My Pretty Little Pony

I didn't think it was weird living by an elementary school. I would look out the window and I would see children playing in the playground. I watched them everyday...

I didn't think it was weird.

Looking back, it was just a sign for my problem. My unhealthy attraction.

Twilight groaned as she awoke, having slept on the guest bed downstairs with Spike in his own little bed. Last night's sleep had been...exasperating.

After realizing that Alex could not read their written language (the fact they spoke the same language, though, fascinated the scholar), the purple pony had helped him sleep with a glass of warm milk and a hug. In the middle of the night, their guest had started to cry, though, awakening her and Spike. When Twilight asked why, he talked about a nightmare, but wouldn't want to give details to whatever sleeping horror he had seen.

So for more of the night than she wanted to think about, she had to hug and console the big child. He seemed calmer after hugging her, and to her embarrassment, nuzzling his face against her mane and neck. He suggested she sleep in the same bed with him, but she politely refused with a pinkness on her cheeks. He seemed reluctant, but nodded his head in response.

Spike was soon awakened and was asked to make breakfast while the unicorn walked up the steps to see how her patient was doing. If possible, she would like to introduce him to her friends today, and hopefully learn more about his race.

I woke up long before I heard Pretty walking up the steps. I didn't get much sleep. I had a nightmare last night, but my memories of it were faded. But the effects were felt. Ripples. Throw a rock into the water, the ripples will still be there, even after the rock is at the bottom.

I found cuts on my arms. I used to hurt myself. Before doc. Before I gave up. When Alex Cooper was Alexander Cooper. When I was normal.

Scissors. Hot water. Knives. Paperclips. Heat. Starvation. Even my own nails. One of the first things doc and the others did to try and help me was help me stop hurting myself.

"It's wrong. You don't have to do that to yourself," he said.

"She's done worse."

"W-worse?! What could be worse?!"

I squeezed her hoof harder on reflex. My mind went in reverse, and I saw mommy yelling at daddy. She was throwing things at him. I...

I grabbed my head, pulling away from her. I groaned and whimpered, waving my head back and forth. I didn't want to think about it. I got angry when I thought about it. I got sad...

"Next question!"

"Alex? What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

I whimpered and shook my head, covering my eyes with my hands. I was like a child. A baby. Twilight could have been my mother. She wrapped her arms (forelegs?) around me and tried to counsel me as I struggled to control myself. "No..."

"Hey, come on. Its okay. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready. Why don't we go downstairs and eat breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" I whisper, suddenly intrigued by the idea. I let go of my head and smile at my pretty pony and nodded.

"Wow...Look at him go," the pretty dragon mumbled, chewing on a pastry.

I was chewing away at a plate of sweets. I forced a piece of a pancake into my mouth, before I tried pushing in a cookie at the same time. This food was so much better than what they gave us in the hospital. It was sweet. Delicious.

I was a good boy there. I behaved. They said the problems I had were sexual based.

The naughty patients weren't allowed forks or spoons. The really bad ones had to be held down in straitjackets and fed by someone else.

But I smiled proudly, knowing I wasn't them. I wasn't naughty or bad. I just had a thing for kids and ponies.

Twilight noticed my big grin as I ate and smiled in return. "Are you enjoying the food?"

"Mmhmm!"

The pretty pony nodded, before looking at her assistant and then at
me. "Spike, I'm going to go get the others and bring them over. Can you keep an eye on Alex while I'm gone?"

"What? Do I have to?" Spike leaned in close, and I think he didn't think I could still hear him. I could, and I heard him say, "He kind of creeps me out."

My Pretty little pony scolded him by saying, "Spike, be polite. He's just a child."

"He's twice your size! And hairy! He doesn't look like a child to me."

"Spike..."

"Alright, alright, I'll keep an eye on him. Just hurry back?"

"I will." Pretty then looked at me, and I pretended to not notice until she called out to me. I was a good liar, I think. "Alex, Spike will be babysitting you. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Where are you going?" I asked, bits of food still in my mouth.

"I need to go see a few friends. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay...Twilight just left so its just you and me now, bud," Spike walked up the steps and into Alex's room. "What do you want to...Oh ponyfeathers," he sighed, seeing an empty bed and open window.

I know I wasn't supposed to go.

But I didn't want to sleep! I was afraid I would hurt myself, or Mommy would appear again.

I didn't want to stay alone. It reminds me of when doc isn't there to talk to me and I'm all alone in my room.

I didn't have a roommate, unlike some of the other patients.

I usually kept to myself. I liked going into the library, especially when the mobile libraries came with new books. I especially liked the children's books. No one had a problem with me reading and touching them...

My aimless searching for my Pretty pony went unstopped. The sun was still rising. It was early, and I was using my past experience to sneak around, avoiding being seen.

I eventually found a place that reminded me of home. Not the asylum or my first home, but my home. My own home by the elementary school. Little ponies were playing in the playground in front of the school, laughing and smiling.

It was familiar.

Nostalgic.

I wandered out of my hiding spot, enthralled by the children, only for a soft ball to hit my head, and gently bounce to the ground. It shook on the ground as it stopped bouncing, and I saw an orange pegasus with a pretty, oh so pretty, purple mane looking at me.

"Whoa, what's that?" I heard her ask.

A unicorn, like my Twilight, was beside her. "I don't know...Hey, mister! Can you give us the ball?"

"..."