blanket. I begin to sweat what if something goes wrong? I breathe in again, be brave Eve be brave. I see a flash of red that only lasts for a split second illuminating the room. But the light fades quickly and Red is standing in front of me smiling.

"Hey Eve open your eyes for me." Red says.

  I didn't even realize that my eyes were closed, I probably closed them when the flash of red occurred. I open them slowly letting the light from outside hit my eyes. When my eyes are opened completely Red jumps with joy.

"It worked! It worked!" He yells happily. He looks at my eyes. "Yep orange! Just like the sunset."

"Do you have a mirror?" I ask.

  He uses his magic to bring a small mirror to my hoof. I look at myself and sure enough my teal eyes are now a bright, soft orange. They look nice I almost want to keep this color.

"Hey Red?"

"Yeah Eve?"

"Is this permanent?" I ask.

"No, of course not. It's temporary look, just watch your eyes." He says.

  I look into the mirror and he's right. In a few seconds my eyes revert to their original teal color. I cant believe I thought this stallion was insane, I cant believe that I even doubted him at all! Red looks at me and smiles, he then throws his hooves on me unexpectedly and whispers. "Thank you." To me.