Strangers Like Meby Brightlight24Chapters–1–-2--3--4--5-–1–Author's Note And here we go! Chapter 1 of Strangers Like Me. Hope you all like it! –1– ... H-hello, I guess. I can't believe I'm doing this. She told me this would be a good way to speak my mind every now and then, and maybe help myself to be more of an... Extrovert, but this is the first time I've actually picked up this journal. It's... Actually really nice. — Sorry, I was looking it over for a bit. It's made of a soft and smooth... Leather? And it ties together like one of those older books I would've seen back home. You know, with the thread that ties around it from the outside, and a small notch for it to tie around, or click together with? Of course, I still don't really think it's leather. These ponies probably just found some sort of substitute for that kind of thing... Wow. Heh. I just looked at that paragraph again and, were it a few months ago, I probably would have thought whoever had written it to be, well, crazy. That's rude of me, I'm sorry. I still don't really know... Well, who this journal is meant for, actually. Technically, it was given to me, but why would I need to read what I already knew? Either way, I picked this up for a reason; One that, honestly, I think I should start explaining. My name is Rick. I would add my last name too, though, I'm not sure it really matters anymore. See, a while ago, something happened... Something strange... I was at home, bundled up in my bed–since where I lived was currently going through a cold front–and just... Resting. No TV, no reading, no browsing through the Internet like it was my day job. I was Just resting... On that same day though, I got a knock at my door. Already, this wasn't normal. I didn't really have anyone to knock at my door in the first place, honestly. Maybe my parents, who would come by for the occasional visit every now and then, but they would usually call first; a sort of, 'hello, be ready because we're going to pop in today', kind of call. As for friends... Like I said, the reason I was given this book is because, honestly, I'm... Not much of a social person. I don't like crowds, or just socializing with other people in general. It's not that I don't like them! No! I-it's just... I get all stammery, and nervous. My heart starts to beat really fast, and... And... It makes me anxious just thinking about it... So, yeah, friends were out... When the knock came, I was of course terrified. It sounds silly, I know, but I quickly started to assume the worst. A robber come to steal from me; some sort of deranged killer; even that one guy who I had barely managed to ask for money from, back in grade school, come to force me to pay him back. Like I said, Silly, I know. It took me about... Well, let's say, twelve minutes? Yeah, twelve minutes before I could even manage to uncover myself. After that, it was another five of just getting up, taking a few, quivering breaths, and making my way to the door. Even then, I felt as though something would go wrong. Not an omen that I just suddenly had on this particular day. I always felt like this; Paranoid. When I stood in front of my house door, my feet shifting slightly in the slippers I had put on, and my teeth grinding against one another, I had hesitated. I reached for the doorknob and just... Stopped... I felt like I should've just pretended I wasn't home, and let whoever was there go, but that wouldn't be right. And besides, I couldn't really just glance through my door's peephole, or a window. The peephole never really worked, the glass having been cracked and broken sometime before I moved in, and my windows were all too far from the door for me to get any sort of clear view of my doorway. Besides... I always kept the shutters closed anyways. So, knowing that I shouldn't keep whoever it was waiting... I put my hand on the door handle, its cold metal providing a sharp contrast to the warmth I had been under... And opened the door... ~~I~~Nobody, actually, would've ever guessed that this would be the first time I should've listened to that paranoia of mine. The rest after that was... Fuzzy... Or, furry, heh, if you want to put it that way... Just... Next thing I know, there aren't anymore people... Instead... Ponies... Again, I read that paragraph a second time and... God I never thought I'd ever have to write something like that. Then again, I never thought I'd be writing in a journal in the first place. Anyways, since I came here–to Equestria, I mean–things have been... Not bad, but not good. Sure, ponies are nice here. Really nice in fact. So much so that, compared to where I'm from... Well, it didn't really compare at all. But, I still could never get over that... That anxiety of mine... I was lucky enough that, when I came here, I had ended up near a pretty small village... Ponyville... Appropriate, right? There weren't necessarily a lot of ponies, but whenever they bundled together, like during a market sale, it always did seem like it. The first pony to really introduce herself to me, or, more accurately, calm me down and explain where I was, was a purple unicorn mare named Twilight; actually, the first pony to greet me was a pink and hyperactive pony, who went on about something that had to do with cake and... Never meeting me and... Well... I couldn't really understand much from her. She talked really fast. Plus, she really scared me that time, though she didn't seem to notice. Anyways, Twilight told me everything I needed to know... She was nice to me that way. She never minded the fact that I wasn't a pony–or anyone else for that matter–or that, apparently, I was supposedly the only human here. To her, it was just like she was talking to a normal ~~person~~ pony. Sorry about that. I'm writing in quill with ink, so, I can't really erase any of my mistakes, like with a pencil. Back to the pony bit. Um, honestly, she was a big help, getting me adjusted, and all that. She had even been the one to, surprisingly, buy me my first house here in Ponyville. I had told her that it really wasn't necessary–that it was too much–but she had just giggled and told me, "Oh please! Nothing's too much for a friend!" ... Friend... That was... Is my first friend. She had managed to help me so much on my first day here... And tried to help me even more later on, some time after finding out about how timid I was... As to how she found out...? Well, that pink pony from earlier? The one I said had kind of scared me? She... Threw a party for me... Full of other ponies... In a house that Twilight had just bought for me... That was the first part of the house I managed to get myself to know. The corner... Alone... At least, wishing to be alone. Nonetheless, though nopony–and yes, that's how they refer to the term here–seemed to mind my lack of communication with them, Twilight, she felt it was a little disheartening. "One of the best things somepony could have to help them, even when they're scared, is another friend." So, she tried to help me through it; through getting over my anxiety and meeting other. She had been kind enough to take baby steps, of course. She had started off by introducing her other friends to me, including that... Pink one... That didn't really work out though, since I always ended up shying away from them... It was especially awkward when she introduced me to this nice, but just as shy as me, pegasus named Fluttershy. The two of us could barely look at each other, let alone make a conversation that didn't consist of 'sorry's and other things like that. She did everything she could to help me get out of my shell, actually. This journal being one of those things.. But... The reason I pick it up today though, dusting off some of the... Well, dust, that it had picked up in my cabinet after so long, is because I really need something to help me cope right now. Recently, she decided to go for a... much bigger step... something she called... 'Shock therapy'... As in, psychological shock, involving me and a lot of ponies. She planned on taking me with her, and her friends, to this big event over in Canterlot called 'The Grand Galloping Gala'. See the problem? I-I can't handle a crowd that big! I can't! There's going to be so many of them; Strange ponies that I had never met before, in a big city I had never been to before, with judgmental and professional ponies... Everywhere... And... And... — A-again, sorry, I needed a moment. Still, none of that compares to the worst possible thing! S-she intends to have me meet her teacher, and that same teacher's sister. Not a big problem? It is when the two are the princesses of Equestria! J-just what am I supposed to do? What if I mess up!? ... It's a really bad situation, but I can't just let Twilight down and say 'no'. I can't lose my first friend... Somepony so willing to deal with my social timidity. Either way, all I know is that, tommorow, I pick up a suit that another of Twilight's friends, Rarity, had made for me, and we're off to Canterlot... By train... I just checked my clock, and it's somewhere along 1:30. I haven't been able to sleep well this whole week since Twilight had told me about this and, reluctantly, I had said yes. I also took a small peek outside, through my window. It's hard to believe that, in a bit, I'm going to meet the two that raise and lower the moon and sun here. I've never been so nervous in my life. A-anyways... Wish me luck... ~~God, why didn't I just say no?~~ -2-'Already my nerves are getting the better of me, and we're not even there yet. I swear, with every passing second–each clack of the tracks–I can feel my heart pounding more and more, begging that I do something–anything–to at least stall the inevitable. Ask that the train be turned around, hop off at the next stop, all of these came to me as good ideas, but never quite held enough ground for me to actually do so. After all, I wouldn't be able to even approach the conductor, let alone ask him to break his and everyone else's schedule because I'm nervous, and as for leaving the train; that idea just makes out to be even worse for me. I was barely able to get through the crowd back in Ponyville, heaven forbid if I attempted to do the same at some random place. Familiarity is comfort, albeit small. A comfort that I hold tightly to myself, along with a few other insignificant such things. Honestly, my only solace so far is that, one way or another, this will all be over soo-' "Heya, Rick! Whatcha writing there?" My heart practically froze, and all breath was forcefully expelled from my lungs in a weak yelp as I shut the journal at an almost ludicrous speed; the breeze it brought up was nowhere near as cold as the temperature my blood had dropped to. I barely had to look even a millimeter upwards to see that same, hyperactive and frightening pink pony looking at me, our distance between one another inexistent, and her right side up being my upside down. As to how she had managed to get behind me, lean herself over my head, and watch me with that gleaming, inverted smile of hers, I could never tell. Had I really been so distracted in my writing? Even so, that issue was dashed to a quick secondary as I withdrew myself as far back into my seat as I could, silent all the while. To my unsaid chagrin, however, the pony only followed me along the way, keeping the exact same distance, and the exact same smile as she did so. Already my heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour, and my resistance to keep my breath from quickening was beginning to fall short. Thankfully, it was then that a voice ended the issue. One that may as well have been a godsend, were it not for the fact that this world inherently had different thoughts on that subject. "Pinkie..." She had simply said, a stern tone to her as she did so. I practically gave out a sigh of relief as the pony within incredibly close proximity of me moved out of my sight with a giggle, returning to her own seat at Twilight's request. Nonetheless, I retained my withdrawn and small position, watching as all of the ponies I shared the train car with have a collection of different looks: amusement, disapproval, and a few combinations of the two. Twilight, however, was firmly on the disapproval side, looking to PinkiePie with a continued look of annoyance for another moment or so before just as quickly shifting it to one of a friendly and kind nature; This look she aimed towards me. "Hehe. Sorry about that, Rick." She apologized gently. "Pinkie can get a bit... Excitable whenever we're on trains... Or carts... Or, well, anywhere." She rolled her eyes and gave out her own giggle at the thought, but I didn't particularly find any such similar feeling. If anything, the fact that PinkiePie was always like this only furthered my worry and paranoia. "Either way, I'm glad to see you're putting that notebook I gave you to use. Has it helped in any way?" Involuntarily, I gripped onto the journal with an even stronger grip, with just the fact that I had to reply to her making me nervous, as I gave a short glance to all the other mares in the car, before then once more moving my gaze away. "... A-a little..." That was all I could manage. Still, this seemed to be enough for the purple unicorn, as she gave a seemingly glad and satisfied grin, followed by a nod of her head. "Geez Twi, you trying to make him another egghead like you?" This tomboyish voice, brash and clear, could easily be tracked back to its rainbow-maned owner, whom had attracted another short look of annoyance from Twilight. "Now Rainbow Dash, there is no need for you to be so rude to the poor dear." "She ain't wrong there, Dash. Pardner already looks more nervous than a cow 'fore its milking." "Aw, c'mon! I was only joking!" "Hehehehe. I thought it was funny, Dashie!" "See? Pinkie got it!" This cacophony of voices, tones, accents and pitch furthered my withdrawal even more, only serving to illustrate what would be to come. The crowds of ponies, the ways they might react to me- "Nonetheless, if he is to meet the princesses, don't you think you should show at least some restraint." And of course, that. As Twilight had set it up, I would likely see the princesses sooner or later throughout this event. This was the worse part of the situation. Embarrassing myself in front of some random stranger; that's not exactly optimal, but I can at least try to forget it, pushing it down as just some incident between people–or ponies, in this case–I would easily be able to do without meeting again. To embarrass myself in front of a princess; that may as well be some sort of death wish for someone like me. I wouldn't be able to pry that memory from my mind and just suppress it like any other. Instead, it would be stuck with me, continually coming back at seemingly random times to remind me of my mistake. Let alone the fact that, from then on, that would be how the princesses remembered me; some timid, strange, clumsy, two-legge- "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." Drawn out of my negative thoughts by the low and careful voice of another timid being in the car–the butter-colored pegasus that, up until now, had not yet spoken–I turned my head ever so slightly to face her. Once I did, I noticed that, rather than retreat into the metaphorical shell that I tended to favor, she offered a small, reassuring smile. It seemed that, even compared to her, I was a shy wreck. At least she had been able to speak up on her own, with no stuttering or withdrawal whatsoever. As for me though, I just did the same as I always did, returning my blank gaze to nothing in particular as I further tried to disappear into my seat. Doing my best to tune out the voices around me, I looked out the I sat next to, watching as the landscape practically flew by, with the only image that would remain long enough being the sky, the sun and clouds holding a near-perfect positioning over the horizon... I'd have to meet the pony that controls that large and radiant star soon... "Oh, hey, check it out, there's Canterlot!" I'll be honest, I think I'm going to be sick. Author's Note Here's another update to keep the story moving along its track. This was, mostly, to help show that I plan this story to be a combination of journal entry chapters and writer experience chapters. Also, I'm glad that you guys enjoy the story so much. :D Don't forget to give a good pat on the back for the concept creator, PapaBear. -3-I had told myself this would be an issue. I had given myself the same warning repeatedly, each time with varying possibilities of what could go wrong, be it overall or during more specific events. I had honestly believed this would be horrible, and that I would not even come close to enjoying myself... And so far, I was well on my way of being completely right. As Twilight had said, there were certainly a lot of ponies. More so than I could even come relatively close to being able to count. This was, to put it lightly, an 'experience'. After all, I've never tried to hide myself away from this many other beings so... It certainly posed quite the challenge. It was actually a little frustrating to me, though I didn't show it. Everyone seemed to have their own place while they were here. Rarity had gone to intermingle with some of the other nobles, Applejack had taken her own place among the food to provide for the Gala, Rainbow Dash made sure never to leave the side of a certain group of pegasi, Twilight had disappeared into the crowd some time ago--likely to search for the princesses--Pinkie Pie had... Well, she just went to party. Even Fluttershy, who shared a similar timidity to mine, had managed to find her own place in the castle gardens, among more than just a few animals that lived there. As for me, I mostly stayed... Where no one else did. Were I at the punch bowl, I would quickly move off to the corner the moment somepony came for a drink. Had the corner suddenly become the more recent hot spot, I would leave for the next room. And had the next room become popular, I'd head back to the punch bowl, which, by then, had been cleared. It was a cycle, to say the least, yet each time I made my way from one position to the other, I would ultimately attract the unwanted gaze of the other ponies. Granted, it may have just been because I wasn't exactly the least noticeable person here, being the only human and all, but that didn't particularly help me feel any better. In fact, I'm pretty sure it made me feel worse. Either way, it didn't really end up mattering wether I had made up a cycle of relative seclusion or otherwise. All it came down to was one voice. The sound of one pony as she called over the clamor of everypony else. "Oh, the Princess! There she is!" With that, I felt my heart leap to over a hundred beats per second as several of the gala members suddenly began to crowd towards one direction in a large wave. That direction, unfortunately, led past me. Before I knew it, I was pushing my way through an almost impossibly large sea of ponies, my breathing feeling shallow as the several colors of their fur and manes came in a sort of stampede. It took all of my will to hold back a yell, and even more of my strength just to make my way through the horde of ponies, each excited to see one of their monarchs, and current party hosts. Within this crowd, I could barely catch my previously favored spots of the gala, now heavily overpopulated by others. My breath caught at this, and, in a panic, I sprinted for the nearest way outside. A pair of double doors, decorative and glossy, was what I had managed to find, leading to an empty low balcony. It wasn't exactly a wide expanse, but it would have to do. With nothing more on my mind than simply erasing the memory of the proximity between all of those ponies and I, I leaned myself forward onto the marble balcony railing, panting and in a cold sweat--wether it was from the stuffiness of the suit, which was further implied as I tugged on its collar, or the simple anxiety of what had occurred, I could not tell. I asked myself, why couldn't I have just stayed home? Why did I have to agree to come here? Twilight had said this would help me, but I don't see how. And, if this was me now... How would I react when I met the princesses? Even now, I could feel one of the two's presences in the next room over, practically judging me already, despite not having seen me yet. In fact, it felt as though she had already seen me, and just was waiting for the chance to... To... I don't even know! "Calm down." I willed to myself, gripping onto the marble frame I rested on. "You just have to get through tonight! Maybe, if you stay out here long enough, everypony will forget about y-" "Hello." All at once, I froze up, breath and all, as I heard a voice behind me. I... I hadn't even heard the pony come up behind me, but now, I knew that it was there. "Enjoying the view?" It, or rather she, asked. I mentally prayed that it would've been Twilight, or one of the other mares with her--anyone I could at least recognize! But, no, that voice didn't match with any of theirs. As far as I knew, it was another party-goer, likely having come out for some air. Of all the odds, and all the doors... "... Excuse me?" I couldn't speak. The entirety of my throat felt as though it had closed up, just enough to keep me from saying a word. In fact, as shameful as it may sound, I-I started to tremble. "Calm down! Calm down! Please calm down!" I told myself, involuntarily gulping. My mind was in a frenzy--even more so than it had been since the night had begun. Maybe it was because I was finally starting to snap underneath all the pressure; that encounter with the mob of ponies that had only minutes ago flooded around me likely had a good part to do with it too. But, for this to show now? To a single random mare? Just... I feel as though the word pathetic couldn't even begin to describe it... As if to only further this thought, the mare seemed to have taken notice of my growing list of odd and worrisome features, speaking up once more. "Is everything alright?" I'd give her this, I had honestly expected her to have given a negative comment on my current condition, or something of the like, yet she had instead chosen to voice her concern. Still, caution remained by my side, as it always had over the years. One of few things that had never--would never let me down. Through the small opening that could barely be identified as my larynx anymore, I managed to utter my first response to her, if only in an attempt to involuntarily quicken the time before she would ultimately leave me to my timidity's caring hold. "F-f-fine..." My voice was like a whisper, hoarse in nature, and practically drowned out by even the passing breeze, but still it somehow managed to reach her ears. Or, at least, I would assume so, considering she then responded. "Are you sure? You look awfully pale. Perhaps you should head back inside, or-" "NO!" I suddenly exclaimed, surprising even myself with how loud of an outburst that had been. I was already just about ready to have a panic attack out here, with only one other pony near me. If I were to go back inside now, I would break down for sure! And if either of the princesses saw me then-... then... I managed a deep stuttering breath, the cool night air feeling like nothing but pure bliss to my silenlty screaming lungs and throat. "N-no..." I told the mare more quietly, silently hoping I hadn't frightened her too much with my previous answer. "I-I'm fine out here, by m-myself. R-really." "..." How was it that this silence was more stressful to me than when the mare had been talking? Had she already gone, or was she simply wondering to herself if I was worth her time? I wanted to glance behind me to check, but, at the same time, I was too scared to do so. Time passed--in intervals of minutes, or seconds, I didn't know--before, finally, I heard another sound. An oddly brightening, soft, and chiming sound. A... A giggle? "Not one for crowds are you?" H-how did? This honestly shocked me, that she was able to figure this out so easily, without even making eye contact with me... and yet, should it really have? I wasn't exactly showing signs of being as stalward as a statue, or anything of that sort, so I guess it wouldn't really take long for anypony to put two and two together. "...I-is it that obvious?" My voice had become a whisper again, as I tensed my shoulders to be as high as I could possibly lift them and tucked my head towards my chest. I wanted to disappear, but this was the best I could do for now. She was silent once more, but I could barely overhear the sounds of a faint shimmer, followed by the closing of the balcony doors, muffling the sounds of the crowd that were just inside. The amount of times my heart threatened to stop when I heard the seemingly booming sound of the doors closing, when truthfully it was just a soft click, had been immeasurable. This mare had effectively trapped me with her, while also sealing me away from the others. I was both grateful, and terrified. "... It's lovely, isn't it?" She suddenly asked, very nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. "H-huh?' "The skies tonight. They look quite nice." Truthfully, I had not even taken notice of that. I was more focused on my breathing, thoughts, and, well, just everything else about the situation in general. But, as she pointed this out, her voice seeming so calming and... nice, I found my gaze focusing on this one aspect. The stars shone as though they were diamonds upon a shroud of black, with only a single rounded entity, the moon, holding any difference they all collectively brought a soft glow to this cloudless night. "...Y-yeah... It looks nice." I found my breath slowly returning to a more regular state, and the stiffness in my shoulders just as slowly passing. "Luna has shown much more care with her work tonight. And to think, she had seemed to worried earlier today, fretting about wether or not everypony would find it appealing." It was that that had made me freeze again, as I slowly relayed her words over and over again in my mind. "Y-you know one of the Princesses?" I asked, both in surprise and curiosity. After all, she had said the very name of one the princesses just then, hadn't she? And, even if that wasn't really a very impressive feat in of itself, how else would she have known wether or not she was stressed this morning about the gala? That was far too personal to be something of public knowledge, I was sure. Yet, curiously enough, there was that bell-like giggle again. "I suppose you could say that. Yes." Strange as it is, this knowledge actually didn't come across as something worrisome for me. In fact, it was actually a slight relief, "So... I-It's safe to assume that you know the other princess as w-well?" I questioned, still not daring to turn around; not daring to face her, lest I lose what little nerve I held. For a third time, a bell sounded. "Yes. It is." This was a brilliant opportunity, honestly. If she really knew the princesses, then, this might be my chance to put a good first impression in on them... But, would that seem selfish? I hadn't even looked this mare in the face, for goodness sake, yet here I was, pondering if I could use her acquaintance with the princesses to my advantage. She wouldn't just do that for someone she had just met, would she? Honestly, would this even qualify as really meeting me? "... I-if you don't mind then, c-could you do me a favor?" Already I regretted saying that, silently beating myself up over and over for merely even allowing the idea to come to mind. Still, I had gotten this far, hadn't I? "Hm?" She hummed questioningly, as I took another empty swallow. "Y-you see... I-I have to meet the p-princesses today..." My timidity, alongside whatever little of my internal defenses had begun to budge were returning full force, either because of what I was to ask, or simply the act of asking it. "A-and... W-well... C-could you..." Though I tried my best to choke out those words, to just end the situation, I found myself mentally tripping--stalling like a car that's battery was shot and near breaking point. Thankfully, I didn't have to finish my request... She had apparently pieced it together herself. "You want me to put in a good word. Right?" She had finished. As she did so, I did my best to read her tone, checking for any possible malice or negativity whatsoever. There was none, as far as I could tell, but for all I knew, she may have been rolling her eyes. "...Y-yes. Y-you don't have to do it, a-and I'd understand if you didn't-" "Alright." I essentially choked on my own words at this, truthfully not having expected her to agree, let alone so easily. "Y-you will?!?" I asked, gaining a hummed 'mm-hm' in return. "Of course. I don't really see any reason not too." "B-but you also don't have any reasons to do this." I reminded her, unconsciously taking note of how I had spoken as I did so. I hadn't even noticed this difference until just then, but, my voice was louder, more casual. As to when I had started to speak like this, I was unaware, but... "True, I also don't have to." She affirmed. "But I still have no problem with doing so." ... I would never understand ponies. They were far different than people from my world, where, if it wasn't somehow to their short or long-term benefit, they wouldn't really do anything for someone else, while here... I had to remember, this wasn't my home. These weren't my people. And, as for this mare; she was promising quite a bit to someone she had just happened upon in an attempt to get some air. I didn't even know if she would really do what she was saying she would, but, to an extent, it was simply the thought that allowed the weight on my chest to slightly lighten itself. I had to do something. Anything. At the very least... Turn around and thank her... It was another deep shuddering breath and hollow gulp before I could even work up half the nerve I needed, and by the time I turned myself around... "Thank y-" She wasn't there. The door to the balcony was slightly ajar, allowing a small amount of the unfiltered festive air and noise from the gala to escape, and giving me a simple guess as to what had occurred. She had gone back inside, and that was that. Wether she did as she had said or not, I couldn't help but to actually sigh from her leaving. It hadn't really been often that I wanted someone's company, and now, she was gone... And I had been stupid enough to not even get a look at her face, let alone her name. Of course, the rest of the night had been ahead of me, as time was so insistent on showing. Sooner or later, I made my way inside, breathing in any last remainders of cold quiet and breeze-like solitude that I could in doing so. Most of the ponies, thankfully, were still in the other room, likely swarming one of their princesses with questions and attention, allowing me even more time to compose myself. Still, it was not long before this moment of relatively uncrowded peace was abruptly ended, though this time by a face I had seen and recognized. "Oh, Rick, there you are!" Twilight had yelled, easily getting my attention with a start. Turning in her direction I caught sight of her, still in that dress that she had put on for the night. Admittedly, the idea of these ponies suddenly caring for clothes had initially come across as strange for me, but I didn't speak on this. As if I could. I was wary as Twilight approached, glancing around for any other pony that may be around before, once feeling comparatively satisfied, I silently met her halfway with a few small steps. "H-hi Twilight." My voice had returned to its usual state, quiet and restrained as I spoke to her. Not like it had been with that mare. She gleamed as I greeted her, making her way in front of me as she asked how everything was. Questions such as, 'was I enjoying myself', and, 'have you managed to make any new friends' were met with simple and unspecific answers, like 'fine', or just silence. "Well, anyways, I have good news!" She then suddenly said once her questions were over, an excited shine in her eye. It was a shine that just worried me though, raising a brow in careful curiosity. "G-good news?" I asked. She responded with a series of excited nods. "Yeah! Well, kinda. You see, I finally found the princesses tonight." And like that, my heart rate spiked. "...But then, I lost them." And it was calm again. "Then after that I saw them again." Up again. "But then there was this really big crowd that just-" "T-twilight," I silently halted, thankfully seeming to stop her before she would ultimately decimate my blood pressure, "c-can you just...?" I gave a vague gesture near the end, hoping that she would understand that I wanted her to reach her point. She seemed to understand, a light blush of embarrassment appearing on her face as she gave a nervous chuckle. "Heh. Right, sorry." She apologized. "Anyways, I managed to get Princess Celestia alone while Luna deals with the crowd." I glanced over to the large crowd of ponies at this. "... And they were f-fine with this? The princesses, I-I mean." Twilight just smiled. "Of course they were! They agreed to meet you one at a time, if need be, and Luna volunteered to deal with everypony else first." Just the fact that they were willing to split their attention between all of these ponies and I made me even more nervous than before. If I didn't measure up now, I'd essentially be wasting their valuable time. I wanted to voice this, I desperately did, but, before I knew it, Twilight was already dragging me along with her, the odd tingle of her magic on my hand as she moved me with her seeming like nothing compared to that of my panicking nerves. Soon enough, the scenery around me had changed, all with the passing through a large pair of doors, manned by two armor-wearing astute guards, who did little more than glance at me as Twilight and I entered the room. Just like that, no longer was I in a large and uproarious room, connected to others that made up the expansive Grand Galloping Gala. Instead, I was in a much smaller room, away from the other ponies. It was odd in that I couldn't even tell what the purpose of the room was, but it held similar features to much of the rest of the castle as far as I'd seen so far; Lavish and comfortable. The room was surrounded by carefully placed bookshelves lined up neatly along the walls, with what looked like a fireplace built into the wall opposite of the entrance. In the middle of the room there sat a large circular rug, sharing symbols of both the moon and sun while seeming overall inviting. However, what really drew my attention to this feature wasn't really the idea of decor that was given towards it, or any of the room itself. Rather, my attention was focused on the larger than usual being that sat atop it, her back turned to us as she seemed to sit and wait patiently, a book floating before her and open with a slight golden shine--magic, I had guessed--surrounding it. "Princess Celestia," Twilight said, much to my chagrin, "I brought him here to see you." In response, the princess said and did nothing more than close her book, simply sitting there as her mane seemed to almost ethereally flow and her large, gracefully plumed wings ever so lightly adjusted themselves. Despite this silence, only interrupted by the sound of the book floating towards and being set into a nearby bookshelf, and the cold sweat I was beginning to feel head down the back of my neck, Twilight did not at all seemed bothered, a broad smile still on her face as she gave me a soft nudge towards the monarch. "Go on, introduce yourself." She whispered. This was an act easier said than done though, especially for me. It was like every single thing about her was meant to intimidate me: the crown and golden ornaments; the culmination of pony features, such as a horn and wings; and simply her size. I wasn't particularly small, mind you, but she still managed to tower over me in comparison to the other, relatively chest high ponies I had met. And worse still, despite not seeing her face, there was just something about her: regal, frightening, and yet... beautiful? Was it wrong for me to use that word to describe her? I mean, she was a pony, and... I was getting too caught up in my thoughts, I realized that. Moving away from that mental subject, I took notice of the fact that I had been staring in silence, rather than doing as Twilight had asked. Would the princess be upset about the delay? If so, then what would she do? I decided that, if only because of how long I had already taken just to tell her my name and say 'hello', I would do my best to do so as quickly as I possibly could now. With a loud gulp, I managed to open my mouth and utter out a few words. "H-h-hello, y-your m-m-majesty. M-my n-n-name is Ri-Rick. I-it's an h-honor to gre- Er, m-meet you." I had said before finally bowing, mentally kicking myself for several reasons as I did so; the increased amount of stutters, the slip of the tongue I had made, and how I must have sounded altogether. Even the length of how long I was bowing was all wrong, though it wasn't voluntary. Rather, it had seemed that every muscle in my body had stiffened up at the thought of what may occur as a result of my mistakes, and what the princess currently thought of me. Before these mental images could begin to fester, however, from my bowed position, I took note of the fact that her neck had still not turned, allowing me to guess that she was still facing away from me. I knew it. I had done something wrong, I had to have. I knew this would happen the entire night, yet now I couldn't even pretend to run or hide away from it all. Now I was in the same room as one of the two that I had been so scared to meet, and if I tried to leave now, I would likely only worsen her opinion on me. Why didn't I stay home? Why didn't I stay home? Why didn't I stay ho- "Rick, is it?" My eyes widened and, within a second, I felt myself shoot straight back up as the princess finally spoke. "Well, its nice to finally be formally introduced to you... Though, we should likely stop meeting like this. My mind was blank. Through my peripherals, I could see Twilight seem to raise a brow, though I was currently more focused on the Princess. "Oh, you two know each other? That's great... right?" The white alicorn gave out a giggle as Twilight said this. One that was... Bell-like... "Yes, my faithful student, it is. And besides," Celestia added, only now finally turning her head to face me, exposing her brilliant purple eyes and warm smile, "I've had quite the good word given to me about him." She... She winked... And that voice... It was the same voice from before... Author's Note Well this was longer than usual, wasn't it? ... Meh. -4-Why did I do that? Why did I do that? WHY did I DO that?! I can't believe this, I really can't. I knew something bad would happen at this party, it was so obvious, and I just went anyways! Oh, but of all the bad things that could have happened, of all the disasters and possible outcomes, this just had to be the worst. Not ONLY did I talk to the princess like she were some other random pony, probably managing to get her to think that I'm extremely disrespectful, or something along those lines, but when I actually met her face to face... I don't remember what happened, really, but from what Twilight told me, what I don't remember still isn't enough. Apparently, I had passed out, yes, PASSED OUT, right in front of one of the princesses of Equestria! I've had plenty of embarrasing moments in my life, often times self-inflicted, but of all of them, this definitely topped the list as the worst. Even now, I'm just huddled in the guest room I was given in the castle--the same castle the princesses lived in, so that definitely didn't help--just writing in this journal, hoping that Twilight doesn't come in and start berating me on how much I must have embarrassed her tonight. Really, I wouldn't blame her if she did. She wouldn't be wrong, I really did blow it. I hadn't even met the other princess, yet, at this point, that may as well be a blessing for me. If I had made myself look like this much of a fool in front of one princess, I probably would have done even worse with two. Granted, I'm not sure what can be worse than passing out in front of one, but frankly, I don't think I'd be able to survive knowing. Heck, I'm already worried that I won't survive now! I mean, for all I know, I made such a bad impression that the princess wants me executed, or worse. ~~Yeah, thats it, she's going to kill me. I'm going to die, and she'll have every right to have me do so!~~ Um... Ignore that last part... That was from last night and, looking back at it now... Yeah... Anyways, I was barely able to sleep. Throughout pretty much the entire night, I watched the door, waiting for Twilight, a guard, maybe even the princess herself if she was willing enough, to come in and... Well, I'm not really sure anymore. I guess it was just a thought of panic at the time. I'm exhausted, but I don't want to sleep, nor do I want to get out of bed. Honestly, I wish I could just disappea- Twilight just walked in a while ago. She had knocked on the door and asked if she could come in, while I just huddled myself underneath a few layers of blankets and pillows, hoping to hide myself from her; to hide my shame, in a way. Yeah, it would take more than just a few sheets to do that at this point... I had heard the door creak, leading me to guess that she had peeked inside the room, before she then made her way in, likely having seen me for the lump that I currently was. Really, she didn't stay long. She seemed to know that I felt bad about what happened, and that I would need some time, but not before trying her best to explain that "it wasn't my fault" and that nothing bad would happen: she even went so far as to say that the princess wasn't mad about what happened... But the fact that she had said that, that she had probably gone back to the princess after having taken me to my room, and informed her of what had happened, why she thought I had reacted that way... That was almost worse than being executed by the princess... If the princess didn't have any idea as to what kind of person I was before, she definitely did now: A scared, pathetic being who is practically afraid of his own shadow, and so spineless even a jellyfish would have more luck standing up for itself. That was it. That was the case. There was nothing more to it. Meeting the princesses... had gone horribly, and there was really nothing that could change that, was there? Now... I'm just glad that the train will be here soon. Then, I could get on, go back to Ponyville, go home, and stay there, where I can never be at risk of showing my face to anypony, especially the princess, again... It'll be just like old times... Just like old times... I feel as though I need to tell myself that, otherwise, I may lose it. No, honestly, I've already lost it. I lost it last night, and now that Twilight's gone, I'm more than ready to lose it again. Why did this have to happen? Why did I have to screw things up for myself so badly? WHY?!? Is it really this hard for me to do anything right? This hard for me to just put even just one accomplishment down? I... I don't know what to do. I just wanna go home, but even more now than ever, I'm not sure where home is, or if that would even matter. If I were back on Earth, things would still be the same, with me messing up and... And the worst part about it all... the worst part is that, before I knew I was actually talking to the princess that night at the Gala, when all I heard was her voice because I was too afraid to turn around and see whoever it was I was talking too... I didn't feel bad. Though, at first, I was just as nervous as I always was, her voice just sounded so... nice, and calming. For once, it felt like I could talk, like that lump I always had in my throat had suddenly left, and as though a giant weight had been lifted from me... I actually enjoyed talking to her, like I had never done so with anyone, or anypony, else... It was nice... But now, I knew that would never happen again. The princess would never want me anywhere in her sight, let alone speak to me again, and, again, I can't blame her... ... Why was she so nice to hear? Author's Note A bit of a short one in comparison to the others, but the next one should make up for that :D Oh, and, also, yes, I am occasionally going to make chapters that focus solely on journal entries. I feel as though it provides a nice transition, along with some more detailed insight as to what Rick has on his mind. Also, just in case I forget.... YEP, IM STILL ALIVE FOLKS! ^(@)^ AND I APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN A LONG WINDED HIATUS! -5-"Rick?" I heard come from the other side of the front door, paired only by a series of loud raps against the wood. "Rick, please, it's been three days. Let me in, I'm sure we can talk about it." Twilight pleaded, knocking on the door again... and again... and again. She wasn't wrong, it had been three days. Three days since I had botched meeting the princesses, and pretty much ruined the rest of the Gala for her, and to an extent, her friends. As it turned out, they had been told about what had happened and, for the rest of the night they were at the party, they were worried about me. I didn't understand why, since I didn't really know them that well, nor vice versa, but I just knew this was how they felt. The only reason I had actually found this out though was because of the train ride back to Ponyville, where they had wasted no time trying to cheer me up or ask if they could help... They had good intentions, but all it did was make me feel even more guilty for being a bother to them. But, yeah, either way, I have not left my house even once. I never even bothered to open, or go near the front door. Twilight had been nice enough to come visit me every now and then, whether I decided to answer or not--in other words, pretty much standing outside and asking for me to come out or let her in each and every time--but she had never bothered to, for instance, teleport herself inside, or something like that. Honestly, this was kind of strange to me, considering the fact that, of all the ponies I had seen here in this world, she was easily the one who'd be able to do just that, but instead she didn't. Maybe she didn't want to come in and talk to me until I said I would be ready to talk myself, or maybe she was still upset about what had happened and just preferred to take a more half-hearted attempt at coaxing me to speak. Really, it made no difference. I didn't go outside, I didn't want to go outside, and I hadn't the slightest idea if I would ever go outside. I just knew that, while I was in here, I was safe. I wouldn't ruin anything else for anyone, nor would I do so for myself. It was for the best... "Rick..." I could hear Twilight's voice seem to gain a more... saddened tone to it through the door, before, eventually, I then heard hoofsteps leading away from the door, getting further and further away until, finally, all I heard was silence. ... Giving out a sigh, I opened my eyes, which I had unknowingly closed some time ago, for the first time in the past hour... I think. Time wasn't really much of something I could tell passed or otherwise, in all honesty. The only reason I knew days or nights had passed, in fact, was because of the dimming or brightening light that came through the one, closed window I had in the room, or the pair in my living room. Even then, the change was barely noticable, whether it be because of my overall uninvolvement to notice, or the fact that I had the window shades pulled closed since I had gotten here; it could be either reason, really. I could feel the sheets of my bed below and above me, serving as a sort of coccoon I could use to let my thoughts fester for a bit without any issue. It didn't really make me feel more secure so much as it made me feel more hidden, but, it was better than nothing. Laying where I was, I glanced around at this very same coccoon, the darkness it provided giving me little to actually take note of whatsoever. That is, there was little to note save for the fact that I was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm underneath. With a grimace, I momentarily pondered the idea of leaving this faux hermit's crab I had made, before, ultimately, I decided against the idea of staying and later needing a long shower from how much I would probably sweat. What would normally have been the short process of me lifting the sheets off of my body had felt more like I was essentially prying them off, each movement met with resistance as my mind continually told me to just stay in bed. Nonetheless, I was eventually able to free myself from the hold of my sheets, comparitively cool air replacing the warmer air from my time in bed, brushing against my mostly bare body... Heh, I had forgotten that I was just wearing my underwear at the moment. Really, I had just felt like the rest of my clothes were unnecessary. It wasn't like anyone would see me anytime soon after all. I stayed laying there for a moment, my body spread out upon my relatively small bed, just taking comfort in the cooler air, before I then swung my legs over the right side, sitting myself up in the process. Glancing to the closed window, I could barely make out that it was apparently day, giving my shoulders a shrug at the note before looking around my room. It was, as I had expected, a mess... but an organized one... I never got around to cleaning it, before or after what happened three days ago, so I was actually used to it by now. It was even the same back home, in my world; or, at least, it was when I last saw it. Every pile of dirty clothes that I'd have to wash later, each cup that used to be filled with water that I kept by my bed--having been long emptied out by now--even the journal that Twilight had given me, now sitting to gather dust somewhere in the corner of the room. I had no use for it anyways. Twilight had given it to me to try to help my social habits, but, after what happened, I think that any hopes I had of them getting better were pretty much gone. Shaking my head at this, I made my way outside of my bedroom and into the living room; the living room itself was, well, it was more presentable than my actual room was. It was far from perfect in terms of cleanliness, but it still wasn't that bad. That, paired with the sense of homeliness it provided--at least to me--ironically made it the most guest welcoming room in the house, though, besides Twilight, I didn't particularly let anyone inside to think of whether they agree with my opinion or otherwise. As I made my way past the couch I had in the middle of the room and to the kitchen, feeling parched from having spent so much time under my covers, a glint of light came in through a small crack in one of the shaded windows I had in the room. I hadn't gotten even the smallest amount of sunlight for a good bit of time now, so, suffice to say, my eyes were a little bothered by this. With a purse of my lips, I made my way over to the window to completely close the shades, the same crack of light that came through the small opening managing to hit me square in the eye again. I flinched at this, lingering ever so slightly as I allowed my eye to recover. As I did this, however, I noticed something... odd... Outside the window, a small aways from my house, I could see Twilight still there, a worried expression about her face. This didn't surprise me, but, what was odd about her being there was that she seemed to be... talking... alongside that, usually, whenever she was unsuccessful in her attempts at talking to me, she would just leave altogether. I had felt a brow raise in curiosity as I wondered as to who exactly she was conversing with, and why she was here. At first, I thought it may have been one of her friends, or maybe even somepony else she knew, just holding her up for a moment or two. However, as I opened the shades slightly moreso than before, if only to catch a glimpse, I felt myself freeze, and to an extent, quickly get nauseous. There, talking with Twilight, was the same monarch of the sun that I had made myself a fool in front of, Princess Celestia, accompanied by what seemed like a pair of guards by her side. Her face, much like those of the guards, seemed to hold nothing but the utmost seriousness to it, barely wavering even an inch as she spoke to Twilight. Naturally, I held several questions at this sight, many of them panic worthy, with the other few more than deserving of me being at least slightly nervous. The most notable of these questions were along the lines of "WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!?" followed just shortly thereafter by "Oh god, this is bad, isn't it?". I mean, could I really have thought of anything else when faced with this situation?! Here I was, hoping to forget what had happened a few days ago, and how I had completely messed things up and made a fool of myself, and suddenly, the very same being who I messed things up with, who had also just happened to be one of the most powerful and renowned beings in Equestria, was visible outside of my house, seeming absolutely pissed, and talking to a worried Twillight!?! Maybe what I had written in my journal some time ago wasn't that far off. Maybe I was going to die, and it had just taken a few days to get all of the paperwork filled out. Feeling my breath become shallow at this, I watched as the princess and Twilight continued to exchange words with one another, unable to hear what they said, considering the distance, but easily able to see them make an occasional nod or gesture as they conversed. And, as if this wasn't bad enough, seemingly out of nowhere, the princess suddenly glanced towards my house, seeming to catch sight of me as I then hurriedly closed the shades completely. Now, not only was my breath shallow, but it was also rushed, myself beginning to feel light-headed as I thought through anything I could do to prevent... whatever it was that was going to happen from happening. "Maybe if I just hide I can... No that would never work!" I beratedly thought to myself, my eyes darting nervously around my living room. Mere seconds afterwards, I heard a series of hoofsteps approaching, causing my breath to still, followed shortly by another knock at my front door, notably louder and, overall, more authoritative than any Twilight had given. I gave myself one guess as to who it could be. "Mr. Nick the human," I suddenly heard a... stallion say? I guess I'd have to give myself two guesses instead. "her majesty, Princess Celestia, wishes to speak with you." No, no, no, no! Think, think, there had to be someway out of this, there just had to be! Gulping, I spoke through what may as well have been a veritable blockade of anxiety, my voice coming out quiet and, from the lack of use throughout the last few days, slightly hoarse. "I-I-I'm f-f-fine! R-really, t-t-there's no n-n-need!" Immediately after I said this, I realized how idiotic it was for me to say. She was the princess for god's sake! She didn't need my permission, or any real reason, to do as she pleased, let alone enter a house that, among the several others that are in Equestria, she technically owns. The guard could bust down my door if he wanted to, and he'd technically have every single right to. Again, I heard something from the other side of the door, this time sounding like two hushed voices conversing. They seemed to go on for some time, on one occasion sounding rather argumentative, before, with one last whispered but firm sentence, it ended. What followed next practically gave me a heart attack on the spot. "Her highness is entering now." The guard then said--no, not said, commanded- my eyes widening in response. "N-No wait, don't-" And before I could so much as say another word, there was a bright flash that came from the center of the living room, both blinding me as my unprepared eyes were given an unexpected dose of bright light, as opposed to the dim light of my house from the past few days, and causing me to fall backwards out of pure surprise, and partial fright. Though I couldn't see what, I tried to grab something to stop myself on the way down, only to hear a loud clink, followed shortly thereafter by a clang, and the sudden feeling of whatever I had grabbed losing any holding it had to wherever it was supporting itself. That, alongside the sudden warmth, and added brightness, of what I recognized to be sunlight allowed me to guess that I had pulled my window curtains onto the floor with me, metal frame and all. The first thing I felt was the impact of my back against floor, winding me. Mere instances after that, the sound of the curtain holder's metal frame hitting the floor just below me rang through, the curtains themselves then proceeding to cover me, and a good portion of the floor, from my very most bottom all the way up to my face, bunching itself in certain places and, as a result, leaving some parts of me exposed. It took me a moment or two to react to what had happened, and my eyes even longer than that to recover, but once I had, I felt a pained groan quickly escape me as my back began to ache from the impact. Through this fog of pain and overall disorientation, I could still barely make out what sounded like hoofsteps, each one becoming louder and louder as they came towards my direction. Any and all unfocused thoughts I had at the moment swiftly shot themselves into attentiveness as I realized just how... horrible the situation I was in was. I was laying down on my back in my living room, pretty much naked, after falling over like an idiot, breaking off my curtains and causing them to cover me, and it was very likely that the princess saw the entire thing... If she didn't think I was a fool before, and she wasn't planning on doing anything, then she definitely did and was now! I wished I could just dissappear. I wished I had just stayed in my room, in bed, instead of getting out. Maybe then this could have been avoided. Maybe, she wouldn't have seen me through the window, wouldn't have come inside, and wouldn't have seen me prove myself to be even more pathetic than she had originally thought I was. Goddamnit, this could all have been avoided, I messed myself up again. Listening with stilled breath, the hoofsteps came to a halt before me, as I then opened one of my eyes, which had been tightly shut at this moment, just a crack. The drapes that covered me obstructed my vision, but through their colored and patterned fabrics, I could see the silhouette of the princess just standing there right above me, easily ten times as intimidating as she was before, as I imagined what would probably be a glare on her face, alongside a few choice words to follow. Ever so slightly, I could hear another sound make itself known--the familiar shimmer-like sound of magic, as I had accustomed myself to hearing while I was around Twilight--and took note of the fact that the curtain became surrounded with a familiar golden aura. I braced myself for what was to come, again shutting my eyes and turning my head away as the curtains were lifted up entirely from me, leaving me completely defenseless and exposed to the princess. Practically trying to grip at the nothing that was on the floor, I tucked my head to my chest as I awaited something, anything, to come about... Seconds passed. Those seconds felt as though they turned to minutes, and those minutes to hours, yet still, nothing ever came... After a while, my emotions quickly started to shift from worry and fear to confusion and disarray, as I wondered as to why nothing had happened yet. Eventually, whether the reason was out of pure curiosity or stupidity, I catiously opened my eyes to take a look, the sunlight from outside again serving to partially blur my vision in the process. I blinked a few times, attempting to regain my sight as best I could, before I was finally given clarity once more. The blurs from before cleared, and, through them... I could see her, just standing there, allowing the sunlight from outside to accentuate her overall figure, her face no more than a few inches from mine. However, rather than a glare, or at least a face of relative annoyance, I saw one of... care and concern, far different than the serious expression she had outside. "Oh my. Are you alright?" She asked, her voice not even holding the slightest hint of anger behind it... The same voice I thought I would never hear again... Naturally, I was less than eager to speak. "I-I... Uh... Er..." That was all I could manage, involuntarily using my arms to gain some slight distance further away from her, before she then began to move her head around me, looking me over... and again, the fact that I was pretty much naked reared itself in my mind. "Hm. You don't seem injured..." She observed, cocking her head and pursing her lips as she hovered over me before quickly moving her attention back to me, this time... with a smile. "That's a relief. Wouldn't want you to get hurt, after all." Moving herself away from me with that same smile all the while, I watched as she then moved the curtain and frame she had still held in her magical grip back to their previous position, her horn shimmering ever so slightly as she, apparently, affixed them back to where they once were; all the while, all I could do was lift myself unto my elbows, just looking on in... I-I didn't even know anymore. Shock? Confusion? Relief? I legitamately was not sure. All I knew was that the princess was in my house now, fixing my curtains, and I wasn't dead... That had to count for something, right? Seemingly satisfied with her work, Princess Celestia released the frame and curtains from her grip, giving a stout nod as she did so before once again turning her head to me. "I apologize for just barging in without your permission, and evidently frightening you in the process, but I felt that it was absolutely necessary that we spoke." I gulped as she said this, sitting myself up before, glancing downwards, covering myself to the best of my ability. I could only imagine the shade of red that I held at that point, likely to be even greater than that of an actual tomato itself. "..." I tried to say something else in return, but found myself unable to, ending up opening my mouth to speak with nothing than slight bits of air coming out rather than speech. The princess seemed to notice this, her smile again making itself present, as her horn began to shine once again. All at once, I felt though something were grabbing me by my shoulders, carefully lifting from my seated position onto my feet, before then just as suddenly disappearing; the sensation itself was... odd, in a sense, but not unpleasant either. "There we are." She said. "That's much better now, isn't it?" "..." Again, I had no idea what to say, staring dumbfoundly at her. This time, she didn't seem to catch onto this, instead busying herself looking around the living room from where she stood, seeming to take in every detail she could with care. "Hm. A rather odd sense of decoration, but homely nonetheless..." She muttered, myself making a mental note that, apparently, that now made two ponies who agreed with my opinion on the room... I also took the oppurtunity to try and compose myself, taking all of the will I could muster in an effort to compile even the slightest amount of words I could into a feasible sentence. In the end though, I could only really find one word to utter. "W-w-why...?" I stammered questioningly, attracting the princess's gaze once more. It wasn't a particularly specific question, I know, but that was the point. I had next to no idea what was going on, at this point just trying to survive the passing moments. Why was she here? Why wasn't she angry? Why, why, why, that was all that came up in my mind... Cocking her head, she rose a brow as she gave me a questioning look. "Why what?" She asked. I, as response, just gave out some sort of odd stutter. That broad question I had asked was, as I mentioned, the only word I could manage to bring about, with no exaggeration. I had nothing left that I could possibly say! Despite the lack of response she gained, she gave yet another soft smile to me, giggling... Those same bells from before rang just as true... "Oh dear, you're feeling rather overwhelmed at the moment, aren't you?" I numbly gave out a nod. "Ah, I thought so. Then, perhaps, you would feel more comfortable seating yourself as I explained?" She kindly suggested, gesturing to the sofa in my living room without losing her attention on me for even a moment. I'm... not sure why, but, without my even knowing it, my body began to comply, taking short, measured steps to the sofa. My feet practically dragged themselves along the floor, and the pace I was going at seemed to rival that of a snail, but the princess watched me patiently, never losing her smile as I eventually circled around the sofa, opposite of where she stood, and sat myself on the furthest possible area to the side of the couch as I could. A loud groan of the furniture's springs echoed through the room, almost deafening in volume. It was only once I was seated and the sound had completely faded that I then interlaced my fingers with one another in front of me, looking elsewhere shortly after. I wasn't trying to focus on anything in particular, really, but I just felt as though I couldn't look at her for much longer without my anxiety taking over; that, and each time I looked, was reminded of what had happened. There was a moment of complete silence, with niether her nor I speaking or making a single sound as we simply allowed it to pass. Eventually though, this moment was shattered as the sound of hoofsteps once again rergistered in ears. At first, they seemed to be getting closer, making me nervous as to the thought of her nearing me again. But... as quickly as they began, they stopped. Instead, they were replaced by the sound of the sofa's cushion's and springs giving out another groan and creak, and the sensation of the sofa itself seeming to shift itself ever so slightly... She'd sat down... She was sitting next to me... A cold sweat beaded down my head as I stole another quick glance at the princess, so as to gauge our distance between one another. Thankfully, if only for the sake of my panicking and unsteady heart, she seemed to have seated herself on the exact opposite side of the couch just as well as I, her eyes closed as she seemed embedded in thought. I mean, granted, she took up more space than I did--n-not to say that she was portly, o-or anything like that, she was just much bigger than me and... I decided to move away from that train wreck of a thought process as quickly as I could, returning my gaze to nothing, albeit rather jerkily, and quietly awaiting whatever it was the princess had wanted to tell me. Thankfully, this wait proved not to be too long, as the princess then spoke up mere moments after I had looked away from her. "My student, Twilight, informed me about how you've been in these past few days." She began. "How you've shut yourself away because of what happened at the Gala, and how badly you feel about it." Oh no. Of all the things I was silently hoping she wouldn't bring up, that was easily at the very top of the list. And the fact that Twilight had apparently been the one to write to her on the subject... I would've been upset with her, had it not been for the sudden overwhelming sensation of unease I had now felt. I didn't want to recall that embarrasing happenstance, but every single time I had even glanced towards her so far, that was all I could think about. I had to something, right? "...I-I-I'm s-s-sorry..." I barely managed to squeak out as I continued to look away from her, doing so at a volume so low that, frankly, I was afraid that I'd have to say it again just so she could hear me. Thankfully, what she said next proved she did hear me, albeit in an unexpected way. "You have no reason to apologize. If anything, I'm the one who owes you an apology." I felt myself freeze as she said this, one part of my mind taking a while longer to relay the message to the rest of my body than the other, which also seemed to scramble the message somewhat. "I should have properly introduced myself back when we spoke on the balcony, rather than tease you as I did. If I had done so, then perhaps you wouldn't have been as shocked as you were the next time we met, and you wouldn't have ended up feeling this badly about it. Truthfully, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty about the whole incident." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The princess was apologizing to me? B-but, I- Before I could even think through how to respond, my mouth began to move on its own, the grip I held to my other hand tightening while, simaltanseously, I held my gaze firmly towards the far off wall. "B-but you didn't do anything! I was the one who made a fool of myself in front of you, if anything, I'm the one who should apologize to you, a-and-" Out of the blue my throat closed up again, silencing me, as I suddenly felt something rest itself on my shoulder. For a moment, I just sat there, unable to move or react. After some time though, I was eventually able to force my eyes to look towards the unknown source, only to be greeted by a comforting white hoof, garmented with golden slippers of intricate fashion. How? I... hadn't even noticed that she had moved... "Rick..." She then uttered calmingly, sending a shudder throughout me. I'm not sure what exactly caused it, I just knew it had come and gone in an instant. "Why don't we just say that niether of us started off on the right hoof with each other? And, while we're at it, what's say we try this again? This time with no crowds, no party, and no obligations to worry about. In truth, I actually would like to know you better, Rick, and I can only hope that you feel the same. So... what do you think?" She finally asked, her voice managing to keep that same, soothing tone to it throughout her entire speech. Another try... No crowds, parties, or obligations... Again my body reacted before my mind could, though without any words to accompany it, as I then gave a slow nod to the direction of the wall. Despite this indirectness though, I could practically feel the happiness from the princess through her hoof as she then spoke once again. "Ah, splendid! I should have my schedule free sometime tomorrow at around 3 so... it's a date!" WAIT, WHAT!?! Jerking my head around in nothing less than utter surprise and shock from what she had said, I was just barely able to catch the remnants of a small flash as she, seemingly, teleported outside just as she had inside, leaving me alone again to try to make sense of what had just occurred. Princess Celestia... had just agreed that we meet up again tomorrow... apparently having felt guilty herself about what had happened at the Gala... after making her way inside my house... while also referring to it as a date... Again, I took a short glance downwards. All the while... I had still been in only my underwear... My mind was, to put it frankly, an absolute mess at the moment, and as I then found my gaze falling to the empty door that led to my room, a single thought popped up in my mind. "On second thought, I think I'm going to need that journal a lot more than I had originally thought I would." Author's Note See? Told you I'd make up for it. :D
–1–Author's Note And here we go! Chapter 1 of Strangers Like Me. Hope you all like it! –1– ... H-hello, I guess. I can't believe I'm doing this. She told me this would be a good way to speak my mind every now and then, and maybe help myself to be more of an... Extrovert, but this is the first time I've actually picked up this journal. It's... Actually really nice. — Sorry, I was looking it over for a bit. It's made of a soft and smooth... Leather? And it ties together like one of those older books I would've seen back home. You know, with the thread that ties around it from the outside, and a small notch for it to tie around, or click together with? Of course, I still don't really think it's leather. These ponies probably just found some sort of substitute for that kind of thing... Wow. Heh. I just looked at that paragraph again and, were it a few months ago, I probably would have thought whoever had written it to be, well, crazy. That's rude of me, I'm sorry. I still don't really know... Well, who this journal is meant for, actually. Technically, it was given to me, but why would I need to read what I already knew? Either way, I picked this up for a reason; One that, honestly, I think I should start explaining. My name is Rick. I would add my last name too, though, I'm not sure it really matters anymore. See, a while ago, something happened... Something strange... I was at home, bundled up in my bed–since where I lived was currently going through a cold front–and just... Resting. No TV, no reading, no browsing through the Internet like it was my day job. I was Just resting... On that same day though, I got a knock at my door. Already, this wasn't normal. I didn't really have anyone to knock at my door in the first place, honestly. Maybe my parents, who would come by for the occasional visit every now and then, but they would usually call first; a sort of, 'hello, be ready because we're going to pop in today', kind of call. As for friends... Like I said, the reason I was given this book is because, honestly, I'm... Not much of a social person. I don't like crowds, or just socializing with other people in general. It's not that I don't like them! No! I-it's just... I get all stammery, and nervous. My heart starts to beat really fast, and... And... It makes me anxious just thinking about it... So, yeah, friends were out... When the knock came, I was of course terrified. It sounds silly, I know, but I quickly started to assume the worst. A robber come to steal from me; some sort of deranged killer; even that one guy who I had barely managed to ask for money from, back in grade school, come to force me to pay him back. Like I said, Silly, I know. It took me about... Well, let's say, twelve minutes? Yeah, twelve minutes before I could even manage to uncover myself. After that, it was another five of just getting up, taking a few, quivering breaths, and making my way to the door. Even then, I felt as though something would go wrong. Not an omen that I just suddenly had on this particular day. I always felt like this; Paranoid. When I stood in front of my house door, my feet shifting slightly in the slippers I had put on, and my teeth grinding against one another, I had hesitated. I reached for the doorknob and just... Stopped... I felt like I should've just pretended I wasn't home, and let whoever was there go, but that wouldn't be right. And besides, I couldn't really just glance through my door's peephole, or a window. The peephole never really worked, the glass having been cracked and broken sometime before I moved in, and my windows were all too far from the door for me to get any sort of clear view of my doorway. Besides... I always kept the shutters closed anyways. So, knowing that I shouldn't keep whoever it was waiting... I put my hand on the door handle, its cold metal providing a sharp contrast to the warmth I had been under... And opened the door... ~~I~~Nobody, actually, would've ever guessed that this would be the first time I should've listened to that paranoia of mine. The rest after that was... Fuzzy... Or, furry, heh, if you want to put it that way... Just... Next thing I know, there aren't anymore people... Instead... Ponies... Again, I read that paragraph a second time and... God I never thought I'd ever have to write something like that. Then again, I never thought I'd be writing in a journal in the first place. Anyways, since I came here–to Equestria, I mean–things have been... Not bad, but not good. Sure, ponies are nice here. Really nice in fact. So much so that, compared to where I'm from... Well, it didn't really compare at all. But, I still could never get over that... That anxiety of mine... I was lucky enough that, when I came here, I had ended up near a pretty small village... Ponyville... Appropriate, right? There weren't necessarily a lot of ponies, but whenever they bundled together, like during a market sale, it always did seem like it. The first pony to really introduce herself to me, or, more accurately, calm me down and explain where I was, was a purple unicorn mare named Twilight; actually, the first pony to greet me was a pink and hyperactive pony, who went on about something that had to do with cake and... Never meeting me and... Well... I couldn't really understand much from her. She talked really fast. Plus, she really scared me that time, though she didn't seem to notice. Anyways, Twilight told me everything I needed to know... She was nice to me that way. She never minded the fact that I wasn't a pony–or anyone else for that matter–or that, apparently, I was supposedly the only human here. To her, it was just like she was talking to a normal ~~person~~ pony. Sorry about that. I'm writing in quill with ink, so, I can't really erase any of my mistakes, like with a pencil. Back to the pony bit. Um, honestly, she was a big help, getting me adjusted, and all that. She had even been the one to, surprisingly, buy me my first house here in Ponyville. I had told her that it really wasn't necessary–that it was too much–but she had just giggled and told me, "Oh please! Nothing's too much for a friend!" ... Friend... That was... Is my first friend. She had managed to help me so much on my first day here... And tried to help me even more later on, some time after finding out about how timid I was... As to how she found out...? Well, that pink pony from earlier? The one I said had kind of scared me? She... Threw a party for me... Full of other ponies... In a house that Twilight had just bought for me... That was the first part of the house I managed to get myself to know. The corner... Alone... At least, wishing to be alone. Nonetheless, though nopony–and yes, that's how they refer to the term here–seemed to mind my lack of communication with them, Twilight, she felt it was a little disheartening. "One of the best things somepony could have to help them, even when they're scared, is another friend." So, she tried to help me through it; through getting over my anxiety and meeting other. She had been kind enough to take baby steps, of course. She had started off by introducing her other friends to me, including that... Pink one... That didn't really work out though, since I always ended up shying away from them... It was especially awkward when she introduced me to this nice, but just as shy as me, pegasus named Fluttershy. The two of us could barely look at each other, let alone make a conversation that didn't consist of 'sorry's and other things like that. She did everything she could to help me get out of my shell, actually. This journal being one of those things.. But... The reason I pick it up today though, dusting off some of the... Well, dust, that it had picked up in my cabinet after so long, is because I really need something to help me cope right now. Recently, she decided to go for a... much bigger step... something she called... 'Shock therapy'... As in, psychological shock, involving me and a lot of ponies. She planned on taking me with her, and her friends, to this big event over in Canterlot called 'The Grand Galloping Gala'. See the problem? I-I can't handle a crowd that big! I can't! There's going to be so many of them; Strange ponies that I had never met before, in a big city I had never been to before, with judgmental and professional ponies... Everywhere... And... And... — A-again, sorry, I needed a moment. Still, none of that compares to the worst possible thing! S-she intends to have me meet her teacher, and that same teacher's sister. Not a big problem? It is when the two are the princesses of Equestria! J-just what am I supposed to do? What if I mess up!? ... It's a really bad situation, but I can't just let Twilight down and say 'no'. I can't lose my first friend... Somepony so willing to deal with my social timidity. Either way, all I know is that, tommorow, I pick up a suit that another of Twilight's friends, Rarity, had made for me, and we're off to Canterlot... By train... I just checked my clock, and it's somewhere along 1:30. I haven't been able to sleep well this whole week since Twilight had told me about this and, reluctantly, I had said yes. I also took a small peek outside, through my window. It's hard to believe that, in a bit, I'm going to meet the two that raise and lower the moon and sun here. I've never been so nervous in my life. A-anyways... Wish me luck... ~~God, why didn't I just say no?~~
-2-'Already my nerves are getting the better of me, and we're not even there yet. I swear, with every passing second–each clack of the tracks–I can feel my heart pounding more and more, begging that I do something–anything–to at least stall the inevitable. Ask that the train be turned around, hop off at the next stop, all of these came to me as good ideas, but never quite held enough ground for me to actually do so. After all, I wouldn't be able to even approach the conductor, let alone ask him to break his and everyone else's schedule because I'm nervous, and as for leaving the train; that idea just makes out to be even worse for me. I was barely able to get through the crowd back in Ponyville, heaven forbid if I attempted to do the same at some random place. Familiarity is comfort, albeit small. A comfort that I hold tightly to myself, along with a few other insignificant such things. Honestly, my only solace so far is that, one way or another, this will all be over soo-' "Heya, Rick! Whatcha writing there?" My heart practically froze, and all breath was forcefully expelled from my lungs in a weak yelp as I shut the journal at an almost ludicrous speed; the breeze it brought up was nowhere near as cold as the temperature my blood had dropped to. I barely had to look even a millimeter upwards to see that same, hyperactive and frightening pink pony looking at me, our distance between one another inexistent, and her right side up being my upside down. As to how she had managed to get behind me, lean herself over my head, and watch me with that gleaming, inverted smile of hers, I could never tell. Had I really been so distracted in my writing? Even so, that issue was dashed to a quick secondary as I withdrew myself as far back into my seat as I could, silent all the while. To my unsaid chagrin, however, the pony only followed me along the way, keeping the exact same distance, and the exact same smile as she did so. Already my heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour, and my resistance to keep my breath from quickening was beginning to fall short. Thankfully, it was then that a voice ended the issue. One that may as well have been a godsend, were it not for the fact that this world inherently had different thoughts on that subject. "Pinkie..." She had simply said, a stern tone to her as she did so. I practically gave out a sigh of relief as the pony within incredibly close proximity of me moved out of my sight with a giggle, returning to her own seat at Twilight's request. Nonetheless, I retained my withdrawn and small position, watching as all of the ponies I shared the train car with have a collection of different looks: amusement, disapproval, and a few combinations of the two. Twilight, however, was firmly on the disapproval side, looking to PinkiePie with a continued look of annoyance for another moment or so before just as quickly shifting it to one of a friendly and kind nature; This look she aimed towards me. "Hehe. Sorry about that, Rick." She apologized gently. "Pinkie can get a bit... Excitable whenever we're on trains... Or carts... Or, well, anywhere." She rolled her eyes and gave out her own giggle at the thought, but I didn't particularly find any such similar feeling. If anything, the fact that PinkiePie was always like this only furthered my worry and paranoia. "Either way, I'm glad to see you're putting that notebook I gave you to use. Has it helped in any way?" Involuntarily, I gripped onto the journal with an even stronger grip, with just the fact that I had to reply to her making me nervous, as I gave a short glance to all the other mares in the car, before then once more moving my gaze away. "... A-a little..." That was all I could manage. Still, this seemed to be enough for the purple unicorn, as she gave a seemingly glad and satisfied grin, followed by a nod of her head. "Geez Twi, you trying to make him another egghead like you?" This tomboyish voice, brash and clear, could easily be tracked back to its rainbow-maned owner, whom had attracted another short look of annoyance from Twilight. "Now Rainbow Dash, there is no need for you to be so rude to the poor dear." "She ain't wrong there, Dash. Pardner already looks more nervous than a cow 'fore its milking." "Aw, c'mon! I was only joking!" "Hehehehe. I thought it was funny, Dashie!" "See? Pinkie got it!" This cacophony of voices, tones, accents and pitch furthered my withdrawal even more, only serving to illustrate what would be to come. The crowds of ponies, the ways they might react to me- "Nonetheless, if he is to meet the princesses, don't you think you should show at least some restraint." And of course, that. As Twilight had set it up, I would likely see the princesses sooner or later throughout this event. This was the worse part of the situation. Embarrassing myself in front of some random stranger; that's not exactly optimal, but I can at least try to forget it, pushing it down as just some incident between people–or ponies, in this case–I would easily be able to do without meeting again. To embarrass myself in front of a princess; that may as well be some sort of death wish for someone like me. I wouldn't be able to pry that memory from my mind and just suppress it like any other. Instead, it would be stuck with me, continually coming back at seemingly random times to remind me of my mistake. Let alone the fact that, from then on, that would be how the princesses remembered me; some timid, strange, clumsy, two-legge- "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." Drawn out of my negative thoughts by the low and careful voice of another timid being in the car–the butter-colored pegasus that, up until now, had not yet spoken–I turned my head ever so slightly to face her. Once I did, I noticed that, rather than retreat into the metaphorical shell that I tended to favor, she offered a small, reassuring smile. It seemed that, even compared to her, I was a shy wreck. At least she had been able to speak up on her own, with no stuttering or withdrawal whatsoever. As for me though, I just did the same as I always did, returning my blank gaze to nothing in particular as I further tried to disappear into my seat. Doing my best to tune out the voices around me, I looked out the I sat next to, watching as the landscape practically flew by, with the only image that would remain long enough being the sky, the sun and clouds holding a near-perfect positioning over the horizon... I'd have to meet the pony that controls that large and radiant star soon... "Oh, hey, check it out, there's Canterlot!" I'll be honest, I think I'm going to be sick. Author's Note Here's another update to keep the story moving along its track. This was, mostly, to help show that I plan this story to be a combination of journal entry chapters and writer experience chapters. Also, I'm glad that you guys enjoy the story so much. :D Don't forget to give a good pat on the back for the concept creator, PapaBear.
-3-I had told myself this would be an issue. I had given myself the same warning repeatedly, each time with varying possibilities of what could go wrong, be it overall or during more specific events. I had honestly believed this would be horrible, and that I would not even come close to enjoying myself... And so far, I was well on my way of being completely right. As Twilight had said, there were certainly a lot of ponies. More so than I could even come relatively close to being able to count. This was, to put it lightly, an 'experience'. After all, I've never tried to hide myself away from this many other beings so... It certainly posed quite the challenge. It was actually a little frustrating to me, though I didn't show it. Everyone seemed to have their own place while they were here. Rarity had gone to intermingle with some of the other nobles, Applejack had taken her own place among the food to provide for the Gala, Rainbow Dash made sure never to leave the side of a certain group of pegasi, Twilight had disappeared into the crowd some time ago--likely to search for the princesses--Pinkie Pie had... Well, she just went to party. Even Fluttershy, who shared a similar timidity to mine, had managed to find her own place in the castle gardens, among more than just a few animals that lived there. As for me, I mostly stayed... Where no one else did. Were I at the punch bowl, I would quickly move off to the corner the moment somepony came for a drink. Had the corner suddenly become the more recent hot spot, I would leave for the next room. And had the next room become popular, I'd head back to the punch bowl, which, by then, had been cleared. It was a cycle, to say the least, yet each time I made my way from one position to the other, I would ultimately attract the unwanted gaze of the other ponies. Granted, it may have just been because I wasn't exactly the least noticeable person here, being the only human and all, but that didn't particularly help me feel any better. In fact, I'm pretty sure it made me feel worse. Either way, it didn't really end up mattering wether I had made up a cycle of relative seclusion or otherwise. All it came down to was one voice. The sound of one pony as she called over the clamor of everypony else. "Oh, the Princess! There she is!" With that, I felt my heart leap to over a hundred beats per second as several of the gala members suddenly began to crowd towards one direction in a large wave. That direction, unfortunately, led past me. Before I knew it, I was pushing my way through an almost impossibly large sea of ponies, my breathing feeling shallow as the several colors of their fur and manes came in a sort of stampede. It took all of my will to hold back a yell, and even more of my strength just to make my way through the horde of ponies, each excited to see one of their monarchs, and current party hosts. Within this crowd, I could barely catch my previously favored spots of the gala, now heavily overpopulated by others. My breath caught at this, and, in a panic, I sprinted for the nearest way outside. A pair of double doors, decorative and glossy, was what I had managed to find, leading to an empty low balcony. It wasn't exactly a wide expanse, but it would have to do. With nothing more on my mind than simply erasing the memory of the proximity between all of those ponies and I, I leaned myself forward onto the marble balcony railing, panting and in a cold sweat--wether it was from the stuffiness of the suit, which was further implied as I tugged on its collar, or the simple anxiety of what had occurred, I could not tell. I asked myself, why couldn't I have just stayed home? Why did I have to agree to come here? Twilight had said this would help me, but I don't see how. And, if this was me now... How would I react when I met the princesses? Even now, I could feel one of the two's presences in the next room over, practically judging me already, despite not having seen me yet. In fact, it felt as though she had already seen me, and just was waiting for the chance to... To... I don't even know! "Calm down." I willed to myself, gripping onto the marble frame I rested on. "You just have to get through tonight! Maybe, if you stay out here long enough, everypony will forget about y-" "Hello." All at once, I froze up, breath and all, as I heard a voice behind me. I... I hadn't even heard the pony come up behind me, but now, I knew that it was there. "Enjoying the view?" It, or rather she, asked. I mentally prayed that it would've been Twilight, or one of the other mares with her--anyone I could at least recognize! But, no, that voice didn't match with any of theirs. As far as I knew, it was another party-goer, likely having come out for some air. Of all the odds, and all the doors... "... Excuse me?" I couldn't speak. The entirety of my throat felt as though it had closed up, just enough to keep me from saying a word. In fact, as shameful as it may sound, I-I started to tremble. "Calm down! Calm down! Please calm down!" I told myself, involuntarily gulping. My mind was in a frenzy--even more so than it had been since the night had begun. Maybe it was because I was finally starting to snap underneath all the pressure; that encounter with the mob of ponies that had only minutes ago flooded around me likely had a good part to do with it too. But, for this to show now? To a single random mare? Just... I feel as though the word pathetic couldn't even begin to describe it... As if to only further this thought, the mare seemed to have taken notice of my growing list of odd and worrisome features, speaking up once more. "Is everything alright?" I'd give her this, I had honestly expected her to have given a negative comment on my current condition, or something of the like, yet she had instead chosen to voice her concern. Still, caution remained by my side, as it always had over the years. One of few things that had never--would never let me down. Through the small opening that could barely be identified as my larynx anymore, I managed to utter my first response to her, if only in an attempt to involuntarily quicken the time before she would ultimately leave me to my timidity's caring hold. "F-f-fine..." My voice was like a whisper, hoarse in nature, and practically drowned out by even the passing breeze, but still it somehow managed to reach her ears. Or, at least, I would assume so, considering she then responded. "Are you sure? You look awfully pale. Perhaps you should head back inside, or-" "NO!" I suddenly exclaimed, surprising even myself with how loud of an outburst that had been. I was already just about ready to have a panic attack out here, with only one other pony near me. If I were to go back inside now, I would break down for sure! And if either of the princesses saw me then-... then... I managed a deep stuttering breath, the cool night air feeling like nothing but pure bliss to my silenlty screaming lungs and throat. "N-no..." I told the mare more quietly, silently hoping I hadn't frightened her too much with my previous answer. "I-I'm fine out here, by m-myself. R-really." "..." How was it that this silence was more stressful to me than when the mare had been talking? Had she already gone, or was she simply wondering to herself if I was worth her time? I wanted to glance behind me to check, but, at the same time, I was too scared to do so. Time passed--in intervals of minutes, or seconds, I didn't know--before, finally, I heard another sound. An oddly brightening, soft, and chiming sound. A... A giggle? "Not one for crowds are you?" H-how did? This honestly shocked me, that she was able to figure this out so easily, without even making eye contact with me... and yet, should it really have? I wasn't exactly showing signs of being as stalward as a statue, or anything of that sort, so I guess it wouldn't really take long for anypony to put two and two together. "...I-is it that obvious?" My voice had become a whisper again, as I tensed my shoulders to be as high as I could possibly lift them and tucked my head towards my chest. I wanted to disappear, but this was the best I could do for now. She was silent once more, but I could barely overhear the sounds of a faint shimmer, followed by the closing of the balcony doors, muffling the sounds of the crowd that were just inside. The amount of times my heart threatened to stop when I heard the seemingly booming sound of the doors closing, when truthfully it was just a soft click, had been immeasurable. This mare had effectively trapped me with her, while also sealing me away from the others. I was both grateful, and terrified. "... It's lovely, isn't it?" She suddenly asked, very nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. "H-huh?' "The skies tonight. They look quite nice." Truthfully, I had not even taken notice of that. I was more focused on my breathing, thoughts, and, well, just everything else about the situation in general. But, as she pointed this out, her voice seeming so calming and... nice, I found my gaze focusing on this one aspect. The stars shone as though they were diamonds upon a shroud of black, with only a single rounded entity, the moon, holding any difference they all collectively brought a soft glow to this cloudless night. "...Y-yeah... It looks nice." I found my breath slowly returning to a more regular state, and the stiffness in my shoulders just as slowly passing. "Luna has shown much more care with her work tonight. And to think, she had seemed to worried earlier today, fretting about wether or not everypony would find it appealing." It was that that had made me freeze again, as I slowly relayed her words over and over again in my mind. "Y-you know one of the Princesses?" I asked, both in surprise and curiosity. After all, she had said the very name of one the princesses just then, hadn't she? And, even if that wasn't really a very impressive feat in of itself, how else would she have known wether or not she was stressed this morning about the gala? That was far too personal to be something of public knowledge, I was sure. Yet, curiously enough, there was that bell-like giggle again. "I suppose you could say that. Yes." Strange as it is, this knowledge actually didn't come across as something worrisome for me. In fact, it was actually a slight relief, "So... I-It's safe to assume that you know the other princess as w-well?" I questioned, still not daring to turn around; not daring to face her, lest I lose what little nerve I held. For a third time, a bell sounded. "Yes. It is." This was a brilliant opportunity, honestly. If she really knew the princesses, then, this might be my chance to put a good first impression in on them... But, would that seem selfish? I hadn't even looked this mare in the face, for goodness sake, yet here I was, pondering if I could use her acquaintance with the princesses to my advantage. She wouldn't just do that for someone she had just met, would she? Honestly, would this even qualify as really meeting me? "... I-if you don't mind then, c-could you do me a favor?" Already I regretted saying that, silently beating myself up over and over for merely even allowing the idea to come to mind. Still, I had gotten this far, hadn't I? "Hm?" She hummed questioningly, as I took another empty swallow. "Y-you see... I-I have to meet the p-princesses today..." My timidity, alongside whatever little of my internal defenses had begun to budge were returning full force, either because of what I was to ask, or simply the act of asking it. "A-and... W-well... C-could you..." Though I tried my best to choke out those words, to just end the situation, I found myself mentally tripping--stalling like a car that's battery was shot and near breaking point. Thankfully, I didn't have to finish my request... She had apparently pieced it together herself. "You want me to put in a good word. Right?" She had finished. As she did so, I did my best to read her tone, checking for any possible malice or negativity whatsoever. There was none, as far as I could tell, but for all I knew, she may have been rolling her eyes. "...Y-yes. Y-you don't have to do it, a-and I'd understand if you didn't-" "Alright." I essentially choked on my own words at this, truthfully not having expected her to agree, let alone so easily. "Y-you will?!?" I asked, gaining a hummed 'mm-hm' in return. "Of course. I don't really see any reason not too." "B-but you also don't have any reasons to do this." I reminded her, unconsciously taking note of how I had spoken as I did so. I hadn't even noticed this difference until just then, but, my voice was louder, more casual. As to when I had started to speak like this, I was unaware, but... "True, I also don't have to." She affirmed. "But I still have no problem with doing so." ... I would never understand ponies. They were far different than people from my world, where, if it wasn't somehow to their short or long-term benefit, they wouldn't really do anything for someone else, while here... I had to remember, this wasn't my home. These weren't my people. And, as for this mare; she was promising quite a bit to someone she had just happened upon in an attempt to get some air. I didn't even know if she would really do what she was saying she would, but, to an extent, it was simply the thought that allowed the weight on my chest to slightly lighten itself. I had to do something. Anything. At the very least... Turn around and thank her... It was another deep shuddering breath and hollow gulp before I could even work up half the nerve I needed, and by the time I turned myself around... "Thank y-" She wasn't there. The door to the balcony was slightly ajar, allowing a small amount of the unfiltered festive air and noise from the gala to escape, and giving me a simple guess as to what had occurred. She had gone back inside, and that was that. Wether she did as she had said or not, I couldn't help but to actually sigh from her leaving. It hadn't really been often that I wanted someone's company, and now, she was gone... And I had been stupid enough to not even get a look at her face, let alone her name. Of course, the rest of the night had been ahead of me, as time was so insistent on showing. Sooner or later, I made my way inside, breathing in any last remainders of cold quiet and breeze-like solitude that I could in doing so. Most of the ponies, thankfully, were still in the other room, likely swarming one of their princesses with questions and attention, allowing me even more time to compose myself. Still, it was not long before this moment of relatively uncrowded peace was abruptly ended, though this time by a face I had seen and recognized. "Oh, Rick, there you are!" Twilight had yelled, easily getting my attention with a start. Turning in her direction I caught sight of her, still in that dress that she had put on for the night. Admittedly, the idea of these ponies suddenly caring for clothes had initially come across as strange for me, but I didn't speak on this. As if I could. I was wary as Twilight approached, glancing around for any other pony that may be around before, once feeling comparatively satisfied, I silently met her halfway with a few small steps. "H-hi Twilight." My voice had returned to its usual state, quiet and restrained as I spoke to her. Not like it had been with that mare. She gleamed as I greeted her, making her way in front of me as she asked how everything was. Questions such as, 'was I enjoying myself', and, 'have you managed to make any new friends' were met with simple and unspecific answers, like 'fine', or just silence. "Well, anyways, I have good news!" She then suddenly said once her questions were over, an excited shine in her eye. It was a shine that just worried me though, raising a brow in careful curiosity. "G-good news?" I asked. She responded with a series of excited nods. "Yeah! Well, kinda. You see, I finally found the princesses tonight." And like that, my heart rate spiked. "...But then, I lost them." And it was calm again. "Then after that I saw them again." Up again. "But then there was this really big crowd that just-" "T-twilight," I silently halted, thankfully seeming to stop her before she would ultimately decimate my blood pressure, "c-can you just...?" I gave a vague gesture near the end, hoping that she would understand that I wanted her to reach her point. She seemed to understand, a light blush of embarrassment appearing on her face as she gave a nervous chuckle. "Heh. Right, sorry." She apologized. "Anyways, I managed to get Princess Celestia alone while Luna deals with the crowd." I glanced over to the large crowd of ponies at this. "... And they were f-fine with this? The princesses, I-I mean." Twilight just smiled. "Of course they were! They agreed to meet you one at a time, if need be, and Luna volunteered to deal with everypony else first." Just the fact that they were willing to split their attention between all of these ponies and I made me even more nervous than before. If I didn't measure up now, I'd essentially be wasting their valuable time. I wanted to voice this, I desperately did, but, before I knew it, Twilight was already dragging me along with her, the odd tingle of her magic on my hand as she moved me with her seeming like nothing compared to that of my panicking nerves. Soon enough, the scenery around me had changed, all with the passing through a large pair of doors, manned by two armor-wearing astute guards, who did little more than glance at me as Twilight and I entered the room. Just like that, no longer was I in a large and uproarious room, connected to others that made up the expansive Grand Galloping Gala. Instead, I was in a much smaller room, away from the other ponies. It was odd in that I couldn't even tell what the purpose of the room was, but it held similar features to much of the rest of the castle as far as I'd seen so far; Lavish and comfortable. The room was surrounded by carefully placed bookshelves lined up neatly along the walls, with what looked like a fireplace built into the wall opposite of the entrance. In the middle of the room there sat a large circular rug, sharing symbols of both the moon and sun while seeming overall inviting. However, what really drew my attention to this feature wasn't really the idea of decor that was given towards it, or any of the room itself. Rather, my attention was focused on the larger than usual being that sat atop it, her back turned to us as she seemed to sit and wait patiently, a book floating before her and open with a slight golden shine--magic, I had guessed--surrounding it. "Princess Celestia," Twilight said, much to my chagrin, "I brought him here to see you." In response, the princess said and did nothing more than close her book, simply sitting there as her mane seemed to almost ethereally flow and her large, gracefully plumed wings ever so lightly adjusted themselves. Despite this silence, only interrupted by the sound of the book floating towards and being set into a nearby bookshelf, and the cold sweat I was beginning to feel head down the back of my neck, Twilight did not at all seemed bothered, a broad smile still on her face as she gave me a soft nudge towards the monarch. "Go on, introduce yourself." She whispered. This was an act easier said than done though, especially for me. It was like every single thing about her was meant to intimidate me: the crown and golden ornaments; the culmination of pony features, such as a horn and wings; and simply her size. I wasn't particularly small, mind you, but she still managed to tower over me in comparison to the other, relatively chest high ponies I had met. And worse still, despite not seeing her face, there was just something about her: regal, frightening, and yet... beautiful? Was it wrong for me to use that word to describe her? I mean, she was a pony, and... I was getting too caught up in my thoughts, I realized that. Moving away from that mental subject, I took notice of the fact that I had been staring in silence, rather than doing as Twilight had asked. Would the princess be upset about the delay? If so, then what would she do? I decided that, if only because of how long I had already taken just to tell her my name and say 'hello', I would do my best to do so as quickly as I possibly could now. With a loud gulp, I managed to open my mouth and utter out a few words. "H-h-hello, y-your m-m-majesty. M-my n-n-name is Ri-Rick. I-it's an h-honor to gre- Er, m-meet you." I had said before finally bowing, mentally kicking myself for several reasons as I did so; the increased amount of stutters, the slip of the tongue I had made, and how I must have sounded altogether. Even the length of how long I was bowing was all wrong, though it wasn't voluntary. Rather, it had seemed that every muscle in my body had stiffened up at the thought of what may occur as a result of my mistakes, and what the princess currently thought of me. Before these mental images could begin to fester, however, from my bowed position, I took note of the fact that her neck had still not turned, allowing me to guess that she was still facing away from me. I knew it. I had done something wrong, I had to have. I knew this would happen the entire night, yet now I couldn't even pretend to run or hide away from it all. Now I was in the same room as one of the two that I had been so scared to meet, and if I tried to leave now, I would likely only worsen her opinion on me. Why didn't I stay home? Why didn't I stay home? Why didn't I stay ho- "Rick, is it?" My eyes widened and, within a second, I felt myself shoot straight back up as the princess finally spoke. "Well, its nice to finally be formally introduced to you... Though, we should likely stop meeting like this. My mind was blank. Through my peripherals, I could see Twilight seem to raise a brow, though I was currently more focused on the Princess. "Oh, you two know each other? That's great... right?" The white alicorn gave out a giggle as Twilight said this. One that was... Bell-like... "Yes, my faithful student, it is. And besides," Celestia added, only now finally turning her head to face me, exposing her brilliant purple eyes and warm smile, "I've had quite the good word given to me about him." She... She winked... And that voice... It was the same voice from before... Author's Note Well this was longer than usual, wasn't it? ... Meh.
-4-Why did I do that? Why did I do that? WHY did I DO that?! I can't believe this, I really can't. I knew something bad would happen at this party, it was so obvious, and I just went anyways! Oh, but of all the bad things that could have happened, of all the disasters and possible outcomes, this just had to be the worst. Not ONLY did I talk to the princess like she were some other random pony, probably managing to get her to think that I'm extremely disrespectful, or something along those lines, but when I actually met her face to face... I don't remember what happened, really, but from what Twilight told me, what I don't remember still isn't enough. Apparently, I had passed out, yes, PASSED OUT, right in front of one of the princesses of Equestria! I've had plenty of embarrasing moments in my life, often times self-inflicted, but of all of them, this definitely topped the list as the worst. Even now, I'm just huddled in the guest room I was given in the castle--the same castle the princesses lived in, so that definitely didn't help--just writing in this journal, hoping that Twilight doesn't come in and start berating me on how much I must have embarrassed her tonight. Really, I wouldn't blame her if she did. She wouldn't be wrong, I really did blow it. I hadn't even met the other princess, yet, at this point, that may as well be a blessing for me. If I had made myself look like this much of a fool in front of one princess, I probably would have done even worse with two. Granted, I'm not sure what can be worse than passing out in front of one, but frankly, I don't think I'd be able to survive knowing. Heck, I'm already worried that I won't survive now! I mean, for all I know, I made such a bad impression that the princess wants me executed, or worse. ~~Yeah, thats it, she's going to kill me. I'm going to die, and she'll have every right to have me do so!~~ Um... Ignore that last part... That was from last night and, looking back at it now... Yeah... Anyways, I was barely able to sleep. Throughout pretty much the entire night, I watched the door, waiting for Twilight, a guard, maybe even the princess herself if she was willing enough, to come in and... Well, I'm not really sure anymore. I guess it was just a thought of panic at the time. I'm exhausted, but I don't want to sleep, nor do I want to get out of bed. Honestly, I wish I could just disappea- Twilight just walked in a while ago. She had knocked on the door and asked if she could come in, while I just huddled myself underneath a few layers of blankets and pillows, hoping to hide myself from her; to hide my shame, in a way. Yeah, it would take more than just a few sheets to do that at this point... I had heard the door creak, leading me to guess that she had peeked inside the room, before she then made her way in, likely having seen me for the lump that I currently was. Really, she didn't stay long. She seemed to know that I felt bad about what happened, and that I would need some time, but not before trying her best to explain that "it wasn't my fault" and that nothing bad would happen: she even went so far as to say that the princess wasn't mad about what happened... But the fact that she had said that, that she had probably gone back to the princess after having taken me to my room, and informed her of what had happened, why she thought I had reacted that way... That was almost worse than being executed by the princess... If the princess didn't have any idea as to what kind of person I was before, she definitely did now: A scared, pathetic being who is practically afraid of his own shadow, and so spineless even a jellyfish would have more luck standing up for itself. That was it. That was the case. There was nothing more to it. Meeting the princesses... had gone horribly, and there was really nothing that could change that, was there? Now... I'm just glad that the train will be here soon. Then, I could get on, go back to Ponyville, go home, and stay there, where I can never be at risk of showing my face to anypony, especially the princess, again... It'll be just like old times... Just like old times... I feel as though I need to tell myself that, otherwise, I may lose it. No, honestly, I've already lost it. I lost it last night, and now that Twilight's gone, I'm more than ready to lose it again. Why did this have to happen? Why did I have to screw things up for myself so badly? WHY?!? Is it really this hard for me to do anything right? This hard for me to just put even just one accomplishment down? I... I don't know what to do. I just wanna go home, but even more now than ever, I'm not sure where home is, or if that would even matter. If I were back on Earth, things would still be the same, with me messing up and... And the worst part about it all... the worst part is that, before I knew I was actually talking to the princess that night at the Gala, when all I heard was her voice because I was too afraid to turn around and see whoever it was I was talking too... I didn't feel bad. Though, at first, I was just as nervous as I always was, her voice just sounded so... nice, and calming. For once, it felt like I could talk, like that lump I always had in my throat had suddenly left, and as though a giant weight had been lifted from me... I actually enjoyed talking to her, like I had never done so with anyone, or anypony, else... It was nice... But now, I knew that would never happen again. The princess would never want me anywhere in her sight, let alone speak to me again, and, again, I can't blame her... ... Why was she so nice to hear? Author's Note A bit of a short one in comparison to the others, but the next one should make up for that :D Oh, and, also, yes, I am occasionally going to make chapters that focus solely on journal entries. I feel as though it provides a nice transition, along with some more detailed insight as to what Rick has on his mind. Also, just in case I forget.... YEP, IM STILL ALIVE FOLKS! ^(@)^ AND I APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN A LONG WINDED HIATUS!
-5-"Rick?" I heard come from the other side of the front door, paired only by a series of loud raps against the wood. "Rick, please, it's been three days. Let me in, I'm sure we can talk about it." Twilight pleaded, knocking on the door again... and again... and again. She wasn't wrong, it had been three days. Three days since I had botched meeting the princesses, and pretty much ruined the rest of the Gala for her, and to an extent, her friends. As it turned out, they had been told about what had happened and, for the rest of the night they were at the party, they were worried about me. I didn't understand why, since I didn't really know them that well, nor vice versa, but I just knew this was how they felt. The only reason I had actually found this out though was because of the train ride back to Ponyville, where they had wasted no time trying to cheer me up or ask if they could help... They had good intentions, but all it did was make me feel even more guilty for being a bother to them. But, yeah, either way, I have not left my house even once. I never even bothered to open, or go near the front door. Twilight had been nice enough to come visit me every now and then, whether I decided to answer or not--in other words, pretty much standing outside and asking for me to come out or let her in each and every time--but she had never bothered to, for instance, teleport herself inside, or something like that. Honestly, this was kind of strange to me, considering the fact that, of all the ponies I had seen here in this world, she was easily the one who'd be able to do just that, but instead she didn't. Maybe she didn't want to come in and talk to me until I said I would be ready to talk myself, or maybe she was still upset about what had happened and just preferred to take a more half-hearted attempt at coaxing me to speak. Really, it made no difference. I didn't go outside, I didn't want to go outside, and I hadn't the slightest idea if I would ever go outside. I just knew that, while I was in here, I was safe. I wouldn't ruin anything else for anyone, nor would I do so for myself. It was for the best... "Rick..." I could hear Twilight's voice seem to gain a more... saddened tone to it through the door, before, eventually, I then heard hoofsteps leading away from the door, getting further and further away until, finally, all I heard was silence. ... Giving out a sigh, I opened my eyes, which I had unknowingly closed some time ago, for the first time in the past hour... I think. Time wasn't really much of something I could tell passed or otherwise, in all honesty. The only reason I knew days or nights had passed, in fact, was because of the dimming or brightening light that came through the one, closed window I had in the room, or the pair in my living room. Even then, the change was barely noticable, whether it be because of my overall uninvolvement to notice, or the fact that I had the window shades pulled closed since I had gotten here; it could be either reason, really. I could feel the sheets of my bed below and above me, serving as a sort of coccoon I could use to let my thoughts fester for a bit without any issue. It didn't really make me feel more secure so much as it made me feel more hidden, but, it was better than nothing. Laying where I was, I glanced around at this very same coccoon, the darkness it provided giving me little to actually take note of whatsoever. That is, there was little to note save for the fact that I was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm underneath. With a grimace, I momentarily pondered the idea of leaving this faux hermit's crab I had made, before, ultimately, I decided against the idea of staying and later needing a long shower from how much I would probably sweat. What would normally have been the short process of me lifting the sheets off of my body had felt more like I was essentially prying them off, each movement met with resistance as my mind continually told me to just stay in bed. Nonetheless, I was eventually able to free myself from the hold of my sheets, comparitively cool air replacing the warmer air from my time in bed, brushing against my mostly bare body... Heh, I had forgotten that I was just wearing my underwear at the moment. Really, I had just felt like the rest of my clothes were unnecessary. It wasn't like anyone would see me anytime soon after all. I stayed laying there for a moment, my body spread out upon my relatively small bed, just taking comfort in the cooler air, before I then swung my legs over the right side, sitting myself up in the process. Glancing to the closed window, I could barely make out that it was apparently day, giving my shoulders a shrug at the note before looking around my room. It was, as I had expected, a mess... but an organized one... I never got around to cleaning it, before or after what happened three days ago, so I was actually used to it by now. It was even the same back home, in my world; or, at least, it was when I last saw it. Every pile of dirty clothes that I'd have to wash later, each cup that used to be filled with water that I kept by my bed--having been long emptied out by now--even the journal that Twilight had given me, now sitting to gather dust somewhere in the corner of the room. I had no use for it anyways. Twilight had given it to me to try to help my social habits, but, after what happened, I think that any hopes I had of them getting better were pretty much gone. Shaking my head at this, I made my way outside of my bedroom and into the living room; the living room itself was, well, it was more presentable than my actual room was. It was far from perfect in terms of cleanliness, but it still wasn't that bad. That, paired with the sense of homeliness it provided--at least to me--ironically made it the most guest welcoming room in the house, though, besides Twilight, I didn't particularly let anyone inside to think of whether they agree with my opinion or otherwise. As I made my way past the couch I had in the middle of the room and to the kitchen, feeling parched from having spent so much time under my covers, a glint of light came in through a small crack in one of the shaded windows I had in the room. I hadn't gotten even the smallest amount of sunlight for a good bit of time now, so, suffice to say, my eyes were a little bothered by this. With a purse of my lips, I made my way over to the window to completely close the shades, the same crack of light that came through the small opening managing to hit me square in the eye again. I flinched at this, lingering ever so slightly as I allowed my eye to recover. As I did this, however, I noticed something... odd... Outside the window, a small aways from my house, I could see Twilight still there, a worried expression about her face. This didn't surprise me, but, what was odd about her being there was that she seemed to be... talking... alongside that, usually, whenever she was unsuccessful in her attempts at talking to me, she would just leave altogether. I had felt a brow raise in curiosity as I wondered as to who exactly she was conversing with, and why she was here. At first, I thought it may have been one of her friends, or maybe even somepony else she knew, just holding her up for a moment or two. However, as I opened the shades slightly moreso than before, if only to catch a glimpse, I felt myself freeze, and to an extent, quickly get nauseous. There, talking with Twilight, was the same monarch of the sun that I had made myself a fool in front of, Princess Celestia, accompanied by what seemed like a pair of guards by her side. Her face, much like those of the guards, seemed to hold nothing but the utmost seriousness to it, barely wavering even an inch as she spoke to Twilight. Naturally, I held several questions at this sight, many of them panic worthy, with the other few more than deserving of me being at least slightly nervous. The most notable of these questions were along the lines of "WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!?" followed just shortly thereafter by "Oh god, this is bad, isn't it?". I mean, could I really have thought of anything else when faced with this situation?! Here I was, hoping to forget what had happened a few days ago, and how I had completely messed things up and made a fool of myself, and suddenly, the very same being who I messed things up with, who had also just happened to be one of the most powerful and renowned beings in Equestria, was visible outside of my house, seeming absolutely pissed, and talking to a worried Twillight!?! Maybe what I had written in my journal some time ago wasn't that far off. Maybe I was going to die, and it had just taken a few days to get all of the paperwork filled out. Feeling my breath become shallow at this, I watched as the princess and Twilight continued to exchange words with one another, unable to hear what they said, considering the distance, but easily able to see them make an occasional nod or gesture as they conversed. And, as if this wasn't bad enough, seemingly out of nowhere, the princess suddenly glanced towards my house, seeming to catch sight of me as I then hurriedly closed the shades completely. Now, not only was my breath shallow, but it was also rushed, myself beginning to feel light-headed as I thought through anything I could do to prevent... whatever it was that was going to happen from happening. "Maybe if I just hide I can... No that would never work!" I beratedly thought to myself, my eyes darting nervously around my living room. Mere seconds afterwards, I heard a series of hoofsteps approaching, causing my breath to still, followed shortly by another knock at my front door, notably louder and, overall, more authoritative than any Twilight had given. I gave myself one guess as to who it could be. "Mr. Nick the human," I suddenly heard a... stallion say? I guess I'd have to give myself two guesses instead. "her majesty, Princess Celestia, wishes to speak with you." No, no, no, no! Think, think, there had to be someway out of this, there just had to be! Gulping, I spoke through what may as well have been a veritable blockade of anxiety, my voice coming out quiet and, from the lack of use throughout the last few days, slightly hoarse. "I-I-I'm f-f-fine! R-really, t-t-there's no n-n-need!" Immediately after I said this, I realized how idiotic it was for me to say. She was the princess for god's sake! She didn't need my permission, or any real reason, to do as she pleased, let alone enter a house that, among the several others that are in Equestria, she technically owns. The guard could bust down my door if he wanted to, and he'd technically have every single right to. Again, I heard something from the other side of the door, this time sounding like two hushed voices conversing. They seemed to go on for some time, on one occasion sounding rather argumentative, before, with one last whispered but firm sentence, it ended. What followed next practically gave me a heart attack on the spot. "Her highness is entering now." The guard then said--no, not said, commanded- my eyes widening in response. "N-No wait, don't-" And before I could so much as say another word, there was a bright flash that came from the center of the living room, both blinding me as my unprepared eyes were given an unexpected dose of bright light, as opposed to the dim light of my house from the past few days, and causing me to fall backwards out of pure surprise, and partial fright. Though I couldn't see what, I tried to grab something to stop myself on the way down, only to hear a loud clink, followed shortly thereafter by a clang, and the sudden feeling of whatever I had grabbed losing any holding it had to wherever it was supporting itself. That, alongside the sudden warmth, and added brightness, of what I recognized to be sunlight allowed me to guess that I had pulled my window curtains onto the floor with me, metal frame and all. The first thing I felt was the impact of my back against floor, winding me. Mere instances after that, the sound of the curtain holder's metal frame hitting the floor just below me rang through, the curtains themselves then proceeding to cover me, and a good portion of the floor, from my very most bottom all the way up to my face, bunching itself in certain places and, as a result, leaving some parts of me exposed. It took me a moment or two to react to what had happened, and my eyes even longer than that to recover, but once I had, I felt a pained groan quickly escape me as my back began to ache from the impact. Through this fog of pain and overall disorientation, I could still barely make out what sounded like hoofsteps, each one becoming louder and louder as they came towards my direction. Any and all unfocused thoughts I had at the moment swiftly shot themselves into attentiveness as I realized just how... horrible the situation I was in was. I was laying down on my back in my living room, pretty much naked, after falling over like an idiot, breaking off my curtains and causing them to cover me, and it was very likely that the princess saw the entire thing... If she didn't think I was a fool before, and she wasn't planning on doing anything, then she definitely did and was now! I wished I could just dissappear. I wished I had just stayed in my room, in bed, instead of getting out. Maybe then this could have been avoided. Maybe, she wouldn't have seen me through the window, wouldn't have come inside, and wouldn't have seen me prove myself to be even more pathetic than she had originally thought I was. Goddamnit, this could all have been avoided, I messed myself up again. Listening with stilled breath, the hoofsteps came to a halt before me, as I then opened one of my eyes, which had been tightly shut at this moment, just a crack. The drapes that covered me obstructed my vision, but through their colored and patterned fabrics, I could see the silhouette of the princess just standing there right above me, easily ten times as intimidating as she was before, as I imagined what would probably be a glare on her face, alongside a few choice words to follow. Ever so slightly, I could hear another sound make itself known--the familiar shimmer-like sound of magic, as I had accustomed myself to hearing while I was around Twilight--and took note of the fact that the curtain became surrounded with a familiar golden aura. I braced myself for what was to come, again shutting my eyes and turning my head away as the curtains were lifted up entirely from me, leaving me completely defenseless and exposed to the princess. Practically trying to grip at the nothing that was on the floor, I tucked my head to my chest as I awaited something, anything, to come about... Seconds passed. Those seconds felt as though they turned to minutes, and those minutes to hours, yet still, nothing ever came... After a while, my emotions quickly started to shift from worry and fear to confusion and disarray, as I wondered as to why nothing had happened yet. Eventually, whether the reason was out of pure curiosity or stupidity, I catiously opened my eyes to take a look, the sunlight from outside again serving to partially blur my vision in the process. I blinked a few times, attempting to regain my sight as best I could, before I was finally given clarity once more. The blurs from before cleared, and, through them... I could see her, just standing there, allowing the sunlight from outside to accentuate her overall figure, her face no more than a few inches from mine. However, rather than a glare, or at least a face of relative annoyance, I saw one of... care and concern, far different than the serious expression she had outside. "Oh my. Are you alright?" She asked, her voice not even holding the slightest hint of anger behind it... The same voice I thought I would never hear again... Naturally, I was less than eager to speak. "I-I... Uh... Er..." That was all I could manage, involuntarily using my arms to gain some slight distance further away from her, before she then began to move her head around me, looking me over... and again, the fact that I was pretty much naked reared itself in my mind. "Hm. You don't seem injured..." She observed, cocking her head and pursing her lips as she hovered over me before quickly moving her attention back to me, this time... with a smile. "That's a relief. Wouldn't want you to get hurt, after all." Moving herself away from me with that same smile all the while, I watched as she then moved the curtain and frame she had still held in her magical grip back to their previous position, her horn shimmering ever so slightly as she, apparently, affixed them back to where they once were; all the while, all I could do was lift myself unto my elbows, just looking on in... I-I didn't even know anymore. Shock? Confusion? Relief? I legitamately was not sure. All I knew was that the princess was in my house now, fixing my curtains, and I wasn't dead... That had to count for something, right? Seemingly satisfied with her work, Princess Celestia released the frame and curtains from her grip, giving a stout nod as she did so before once again turning her head to me. "I apologize for just barging in without your permission, and evidently frightening you in the process, but I felt that it was absolutely necessary that we spoke." I gulped as she said this, sitting myself up before, glancing downwards, covering myself to the best of my ability. I could only imagine the shade of red that I held at that point, likely to be even greater than that of an actual tomato itself. "..." I tried to say something else in return, but found myself unable to, ending up opening my mouth to speak with nothing than slight bits of air coming out rather than speech. The princess seemed to notice this, her smile again making itself present, as her horn began to shine once again. All at once, I felt though something were grabbing me by my shoulders, carefully lifting from my seated position onto my feet, before then just as suddenly disappearing; the sensation itself was... odd, in a sense, but not unpleasant either. "There we are." She said. "That's much better now, isn't it?" "..." Again, I had no idea what to say, staring dumbfoundly at her. This time, she didn't seem to catch onto this, instead busying herself looking around the living room from where she stood, seeming to take in every detail she could with care. "Hm. A rather odd sense of decoration, but homely nonetheless..." She muttered, myself making a mental note that, apparently, that now made two ponies who agreed with my opinion on the room... I also took the oppurtunity to try and compose myself, taking all of the will I could muster in an effort to compile even the slightest amount of words I could into a feasible sentence. In the end though, I could only really find one word to utter. "W-w-why...?" I stammered questioningly, attracting the princess's gaze once more. It wasn't a particularly specific question, I know, but that was the point. I had next to no idea what was going on, at this point just trying to survive the passing moments. Why was she here? Why wasn't she angry? Why, why, why, that was all that came up in my mind... Cocking her head, she rose a brow as she gave me a questioning look. "Why what?" She asked. I, as response, just gave out some sort of odd stutter. That broad question I had asked was, as I mentioned, the only word I could manage to bring about, with no exaggeration. I had nothing left that I could possibly say! Despite the lack of response she gained, she gave yet another soft smile to me, giggling... Those same bells from before rang just as true... "Oh dear, you're feeling rather overwhelmed at the moment, aren't you?" I numbly gave out a nod. "Ah, I thought so. Then, perhaps, you would feel more comfortable seating yourself as I explained?" She kindly suggested, gesturing to the sofa in my living room without losing her attention on me for even a moment. I'm... not sure why, but, without my even knowing it, my body began to comply, taking short, measured steps to the sofa. My feet practically dragged themselves along the floor, and the pace I was going at seemed to rival that of a snail, but the princess watched me patiently, never losing her smile as I eventually circled around the sofa, opposite of where she stood, and sat myself on the furthest possible area to the side of the couch as I could. A loud groan of the furniture's springs echoed through the room, almost deafening in volume. It was only once I was seated and the sound had completely faded that I then interlaced my fingers with one another in front of me, looking elsewhere shortly after. I wasn't trying to focus on anything in particular, really, but I just felt as though I couldn't look at her for much longer without my anxiety taking over; that, and each time I looked, was reminded of what had happened. There was a moment of complete silence, with niether her nor I speaking or making a single sound as we simply allowed it to pass. Eventually though, this moment was shattered as the sound of hoofsteps once again rergistered in ears. At first, they seemed to be getting closer, making me nervous as to the thought of her nearing me again. But... as quickly as they began, they stopped. Instead, they were replaced by the sound of the sofa's cushion's and springs giving out another groan and creak, and the sensation of the sofa itself seeming to shift itself ever so slightly... She'd sat down... She was sitting next to me... A cold sweat beaded down my head as I stole another quick glance at the princess, so as to gauge our distance between one another. Thankfully, if only for the sake of my panicking and unsteady heart, she seemed to have seated herself on the exact opposite side of the couch just as well as I, her eyes closed as she seemed embedded in thought. I mean, granted, she took up more space than I did--n-not to say that she was portly, o-or anything like that, she was just much bigger than me and... I decided to move away from that train wreck of a thought process as quickly as I could, returning my gaze to nothing, albeit rather jerkily, and quietly awaiting whatever it was the princess had wanted to tell me. Thankfully, this wait proved not to be too long, as the princess then spoke up mere moments after I had looked away from her. "My student, Twilight, informed me about how you've been in these past few days." She began. "How you've shut yourself away because of what happened at the Gala, and how badly you feel about it." Oh no. Of all the things I was silently hoping she wouldn't bring up, that was easily at the very top of the list. And the fact that Twilight had apparently been the one to write to her on the subject... I would've been upset with her, had it not been for the sudden overwhelming sensation of unease I had now felt. I didn't want to recall that embarrasing happenstance, but every single time I had even glanced towards her so far, that was all I could think about. I had to something, right? "...I-I-I'm s-s-sorry..." I barely managed to squeak out as I continued to look away from her, doing so at a volume so low that, frankly, I was afraid that I'd have to say it again just so she could hear me. Thankfully, what she said next proved she did hear me, albeit in an unexpected way. "You have no reason to apologize. If anything, I'm the one who owes you an apology." I felt myself freeze as she said this, one part of my mind taking a while longer to relay the message to the rest of my body than the other, which also seemed to scramble the message somewhat. "I should have properly introduced myself back when we spoke on the balcony, rather than tease you as I did. If I had done so, then perhaps you wouldn't have been as shocked as you were the next time we met, and you wouldn't have ended up feeling this badly about it. Truthfully, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty about the whole incident." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The princess was apologizing to me? B-but, I- Before I could even think through how to respond, my mouth began to move on its own, the grip I held to my other hand tightening while, simaltanseously, I held my gaze firmly towards the far off wall. "B-but you didn't do anything! I was the one who made a fool of myself in front of you, if anything, I'm the one who should apologize to you, a-and-" Out of the blue my throat closed up again, silencing me, as I suddenly felt something rest itself on my shoulder. For a moment, I just sat there, unable to move or react. After some time though, I was eventually able to force my eyes to look towards the unknown source, only to be greeted by a comforting white hoof, garmented with golden slippers of intricate fashion. How? I... hadn't even noticed that she had moved... "Rick..." She then uttered calmingly, sending a shudder throughout me. I'm not sure what exactly caused it, I just knew it had come and gone in an instant. "Why don't we just say that niether of us started off on the right hoof with each other? And, while we're at it, what's say we try this again? This time with no crowds, no party, and no obligations to worry about. In truth, I actually would like to know you better, Rick, and I can only hope that you feel the same. So... what do you think?" She finally asked, her voice managing to keep that same, soothing tone to it throughout her entire speech. Another try... No crowds, parties, or obligations... Again my body reacted before my mind could, though without any words to accompany it, as I then gave a slow nod to the direction of the wall. Despite this indirectness though, I could practically feel the happiness from the princess through her hoof as she then spoke once again. "Ah, splendid! I should have my schedule free sometime tomorrow at around 3 so... it's a date!" WAIT, WHAT!?! Jerking my head around in nothing less than utter surprise and shock from what she had said, I was just barely able to catch the remnants of a small flash as she, seemingly, teleported outside just as she had inside, leaving me alone again to try to make sense of what had just occurred. Princess Celestia... had just agreed that we meet up again tomorrow... apparently having felt guilty herself about what had happened at the Gala... after making her way inside my house... while also referring to it as a date... Again, I took a short glance downwards. All the while... I had still been in only my underwear... My mind was, to put it frankly, an absolute mess at the moment, and as I then found my gaze falling to the empty door that led to my room, a single thought popped up in my mind. "On second thought, I think I'm going to need that journal a lot more than I had originally thought I would." Author's Note See? Told you I'd make up for it. :D
