Silent Dreamweaverby -BrutusChaptersChapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7 (Edited)Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23 (The End)Chapter 1Chapter 12Chapter 2Before the train departed Baltimare's station, Silent made his way into last of passenger coaches and spied an excellently comfortable looking bench that had large window next to it. It had Silent's name on it. The white Unicorn had a small spring in his trot as he realized that there was nopony in this car. Not soon after he sat down, the train rattled around a bit then slowly the city lights began to move then fade from sight. This terrible feeling that he felt too often began to snake its way back up. As Silent sat down, his spring was gone; his ears slowly flattening and he began to sob quietly. He was alone, truly alone now. Muttering angrily as he took out Absolut Vodka, only to down about one-third of the bottle in a hurry. A warm but strong feeling trickled down his throat, then his esophagus. Shakily holding his bottle with his hoof, Silent constantly felt "empty", yet what was stopping him from choosing a easy way out? He then began to feel cold. Dad...what did I do? Mom... Anything to get away from this feeling, anything. Throwing his head up and took another gulp of his “remedy”, he screwed the cap back on. Finally he reached where he wanted to be, numb. Slowly Silent cast his eyes out of the window, watching silently at landmarks whizzing away in the darkness. Only things that was distinctive about the objects that blurred past was black outline, naturally his eyes was drawn to million of lights and one large celestial body in the sky. It was only things that wasn't moving in the sky, ignorant of the changing landscape. Silent opened his window as when it did, the cold air rushed into the opening hitting his face and sending waves down his green mane. Slowly he came to after few minutes of this breeze, he began to shiver a bit. Deciding to get out of the cold, he lazily closes the window and closing his eyes while laying back for minute on the bench. As minutes pass, then an hour Silent felt the train rattle some then pull into stop. Peering out of his eye, lazily climbing up and walked to other side of the coach then he saw the sign: Welcome to Manehattan Yawning a little bit, Silent groggily walked back to his bench. Silent conjured the bronze ticket in front of his face, reading the schedule. Apparently Hoofington was next, Fillydelphia, then finally Trottingham, then lastly Ponyville. Trottingham sounds great to Silent, Ponyville sounded like a hick town or something. Just going from a city to another city sounds like better transmigration for Silent. Out of his corner of his eye, he noticed a movement as well, feeling the hoofsteps as they tapped along the ground. Scratching his mane and pulling himself up, noticed a mare walking with a colt and sitting down, then there was a rush of ponies. Probably ten ponies in the coach, figures- it is Manehattan after all. Silent prayed that none of them will bother him. After little while, the coach was packed and he still sat alone at his bench- sipping his vodka now and then, keeping the buzz up; fighting off his disease of depression. Finally, the train finally began moving- heading to Hoofington. He noticed a family across the coach looking around hard for available seats, it was parents with two foals; a filly and colt. Silent had the most available one. Hmph, winner takes all. He remained perched at his seat, not caring for minute. For a second, he could feel somepony boring a stare at him. Silent takes a quick look around, taking in a sight of few ponies were looking at him expectantly. The white unicorn finally gave into himself, muttering. Let's see, vodka, books, tickets, bag of weed, pipe...whatever that's everything...bits! Ah, there they are. Sighing inwardly to himself, packing all of his possessions, save for his vodka. Standing on his hind legs, using his left forehoof on the back support of other bench for balance while waving his right forehoof to grab their attention. It worked, it grabbed this stallion's attention; Silent then gestured to him that there was seat available. Sitting back as they began to walk over, Silent scooted over as far as he could. Packing up his vodka, out of the sight of the foals as the family finally made their way there and took their respective seats. The mare and stallion nodded and spoke their gratitude, Silent just nodded and pretended like he understood. Sinking some into his seat, not really wanting any type of confrontation- either good or bad. Silent then gazed out of the window again, looking up at stars. They seemed to dance across the sky, blinking in and out of existence. As the train turned in a curve, the sky seemed to move into a different position. Silent's eyes fluttered for second, he fought hard to keep them open. He lost, putting the bag behind his back on the corner of bench to protect it against theft before he succumbed to the temptation, the last thing he saw was two foals playing the slap game, laughing among each other. Silent felt an instant ping of jealousy, how he wished to be that innocent once again. The white unicorn finally took a trip to the land of dreams, Silent exhaled wistfully as it finally came. It was one of good dreams that he had in while, but it was rudely interrupted. A hoof began and kept poking him, why is it still poking him?! Silent tried to fight off the hoof that was poking him to “death”, and finally his dream shook. Why was it shaking?! Slowly his mind came to, his eyelids opening and finally noticed a bellhop was shaking him awake, shouting something at him. Silent swatted her hoof away then glared at her angrily. The mare kept talking, Silent had his mind elsewhere on two things: his bag and something else, he didn’t quite remember. Silent spun around and discovered that his bag still there, rummaging through it and everything was still there. Breathing a sigh of relief, and finally what he didn't remember came back to him. The family who was sitting with him was gone, apparently they took off at one of stops. ..WAIT?! Where am I, what station am I at? Silent, still ignoring the bellhop whom had yet to cease in her efforts to talk to the deaf Unicorn, and rushed to other side of coach. What he saw had his heart stopped for second, he have missed his stop at Trottingham. Just wonderful, GREAT! Silent walked back to his bag, began to pick it up and putting it on his neck. He just waved to the bell-hop, letting her know that he was getting off now while at same time, cursed at her under his “breath” for ruining one of best sleep that he had in while- that dream, too. Squinting his eyes as he stepped outside, Celestia's Sun was blasting at him full force. It was decent day as well. Just then he walked under the sign that was at this station. Welcome to Ponyville! Angrily cursing at himself for missing his sought after stop, Silent walked to the ticket booth while fluidly taking out his notebook- rewriting everything down once again. ”Greetings, I'm curious about something. How much a ticket to Trottingham would cost?” Finally making it to the booth with the note ready, he realizes that nopony was there and there was a “Closed” sign. Smaller text was below it: The Equestria Railroad will be closed for weekend and Monday. We apologize for any inconvenience. Bucking great! I missed my stop and now I'm stuck in this hick town for four days. Whatever, probably not too much of interesting things would happen in span of four days... Silent's stomach growled, ready to devour anything he puts in it. He rubbed his stomach a bit, deciding to explore the town first. The very first building that Silent ran into, purposefully positioned near the railroad station was a cafè. Pulling out about ten bits in preparation, as well his notebook he made his way into the cafe. Walking up to the counter and reading off the menu that was hung on the wall. It spouted on about various salads, hays, sandwiches, soups, and some snacks, then finally coffees in various kinds. No alcohol, Silent joked to himself. After few moments of pondering, a cream colored hoof waved in his face snapping himself out of his hunger-indicted trace. Silent glanced over to this mare, she had a light blue mane, cream coat with brown eyes. Silent assumed she is the waiter of this establishment. Handing over the notebook to her with his magic. I would like to order some salad with sliced apples, some cheese pour some sauce on it and two cups of coffee, please. The mare gave him a quick glance over, her eyes narrowed for a second as she saw the scar running down on his left cheek, as well some on his horn. Forcing herself to smile at him and nodding to him that his order is going to be worked on, she shakily handed the notebook back to him. Silent couldn't figure what was wrong with her, however, opted to resume his traditional apathetic ways. Silent rested his forehoofs on the counter as he hitched himself on the stool, then rested his head on the forehoofs; waiting patiently for his order. After few minutes of waiting, it finally came. Silent's stomach growled loudly once again, come to think of it- he hasn't eaten in the last two days. Content with himself that he finally some food to quell his stomach, he began to dig in. After few minutes of ravenous eating, the plate was squeaky clean and one cup of coffee was done. Silent fall back into one of his habits, which he did not one day prior at that bar. Instead of a shot glass, though, it was cup of coffee. Whacking it back and forth gently between his hoofs, this activity somewhat had calming effects on Silent. As the time passed, Silent downed the second cup of coffee as his mind began to wander into deep thoughts; living quarters for four days came into his mind. A motel or hotel had to be somewhere in this hick town. Writing into his notebook reminding himself to buy a ticket to go to Trottingham. Lastly, yes...is there any bar in this town?! Snapping out of his thoughts as the bill was placed front of him, 5 bits total. Silent took out ten bits and placed it and nodded to her, she earned it. He just began to climb off the stool When... Out of his corner of eye, through the large window; noticing a pink blur speeding toward the establishment. Thanks for being awesome Editor MrMinimii Chapter 3It happened in all slow motion, in fact it was a total of three seconds. This pink blur threw open the door of the cafè, blurred over to Silent and, when it seemed that the blur was going to crash into him, only to stop in ...mid-air? Silent stared at huge blue eyes, which was only a inch from his green eyes then she sprouted something. Silent was sure it was actually a whole sentence. As this pink blur became more definitive, Silent gave her a quick glance over; she was, well pink, with cotton candy shaped mane and tail which, was a darker pink. Bouncing around, disappearing and reappearing from bottom, left, and right of his field of view. She then popped from top of Silent's view, and was STILL talking. Those three seconds were over and time returned to normal speed. Slowly Silent backtracked back to stool where his saddlebag laid on the floor, plucking out his bottle of liquor, pacing himself in reading while blatantly ignoring this mare. Being deaf has its advantages: she is still moving her mouth, but no sounds came to him. The cream-colored waiter just froze at her spot looking on a unique, yes oddly typical scene. Silent began muttering to himself. Now, let's see... Absolut Vodka This superb vodka was distilled from grain grown in rich fields of Southern Equestria. It has been produced at the famous old distilleries near...blah blah Flipping the bottle around, finally he found what he was looking for: warning label. Silent began to read aloud in his head. GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, mares should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to walk, fly, or do magic and may cause health problems. Doesn't this say anything about hallucinations? I'm going to give this a read-over in case... Nope, still nothing about hallucinations. Taking his eyes off the bottle, Silent looks up and.... Nothing. That pink mare was gone. Silent began to put off what he just experienced as hallucination. Conjuring his magic to hold his bottle as he got on all of his legs, and turned arou- ARGH! Silent jumped then screamed deactivating his magic dropping his vodka bottle shattering on the floor. My treasured water of life!... I haven't even finished it! This pink mare was still right there, bouncing gleefully holding Silent's bag with her mouth, and her mouth was still moving. Silent finally began to discard his theory that that mare was his imagination. Blinking out of his thoughts, he held out his hoof cautiously to ask for the bag back. She seems to get the message, dropping the bag in front of Silent and bounced at the spot. Smiling awkwardly as he picked up the bag; suddenly this mare just gasped, while shooting up in the air at same time then only a second after pink earth pony 'flew' over his head and out of the establishment. Blinking once, then twice. Looking around in the cafè, Silent noticed the waiter there snickering. Probably not at him but the situation as whole. Words that he thought out earlier rang once again ...our days. Whatever, probably not too much of interesting things would happen in span of four days... Silent had to admit that something rather interesting has actually happened. Sighing inwardly to himself, he realized he would have to start hunting for a liquor store or a bar in the town to replace his drink that was shattered mercilessly. Silent began to clean up the mess that his drink left behind, picking up the remnants carefully. The waiter came out of her counter to offer help, which Silent accepted, and in no time all the floor looked like new. Silent looked up as the waiter had her mouth moving, assuming that it was her thanking him for staying behind to start on cleaning. Nodding, the unicorn opened the door to outside with magic, as he stepped he made a mental note. I better start on carrying a back-up drink from now on... Cracking his neck, he let out a satisfied sigh, “ahhhh.” Adjusting his bag until it was comfortable, the strange circumstance that he was involved with still rang in his head. She, she...s. defied both logic and physics! Is that mare on drugs or something?!..I think she actually froze in the midair when she left like that..argh, a headache already just thinking about it. I might should avoid her if that is case... Realizing that he made it into Ponyville centrè- his thinking distracted and unattached himself from sense of time and distance- he looked around the surrounding area. Stallions and mares, fillies and colts of all colors, shapes, race, and sizes, chatted, played or simply went on their daily business. Before Silent figured where he was, he found himself in middle of marketplace. Drawing in the many sights, stands and unique shops. In small distance he could see a...gingerbread house? Apple, oranges, lettuce, tomato and various other stands with mares or stallions with their respective cutie marks to match. Well time to hunt! Two...hours and...NO LIQUOR STORE?! Silent was beginning to panic internally, wondering where he could get some good-to-Celestia drink?! Silent felt his heart stopped for second time now, first being at that train station- Minus the crazy pink mare, that was completely different thing. Silent was panting, sweating some under the blast of hot sun, too hot! Silent sat on his hunches, activating his magic pulling off his black turtleneck shirt and packed it into his bag. A gentle breeze brushed over him, provoking a small gentle smile on Silent's face. His need of liquor was quelled for now, but it was sure to snake its way back up sooner or later. As he began to walk again, he started to really take in names of stores or various services. Quills and Sofa...nah, another cafè...already ate, soap stand?! Nope and nope. Bowling alley?! This hick town had one? I should check it out..ooooo do they have drinks?!. Mental note! Sugarcube Corner?...my stomach is already hurting from thinking about too much sugar..Carousel Boutique..yewch, too girly. Silent began to follow a trail that was little out of the way, coming across a maple tree that had...windows sticking out? Telescope on the top, lanterns wait.. A tree being a house? The white unicorn circled around it and he saw a sign that was posted outside, it had no words but just open book. Glancing over to the slightly open door, slowly a realization that came to him that this is a library! Silent wanted to do a jump then click his hind legs together in mini-celebration. As this was a library, he figured it was okay to just walk in so he did. Taking a deep breath, in least he was somewhat content with where he was. Beside drinking and occasional weed to escape, he had at least one healthy form of escape and that was “reading”. Silent trotted over to the bookshelves, it was very organized and in excellent condition. Rummaging through his bag, pulling out a notebook and old books that he did his best to keep together. Flipping backwards through the notebook to first or two page and it had list of books that Silent wanted to read. Hopefully this will jump my memory a bit, hopefully this library would have those in stock... Let's see. Eternal The Promises We Keep Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone Daring Do and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Daring Do and Temple of Doom Through Eyes of Another Pony Purple Haze Silence is Bittersweet Number One Memories of the Dark, Prospects of the Light No Need for Words Eh, I still have more books to list out but those should be enough for some worthy search for now... Silent began at “A” section and ran his way all way to first letter in his list “D”, plucking out one Daring Do, and it was the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. Silent chose to put off one Daring Do for another reading tomorrow, or two days from now. Reminding himself over and over to not forget about purchasing a ticket to get out of here on Tuesday morning, first thing. Muttering to himself, walking over to next letter in his list. Eternal...not in the mood for that. Moving on...Number One and No Need for Words, and Silence is Bittersweet seemed good for a reading later, he plucked out those three then began to carry four books in neat stack with his magic. Silent decided that two more books will be enough, six books for four days. A few minutes later he added Purple Haze and Through Eyes of Another Pony to the stack. Carrying it over to the small wooden counter with his magic, noticing and there was still nopony stationed at it but it had a bell ring. Levitating his notebook, flipping it over until he found a empty page to write down as he rang the bell. Remembering the etiquette that libraries had- having to put down your full name and everything to check out a book or books. ”Hello, My name is Silent Dreamweaver and I would like to check those bo-.” Silent dropped his pen as his motor control was lost for minute, when a lavender unicorn mare with pink stripe running through her tail and mane, and her purple eyes making contact with Silent's eyes. Finally his motor control came back as he picked up the pen with his magic, and finished what he was writing. oks out. If you're wondering why I'm communicating to you through this is because I'm deaf. Silent was always blunt about it, he found it was best way rather than beating around the bush to get that fact out. Silent turned over his notebook, the purple mare smiled which melted Silent's heart for few moments. She turned around the notebook, which grabbed Silent's undivided attention. The hoof-writing of her response was very regal and pleasant. Yes, you may borrow those books. Sign your name on the back of the books, then hand over those little white cards with your name over me. You can borrow those books for up to week, but over that, there will be fee of 2 bits per book for each day overdue. My name is Twilight Sparkle by the way, are you new to town or something. I don't think I ever seen you before. Wait, how much do you like reading? Almost nopony ever comes to library to read or even borrow a book. Who's your favorite author, what about your favorite series?! Do you study anything? Twilight peered at Silent, watching him with greeting smile. As Silent proceeded to do what she asked. Unknown to white unicorn, Twilight's eyes were jumping from scar to scar that adorned his body. Finished signing his name on all six white cards and handed over the cards which Twilight nodded with slightly awkward smile on her face, it seemed like she wanted to ask a question. Her powerful urge to learn it all, know it all began to slowly take over her mind. As all of kinds of questions popping up in her head, she snapped out of it as she noticed the notebook was turned around with a answer from Silent. I'm not exactly moving in per say, I missed my train stop at Trottingham. I apparently overslept and missed it. The train won't be running for four days so I'm stuck here until then. It was very nice to meet a sensual mare like you, I ran into..well she did. It was earth pink mare with poofy mane or something, I thought she was a hallucination! Anyway. I don't have any set of favorites really, I read those books to...escape. It's long story, anyhow! Thanks for the books! Instead of actually reliving Twilight's curiosity, Silent's answer brought even more questions for her to ask for some other time, if it ever happens. By the time Twilight snapped out of her thought-indicted trace, her library was empty once again. Silent Dreamweaver had apparently packed up his notebook and his loaned books then left. Special thanks once again to MrMinimii for being awesome editor. Chapter 4It was mid afternoon when Silent walked out of that library, yawning loudly as it had been quite a long day for him already. Meeting that crazy pink mare, then walking all over town for liquor but he hasn't gone to bowling alley yet to check out if they do have some available. Silent's back ached some, due to added weight of the books that he just borrowed; speaking of books that library mare was nice..uhh what was her name?.. To answer his own question, he took out his notebook and flipped through until he found the written conversation, ah Twilight Sparkle. Hm, nice name... Silent made his way through the town centrè, looking for open field or somewhere that he could be alone. As time passed quickly as Silent tried to find secluded spot, the temperatures began to rise making it considerably warm, though unlike the sweating temperatures that Silent endured earlier. Figuring out that asking somepony would be fastest way to get where he wanted to be, so that what he did. Trotting up to some pink mare that was sitting on bench; at first Silent was very cautious if in fact it was that pink mare from this morning- to his relief it wasn't. After few minutes of idle chatter, instead of writing down the directions; she drew a map and it made a lot of things easier for her to explain as well for Silent to understand. Bowing his head once, hoping that mare would take it as sign of thanks. Which she did, returning the gesture with simple hoof wave with small smile adorning on her face. ...This town isn't too bad, ponies that I've met so far was nothing but kind. Minus that crazy mare...probably. This town still needs a bar, though, or I’m really blind to not notice one yet. Looking at crudely made map in his notebook, following the main road then he took a left turn following the map to T. He arrived at town center, levitating the map in front of his face. Occasionally peering over the mini-map to make sure he wasn't running into anypony. Changing his gait in his trot, wanting to get there faster, the scene transformed from a house that is usually packed somewhat tight against another into a house every hundred yard or so to trees, then apple trees as far he can see. Those apples looks so good, yet Silent resisted, he just kept on making tracks. After wasting about twenty minutes of the deaf Unicorn's lifespan, Silent's green eyes surveyed the spot that mare told him about. There was single huge oak tree at top of the hill, with nothing around for few yards. It was pretty out of way, Silent nodded to himself confirming this spot will work. Perfect for stargazing if he doesn't fall asleep, Silent mentally added. Dropping his bag, cradling his neck rubbing a sore spot where his bag strap was hanging from. Licking his lips in anticipation as he opened up his bag, dumping all contents out of his bag: books, a bag of weed, bowl and bits sat there – minus the vodka, and the expired ticket that he brought back in Baltimare. A gleeful smile creeping up on his face as he levitated his bag of weed over to him, taking out two buds and tearing it up gently; making sure he doesn't drop any into grass. Placing the cannabis into the bowl of the pipe, packing it in tight best he can. one....two buds, gonna send me somewhere elseeee. I need lighter, lighter. Silent scratched top of his head, before hitting something solid. Groaning to himself. duhhhhh, my horn and that equals to magic. Smacking his lips, bringing up pipe to his mouth making a tight seal around stem of the pipe, holding a hoof over small hole on side of bowl. Silent closed his eyes as he focused his magic into weed, igniting it and takes a deep inhale. Silent then held it in long, five to ten seconds before finally exhaling all smoke out. After one hit, then two, three and four. By the time toke had burnt out, Silent felt mellowed out; his bowl was set down next to him with fine smoke raising from it. Finally a sure sign that he was high was red, half-hidden eyes which was complemented by stupid smile on his stupid face. Silent giggled, exhaling some smoke then did tricks with it- expertly making some smoke rings. Coughing out some smoke that resided in his lungs, watching it slowly rising in air. It was like...snakes dancing or mating then it became some sort of space...swirling around like..ah, black hole. Silent slowly frowned as he watched the smoke dissipating, like a life ending. Yeah that's it. Silent kept commenting on everything of what he saw in his mind. Heavier smoke kept residing around him, then gently carried off by wind. Silent kept playing around with his mouth, licking the top of it with his tongue- it's like there’s cotton candy just sticking anywhere in his mouth. Slowly crawling up to base of the tree, laying back taking in a nice sunset. Beautiful various colors danced across the sky, trees in the distance served as perfect outline. Silent bet that if he had a canvas and some pastel with him, he probably would have tried to capture that beautiful, yet common sight. It was his favorite as well, since it meant night was coming up. Silent's mind began to ramble off to strange thoughts. The sun looks nothing like Princess Celestia, why do ponies call her a sun princess. Wouldn't that make her fat and round if she was sun?... wait..the Moon. So..if I think like that, it would have insulted Princess Luna as well with this comment of size? By proxy? Silent's eyes widened in panic as he knelt down to the moon that was rising in opposite side of the sunset, spouting out this quickly in mind. Princess Luna, forgive me if you are actually reading my mind right now I. I. I'm. I'm sorrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy Shifting through his bowl, once again Silent did a skip in his heart as he realized there was some left. Needless to say, few seconds later it was finally all smoked- all reduced to ashes. Silent's eyes ran over some books that was laid out in messy order. Man..how could I have forgotten of what I wanted to do...umm, what was it..ah.. yeah, that’s that, uhhh that’s it.. Yeah. Silent shifted over to the books, smacking lips as he looked on at choices he had; beginning to figure out how he could choose a book. Deciding to wing his choice. Purple Haze Silence is Bittersweet Number One Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone No Need for Words Through Eyes of Another Pony Umm..mie moe men... wasn't it..no, ah it went like this uhh. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, yeah that's it! Ill just like count those out four times, then use that book. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Ah Daring Do, eh? Silent's hoof stopped at chosen book. And...here we go! Subconsciously triggering his magic, slowly casting it around the Daring Do book. The green aura of Silent's magic finally encased it, the book flipped through the first page all way to the last then closing. Slowly the images came into view, almost dream-like state but that was actually outside his mind. It began to play out the events, exactly what happened in the book. One of his talent's use, there was plenty more that he can do with it. He gave a undivided attention to two tasks. Silent got comfortable before he got started with the dream spell. Silent's horn shimmed with green-colored magic, keeping it activated- this was first task. Second task was to...have fun! The “dream” flicked into life, Silent seeing Daring Do herself then Silent felt like he was actually the part of the story, or rather a movie. As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. Few days... it might as well be a few months, or a few years! The mosquitoes buzzed loudly. The macaws cried from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step... Safely landing on the other side, Daring finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. She turned around to find herself face to face with the long lost temple that she had sought tirelessly for over sixty days and nights! The smell of decay and danger hit Daring Do as she peered into the dimly-lit entrance of the ancient temple..... The “dream movie” lasted for hour and half, before he realized it- the sun was gone, the moon replaced it. The ending of Daring Do “book” began, characters from the book that Silent conjured began to fade from sight one by one, depending on their distance from Silent's magic. He slowly deactivated it, and his horn's green aura slowly faded along with the last character- Daring Do, froze in the air with her trademark smirk holding a sapphire artifact. The high that he had about 40 minutes earlier was mostly worn off, Silent rubbed his head gently; he felt somewhat good. The white unicorn began to pack up his stuff, rolling the buds back into bag and cleaned his pipe with some of fire, blowing out hard to get rid of ashes. Holding up the bag of it to moonlight, his minding clicking thoughts out. From look of it, I'll say there is enough for four bowls at most...yeah. My mouth feel bit dry now, I think might be good time to get a drink. What was that place, hm ah the bowling alley. I, Silent pray that they would have some in stock and is ope-e-n-n-n-n. As the beautiful night began to reign over the sky, the temperatures began to drop. Silent want to get somewhere warm right now as he began to shiver as cool breeze went against him. Rubbing his forelegs, pulling out his black turtleneck sweatshirt out of his bag putting it on. A sound of relief rang out, as the shirt hugged him like teddy bear- soft and warm. As he kept moving, his bladder was pushed in wrong way. Silent rushed off to one of bushes, he got goosebumps as he finally did his business. “Ahhhhhhhh...”, Silent felt million bits better, stretching himself his joints cracks from various spots. Trotting back to his spot where he left his bag, stars twinkling above him and once again moonlight served as guide. It put him into stargazing trance, the stars putting on light show. Snapping out of it for minute, the deaf stallion gave himself a check-over, his hair, mane and tail was mess from laying down on ground from his previous activity. Meh... As he looked around and began to walk off the hill, his heart stopped, for the third time now when Silent saw something familiar that he saw earlier today. It wasn't pink still, thank Celestia quickly echoed in his head. In the distance, Silent could see purple glow in the darkness, partially covered by trees heading toward him. As it got closer and closer, more definitive features came into view. First thing that Silent caught on to was a pink strip glowing slightly from moonlight reflecting on it, then a sapphire blue, violet mane came into view then her purple coat...Twilight! She was trotting over, toward Silent and the oak tree. How did she find me? Probably that mare...No wait, scratch that- why does she look angry, and is glaring at me? No...it seems like it's mixture of bewildered and angry glare? Silent Dreamweaver began to sweat a little bit, as he got slightly nervous. A usual thanks to Minimii for being awesome! Chapter 5You know, sometimes when somepony that you know or don't know that well is walking up to you and bearing down on you angrily? You don't have the slightest idea what exactly you did wrong; thinking hard back on the day or anytime that you encountered with said pony? Naturally you would get nervous, this is exactly same thing that Silent is going through right now. Shuffling, rubbing his right forehoof as he sat down, thinking back on his day so far in Ponyville. Waking up in that train, the cafè, meeting that crazy mare, walking around town, looking for liquor, found a library, meeting Twilight, borrowed books, came here to this spot, smoked some toke, did my thing with Daring Do, peed in the bushes and there she is. Silent's brief memory trip came to end as Twilight arrived, face to face whilst deactivating her light magic that she used to navigate her way here through the dark. Twilight began speaking for a second or two before holding her hoof her mouth, as her memory tugged at her that Silent told her earlier today that he was deaf. The lavender Unicorn awkwardly smiled waiting for something. Silent figured it out, smiling nervously as he pulled out his notebook and pen with his magic. There is million of things that he could just write down, asking her why she is angry, how did she find him, what exactly had she seen, and so forth on. Silent just chose most simplistic thing to write before he handed it over to her. Hello Twilight?__ Twilight's face scrunched up as she read this simple message, looking up to make eye contact with Silent, which only made him quite more queasy. A purple aura took over his pen, which Silent promptly released his own magic- Twilight focused on writing her message before turning it over to the white Unicorn. Silent's green eyes traced over her writing very carefully, not wanting to misunderstand. “Why' didn't you show up to your party? Pinkie Pie told me that she invited you earlier today, most of the town was there waiting for two hours but you didn't show up! Half of town is angry with you, and the party host is depressed that you didn't show up.” Silent sighed, waiting as Twilight paused for second before handing back the pen and notebook. Twilight's face told Silent that she had more to say or ask, but this was bit of good start. The deaf Unicorn's mind began to work trying to remember who Pinkie Pie was before realizing that it was that crazy mare earlier in the cafè. Exhaling as he realized that the explanation was somewhat simple, and this whole situation was, for a lack of better word- misunderstood. This was one of few times that Silent wished that he was normal pony, once again he felt like his deafness had done nothing but cause yet another problem. A problem that he didn't mean to happen. Silent somberly wrote his response, his thoughts began to wander back to depression. Some drink, any drink, sounded so good to Silent right now. “Pinkie Pie? Wasn't that the crazy pink mare? I didn't know anything of this party or invitation. She ran into me in that cafe, and did...her thing, if you could call that. She just kept talking, then left abruptly; it was then I left. She didn't talk to me directly, like what we're doing now.” Nervously floating both of pad of paper and pen back to the lavender Unicorn promptly. Her expression shifted noticeably from being suspicious and mad, then realization, eyes widening, returning to normal then understanding, then finally a soft expression. Twilight then did a facehoof, muttering “Oh Pinkie Pie!”, Silent assumed based on his lip reading. Twilight muttered something to herself, writing her reply. Silent was still rubbing his right forehoof while he anxiously waited. ”I see, that explains things. You see, when we arrived at party and Pinkie Pie announced that she invited, I mean invited a new stallion in the town to the party. I thought she communicated to you by writing. Anyway, naturally she went around the town inviting everypony that she knows, including her friends like myself to go. Well, after some time had passed, and you didn't show up. Pinkie Pie was getting..depressed, thinking that the pony- you- didn't like parties or ignored her invitation- the situation slowly got out of hand. Luckily, one of my friends asked her what did this stallion looked like.” Twilight looked up at Silent briefly, taking a mini-break before continuing. The notebook was floating in the air, encased with purple aura and the pen wrote by itself frantically. “After our pink friend explained this stallion's features, I realized that it matched you. Putting 2 and 2 together myself, I took the reins and asked the party-goers if they have met anypony like you in town today. Berry Punch came up, told me where she sent you. I spent about last hour looking for you, though I couldn't find you until I saw a strange glow in distance, coupled with my magic locating spell. I think the party is going on, if you want to come with me. I'll try my best to explain the whole situation.” Putting down the notebook down after Twilight turned it over to him, Silent began to comprehend the situation, then things got quiet as Silent contemplated about the party. Personally, Silent hated parties, he had some of bad memory/experiences that came out of it. Silent's mind began to take a memory trip. It was long time ago, when Silent was still colt; he was at his first outside party to getting his first taste of booze. This was just soon after series of events that sent him spiraling downwards. One of his former friends brought him there, and after while everything was good. Upbeat, drunk, and most of all- numb. Silent loved this feeling. Soon after, some drunk mare at, one point, began going around to spread the word that Silent Dreamweaver was hitting on her. It was getting a bit cold, so the party moved into the party host's house. A few moments later, a huge stallion breaks down the door running up straight to Silent- naturally the deaf Unicorn doesn't know what had transpired. Apparently, that stallion was the mare's coltfriend. They were face to face, literally. In his drunken state, he only got one hit in on this angry stallion to defend himself. Silent couldn't use his magic properly. The stallion ducked the second punch that Silent threw and gave quick right hoof to the jaw and dropped the deaf Unicorn. The next thing that he remembered from that night was rain of hoofs to his face, with his face red shouting vulgar things that was directed at him but never actually got through. Pain, is all he remembered; the ponies did nothing to help but after a few moments of beating. Two colts that were there finally pulled the enraged stallion off Silent's battered body. Those colts had difficulty keeping him away, as Silent could remember next that he received a kick to the face that knocked him out cold, his blood was sprayed into wall. He had received some heavy bruises on his face and cuts on his forehead as well his horn. Silent was sent to the ER, and spent a week of his life in that undesirable place- the hospital. It was one of his first scars, both physically and emotionally, it was also the beginning of his distrust of ponies in general. Silent later learnt that the stallion ran away from the party with his marefriend. Long story short, they questioned everypony at the party and somepony said that stallion's name. Few days later the Celestia's guards arrested him and threw him into jail, yet it did nothing to quell his new founded scars. Snapping out of the big memory trip, blinking once then twice. Quickly Silent's bad side snaked its way to his mind and conscience. Silent needed his booze, he wanted to be numb from depressive and horrible thoughts that was creeping up on him, just to get away from the world, away from himself. He literally needed a drink now, giving into his addiction it was always an answer to everything for him. Twilight was still sitting there, looking at him wondering what got into him. Silent looked like he was sad, just out of it. Suddenly, Silent perked up and put on the mask of a smile as he attempted to force his lugubrious feeling and thoughts down. Twilight felt that Silent was hiding something, and she felt like even a touch would break him down. She examined him carefully, hoping to find her way in and ask him if he was okay. Silent wouldn't have it, he had his guard up- focusing on his writing. There was something else that he did that she saw. Twilight also noticed the book was encased with Silent's magic, it looked like it was actually playing out the book! What kind of spell was that? She wanted to learn that spell! Silent Dreamweaver's cutie mark was another thing on her mind. It was of dream cloud, one light cloud with a black cloud behind it. She so badly wanted to ask him about it, of its meaning but she forced herself to not in fear of losing a new friend and driving him away. ”A party? That sounds great, I'm grateful that you're willing to help me out by explaining the situation. I think it would help a bit if I apologized to your friend,” Silent paused in his writing as he glanced over to top of page of their previous conversation. What was that crazy pink mare name?... aha Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, even if it is unnecessary, after all I feel like it is my fault. I think you're great at magic, since you're able to find me with this..magic locating spell you say? Thank you Twilight, shall you lead the way?” Silent Dreamweaver put on his best fake smile as he could, he thought Twilight believed it when she smiled, trotting away from oak tree toward Ponyville. Twilight reactivated her light spell to navigate their way through the darkness, the moonlight helping them out. Silent promptly followed, making sure he doesn't get lost or drifted away after all he was still new to this area. Sigh, only three days to go... After spending about thirty minutes navigating their way back into town, they finally made it back. Ponyville's night lights was like a beacon to them, they released a small sigh of relief coupled with sense of pride that there was no problems on the way. Silent couldn't help but get some sense that Ponyville was different during the night, it was too quiet, almost like a ghost town. Twilight did say that half of the town was at party, but still. Various stands that stood at town centrè wasn't there, in the darkness Silent could see few of places that he went past earlier today. Only place that had their lights on was Sugarcube Corner; with each step that Twilight and Silent took he could feel his heart jumping to his throat, getting bit hard to breathe, getting a cold sweat; Twilight was oblivious to this. In a nutshell, Silent was afraid of what would happen when he walked into Sugarcube Corner. Both of the Unicorns made it to the door, standing next to each other. Silent tried to calm down his frayed nerves, smiling nervously at himself and Twilight. Twilight found his nervous smile slightly amusing, when she knocked on the door and the lavender unicorn's ears perked up- hearing some noises coming from other side of the door. Silent watched as the door knob wiggled then turned to the right, his eyes widened- it seemed like it was the end of the world for him. Gradually, the door opened. Overly-super-awesome editor as usual! -----> MrMinimii Chapter 6As Silent took a step into the unknown, his heart and head pounded in synchronous. What Silent first saw was a sea of multicolored ponies, all turning their attention to the star guest. Silent wanted to trot backwards and get out of there because he wasn't used having this many eyes on him. Half of Ponyville, no less! Twilight noticed this and she wouldn't have it, with the rate of things are going anyway,so she stepped forward like a natural leader and spoke up clearly and loudly. The deaf Unicorn just sat there, smiling awkwardly as he gradually got more attention than when they walked through that door. Praying to Princess Luna over and over that this party wouldn't be a repeat of that party incident. Silent sat just a couple feet away from the lavender Unicorn speaking the crowd, supposedly explaining the situation to the party-goers. Scanning the place, he could see there was a plethora of confetti, balloons, food, few different punches I so hope those are the drinks that I've been dying forand ... the crazy pink mare? Pinkie Pie looked so different, her pink coat darkened and her mane and tail were flat. Silent thought it actually looked better on her, although her current mood was creeping him out. Noticing Twilight, his new Unicorn friend, walking up to Pinkie Pie, spoke few words to her and nodded her head at her then gesturing her at me with a smile. It was then, very strange thing happened when Silent watched Pinkie Pie's transformation. Pinkie Pie's eyes widened, her frown turned upside down as she beamed a huge smile. The crazy pink mare’s darkened pink coat turned back into, well, more pink. Silent actually compared the crazy pink mare's mane and tail to balloons, due to them inflating just like it. If Silent wasn't deaf, he would have bet some bits that it would sound like balloons if you rubbed her mane. Barraging through Twilight and some of crowd, she stoped at Silent- bouncing in place and apparently eternally grateful that this whole thing was just misunderstanding. Also the Unicorn, the star guest that she invited to 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, actually showed up. Pinkie Pie then began to bounce on the spot, and when she was finished bouncing she actually spoke slowly for once, Twilight's speech earlier directing her actions in her seemingly random head. Silent was lip reading very carefully; Pinkie Pie trying her best to be slow for the deaf Unicorn. “My name’s Pinkie Pie, and welcome to 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!” Silent chuckled then nodded, gesturing to that crazy pink mare that he understood most of it. The white Unicorn held his hoof out which Pinkie Pie accepted, shaking his hoof furiously. When the villagers witnessed turn of her mood, they gave their cheers at both ponies- including Twilight. Drink, drink! Silent exhaled sharply walking past the crazy pink mare, deciding to ignore the other ponies for the moment: his need of liquor took control. Some ponies stopped him on the way, greeting him. He returned the gesture autonomously. Silent kept pacing himself toward the punchs like there was nothing there to stop him. The deaf Unicorn made it to the table, recognizing one of the liquids in bowl before him, though it wasn't his preferred drink. Instead of vodka, it was hard cider. Activating his magic to pour himself some; in a rush Silent downed his drink in no time at all. Only ten minutes had passed after he polished off his fourth cup. He finally achieved where he wanted to be: numb yet coherent. Four cups of hard cider isn't even close to what his usual vodka can do. With an extra spring in his trot,he finally got what he wanted all day. Making his way through the crowd levitating his fifth bottle, along with an extra one. In short distance, Silent could make out the purple Unicorn, Twilight, among with pink, cream, yellow, light blue, and white ponies. When you are in a semi-huge party, not knowing anypony, but one, naturally you would go to somepony that is familiar. For Silent, it was Twilight that he was most familiar with, so he went with it. After weaving his way through the party-goers, nearly spilling both of the cups twice when somepony bumped into him, Silent waved at Twilight which she perked up at, smiling beckoning him to sit down among her group for friends. The creamy yellow Pegasus rushed and hid behind the rainbow maned Pegasus. The white Unicorn with an extravagantly styled purple mane made a loud gasp, her sapphire eyes giving a quick glance over Silent's choice of fashion; the group of ponies looked at him expectantly. Floating the extra cup over to Twilight, which she graciously accepted, but after sipping some of it; she secretly set it down behind her when Silent wasn't looking. The deaf Unicorn was rummaging through his bag, fishing out his now-beaten notebook. Silent had a bit of difficulty finding a blank page as there was only ten left. As soon Silent pulled it out, Twilight snatched it out of his hoofs; looking at the deaf Unicorn with a wry smile as she pulled a pen out of his bag. Giggling to herself, placing the pen on the blank page. Silent began to fiddle around with his hoof, giving this mini group of mares a look around; they looked quite different than his usual set of friends- it was somewhat strange of Twilight since Silent was beginning to peg her as academic type. After all, Twilight lived in the library! Silent, however, reeled his thoughts back, reminding him that you can find friendship with anypony if you take your time to know them. He felt something tapping him, glancing over his shoulder and noticing the floating notebook, courtesy of Twilight's magic. Twilight smiled as Silent pulled it out of the air, and began to talk to her friends. Holding the notebook with his magic; his green eyes began to read from left to right. “Are you enjoying your party so far? I hope you are. Anyhow, I would love to introduce you to my friends! I'll list them off from left to right so you could attribute the names to correct mares. My name is Twilight Sparkle! I jest! and I'm sure you already know who Pinkie Pie is ; she's actually Ponyville's go-to-mare for parties. That's Applejack, the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, they produced that hard cider that you are drinking right now. That's Rarity, she's a.. ‘passionate’ fashion designer. Onwards to the cyan Pegasus with rainbow mane, her name is Rainbow Dash; her talent is stunt flying. The shy Pegasus that is currently hiding behind Rainbow Dash is our friend, Fluttershy. She's sort of local veterinarian; she absolutely loves animals.” Silent contemplated, remembering that not a few seconds earlier that he thought Twilight had a diverse group friends, he was proven right. He allowed himself a small genuine smile. Not sure of what he should go on with this, he just chose to write big words on a single page that stated. “Nice to meet you all! My name is Silent Dreamweaver!” Flipping over the notebook so everypony could see, all of their reactions was all the same. All were smiling, speaking very briefly which Silent assumed that it was reply of “Nice to meet you too” or somewhere along those lines. They proceeded to spend some time with each for half of the hour, Pinkie was asking him how much did he like the party, Fluttershy finally had some courage to come out just enough to say “hi”, Applejack asked him how did he like the hard cider, Silent told her that he loved the taste but believes it is not potent enough. Somewhere along the line, Silent's notebook was finally full but only to have Pinkie Pie appear randomly holding a empty notebook, and of course it was a pink notebook. Sometimes the conversation steers the others other way briefly, discluding Silent in the chat. It was somewhat okay with him for time being, one of worst perks of being deaf was that normal ponies sometimes forget that he was there- even if they didn’t mean it. Things got increasingly worse afterward, however. It began with Rarity examining Silent, more specifically the black turtleneck that he was wearing. It looked like it was sewn together very well, no mistakes in the seams and the materials were high quality. The black color on it hasn't faded at all, even with years of wearing. Rarity wanted to look at it closer, and so she began asking Silent about it. Rarity's obsession of fashion which drove her bit too far with her request as she tried to touch Silent's black turtleneck with her magic. Silent held his cloth down with his hoof, growling and gave her an angry glare at Rarity, which came across to her as ungentlemanly. What Rarity said next to Silent broke him. “Honestly! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?!” Silent was lip reading, his body began to shake with rage. Silent's disease of depression came back to him twofold. Snatching up the notebook and the pen that he set down earlier. Silent wrote rashly in very first page of his new notebook before shoving it over to Rarity with his magic. “Don't touch this piece of cloth ever again, it was made by my mother! It is last thing left that I have of her!” The tension in the air was so high between both ponies, even a slightest movement could cut through it. Rarity became quiet for some reason, she began to pick up the pen with her magic and began to write something. It was something so trivial, it would be easy for Rarity to apologize and for Silent for accept, but he doesn’t have exactly the best handle with his emotional state or best of social skills. Silent tried to calm himself down, exhaling sharply and slowly as his brief outburst began to settle down in the minds of Rarity, Twilight, and their friends. Not to mention the party-goers that were nearby. Silent was almost entirely calmed down with bit of help until Twilight who set her hoof on his shoulder gently, this simple gesture of supposed comfort- Silent wasn’t used to this simple action. The deaf Unicorn broke down, shaking on his haunches. Silent’s eyes threatened to break down. With that, without letting Rarity a chance to respond or anypony for that matter. Silent stood up and left the Sugarcube Corner. Leaving the six ponies and the party-goers behind in shock. He wanted to run from everything and then himself as usual. Tears were threatening to break out, so he just ran. Stopping for few moments at one of Ponyville’s street corner. Buck this, buck this all! Sluggishly walking, he came across his destination- the bowling alley that he spied earlier today. Opening the door with heavy heart, giving the place a quick scan. It was still open, his eyes making contact with a large counter. Ignoring the bowlers doing their thing at the lanes, trotting his way up whilst taking out about thirty bits and asking for best drinks that they have. Afterwards when he stepped outside; first thing he could feel was the cold air; carrying five cheap brewed vodka bottles. Silent’s bad side finally took over him as he screwed open one bottle and began drinking, began his journey back to one place that he was truly alone earlier. Anything. Anything. Anything to get away from this. Making it back to that oak tree where he was earlier, he screwed open his second bottle and continued drinking his troubles away. The first or second bottle of liquor wasn't working very well, he just screamed and threw the bottle at the tree trying to quell his rage and pain, mostly his pain. Silent just began crying as memories of his mother began to surface, her beautiful white face, brown mane looking down at him with a loving smile. The memory began to skip over various points of Silent’s life of his mother or his father or both. Wiping away his tears, his body shook in anguish holding his head with his hoof. Go away. Go away. Go away, please After quite some time, half of third bottle was finished; he went past the stage of simple numb and a buzz to full blown drunk. Silent began to behave very differently, he pranced around tree not caring about single thing in the world, not even himself. Needlessly to say, Silent's face and body was mess; probably worse than that day in that bar prior getting kicked out of his home. Silent's vision was heavily blurred, he stumbled on his hoof falling sideways holding fourth bottle. Adding up what he had so far, five cups of hard cider, four bottles of cheap vodka- subtracting the unopened one. Silent groaned as he felt like something was pinching his stomach, and twisting it around, holding both of his forehoofs to his stomach. Pain is all he could describe in this drunken state, Silent threw up most of what he drank or ate that day. He released a pathetic whimper, crying. He hated himself so much. He felt so pathetic that he always resorted to this to get “away”. Under the canvas of one million stars with a moon gradually moving across the sky, Silent blacked out. The deaf unicorn's snoring breaks the peaceful night, he laid there wasted with empty bottles then some around him. Slowly a purple aura encased Silent’s unconscious body, floating him in the air. Twilight deciding to take matters in her own hoofs. Sixth thanks to MrMinimii! Chapter 7 (Edited)Silent drifted away from the land of blankness, somewhere that he actually felt peaceful. Even if it was empty, something pushed him to awake from safety of a dream; back into reality that he is constantly trying so hard to avoid. Waking up slowly, his green eyes scanning the ceiling, and slowly he came to the realization that he wasn't outside. He didn’t remember much from last night, his body was just beginning to reactivate after the long rest. Silent wished that it didn't do so- hungover from his drinking binge came to him two-fold, probably worse than one that he went through that day when he got kicked out of his home. Silent groaned as his headache pounded along at the same time as his heart in harmony, but chuckled wearily at how low of the point he is at now. It is actually bit of wonder why he wasn't dead yet. Was there something out there waiting for him? Or is Silent being blind if something that he wanted is already right front of him? At least the room was dark, even if it was morning: the curtains was shut. Silent's mental state was a mess; he cannot think of anything. Silent didn’t even want to question why he was in bed, all snuggled in. Pushing himself to fight the hangover by simply closing his eyes, the dark bedroom helping him, and soon after, Silent fell asleep. Only this time he didn’t dream, he just simply slept. How funny is it of how fast time passes when you are out of it? When you're awake, sometimes your conscience could actually feel the tick, tick, tick and you wonder why don't the time go faster; every second felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours and so forth on. Slowly he came to once again, the sun moved across the sky; it was in the afternoon. Physically, Silent returned to normal, however mentally- that’s another story. Taking a breath, rolling out of bed into his all fours. Speaking of time, only two more days to go now... Dragging himself out of the bedroom, the short hallway was unrecognizable to Silent but he had only one goal. Following this goal, he checked all of doors in the hallway. Bedroom, closet, another closet, aha bathroom Pushing himself into the bathroom, closing the door then locking it. It was just him now. Slowly climbing up to the mirror, staring at himself. Have you ever looked in the mirror trying to find out who you are only to see a stranger staring back? Do you ever reach out for him? He always reaches back but something won't let you touch him. He's who you're looking for, he knows who he is. He is you. He knows, but he can't tell you. He's so lost. You don’t know how to find him. You feel like you know him but you don't recognize him. He might be smart, kind, handsome and strong. He must be friends with everypony, he looks so friendly. He must be accomplished and proud of who he is. He must know who he is. That's a bunch of horseapples. He is none of those above; he just wishes to be a normal pony with all normal things. But that is not the story his eyes tell, he's broken inside. He wants to fix it, he tries to ignore it, but it's always going to be there. He isn't who you thought she was. Not at all. Now when you look at him, he is disgusting. You see fear in his eyes. He is afraid of you knowing who he is. He drinks himself to oblivion but that just makes it worse. He should just do everyone a favour and kill himself. But that’s not who you are; you aren’t either of those stallions. You aren’t anything in between. You are nothing. That’s who you are, nothing. Why was it so hard for you to figure out who you are when you aren’t anything? You were searching for somepony who isn’t there. All Silent wanted in life was somepony showing him who he was and would accept who he is, without attempting to change anything themselves. Silent touched the mirror, slowly increasing his pressure, just wanting to shatter it. He just looked away from the mirror, backing up a bit before going on with his business. Silent began to smell himself, the smell was terrible; some of vomit stuck to him from last night. Climbing in the shower, he just stood there letting hot water hitting him for awhile. Silent had no more tears to shed for the moment, using up most of it last night. Turning off the water before getting out; he felt at least a little bit cleaner. He nearly forgot which room that he woke up in for moment, but nevertheless, after little treasure hunt he found it. There was something weighing on his mind, he felt like there was something missing- can't quite put his hoof on it. Suddenly it came to him: his saddlebag! He began to look around the dark room. Activating his magic, a bright green glow slowly came to life as he cluttered around the room looking for it. He found it lying at the foot of his bed. Sighing in relief, he dug into it and withdrew 'Number One', a book he had always enjoyed. One of ponies that he knew back in Baltimare once asked him, ‘Why do you read?’ The simple question turned out to be much more complex for Silent. Silent could always lie- “Oh, I want to educate ourselves, maybe simple entertainment or seeking an imaginative world to escape to.” No, Silent Dreamweaver's answer to the question was that for a brief moment he could at least pretend to be somepony else in the book, maybe the main character, maybe the other characters to avoid being himself. Silent explored the house for bit, mainly to find a good place to read- somewhere with good lighting. Out the bedroom, down the hallway, then down the stairs. Taking in a familiar sight, this was where he borrowed his books yesterday; it seemed like nopony was around. Silent revelled in the solitude, trotting over to a comfortable-looking couch. Silent once again slapped his name on the couch, calling it his own when he laid down on his back. Settling down, his horn began to glow green; the book floated above him as he began with his reading. Look out for number one. That was the rule for as long as you could remember. You grew up in Clopton, a tough place ponies always told stories of. Every mistake was painful, every insult was personal, and everypony took what they could get. Between the gangs and the violence, you had managed to lay low in the background and survive, albeit not unscathed. You had a few scars here and there, the bigger ones you covered up with a jacket. There were some down your forelegs and one deep one around the base of your neck. You made your bits as a repaircolt of sorts. As m... Muttering to himself whilst reading, snapping out of trance when he felt something sharp tapping his shoulder. Silent folded the corner of page that he was on to 'bookmark' it and closed it, slowly turning his attention the other way. What he saw made him jump and scream in bewilderment at first, which soon after evolved into alaugh. After laughing for awhile, it became pure mirth. Now imagine this, you were reading something then turned your attention to a small lizard, or some sorts just standing there wearing a pink apron decorated with flowers, holding a spatula! It seemed so unnatural and comical that Silent just had to laugh. Slowly his laugh died to the occasional snicker. The overgrown lizard mumbled angrily while walking out the room. Silent exhaled slowly, returning to his reading. The mood within the room returned to its usual melancholy state. Shivering for second or two when he felt some cold air rush into the room, Silent looked up from the book and only to get his eyes assaulted by a wall of purple front of him. Scanning the room, he noticed the door to outside was wide open; it was still sunny. Sitting up, Silent wasn't sure what he should say now in this situation, Twilight seemed had same thing on her mind. This whole thing is new to her: a traumatized, deaf, drunk Unicorn... It seemed bad to her at first, but somehow she didn't want to believe that there is such a pony like him in peaceful land of Equestria. Twilight had spent most of last night studying the effects of alcoholism, as well some of deafness, yes she couldn’t understand why somepony as nice as him, based on what she had seen so far, would drink himself to the brink. At least Twilight could do something for him, but she wasn't sure if he would accept the help or not and internal battle flared within her between holding herself back and letting her learn it all, know it all to take over. Putting her decision on if she should extending hoof to Silent, instead she put it off for later. She pulled out a notebook and did the usual before handing it over to Silent. Twilight chose to not touch upon the subject of his drinking, but rather act on her friend's request Good afternoon Silent. I hope you slept well, Twilight paused, figuring out what was right thing to say to him. After few moment of deep thoughts, she decided to just go with: I was wondering if you could come with me for few minutes. I would like to take you someplace, maybe to eat or something? Silent seemed stoic, just sitting there when she levitated the message over to him. Silent looked up at her briefly, this message was very brief, and he couldn't help but feel there was ulterior motive behind it. It didn't seem bad- go out get some lunch then probably come back, pack up his things then go back to that bowling alley to drink some more and rent a hotel or motel room if he could find one in this town, ride out last two days. Before finally purchasing a ticket to Trottingham, then settle down in repeated cycle of his life. The deaf Unicorn accepted with some refrain. That sounds...great, I haven't eaten anything yet today. Just one question before we go out for a lunch: who was that? I met this uh, overgrown lizard wearing a pink apron. I think I made him angry.. Silent tossed the notebook gently at Twilight, which she caught with her magic. Twilight's eye did a once-over before smiling slightly as she wrote. That's Spike, he's actually a baby dragon and he is my number one assistant in running this library and whatnot. What did you do to make him angry? Twilight tossed the notebook back to Silent, he wasn't paying attention for a moment while he pondered of what Spike was. Twilight snickered slightly when the notebook smacked into his face, mouthing “sorry” at Silent's perplexed face. Silent made a small smile, reading over her reply, feeling his jaw drop weakly. A... a dragon?! A baby dragon, fine, but still a fire-breathing dragon living in very flammable environment- namely the tree itself and books, as well the furniture. Silent, although still a bit shaken from the dragon, didn’t question the mare. If this Unicorn deemed it safe to live here with a... a dragon, then so did he. Silent hopped off the couch, carrying the book that he was reading back up upstairs and set it down next to his bag; taking out about 40 bits, just in case. Checking himself over briefly in the bathroom, taking a deep breath trying to prepare himself . Silent trotted back downstairs where he saw Twilight waiting at the door, levitating her parchment and quill. The deaf Unicorn gestured for the parchment and quill that Twilight had. He wasn’t too sure about this whole thing, not after last night. Deciding to be blunt with his question. Um, Twilight. Where are we going to eat out at? Silent sent the parchment back over to Twilight, she paused to think before writing. Some cafè that I know, they have great hay fries and hay sandwiches. It is not far from here. Rubbing his back of neck, sighing. Silent gives up for now, deciding to stick by with his decision of accepting Twilight’s offer. ‘Number One’ by Whirring Gears (check it out: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1827/Number-One) Awesome editor as usual - MrMinimii /)^ɛ^(\ Chapter 8Silent and Twilight trotted through the vibrant village, the sun shining, overcast clouds and some wind lightly blew against their side. However, this beautiful weather betrayed Silent's actual mood. He still couldn't but help himself to feel that Twilight had some ulterior motive behind this all; hoping it wouldn't be bad at all. Twilight stopped for moment, looking back and snickering when Silent's stomach growled loudly. Rubbing his hoof on his stomach, looking up and saw Twilight was still trotting up ahead. Silent sighed, letting his primitive urge of getting food winning out. He increased his speed, soon catching up to the lavender Unicorn. Twilight was stopped few times on their way by random ponies that Silent didn't know; some spoke briefly, others just waved. Amidst all of this,Twilight's mind wasn't on anypony but Silent. They were quiet the whole time. ever since they left the library; the atmosphere gradually became oppressive for Twilight, afraid of what things would turn out which was her friend’s request and Twilight’s plan. Whetever if it would bear some fruit. After few minutes of trotting, passing the establishments that he recognized from his first exploration of Ponyville, Silent finally took in the first glimpse of the cafè that Twilight had mentioned. It was somewhat fancy with few tables right outside,. A waiter running around with his snout poised, politely conducting his business; taking orders and refilling customer's drinks. Twilight walked up, Silent peering over her shoulder and noticed a sign: Welcome and Please Wait to be Seated After waiting a few moments, that waiter came up to the Unicorn pair, and after few words were exchanged between him and Twilight, the waiter turned around to face Silent. Silent examined the waiter for short time: he had a blue slicked back mane and tail, a goatee, light cream coat, a bowtie, and his cutie mark was a dish with metal cover. The waiter’s blue eyes glanced over the Unicorn pair once more before picking up two menus and led the pair to their table. Both Unicorns took their seats respectively; the waiter nodded once before passing out two menus out. Silent gave it a quick glance-over, and chose a simple meal- hayburger. Let's see, it says here...hayburger is grilled hay, and it will be stacked by lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, some sort of sauce. Sounds good enough for me, cheap too: five bits. Let’s see what this cafè has for the beverages. Silent peeked out of his menu, noticing that Twilight was already chose her order and the waiter was waiting for them, sporting his signature smile. With horn glowing a light blue, he held a notepad, readily taking Twilight’s order, flashing his signature smile. Silent just chose to hurry it up, rushing through the back of the ledger. Drinks, drinks, there you are! Water, regular cider, and soda. Moving on. Aha!...specific drinks. Margarita, Purple Rain, Tubboocki..blah blah Bloody Mare! Perfect. Silent didn't have anything to write with at that moment, so he just floated the menu to the waiter and pointed his hoof at his orders: a hayburger and a Bloody Mare. The waiter gave him a curt nod, repeating the order to confirm, before taking Twilight's order. Not soon after waiter trotted off with their orders, explaining that their food will be ready in fifteen minutes to half of hour. An awkward silence grew between them while they waited for their order to be completed. Twilight smiled nervously, finally nerved herself up to kick-start a conversation, floated a parchment and quill out of her saddlebag, flattening it out on the table. Twilight was nervous, hoping to guide the discussion in the right direction, yet still not wanted to upset the other. Twilight tapped the quill few times on her parchment, before finally writing then turned it over to Silent. How are you today? Are you enjoying Ponyville so far, what awaits for you in Trottingham, I remember you saying something about it before. Shifting in his chair, Silent’s eyes looked down and he fiddled with his hoofs: the first two questions weren't too prying, but the third question was. Silent didn't really have anything waiting for him in Trottingham, not to mention that he was kicked out of his home. Silent went to work on the parchment, hoping to change the subject in his favor. Silent chose to lie, he figured it would work better in long run since he would be gone from this village in two days. I'm fine, little tired but fine. I actually originally thought this was a hick town when I got off the train, but overtime Ponyville, and its denizens, proved me mostly wrong... Silent just sat there, quickly forming a believable story. I'm actually moving to Trottingham, I decided that my life in Baltimare wasn't what I wanted when I was colt. When one of my friends told me his experiences in that city, then invited me to live with him; needless to say her had grabbed my interest. I just had to go- I'm in search of... A word popped in his head, and with no other alternatives, Silent caved and wrote: freedom. ______________________ What about you Twilight? Floating the parchment back to Twilight, looking at the short reply, she couldn't help but question that there was something more than just moving to Trottingham “just because his friend told him about it”. Pressing on it or not, she couldn't decide upon, though, instead she asks him a another question but not before telling him bit about herself to help continue the conversation. I don't need to tell you my name more than twice. I jest! Actually, I hail from Canterlot, and I'm here in Ponyville under orders of my teacher, Princess Celestia, to learn magic of friendship. My hobbies are studying, specifically magic, and reading, hence why I was able to have this job as a librarian! What about yourself? What are your interests and hobbies? This is not going where Silent thought it would go, however Twilight seemed genuine with her questions; once again Silent gave up and simply wrote his reply. Silent looks up noticing Twilight smiling; looking at him working on his reply intently. Silent found that little bit odd, but harmless, prossibly even cute. Shaking his head few times, chuckling as turned the quill and the parchment back to Twilight. For once, he was actually having little bit of fun. Silent shakes that content feeling off because he still cannot shake off the feeling of impending doom. What Twilight said in the parchment hit him in full force. She's the personal student of Princess Celestia? Ignoring this tidbit for now, Silent began working on his reply. Slowly cold realization hit him that he doesn't have any interests or hobbies aside from drinking and reading. Silent began trying to think back on his foalhood, drawing some long and dead facts into light. Well, I enjoy a lot of things. I used to write and draw, and I do various things as it comes to me. I don't...really keep interests in things long enough beside reading. Silent felt like this reply was too short, but he was having great difficulty remembering the real him: there was more to him but he couldn't simply remember. He had been avoiding the subject of his past, more specifically his parents. Sighing somberly, his bad side began slowly latching on. Well, at least that Bloody Mare is coming out Twilight sighed, the reply of his was too brief and vague; the atmosphere between two unicorn gradually became awkward. Both are not sure of what to say to each other, Twilight had still so much to ask him. Silent's scars, magic, cutiemark, and that spell! She couldn't put her mind off it for last few days, she even researched and consulted the spell books and to no avail, she couldn't find spell similar to what Silent did. Twilight's studious personality slowly took over her common sense. Both Unicorns were deep in thought on their subject respectively, snapping out of it when the waiter arrived with their order. Serving the food and drinks on the table, Silent's prying eyes followed the plate as it floated through the air. On it were two hayburgers. Silent's mouth began watering, his stomach reminding him once again that he hasn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. He was also eternally grateful that this cafè had a alcoholic drink: vodka, tomato juice, red hot sauce, green hot sauce, worcester sauce, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper- the Bloody Mare! Twilight's main order was hay fries, the side meal was salad; it was in a medium bowl. Whisked sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil with spinach, and toss just before serving. Twilight and Silent decided to put off the talk off for now to quell this awkward situation as well as to enjoy their dinner. Being deaf, sometimes Silent had to remind himself to not chew loudly and keep his mouth closed to not disturb anypony with his eating. Silent did so and they ate in peace for time being, successfully killing off one hayburger and half of the other. and downing not one, but two Blood Mares while Twilight finished up. That was good dinner, Silent! I should order a hayburger next time I'm here, never had one before. It looked like you were gorging upon it. Twilight giggled as Silent construed over the message. The deaf Unicorn smirked as he cut through his half-finished hayburger and offered it to Twilight, which she accepted with reluctance, her stomach reminding that she was nearly full. She took a bite out of it and her eyes widened, then narrowed. Silent chuckled as her lips read “This is good!”, then proceeded to vanquish the hayburger from existence. Silent and Twilight sat there, writing back and forth about trivial things: . Twilight was stalling for time, and succeed- few minutes after the appointed time that the mare and Twilight planned on of her showing up. All had gone according to plan as the mare in question trotted silently behind Silent.Twilight was first to notice, slowly forming a nervous silence hoping that her friend's request and Twilight's plan wouldn't be blown out of proportion. Silent looked up, wondering what-had drove her companion to sudden silence, followed her line of sight, taking in her features, learning more details about her than he did last night at the party: she was a white coated unicorn, with a purple styled mare, blue eyes with eyeliner accompanying it a trio of cyan gems for her cutie mark . What he saw made his heart stop for minute, all sense of relaxation drained away then replaced with a renewed sense of anger. He began to growl under his breath, but chose to not show it for now, having no idea why she was here. [When is part nine coming out? O.O] - MrMinimii [No idea :D]- Morfonious Chapter 9It's funny how weather, wonderful weather at that, can betray the mood when this event began to fold out by itself. Silent began to turn red, quivering at his seat with his renewed anger from last night's party began to flare up within him. Nopony have ever touched his beloved black turtleneck like that. Silent's green eyes narrowed, his behaviour suddenly became cautious. Silent began working himself off the chair, wordlessly throwing some bits on the table to pay for his food. Silent still had no idea why that mare was here! Bidding his time to leave, but was only stopped by not one but two mares: Twilight and Rarity. Sidestepping toward the exit, then blocked with their bodies; both mares stood side by side whilst Twilight smiled nervously, while Rarity bore a face of heavy regret, like there was something that she wanted to say so badly. Silent tried to go around them, the deaf Unicorn was afraid of what he would do if things went wrong; Twilight shifted herself to block his attempts to leave. He gradually became angrier at Twilight, when cold realization hit Silent about Twilight and her actions of as late. Now he was angry at two mares! Silent's lavender unicorn companion had tricked, set up, deceived him into coming here. Why else would Rarity show up at this out-of-way cafè? Why else would Twilight ask him out for a dinner? Silent's anger doubled. Berating himself at his pathetic attempt to control himself, nearly losing himself here and there. He tried to push gently past them; he may be angry at both, but he wouldn't never hit a mare- for any reason. However, his his mind began to cloud: he wanted to lash out. Twilight became genuinely afraid that the plan was beginning to disintegrate. Rarity took the actions into her own hooves, shoving herself up against him and shouted something at him. Silent's eyes widened for moment, then slowly dropped. A strange emotion took over him; he was still angry, but beginning to feel guilty. Silent was about to confront her with whatever was on his mind, but she just shouted again to confirm it, repeating it for good measure. “I'm sorry!” The deaf stallion's eyes widened and he sighed, not knowing what to do: rarely he encountered this kind of situation in his life. Silen Dreamweaver began to drop on his haunches- scratching his mane. Something was nagging at him, prodding him along. Rarity held her breath, this silence after an apology wasn't something that she was used to. Rarity felt bad that she went too far with her fashion obsession, touching something that wasn't hers without asking. Rarity felt like time was stagnant, looking upon the deaf stallion. Snapping to attention, the fashion designer perks up then droops her ears down when Silent looked back up with an unreadable face. Silent Dreamweaver couldn't think straight enough to write, or form any words. Staring at Rarity’s eyes; debating within himself on whetever if she was telling the truth. Finally, Silent blinked once then nodded softly. Half of the heavy tension in the air instantly dissipated as Rarity acknowledged Silent's acceptance. Twilight heaved her own sigh as their plan worked like charm... or so she thought. Rarity released a breath, not realizing that she had been holding it in, and began to move in the typical mare's response: to hug. Silent may have forgiven her, but he didn't still like her very much. The deaf Unicorn pushed his hoof against her advance darkly shaking his head no. Silent was able to manage himself when he activated his horn, gleaming in green, to levitate the parchment from the table over, With a renewed mind, Silent took the quill and began writing his message. The deaf stallion regained control of his mind being able to form words, so he began writing. I may have forgiven you, but I still don't appreciate what you did. What followed was an awkward silence. Rarity felt slightly offended, but she did do what she intended to do- apologize to this deaf newcomer. Rarity shuffled nervously then gracefully held her hoof out, looking at the white coated stallion front of her. Silent responded by handing over the parchment with the quill with his magic. She elegantly activated her horn, which was glimmering in light blue, and began to write. Silent peered at her writing; it was very fancy- like something that those rich snobs would have. It was that feeling that Silent held on Rarity, but some of it got thrown out of the window when she actually apologized. Thank you, I understand and I am still sorry about this whole dreadful incident. I do wish to be a friend to you but I understand if that is something slow to take up... Rarity paused, that cloth was still nagging her. It was sewn perfectly, and it was so black that it rivaled Princess Luna's night itself. She must learn how it was created, then there was the subject of his mother. What was Silent Dreamweaver's mother was like? How was she capable of sewing something like that. However, Rarity chose to stop right there; if she asked again, it would make her apologization null void. The beautiful fashion designer simply waved her hoof, and bowed slightly then left with graceful trot. Silent offered no gesture as he watched her leave the cafè. The deaf Unicorn just sat there, processing everything that had just happened. All focus was upon Twilight; Silent's mind was like scrambled eggs, hard to follow through with his thoughts, but slowly it fell upon on Twilight and his realization earlier. Twilight was sitting across at their table, finished plates and cups cluttered it. It was ignored by both Unicorns as they exchanged looks. Silent was livid. He was tricked. Silent didn't like it one bit. The deaf stallion shot her a dark look, which Twilight took aback. She thought everything went well when Rarity apologized fully to her lunch companion. She thought the situation was solved. She thought she could begin again in a positive light. Twilight took a carefully threaded step when she slowly took the communicating device from Silent, but was stopped by a green aura stemmed from his magic. Snatching both parchment with the quill back into his possession, Silent angrily wrote a note upon it. Twilight could hear some screeching from the quill: it was pressing down hard on the paper. Twilight Sparkle sat there, nervously shifting- her stomach began to churn, not from food, but raw emotion that Silent was radiating. While I'm glad about of your plan to help Rarity to apologize, I do not enjoy being deceived and tricked like this. NOT. AT. ALL. Why wouldn't Rarity come up and do it herself?! Don't you trust some ponies to fix things on their own! Better yet, why were you asking a prying questions earlier when we were having lunch? Don't you figure out that someponies do have parts of their life that they don't want in the open, or pried upon on?! Fine, I will summarize it up for your own sake. My name is Silent Dreamweaver, I was kicked out of my home by my father. He said this to me before I left: “I'm so bucking sick and tired of taking care of you. You're a borderline alcoholic, depressed and at times suicidal. We can't even communicate about anything anymore. In this box, it contains your personal things and some money for you to survive off of. Good-bye." That's the very last thing my father ever said to me. My mother is dead for long time now. There is much more about me, but I don't want to reveal anything more. I think this will suffice for the time being! An- The quill's tip was snapped from heavy misuse. Watching the black blot expanding on the parchment. Silent gave up, turning the now-broken quill and parchment over back to the lavender Unicorn. Twilight nervously began to read, her purple eyes setting on this piece of paper. Amidst her reading, her lips quivered. Never before had she received this anger toward herself. Twilight's stomach felt queasy, and before she knew it- A cold realization hit her, Silent Dreamweaver already left and with a bad note at that. She was alone at her table with curious customers and waiters looking on thinking it was some sort of date that went bad. Twilight just sat there, but quickly starting to pack her bags and give a chase. She felt guilty, Silent Dreamweaver felt worse- at the lowest of point. Everything felt bad, and Silent wanted to get away. Silent just ran back to the library. It felt good to release some anger through the form of exercise, wanting to forget everything about himself. Silent wished that he would take his decision back and went with the gut feeling that he had. Through the streets of Ponyville, the deaf Unicorn just ran and ran, ignoring his surrounding- just wanting to escape from everything...again. The beautiful weather slowly turned into dusk; with each passing minutes the sky’s hue got dark and darker, everything became harder to see except for guide of lampposts on his way to the library. Silent made it to the library, throwing open the door with about few minutes head start; not knowing that Twilight was actually giving a chase. In a hurry, he went up the stairs, and went right into the room that he slept in. Picking up the saddlebag, and pulling out all six books that he borrowed then threw it all on the bed next to him. When Silent was sure he got everything, he bolted out of the library, heading straight to bowling alley; remembering that there was booze at that place. Silent had to figure out how to find a motel in a hurry; if that doesn’t pan out- in least that train station was a option. A few minutes later, his saddlebag was packed with various alcoholic drinks. Slowing down, panting hard from his running all over the town, at this moment Silent felt like he didn't care if he died overnight from hypothermia. Slowing down to a trot, his head hanging low, his green eyes slowly scanned the buildings hoping that he would run into some sort of motel or hotel. Silent let out a empty scream, though it did nothing to alleviate of his emotion that was swirling within himself. Digging into the ground, before moving on. Twilight arrived only moments after he made his escape, asking Spike with sense of intense urgency. Spike told her that he saw him running through the house just few minutes earlier. She was in full blown panic mode, trying to figure out where Silent could be at right now. Twilight began to sob, Spike rushing over in an attempt to comfort her. She began to rummage through her paper, hoping she had saved some of their writing or that he had left some behind by accident. Twilight knew that he was planning to ride out the last few days before finally leaving for Trottingham, but don’t remember of Silent have said of where. Rather than going out to search for him blindingly, figuring out things before going out to find him was best course of plan. Twilight muttered to herself. Oh Celestia, what have I done? I just drove him away. I need to find those papers! Maybe seek an advice with Princess Celestia of what I should do! “Oh Spike! Could you fetch me all parchments that you think was being used within last two days, also get me a royal parchment and a new quill. The last one...broke” mustered Twilight. “On it!” Spike proclaimed, before scurrying off to do the given tasks. Silent spent about an hour looking through the entire bucking town for some sort of motel, and eventually found one. It was right near the train station. Silent felt a bit stupid that he never thought of that beforehand. With a heavy mind and heart, he trotted inside the lobby. Pulling out his own notebook out of his saddlebag, then showed it to the receptionist. How much does the single bed cost per night? I would like to rent two days worth please. I would like it to be a smoking room if you have one available The receptionist mare shot him yet another look of pity, Silent just groaned- giving up with dealing with it. Silent didn’t pay her any mind when receptionist made a smile designed to make customers feel welcome before writing, then turned it over. Of course sir. We do have a smoking room, and since you're asking for two days worth of rent. It is 20 bits per night, but extra 15 bits if you would like three home-made meals that will be served at specific time included, and you may choose either to come or not. Silent allowed himself a small smile, he in least had a overhead protection, a bed and food at that for two days before his plan of leaving this town. Silent did a brief math in his head, thirty-five bits times two days equals to seventy bits, so he once again rummaged through his saddlebag before floating over 70 bits to the receptionist. She nodded once, leading the deaf stallion into his assigned room, when they do get there the receptionist paused at the front of the doorto make sure deaf Unicorn is paying attention to her, speaking whilst forking over the room keys. “Have a good night” Silent lip read, he just nodded once before walking into that room. The receptionist left; going back to oversee the counter and the lobby. “Good night” Silent mocked her in his thoughts. Ha! What a stupid mare! At least the motel was one of things that went right in this bucking town! At least I have booze now. Silent locked the door, trotting over to the bed setting down his saddlebag; then trotted over to the end of room, there was two doors next to each other, with a firm decision to check it out. Silent began peeking inside of first door, it was a closet, so Silent knew another room would be the bathroom; opening then entering the dark bathroom. Laughing to his reflection in the mirror when he went in the bathroom, he was laughing at of how much he hated himself. Silent trotted backwards, made contact with the wall supporting then himself against the said wall; sliding down sitting in the dark bathroom. After just sitting alone in complete darkness, deciding to get out of bathroom. Searched for few seconds and he found where his saddlebag rested, picking it up with his magic walking up to the window and opened it. Silent noticed that the stars and moon began to come out of their hiding; smiling internally at knowledge that night was coming up yet realizing he was looking at twilight, a time between sunset and the moon rising. He growled as he closed the curtains to block the sight of twilight, the word reminding him too much of that lavander Unicorn. Twilight...ugh, buck this. Time to erase her from my mind...at least for a few days. Let’s see what drinks I do have in my bag. Cheap vodka, more vodka...gin. Huh, I haven’t had a drink of gin in while. I guess that my choice of tonight. A sound of cork popping out of it's place rang out in his room, boozing down first bottle of gin with. A strong warm feeling tickled down his throat and body. Slowly he began his usual escape, getting numb and number with each bottle. It was only him with his gin and vodka, laying down on bed; boozing it down. Silent was truly alone now. Awesome editor as usual! -> MrMinimii Chapter 10Waking up, feeling groggy from last night’s drinking binge, Silent was successful at wasting himself away. What happened yesterday wasn't on his mind, not because him forgetting it was because of massive hungover; hurts so much to think, his head pounded. Silent groaned and rolled over in his bed. Six vodka lay empty and scattered around the room, the room was still dark. Silent didn't know what time it was when he decided to push himself out of the bed to go to the bathroom. Silent wished that he never made out of that bed when only few seconds after setting his body upright, the booze decided to smack in his stomach with a vengeance. Silent dropped on his knees, his stomach hurt too much. He hated this life and himself; though there was nothing he could to to escape this self destructive loop. Moving some more at where was, his stomach churned more, a awful taste began to snake its way up his throat; the deaf Unicorn stood and ran fast he could to the bathroom. He burst through the door and directly to the toilet, emptying his stomach into the porcelain bowl. Making it just in time when he began to throw up his stomach's contents. His body shook in paroxysm; hugging the toilet tightly like his life depended upon it to keep himself upright to ward off the stomach torture. Slowly the deaf stallion rubbed his stomach in soothing circles, it seemed to work, but when he tried to stand up his stomach rumbled when booze went ahead with second vengeance. Pain was all that went through his mind when its contents filled the bowl, and all that seemed to leave anymore was acid. Heaving hard, he managed to sprout off a single thought. I am going to put off drinking, but I don't know if it will last..heheeheheeee. Ugh... Silent rested his head on the rim of the bathtub, alone in the dark lavatory; he hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights. The deaf Unicorn's eyes wandered, barely making out objects; only able to ascertain black silhouettes in the bathroom. Having lost track of time, Silent began the process of standing up, slowly turning over carefully to be upright again, then slowly got into his stomach then knees. One hoof at time, he chuckled nervously to himself when he finally stood up. Releasing a small victory sigh when his stomach didn’t chur, not soon after he climbed inside the bathtub; slowly turning the knob to cold first. Silently he stood under there, letting the water droplets peck him endlessly. Silent began to feel better; slowly turning the knob to lukewarm then began to wash himself with complimentary hotel shampoo and soap. Silent sniffed himself, and commented upon it with inadequate pride. At least I don't smell like booze and vomit now, ha! Silent dried himself off before heading out of his room. Before he left his hotel room, he made sure to clean after himself: throwing his empty bottles into trash can, washed some of vomit off the toilet, packed his saddlebag neatly after he just dumped the contents into floor last night and hiding the saddlebag since it contained bits that his father gave to him. Locking the door behind him, then headed to hotel’s lobby. The first thing he noticed was a different receptionist than the one he met: this time it was a brown stallion. As Silent wandered closer to ask him the time, he took in more features of this earth stallion, yellow eyes and mismatching blue mane. Oh whatever, can't let myself get off track. I can see outside, though all I can see is light. I need actual time! He gently set himself to stand up on his hind legs on the counter, abstaining from certain movements to avoid the stomach pain like Silent experienced one hour earlier. The deaf Unicorn began to gesture briefly for pen and paper, the receptionist didn't understand him. He tried to speak at first, then tried to gesture something back to the deaf Unicorn, both in vain. Releasing an annoyed sigh, Silent activated his magic, snagging a pen and scrap paper and hastily writing on it. What time is it now? Also could you tell me where I could get a breakfast or lunch or dinner? I don't know where the dining room is at. The receptionist seemed annoyed that he had to go out his way to deal with this customer, Silent could tell by his facial expression when he turned over the paper. The brown stallion tapped the pen few times, looking at the time under the counter. The stallion's writing was very indolent as Silent read his reply. Around 2:00 in the afternoon is the time, walk straight down this hallway the dining room should be on the second door on the right, or was it fourth? Whatever. Silent, annoyed at the receptionist’s apathy, merely forced a smile. The deaf Unicorn turned around, set on his journey to the dining room and sprouting off few things in his mind when he found the hallway. Silent took the view in, walking through it in small strides. It was decorated with some cheap artwork, the deaf stallion took a closer look at some wood carving in the ceiling or the arcs then finally the hall was draped in blue carpet in full length. Let's see he said this hallway, ah there is the first door on the right. I see an exercise room on the left, maybe I could check it out. I so hope they make some greasy food, it's one of better hangover cures. At least my stomach isn't hurting like earlier, oh Luna! Aha, second door on the right, oh god- can't it be! Yes! A pool! I'm going to check it out quickly before my curiosity kills me. Pulling the door open with his magic, walking around moderately sized pool looking for one of his favorite things in hotels. Silent felt himself getting excited more and more as he takes a every trot closer to his destination: a bubbling hot tub, and two small rooms next to each other- one was a steaming room; the other a wooden sauna. Silent became giddy, making a mental note to return after breakfast if he was feeling well enough, to relieve his hangover. Silent Finally made his way to the dining room- it was moderately sized with few tables draped in simple white cloth. Scoping out the dining lodge further the deaf Unicorn could make out a self-serve table with various food arrayed upon it. Everything from hay, fried hays, grass, flowers and wheats with few fruits assorted. On the other table, there was drinks- water, fruit juice, vegetable juice and coffee. Out of the corner of his eye, a hotel employee came up from side, saying something. Once again Silent went through the usual gesture of that he didn't understand, the employee gave yet another look of pity. Silent's eye twitched before examining this employee- her coat was light green, her splurged mane was in light brown with her purple eyes examining him in return. Silent began smiling politely, pushing himself to not show his true feelings; the deaf stallion didn't want to deal with anything right now. The light green mare turned around, walked into door that had the sign that stated “Employee Only”- coming out only a few seconds after with paper and pen in her mouth, she set it down first to restate what she had said earlier. Silent looked over the paper on the floor as she wrote. Hello there! Could I please have your name so I could check if you're on the list on paid meal plan. If you are, then you may can just go ahead and eat all you want. Silent's attitude toward her changed slightly because she understood his gesture earlier and was set on explaining things instead of pestering him about being deaf like most ponies do on their first encounter. The deaf unicorn held a hoof out, asking for employee's paper and pen which she promptly hands it over; watching white stallion promptly start working on it. Yes, you may know my name. It is Silent Dreamweaver “Silent Dreamweaver...” the mare quietly mouthed herself to take it right. She then proceeded to check the guest list, mumbling to herself as she read over few names- looking up after little while with inviting smile; nodding at Silent. Silent beamed at the prospect of getting some food to drown his hungover. Sprouting off his knowledge of hangover cures, as well as stomach ailments, when he arrived at food table- Silent only grabbed few things, that he deemed as remedy of his hangovers. Let's see, sleep..I'm wide awake, although I might get some if I don't feel too good. Some fruit juice and water, check! Orange juice for some vitamins, check! Take a shower- already crossed off! Some soft food, aha- warm soup. Coffee? Ain't no way I'm drinking this now, makes my hungover even worse... I learned that the hard way. I couldn’t go to the bathroom properly that day. Silent carried the tray with his magic, floating in the air above his head; keep his eyes unobstructed so he won’t run into things. He began to ravage through his meal choices. After few minutes, he was done with his meal with some leftovers- after all, he had to watch himself carefully; ensuring there will not be anymore vomiting. Silent still could feel some dull pain in his head, pounding very lightly along side his heartbeat. With a punctilious attitude, Silentclimbed off the chair then leaving the tray behind on the table as he didn't notice any disposals; figuring it was employee’s responsibility to tend after this. He left his 'mess' as neat as possible- after all, that employee deserved that much due to her quick adaptation of dealing with a deaf customer: namely himself. Buck yes! Time for that hot bubbling spa, then maybe that steam room. Silent was at least happy; getting out of his usual apathy attidute. The deaf Unicorn's mind wasn't on what had transpired over the last few days, and his need of booze was greatly suppressed along with his cloud of depression. Silent finding the exit of the dining lodge then simply walked across the hall to the pool. Silent began to prance lightly, around the pool straight to the hot spa; noticing there was nopony around. Silent felt warm, then goosebumps when the first of his hooves dipped into the lukewarm bubbling water. Slowly he sank until the water was level to his head- closing his eyes and letting the water take control of his body, his pain seeping away through the soothing waves. After spending about half of the hour relaxing, Silent made a decision to hop into steam room next. The deaf stallion got out hurriedly when the cold air struck him full force. With haste he trotted over to steam room- throwing open the door then slamming it closed; shivering from the sudden onslaught of cold air. Emitting out a sigh of relief when he was in the steam room, climbing up to one of ledge inside the steam room. Silent's horn activated in a display of green, glimmering light as he turned the knob to ON then set it to one hour. With the preparations complete, he began to drift into half-sleep state- free of worries, for now. Across Ponyville, at the tree library, Twilight was running around. Finally finding the paper that Silent and herself had used to communicate a few days ago; after reading some of them she discovered some important clue, but it wasn't much to begin with. Since Silent never actually told her, or anypony else for that matter, his actual plan she had no idea where to begin looking, and she was running out of time. Silent will be here for only two more days, today and tomorrow; he will be gone by Tuesday. Twilight sighed. I'm not exactly moving in per say, I missed my train stop at Trottingham. I apparently overslept and missed it. The train won't be running for four days so I'm stuck here until then. Twilight kept reading the paper over and over, focusing on the key word: train. If Silent isn't moving in like he said, it means he doesn't have somewhere solid to live, which comes down to two options- some sort of hotel near the train station, Twilight remembers seeing it when her friends and herself went out of the town to Canterlot some time ago to visit Princess Celestia. Another option was that Silent was sleeping somewhere outside; probably at that oak tree where I found him twice now. Twilight could hope that he was at either two aforementioned places. That name: Princess Celestia, reminded her that she sent her a letter requesting some guidance/advice from her teacher. As soon she reminded herself, Spike walked down the stairs being sleepy holding a letter. Apparently, the letter burp woke him up rather rudely. Spike sent himself back upstairs to go back to sleep. Twilight thanks him when he departed, as she hastily snatches the royal parchment with her magic- noticing there was two letters, first one was Twilight's first correspondence to Princess Celestia. Dear Princess Celestia, Recently I met this great stallion, his name is Silent Dreamweaver however when we first met, I learnt that he was deaf. Nevertheless, our first meeting went decently well, but as when Pinkie Pie threw him a party to introduce the “newcomer” to Ponyville, he didn't show up. When I found him after asking some ponies around- I saw some sort of ‘dream magic’ as I call it. I researched it and found nothing about it. When I got to know him some more, he looked so fragile and seemed to have his guard up and so restricted; refusing to tell anything more, so I thought I would be his friend! When we arrived at the party, it seemed to go well, until Rarity went...overboard with her passion of fashion- touching Silent's black turtleneck. He left when I touched his shoulder- he seemed upset; on verge of tears when I attempted to coax him. I didn't understand why, and the shock set in when I found him at same spot, he was amidst of scattered bottles; knocked out. I didn't understand why somepony would drink himself to death like that. So I chosen to carry him back to my home. More to the point, I had more interaction with him than previously today, when I invited him to dinner, along with my plan of Rarity coming up to apologize. It worked, but Silent turned on me. I attached what he have wrote, and while I understand of what I did wrong, I do not understand, however, why he doesn't acknowledge that I'm trying to help him or to befriend him. I don't know if I really tricked him or not. Please- could you give me your guidance on this? Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Twilight discarded the letter, as she already knew what it said. What is interesting is what her mentor had to say about this, however Twilight was slightly disappointed that the letter was short. Nevertheless, Twilight began to scan the letter with her purple pupils, taking every word to the heart- reading her royal and regal hoofwriting. My Faithful Student, May I first say I apologize to hear of the situation that Rarity, Silent Dreamweaver, and you have gotten into thus far. In most ways, Silent is right- you were too obtrusive with your quest of knowledge- learning about him and his magic. If I may jest, do you like this stallion in certain way- since you are asking me for guidance on him? With my jest out of way, the best I can offer is to be his friend. Ask him out to do things, learn about him naturally and he might open up to you and tell you his secrets and what troubles him. In time, you will learn something about friendship, and I shall be expecting that letter with baited breath. Secretly, Princess Celestia Twilight sighed, setting down her mentor's letter. Her beloved mentor didn't offer much, but she was right. If she simply was told what to do, she wouldn't learn new things about friendship. Wait a second! Did Princess Celestia just joked that I liked Silent? Ugh! Now I can't get him out of my head. Twilight felt herself blushing; engrossed with her thoughts starting to wander upon the deaf Unicorn. Twilight thought he was nice, good looking if she ignored the scars that adorned his body, and his drinking. The lavender Unicorn debated with herself if she should go or not. No! She firmly decided that she would go and try to find to him, after all, when he left the opportunity of apologizing would be lost forever. Also there was the matter of her mentor’s joke- yet Twilight can’t start to push him out of her mind. With a renewed vigor within Twilight, she set out to seek him out and apologize to him, moreover if at all possible, become friends with him. The purple Unicorn actuated her horn, picking up and leaving a note for Spike explaining where she had gone and telling the baby dragon to take care of the library until then. Twilight’s horn radiated light purple, walking toward the door as her magic began surrounding the door, and upon stepping out, began heading to her first destination: Ponyville hotel. Extraordinary editor as usual! -> MrMinimii Chapter 11The streets of the Ponyville were busy as usual- it was the time when the vendors, stores, and stands began their process of closing their stores. Celestia's sun began to set over the hills, casting a long shadow over Ponyville; afternoon was slowly turning its reign of light over to nighttime. The school bell rang; a few cute young foals; both colts and fillies ran out, excited with prospect of getting out of school getting away from their weekend project. There was a calm and cheerful atmosphere that was shared by villagers; elders, adults, and foals alike- except, of course, for one Unicorn that betrayed the atmosphere: Twilight Sparkle. An orange filter from the sun began to cast warm feel in the air throughout Ponyville. She kept making tracks; on the way some ponies greeted her- yet Twilight didn't pay heed, her scholar mind was telling her that the deaf stallion was renting a hotel room and she would find him there. What if he wasn't there? What if he already found somewhere else to shelter in? Will he be at that oak tree? What if he chose to not forgive her? What if he didn't want to be friends with her at all? Twilight was genuinely concerned about her impulsive alacrity to seek out the deaf Unicorn because of what happened to Rarity- Silent accepted her apology, but pushed her away. Although Silent technically never told her that he didn’t want to be her friend, even during that sticky situation; even now Twilight noticed that the deaf stallion still had his guard up yesterday at the cafè. The purple Unicorn took a pause in her trot to let out a ponderous exhale- after all, she was riding on flimsy hope. Twilight felt that she was so close to the truth, yet is far from the truth. The more the purple Unicorn thought about it,more that Twilight recognized there was two chief emotions flaring up inside her heart: first was apprehensiveness- fearful that things wouldn't work out the way that Twilight is hoping out which is Silent's accepting her beg of forgiveness and hopefully move on. It was cruel reminder of what happened at that cafè . The second emotion hit her with vehemence; Twilight couldn't describe the new feeling at all. She felt empty, then turned warm when she thought of Silent. All of this was new to the lavender mare and it scared her to the core. Why did Princess Celestia go and say something like that? What is wrong with me now?! All of this is new to me; there must be a book on this somewhere. Calm down, I don't want to have another Smarty-pants incident. Princess Celestia was very angry with me on that day. However, as her faithful student, I cannot let her down when she is expecting the next friendship report on what I will learn. What Twilight couldn't put her hoof on the deaf stallion, was why he was different. The lavender mare could remember growing up in solace under the tutelage of Princess Celestia, not having any friends when she was growing up. Until the day that she found out that Nightmare Moon was breaking out of her banishment which pushed her into the fate of becoming the Element of Magic, meeting the other five elements whom later became her best friends. Yet, she was happy and content from that point on, until he came into the town. At first, Twilight thought nothing of him until that day at the party and Princess Celestia's antic in the letter. Twilight couldn't figure out what she was feeling inside of her and why he was so different. Twilight began deviating from her thoughts, becoming more conscious of herself and the environment with every stride closer to the hotel. Some paid attention to the purple Unicorn- after all, she was one of local heroines who saved Equestria twice with her other five friends. Some simply nodded their head at her, or wave, or express their gratitude; Twilight stopped only once or twice to press upon the ponies about the deaf stallion; first Twilight would describe Silent’s features and if they have seen him. If so; which direction did he go? But by doing this method, Twilight noticed that she was burning daylight. “Enough dilly dallying!” Twilight whispered at herself, ensuring to not forget that she was a mare on a mission. Twilight finally worked her way into edge of the town centre; slightly exhausted from the journey. The Ponyville hotel was mere blocks away, yet with every step her vehemence snaked its way inside and and latched tighter and tighter. Part of Twilight wanted to turn around in fear that things would go worse than before, but she knew that she couldn't let Princess Celestia, or herself, down. With multitudinous emotions bouncing around within her, Twilight pressed on. Not procrastinating this any further, the purple mare doubled her stride to whether though torrents before her nerve would begin to fray when the hotel came into her field of view. There was almost no pony around, save for one or two train engineers working on the train at station. Swallowing a lump that formed in her throat, picking herself up and trotted toward the hotel; summoning her resolve to see this through to the end. As the hotel got closer, she could start make out definite features of the building that she intend to go to. Moderately sized, three stories high, and constructed with some sort of tan concrete and strange red shingles roof. There was also large sign near the entrance that boasted: Ponyville Hotel; We Offer the Best Night Sleep! What had drawn Twilight's eyes the most was the large glass wall surrounding the lobby; it was neat you could see everything inside the lobby, and there wasn’t anything worthy to mention to herself until she saw something that caught her full attention. It was either a stroke of luck or fate. When Twilight began to make out ponies inside the lobby; she could see the receptionist working the counter, a mare with a foal sitting on the couch and some black stallion was checking his family in. A set in when she saw a blot of white walking out of a hallway and into the lobby with an apathetic face on which was slightly betrayed by small smirk, his beautiful mane and tail were dripping wet. Twilight's mouth gaped at this. Her heart fluttered for second before she shook herself awake, reminding herself firmly the real reason of why she was here. Silent was finally content with himself, everything that had transpired over three days now. Wasn’t on his mind, rather of how peaceful he felt. That hot spa and steam room gave him that much. It was like for few moment; all of his emotion pain just melted off his fur and he cared for nothing but just getting back to his room then slip away to dreamland and ride out the last two days before leaving this town and going to Trottingham like he planned at the beginning. Silent, wanting to get into his bed, doubled his pacing: his room was just around the corner; reminding himself that he have hidden his room key just around the corner of his door. Twilight noticed that Silent had already turned into another hallway that led to the bedrooms. He was already at end of the hall, apparently never noticing the purple mare the whole way from the lobby to his room. Twilight's two aforementioned emotions flared within her by one hundredfold. The purple Unicorn began following Silent with a nimble trot. In the left hallway, Silent was already stopping at his door as his horn glowed a brilliant green, levitating a key out of the door crack and was about to unlock the door when Twilight ran up the hall before the opportunity was lost. Her hoofsteps was heavy; heavy enough for Silent to take notice and turn his head around. Silent's heart stopped. He never expecting her to show up like this, and he could feel the raw emotion radiating off her. Silent's rage slowly rose again; his response was to run like usual, but this time he simply gave up. If he just ran yet again, she or her friends would simply catch up to him. For once Silent decided to give her a chance and listen to her. A small part of him was glad that there was somepony that didn't give up on him, but for whatever reason the deaf stallion couldn’t put his hoof on it. Carefully studying the purple Unicorn before him; Silent couldn’t figure out what was her intent behind this meeting. What's the proper etiquette for this? Invite her in? Talk or er... write it out in this hallway? Go somewhere else? I don't know! How hay did she find me anyway? What do I do? Twilight is still at looking at me intently, hope I'm not going to regret this. Here I go... With a grunt he unlocks the door like originally intended, then extended his hoof to open the door rather than using his magic and then beckoning Twilight inside with his other hoof. The purple mare nodded once- biting her lower lips nervously; Twilight didn't want this to disintegrate like it did on their last meeting at that cafè. Pushing herself and building up small and shaky courage, she walked in and immediately noticed a small table at the corner of hotel room with two chairs. It was perfect for the intent that Twilight had in her mind: setting down her saddlebag at floor next to the table, and levitating out her parchment and a new quill- since Silent broke her last one day before today. Before she took a seat, noticing a movement behind her shoulder and discerning that Silent was extracting two unopened vodka bottles- levitating it with his magic. Silent then began to rummage through his saddlebags once again pulling out his black turtleneck; putting it on. Smiling slightly at Twilight, began to shake his hoofs around his arms and body and pretended to shake; gesturing that he was cold. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at him, still noticing that his mane and tail were still damp. Some of the bad mood began to dissipate, but to counteract this- Silent put his stoic face back on then began trotting to the table with two bottles, setting it down then parked his rear in a chair across the small table from Twilight. The first moments were of complete silence, just both ponies staring at each other. One was apathetic, tapping his right white hoof on the table; the other was looking down, chewing and biting on her lower lip still. Twilight could feel the clock in the background ticking, her chest tightened when Silent kept his eyes fixated on her. Suddenly, there was something that pushed her along; perhaps it was her mentor’s words or to learn more about friendship. With a backbone, Twilight gave a determined glance at Silent which made him take back a little bit. Pushing the vodka bottles out of the way so there was room for parchment to lay out, Twilight gave a strong exhale while she sprang to action; awakening her horn radiating in light purple- picking up a quill. Silent kept his attention on the purple lavender noticing that her eyes held the air of being indomitable, but her body betrayed her- hesitating briefly before she finally began to write. “Silent I want to star...” The purple lavender paused, looking straight at Silent again- there was yet another impulsive decision that she made in her mind, she decided to act upon it; stumbling around a little bit on her chair before climbing off. Quickly sprouting this off in her mind. Now or never! [I sense a kiss coming! ... Maybe - MrMinimii] [Maybe... - Morfonious P.S- Awesome editor as usual] Chapter 13Laying back after he softened his stare at Twilight, looked up at the stars; after what he went through in his life and last three days, Silent couldn't simply stay angry at Twilight- stealing a look at Twilight just sitting there being disheartened, the moonlight reflecting off the brilliant light pink stripe on her mane. Silent's green eyes made contact with her terror-stricken purple eyes, and with some deep contemplation the deaf stallion finally helped himself up, beckoning Twilight to come closer. Silent calmed himself down when his heart told him that Twilight didn't mean what she said, but it seemed like she was genuinely interested in learning more about himself- after all they had great time stargazing and learning sign language. It had been so long, Silent couldn't quite remember the last time he had this much fun. Twilight flinched slightly, still not knowing what Silent's reaction would be; in there small distance between them sat the parchment that was heavily written on. Slowly a green aura took it over then carried it over to the magic caster. With a groan, the deaf Unicorn got closer to the fire so he could see in the dark, and after rummaging through the paper until he found a blank paper, began to flesh out his thoughts- his face became somber as he went on. My family was just an average family, but the amount of love that we...used to give and receive outweighed our small size. I was the first deaf Unicorn in our family. At first they didn't know how to deal with me as normal communication wouldn't work, but nevertheless they loved me like no other. They worked their flanks off providing me everything that they knew of life, and when I enrolled into school I had it bit easy compared to other foals because of my parents. The pony that has influenced my life the most is my mother, because she is the one pony that has always stood by my side, and always encourages me to reach my full potential, even with my disability. She was amazing mother, she was also the first who taught me how to do magic; I even remember the time when she taught me basic levitation... “I can't do it! I've tried again and again, but it always manages to blow up at my face, mom, no matter what I do! What am I supposed to do now? I don’t know any Unicorn who took months to learn how to cast a simple levitation spell. I'm just a... a broken Unicorn!” Silent proclaimed. “No! you aren't a broken Unicorn Silent!” a beautiful middle aged mare tried to reason with five year old white-coated foal. She had brown eyes with her brown mane and tail to accommodate it. The loving mother pulled Silent closer, fretting over him like a mom would do; the deaf foal had difficulty learning how to levitate objects and if Silent does manage to encase it in his aura it would pick up and fling itself across the room, or he would pick it up then the object would “leak” through his aura and fall into the floor below. There was also one incident where the deaf Unicorn somehow managed to make a glass explode, landing him in the hospital suffering from few cuts from flying shards. “I don't know, I've tried and tried. I'm this close to giving up.” Silent replied back in sign language, his face somber. Silent's mother rubbed her foal's back before replying in sign language. “You can do it, let's try it again but this time don't think that you're going to pick it up. Instead, you need to want to pick it up.” Sighing heavily, young Silent began trying again with his mother's words pushing him along in the right direction. The deaf foal straining hard focusing all of his magic on his horn and on the plate on the table then slowly it got encased in green aura, slowly the plate levitated into the air then began it's journey to the magic caster, floating close and closer to Silent with each passing moment when the plate finally reached midway it shook and fell out of the deaf foal's control. The plate shattered upon the impact on the floor. Throwing his forehoofs up in the air, he ran to his room. It seemed hopeless to the deaf foal. The house rattled lightly when a particular door slammed closed, a stallion walked into the room with worried expression on his face upon hearing the shattering of the plate prior and the loud bang just after. “Should I dear?...” a rugged brown-coated Unicorn with green mane; his lofty green eyes glancing at Silent's room door in small distance. “Of course Mochaccino, be careful my love, our son is in that unstable condition right now.” Mochaccino began to wrap his forehoof around his wife, nuzzling her, kissing her as they broke apart, his voice trailing off as he took off, trotting the stairs that led to the hallway, their son's room was just at the end of the hallway. “Winter Blossom, that goes without saying. I love you my dear flower.” The brown Unicorn trotted up the stairs, not soon after the father was at the door, opening it cautiously and searching blindly with his hoof until he found the light switch and flicked it on and off several times to grab his son's attention. When the father entered his room, the scene that he found before him was a bit disheartening, his beloved son laid there on the bed with somber face. Mochaccino paced himself until he reached his bed, sitting on it and soon after he began to tap on his shoulder which made Silent to turn around; both of them were eye to eye. Silent’s father began. “You know what son? I was like you when I was a kid. It took me about two months to activate my magic.” Mochaccino was going to carry on with his story, but got intervened by Silent. Silent stared at his father intently, and signed “Really dad? I always thought that you had no problem learning everything you know now, I mean you don't really...offer any advice to me when I was practicing it.” Silent’s father sighed at this, before replying. “I'm beginning to comprehend where you are coming from with this Silent, now that you said it. And I am sorry. You see, I thought if I left you alone, you might eventually find your own way of activating your magic. I was worried of how you would get treated at school if somepony there found out about it. I guess I didn't want them to stack up the picking you get already for being deaf. I assumed you got used to it as I've seen the words go in one ear and out of another when I went to pick you up the other day.” Silent looked up, his five year old mind unable to process the deeper meaning of what his father had said. The deaf foal sighed and replied. “I forgive you daddy waddy.” Ihe father and son began to laugh at the nickname that Silent gave to his father after that certain incident where he caught him doing some...strange stuff with his mom in their room. Only later would he get “scarred” for life by learning about facts of life from his parents. “No, seriously dad, the school is pretty terrible to me thus far due to bullying. I mean, I've learnt to ignore it, but it still gets to me sometimes. At least you know that they don't want to attempt to physically rough me up anymore after my rage took control of my magic and I threw that bully right out of school window.” Silent's bed shook slightly when his imposing father roared out in laughter, Mochaccino wiped a fresh tear of joy off his face, recalling that day he was so angry with his son that he resorted to violence, but was also proud that he did stood up to his bully, and it was always entertaining remembering that bully scampering to get behind his mother's hindlegs when Silent walked out of the principal office. “Listen to me son, your mother and I are worried about you. You can be anything you want to be, don't give up practicing. Do this for yourself, not for me or your mother. I know you can do it Silent.” Mochaccino's hoof sign was impeccable- both of Silent's parents took a private lesson in sign language to be able to communicate with their son effectively after they found out about their son's disability. Nodding to his father, Silent gave a small smile as he signed. “I will try dad, I'm going to apologlize to mom for running off like that.” As Silent began to hitch himself off his bed, his father activated his horn and a dark brown aura encased Silent, picking him up carrying him to his father who then gave him a bear crushing hug. “I love you." That's just one instance of how my parents used to be Twilight, after my... Silent's tears dripped on the paper; wiping his face with his forehoof before proceeding with his writing on the parchment avoiding the wet marks. My mom's death was few years back. My dad stopped...well, being a dad; we communicated less and less and eventually he couldn't even remember how to use sign language anymore- we retreated back to using paper or simple signs to communicate though we rarely did. We both were like strangers in that house. It felt unbelievably good for Silent to let out what he have been holding inside for long time about his family, but he couldn’t figure out why he let it out to Twilight. Why her? Maybe she was his first friend in a long time, or was it something else? Silent couldn't put his hoof on it. His bad side began to loom over; it may feel good to let it out but that doesn't stop the terrible drinking addiction he had. Twilight was still reading the story when Silent hoofed the parchment over; in this single moment she had learnt more about her deaf companion than she had in last three days. Snapping to attention when Silent got up on all of his fours and took a few steps then stopped; drooping his head and ears. He was planning to leave but for some reason couldn't so he turned around and trotted back to the fire-pit, laying down then began to sob. Silent was a wreck, he didn't feel like walking all way back to the hotel, yet his addiction commanded him to go. Silent was desperate for a drink! Twilight cautiously moved closer to her new friend and started to reach over with her hoof and stroked his mane; it was like external forces, that even Twilight couldn’t explain, drove her to do it. Normally Silent would push her off and tell her to leave him alone, but this time he didn't want to because he was taking in pleasure of getting comforted like this. Unhurriedly Silent became stable enough to think straight, feeling better. Turning his head around to make a eye contact with Twilight to mouth something to her. “Thank you.” Twilight smiled at this. After Silent ceased his sobbing; his mind bitterly wandered upon on the memory of his father kicking him out of the house few days prior, finding himself debating within himself of what really happened to their relationship and why had they become like this. Silent lightly bashed his hoof against his forehead. Maybe...it's me, I didn't try too hard or what. NO NO, it wasn’t him- he certainly didn’t act like father!..no argh oh Luna. I need that drink now. No! Don’t get distracted... Silent spent about thirty minutes of heart-searching, figuring out what he should do from now on and in the future, before finally deciding on something in regards of fixing himself and of his life. Silent determined to tell Twilight of his plan before he leaves tomorrow when the train station opens. Twilight simply remained quiet, just enjoying the moment when Silent opened himself up. Silent’s bones cracked as he stretched, getting up slowly while yawning. He was exhausted, but felt content with himself. He tiredly gestured for the parchment, which Twilight then floated it over to him along with the quill. I'm tired Twilight, let’s go back to the hotel. It is getting pretty late, pretty cold out right now. The lavender mare nodded in agreement, using her magic to exhaust the fire and packing everything up once again in her saddlebag; then together they commenced a trip through the park, quiet the whole way back to the hotel. The purple Unicorn once again guided Silent through the park back to Ponyville. Together they trotted together for hour to go back to the hotel. Silent's eyes were drooping heavily, yawning repeatedly as they made it inside the lobby then both Unicorns let out sigh of relief when warm air enveloped them. Making for Silent's hotel room, the deaf Unicorn pulled out the key out of the hiding place that he designated before leaving with Twilight earlier for their dinner and stargazing. Opening the door then turning around, noticing Twilight was still following him inside- Silent thought this moment would be good as any, he mounted himself on the bed to rest his sore hoofs. Lazily activating his magic, drifting the hotel's paper and pen that sat at coffee table over to him. Thank you Twilight, that was fun. I learnt more about stargazing than I ever thought I would know- I never thought somepony would memorize most of star constellations by themselves! Twilight, I want to tell you something. Tomorrow, I'm going to leave by the train to go back to Baltimare. I've resolved to meet up with my father, and talk things out... if possible. After my little storytelling earlier, a realization struck me of of how much I bucked up. My father may haven’t been there for me and his family, I could have tried to patch things up instead and maybe things would worked out. When Silent began to hover over the paper and pen over to her, the purple aura took the control of items in the air. Twilight giving it a quick read-over, all suddenly she became bleak. When the deaf Unicorn gave her a quizzical look, wondering if he had gotten into her. However, he got his answer from Twilight not soon after; giving an awkward smile at Silent as she wrote. I hope this doesn't come across to you as outlandish, I mean... I finally made friends with you after few days of messing up, and now you're leaving? The deaf stallion read the answer, then began to pretend that he was considering something, staring up at something in the sky to smiling at Twilight gently. The pen came to life, fleshing out an answer for his friend. That was another thing that I've been thinking about earlier, after my meeting with my father- for better or worse or if the meeting even take place. Afterwards I am going to Trottingham to check things out like originally planned, and if it doesn't work out I might...might come back to Ponyville to live here; everypony here seems so friendly- including you. No promises, but I will try? The personal student of Princess Celestia gave an ample smile, at least she knew now that she was accepted by Silent- one step closer to figuring out what she felt for him. Twilight was glad that Princess Celestia's advice in that letter worked for her in the end. Twilight had only final question that she wanted to ask the deaf stallion. Silent, I'm wondering if you would like to hang out again tomorrow before you leave? Maybe you could come to my library and finish that book that you didn’t finish? ‘Number One’ I think it was? The deaf stallion pondered upon this briefly, then answered. Maybe I will come, but I need to go and figure out what time is the first departure tomorrow. Then I will make some time or not depending on the time, okay? Anyhow Twilight, I need my sleep if I'm going to function tomorrow. Silent stuck out his tongue at Twilight when he showed the notepad back to her. After the lavender mare finished her fit of light giggle, she trotted out of Silent's hotel room after both made their good byes. Finally alone in his room, the addiction that had been haggling at him the whole way back from stargazing earlier. Silent gave a sigh of relief as he uncorked a new bottle of vodka then downed one-thirds of it. He stargazed once more from the safety and warmth of his hotel room. He spent about an hour before the deaf Unicorn finally felt that his bed was calling out to him. Setting down his drink on the lamp table next to the bed, Silent tiredly climbed into his and snuggled within his blankets. A few minutes later, some snoring rang out in his room Fluttering his eyes open, trying to keep it shut closed; but gave in. Silent figured that some coffee would do him some good. He began to slowly turn over to his side but got flashed by the bright light and after leaning to the edge of his bed to stand up, toppled off the bed with a loud crash. Rolling over while clenching his jaw with his hoof, groaning in the pain then shook his head to fight off pain. After few moments of fighting off the pain the deaf stallion began to make some hot coffee, while it was brewing; he began going around the room quickly packing up his things into his saddlebag. An idea slowly formed inside Silent’s head. Hmm some morning weed along with coffee sounds amazing, gonna get out of here soon since I need a train ticket. But first, a shower! The white-coated stallion dove into the shower, preparing himself for another day. After about fifteen minutes of cleansing, and grabbing a towel to dry himself, he strode to his prepared coffee, pouring it into a cup with two sugar cubes and a healthy amount of creamer. Silent settled with only one bowl, he wouldn't want to be high as kite when he does finally go out to do his business. While Silent waited for his coffee to simmer down, he scrutinized his saddlebag then fished out a bowl and bag of weed. Smacking his lips, he filled the bowl and brought it to his mouth, ignited it, and took a long drag. Silent held it in a small stretch of time before finally exhaling all smoke out, his free hoof sealing the hole to make it not burn out. After about ten minutes, the bowl was finally finished and the coffee smoldered down to the right temperature. Silent took a sip of his coffee, taking in simple pleasure of this morning with his coffee and weed minus the rude wake up. After it was all said and done, he trotted out out of his room with his now packed saddlebags; making his way to the lobby, he signed out and hoofed over his room key to the receptionist. The receptionist gave Silent a strange look when she saw his lazy pink eyes, but didn’t give it much of thought. It was still morning when he stepped outside, going to the train station was easy as it was right next to the Ponyville hotel. Silent took a notice of about ten ponies bustling around to form a line to buy their tickets- the deaf Unicorn joined the line with the ponies still gathering behind him. After spending thirty minutes of his life waiting in the line, sweating his flank off under full blast of morning sun; he cursed Princess Celestia, remembering that it was her sun's fault that he fell off the bed this morning. Finally he made it into ticket booth with his note ready, giving the clerk a curt smile. Hello there, how much would a ticket to Baltimare cost? Also, what time will the first train leave? The red-coated mare that sported a train engineer's hat examined the note, a welcoming smile spreading across her mouth. Because she was an Earth Pony, she fumbled a little bit while picking up Silent's pen with her mouth and writing a reply. Good morning sir! A ticket to Baltimare would be... The booth clerk paused, giving a quick peruse over a piece of paper that was tacked on the wall; after getting the information out of it, the clerk continued. ...45 bits please. Also, the first train's departure is in two hours, you should show up about fifteen minutes earlier so we could ticket you in. With this the deaf Unicorn put up 45 bits in exchange for a ticket, and left after giving that clerk his thanks. After he weaved his way through ponies getting tickets then made it out, he decided to take up Twilight's offer from last night. It was nice remembering some of Ponyville's layout when he began exploring the now semi-familiar town; walking past the Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, and Twilight's home as well; it was unusual so it was pretty easy to find. It was same as the deaf Unicorn remembered it- a giant tree with few windows and a huge open book in the front. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door few times, taking heed of the door opening. Silent expected a purple mare opening the door, but instead he got little baby dragon standing there with peeved look. Silent couldn’t help but snicker when a recent memory resurfaced of seeing this little “overgrown lizard” in pink apron holding a spatula. What was his name?...Sp...uh..Spi, aha! Spike! Spike! That's it Spike grumbled and gave Silent a death glare; apparently the little dragon figured out why he was laughing at him. Suddenly the baby dragon perked up, turned his head inside and spoke briefly before returning his attention to the deaf stallion at the deaf stallion, beckoning him to come inside. Twilight was smiling when she trotted down the stairs pausing to wave once, holding 'Number One' with a brand-new notepad instead of paper or parchment. Letting a sigh of relief, glad to be out of the blasting sun outside, he settled down on the couch when the purple mare sat next to him with the book and notepad ready, wafting it over to Silent. Good morning Silent, I'm so glad that you took up my offer and was able to make it before you left. By the way, I have gift for you! Hold on while I go upstairs to get it. You can finish this book while you wait. Silent gave an inquiring look at the lavender Unicorn, what he got in return was a blush and that book being tossed at him as Twilight quickly trotted upstairs to 'escape'. Silent still didn't get why his new friend was acting like this, but he chose to shrug it off once again, beginning to bury himself into the book. A few pages and minutes later, the librarian made it back down from upstairs holding a wrapped box. Silent respectfully put it the book down before he made a gesture by pointing at it which said by it’s own. “What’s that?” The Ponyville librarian, the protege of Princess Celestia, the bearer of the Element of Magic, and one of the heroes who saved Equestria twice nervously bequeathed Silent with something, watching him intently as Silent began to unwrap his voluminous gift. Upon first glance, he found the book- "NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe", but as he dug in he noticed a second book buried beneath the first. No wonder was so heavy! The second book was designated “The Backyard Stargazing's Guide”. The third gift was the new notepad. Silent looked up and signed to Twilight, expressing his gratefulness.. “Thank you.” In return, Twilight signed back with huge smile, happy with him accepting the gifts- remembering the sign that he taught her last night. “You're welcome!” They spent about an hour and half reading their books together on the couch. Occasionally the lavender Unicorn would steal look at Silent, examining the deaf stallion before her, but when Silent looked back at her, she would instantly turn her head away, blushing, and dive back into her book- pretending to read it. Subsequently Silent eyed a clock above the counter, and noticing that it was thirty minutes before the departing time, flipped to new page on his new notepad. See you later Twilight, I have to go now: The train leaves in thirty minutes and I don't want to miss it. Thanks again for the books! I might will bring back a souvenir for you from Baltimare, it will only make this fair. No disagreeing on this! And... Twilight, I want to thank you for the fun we had stargazing. Anyway, I have to go. Have a good day Twilight. The lavender librarian pondered over this, before replying. Of course, I will wait for you with that gift. Have a safe trip! I'm glad that we were able to patch and fix the misunderstanding, if you could call it that. I'll be here if you return. Good bye Silent. Twilight hitched herself off the couch, giving a Silent a hug, but not before giving his new notepad back to him. Silent smiled and gave her a goofy salute, leaving the now finished book behind on the couch, and trotted out of the library. After the navigating through the town, he made it to the train station with ten minutes to spare. A particularly crazy pink mare stopped him on the way, saying her own good-bye. How she knew those things is mystery to Silent, but at least he wouldn't have contact with her for a few days. Silent didn't hate Pinkie Pie, but felt that small doses of her hyper personality is better than dealing with her all the time. Dragging along his new two books with his magic because it wouldn’t fit the saddlepack: it was too packed, he was the first in line and he began to climb inside the train. Hm, I wonder... Making his way to the last passenger car, Silent jumped a little in the air as a mini-victory celebration when he saw the last seat was available. Jumping into it, claiming the seat as his, Silent unloaded his stuff on the chair and cracked his neck, reveling in the fact that the laborious saddlebag had been lifted from his back. The ticketmaster then came up to him as the train was doing the final calls for boarding before departure. Silent held up his hoof to signify 'wait a moment' and began digging into his bag to find the ticket. Once he had found it, he presented to the Ticketmaster, who promptly ripped it in half and returned it to the deaf Unicorn. Silent began to read one of his new book, choosing “The Backyard Stargazer's Guide” to start with. After few minutes of waiting, he could feel the train rattle as it departed Ponyville's station. At first, Silent just looked outside of the window, taking in the sights in the glorious daylight, as opposed to the candle-lit silhouettes he was presented upon first arrival in the dead of night. After awhile he got bored, so he decided to read one of his new book to learn much as possible about his favorite activity: stargazing. Silent opened the book to the first page, it was introduction of sorts. Did you know you can see a galaxy 2½ million light-years away with your unaided eyes? Craters on the Moon with binoculars? Countless wonders await you on any clear night. The first step is simply to look up and ask, “What's that?” When you do, you're taking the first step toward a lifetime of cosmic exploration and enjoyment. But what, exactly, comes next? Too many newc... By the time Silent was one-third through the book, it was well into the afternoon and the train already made two stops at Trottingham and Fillydelphia, then it was to Hoofington, Manehattan and finally Baltimare. The deaf Unicorn looked up to find himself with fewer ponies in the cart than had first arrived. Among himself sat a family of four entertaining themselves, an aged couple interlocking hooves as they enjoyed the scenery that flew past the window, and a teenage filly whom Silent suspected of being a runaway. As he realized the train were getting closer to closer to his town which resided his former home, more importantly: his father- taking a deep but shaky breath. Gulping, extremely nervous of what will happen when they do finally meet face to face. Silent now can’t figure out what method he should use. Should I just knock on his door? Go to his workplace? Or just go in, and say “Hi! we need to talk?” Leave him a note telling him to meet someplace and hope for him to come? OR this is a stupid idea altogether!...argh! Don’t know... Silent’s contemplation got interrupted when his stomach growled, reminding him that he needed to eat, so he took a break from reading, putting the book away in his saddlebag, and waved down an attendant to order some food. He opted for a simple salad, followed by a quick nap. As he waited for his food, the deaf stallion delved into his bag and fished out his unfinished vodka, soon to be finished, but a first small shake made him drop his drink. As he muttered to himself while picking it up, he felt there was something strange when the train made a curve turn. Silent felt that there was something to this when he felt small tremors throughout the train. Curious, he got up on his hindlegs, looking ahead at the train car front of him. In slow motion he could see the car that was front of him bend then twist as a wall of dust and fire formed, and a huge jolt struck throughout the last passenger car. The jolt was so great that it threw Silent forward into the chair front of him, breaking his right forehoof in several places. The deaf stallion screamed out in the pain, unknowing of what came next; the force of the first moments of the wreck was so colossal that it picked up the last passenger car into the air, flipping it over and over in the air; flinging Silent around inside the train car. Slamming hard against the objects in the train as it rolled- hitting the chairs, other ponies, the wall, then train did a final flip before coming to rest. When Silent became conscious briefly, being unable to discern where he was- only seeing a blue sky above him- the only thing that he knew was that he was on his back. Suddenly immense and horrendous pain came rushing over him when the shock began to subside; his body felt shattered. Silent couldn't think straight or even move. The last thing he remembered was being flung headfirst into the structure pole of the passenger seat. His breath quickened while his heart races when he noticed trails of blood streaking across his once white coat.. Silent wanted to scream out, but he couldn’t: the shock was too tremendous. Then the darkness came to him. Thanks MrMinimii once again! Chapter 14An orange sun slowly crept out of hiding while the moon went into ensconce, the light gently filtered through a window decorated with star themed curtains. A certain lavender mare pitifully tried to shield the sunlight with her hoof, desperate to go back to sleep since it was her first night in last four days that she finally had proper and peaceful sleep. Shuffling around in her bedsheets, fighting to go back to sleep but a particular white-coated stallion suddenly popped in her head brought a smile on her face, reminding her once again that she finally managed to strike up a friendship with the deaf Unicorn. I had fun with him yesterday. And although we are from completely different spectrum of life, we have so much in common. The best thing was when he opened up to me, I mean, who would've thought somepony could go through so much, and still be so persisting? We still have so much to learn from each other, but I can't figure out how to deal with this swelling feeling... I'll need to speak with somepony about it. Maybe Princess Celestia? or Rarity? Her mind manifested and played out inappropriate scenes between the scholar mare and sensual deaf stallion. Blushing furiously and eternally grateful that nopony was there to see her in this state, she anxiously started to figure out what she really felt for him. It was same thing that she left for one colt back in magic kindergarten, although it was fleeting because later on she got too busy with her studying after being enrolled into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. But with Silent, the ephemeral feeling didn’t exist, it lingers within Twilight. Pushing to go back to the normal routine of hers before it got interrupted four days earlier when Silent came into her library, rubbing out the cluster that had gathered in her sleepy eyes noticing a loud grumbling and snoring. Taking a quick look-around; she ascertained a humor-filled scene. It was her number-one assistant, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth, leg twitching and once or twice Twilight could have swore hearing him saying Rarity's name which she rolled her eyes then giggled at. Spike had more than earned his sleep- the baby dragon have been putting himself out there taking care of the library and chores while she was running around the town figuring out how to fix her situation with the new stallion in her life. Wait! A new stallion in my life, doesn't that sound like we are already... Quickly and quietly Twilight made for bathroom to attempt to take her mind off Silent, it was beginning to work when she thought up of taking a shower. Twilight looked at herself, mane was mess and tail were all over the place with some hair strands springing up. Fidgeting to combat the bed hair, the librarian decided to take a shower. Slipping into another world as the warm water dribbled upon Twilight, her mind began to devise a plan for today; the checklist was firstmost on her mind, reminding herself that she had heaps to catch up on that list. There was also issue of her friends, the last time she hung out with them was one or two days back at Silent's party- apart from Rarity when she spent some time with her planning out the fashion designer's apologization for the party incident. Bit by bit images of Silent crept back into her mind. Twilight tried to shake him out, but couldn’t, so the lavender mare conjured up images that made her happy to try combat this strange but powerful feeling that wouldn’t go away. The studious mare imagined herself reading a book that she ordered another day, with some luscious cake and a coffee with some zing in it to go with. Twilight would open a book then snuggle within strong embrace of Silent- reading the first pages together then falling over oneself when Silent's green eyes began to close as he moved his head closer and closer, heart racing and- Twilight snapped her eyes open in the shower- what hay did she just imagine? Her cheek blushed heavily, her heart throbbed furiously like if Silent was right there with her now. No matter what scenario the lavender mare chose the deaf stallion would be there. Stargazing? Silent would be there snuggling against Twilight, nibbling lightly on her neck under the watch of the stars. Contriving a checklist? The deaf Unicorn would at first help her with it, then behind her back wrote “Kiss Twilight” on it, when Twilight noticed; she would get flipped on her back gently- her heart racing, her cheek reddening as the stallion start climbing over her then start to... Twilight immediately opened her eyes- in an instant she turned off the shower, stepping out of it while her heart thumped million miles; that was it, she simply gave up and allowed Silent infiltrate her imagination and remain there. Twilight styled her mane to the usual straight mane then trotted downstairs after drying herself, embarrassed with herself about those thoughts, yet it felt so great. This academic Unicorn wasn't sure if this was something wrong with her; she would have to analyze it to fully understand- but love isn't something to be studied, you have to feel it. Twilight have yet to learn this. Coffee! Yes Coffee! That might would help me to avoid those thoughts. Blushing while muttering, Twilight pulled herself together, but just scantily- this whole new sensation that she had for him was so foreign to her that it scared her to the core. When all was said and done the Unicorn made it into her kitchen, yawning as she hunted for ground coffee can within her cabinets. Fishing it out of the cabinet with her magic, briefly followed a simple directions on the label, the morning finally felt decent enough for Twilight when she finally brewed enough for two cups. Sipping some of the java, her stomach’s growl reminding her that she was hungry. She sulked at this; cooking wasn’t her forte and Spike was still sleeping in so with no other alternative that she could find within the library. Deciding to cheat out of cooking by acquiring some baked goods instead from Sugarcube Corner. Trotting into her study room, her horn glimmered in light purple aura while her coffee bobbed behind her- the student of Princess Celestia became excited at the prospect of doing her checklist! Erasing and adding some to the checklist then reading the renewed list over to herself after spending few minutes editing it. _ Help Applejack with applebucking. _ Purchase a new parchment and quills. _ Purchase a fresh supply of gems. _ Purchase daily necessities. _ Check if library's order arrived at Post Office. _ Visit Rarity. _Bring Owlowisicous to Flutt... Twilight figured this was good enough of a start. First up was Sugarcube Corner to get some quick breakfast, then the second primary destination would be Sweet Apple Acres to help out Applejack upon on her request few days back. Scrolling up her checklist, packing some bits and few other miscellaneous items- sure that she had everything needed to go through the day; she put the empty cup into kitchen sink on the way out, then produced a note for her personal assistant. Fully prepared for the day, minus food, Twilight locked the door behind her and began to head for the local confectionery shop. ____________ Cracking his head, the baby dragon was finally aroused from his sleep; slowly he pulled himself out of the bed. First thing that he would usually do is head downstairs and start on breakfast while waiting for her to awake up. Spike gave a dismissive glance to the bed where he would normally find his mentor enjoying sleep, but for the first time he could remember, she wasn't in the bed. How unusual, his next bet was that Twilight was downstairs. Pacing himself down the stairs, the scent of coffee brewing invaded his nose; thinking that it confirmed his suspicions but he had to be sure so he explored the entire library and became surprised when there was no sign of the Unicorn anywhere within the library. The only sign he was given was a piece of parchment lying on the kitchen table. He picked it up and began to read. Spike, I decided to let you sleep in. After all, you earned it by putting yourself out of keeping care and organizing the library for the last few days. I already left to follow through my checklist. Don't worry about me- I don't need your help today. Also no work for you today as well, so enjoy your day off. -Twilight [P.S- You may have a few of gems from the bowl above the fridge if there are any, but do not overeat!] Fist-pumping in the air while clenching the paper, his voice displayed motivation- to indulge into his guilty pleasure that is. “Yes! Mouth-watering gems!” the baby dragon drooled, wasting no time as he rushed across the kitchen then dragged a chair across the floor making a scraping noise. Spike paid it no mind. The gems bowl right above the fridge was his only ultimate goal. After alot of maneuvering the chair then balancing himself on it, he finally managed pluck it off the top of fridge and get down safely. Still not wasting any time, he gorged upon on the precious rocks. While he was eating, his thoughts deviated somewhere else, mostly on the strange stallion that he met twice so far. Spike was a bit worried because that stalion was the one who had Twilight so worked up for last few days, the purple dragon figured that it was same thing that he had for beautiful local fashion designer. Spike was getting heart-shaped eyes just thinking about Rarity. Burping now and then, groaning as he felt half-way full with all of gems that he devoured earlier, the baby dragon decided to pick up the newspaper as usual for Twilight to read when she gets home. Spike then went outside, it seemed like it would be yet another good day: clear skies and warm weather. Letting a strong yawn out, the petite dragon walked over to object on the ground. It was fluttering lightly when the wind blew against it and Spike was about to pick it up, but he let out a empty heave. Swiftly Spike retrieved the newspaper that had headlines that commanded attention. EQUESTRIA TRAIN TRADEGY NEAR HOOFINGTON; DOZENS DEAD. Spike nearly dropped the newspaper but went on reading it very briefly, there was also picture on the page of the train wreck. The collision occurred just north of Hoofington in the afternoon after the train ended up derailing after hitting one of weakened rail on a curve. Neighbours in the town of North Hoofington were alerted by what they said sounded like a bomb and rushed to the scene as survivors emerged. Rescuers worked through the night to recover bodies and help the wounded. Equestria Railroad was closed for four days as a maintenance work was being done on the tracks before the accident, but officials said it was too early to determine the... This was as far as Spike could go; he spat out the remains of gems that he was chewing on and just stared at the newspaper in heavy disbelief. Twilight... Spike just knew at that moment that Twilight had to learn of this immediately. Scooping up the newspaper into tight clench as the dragon ran back into the library in a rush in start of his attempt to figure where Twilight possibly would be at. But how? How do I find her? Think! Think Spike! Spike did remember having a conversation with Twilight few days back about her friend asking her for help, but who?! A thought occurred to the young dragon that he had known Twilight his whole life, meaning that Twilight may be Princess Celestia's protegè, but it didn't mean she could cook worth any hay. No offense to her, of course, but it gave Spike a logical reasoning since she didn't make any breakfast at the library. It means she would head to the Sugarcube Corner first thing in the morning before getting together with somepony who requested help from her. Rapidly Spike locked the door before rushing out of the library, the start of his search effort for Twilight. The young dragon's legs carrying him fast as they could, for once the dragon wished that he was bit older so he could have his wings to speed it up. Panting hard as he barreled through the street of Ponyville, aiming for his first goal: Sugarcube Corner, or more specifically Pinkie Pie. If Twilight went there to buy a quick breakfast, the hyper pink mare would know where she went or Twilight might still be there chatting it up with bearer of the Element of Laughter. After some stretch of time, weaving through the street; the view that came up was glorious to Spike. It was decorated like a gingerbread house with various candies topping it up, the tower was some kind of giant cupcake with three candles lights on the top. But Spike didn't have the time to admire the sight. Throwing open the doors, Spike gained some surprised stares from early morning customers in the line with Mr. and Mrs. Cake popping their head out of the counter, wondering what had got the dragon so animated. Spike suddenly called out to the owners of Sugarcube Corner. “Cakes! Where's Pinkie?! I need to talk to her!” Mr. Cake replied in his gruff voice, sensing the urgency that the dragon had. “Either in the backroom or the kitchen, Pinkie should be working on the customers’ orders.” With that, the dragon wiggled his way through the annoyed customers and into the kitchen, which was met by the baker. “Hi!” Pinkie Pie began to bounce, being bubbly as the usual. “My Pinkie Sense told me that a door will open, and it did! It did! But I didn't expect you at all. I don't think there's sense for dragons, OHH OHH. Do you want some cupcakes, I just baked and th-” “PINKIE! Where's Twilight?!” Pinkie Pie didn't care that she got interrupted, she just pressed on. “You silly dragon, she was here this morning! Getting a cupcake, or was it muffin? Frosted cake? OOOOooooOOO I know!, I think it was toast, no wait- or it was..” “Pinkie Pie!” the dragon commanded to grab her attention, wishing for once that this mare wouldn't be full of energy for this moment. “This is serious, take a quick read!” Spike proclaimed, sliding the newspaper across the counter to the pink mare. When Pinkie finally calmed down enough to read straight, she just stared at headlines that promulgated the train accident that occurred near Hoofington. Pinkie's hair deflated half-way, when the effectual information processed in her mind she rebutted before Spike could speak up. “Twilight...Oh, she should not learn of this- if she knew there won't be any laughs or smiles! That won't do! And I'm going to keep this paper, Twilight should not..” A loud slam echoed throughout the confectionery shop. Spike had to do it to stop her from saying something that she would regret later although the dragon understood where Pinkie was coming from, after all she stands for making others happy and is Element of Laughter. “No! Twilight has to know about this! I would rather to have her find out from us, it is better than her finding out through other sources then realize that we knew all along but didn't tell her! It is like you always say Pinkie: the best way to lose a friend is by lying or breaking a promise!” Pinkie Pie was bit taken back by Spike's brief outburst, staring briefly before agreeing with the purple dragon. “You're right Spike-Wikey.” Pinkie Pie used Rarity's nickname for the dragon in weak attempt in remedying the gloomy mood that now held power over both of them. “Twilight came by this morning, telling me that she needed something to keep her going for most of the morning to help Applejack with her applebucking.” Spike became downcast in a exasperation, remembering what Twilight had said to the dragon one or two days back. “Come on Pinkie, we need to find her!” Armed with this new information, they proceeded to bolt out of the the confectionery shop- Spike running in the front while Pinkie was right behind him; they both were tearing through the village as fast as their legs could carry them. After while they noticed there were less buildings and more greenlands and trees as they followed the dirt trail to Apples family’s farm in the outskirts of the village. “Hey! Wait up guys!” The dragon and pink pony attributed that voice, hearing the flapping of wings behind him. Not soon after a pegasus with a brash attitude was gliding around them as then ran. “What’s got you guys so worked up?” “No time Rainbow! You will understand when we get to Applejack's place,” the dragon answered before charging once again. Pinkie Pie was quiet the whole way while Rainbow was being herself as expected. It was the usual round of bragging of how easy it was to fly there and talking about her stunt flying. Rainbow Dash kept doing mini-stunts around the running group out of boredom. Spike was getting a bit annoyed; soon enough she will know. Soon enough. They finally got their first glimpse of their destination, a huge red barn peeking over the hill and Spike could see the orange blob in the distance among a larger red shape. It became more and more familiar as they got closer, which snapped into attention when Spike shouted. “Applejack!” The farmer pony pulled her hat up so she could see clearly and walked up to the group half-way. “Whoa there, Nelly!” Applejack sidestepped to avoid getting hit by the dragon; Spike was panting hard- taking a quick breaths then deep ones to regain his breath. Rainbow was paying attention as Pinkie was the first to speak up. “Where's Twilight?” Applejack was bit taken back, Rainbow Dash was too when she finally noticed the darker hue color and slightly deflated mane and tail. The last time that she saw Pinkie Pie like this was at previous party of that strange stallion. Something about that stallion just puts off her, Applejack couldn't pinpoint it but there was something that he was hiding. At least he was honest with her when she asked what he thought of Sweet Apples Acres's hard cider. The whole situation now felt strange to her. “Applejack! Where..is Twilight?” This time the voice came not from Pinkie, but Spike. “Ah don't know. She was here earlier helping out with my rush order that was made by somepony in Canterlot. Normally I wouldn't allow magic to be used, but it had to be done. After it was finished, Twilight just told me that she was off to do rest of her checklist and whatnot.” The earth pony then pointed her hoof into the direction of other loose pavement that led into north Ponyville where most shops are centered at. Spike began to ran in that direction, but was stopped by Applejack holding his tail with her teeth. “Whoa there! Ah still don't know what got you so worked up.” The baby dragon decided this time was as good as any, uncurling the newspaper and laying it out for both ponies to see. Applejack gasped- trying to find words, and a strong realization struck Rainbow Dash and both of them just stared the paper in disbelief. The cyan Pegasus felt terrible that she acted like that earlier on their way to here. Subsequently, Applejack was first to speak up; worry lingered in her voice. “Ah'll go with you. Twilight might need us more than ever, and I will be darned if we won't there like she was there for us, consarn it. Hold on girls!” Applejack rushed inside her house to tell her family that she would be gone, then returned in an instant. Then the group began to run together straight to Ponyville. For once, the competitive spirit that Rainbow and Applejack always held for each other simply didn't exist. They became increasingly worried that Twilight might have already found out, after all it was no secret since it was all over the paper and someponies might already be talking about the train tragedy. The gang redoubled their effort with their search of lavender Unicorn; dashing through the streets of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash took the lead to higher skies hoping to spot Twilight faster. As they made it to Ponyville’s business district, where Spike assumed that Twilight would be at. He wasn't mistaken when the cheerful voice rang out belonging to the very same pony he had spent all morning searching for. Observing a Unicorn coming out of the Quills and Sofa shop, levitating a stack of parchments while her saddlebags were packed with brand-new quills. On her right floated her usual checklist. When Twilight saw her friends, she perked up; it was rare for them to meet so early in the morning. “What are you doing here girls?” Twilight gave a pause when she noticed a panicked stricken dragon along with four others displaying either worried or somber expressions. Carefully she set down the stack of new parchments onto ground. Becoming increasingly nervous herself, it was clear that they had something heavy on their mind. At first they said nothing, so Twilight asked again. “What is going on everypony?” Enduring it, Spike stepped up and was apprehensive when he showed the curled up newspaper to Twilight which prompted her to grab it by her magic then uncurl. The dragon said in soft voice, much alike to Fluttershy's. “I'm sorry...” It was then Twilight's set of purple eyes laid upon the huge headlines of the accident along with a picture of the train wreck. She didn't even read the rest of it, she just stared at the headlines. “No..” Twilight's horn deactivated, dropping the newspaper- a tear threatening to escape from her eyes. The Unicorn's breath was dry, four of her friends delicately stepped closer to Twilight cautiously, afraid of powerful Unicorn who could snap at any time. “No. No, this can’t real!” Twilight wasn't able to wrap around the hard, cold reality. Everypony's eyes were cast down on the ground; they all felt terrible. Spike wanted to answer his parent, but he couldn't bring up enough courage to do it, so instead it was Applejack who stepped up. She had to be honest with her friend, saying nothing is same as lying to the farmer pony; after all she is Element of Honesty. Applejack carefully answered, “No, ah wish it wasn't, but it did happen. Twilight....All of it” As soon Twilight heard those words leaving the orange pony's mouth, she couldn't figure out what to do. Nothing could come to mind, and then it was when Twilight let out a distressing sob, dropping everything and trying to run, but her body won't cooperate. She managed to distance herself from the others by a few feet, but froze. Twilight began to stutter as she began to walk in erratic circles. “Bu..but. H-he was he-e-re ye-ss-ter-day. An-and.” Twilight was so distraught that she couldn't even string a sentence together and finish it. Her fight or flight response finally kicked in, turning tail as she chose the flight response and began to run hard as she could, but was stopped by cyan pegasus first, blocking her path as Applejack raced forward. Both of ponies quickly pulled Twilight into a hug, trying their best to comfort their friend. Spike and Pinkie were last to arrive, but weren't far behind then they joined the hug; the company surrounding her could feel the lavender mare's body shudder with each sob. Letting out what she was feeling up to this point of time, her tears were pouring out. Everypony nearby on the street could tell that she cried her heart out, it was powerful enough to make someponies have misty eyes. Not to mention, her friends were crying with her. Twilight could barely speak in between the sobs. “How..can so many bad things happen to one pony?” “Ah don't know.” Applejack and other three then pulled Twilight aside from the street to get away from the prying eyes. The walk back to Twilight's home was deathly quiet, the lavender mare's cheeks were still wet from wailing. Nopony couldn't even get in a word with her because, for first time Twilight learned how to have her guard up and keep it there, pushing herself to just go home. Spike hurriedly went ahead to unlock the door to grant entrance into the library for his four companions. Twilight was first to enter, silently mounting herself on the couch, where she began to tear up once again because she remembered that this couch was where she and Silent spent so much time together before he left yesterday. Spike still held the newspaper, deciding to read it over- his eyes widened when he arrived at bottom of the newspaper then quietly exclaimed, which also grabbed the attention of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but not the heartbroken mare, who was still crying on the couch. It was something that they overlooked in the intense emotional event. The dragon decided to reveal a silver lining to this, taking in powerful breath to let out a strong voice. “Twilight and everypony, read this over- at the bottom of the front page.” The dragon once again turned over the newspaper to the grief-stricken Unicorn, his right claw pointing at the bottom, and sure enough Twilight's eyes widened as well- it was a list of victims/survivors of the train accident. Skimming through the dead then alive, Twilight didn't see his name. The third column of that list was very short, but nonetheless grabbed her attention. Alive but unidentified: A maroon filly, with black mane and tail. Three pieces of musical notes cutie mark. Moved to Fillydelphia hospital. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A light mint mare, yellow-black striped mane and tail. An ice-cream cutie mark. Transferred to Fillydelphia hospital. A grey stallion with blue spiked mane and tail. A drawing pad cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A renewed sense of hope settled into everypony in the room, especially Twilight. This hope revitalized in Twilight as well as the others. Hope that drove the young mare to act, sending a quick letter to her esteemed teacher requesting the royal chariot, as that would be the quickest way to get to the hospital. The Equestria Railroad would surely be closed due to the accident, so this was her only hope! Twilight explained the horrid details to her mentor, despite how much it pained her to think of them, to gain a little extra favor with her endlessly compassionate teacher. Twilight then asked Spike to send the letter to Princess Celestia, whom then gave a faithful salute before breathing a green flame that danced around the letter, melting it into magic foam and began its journey to the Canterlot where it resided the two celestial sisters. The anticipation for that reply was too much of a wait for her friends, and almost unbearable for Twilight. All of eyes were on Spike, which made him squeamish, but he took it in because he understood why. While they were holding out for the letter from the Sun Princess Applejack and Rainbow gave Twilight a hug, telling her that they both will be right back: they needed to go out and do something. Twilight nodded weakly; with that they both left the library with only thing on their mind. As minutes ticked away, everypony including Spike were trying to keep themselves busy in pathetic attempt to put their mind off the anticipation of that letter. Twilight was trying to read a book, but her feeble attempts to focus on the book were instantly dashed when Silent, and all the horrific possibilities of what could have happened, raced through her mind. She just stared absently at the words that filled the pages, hoping the best for her friend. Pinkie Pie was trying to cheer herself and Twilight up by telling her that she would set up a super-duper “get-well” party for Silent. Twilight chuckled weakly, it wasn't much but it was a start to the party pony. Spike was rummaging through the library, cleaning halfheartedly on occasions, but mostly kept himself busy with the mind numbing task of reorganizing the library. The idling animation of everypony was broken when Rainbow Dash and Applejack came back, entering the library with two other friends in tow. Normally Spike's eyes would become heart-shaped and float over to the new guest, but the current situation commanded him to not. Twilight was vaguely aware of hoofsteps making their way to the library, then a door opening and closing. A temperate voice rang through the silent building. “Oh darling!” Twilight rose to the attention and saw none other than Rarity; whom rushed right over and gave the lavender mare a hug. “I'm sorry to hear what happened! But I am here now, and I simply won't leave you alone!” Rarity held her hoof up to signify her decisive action. “End of discussion!” the fashion designer sprouted off with her signature smile. Twilight offered no counter. Another voice rose throughout the room, although it was squeaky and quiet as always. A cream-colored Pegasus stepped out from behind Rainbow Dash, her eyes unwavering, looking ahead at Twilight. “Um..I'm sorry.” Fluttershy slowly flew to distraught Unicorn and got her into a gentle hug. “I'm just glad that you’re here Fluttershy, everyday I am truly thankful that you all are my friends. I guess if I didn't have you by now, I might would got sent into a deeper end than I am now.” Twilight trying her best to keep a strong front, but her friends looked past her false bravery, and she knew it. A bright green flame flashed throughout the room, floating in the air was a parchment with a royal stamp, tied up with red ribbon. Spike groaned, but didn’t complain. Without a thought, Princess Celestia's progetè grabbed it out of the air with her magic, hurriedly levitating it over to her. Opening it up, she was pleasing to see her beloved teacher's writing- even in this situation, reading it aloud for everypony to listen. My Dear Faithful Student, I have also recently learned of the train accident. I'm sorry to hear of what happened to your new friend. I already sent for a chariot large enough to fit all of your friends, as I am sure that they will go with you regardless of what you have said or planned. It will take you straight to any destination you like. I look forward hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. With Twilight currently incapacitated, Applejack assumed charge and led the group out of the library to wait for the chariot. As they waited Twilight's mind reeled back to the stallion, making her smile warmly in memory. As she was in her trance, the chariot arrived to take them to the hospital. At long last the group began to hear sound of whinnying and strong wings flapping; looking up in the sky revealed a huge chariot being commandeered by huge Pegasus stallions. They made a few circles to slow down with their landing, gently glided over then touched down in front of the library. The leader of the four-stallion team turned his head and spoke in authoritative voice. “A chariot for Lady Sparkle and company.” The mane 6 and a baby dragon to boost climbed aboard on the chariot with Twilight telling the Pegasus leader the destination: Hoofington Hospital. It was then the Elements of Harmony were pushed into yet another dangerous direction. This time it wasn't a threat to Princess Celestia or Equestria as whole, but to a mare's heart. As they took to the air, five ponies and Spike all thought the same thing: help their distraught friend for better or for worse. Twilight's breath quickened and she anxious, figuring that every distance the chariot made the closer Silent became. She was afraid of what she will find when she got to see the deaf Unicorn. Applejack trotted up behind her and began to rub her back whilst everyponey just remained quiet and looked on. The chariot began to ascend, and breaking holes in some the clouds. The winding hit against all ponies- their mane and tail waving in the air. After traveling by the air for awhile, the girls finally got first glimpse of Hoofington; various lights blinked in the distance in the late afternoon. The moon and stars were beginning to come out of their hiding place, the moon just peeking over the mountain in the distance and the chariot began going through the process of descanting down. There it was, Hoofington in it's full glory. Twilight's heart tightened up, she could feel it pound heavily because she knew that she was getting closer and closer to Silent. The chariot finally arrived at their ultimate destination, Twilight was first to get off followed by others one by one. Spike looked up; the group was at main entrance of the hospital. There was a large sign right above the rotating doors Central Hoofington Hospital Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike began to walk forward but instantly noticed Twilight was holding back ; Fluttershy took it upon herself to gently fly over to the Unicorn and partake in a supportive embrace, reassuring her that everything will be alright. The lavender mare only nodded weakly in response. Together they trotted inside, first thing that all of them noticed was that it was packed with families and friends of the train victims; doctors was running around trying to help everypony much as possible. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to stop of the passing doctors, but were promptly ignored. With no help but hearts bursting with anticipation, the seven merely walked deeper into the hospital in hopes of finding the hospitalized Unicorn as quickly as possible. “Hey! You can't go in there!” The group turned around and noticed a green Unicorn with a vibrant yellow mane sporting a doctor coat. The doctor's tired eyes laid upon on six ponies and a little dragon, his voice exhausted. “How can I help you misses...?” It was then that Twilight finally found enough energy to speak up. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I came here with my friends to look for my friend who was involved in the accident; his name is Silent Dreamweaver.” The doctor blinked in confusion; he had too many patients from that train catastrophe to know any of them by name. “I don't know any patients by that name. I would help you better if I knew his physical features,” the doctor replied quickly, like he was used to. It was then Fluttershy spoke up softly, just strong enough for doctor to hear. “Um.. he is..a white Unicorn... with green mane and tail...” The cream-colored Pegasus's voice shrunk as all attention was redirected to her, making her revert back to her shy self. “I'm sorry..” The doctor was for once surprised, looking ahead past the group for moment in disbelief and blurted something out. “Oh! Him?” The gang perked up at this; did this doctor know him? The doctor finally offered up his name. “Name's Doctor Fleetheart, would you follow me please?” The gang offered him a quizzical look before accepting his offer. Fleetheart led them through the hospital that he knew by heart, easily choosing paths that weren't packed with distraught families. They first went through the main lobby, then one of long hallway, and finally going up one flight of stairs. Arriving at particular section which made Twilight's heart tightened even more. Intensive Care “Stay here for moment,” the doctor instructed. Fleetheart then pushed a button to speak somepony on the line. “Doctor Fleetheart, authorization number four-nine-two-five. Here for patient check-up.” All of ponies nearby could hear the click of the door. “Thank you Nurse Blossom.” The green Unicorn then beckoned the group inside, instructing them even further to be quiet as patients are sleeping. Arriving upon at the blank door with some paper hanging on it, Doctor Fleetheart suddenly asked the group. “What was his name again?” Rainbow Dash chose to answer this time. “Silent Dreamweaver...” the doctor muttered it to himself to not forget as he levitated up a marker off the nurse's table in the small distance with his magic then wrote on white bar of patient's name. Twilight became a nervous wreck at this point because her ultimate goal is just right there, beyond that door; paying attention best as she could when the doctor spoke up. “It is my duty to inform you what injuries that he endured. Bear with me for moment.” The doctor levitated the medical report into his view before proceeding, “Mr. Dreamweaver suffered heavily injuries. He had: Left hip broken C-spine fracture Tail broken and dislocated Right shoulder shattered- able to repair Right hoof broken Five ribs cracked or broken Heavy concussion Cracked jaw The group cringed every time the doctor listed out the injuries that Silent had, Rainbow Dash gulped heavily- this deaf stallion went through so much more than her wing injury that she suffered few months back when she was training her stunt flying. Fluttershy and Rarity were trembling, looking like they were ready to faint at a moments notice- not being used to hearing of those kind of traumas. Spike, Pinkie Pie and Applejack couldn't wrap their mind of having those kind of wounds then live. Twilight said nothing. The doctor maintained his composure as he spoke after a brief pause. “The patient's horn has also been severed but-” Rarity interrupted him, exclaiming aloud with horrified look “His horn is gone?! But that's lifeline for us Unicorns!” Doctor Fleetheart sighed heavily before he answered carefully to the girls. “Yes but when the paramedics found him at the scene, fortunately they were able to locate his horn and salvage it. This hospital’s finest surgeon worked on him for seven hours and they were able to reattach the horn.” The doctor paused yet once again to let them ingest this new information in before perpetuating his disclosing of the patient. “But it is unknown if Mr.Dreamweaver would be able to wield his magic ever again in his life. It is miracle enough that he is still alive, and the road to the full recovery will be long and harsh one. How quick the recovery is, however... is up to him. Some ponies just give up. Just give him your best support in the future.” Fleetheart then placed the clipboard back on Silent's door, the doctor decided to break hospital’s procedure for this one. “Do you want to see him?” At first the lavender mare gave a pause- afraid of what she would face behind that door. However, there was something that pushed along which compelled her into giving the doctor a weak but determined nod. “Be quiet as there is another patient sleeping, that’s all I am asking.” Fleetheart then gave the group a brief glance before slowly pushing the door ajar. At first, the room was dark but that was before the doctor activated his magic, turning on a lamp that only gave out a gentle glow. The artificial light reflected against the equipment around the bed, then the form in the bed. What the ponies and the dragon saw made their mind reel in recoil. Twilight nearly fainted at the sight. [Hurr de Durr Imma end this in ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER just to make MrMinimii mad! :D] - Morfonious *evil laughter* - Morfonious Chapter 15Ponies often wished for the power to reverse time, much like Twilight and her friends did as they gazed upon the bed that held Twilight’s friend. The constant beep of the heart monitor grew and faded out over and over again as the nurses walked past the open doorway, talking quietly while accompanying to their duty for the patients. Twilight glanced all over the room, her mind wandering for few moments as she took in the plain features of the room. With a single window with the view of Hoofington- it was a beautiful evening sunlight reflecting off hundreds of skyscrapers. A white plain room with a single light source shining down on stallion, a lonely flower vase on the small drawer table. Also there was something that Rarity and Twilight recognized; a black saddlebags sitting at bottom of the bed. Twilight couldn't think straight anymore, it was like reality got warped around her; her environment disappeared leaving only a distraught Unicorn and a single bed across her within the new cracked world of hers. All she could do was stand there with silence reigning, biting her lower lip as she peered at the white stallion enveloped in blood-stained bandages with a huge cast adorning his hips to keep them from separating further and another covering his right hoof, but all of that injures doesn't compare to having his horn being severed, while Twilight was observing Silent- only thing that was not bandaged was his left eyes and his mouth. His chest was rising and lowering gently; he was at peace- unaware of the heart-shattering news he would learn upon waking up. All of a sudden, her knees buckled under the heavy tension that she felt the whole time from the moment she learnt of the train tragedy only mere few hours ago. All of her self-control got decimated when she realized there is nothing she could do to help Silent but wait. All of her best friends instantly picked up on the signal, rushing over quickly and holding her, petting her mane, telling her everything will be okay. They had to remind Twilight that Silent was still alive! Fluttershy ushered her over to the couch which sat at the opposing side of the room near the exit. All ponies within the room were quiet, and the only sound that they could hear is laborious breathing of the deaf stallion, constant beeping of the heart monitor and soft sobbing coming from the lavender mare. Rarity asked the doctor straightaway if all of them could stay, with the promise they won't cause any trouble naturally. “Oh doctor!” Rarity rang out with a spry voice before pressing on with quieter voice, “Is it improper to request upon you if we all could stay to support her...and him?” Rarity subtly gestured at the Unicorn sitting on the couch with and next to cream-colored Pegasus. Doctor Fleetheart didn’t even gave it a thought, being used to deal with this situation with hundreds of families and friends grieving or worried about their loved ones in his career, nodding once before replying. “Of course, but only two ponies can stay in here while others have to stay in the lobby, you may rotate the visits. Since you are going to stay here, I implore you to inform the nurse at the desk right there immediately if Mr. Dreamweaver wakes up.” Doctor Fleetheart held his hoof up to drive the point home. All ponies in the room minus the injured Unicorn and distressed Unicorn gave their affirmation. “Thank you. I have to go to check out others patients. Have a good evening. If you have any questions, ask the head nurse or myself.” the doctor finalized with soft yet authoritative voice, trotting out of the room with rest of her friends following him the way out. “Wait!” Everypony paused their trotting, turning their head in the direction of the lavender mare. “Um thank you Doctor Fleetheart... and thank you everypony,” Twilight quickly inserted before her friends left, with all of them giving their soft smile. Applejack and Rainbow Dash optioned for the lobby while Fluttershy wanted to go outside to escape the dreadful environment that loomed over the hospital, and Pinkie Pie was followed by the baby dragon as they left to find some guilty-pleasure food to cheer themselves up. Rarity stayed behind with Twilight because they knew Silent the best, even though if it was only mere days. Rarity approached the distressed mare as the others left and began lightly petting her mane; it helped Twilight drift away to dreamland. Just each others company was enough to put both at ease for tonight. The rest of the gang slept in the lobby, Twilight being firstmost on their minds- hoping she was strong enough to go through this, and even if she wasn’t her friends will be right there. It was well into early morning; Princess Celestia haven't yet raised the sun and Princess Luna is about to finish attending to her night duties. An alluring white mare stepped off the couch quietly as she could- she didn't want to wake up her scholar friend who have been through so much in last few days. Letting out a depressing sigh, remembering what Twilight said yesterday- echoing around her empty mind. “How..can so many bad things happen to one pony?” Adjusting her mane to calm the little nag that had been gnawing at the back of her mind while she began contemplating about what Twilight said yesterday. “Don't know...oh dear!” Rarity muttered, spotting something in short distance and recognized it instantly but it was torn and battered. Calmly activating her horn which glimmered in light blue; picking up it then guided it through the air toward Rarity. The fashion designer gave out a small gasp, it was Silent's black turtleneck that was made by her mother- she remembered that detail because it reminded her of how much anger the deaf stallion gave to her at that party, and now it was unwearable. Closer examination revealed that the sleeves were torn to shreds, the bottom half of the attire was missing and splotches of dirt caked what remained of the cloth. A light glimmer of reflected moonlight danced briefly across the fashionista's eye, so she inspected it further but immediately turned away in horror when she realized what had cause the silver light show. Pools of the blood stained the little pieces of shirt that weren't caked in mud or torn away altogether. This won't do! I must correct this anomaly; this is simply crime to fashion! It simply won’t do!! the fashion designer claimed inwardly in her overly dramatic voice. Rarity “borrowed” it, deciding upon herself that she would mend it to exactly what it was and give it back to the deaf Unicorn as further apology. She felt that it was least she could do for him as both an apology and a surprise. Carefully she folded it with her magic, then using a empty trash bag from the room to wrap it in deposited it in her saddlebag. She was exhausted, trotting out of room carrying the saddlebag and began heading for bathroom to fix up herself best as she could. Soon after the hospital came back to life as patients, families and friends stirred. Doctor or nurses coming in for their day shifts with barely enough sleep due to the intensive calamity of the train catastrophe. Twilight slowly blinked her eyes open when the first of morning light crept upon her face. Wiping off the excessive eye mucus, the intellectual Unicorn hopped off the couch. The first thing she checked was if Silent had woken up, but got dejected when she discovered that Silent was still slumbering. Twilight sat down at the foot of the bed exhaling; calming her nerves as she summoned up enough courage to look over Silent in detail, seeing his injuries in full extent. Twilight was stricken by this but never let it get to her. Perking up when the door opened, looking away from Silent and gave a weak smile at the farmer pony, she was carrying a breakfast table in her mouth. Setting it down on a small table next to Silent's bed, taking a quick breath in before speaking. “Ah, I'm sorry. He hasn't woken up yet?” “No,” Twilight said as she lifted a hoof to rub her head, as if it would help her to what say next. Finally a crackling voice rang out, “Not yet? I don't know, I don’t know how long til he wakes up either. I have been thinking last night of how I feel useless right now Applejack.” Applejack circumnavigated the bed, grabbing ahold of Twilight then held her in arms while replying in solemn yet strong and honest voice. “No, ah don't think you are useless at all! You are the Element of Magic. You are one of six ponies who saved Equestria twice now! You are far from being useless. As soon you heard that he could be alive you came all way here with your friends to be there for him!” Applejack paused for moment, letting her words sink into the Unicorn before her. “Just because you wanted to be there for him!” Applejack paused, boring her sincere and honest eyes at Twilight. “Ah' don't want to hear of this again.” Twilight gave Applejack a hug, whispering a thank you before releasing her. “Well! You must be mighty hungry, so I brought you breakfast!” The lavender Unicorn gave a small smile for first time, despite the situation that she was going through. Together the cultivator and intellectual mares ate their morning meal in peace. Twilight only finished half of her breakfast; it was hard to think about food when all of her capacity of her mind was devoted toward the deaf stallion, of how she could be of some use to his recovery. An idea formed inside her head but she wasn't ready to make it a reality. The mare quickly put her thought on the hold when a doctor arrived to perform a quick check-up on the patient, but it wasn't Fleetheart from last night. This doctor didn't speak, he just nodded once and left. About half of the hour passed, her friends rotated their visits- Twilight remained in the room naturally. While Fluttershy had her turn in the rotation of the visit, they optioned to banter back and forth about how recovery worked with her animals back home and how it would be applied on Silent. Fluttershy explained that she once took care of a dog who was mauled by some animal near Everfree Forest which took about two months of recovery to be able to walk again. Fluttershy reassured that his recovery won't be impossible based on what the medical practitioner told the group last night. However, worry reigned within the shy Pegasus because she knew that Doctor Fleetheart was right; some ponies do give up on their recovery and she had seen this happen all too often with her animals caring experience. Instantly Fluttershy reverted to her shy self, diving behind the couch and began to shake like morsel mouse when a sound of rustling came across the room, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile the lavender Unicorn gave a gasp, hope built quickly within her when she focused her purple eyes at the bed. Quickly trotting over there while Fluttershy peeked over the couch with a quivering lips, her eyes widening at the miraculous sight. ____________________ Estranged feelings began washing over Silent- one felt as if a demon was crawling within him, deciding that Silent's inner organs would serve better as nourishment for his insatiable appetite. The other, an overwhelming sense of consciousnesses. Silent fought the feeling as best as he could manage, boring himself deeper into his pillow and forcing his eyes to remain closed in vain as life circulated through his veins. Suddenly memories of what happened to him a mere night ago came rushing into his mind, a scene replaying itself in first-person view. Everything was in slow motion, after clenching his broken right hoof after smashing it against the front chair. So vividly Silent could see himself getting picked up in the air by outside force and thrown around the train mercilessly then last thing that replayed inside his mind was a pole slowly getting closer, closer and.. Silent let out a pitiful cry as he snapped his eyes open, panting quickly- jumping from point to another in the room, his cheeks felt wet. Crying? He hasn't cried in long time. Groaning as he attempted to bring up his dominant arm to wipe off the wet streaks, the deaf stallion’s eyes widened as the cast on his right arm came into his view. Letting a quick yelp as he began moving around his bed frantically to to get a better view of himself. Silent chuckled at how terrible he looked, despite only being able to view a small percentage of his body. The deaf Unicorn snapped his head in either direction to get a better view of his surroundings, which proved difficult because the bandages that enveloped his face prohibited any moment. Silent attempted to force himself to sit upright when it hit him that there was no pain, quickly deducing the medicine was responsible for that. Managing to hoist himself upright, he felt himself being pushed back the bed gently. It was powerful magic, but it was lightly taking control all of his trembling limbs. Silent looked toward the source of the magic and began to calm down when his eyes settled on an all too familiar pony. Silent took a long and deep breath to calm some of his temerity, then let out a small wheeze with small smirk growing on his face. The deaf unicorn was very surprised to see her, but it cheered him up. Fluttershy retreated from the room as soon Silent stirred, both out of her usual phobia of everything and her obligation to Doctor Fleetheart to inform the nurses. Twilight gave her own brand of smirk back when she saw Silent gave a tender smile upon her, turning her head around slowly to hide her blush- hoping that the deaf Unicorn didn’t take notice of it. Silence reigned in the room for few minutes when the lavender mare realized that the deaf stallion could lip-read well, opting to speak to him instead of writing on paper. Twilight was hoping to avoid use of magic because of what Silent’s reaction would be if he tried to use his magic to grab parchment and the quill and found he was unable to due to what happened to his horn. “Hello, are you feeling better?” Silent took a moment, his eyes wandering around the room. It was a bit strange that he didn’t feel any pain, knew he knew that it wouldn’t last. The deaf stallion weakly indicated that he was in-between. Just ok. Groaning as he shuffled around in the bed to get comfortable and, whilst he was at it, casting a quick look around where he was in detail. Silent shot Twilight a imploring look with a hope that she could understand him then confirm. As Twilight have studied Magic of Friendship for over year now, she learnt that knowing the body and facial expression is one of most useful skill to have if you are communicating with somepony; this was the very skill that Twilight relied on to catch on to what Silent was thinking. “If you were wondering, you are in a hospital.” At first Silent didn’t get the last part, weakly waving his left hoof to have her repeat it. “Hospital, you are in a hospital.” Twilight put on her best smile for Silent, attempting to display that there was hope for the lugubrious stallion. Sighing heavily as his usual depressive temperament began to bubble back up, the stallion leant back on his bed- breaking the eye contact with her to stare at the ceiling to mull things over. What should he do now, and this train accident was another thing to add to his long mental list. Just another fact to add to that long bucking list of what else can go wrong! You know what? I’m not going to ask myself that, I need a good-to-Luna drink! Or maybe a bowl. Oh Luna, why is it so hard to breath? Maybe it just needs some watering down. When the bed-ridden stallion tried to swallow his saliva, his his throat became dry as if there were a sandstorm raging in the desert in his trachea. The bed-ridden stallion tried to swallow some saliva once again to fight off the raging sandstorm within his throat, but it didn’t work as he began to cough violently, looking around the room for something to quell his seared throat. The answer was instead presented to him in the form of a floating cup of water encased in a light purple hue. Twilight evinced a concerned face as she held it up with her magic; her mind having completely forgotten about his severed horn as her subconscious naturally performed her hasty, yet genuine, gesture. Silent nodded in gratitude and released a magical charge of his own to take the cup from Twilight's grip. Twilight gulped when she realized what Silent just tried to do, but went unnoticed by her friend in the bed. Instantaneously the lavender Unicorn’s body felt like it was ran over by a stampede emotionally. Nothing. Blinking his eyes then wiping his eyes with his free hoof with debilitated resolution. Must be the medicine hehe... now let's try again. Silent geared up again to attempt another one, focusing one’s magic field to his horn- imaging that he was gripping the cup or it was surmised to. Once again nothing materialized. Silent's mental health quickly deteriorated as he casted a demented look at the cup, swatting it out the air. Silent desperately attempting to cast a spell, any spell, on everything in the room. The pain killer that the doctor had been feeding him via IV was working well, until the moment the deaf Unicorn became hysterical and started forcing himself out of the bed. The heart monitor’s beeps intensified, becoming louder and more erratic as the pain killer diluted. Indubitable pain that he learnt of back at the accident came back in full force; he held back his voice, on verge of screaming. The white stallion tried to step down from the bed when purple aura encased him, the Unicorn tried to fight it off with raw muscle but it wasn't a match for the powerful magic of Twilight. Silent finally bellowed out loud as he gripped the bed with all his strength, still endeavoring to escape- his mind finally collapsed upon itself, his voice bellowing out unintelligible noises. Twilight intensified her aura, effectively doubling its strength, and forced the bewildered Unicorn onto the bed with a loud thud. She hated to do this to the already weakened pony, but the situation desperately called for a more forceful grapple. A team of nurses rushed into the room upon hearing the commotion from the lobby; one of head nurse quickly trotted up with a syringe acknowledging that the patient was a danger to himself and his recovery. Silent began to cry uncontrollably, still trying to escape while his mind is trying to wrap out of not being able to have magic forever or if he could ever get it back. One of the nurses took advantage of powerful magic that held him in the place, quickly injecting a powerful sedative into Silent's neck. Twilight immediately became paralyzed when she could see Silent promptly falling into unconsciousness in spark of irony of what she saw in his eyes met after he broke out of his torpor. The thrashing, crying, and general noises slowly died down into nihility. Snoring rang out after few moments of silence, everypony including Twilight and Fluttershy were stunned at what had happened; one of nurse muttered that this hasn't happened in long time. The whole ER floor was in reticence, the team of nurses then shuffled out together planning on telling the patient's doctor of what transpired, and one nurse stayed behind to give the patient a full check-out. Twilight just stared at empty space, still shocked at of what happened. Something finally pushed her into right direction as she turned herself around. Trotting out of the room with Fluttershy trailing behind, Twilight decided it was time to put her idea that popped into her head recently into action. What inspired inside that hospital room would put someponies in for more misery, but not Twilight. It instead solidified her idea and support since the deaf stallion needed it now more than anything, and the more support he received, the better. Twilight but of course will offer all of her support for stallion that she liked. She could finally admit it to herself after what she and he have been through in short amount of time, but it was still too early to admit to the world, or her friends, and especially him. The lavender Unicorn and cream Pegasus made for the lobby where their friends waited. The scholar mare knew that the chariot was still waiting outside on standby until the order came from the protege of Princess Celestia to go home or to another destination, proclaiming that surprised her companions. “Girls, I'm going to go Baltimare. I think it is only appropriate that I bring his father into this; he is going to need all support he needs!” Twilight expected some of the girls would be against this idea but they agreed without provocation. “Spike!” The baby dragon stepped up, giving a salute to her mentor. “Present!” Twilight weakly chuckled at his attempt of humor before getting on with her scheme. “Take a letter!” With this command the baby dragon spent few moments borrowing a blank paper from a nurse at the front desk and a pen from somepony at the lobby. “Thank you Spike, Dear Princess Celestia...” [Done. I’d rage about yet another cliffhanger, but I know the story now! >:D] - MrMinimii [Starting on chapter 16 today or tomorrow] - Morfonious Chapter 16On a lonely and dark street the only noises that echoed off the buildings that were packed side to side was the clacking of the chariot’s flight team hoofs and whinnying. A lavender mare hopped off- once again thanking them, as usual, and requesting they linger for bit longer. Twilight mouthed Silent’s father name, then muttered the building number to herself. It didn’t take long as there was only one light source coming out of the main window next to the door; assuming somepony was home. Twilight checked herself to the best of her abilities, then began to ascend the small staircase step by step. Twilight’s voice was alike to Fluttershy for once, squeaking out, “Okay..Here I go,” swiftly picking up a hoof while balancing on other three,other three she proceeded to knock: loudly once followed by a few small raps. The lavender Unicorn’s ears perked up; small noises of cluttering and hoofsteps escaped the bottom crack of the door. It was too dark for to make out any discernible characteristics, but Twilight did see a silhouette approach the door. She straightened her posture and prepared herself to speak, but a raspy voice dashed her courage and made her waver slightly. “Who the hay are you?” the voice demanded. “Why are you here at this time of night? If you are door to door salesmare, I’m going to kindly ask you to buck off and- “Are you Mochaccino?” Twilight interrupted, anxious to get both herself and the stallion back to the hospital as quickly as possible. “I’m here to talk to you about S-” “Wonderful, a bucking random mare that knows my name shows up at my door while it is still the middle of the night. I don’t have any reason to talk with you, now good-bye!” The door became enclosed in a dark brown aura and promptly slammed itself shut in front of Twilight. Twilight, still on edge from the abrupt conversation, found herself blurting out, "I know your son!" The door froze mere inches from Twilight's face, and slowly opened itself to reveal the innards of the building, with a very long ansty pause before the door was opened all the way. “...Come in,” a cold voice called out to a lavender mare standing at entrance of wide open door, a dark brown aura encased the door when Twilight stepped through. A slam resounded throughout the room, then silence which was immediately broken with an inquiry shot by a stallion with - what Twilight could assume as it was still dark - an irritated look to him. “Anything to drink? Coffee? Water? Or any “drinks” that tickles your fancy?” Twilight quickly pondered about the offer, choosing quickly to push things along. “Coffee! Coffee would be fine, thank you,” replied the lavender mare as she trotted up to a couch in the living room. Her ears perked up and she became bit more nervous when the only response she received from him was a grunt among the cluttering of appliances in what Twilight assumed was a kitchen. “It's brewing.” Twilight finally took in full features of stallion when he paced himself out of the kitchen. She could see slight resemblance to Silent, but this stallion was more rugged and donned a brown coat instead of Silent's bright white. The thing that hit Twilight over the head though, were the bright green eyes that bore into the scholar's soul and the unkempt green mane, just like Silent's. Something gained her attention briefly, it was a family photo on the wall just ahead of what Twilight assumed was a young and scarless Silent with Mochaccino. There was pulchritudinous mare with an snowy coat, tawny mane and tail sitting next to them. Amidst this she was giving a deprecating gaze- probably at the photographer. Twilight deduced that that must be his mother. “Now then..” Twilight snapped out of her meditating by a voice that demanded answers out of the mare. Mochaccino went straight to the point, “You still haven't told me why you are here, how you found me or how you knew my name. More importantly, how do you know Silent?” A deep breath was enough to build up some courage before speaking with Silent's father; chafing her flank against the couch, trying to fight off the heavy and penetrating look that stallion had on her. “I'm going to jump to the point, Mochaccino. Silent is in a hospital, moreover- ” Twilight was prepared to carry on to tell him what exactly have transpired very recently, but Mocha had his own ideas. “Silent? Hmph, kicked him out of my house. Good riddance! He was nothing but trouble I tell you! And the hospital?” Mochaccino laughed. “What did Silent do this time? Alcohol poisoning, this would be his...fifth time? This is getting old. Wait! Wait, don't tell me- did he get into a bar brawl again or did Silent get in-” Mochaccino kept waving his hoof, gesturing every time he pointed out all the possibilities that his son could gotten himself into. Twilight found it odd how his own father deliberately avoided the term "son"; it was a testament of the odious relationship that they had for other. Twilight could sense a hint of fluctuate in his cold, demeaning voice; pausing then she decided to interrupt him before he will regret saying some terrible things later on in his life. “Sile- SILENT WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT!” A booming yet feminine voice echoed around the room, then reticence. The only sound echoing through the newly silenced house was the monotonous drip of the coffee machine. “I'm sorry, just had...to,” Twilight's lips were quivering, “Stop you before you said something that you would regret later on. He was in...” the mare drifted her voice repeating it for good measure. “A train accident.” Mochaccino remained stoic. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but a knot in his throat blocked his bid to converse; he couldn't wrap his mind around what this mare before had had just said. The brown stallion's fatherly instinct, for first time in a long, time took over when Mochaccino's voice cracked as he replied. “Is he okay? Where is he? Is he fine? Is he alright? Where is Silent?!” The lavender mare receded while the brown stallion advanced towards her, slowly losing his nerves. Taking a another quick breath to speak about to formulate her response but only got deterred when Mochaccino beseeches the mare before her, to let him to see his son- in spark of irony with the way how he have been acting just prior when he knelt down in begging position, his usual attitude ruffled because he lost his wife and that is one too much. As the chariot flew through the air, sending wind that made Twilight's mane and tail whip back and forth as it rushed past, the lavender shot a concerned gaze at end of the chariot where a brown stallion sat with downcast but worried expression. With a brief moment of peace within the chariot, the magical protege thought back to how this entire chain of events began. It was after a quick correspondence between the personal protegè and her mentor; asking Princess Celestia to use her royal record-keepers to investigate Silent Dreamweaver's family records. After a few tense minutes of waiting, the sun princess replied very briefly with a short but detailed record of his family, focusing mostly on the deaf stallion's father: Mochaccino. Twilight quickly learnt his address within Balitmare, just short reach from the train station. When Twilight was about to leave, her friends tried to go with her for advocation, but she didn't want any of it. She wanted to face him alone, for herself and for Silent, so it was with reluctance that her friends accepted that Twilight went off on this mission alone. A sound rose over and above the various rattlings that came with traveling by a chariot; it was a robust cry. “Lady Twilight, we are almost to our arrival, inform your associate as well. After this trip, we are taking off for the night to head back to Canterlot. I apologize in advance.” Twilight wiped her face, yawning as today's circumstances have been very taxing to her physical and mental fitness, so with a nimble nod at the Pegasus's flight team leader that she understood. Pacing herself toward back of the chariot then picked up a hoof, while balancing on all other three to tap on Mochaccino's shoulder to gain his attention, adopting a delicate voice to match the mood that hovered over two passengers of the chariot. “Moch..Mochaccino. Wake up We're disembarking in few minutes.” As Twilight spoke, the brown stallion stirred out of his half-heartened stupor and set his sights on the lavender mare - ruminating about something. Mochaccino looked up at Twilight, bearing an austere look in his eyes as he asked. “What are you to my son?” The question caught Twilight off guard. Slightly taken aback - she had to steel herself to avoid expressing any emotion, it was too soon - she responded, “A friend, new friend actually. I met him a few days back at Ponyville.” The stallion took a moment to ponder before responding, racking Twilight's nerves slightly. “Are you lying to me? Because it seems like you did more than a normal friend could have done with regards of my son's...” Mochaccino paused, wavering within his mind to find right word that wouldn't be so insulting. “...demeanor. You mean to tell that, after all this time, you still didn't give up on getting to know Silent, despite his faults? You even traveled all way from Ponyville to Hoofington to be there for him and now...” Mochaccino paused to take a breath before proceeding to voice what was on his mind, gesturing one of his hoof toward the Unicorn. “Now this? You went out of your way to find me, Silent's father? Why?" Twilight rubbed her neck, nervous to answer straight away. “Well you see, when he came in-” Twilight began tip toeing in her explanation, but got “saved by the bell” when the team of Pegasus whinnied, tilting the chariot to do a quick turn - lining up to land on the street. Pulling to full standstill at front of the hospital, Twilight hopped off and thanked the fliers; their only response was proud whinny as they took off to the air with empty chariot trailing behind them. Luckily the landing procedure put Mochaccino's mind off the subject at hoof. The father paused when Twilight began to trot toward the doors of Central Hoofington Hospital, knowing that he was only short distance from his son scared him; he wasn't sure if Silent even wanted to see him even though Twilight's intent was pure and true. Ignoring all of the small noises around them, Mocha perked up when a crystal clear voice invaded his ears. “Are you coming?” ___________________________________ A few hours have passed since Mochaccino walked into the lobby and was greeted by five mares plus a baby dragon, which naturally surprised him. Twilight then went into lecture mode, explaining everything that had occurred to Silent within this hospital. Including the messy details of when he learned, the hard way, that he couldn't use magic and could possibly never get it back. It disgusted Silent's father to no end; being unable to comprehend why he went through so many misfortunes in his life, although part of it was entirely Silent's blame due with his poor choices in life. It was also during this time that the party agreed that Silent and Mochaccino should have some time together as a family when he woke up, so for few hours he was all alone with his son just waiting for that moment. Doctor Fleetheart stopped by after learning that his patient’s father is visiting; explaining to avoid the use of magic so his trauma didn't recur. It was also because of Silent's latest outburst that his doctor ordered that he is not to be given anything else but medicine via IV, and he was limited to hospital food only. Mochaccino chuckled lightly, thinking of how Silent will manage to go through this without his addiction of hard liquors. He figured that his son would crawl on his belly to get just one drop of liquor if it got bad enough. ___________________________________ It was morning, urban birds were chirping as the sun rose over the horizon, the ponies were stirred out of their dormancy across the city. The brown stallion gazed upon a reflection of himself in his cup of coffee, still waiting for that moment for him to fall out of dreamland’s control and for the talk that was long time overdue. Mochaccino got his answer when a white forehoof laced with two IV’s twitched, groans followed shortly after, but what broke Silent from the normal wake-cycle was a loud scream which exited his throat upon realizing who was sitting in front of him. All of his old feelings began to flare up, most of them ba,- but subsided when he realized that this pony was the very reason he was leaving Ponyville in the first place. A heart-wrenching silence declared its sovereignty over both father and son while both figured out what to say. Silent had worst of it because he knew that he had to own up to his mistakes and apologize like he originally planned, but he couldn't figure out if he should call him “father”, “dad” or “Mochaccino.” The sunbeams, filtered by the dirt on the window, danced across the floor being interrupted by the occasional bird that flew by. The white and brown Unicorn had a stand-off, it was only Silent who broke it. “Dad...” motioned the white Unicorn in the weakest hoofsign that Mochaccino has ever seen with his son. The father gently leaned over to his son, giving him a hug which made Silent break down; there was no need for a long talk or lecture for this moment. A single tear broke out of his unobstructed eye. The brown stallion backed off to give him some space, rubbing his worn hoofs and began to hoofsign in vain: he stuttered and stumbled so much that, if not for Mocha's experience with Silent at his worst, it would have been unreadable to even the most talented reader. Nevertheless it made Silent happy that this was very first step of repairing whatever of relationship that they had. “How..are you...” Mochaccino kept pondering what sign it was for next word. Silent didn't waste anytime helping out his father with weak left hoof by showing how to say the word “doing”, waving his hoof in downward side to side motion. Mochaccino finished the sentence with his son's help. “I won't lie...I'm not exactly okay, but you being...here helps a lot.” Silent looked at his father, repeating once the last of his sentence: “a lot”. The brown stallion then offered his coffee to Silent, in defiance to what Doctor Fleetheart’s orders earlier. “Did you br-” Silent groaned in small pain as some of pain killer wore off for a moment, but another drip from the pack hanging above him remedied it. “Did you brew... it?” The deaf stallion fought off some of small throbbing pain everywhere on his body. “No.” The deaf stallion made a funny expression, then stuck out his tongue in disgust while shaking his head no. Silent denied the coffee because only his father's home-brew sated that itch in his throat. It is perfectly attributed to his father’s cutie mark: bag of ground coffee that was scattered around the cup of coffee with vapor coming out of it. “Then I...don't want it,” the deaf Unicorn replied in hoofsign with a chuckle, which his father joined. Then a groan exited the stallion when a pain shot from his left hoof to the rest of the body and forced the Unicorn into silence until it died down. Mochaccino began to fret over his son, wondering what he was supposed to do but when he noticed Silent have settled down; right way he asked him. “Son, can...we communicate on paper? Things...easier?” The brown stallion looked at his son with both of concern and reluctance; Silent thought for minute then nodded to his father that he was okay with it for now. Mochaccino didn’t remember the last time that he had a real conversation with his son, so rather than divulge into their past problems now he sought to change the topic by redirecting it into another subject that was foremost in his mind. What is that purple mare to you Silent? The brown stallion figured this was good enough to start off. Snaking his way up on his bed, groaning as he instigated a magical charge to his horn to grab ahold of the pen, but nothing materialized once again. Silent chuckled sadly, this was his first attempt at magic since his accident yesterday. Using his left hoof to support himself, he grabbed the pen with his mouth and began writing in messy, but still comprehensible writing. She's a friend, I don't know how else to describe it. the deaf Unicorn turned the note upside-down so he could read it. The pen quickly got encased in dark brown aura as he transcribed his thoughts. Are you sure? I've only known her for few hours now, yet when she speaks of you I could see that spark in her eyes that shows how much she truly cares for you. The brown stallion carefully floated the paper back to him. Mocha noticed that Silent’s writing became bit more emotional. Yes, I know that she does have those...affections for me, but I chose to ignore it. That mare thinks she could hide it well enough, but it is as obvious as the light of day. Silent chortled at what he wrote. Mochaccino heard enough, they may had problems that still needs to be ironing out, they may be just at first step of repairing his relationship, but ignoring a mare’s feelings outright? This won't do! Silent quickly began to shut down his father with a weak but abrupt reply. You won't understand at all dad, just some stupid horseshit. Mochaccino had enough of this, angrily yanking the paper away from his son to speak his mind, writing quickly as he could. Enlighten me, then! It's wrong to ignore a mare like that, when she’s poured her heart out to you; I don't care if she's said it outright or not! Fatherly instincts took over as he bore a look that only a son or daughter would squirm around at; attempting to change the subject would have proven fruitless as Silent knew how stubborn his father was. Shifting around in his bed once again, fighting off the uncomfortable casts that he had on most of his body, his left eye radiated downhearted aura. Pausing now and then with pen just hovering above the paper, his hoof shook in small tremors when memories of his past love life began to resurface. Okay dad, you win. It is because I... I’m afraid of love! Mocha peered at Silent, wordlessly compelling his son to continue. It was a couple years after...mom died and when it was beginning of my problems. I met this beautiful mare. I won't divulge into details of exactly happened, but we did everything together. We stargazed, drank, partied, got into trouble together, shared a bed...just everything that there is to do as Unicorns. Think back on whatever my mother did with you, we did. Eventually we made it known to most ponies within our circle that we were lovers. We were happy; everything, it seemed, was finally looking up for myself and her. Silent weakly slid the paper across the food table to his father, which he carefully read and came up with two quick questions. What happened? And who was she? The deaf stallion sighed, there was no avoiding it now, might as well tell his father. Anyhow, one night I picked up a few liquors as a gift for her. We were planning to---get drunk and do whatever that we usually do. I walked up to her apartment; her door was unlocked, which was unusual. I thought that there was something wrong, so I snuck into her living quarters, checking if my first reaction was right. I opened the door and there she was... in the hoofs of my damned ex-best friend!. They were just...bucking. I wanted to barge through that door and murder him at that very spot, but I never did. I could remember her looking up and seeing me through the crack of the door with atormented face when she realized that she betrayed our relationship. I won’t ever forget that scene for as long I live. I ran away when she threw him off, chased me for few blocks before I shook her off. And before you ask: her name is Amber Blossom. Silent couldn’t write any more. It was getting bit hard for him to go on, but a small part of him told himself that it felt somehow better. Mochaccino delicately picked up the paper, reading it over- remembering the maroon mare all too fondly, with the white highlights that contrasted her otherwise jet black mane, her yellow eyes that would’ve made any colts captivated. Coming over to his house, knocking on the door to ask for his son, back then Silent would be off drinking or partying somewhere. That was exactly that what he told her everytime she came over. She looked desperate, hurt even, but she never told him why she was looking for his son. Her shame wouldn’t have allowed her to. I don’t think I’ve ever told you this because..well... you weren’t exactly around at home. Amber came over to our house a few times, the last time was month ago, asking for you, but I never knew why. Silent just nodded at his father for a brief reply, gesturing with his free hoof for the pen and paper back. Love has only been painful. So yes, I am afraid of love; afraid of being hurt again. You want to know why I refute Twilight’s feeling? Now you know. But you wanna know the worst part? The father intently shook his head, few answers came to mind, but he waited patiently for the real answer which came after. Sure, if I do find somepony someday, start up a relationship and go far as we want, then inevitable would happen. What scares me the most is that if Amber just showed up one day and asked me to give her another chance, I’m afraid that I might would said 'yes', even after what she did to me. I don't know! So...confusing. Mochaccino have learnt more about his son and his life in one hour of talking than last five years of grunts or simple signs within that household. The brown Unicorn's forehead furrowed in deep thought as he chose the simple approach in regards to this slew of information. ...You're stupid. Very stupid, Silent. Whatever you had with Amber is gone, and you maybe will never get it back. But love isn't planned or projected. True love just happens to us when we’re not searching for it; that’s what makes it so undefined. What I'm trying to say, my son, is give love a second chance, embrace it and you will see the truth. I don't care if I sound like a hypocrite now, but trust me. Just once, I ask you to trust me. Silent gazed at the paper for a long time, chuckling at first at his father's last sentence rebuttal, but the chuckling subsided and a long exasperated sigh soon replaced it as Silent racked his brain in an attempt to find a true justification for his love life. After few minutes of soul-searching, Silent opted to find one another time; right now... he wanted to change the subject. Alright dad, I’ll try to trust you this time, but no promises. Silent once again changed the subject, this time to learn what had been happening with his father since the split up. So, whatever happ- ___________________________________ Meanwhile, just down the hall where father and son were continuing their heart to heart talk, the hospital's cafe was offering food to any waiters and/or doctors that were working today. Which was the main reason why Twilight chose to satiate her growling stomach here; eagerly heading to the counter to order. Unfortunately, the lavender mare's emotional state churned her stomach and made food hard to digest properly. It was with this in mind that made Twilight look through the assortment of foods being offered and choose the easiest pieces she could find. The perfect answer was right there: the scent of artichokes with a dash of garlic invaded her muzzle. It looked rich, smooth, and creamy; she just had to have this. With an order in her mind, Twilight started pulling the bits out of her saddlebags. “Hello, how can I help you?” The cashier with strange nurse garb asked. Twilight didn’t take in much of features of the worker, but the deep voice told her that it was a stallion. Twilight didn’t make a eye contact with the cashier, staring intently at the food just near her. “Yes, I would like that bowl of Artichoke soup please. A cup of tea, coffee or water in that order as well. The cashier sighed then chuckled at the odd behavior that the Unicorn was displaying before him. Walking up with the soup carefully balanced on a tray, he poured the coffee and returned to the mare with the tray now filled. “That would be 6 bits please.” Twilight quickly complied and cashed in her bits. Then, she merrily carried her dinner to an empty table. A large growl erupted from the studious mare's stomach, sending the mare looking in every direction, hoping that no pony had been able to hear it. Twilight scanned the small, scarcely populated room, but didn't take notice to a rainbow-maned Pegasus and Earth Pony brandishing an old stetson hat arguing in a booth a few tables over. “There’s our egghead.” Rainbow went ahead of Applejack, prodding Twilight from behind. “Whatcha eating?” The cyan Pegasus planted her rump on a chair, spouting off before Twilight could formulate a response. “Can I have some? Man, I’m so hungry. You know flying all day and stuff does work up an appetite.” “Rainbow Dash! Corsarn it, don’t get distracted; we aren’t here for food! Beside you didn’t do much of flying today!” Applejack tugged on the Pegasus’s tail. Twilight got a sneaking suspicion that two of her friends wasn’t here just to dilly dally around, what sealed the deal was Applejack sighing. “Twilight, you know that all of us six will be always be your friend, no matter what happens. Rainbow Dash and mahself have been..debating with rest of the girls; some agree and some don’t.” A pause, the silverware made a quiet clang as the Unicorn deactivated her magic to divulge her full attention. “Mind you, ah’m saying this...it’s nothing bad. But it is about-” Rainbow Dash spoke up. Applejack may be an honest pony, but when dealing with hard facts she had a tendency to dance around the subject. “It’s about Silent, but more of about you...” [Fucking.... DONE!] - Mr-Happy-Mii! :D *inhales deeply* ...yay! - Morfy Chapter 17For once in this whole hospital experience, Silent was at peace - the extra dose of painkiller coupled with good sleep made sure of that. All alone in his world, disconnected from reality, it is difficult to comprehend pain if one has not felt it first hand. Only those who understood this intangible sensation lived with it, persevered through it; in some ways he envied Twilight - she was innocent to him; to the pain. This was a world of nothingness. Silent was almost invisible while everything around him was pure white: the floor, walls, even the ceiling. The size of his new prison seemed impossible to figure out; it was just a white canvas that extended infinitely. He could not recollect how he came to be trapped in this sterilized white expanse. A big white canvas to him, what was he doing there- he doesn't know. Silent trotted around with seemingly no end in any direction, he was content that there was nothing to find. Though he was lacking emotions Silent was content; in his dream he didn’t have to deal with anything. But this emotionless solitude was a lie, a pure snowy hoof materialized out of the thin air and reached out to him. Silent looked from the hoof to a familiar face. She had this expression that was not of anger, not of concern, a mask of calmness; it was a face that only a mother could make. His mother. Seeing his mother brought back too many memories for the stallion - painful memories. His thoughts shifted drastically to getting out from this paradise-gone-wrong. Silent flattened his ears while backpedaling, trying his hardest to block out the hurt expression that his mother wore. Odd thing about dreams, everything in it including yourself is considered perfect. The emotionally shaken unicorn was surprised when he could hear his mother's voice; it was in-between a serenade and motherly tone. Determined to not let his son to run away anymore. “Silent...” Freezing on the spot, he clenched his eyes shut as a tear threatened to escape and break this perfect neutral world that Silent built for himself. Hearing his mother’s voice hurt; yet he yearned to see her once again but not at the cost of feeling pain. What little mental defense he had left finally shattered with a single graceful movement from his long-dead mother; a serenaded murmur. It was quiet enough for her son to hear yet too quiet for anything else to understand, which was ironic since there was no one else in his world. “It's all right, shh.” A heartbreaking cry began to ring out, Silent’s achromatic world was being destroyed as deeply buried emotions were released. He buried his head in to the caring embrace of his mother like he was a foal once more. A rough, comprehensible voice tinged with disuse rang out. It was only in his dreams that he had the ability to hear or use his voice. “...M..” Slowly opening his wet eyes, watching as his world began to shatter and fall at it's own leisure. “...M-mom?” Silent sat still, unable to move. His perfect picture of peace shattered, sending white shards cascading down around him only to dissolve when they reach the ground. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't happy to see his mother, even if this wasn't real. The deaf stallion laid his head on his mother lap as she stroked his mane like he was but a wee colt; there was no need for a talk. “I have to go now, Silent. Just always remember that I love you, no matter what choices you make in your life.” Winter Blossom giggled when she added, “Tell your daddy waddy that I will always love him. Also, please remind him not to forget our “coffee-whipped” moment.” Silent couldn't help but laugh, to which his mother joined after moment or two of snickering as they reminisced on that past memory. Winter then began to dissolve among with Silent's dream, however before she could leave, his lofty green eyes quickly made contact with her tawny eyes, smiling. “I love you mom.” Winter smiled, a single tear broke out of her eye as she ceased to exist. “Thank you...” Silent looked down as he rubbed his hoof, at the very spot where his mother had touched. He closed his eyes out of fatigue, enduring the bittersweet pain. The deaf stallion figured that pain was a reminder that he was still alive, and it only hurt if he allowed it to. A smirk broke out on his face, as to the deaf unicorn it represented something within him growing and changing, even if he didn't know it. ___________________________________ The first thing his tired eyes made contact with was a heart monitor, the pixel heart beeping in synonymous with his actual heart. It was the first time that Silent truly accepted his mother's death. He figured that she was somewhere better - it replaced his memory of her frail being in the bed. Things were looking up for his father as well, somewhat. Wearily chuckling, all he wanted was to go back sleep. He felt so mellow and content, so extremely happy that he was able to have seen his mother once again. It had been a couple weeks since the accident, and Silent was still stuck in the intensive care unit. A matter, of which he let everypony around know straight up, that he hated with an absolute passion. The nurses and doctors that knew him dubbed him the “Silent Fighter”, which sounded stupid and insulting to the deaf stallion but at end he didn’t care enough to make it known. The Unicorn could think back to week and half ago, when Twilight and her friends had to leave. After all, they had their lives to tend to and couldn't always be right there to support Twilight. But Twilight made sure that she paid visits to him - ranging from twice to four times a week. In those few hours, he would see that lavender face peek through his door like she was asking permission to come in. It was funny, but cute to him; he naturally waved her in and told her it is fine for her to enter. Mocha made visits too, he tried to pay off the hospital bill but everypony, including families of alive or deceased victims was surprised when there was an announcement that Princess Celestia have had passed a bill that granted bits for all victims of the train tragedy in either form of recovery or funeral. It was one of many proof that Princess Celestia loved her little ponies. Also, the stars blinked brighter and the moon slightly larger than normal, which was the work of Princess Luna to honor everypony who was involved. Silent's bubbly attitude deflated as soon a nurse walked in with her all-too-caring smile, which the deaf stallion hated with vehemence because he knew all too well what what would soon follow.. It was a week ago when Doctor Fleetheart informed Silent that they would have to re-break his bones to reset them properly. They explained that the c-spine fracture, cracked jaw, right shoulder and right hoof were fine as they were; the only injuries that they had to focus on were the broken ribs and left hip, which hadn’t set right when nurses set the cast on him. Laughing nervously as a flashback came to Silent; a week ago, he learnt exactly how bad pain can get and hope to not endure it ever again, for his left hip: when the doctor used his magic to probe it and discovered the problem; the left hip was shifted out, the socket wasn’t connecting properly. If there was problem with his hip- there was a possibility that there would be a problem with rest of his injuries; so they checked- discovering everything was fine and healing naturally expect for his ribs. As the doctor began to grip his left hip, a random nurse held his hoof while administering the anesthetic they had available, but it didn't help much when the doctor gripped left hip and snapped it into two place. The deaf stallion screamed out in pain but was held down with powerful magic by another nurse to not impede the procedure. To Silent it felt somepony took a sledgehammer and just smashed it apart, not once, but over and over again. Doctor Fleetheart sweated, trying to ignore the screams of the deaf stallion; this procedure required the patient to be awake so they could see if he had ability to move his left leg or hip so they could verify that it was successful. Threading it carefully with his magic, he finally managed to connect the left hip's joint and bone the right way it was supposed to be. Silent broke out in a cold sweat, panting heavily as his pain at the hip region seared Silent’s gripped of the nurse's hoof so tightly that the nurse yelped in the pain. Clenching his teeth, Silent fought meekly against the urge to scream out with all of his might, but the doctor thankfully redirected his attention to a note scrawled on a piece of paper. Can you move your leg or hip? I know this is a lot to ask of you, but it’s only way I could verify that what we just did was effective. After several minutes of fighting and pain just enough to move his leg a few measly inches, and Silent breathlessly struggling to keep his shrieks of agony in his throat, a single, pain-filled tear escaped his unobstructed eye when the doctor elevated his broken leg. Very gently, oh so gently, the doctor set it back down as the nurse quickly went to work of recasting his hip region, as well his left leg to ensure that it will heal right. Silent quickly broke out of his flashback when a nurse held up already written note for him to read. Good afternoon Silent! After a quick discussion with your doctor.. Silent paused his reading to take look at his personal doctor, Fleetheart, before going back on the paper. we decided to do all of your ribs today, one at time. There is total of four. This is, however, ultimately up to you if we do this all at once or one rib every other day. Closing his eyes for moment, deciding between mending it by little and little but experiencing pain or experience a big one and be done with it, never to be acquaintanced with this suffering ever again. With great hesitation, Silent pointed his hoof on the paper with the choice of doing it at all once. The nurses and Doctor Fleetheart winced briefly as they realized what Silent just chose. A nod at a nurse nearby sent her to close the door for privacy while another nurse went to work of holding Silent down. The silence within that floor was broken few moments later by some thrashing coupled with screams that gripped in patient's hearts in the entire floor, as well as turned a few heads from the staff that populated the halls., turning a few heads when they heard it. A few hours passed and Silent was zoning out, forgetting the searing and throbbing pain that latched onto his ribs, thanks to the morphine that doctor and nurse opted for. They put Silent under a vigilant watch for the duration of his morphine induced relaxation; his father informed the doctor that he was an alcoholic, and it could easily transfer over since he was denied alcohol until he left the hospital However, there was one new addiction that hospital staff took notice of, and it was arriving today, smiling while waving at the nurse as she trotted past them. Doctor Fleetheart knew that it will do him some good after that painful procedure that he infected upon Silent. “Room 11...12, there we go!” The lavender Unicorn took a deep breath before she pushed the door ajar with her magic. When her eyes met the exhausted, but beautiful eyes of the stallion before her in the bed, blushing lightly as she remembered the conversation that she had with two of her friends about Silent. Twilight's jaw dropped when he saw Silent holding something then threw his head up with it, sprang into action very quickly; activating her horn flaring up very quickly in bright purple. ___________________________________ “It’s about Silent, but more of about you...” “What about him?” Twilight became somewhat panicky, this wasn't going according to her plan, even if there was no plans at all. “Ah will start this off. While you were off searching for his father, the girls got together. We were talking about normal things, but then Spike but then Spike brought somethin' up... Twilight perked her ears up, signifying that she was listening intently. “Don't take this in wrong way, we think that Silent is good pony that made bad choices in life, even if we don't know what it is. I know you don't know him well, either.” “Rarity says that he is not sophisticated enough for you, but ‘who would say or go against ways of love,’ she says. Fluttershy was inclined to agree with her spa partner.” Applejack took her hat off, setting it down on the table when the cyan Pegasus interrupted the farmer. “I don't think if he is awesome enough for you. I mean, what is so special about him, Twilight? All I saw was that you got hurt by him and that was only making friends with the stallion! I know, how all of us were worried about you, we still do.” Rainbow Dash ribbed Twilight, unashamedly letting her know of her opinion. It hurt, but that was what friends do. Applejack may have admired Rainbow Dash for telling the truth, or her opinion of the truth, but what she didn't like was how brutally she decided to share them. She kicked Rainbow's leg under the table. “OW!” Rainbow Dash began to tend to her fresh injury, rubbing the sore spot on her leg. “Well, yes, that's one opinion... Ah’m saying that Ah don't mind him as my friend, but something about him just rubs me the wrong way. He hadn't lied outright, but I could see that he is hiding something. Also’ what he doesn't share the same feelings for you? Ah'm just saying Ah don't want to see you hurt.” Applejack explained, rubbing the edge of her cowboy hat with her hoof. Rainbow doubled over, laughing as she explained her sudden mirth. “I-I'm sorry, but while we were discussing Silent- Pinkie Pie was, well, being Pinkie Pie. What she said was...” “More smiles! No, that's too many smiles. More like! No, less like. Ooh! I know! Love! If it happens, I will throw a party!" Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from Twilight's back, which made all three jump in their seat. They could hear Rainbow Dash mutter mostly to herself, mumbling something noncomprehending. Pinkie giggled. “I know silly! OOOOOoooooo food!” She then proceeded to swipe the half-finished soup that Twilight ordered and gulp it all down in one go. The crazed pink mare moved her head closer to lavender Unicorn’s ear and whispered quickly, “Get ‘em tiger. Grr rawr, grr, more food calls upon on me!” The sugar-induced mare then disappeared behind Twilight's back just as suddenly as she arrived, leaving the group at the table staring in utter silence while they tried to make any sense as to what just ensued. Twilight opted to ignore it, refocusing on the subject that her friends brought up. “You know girls, forgetting Pinkie Pie for just a moment, it is quite hard to explain, but I like him. I really do. When I first met him, when he walked into my library to borrow books, we made a eye contact and immediately I felt there was something there. When I introduced myself to him-at that moment, I realized that Silent knew of the pain, like I did. When I was young... you know the story of how I became Princess Celestia's personal student, right?” Applejack and Rainbow nodded, moving their head closer in great intent of listening to Twilight. “While my family was happy for me, the ponies that I had the...displeasure of meeting with didn't approve of my status of being the personal student of Princess Celestia. I was bullied relentlessly, but I always ignored them by simply focusing on my studies and devoting my attention to only my family, Cadence, and Princess Celestia. But later on it got worse, saying how I cheated to get into graces of Princess Celestia. How I didn't have friends. Quietly frankly, I saw a bit of myself in him, of being different. What amazed me more was that he endured it for very long time, even with his bad choices. Something similar to myself, I could see that Silent chooses who get to be close to him, whether if it was family or friends, very carefully- it was like he was afraid to get hurt and I understood him because I used to have that same feeling. I didn't want to make friends at all when I first came into Ponyville.” The lavender mare sighed. “Anyway, when we finally did spend some time together: stargazing, reading together, went out for a dinner and after what the Princess said, I finally realized that I liked him. Truly liked him.” Twilight blushed as she reminisced of her good times with Silent. “But...” “No buts. I'm sorry girls, I understand why you are concerned about this whole situation, but I'm a grown mare now. I would like to make my own decisions.” Twilight offered a sympathetic smile to her friends, content at the fact that they'd be there to support her no matter what. ___________________________________ Despite the painkillers starting to kick in, it still felt as if somepony had taken a knife and went to town on his midsection. The stallion laid in his bed writhing in agony; the morphine he had been given didn't work for shit. Gazing around the room to take his mind off the pain, he found his old saddle bag, home to all of his possessions: his books, bits, alcohol he had yet to drink, and most importantly his sweatshirt. But wait... his sweatshirt? Surely it was here, he packed it here just before getting on the train! Silent's heart rate exploded; he searched frantically through the room, moving as fast as he could despite the casts that decorated his body. It wasn't there! Silent quickly examined his room carefully hoping that it was hanging up, or on floor - somewhere! To his anguish, it wasn't anywhere in his room. Sighing- he broke out a tear. One memento of his mother, gone. The deaf stallion then took another look in his bag and recognized something, being unaware that his subconscious was reaching out for this. Silent's eye became unwavering, his action became unpremeditated and automatic as he fished out the unbroken vodka bottle that was latched safely in one of inner workings of his bag. The bottle trembled in his left hoof as Silent tried to cast his magic to uncork the bottle again; losing his ability to wield magic with no possibility that he’d ever get it back stabbed upon Silent's soul over and over. It meant that his special talent, which was represented by a single dream cloud cutie-mark on his flank, was completely useless now. He finally took that fateful step, swinging his head up and shakily downing that drink even he knew it wouldn't be too good of choice with all of drugs that the doctor were giving him. Greedily, he took huge gulps of the drink; his subconscious inflated when it got what it wanted. While he downed his drink, he was completely oblivious to the door behind him being pushed open by a purple Unicorn, who in that same instant encased the bottle in a deep aura and yanked it from the stallion's mouth, pouring its contents to the floor. Silent tried to reach for it, his desperation for the drink flared, but in doing so he was forced to face the very mare who prevented his binge of alcohol - Twilight Sparkle. Silent gave her a piercing look capable of setting things on fire, then turned away in disgust, shaking her head as the contents of bottle continued to spill into the trash bin. Silent stammered for second before hunting quickly through his bag praying that there would be another bottle hidden. Twilight sensed it and levitated the bag away from the injured stallion, but the deaf Unicorn managed to grab the bag's latch with his left hoof and began to pull it back. He never quite learned how strong the raw magic that Twilight possessed was until the bag was ripped from his hoof and another spell was cast to hold him down. After things settled down, quickly she began to take notice of a faint sobbing across the room. Twilight then proceeded to drop everything that she was doing, trot over to jump up on his bed, and give him a soothing hug. Alone in the bleak room, Twilight and Silent had one of their deepest moment together, even if no words were exchanged. Silent just sobbed into Twilight's shoulder, his tears wetting his cheeks. After while the tears and crying died down, Silent leaned back on the bed sighing, being depressed. Silent began to contemplate of how Twilight was there for him. The bedridden Unicorn looked at Twilight with a soft expression of gratitude. Twilight gawked at the face that Silent had on, moving her eyes up and down the stallion’s figure. The atmosphere wasn't volatile like it was mere moments ago- it was peaceful, there was odd but warm ambience within the room. There wasn't going to be another moment so perfect, so Twilight had to take full advantage of it, moving closer to Silent. The magical protege wrapped her arms around the stallion. Closing his eyes to enjoy the moment, Silent offered no resistance, nor did he have the means to, either. Twilight's lips met his and her hoof wrapped around his head as she pulled him closer for a more loving embrace. The heart monitor beside his bed beeped faster and faster to match his increasing heartbeat. The lavender mare took notice of it, kissing him more deeply for good measure. It was only seconds later they finally came apart, Silent gaped at Twilight- his mind trying to process what just happened - the same could be said for Twilight. When she became conscious of what exactly she did, she jumped off the bed, blushing furiously, and ran out of the room. A half-hearted shout rang out throughout the ER of the hospital, most of ponies heard it but not the left-behind, bewildered, and injured Silent that was unable to chase Twilight. “What did I just DO?!” Thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Xaxalot2774 – Xaxalot2774 for the fanart! Once again, thanks MrMinimii, also my newish editor: He shall be not named unless he wants the credit! (Refer to my blog so you can get some kind of expectations of how often I shall update chapters). Chapter 18This hurts so...bucking much. Oh buck... buck... Buck those doctors and nurs-! Groaning as his body creaked and cracked at every step he took with some support that was wrapped around his belly, the deaf stallion growled as he bantered to himself. ’Relearn how to walk’ my ass! When I get better, I am going to personally strangle that Fleetheart. They need to bucking back off! I'm in pain, and they pretend to know what it feels like to get on train then have it crash! Buck them all! Having enough of the agony, Silent dropped on the floor gently as he heaved short breaths. A nurse rushed to his side, but remained silent. The nurse then wrapped her hooves around Silent with the intent to help him up into his wheelchair. Silent growled internally, pushing off the hooves. This is last straw that broke his back, growling as he bantered with himself while he worked his way up the wheelchair. Ok buck this shit, I'm done. When I do get out of this shithole, I'm going on a drinking binge to drown all of this shit. The deaf stallion then turned around, grunting as he used his weak muscles that weakened after a month of just staying in the bed. Silent wanted nothing more than wipe that fake smile off that nurse's face. He knew she cared for him, but that smile was beginning to get on his nerves. Leaning over his wheelchair for a second, he withdrew a notepad and pencil, pausing slightly to sigh as he remembered that magical aura would no longer surround his horn. Silent was losing bit by bit of himself with every passing day; what is a Unicorn without his magic? Redoubling his focus on the paper as he picked up the pencil with his mouth. I'm done for today, could you take me...back to my room? Silent pushed the paper in the direction of the nurse noticing her nervous biting of her lower lips because the doctor had specifically told her to keep him in physical therapy for at least an hour - it had only been thirty minutes so far. Mr. Dreamweaver, I'm afraid that I cannot do that. I strongly encourage you to try again, walk from where you are right now to the end of that line, you’ve got about 50 feet to go. Then you may go back to your room and rest as long you want. The nurse altered her cap, shifting her eyes away as she hoofed the reply back into Silent's hooves. Everypony who was in that room felt a heavy dose of Silent's anger as he let out a dark growl. Climbing from his wheelchair, the nurse who was in charge of the Unicorn for the day realized what he was doing, so she trotted backwards to the white line. Silent had half of his mind on hoping he could strangle somepony - he wouldn't if given choice, but somepony can wish right? Silent grunted as he went through memorized straits of pony walk, left hoof forward while right hindleg forward then switch and switch, toward that damnable nurse; better to have dark goal than no goal. Silent counted off the steps once again - right then left - in his straits, his body was screaming him to stop. He was pissed at the nurse who was waiting at end line, but he used his anger to push past the heavy injuries that he had. When he finally got to the end, he wavered a bit before resetting himself. A couple of nurses who was working with him gave him a cheer as they counted down the distance: forty feet, thirty feet, down to twenty, then ten. Finally, a white hoof rested on nurse's shoulder- the one that Silent was pissed at. He gave her a cold smile that spoke “Happy now? Get to the work of taking me back to my room”. The nurse just nodded once, waving her assistant to come over with his wheelchair and helped him, as much as possible through the stallion's constant rejections, anyway. The deaf stallion hated receiving help from others; his stubborn pride just one more item in the list of his negative attributes. Growling as he grudgingly accepted some help from the nurses in form of them pushing the deaf Unicorn back to his room. Silent among with other nurses entered the room; only the deaf Unicorn gave out a heavy sigh. It was back to bleak and plain walls of his room that drove him insane, he would love to see different sights such as trees, sky, other ponies...Twilight. Twilight... Silent's lips tugged at him, transforming into a small smirk- he couldn’t figure out exactly why Twilight never gave up on him, or why she liked him and, for that matter, why she kissed him in this very room two weeks ago! After that talk with his father, Silent began to pick up the pieces of his emotional state- figuring out if he was truly ready to let another pony into his heart. Would he make the right choice accepting her in? Could he live with himself if he pushed her away? Sighing as he pulled himself into his hospital bed, his feelings were all jumbled up- pulling his feelings in two directions. Would he still agree with what his father have said in that conversation or do he follow his heart? He only knew one thing in this state of complete disarray: love hurts. Not soon after, a nurse trotted up to him holding a two red pills; Silent loftily looked at it, recognizing his usual pain pills. It was a warm welcome, away from throbbing pain that he acquired from recent physical therapy. Silent grabbed up the pills into his hoofs, popping them into his mouth while gracefully bending over to grab a glass of water that was next to him on nightstand. One side effect of the painkiller that the nurses were feeding him that it made him very drowsy. The deaf Unicorn tried to fight the side effect off by keeping active in his bed, mainly by naming everything he could find in his room and rereading old newspapers and magazines. Silent plucked one magazine out, flipping through until he found an odd but interesting article: “Learning to Lie”. The deaf stallion flipped to next page where it began. In the last few years, a handful of intrepid scholars have decided it’s time to try to understand why fillies or colts lie. For a study to assess the extent of teenage dissembling, Dr. Whooves, then at Equestria University, recruited a special research team of a dozen undergraduate students, all under the age of 21. Using gift certificates for free food as bait, Whooves’s Mod Squad persuaded the students to spend a few hours with them in the local pizzeria. Each filly or colts was handed a deck of 36 cards, and each card in this deck listed a topic teens sometimes lie about to their parents. Over a slice and a Coke, the teen and two researchers worked through the deck, learning what things the kid was lying to his parents about, and why. “They began the interviews saying... The poor stallion never got far with his read when the byproduct of his antiodontalgic struck with full force. The medience that he was administered finally knocked him out cold, snoring rang out out of the room with small noise of magazine falling off out of Silent’s grip into floor. ___________________________________ “My dear, do you honestly think he will be angry at me? I mean it was a...spur of moment when I saw this thing just laying there all battered up like it was! I couldn't simply let it be!” Rarity paused for dramatic effect while Twilight gave her blank look hinting the white mare to press on. Don't try to play it off Twilight! You've seen him in his...dark moments, and I must say it is ungentlemanly of him. I don't know if I will be able to handle apologizing to him, what if he reacts in way that I don't expect? Twilight sighed, giving her a plain face as they walked through the entrance of the hospital. “Rarity...I read in a book that you need to admit that you did something wrong and apologize, it is part of being a friend. Besides, this would make for a good friendship report that I'm due on tomorrow!” Twilight beamed her best smile at Rarity, hoping to redirect her worry elsewhere. Then there was the stallion, of whom preoccupied the lavender Unicorn's thoughts as she replayed her first kiss with him over and over again. It had been few days now, her organized mind went to work; remembering the kiss- the lavender Unicorn blushed. A few of the nurses and doctors smiled at the mares as they passed each other on the way to the ward that held the victims of the train crash. “Oh~~~ Are. You. Sure.Twilight?!” Rarity moved her head closer with every word, hoping to draw out some empathy from the Element of Magic, but Twilight had seen through it, giving her a stare that she used on Spike when he burnt up that book or went into one of his crazy “love episodes” about one particularly sophisticated, white mare. Twilight sighed once again giving Rarity a pointed look before pushing the door ajar gently; peeking around hoping that he would be fully awake but to her discouragement that it didn't hold true. “Well Rarity, let's wait in his room until he wakes up,” Twilight explained as she plopped herself on small couch, beckoning Rarity to take up empty space next to her. There was few moment of silence, it reigned over this room while Silent's new friends was beginning or finally wrap the train accident in it's entirity in their minds. It may have been selfish of them to say it right out, but they were hopeful that anything to do with that calamity would never happen to them. But who could actually say “life is predictable” and be right about it? They validated that truth a long time ago when they faced with becoming Elements of Harmony then facing Nightmare Moon and Discord, as well their wacky events that seemed to pop out often in their small, sweet village of Ponyville. Rarity solemnly looked down inside her bag, her memories ringing loud and true back then at that fateful party that Pinkie Pie threw for him. Rarity then activated her magic to pull a single piece of cloth out of her saddlebag as she recimsined. Silent, hoof dripping the cloth, glared the the white, which, in her opinion, came off as brutish and ungentlecoltly. “Honestly! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?!” Rarity realized that Silent was lip reading. His body began to shake with rage, his depression came back to him twofold. Snatching up the notebook and the pen that he set down earlier. Silent wrote rashly with his mouth in very first page of his new notebook before shoving it over to Rarity with his magic. “Don't touch this piece of cloth ever again, it was made by my mother! It is last thing left that I have of her!” It wasn't soon after when Silent bolted straight out of that party, leaving behind a bewildered party ponies, particularly Rarity herself. The memory of that sweatshirt was brief but powerful. Which was why Rarity took it upon herself to "borrow" it and restore; it served both as a crime against all of her fashion beliefs and, most importantly, a catalyst of her apology for the past. The white Unicorn began to fold it neatly, like it was preparation for a present wrapping. The combo of lavender and white Unicorns snapped out of their alternative musing when they heard something stir; the noise was quickly attached to the deaf stallion. Silent heaved a great yawn, wiping the eye mucus away, and took a quick look around in his room. Instantly, a set of green eyes widened at sight that he wasn't expecting to see. It was his beloved sweatshirt, being levitated by the very same mare who touched his sweatshirt without permission. Bending over to sit on his haunches, his left hip throbbing in pain- Silent shot the mare across the room a dark look. The deaf stallion then pointed his healed right hoof at her then waved her over. Rarity bit her lips, glancing her eyes left and right hoping to avoid any kind of actual contact. It was clear that Silent was pissed right now, but exactly how pissed he was, she didn't know. Twilight gave her an apologetic smile then motioned in Silent's direction subtly. Rarity huffed, moving her purple mane back to its rightful style, and hopped off the couch, swallowing hard, and began her short journey toward the angry stallion. A black sweater drifted lazily behind the mare, creeping ever closer to Silent. Only soon there was nowhere else for Rarity to go but forward, she had to face the situation that she hoped that she wouldn't get in. Silent raised his eyebrow that promulgated a single word wordlessly to both mares who could see him. Well? With a deep breath, Rarity regained her regal posture and faced the stallion heat on. Her bright blue eyes finally made contact with his, the black sweatshirt floated past her and into his waiting hoof. Silent inspected it; it was the same as before. Silent broke off his eye contact from the waiting fashion designer, holding his beloved sweatshirt up. A fragment of his memory came to him for a fraction of a moment: it wasn't perfect when he came out of that train accident. All he could remember was blood, blood everywhere so it must have stained his sweatshirt. The deaf Unicorn then dropped his sweatshirt into his lap, reinstating a eye contact with the white Unicorn before him. Silent waved her even closer, the sweatshirt thief didn't have any choice but to comply. As she drew nearer, Silent raised his hoof higher and higher as if he were going to smack across this mare's face. Twilight's eyes widened, her maw hanged slack at sight that didn't come across even slightly in her mind of many possible situations when the Element of Generosity would be making her apology. Rarity shrieked, closing her eyes in preparation that hit will come; her body shook in fear, she never faced a stallion who would raise a hoof against a lady. Instead, it was more of a soft thud coupled with boisterous laughter. Rarity blinked twice before to realizing that she was buried within the stallion's chest whom she thought was going to take a swing at her; her cheeks grew a heavy, dark red blush when realization crept inside her that she was tricked. Rarity reacted like any lady would do: hit Silent over and over senselessly. Twilight's tense mood dissipated instantly when she grasped what just had happened, her laughter joined the deaf Unicorn's. Rarity then wiggled out of Silent's hug, took a quick look at both of laughing Unicorns, and huffed for second while tending to herself. A smirk tugged on her lips, comprehending that Silent just have forgiven her- a crude method of forgiveness, but nevertheless! Finally, a third laughter joined the existing ones, Rarity held a hoof against her mouth hoping to suppress it so she could still behave as proper lady. Gradually, the laughter died down- Rarity finally had enough comprise to turn around and face the stallion in the bed, mouthing a sentence to him. “Thank you for accepting my apology.” Silent gave her a smile and a nod to gesture that he understood what she have said. Twilight trotted up to him then gave him a long and loving hug. Rarity tittered at that sight “Oh my~, I shall leave you lovebirds alone. Be sure to be quiet, don't quite want anypony to know of your...activities~” “Oh Celestia, Rarity! I have done none of that sorts! An-and I..” “I know dear, I was just kidding. Be on your best behavior. I need to freshen up- thanks to your stallion for giving the scare of my life! I thought this was the Worst.Possible.Thing!” Rarity heaved, “Well ta-da~” A door then was encased with Rarity’s magic, opening then closing as she left- leaving the two so-called lovebirds alone in the room. Twilight looked around as blush grew on her face, giving Silent a smile, activating her magic to pull out a pink notebook and pencil out of Silent's saddlebag. How are you doing so far Silent? I heard from Dr. Fleetheart that you began physical therapy so I thought I would bring a couple books relating to it. I thought they might help you some. While Silent was reading it, Twilight levitated over her saddlebags then pulled two books- The Equestrian Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Maintenance and Repair Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Secrets Thanks Twilight.. Silent paused for moment, knowing that Twilight was only trying to help him recover, but the deaf stallion learnt to hate therapists or anything related to them. So he chose to lie. those books will help along, it hurts like you won't believe. It's pretty damn hard to compare the agony that I know as it is to anything else. Twilight...how are you doing lately? Silent then pushed the notebook back to her. Twilight smiled after quickly reading his response, only to watch Silent cracking open the first book that Twilight brought for him and gestured to her to come over to sit next him so she could have the pleasure of reading a book with him. Twilight blushed, climbing up on the bed- being extremely careful about his injured areas. Silent then flipped through the pages, skipping to Part I- Chapter Nine which spoke of ankle and hoofs. For a good hour Twilight and Silent dialogued back and forth with the mare taking up most of the conversation by explaining what the book meant about how a pony should go to restore health to their hoof and hips. Some exercises seemed outlandish or painful. Twilight perked up to the sound of knocking on the door with voice asking cautiously. “Is this Silent's room?” Twilight gestured quickly that there was somepony at the door; the deaf stallion nodded once and went to work of bookmarking all important parts that both Unicorns were discussing about. Twilight answered the voice quickly as it came, not recognizing the voice, but figured that it was somepony that her...dear friend knew. “Yes, you may come in,” both of their eyes focused on the door ahead of them. The door became encased in dark red then a maroon hoof decorated with a single black hoofband stepped through the door. The room quickly seemed bigger to the deaf Unicorn when a head peeked through the door as it was pushed ajar and in a instant a pair of yellow made contact with his. Time froze. [Done.] - MrMinimii Yay! -Morfonious Chapter 19Hello Bronies, I'm so sorry that this chapter is so late and overdue. I apologize for this, I hope it won't happen again. I was just so busy picking up my life putting it together by piece and piece, multiple things going at once: getting a new girlfriend, renewing my license, and finding a job to have a steady source of income. Anyhow, after a month of waiting- here's your rightly deserved chapter nineteen! It’s VERY short, I apologize once again. Happy Belated Thanksgiving everypony!To make this be fair for such a short chapter, I'm going to write 3,000 to 4,000 words chapters! Then Ill try my damnest to put it out there ASAP. If Silent wasn't deaf, he might could have heard a pin drop within the room when that particular mare walked in. It was almost as if that never happened. The mare's yellow eyes deterred from his; was she sorry about it?. The deaf stallion gripped the bed as dark emotions shot through him, he wanted nothing more than to make her pay, make her feel miserable for what she put him through, but just as suddenly as they came, the malicious thoughts disappeared and new thoughts, nicer thoughts, filled his mind. Only for a brief moment, however, as the dramatic emotional shift overwhelmed the Unicorn and blurred his vision. Silent quickly shut his eyes, muttering it to go away. The deaf Unicorn felt something tapping his shoulder, snapping to attention when Twilight gave him a befuddled look. A sudden movement redirected his attention to a sorrowful Unicorn braving a step forward, but stopping when the burning glare of her ex became fixated on her. She hid her face, but couldn't hide the depths of sorrow that poured from her eyes.. It seems like that was still fresh and intact in his mind. Twilight have noticed but she didn't know exactly, hoping to diffuse the mood that was descending upon the trios of Unicorns. Twilight cleared her throat loudly and forced her best smile to the other mare. “Oh, hello there.” The magical protege held her hoof up to shake this mysterious, yet beautiful mare as greeting. Suddenly, she was held back by Silent's hoof; he shook his head 'no'. The deaf stallion turned, lashing out loudly by pointing his other free hoof toward the door. Clenching his teeth, he tried for the only two words that could solve the situation that had befallen the happy couple. ”Get. Out.” “But..” the maroon Unicorn finally spoke up, only to be interrupted by Silent slamming his hoof on his bed to punctuate his anger. The deaf stallion began to shake out of anger and sadness, crystal orbs at the threat of breaking bubbled on either side of her eyes. The maroon mare broke under the pressure, galloping out of the room to escape the offensive and desperate stares from her ex and the mare respectively. Twilight could not, for her life, figure out what just happened. There was a sudden drive within herself to help her soon-to-be lover, so she calmly trotted out of the room with the intent of talking with her. __________________________________ The hospital staff was leery of a certain maroon mare just loafing around in their break room, just staring at the coffee-maker like it was non-existent; a depressed face held on her. The yellow eyes once held sadness and vibrancy, but she repressed the feelings upon entering the lobby. She tried to pick herself up and do something, anything to keep her busy until her ride turned around to pick her up. A sob broke through he pursed lips, her mind flashed back to the first time she heard the news of the train crash. The maroon-coated Unicorn stirred in her sleep, waking from yet another bucking nightmare. Everything that she tried to get rid of that tormented face never worked, but she learned to accept it. Quickly hopping off the bed, the mare trotted to her door to do her usual rounds in the morning, but it was fate, to her anyway, when she picked up that newspaper with her magic that contained the very same information that Twilight had read. EQUESTRIA TRAIN TRADEGY NEAR HOOFINGTON; DOZENS DEAD. The collision occurred just north of Hoofington in the afternoon after the train ended up derailing after hitting one of weakened rails on a curve. Neighbours in the town of North Hoofington were alerted by what they said sounded like a bomb and rushed to the scene as survivors emerged. Rescuers worked through the night to recover bodies and help the wounded. Equestria Railroad was closed for four days as maintenance work was being done on the tracks before the accident, but officials said it was too early to determine the... She skimmed over the uninteresting bit, jumping instead to the names of the victims involved in the accident. She could have sworn there was something that made her eyes draw to this very list. Alive but unidentified: A maroon filly, with black mane and tail. Three pieces of musical notes cutie mark. Moved to Fillydelphia hospital. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A light mint mare, yellow-black striped mane and tail. An ice-cream cutie mark. Transferred to Fillydelphia hospital. A gray stallion with blue spiky mane and tail. A drawing pad cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. She couldn't believe it as one particular sentence that she just have read looped over and over in her head. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. She couldn't believe that he was still out there, injured, but at the moment all she could think about was visiting him. The fear of Silent's response and retaliation deterred her to no end, even though she had cut all ties with his best friend. She already actually kicked out then cut ties with Silent's now ex-best friend. The red aura around her horn deactivated, and the newspaper dropped into the ground unceremoniously. The maroon mare began to bite her lower lips as she rubbed her foreleg in very deep thought; Should she go or should she stay? Because, after all, she had betrayed him. Snapping out of her stupor when she felt a gentle hoof resting on her shoulder, her eyes dilated and focused on a silhouette who, after adjusting, turned out to be the very Unicorn sitting beside Silent on his bed. The depressed Unicorn was beginning to question her entire trip to this hospital to see her ex-lover and if it was feasible at all right now or ever. “Uh..” The yellow eyes of hers made contact, but only to break away out of despair. “Hello.” Twilight was taken aback when she realized how shaky the voice was. She moved quickly to her side to ensure that she wouldn't do anything stupid in that kind of state. “Hello! My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm Ponyville’s librarian and the personal student of Princess Celestia! What is yours?” a vigorous voice chirped in hopes of squashing the depressing mood that mare before her have set into the room. “Amber..” The maroon Unicorn felt awkward in this situation because of what transpired in that room earlier with her...complicated relationship with her lover or was it ex-lover? Amber sighed before pushing herself to answer the question. “Amber Blossom, a florist and party-goer from the city of Baltimare and personal student to nobody.” Amber rebutted Twilight's fiasco introduction of herself. “Hehe...yeah.” Twilight turned her head to ask her a cautious, yet necessary question. “What are you doing here? Why is Silent that...” The lavender mare twitched when she remembered a dark piercing look that he had on this mare next to her. “angry with you? What happened between you two?” “I don't want to talk about it...please.” Amber turned to Twilight with a pained look in her eyes, opening her mouth to continue, “If you truly want to know, ask him.” The maroon mare turned and slumped; Amber muttered very quietly- thinking that Twilight wouldn’t overhear it. Twilight’s eyes shrinked instantly as her equine ears picked up the noise. “Why did this have to happen?...” Amber’s voice cracked before continuing “I love you..” [Uh-huh...]-MrMinimii I apologize for very short chapter, been so busy with my life- refer to the message above Chapter 20The room became wider and wider as Twilight heard those three words that would be music to her sister-in-law's ears. Cadence would gladly support this brand new Unicorn from nowhere over her own family, distant albeit, for the mere fact that she loved the stallion. The purple Unicorn folded her ears taking a hit to her heart; she didn't know what she should do in this situation. The kiss from the deaf unicorn sent a flurry of feelings too strong for her to cloud her brain, and she hadn't even let them develop before this new mare- or old mare- entered the picture, or re-enter the picture; she hadn't even figured out how she truly felt! Until now. She sat on her haunches, perched at the edge of a couch in the hospital lobby sobbing lightly to herself, too enveloped with her own self pity to notice the mare starting to move. ”Why did this have to happen? I love you...” Those words kept looping inside her head; Twilight slumped her head down as she began fighting this new war within herself. How would Twilight decide to go through this, what would be best method to conquer and win this raging strife. After all, this Unicorn always plans everything that she does ahead of the time! First thing that she put into a scrutiny was the Magic of Friendship and what of she learnt through her writing of friendship reports to her beloved Princess Celestia. Twilight began to apply what meant the most to this situation; the first useful thing that came to her was: Dear Princess Celestia, I am happy to report that I now realize there are wonderful things in this world you just can't explain, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them. And sometimes it takes a friend to show you the way. Dear Princess Celestia, Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself, and others. And that's something every heart desires. Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned it's not good to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something. If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did. This could hurt their feelings, and it could make you feel really foolish. So from now on, I will make sure to always get all the facts. I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives... Even when they don't always seem to make sense... But in this case, the solution to this dilemma would come from within herself. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, took a deep breath and decided on best method that would hopefully fix the predicament that all three Unicorns involved were in using the appropriate lessons. Twilight looked on at Amber sitting there on her haunches just nearby. Meanwhile, among all of this, Amber was burying her head between her hind legs- slumping as she tried to wrap her head around this whole situation that she had to face, but she wasn't sure if she had courage to do so. A single, painful tear broke from its barrier in her eye and cascaded down her cheek; the frozen image of his expression when he had caught her still tearing away her nerves. With his best friend, no less! Amber felt that she was no less than dirt and right now, she was holding on to a pathetic but hopeful goal that only made sense to her. Amber would give anything to return things to how they once were before she ruined everything. Now only one question remained: Will Silent feel the same way? Despite the feelings of sadness that plagued the air, she felt familiar muscles begin to shape into a satisfied smile. The maroon Unicorn's mouth began to tug at her, unconsciously smirking as her mind cranked back to the time when they were at their happiest but Amber have chosen the origin of Silent Dreamweaver and Amber Blossom; in her eyes was the happiest moment because she wouldn't have discovered exactly what it meant to love one another. She could remember it very clearly, there is no chance that she would forget that day. There was music disseminating from within one of the watering holes in Baltimare; groups of ponies occupied the chairs and stools that dotted the floor, but one particular group caught her eye. A couple of rowdy stallions were wrestling playfully while a group of mares chatted noisily about something that her friends easily filtered out. They were here to drink and have fun, gossip their night away, and unwind after a long day. “So Meadow, do you see any table open for us?” A chipper female voice spoke up as the door slammed behind them. The bar was commonly rowdy, yet it added to the overall feel of the pub and it drew in customers night after night in anticipation for a great fight. Amber’s friend; Meadow and Purple went in first and they began arguing about where they should sit down, behaving like kids by throwing “No, there. Yes, No! There!” back and forth between them. “Oh look Raven, there's a table open. Let's hop to it and leave those idiots to bicker for a bit.” Amber giggled as she took a backseat that oversaw over the whole bar. “Who do you think you are saying that we are an idiots? OH WAIT!” Meadow and Purple Haze said in unison as they trotted over to take their respective seats. “Wait up!” both Meadow and Purple were attempting to weave their way through the crowd, sprouting “excuse me” as quick they went; Amber and her friend went ahead and took their respective seats. Amber Blossom was lofting around as her friends began ordering their usual drinks then began killing their time chatting with each other about their life, families, bad tidbits, and general gossips about celebrities. Amber kept quiet, mainly because nothing truly spectacular happened in her life recently. The familiar chime of the door's bell alerted the group to a new visitor; no one but the maroon mare bothered to look to the new visitor. Silent strode in in thirst for a drink. Nothing about the stallion separated him from the other drunkards that littered the chairs except his eyes, his black lifeless eyes. Amber kept her eye fixated on the stallion, paying particular interest to his demeanor; it was rare to find one so solemn in a land so overcome with cheer. He made his way to the pub and tapped slowly on the wooden counter top, first once, then twice before the bartender responded in a well practiced motion slidding a bottle vodka toward him. After the usual exchanging of bits for products they both went on their way; however the stallion was just content where he was- drowning his sorrows with alcohol. Amber averted her eyes, refocusing on her friends who was chatting about the Wonderbolts show that was upcoming in nearby city of Fillydelphia. The maroon Unicorn could pick up there and there of the whispers about that stallion of how often he comes in and get drunk, of how pathetic he was and of how little he spoke. Every attempt ever made in trying to communicate with him ended with a grimace followed by a swig of his vodka; it didn't matter if it was a mare that was interested in him or a stallion that wanted to make friends with him. “Don't chu dare i'nor' me... Hey retard! The entire bar turned to the focal point where a Pegasus was screaming mere inches away from the stallion's ears. Any attempt to ignore the situation was quickly trumped by the boisterous voice of the inebriated Pegasus.The Pegasus stallion flared his wings to display his annoyance and anger toward the mute drunk, but Amber was sure that it was alcohol talking not him. The mute's lack of a response snapped the final bit that held the stallion back. He rose a hoof in fury, smashing it into the shoulder of the silent stallion sending both him and the bottle of vodka to the floor. The Unicorn, dazed from the hit and the alcohol, scrambled to his hooves unsteadily and strained to make eye contact with his attacker. Amber watched as both inebriated stallions exchanging glassy stares. The deaf stallion swayed around lightly, lightly, his vision reduced to blurs and blobs but not enough to inhibit his coordination.The pegasus's mouth kept moving; his physical expression told the deaf stallion that something would happen soon enough.The Pegasus's scowl and demeanor ensured a show soon enough. Amber and her friends’, as well among most of everypony in the bar's, eyes widened at the sight that they thought they would never witness. The Pegasus cocked a foreleg back to knock the Unicorn upside his head, but Silent, in anticipation for the blow, ducked from under the swinging hoof and administered a blow of his own directly into his throat. The sound resonated around the now-silent pub and the Pegasus stepped back shakily, hoofs pressed on the impact spot with astonished pain. The breath wheezed down his throat as blind rage rose to the drunkard's head. He released an aggressive growl and charged for the deaf defender. The aggressor stopped dead in his tracks as an eerie aura entangled him, freezing him in place. The source of the magic, one drunken Unicorn, stared evenly, his void eyes masking the rage that surged through his veins. The Pegasus rose from the ground slowly in relation to the Unicorn's eyes; his face awestruck and colorless. A twinge in the magician's muscle sent the newly-found victim crashing to the floor with a cacophonous crack that sent every onlooker cringing in pain. The aura dissipated the still body with nothing but the unsteady, restricted rising and falling of his crack ribs to signal his grip, however weak, to life. Amber speculated that this night would forever be wiped from the Pegasus's memory. The room burst into murmurs and whispers of the stallions, berating them for resorting to violence in such a peaceful land; two of Amber's friends being of the first to spar the chatter. Amber took no interest to the attempts to get her to join them, opting instead to study the victor. His eyes relinquished all thoughts of anger and contempt, resorting back to his recessive, apathetic appearance, yet something sparked deep in his eyes, a spark that told of feelings passed the outer shell, feelings longing for acceptance, feelings longing for affection. Amber and her friend looked on to the stallion as he seated himself, looked down to the downed stallion with a condescending sigh, and returned to the endeavor held within his bottle of clear, liquid problem-solver. He wrapped it in white magic and retreated to the snowy wasteland just beyond the door with nothing more than a black sweater and green scarf to shield him from the ice. “So Amber, what did you think of that stallion? I wouldn't mind to jump into bed with him!” Raven fluttered her wings and looked upon the stallion with the same yearning look one would find from a mare in heat. “Oh, so you mean you would like to roll in the hay with that stallion that is knocked out cold right there on the floor?” Raven immediately answered, “Yes,” before realizing that Amber tricked her whilst her other two friends, sitting across the table, began laughing at her; Amber Blossom couldn't resist the temptation to join the fun. However, it ended rudely when Raven discreetly kicked Amber's leg underneath the table. For some strange reason he maroon mare, whilst tending to her leg, found her thoughts trailing to the mysterious stallion time and again. The stallion tugged at her curiosity until, finally, she succumbed to his mystery and resolved to follow him. Amber quickly excused herself from her friends at the table by saying that she forgot something at her apartment. Quickly scarffing herself to battle the frigid temperatures that plagued the winter months, she crossed the threshold of the doors and inter the wintry land beyond.A cloud of steam escaped from the mare mouth as she exhaled her first breath. The falling snow flakes meant that Baltimare would soon be blessed with a fresh, new sheet of white winter wonder, but her concern was not with the city as a whole, just the section of the city that held the silent protagonist she sought after. She dropped her head to the sidewalk to study any sets of tracks that lead away; after all he couldn't have gotten too far. The set that stuck out to her were hoof prints that seemed to burn the snow away, leaving nothing but cements with every step; she pressed on immediately, lest the remnant hoof prints be buried and forever hidden in the cascading snow, her search came to an abrupt end; she didn't search long before stumbling upon the mystery fighter sitting alone atop a frozen park bench, his green mane and tail blowing lazily in the wind. She paused, second guessing her own actions. How should she, how should any pony, dare approach a Unicorn that just slammed a Pegasus to the ground? Amber after inhaling then exhaling a great breath to gain courage; took the first step forward to introduce herself to the Unicorn. As Amber looked on at the sight that was getting closer, more and more feature of the Unicorn became more clear and clearer, tons of scars adorned his body, his heavy green eyes just stared blankly at the snow mounds around the park. He didn't acknowledge anything around him, a nearly finished bottle of vodka floated around him mindlessly as his horn kept glimmering in green. The snowflakes was falling gently- a truly beautiful sight to behold if somepony took a pause in time to look at it. Amber watched an another steam escaping from her mouth then raising up in the air, building up a quick courage then finally spoke. “Hello there...” she began, just strong enough to grab his attention, but weak enough so as not to provoke or startle him.However, he didn't respond. She stepped back; who did this stallion think he was, ignoring her! “HEY! What’s up with you an...?” She paused. His ears remained flat, but all equine ears twitched at any sound of noise. She calmed herself and stepped forward. She was immediately noticed by the Unicorn, who raised his head quickly and stared at her. She motioned to the seat next to him with a wavering smile. The stallion returned to his drink with a grunt and slid to one side of the bench. She sat and activated her magic, sliding the bottle from the white Unicorn's grasp, and sipped it. The owner looked at her as the softest smile broke over his usually placid face. A second tear widened the track that the first one made as she returned to the present. She closed her eyes to delve back once more, but a light tapping on her shoulder broke her concentration. Twilight was gingerly rapping on her shoulder to garner her attention; a tense smile adorned her face. “Come on, Amber Blossom, let's go back to his room together and you can talk it out.” Twilight had thought this plan over time and time again; make Silent decide so no emotions would be hurt and he would be happy. Fortunately, she took to analyzing every detail possible to use her knowledge of friendship to win the Unicorn over to her favor, however selfish it may be. Amber gawked at Twilight in vain hope that she only be a figment conjured from the depths of her mind that took a sick glee in torturing her, as they did by making her relive every cherished moment with Silent. She wasn't. While Twilight was busy developing her plan and Amber was busy taking a trip down memory lane, Silent lay in his room, silent save for the annoying blips emitting from the machines that went unheeded by the deaf Unicorn. He, however, wouldn't noticed it either way since he was preoccupied with chucking anything within hoofs reach to expel the anger that boiled within him. A storm of emotions tore at him, a battle between the feelings of is lost love and the personal student of Celestia. But feelings couldn't be decided. Nothing can stop it from staying or change. Author's Note [DONE] - MrMinimii [Whoo, whoo you rock!]- Morfonious MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR MY READERS! (this is my early wrapped gift for you guys). :D Chapter 21Nurses and doctors scurried through the hallway, past Twilight and Amber whom traveled its length to reach the incapacitated patients. Amber was still quiet, her eyes was set on floor watching it go by as she trotted by her enemy in love. Although the mood was heavy and dark, throughout the whole thing the maroon mare couldn't help but smirk as her mind took to more of a positive light. Amber began to hum some familiar song that she made up herself a long time ago, when Silent's heart belonged to her. Twilight turned around for a moment to the source of the noise and scrutinized the Unicorn behind her; she couldn't help but wonder what exactly Silent and Amber could have done together. Pangs of jealousy forced their way into the lavender Unicorn's subconscious, coupling the increasingly intimate images of Amber and Silent: at the park, their home, a bar, in... bed. Shaking her head, she worked feverishly to rid herself of the thoughts that now plagued her mind, of Amber being a genuine love to Silent, or at least tried to. Why else would she show up out of the blue, weakly acting like nothing had happened between them? The scholar wanted so desperately to ask what could have driven them apart. The further they trotted along the hallway the further Amber sunk into a memory. As she did so a smirk of inexplicable emotion that Twilight couldn't place spread across her mouth. Twilight gathered her courage and decided to ask Amber straight out - mare to mare. “What exactly are you to Silent?” Amber stopped, perking her ears up. Hearing the question that cut her deep down, the maroon Unicorn lowered her head to lowest point possible. She began to speak, her voice fluctuating dramatically as was common when faced with a conflicting situation. “I... don’t know... anymore...” Amber kept her head down, her eyes making contact on the white tiled floor of the hospital. “I am, or was his lover.” The mare then sat on her haunches, sighing as she coordinated her reply to the purple mare before her. She looked down the hallway, she wasn’t ready to look her opponent in the eyes. She was about to stop, but the intrigue on the other’s face egged her onward, so she breathed a deep, shaky breath and continued. “I...look...Twilight was it?” A nod came from the temporary companion. “I bucked up, not an ‘ Oops! I'll apologize; forgive me?’ I bucked it up bad.” Amber slammed her hoof against the floor. Twilight leaned in, anxious for the next part of Amber's explanation, but, to her dismay, Amber pushed her along in favor of being alone with her thoughts. She released the air that had been building within her much smoother than it had initially entered, but try as she might she was not able to release the terrible thought that floated around in her mind. “I need some time alone.” The maroon mare shot the other unicorn a pained look as Twilight began to vocalize her reply to the ex-lover. “I'm not all here right now in my head. All I need a some time alone then I'll head up to that big lug's room.” Amber smiled weakly as Twilight bit her lower lip the moment she heard the one of many handles that the maroon had for Silent, trotting forth on and not bothering to look back. It had been a couple of weeks since Amber met Silent at that fateful, cold night, just sitting there sipping his vodka together. For their first night of being friends, they began to communicate through a series of gestures; Silent tried to keep his excitement in check. He wouldn't want to scare away his first potential friend in a long time, at least since his middle school days. Throughout the week they would meet up, exchange their respective "hello", and promptly head down to the bar to drink. The Pegasus even returned and apologized! After a stern "talk" courtesy of Amber, of course. Needless to say, it was hilarious seeing a stallion piss his legs when a she used one of mare's arguing techniques. It was during the weekend when Amber had to take charge in this new formed friendship, introducing him to her friends, including one particular stallion whom later became his best friend. One time she had invited Silent for coffee, an attempt to pry deeper into the reclusive Unicorn, but, to her dismay, Silent didn't show. As the minutes ticked away, the ever growing anxiety within the mare shook her in her seat and forced her eyes to scan the small shop time and again in hopes of spotting the stallion. She thought she had gotten lucky once when a white pony came in, but unfortunately it was an elderly mare with a brown mane. Amber became increasingly worried when the clock struck the next hour, quickly scrambling out of her chair, but not before picking up her shoulder sling bag and throwing some bits on the table for two cups of coffee, one empty and another full, untouched. Hurriedly trotting through the streets, eyeing the few ponies walking by, Amber searched for Silent. Normally, there wouldn't be a cause for alarm if some pony didn't show up at an aforementioned time for some coffee together; it would have translated as him blowing her off or getting caught up in something that took big deal of time, but Silent wasn't normal, at least not emotional-wise. In fact, in the time that Amber had spent with the stallion he would never quite seem attached mentally. She would occasionally prod him to bring him back, along with a slur of assurances - lies through his teeth - of how he was perfectly fine. It had been only one week but the maroon Unicorn also realized that the deaf Unicorn was always a stallion of his word; no matter what he did, he make sure he would be done with it instead of prostrating. Which is why him not showing up to the meeting worried her as she trotted along trying to remember where the deaf stallion lived. Amber wasn't sure what was exactly wrong with him now, especially since she knew so little to begin with. Along the way, the mare remembered that his house was near the train station, so she trotted through the streets as Princess Celestia's sun was moving down into the skyline.The distraught mare paused at the station in a combination of exhaustion and confusion. The sun had since vanished, giving way to night. She watched the sky darken and the stars emerge from the abyss, but a white blob emerging as just another freckle against the sun's perfect deep sea complexion stood out to her from among the top of an apartment building. Fear gripped the panic-stricken Unicorn as she leapt into action, fearing she'd lose a life she had just gotten. Amber used her magic to kick down the door, then ran down the hallway quickly reaching the spiral staircase. The mare panted as the fourth floor passed her in her ascent to the top, then the fifth, and the sixth; How many more staircases would there be!? Finally reaching the eleventh floor, and nearly out of breath, she away the final door that lead to the roof of Silent's family's building. A fearful chill rocketed up her spine as she saw her new friend just sitting on very edge of this building with about hundred foot drop to pavement below where he would become nothing but a mound of meat. Silent was swigging some last drops of his newly purchased vodka. First thing that came into her mind is to yell out to him to get away, or to stop, hell, anything at all really, but she quickly realized afterwards that he was deaf and nothing could change that. Amber very, very cautiously edged closer and closer the stallion;instead of galloping or trotting, which he would surely feel, sitting atop the unsteady ledge. Instead, Amber began to slide her hoof along the hoof, two at time- front then back, front then back - the process repeated over until she finally reached the deaf stallion who was still swaying around, looking straight down the ground. Amber's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do; she dove toward him and grabbed him by wrapping her forelegs around his chest then activating her magic to assist her in her effort of hauling the heavy stallion onto floor, far away from an edge of any sort. Amber panted heavily as Silent dazedly looked around of what exactly what happened. One minute he was looking down at the dark street, the bottle of vodka he had just ingested quietly nudging him further over the ledge in a fit of drunken disorientation, and the next he lay on his back in a pained daze. Amber regained enough of her composure in time to unload in front of Silent's face, screaming as loudly as her vocal chords could withstand, her voice carried in the darkness followed by a resounding slap as her hoof met his left cheek. Despite being deaf, she was sure he would get the message. “Why?! WHY WOULD YOU GO AND DO THAT?” Another slap aimed at his cheek, “WHAT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?! HUH?! Interchanging one for another smack into his face to empathize his parents. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?! WHAT ABOUT ME?” Amber picked his head up with both of her hoof, “What about yourself?” A single tear finally escaped her eye, the anguish of watching somepony nearly plummeting to their death, by their own choice no less. Worse, it was her new friend. “Why would you do that?!” The mare let out a sob, then a gasp for air. All of that shouting left a bad taste in her mouth as this night added to her own list of bad memories. Amber then stared at Silent's eyes, hoping to find some answer to rectify the stallion’s recent actions. Silent just laid there, as the first tear broke through the threshold of his hardened persona; his own breath became short and swallow. No words were exchanged, but the night became filled with a nerve racking sob since Silent's outer shell crumbled and he tried desperately to express what had been welling within him for most of the night. Amber carefully levitated her bag over to the pair then pulled out a notebook and a pen for deaf stallion to use. The pen, wrapped in Amber's aura, shook heavily as it contacted paper, pausing momentarily while she reflected on what to write. She waved the thought away and wrote what came naturally. What is wrong, Silent? He shuffled awkwardly under the question, sitting higher to prepare an answer, but his shoulders slumped as if the weight of Equestria taxed them. The magic aura around the notebook and pen changed color as it turned over to his control. He tried, to the best of his inhibited abilities, to summarize everything that happened happened with willful restraint to explain the problem head-on. My mother... died today, and my father just took it out on me. I don't know exactly why, but we ended up brawling it out right outside of her room. After she... Silent wept, his tears falling on the paper, sniffing as he pushed the paper back to his new friend. Amber disregarded the paper without a second thought. Instead, she wrapped her forelegs around the trembling stallion, hoping that her action could speak volumes more than her words ever could. Silent accepted the embrace like a safety blanket, and while not erasing the pain from his mind, it comforted him to know he had another soul to share the emotional strain with. Silent buried his head into one of her forelegs and let loose the slue of emotion and mental trauma that had gnawed at the back of his mind. His caretaker, the one who helped him to control his magic, the one who cheered him up at anytime given, the one who gave advice and the one of rock in his life was utterly, truly gone and going to be buried six feet under sometime this week. The deaf stallion then wrapped his forelegs around the maroon mare, his shoulder resting on her shoulder; her being there made all of the difference in his life- even if he didn't know at that very moment. After a long while had passed, only dry streaks on his cheek remained along with Amber's for different reasons. The air oddly became warm as the young night pushed along, the moon floated in the air with face of Mare in the Moon staring down upon them, not knowing that a thousand years curse will come to the end in a few years. Silent's breaths became short as his emotion and mind ransacked itself for something of a safe refuge from all of this. Without thinking at all, Silent backed up and then plunged in for a kiss. Amber pulled back in shock, slightly lightheaded from the air that had just been sucked from her lungs. She was void of all logical thought process. Her normal emotional state had since been thrown out as she, too, sought refuge from the horrifying acts she was mere moments away from witnessing. Their forelegs pulled each other toward each other, each aching for something as both dove into a frenzied kiss. Silent kissed her lower lips and began moving down her neck, moaning began to fill the silence that the night brought around. Silent began to pant, his apathetic personality got completely thrown out as his primal, raw urge took control of him pushing the weaker couple into the floor as he placed his lips upon her again, then moved up to her horn where Silent gave a few experimental licks. An excited gasp caught in Amber's throat and she quivered with excitement. Not one to waste an opportunity, Silent slowly slid his hoof down her figure until finally reaching his prize. His head trailed his adventurous hoof, earning an excited squeak from the mare. Amber bit her lower lips watching him with great intent, realizing that she hadn't ever gone this far with any of the stallions she have been with yet. Sure she had a few fun times with her ex-coltfriends in school but there was som- Her train of thought came to a crashing halt as she felt the slippery tongue of Silent emerge from its dwelling and find a new one within her. Amber rapidly shook her head in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the best moment in her, and possibly Silent's, life. It just wasn't right to delve into such memories given the situation at hoof. Amber deemed that it would be hard, probably impossible, to gain his trust, or possibly his love, but it was worth trying because of everything they have gone through together in their old life in Baltimare. Try. She just had to try, no matter what kind of words Silent would say to her- no matter what, she had to believe that love could conquer all, but it was only a naught hope that she grasped so dearly to. Amber wiped tears that she was unaware had accumulated whilst she traveled back on Memory Lane. A fire welled withing her stomach as she gathered the courage to finally her fate. She rose to her hooves and walked uneasily to the room. [DONE! I’m just done... I hate you for making me go through that... I still feel dirty!] - MrMinimii :) In least I made on my promise to myself and readers, I won’t write clop and I didn’t get into anything remotely near to it. Okay, my dear readers; here’s your rightly deserved chapter after a month of waiting!- Morfonious Chapter 22The streets of metropolitan Hoofington were as busy as ever. The streets shook with the commotion of various business carriages being pulled by powerful Earth ponies; the sidewalks echoed with the hoofsteps of hundreds of ponies chattering their day away. A newspaper stand stood at the corner, advertising their low prices for their papers and a small assortment of snacks.Shops and restaurant doors opened and closed a stallions and mares went about their daily chores or breaks. It would’ve been just an ordinary day in, Hoofington expect for one detail. It was now center of horrible train tragedy, ponies all across Equestria were still pouring in their help in anything: food, bits, or workers who hauled off the heavy metal parts of the train, repairing the train line for next hundred miles to check if everything up to their standards or better so there wouldn’t be a repeat of this- orders of Princess Celestia. The doctors and nurses were still busying themselves with taking care the patients within the Hoofington Hospital. It had calmed down significantly as ponies were relieved that their family or friends is under best care possible; some were sent away in tears when the doctors or nurses took care in their craft with words, gently telling them that their loved ones had passed away. They then would direct them to a stallion who worked within the medical place for further discussion of what would be deceased pony’s wish: to be buried or cremated. Away from the happiness or despair that took place in the various sterile rooms, a few floors up from the lobby, the two mares—one purple Unicorn, another maroon Unicorn—walked toward Silent’s room.The purple Unicorn, Twilight, made it to the room first and took the grace period to gesture toward the incapacitated Unicorn, who was unable to pick up anything at the moment. Twilight was taking it easy, hoping to set the mood just right for whenever Amber decides to pop in to speak her mind and, hopefully, offer an apology. Amber just stood there quietly, wanting to wilt away then disappear from existence because Silent was right there inside the room, blocked by a wooden door and all it took to open it was to reach for the doorknob. She couldn't do it; she had hurt Silent enough, evident through his demeanor toward her, but Twilight encouraged her to speak to him despite the consequences she might face. Amber reached for the doorknob and twisted, a light push sent the door swaying open as a new bout of courage set her body aflame. The disgraced, yet courageous mare trotted in with her heart pounding loudly, enough to feel it everywhere in her body. Her eyes fixated on the stallion in the bed. He courage dwindled at the sight of him rising and looking at her, hoof extended, sharply enough to convey, without a shadow of a doubt, that he could have her sent away at his whimsy, effectively cutting her from his life altogether. The prospect gripped her heart like stone, forcing her to waver as she approached. Amber breathed deeply to calm her nerves, the air seemed to boost her demoralized hope, but when she tried to speak, only a squeak escaped her lips. It made no difference to the deaf stallion glaring at her, but she was not trying to appeal to him. She was speaking to the purple mare beside him. “Do you mind giving us some privacy, Twilight?” The purple Unicorn stared at Amber out of disbelief. Just when she thought she would finally learn something more about Silent and his past, she was getting kicked out of the room?! Internally she grumbled as she climbed down from the stool next to Silent’s bed, landing on her hind legs first then front to balance herself. She wanted to stay and listen, but common courtesy told her to leave since it was a private matter between the two Unicorns. Twilight wanted to tear out some of her hair as she made it out the door, closing the door gently as her emotions was raging a war out of the view from everypony who was nearby in the hallway. Deep down, the purple mare was scared of what will inspire within the walls of that room; she took it upon to herself to just wait it out for better or worse. Amber looked around the room, anywhere but the eyes of the stallion lying before her in the bed; she couldn't handle it stoic expression. Drawing a deep breath for support, she dared to look into his brilliant emerald eyes. They were just as amazing as she remembered, they reminded her of why she pursued him that night so long ago. The maroon mare shook herself of the thoughts and began signing. These words can't undo the dry heaves, long nights lying awake, the tears, dry mouth, shaking hoofs, and queasy stomach that you had to endure after what I did. They can't take back the cruel sight that you saw me doing on that day. They can't erase the tears I cried. I tried so hard to rationalize it of what or why I did that, but I couldn’t find any reason. The tension was building within Silent, it became harder to keep his even face as he searched Amber's eyes to find any hint of betrayal, any hint of falsehood, scrutinizing her every step of the way. I didn't know how much I hurt you until I talked with your father, so that I could apologize to him, but he sent me away. It broke my heart to hear from him how much my decision hurt you. Please, please forgive me for hurting you. I love you so much. When I think of you hurting, and when I heard you sniffling or crying, it broke my heart. I cannot stand this anymore, that’s why I seeked you out. It broke my heart when I read your physical description in the newspaper regarding the train wreck. I thought of you leaving the world again, permanently this time, when our last memory would be... that... Amber broke out in tears, fighting her new dry heaves and uneasy stomach- her valor of facing her fear head on began to falter as she pressed on with weak signs. I’m baring my soul, my whole existence, it is your choice now to do anything to it: smash it apart, send it away, accept it. Anything so I could only have a meager of your forgiveness or some closeness. I will work my heart and my flank off for your forgiveness. Amber slowly moved closer to the bed, noticed that the deaf stallion had a tear that was threatening to break out of his eye, and stopped at the stool where Twilight sat at just earlier. She pulled it toward her with magic so she could be little bit closer to him, hitching herself up to take a seat on it I.. Pausing for a moment, the disconsolate Unicorn was incredibly afraid of what would happen when she pushed ahead with her feeble wish, Amber shook her head slowly, deciding, at last, what to say to the placid face that bore into her soul so effectively. Silent looked on intently; Amber truly did regret what she did so long ago. Will you forgive me? Silent was about to answer, after giving a quick thought, but got interrupted which frustrated Amber to no end. “Um, is it alright to come in now?” A purple head slowly popped in, her horn glowed purple, enveloping the door with her magic, and pushed the door open. Silent cracked a smirk and nodded toward the encroaching unicorn. Then, he turned to Amber and signed with heavy, but quick consideration. Amber, I don’t have an answer right now. But I do believe your words Amber gave a hopeful look then nodded weakly, accepted that as answer for now. Amber then snapped her attention toward the lavender mare now trotting toward his bed, her eyes showed a spark of curiosity of what had transpired within the room. It was obvious to Amber that Twilight wanted to ask either one of them about it, but out of common sense and courtesy she didn’t. Twilight took a seat on the bed since Amber had claimed the stool in her absence. An awkward silence dominated the room; silent drummed aimlessly on his legs, Amber played with her hair while casually muttering about needing a drink which sparked a thought in Twilight's mind. Was she the reason that his addiction to liquor got worse in the first place? Twilight wanted to have Silent get better, but not in the physical aspect alone; the accident kept him off the sauce, and it would do him good, Twilight thought, if he kept it up. Hoping to break some ice, Amber decided to ask while signing at same time so Silent wouldn’t be left out, “Twilight, would you like me to teach you some Equestrian Hoof Language? It might make your communication issues with Silent a bit...easier in future.” Amber flashed her best smile despite the events that lead to this moment. The scholar gave her a big smile that could only stem from curiosity and excitement of learning something new, clopping her hooves together—eager and ready to learn more than Silent have taught her for short time back then. Amber looked to Silent who nodded, much to her relief. She didn't push him per se, she was just eager to bestow upon the studious mare the culture that accompanied the deaf of Equestria.. Silent coughed uneasily, earning both of the mares' attentions. When he saw that he had it, he began making slow motions with his hoof, ones that Amber was quick to translate. Okay Twilight, do you remember the few words that I taught you that day at that restaurant? A nod, Twilight looked back and forth between two Unicorn, a little bit confused. You do? Excellent! So you already have concept of signing those words, now try to string them together into a sentence. Since you are new to this, there’s no pressure! Twilight smiled anxiously, sticking her tongue in the age-old tradition of the scholar mare whenever she tried to apply her knowledge on a task. It was cute to Silent, making him chortle. Twilight then picked up her hoof, pausing as she ransacked her mind trying to remember which words before moving her hoof to form her first sentence in ESL. Food is..yummy and delicious. Silent signaled that Twilight did well for her first time application; Amber grinned remembering her own lessons with this big oaf—it took a quite long time because of the limited communication they had up back and the alcohol used to lubricate it.. Good job Twilight! Now I’m going to teach you some few more words, the first of them would be... This hospital sucks! It is living hell and I would love to get out of here already! Twilight’s eyes lighted up and a genuine laughter erupted whilst Silent and Amber joined her. Finishing her translating, Amber continued for the deaf stallion- still working to be his voice for Twilight. Well then, let me think— Silent stopped then looked up with puzzled expression on his face when Doctor Fleetheart walked up, levitating his clipboard as usual. “I heard that, you know. Ahem, anyway, since you hate this hospital; I think I got good news for you. You’re going to be cleared for a discharge in a couple weeks after a few more treatments,” stated Doctor Fleetheart, glancing over the paper as Amber translated what he said to the deaf Unicorn. When the doctor was sure that the maroon Unicorn was done, he spoke up once again, “You have showed remarkable improvement in your pacing of walking, all up to a simple trotting, but I don’t recommend you to try galloping. The fact that you’re communicating with your hoof without any tire is a good sign, also.” The doctor paused, drawing another breath as he flipped his medical clipboard. “Although there is a noticeable limp on your left hind leg, it won’t be much of a problem if you still stick with your exercise regimen for at least a month or two.” Fleetheart nodded as Amber was just finishing up her interpretation. Silent listened intently, jumping his eyes back and forth between the doctor and his ex to make sure he understood everything correctly before focusing on the medical expert who then proceeded with ending statements. “Although, I am bit worried about some underlying problems that we might have not discovered yet, so I would like to ask you to come in once or twice a week for those two months after the discharge .I'll write you a prescription for pain killers, no more than 40mg so you won't get addicted, though.” Fleetheart paused once again to let Amber finish her job, jumping back in not moment after. “I would also like to offer you some counseling with one of our counselors because, frankly, you’ve been in a train accident and I do know that it is not something that everypony walks out of every time.” Silent loomed his tired eyes, trying to ransack his mental capabilities for anything wrong with himself before hitting into one, being unable to use his magic. Silent somberly said magic... but Twilight was quickly there to save the day, or so to speak. Twilight laced her voice with passion that was directed at Silent, hopeful that she would be able to use her massive knowledge of magic to teach. “I’ll help you in anyway possible, first I think I should start you off with simple exercises which hopefully would gain your touch on the waves of magic that is circulating around us and within yourself, and,” Twilight mused for moment before moving on with her excited rant, “then possibly some levitation and turns of simple things which would help you to move on wit-” The doctor coughed with a smile, interrupting her before she went any further with her rant. Amber then took the moment to remind Twilight that Silent couldn’t hear. Twilight blushed, realizing that she went into one of her mini-rants about magic and worst of all, Silent didn’t hear a single word. Twilight will tell him that she will help with magic, but it was awkward to put that out now. So Amber took her turn and tapped him to snap him out of his trance before telling the last words of Fleetheart. “Any questions?” Silent just stared blankly for a minute, unable to think of anything special to say, so he just shook his head. Dr. Fleetheart nodded, flashing his cheerful grin before trotting to the HM' lines to make sure everything was operating just fine, dialing down the speed of morphine and water drips before leaving the room. Silent cast his head down, muttering something before signing to Amber with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Yeah, I just have one question. Where am I supposed to live for the duration of those two months? Twilight and Amber looked at each other, blinking as realization hit them. [DONNNNEEEE! :D- MrMinimii [... I have to edit my own sign off... Never thought I’d see the day.] - MrMinimii {XD} [:D, heres your next chapter everypone as promised- Morfonious] Author's Note http://www.fimfiction.net/story/88340/his-black-hearts-inquiry My newest fanfic out there, chapter 2 coming out this week or next. (selfless advertising) :D Chapter 23 (The End)A gray smoke rose into the air accompanied only by the shallow breath a white stallion, only to be wiped away into the cool indifference of the atmosphere above whenever a pony walked by and nodded to him. His green mane bounced lifelessly against his neck with each stumbling step forward. He recovered decently considering what he had recovered from.The stallion flinched as memories flashed like bolts of lightning against his skull of that fateful day. They dulled, however, when his recovery displayed two very caring, very loving ponies standing by his side the entire way. Grunting, he shuffled to get the weight off of his right hind leg as the snow fell like a thousand tissues torn to shreds and rained down from the heavens themselves. They covered everything, perfectly camouflaging Silent in the wintry wonderland to the point where he looked like a floating bush wandering for a spot of warmth, away from the cold wasteland below. Silent looked up to the endless sea of white as if Celestia were watching over all of the land, gracing its denizens with the story of the blind filly who forever changed the thought of winter with one passion-crafted snowflake. “The first few flakes falling from the sky, signifying great change...” The white stallion took another drag from his black cigarette, muttering to himself about the great change. Silent's life may have taken a complete left turn, but—No, this terrified him. He no longer knew where he truly belonged, what his purpose was in life, nor who he truly was anymore. Silent's thought paused when he looked up to spoke the first ice crystal descend from the sky above directly towards him. He couldn't help but drag the book and rip another quote from it. “...all brought forth by a single, powdery flake.” I disagree..." Silent said to the castle resting atop a mountain miles from him. "A snowflake doesn't bring any great change," he took another drag, "Rather, it is the congregation of them all to bring about any measurable sense of change." The castle offered nothing in response. He blew the cigarette's smoke, half mixed with his own clouded breath. But the question I want to ask is... Who gets to be the snowflake? Who gets to start a movement? Who gets to make the change?" Greeted with nothing but silence, Silent trudged forth as a new layer of snow wiped the memories of the previous travelers away. His cigarette was half gone by the time he reached the center of town, where he paused and looked into the static of the scene. He had a life. A real life, with all the lovely perks that he read about in the stories: a job, friends, family, everything. ||| His deficits came with his mental faculties. Silent would seize as the wreck would play, in its entirety, in front of his eyes, often several times a week, usually in his dreams. He had recovered, but it took its toll on the stallion who would often bolt upright in his bed, a seering pain shooting through his body. Even now the throbbing of his joints begged him to stop, to collapse into the snow and let the frozen crystals sooth his heated muscled, but he forced himself onwards. After all, he had a meeting with two very special ponies. He owed them his life, in every sense of the word, and he would do anything for them. Even, should the circumstance call for it, fight off a rainbow dragon with nothing but a wooden sword and shield. Silent blinked and found himself, again, the snowy streets of Ponyville, his sword and shield disappearing in his hooves—though he kept the stance that accompanied them. He shook his head to rid the thoughts and quickly readjusted himself, hoping that no pony had seen his impromptu pose. However, the universe had other plans as he hurriedly walked through the many disapproving glances. Silent silently kicked his own flank. No matter what he did, he had a problem. Even fixing a problem only caused others to arise. His only hope was to amass minor idiosyncrasies rather than major, noticeable faults or failings as a pony, or at least internal ones. He could deal with himself, but he would not stand if his actions hurt others. Walking through the town's center, his eyes happened upon familiar fronts. Some looked new, or previously unnoticed, but others he could name if he could find the drive to do so. Finally his eyes landed squarely on a familiar restaurant front. Inside, waiting for him, was the mare of his dreams. He should hurry; the restaurant was the pinnacle of decrepit. Probably why nobility, or any pony thinking themselves above the common class, avoided the place like poison joke. Their loss. A wonderland for any tongue awaited inside, eager to be ordered and devoured. His stomach agreed with his mind, harmonizing gloriously with the rumble only ever heard from a low timpano. The warm interior dragged him through the doorway. A pony stood at a desk to welcome in any potential customers, but he did not notice the deaf stallion walk in as his eyes were elsewhere, but when Silent trotted over, his attention was shifted. A nod from both ponies was that needed to be exchanged. Thee pony gestured deeper into the warm glow of the restaurant as he led the deaf stallion to the best table in the house. The white stallion watched with an even glare as something danced around his stomach. Butterflies? Couldn't be, they resembled demons from tartarus, and dancing would be generous. Running jagged pitchforks along his intestines fit his feeling better. His eyes wandered in his stoic stupor and offered him the first chance to truly take in the setting around him. He and the impromptu chauffeur walked through a grand room divided by a big, red rug that ran from wall to wall, splitting off to travel elsewhere in the restaurant like a river dividing through a country. Silent's eyes lost track of the many paths to take, but froze when they landed upon a brilliant golden arch leading from one section of the restaurant to the other. A stiff glance from the steward brought Silent back down to Equestria, and they continued onward to find a mare sitting patiently at a table. Silent's hooves dragged along the rug as he ran through every possible choice and event that lead to this moment. The steward stopped so Silent could continue on alone, which he did trepidasiously. His eyes locked on the mare, but seemed to travel past her and to the heavens beyond, and only gateways beyond could bring him back. The mare turned her head, and the heavens slammed into Silent as the world came crushing around him, leaving him, the table, and the mare wearing her best smile. He could hardly control himself as he trotted over and wrapped his forelegs around the mare in the biggest hug either have them had ever experienced. Silent broke the embrace first, locking eyes with a look that assured her nothing would ever tear them apart again. When they each found their seats, a waiter arrived brandishing two menus for the couple to look over, though he didn't see them as he brought his snout in the air with an air of elegance to match the setting. Silent stole a glance at the stallion, chuckling to himself before a cough interrupted the mare from her own reading. She quickly explained about his deafness, and the waiter nodded understandingly. “Very good ma’am, what would the sir like?” Silent looked over the menu intently before finally resting upon the best sounding dish. “I would like this lasanga with extra cheese, please, Salad with ranch dressing sprinkled with a little bit a pepper, and good pint of your cider.” The waiter looked past Silent into space as he tried to interpret the random hoof movements. The mare suppressed a giggle and tapped the waiter to get his attention before translating. The waiter nodded, avoiding Silent's eyes as she continued with her order. “I would like number 17: the fish dipped in lemon sauce with touch of soy sauce. Same side and drink, please.” The waiter, in rehearsed fluidity, stifled his outburst at the meat-lover, and withdrew to the kitchen to relay their orders to the chefs. The other patrons, however, were not so practiced, muttering among themselves at the gall of the mare. In puzzled amusement, she looked around, but found not one other pony's eye. A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to the stallion sitting across the table. She smiled and managed to struggle out a greeting in her broken and flailing sign language. “How are you doing Silent? How is your leg doing?” She frowned when Silent's face fell, and he too found more interest in the tablecloth than her as he answered. Fine... Silent motioned to continue on with conversation, but his hooves froze when he looked up to find the mare with a knowing and prodding glare beaming from her pupils and into his very soul. He stammered, his own hooves now failing him, yet he managed to say something to break the statuesque purgatory he found himself in. "My hind leg isn't improving past the point of basic function. I can still walk, and even run, but it locks up too often." "My mind, though, won't stop. It drives my autonomously; to the point that I often blink and find myself in a position I wouldn't willingly fall into." "The doctors are trying their best, but they aren't really helping. Overall, though, I think I'm doing okay," the stallion finished, offering a smile half-bravado, half-relief. “With you by my side, I could take on Equestria.” When Silent's hooves met the surface of the table, a smile exploded on the mare's face. She found great interest in the light clopping her own hooves made in response, and a long pause loomed over the duo as stillness crept over. Thankfully, the pause was dissipated when two mugs of cider clamored together as they landed on the tablecloth. Silent smiled and snatched one of the mugs, thought became entrapped at the amber liquid, like material surrounded him. The mare slowly grabbed her own mug, her eyes locked on the stallion's lips as they slowly contorted to a smirk. She rose her hooves to speak, but they fell limp instantly. The cider, she realized, no longer rested in his hooves, but floated a few inches above the table, enveloped in a pale green aura. She rubbed her eyes, yet there the mug stayed, shifting and wobbling uncomfortably in the new aura, matching the stallion's own facial features as he struggled to channel the energy necessary to keep the glass chunk aloft, let alone upright. Finally the mug fell hard before a panting silent, unaware of his own gasps. A hoof reached across and grabbed his own, breaking him from the tired haze he found himself in. The smile he saw was enough to bring him back to the restaurant, with the most beautiful mare, in the most perfect moment. The smile drove him forward, and once again a pale green aura encased the mug, and once it again it wobbled into life. This time, however, the stallion became cocky, and the mud soared higher and high until finally... it tipped. A great golden river poured from the mug and onto the mare, staining her dress. The mug clattered to the table top moments later, its clings ringing in a silent room as all eyes were turned to the stallion, furiously fumbling his hooves together in a mixture of embarrassment and horror, and the mare, stoic face of surprised collapsing under the pressure of a new, bursting emotion. Her lips cracked apart, and from within came a wonderful thing. Uneven, high pitched bouts of laughter surprised everypony in the restaurant, the stallion included. However, Silent soon broke from his shell and joined her own boisterous laughter, and together they laughed, hooves intertwining. Eventually the happiness subsided, and the mare was painfully aware of all the eyes set upon her table. Her cheeks burned like the candle between them, and like the wick she struggled to become smaller and small under the prying gaze. Silent coughed, grabbing the napkin and handed it to her. The patrons returned to their food. Once she finished scrubbing off what she could from her dressed, she placed the napkin back on the table, and happened to meet the stallion's expecting, yet inviting eyes. His smile was infectious as she took his outstretched hoof, though her smile faltered when his eyes glazed over, and he seemed to look beyond her. She tapped the table softly, returning him from his adventure. The waiter walked in, placing the plates of food in front of each pony, earning a duet of grace bows for his performance. He produced a pitcher from his back, and refilled Silent's empty mug, a reserved smile on his mouth as he did so. The smile was not lost on the duo; Silent shrunk back into his seat as the waiter bowed and left. The ponies looked at each other, a smile on their faces. Forced smiles matching strained eyes as the enticing scent of the meals wafted into the air. A staring contest, a test of will, of endurance, of might! Silent was the first to crack, breaking the eye contact and digging into his food with renewed vigor. His date matched him, chewing into her food like a bear fishing at the stream. The moments their mouths were not full of food was when they were cleared with a wash of cider. “So...how is your lasagna so far? This has too much lemon, but the fish is really good. Still not quite as good as my mother’s recipe. It was to die for!” Amber said, her fish half devoured on her plate. “Yeah, homemade meals are the best. My mom made the best meals. I remember the time that she would make a odd vegetable cake; don't ask me how she did it. My father and I would eat the entire cake within one or two days, much to my mother's displeasure. What did your mother do to the fish before it was cooked?” Silent replied. Thus began a chain of stories from foalhood regarding food, friends, and family. Brief glances to the past at best, yet volumes about each were shared and let loose. Even after the plates were cleared and taken from the table, they continued with skits from the past, yet they were slowly becoming incoherent as the alcohol made nests in each of their brains. They didn't care. Nothing existed except one another, and they embraced the new void with open arms. “Hey Silent?...” The stallion looked up pensively at the mare, his smile fading into the void around them. He was crashing back to land quickly, and the new look on the mare's face only put rocks in his pouches. “Yes?...What is it Amber?” The mare gazed to the ceiling, wishing to see the constellation beyond in a vain hope for an answer. Her hoof tapped a rhythmic four beats before resting back to her chair which she brought closer to the stallion before looking him in the eyes. "Our lives haven't been... easy, to say the least." They shared a light laugh. "But, we've stuck together, and I guess I just want to know... why? Why me?" Silent's ears fell, and he turned away only to be turned back by a familiar, yet unnaturally forceful hoof. He gazed into her eyes, and she responded by mouthing the word "Why?" Her hooves fell to his chest, and there she stay, her hooves feeling the subtle beats of his heart. She rose when his chest did as he took a shaky breath to answer. "_There is no real 'why.' We have history, we have a past, and nothing can take that away from us. My heart belongs to you, and only you, Amber._ "Twilight, she's... special to me. She's smarter, more resourceful, and a better magician, but I never found that spark. Here's the real story of what happened..." _____________________________________ Twilight sat across from Silent in a room bearing his namesake in a time bearing hers. Tears streamed down her face, a complete shift to her emotions when receiving his invitation to his house. She was sure... she was so sure. Silent was the problem. Moreover, he solved the problem. A clean detachment, a clear answer. Cut the string while it was still weak. His indecisiveness hurt every pony involved, yet his decisiveness hurt one exponentially. But only for a short time, he had reasoned to himself as his quill scratched on to the parchment. "I'm sorry, Twilight. It hurts now, but I could not lead you down a never ending path. I spent many days thinking about this, many hours of solitary imagining endless possibilities... but in none of them could I find a world where I could return the love you have for me. "And you deserve better than me, anyway. You deserve a stallion as smart as you, as funny, as beautiful, and can even begin to return the endless pools of love you have within your heart." The scratching stopped, only for tears to replace the ink. It pained him, the quill like a spike injecting poison at the same rate it ejected ink. "And I just can't do that..." Silent set down the quill, and relinquished the letter to the mare before him. It pained him to write it, and it pains him to have her eyes, her tears stained, bloodshot eyes grazing over every letter in a vain hope in understanding, and it hurt him the most as he squirmed under her reaction. But to his surprise. He looked up to hind a letter floating before his eyes. Behind it a calm unicorn staring at the floor. "I understand" Silent smiled, moving the paper with his hoof as Twilight flashed a small smile back. _ "How could it have worked out? A student to the princess herself, a hero, a savior of the world, paired with a stallion whose greatest accomplishment so far is living? I hated having to hurt her, but I had to. Now she's free, she's stronger, she's able to pursue stallions much better than I.” Silent pulled Amber close, connecting his lips with hers, placing them both in an utter bliss of emotions released. “Hey Amber?” The maroon Unicorn looked up with eyes misting up. “Shall we go and weave our dream together?” Author's Note SPECIAL THANKS TO MY EDITOR, MR. MINIMII! HE'S AWESOME. Also special thanks to my watchers/reader! It've been long ride on this fanfic but now it is the end. (I MIGHT make a epilogue) but alas! Time for me to focus on His Black Heart's Inquiry. Chapter 1In some run-down bar in Baltimare, a white-coated stallion sat on a stool. This was one of his favorite places, anything to get away from that place he called “home”. His lofty green eyes moving left to right, the stallion hid a bored expression by sighing. A empty shot slides across the counter, his hoof pushing it back and forth in the form of a rhythm. There was spark of enjoyment that he got out of this, vodka numbing his emotions. Good enough of a escape, although he would be punished in the morning- he didn't care. Everything is quiet to him; he was exclusive in his own universe. All of good feeling that came from drinking would go away within minutes, as the good feeling began to wash away. Grunting angrily, raising his hoof which a barcolt snaps to attention- smiling best as he can to this customer, he doesn't speak. Nodding his head as he poured another shot of vodka, picking up bits this white stallion just threw on the counter. As soon this exchange was finished, this drunken stallion threw his head up and downed that drink in fast motion as second shot was poured, then third, fourth. He instantly began to regret that many shots within few hours, his vision began to blur and room was spinning. Falling off the stool he was on and clumsily trotted to bathroom, he hit some ponies on the way. Throwing up the toilet lid up, his stomach began to deplete its contents in another way. Alone in the bathroom cubicle, he began to sob, then cry. His hate of life began to snake its way up; all he could think at that moment that he wanted more drinks to try force this feeling that held such power over him everyday away. He detested it, loathing himself and the world. Wiping off his mouth with his hoof, he slowly crawled to one of many sinks. Splashing his face with cold water, and looked up at the mirror. His green mane was a mess, same can be said for his tail, dark bags under his green eyes and his white coat have seen better days. He growled at his reflection, wanting nothing more than smash that mirror in so he could not see himself anymore. Feeling a bit better after his episode in bathroom, and putting on best stoic face he can muster, he trotted out of the bathroom. After only few steps, he blacks out, hitting the floor face-first. The liquors that he boozed came back up with a vengeance. When he came to few hours later, cursing inwardly at the great celestial body of light, filtering through his room’s window stacked with symptoms of his hangover: massive cephalalgia pounded at his head, and his stomach felt like a knife was twisting around inside of it. Both his physical and emotional pain went up two-fold as he realized where he was, in his room, in this damned house. His lower lips quivered, shutting himself down before his hungover reminding him that he needed to get a remedy. Flattening his ears, he began to open the door silently after getting off his bed, gulping, hoping intemperately that he won't run into him. Sighing out as he made it to the bathroom cabinet, popping in two pain capsules with a glass of water, then began his short journey into kitchen. Taking out a two raw eggs, after few moments of shuffling around the kitchen. A dreadful, but remediational drink sat on the kitchen table. At least it was dark in this room, as there were no windows. After few moments, Silent chugged the raw eggs concoctiondown. Just after he finished his drink, he felt the room rumble from hoofsteps. Out of corner of his eyes, his ears flattening far as it can. As expected, his world rocked for second then spun as brown hoof made contact with his face. In full force, his father appeared angry and spiteful- his eyes burning with hatred toward his son. Creeping on the floor toward to the wall, latching his back against it to support him as the middle aged stallion angrily stormed off out of the room, then came back holding a box and a piece of paper. Nervously wondering what was being said on the paper, he got his answer as it was shoved at his face. It was very brief: Silent Dreamweaver, I'm so bucking tired and sick of taking care of you. You're a borderline alcoholic, depressed and at times suicidal. We can't even communicate about anything anymore. In this box, it contains your personal things and some money for you to survive off. Good-bye That's it?! Silent started to pant heavily, doesn't his father realize that he is one of chief cause of his behaviour in past years? He can't even admit that he was the wrong in this whole thing?! Rage began to swell up within him, overriding his usual lazy and stoic attitude and his mask broke for first time in long time. Standing up quickly, flipping over the kitchen chair that stood between both father and son. The brown stallion backed up slowly as Silent advanced on him; picking his hoof up in vain attempt to block his face as Silent punched him full force, knocking his father down. Silent wanted to keep going, but his emotional state was in disarray, and as he began to cry he picked up the spilled box up along with the money. It would be last time they see each other it seems, Silent's agonized face would burn into his father's mind for years to come. Silent began inhaling and exhaling sharply, trying his best to hold himself together for little while. Silent silently went up the stairs, then left into his room and took out some bag of his favorite “remedy”: a pipe and some personal drinks into his saddlebag. Taking out a black turtleneck shirt, putting it over him to keep himself warm in cold nights to come; it also serves well for covering up most of scars that was all over his body. A green glow began to cover his bag; levitating his bag overhead as Silent went back where he came from and transferred the box's contents into his bag with magic, which was a ton of small books. It was still morning as he stepped out of the house, and a pang of guilt came over him. Silent may have come to hate his father but it was still his father; if he thought back for few moments, Silent could recall good ol' days with him and his mother, cuddling lovingly around fireplace, Silent reading a book with his father, going to park where his father pushed him on swinging set. Not wanting to leave like this, he turned around back into the house where he found his father sitting on the couch with a somber face. Silent stood then walked out of that house, feeling slightly better. Muttering something to himself, the sun was watching over him and entire city of Baltimare. Silent trotted on the sidewalk as stallions pulling taxis rushed past him, figuring out his next step in this hell-hole of a life. When Silent's mind drifted toward transportation that paced all around him on the street, he thought of train and the railroad that they just finished that connected various cities and towns. It could be bit of new start for him, at least Silent could hope for. Counting his money, he had about five thousand bits which was enough for a year. Silent's internal smile didn't last that long as a cold realization that his father somehow still cared for him despite his deeds to him in past. Silent wanted to scream, as he was torn between his hatred and love for his father. As he tilted his head slightly, his hungover struck him again. Stopping at middle of sidewalk, holding his hoof to his head; rubbing his hoofs in circles hoping it would in least allure the headache. Remedies that he took a hour ago began to wear off by the time he made it to a park; few blocks away from his now former home. Silent simply wanted to take a nap under stars or sun or to think about things over or simply to get away from things. Sitting down on usual bench near the fountain, Silent pushed his bag against the armrest of the bench. Laying down his head on saddlebag gently, ensuring to not aggravate his hungover any further and began to sleep it off, his horn glowing in green briefly before fading away as snoring rang out in the park. Slowly waking up, first sight that greeted him was twinkling stars and huge moon hanging up there in vast black canvas. Good work with night sky, Princess Luna He always preferred night over daytime. It is somehow difficult to explain, but he quite liked it. It is cold and dark but it allures you with its beauty. Silent sometimes thought that it was saying everything may seem cold and dark to you and many others are like you, you are alone yet you aren't alone; and moon seems to symbolize that someday there will be somepony that will be like moon- watching over you, loving you no matter who you are and big part of your life. He once read a quote which he loves to recite to himself once in awhile. “No illusion is safe when bathed in the pure light of the moon.” Groggy, and yawning loudly as he took out a long bottle out of his bag and began to drink. Absolut Vodka, ah...my old friend Silent stashed it back into his saddlebag after imbuing some of it, before reminding himself that he couldn't go home anymore. Then, the flash of a train came into his mind in an instant; reminding him of what he wanted to do. Neatly packing up his bag, he floated it over his head and strapped it down around his neck and chest. Under the guide of moonlight, he discovered some signs pointing to train station and he followed it, spending about an hour figuring out and nearly getting lost twice due to sign being missing or painted over with graffiti. With small pride swelling inside him when he made it to the train station, and noticing the lights was still on in the booth with some grey mare with odd cap on. The train was stopped, still running with steam coming out of lead car. Silent took out a notebook, wrote on it then handed it over to the pony that was tending to the booth. “Hello there, I want to buy a ticket to town that is furthest from here. Anywhere will do.” The grey mare, looks up at Silent and ponders for minute before pulling out a train schedule on the counter and began to speak. Of course, he didn't hear a thing. Sighing inward to himself- annoyed at the fact that, once again, he would have to explain. Gently waving his hoof to get her attention before proceeding to write: “I apologize, but I'm deaf and I didn't understand anything what you said. Could you write down what you've said?” The mare stammered for second or two, probably her first dealing with a deaf pony, and this mare decides to shoot him a look of pity. Pity! Silent's eye twitched for second, although it wasn't noticeable to that mare. If there anything in the world that he hated more than anything else and it was ponies pitying upon on him. However, he had half of a decent mind to understand where normal ponies were coming from when they said that. She turned the notebook around with an answer. I'm sorry to hear about it. In regards to your question, there is two places that is “furthermost” from here. One is Trottingham and another is Ponyville. I could sell you a ticket that goes to Ponyville since it is bit further than Trottingham of by 40 minutes ride. You can choose to get off at either station. It will be 45 bits for the ticket please Silent gave her a curt nod as he placed the right amount of bits into her hoofs, while she handed over a bronze ticket which was decorated with mini schedule of train, packing up his notebook with magic. Slowly glancing his eyes over city of Baltimare, it was home for Silent since his foalhood. It was time to move on. Turning his head away, tears threatening to break out when he began to probe upon on recent memory of his last moments at home. Slowly he placed his white hoof into one of passenger car, ready for whatever comes next. Thanks to MrMinimii for being awesome editor. Chapter 12Warmth... A feeling that some ponies take for granted. To some it was meaningless word and feeling. He can get it from many sources- a fire or the sun, Silent highly regarded it because this warmth that you can only get from other ponies because it made him feel safe; feel like he could go against the world with this warmth. However, the only thing that Silent could describe at this moment was a mixture of disgust and shock, yet is betrayed by this new warmth from genuine gesture this lavender mare just offered to him. The last thing he remembered before getting tackled and hugged furiously was Twilight pushing her parchment and quill away just as she had begun writing. At first, the purple Unicorn froze for a second- she seem very cautious of her actions and something was weighing heavily on her mind. Then, without any warning, Twilight cried out something that the deaf stallion was able to make out, much to his surprise. “I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” What she did next surprised him even further; she lunged at him, wrapping her forehoofs around him tightly and burying her face in his chest, beginning to sob lightly. Her tears made small wet spots on Silent's black turtleneck. Silent wanted to push the suddenly affectionate Unicorn off of him. He wanted to make her leave, but his mind swam under her embrace, causing him to lie there and merely enjoy it. This was something that Silent had not felt for a long time. His mind began to flashback the last time he felt this warmth, the very last time he felt innocent- it was also last time Silent could remember his father being.. well, a loving father. Silent walked into his bedroom that summer night and she was stripping his pastel, magic-weaved patterned wallpaper from his bedroom walls, making room for the much more sophisticated, striped wallpaper that Silent and his mother had chosen together. It was almost dark, so she had one of those work lamps from the garage pointing to the wall. Silent sat on his bed and babbled on to his Mom about this first mare he ever liked; how beautiful that filly was, with blue eyes and blue coat with white mane contrasting against each other. She quietly listened, nodding her head and putting strips of his little foal wallpaper into a garbage bin with her magic. He wished that he could have thanked her for working her hoof and horn to the bone to make his room look great. For taking the time to shop for new wallpaper and bedding and make sure everything was exactly as Silent wanted it. For listening to his colt stories. But being a foal, he didn’t see much past school, girls, and kisses. She knew that; It made her happy. Silent's mother was always like that with him. She did quiet and thoughtful things for him and his father and didn't ask much of us in return- just that we remain being happy and move forward in our lives. Silent could remember reading a book awhile ago and in it was a quote about one of the main characters.He read it repeatedly, feeling the tears stream down his cheeks as he realized that this quote was the embodiment of his mother: “. . . a mare who will make small demands on life, who will never burden others, who will never let on that she too had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have been ridiculed. A mare who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied, but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her." Five years had since she passed away- very quietly in the middle of night but not before Silent and his father, as well as their extended families, had all said our goodbyes in weeks prior. Silent's father was in and out of sleep in the chair next to her, his feet propped up on the bed, hoof crossed as if it were an ordinary couch nap... If only that were the case. And he, after saying his final goodbyes, had laid next to her. Quietly, enduring without complaint and never burdening anypony is how she lived her life. And how she ended it. The dull ache of missing her is never gone. He feels it every moment, just as powerful as it was the day she passed away. Silent always tried to avoid thinking of her smile or laugh or his father being a father; his hatred of world would bubble up within him. After her death, it was like she took half of his father to the grave. After that day, he stopped being a father. At least Silent was thankful that he didn't beat him...much, but he became so unstable; even a slight mention of his dead lover sent him over the edge. Silent and his father's relationship became heavily strained, and fighting in that household became just another daily ritual. Silent hated remembering her confusion, her frail body, her bald head, her inability to communicate well, the dementia, the overwhelming worry that she had- regrets and sorrows and fear . . . well, that serves no purpose for him. It could never bring a smile or gratitude like the wallpaper memory could. Silent's brief trip on memory lane ended when he felt his body getting lighter. Twilight was looking at him, fearful of the consequences that would unfold due to her bravado. The deaf stallion still hated to think about his mother or his happier days, but for first time in while he felt he could let it slide. Warmth... Silent finally remembered a little bit of what that word it meant to him; looking down at Twilight, he could feel his green eyes getting misty. At least right now, against his guard and conscience, Silent decided to do something that he would never do- especially not after getting betrayed by his friends few years back. The deaf Unicorn pointed his hoof at the empty chair that Twilight occupied earlier. Silent began gesturing Twilight to take a seat while wiping his misty eyes off with his forehoof. Pulling out the parchment off the table and stated his decision on the piece of paper. All right, Twilight. I've decided to give you a chance at having a friendship with me. Just one chance. Silent turned over the parchment before handing over her quill with diligence, ensuring Twilight was paying attention. The purple Unicorn began to nervously glance over the paper; she knew that she was still riding on very flimsy hope- not after what she did to Silent. In last few days; even now Twilight still wanted to ask Silent many questions about him. What kind of spell that he used on that book when she found him other day? Silent's cutie mark was another subject on her mind; it was of dream cloud, one light cloud with a black cloud behind it, but is afraid to ask due to possibility of losing her new friend for second time. Twilight gasped and her face lit up with huge smile; her flimsy hope had paid off! In a typical mare reaction, she began to squeal loudly, smiling wildly, and then trying her best to calm herself down when writing her reply, her eyes unwavering on the paper. However, Twilight decided to make sure that she wouldn't reveal her new-found feelings toward Silent out of fear of driving him away. Silent just took up his unopened vodka bottle, unscrewing then took a first sip out of it while he waited. Thank you Silent, I'll be sure to take a good use of this chance. Thank you so much... Twilight paused for second, figuring out what to write next; slowly it came into her mind as her horn pushed the quill back into life; fighting off the awkward atmosphere that have been built. Twilight suddenly remembered the parts of her beloved mentor's reply, her mind reciting exactly what it said. “With my jest out of the way, the best I can offer is to be his friend. Ask him out to do things, learn about him naturally and he might open up to you and tell you his secrets and what troubles him. In time, you will learn something about friendship, and I shall be expecting that letter with baited breath.” Twilight's horn began to flow in light purple once again, sending the quill through series of movements on the paper, Silent waiting patiently for her to be done. Not soon after, Twilight handed the parchment over to him; the new purple companion's hoofwriting is very pleasant to look at unlike Silent's simple writing. Silent's eyebrow raised as he began to read. I would like to start over again, which brings me to ask you this. Would you like to go out right now for a dinner? Maybe learn little more about each other..that is if you want. I'm paying for it all, maybe I could try that delicious hayburger that you had the last time! The purple mare remained in her seat, a huge smile creeping up on Twilight’s face because of Silent's forgiveness and she hoped that this new friendship will go smoothly. Snapping to attention when Silent looked up after reading her reply- her mention of food made deaf stallion let out a embarrassed chuckle when his stomach growled loudly. It occurred to Silent that Twilight asked him out for dinner...what does it mean? The deaf Unicorn decided to not look at it any further when another thought interrupted his thinking. Wait..dinner? What time is it right now? Silent muttered to himself while climbing off his chair, to the puzzlement of Twilight. Opening the window curtains with his magic; noticing the night sky which was adorned with moonlight filtered through some clouds amid thousand stars twinkled in the background. It was a very serene scene, looking behind him briefly when he felt hoofsteps, watching the purple Unicorn trotting behind him with blighted face. Twilight said something, though the deaf stallion held his hoof up then shook his face, signaling that he didn't understand; immediately she levitated the paper to herself and got to work on addressing him. Do you like stargazing? I can tell from the look that you have on your face. I love it, I have millions of books on it; would you like to watch it together? Maybe I could teach you a thing or two about stars and star constellations! Maybe more... Finally, some common ground to go along with. Silent nodded and chuckled, gesturing for the parchment. Twilight compiled his request, handing over the parchment over to him, excited about prospect of teaching something to somepony rather than keeping her knowledge to herself. I absolutely love Princess Luna's night; when I stargaze, something about it radiates peace. Calm and quiet. These days I stargaze to get away from everything, you know? I stargaze because I think that it was and is saying everything may seem cold and dark to me and many others like you- you are alone, yet you aren't alone. The moon on other hoof; it contradicts what I said, since it symbolizes that someday there will be somepony that will be like moon- watching over you, loving you no matter who you are and big part of your life. Anyway, I will take up your offer. Let's go stargazing after dinner, all right? With that, he handed over the paper back to lavender Unicorn and trotted back up to his saddlebag putting his vodka bottle back in, withdrawing some bits just in case. Something of an idea popped up in Silent's mind which would pass some time and probably make the communication easier between two; the question is would she be willing to learn it or have patience for it? Snapping out of his reverie, Silent gesturing for the door which Twilight understood as she began to trot out the door, already packed up everything that she brought with her except for two articles- a parchment and quill. Pausing on the way out of the room, Twilight handed over the folded parchment to Silent. I never thought about Princess Luna’s night that way before. Silent simply shrugged and began to leave with Twilight. Ensuring the door was locked, Silent and his new friend went outside. Twilight was leading the way once again to that restaurant that they went to yesterday; Silent's eyes kept wandering around at building, objects that were difficult to see in the dark then upwards to millions of glittering stars surrounding the moon above him. He looked back at Twilight and noticed that she was staring at him, but as soon he made a eye contact, she turned away quickly, trying her hardest to keep her eyes ahead. A little bit of confusion settled into Silent, but he decided to not read too much into it, changing his gait to keep up with Twilight. What the hay? Whatever...ugh so hungry, that hayburger is calling out to me. Needless to say, the new-found friends arrived at the very same cafè, though instead of eating outside like they did yesterday, instead they walked into that restaurant. Silent let out a sigh of relief when heated air washed over him, getting rid of the cold that they both suffered on their way from Ponyville Hotel. Twilight smiled at Silent, going ahead and speaking to the waiter which prompted him to look at direction where deaf Unicorn was at. Silent noticed that it was the same waiter that served them yesterday. The waiter glanced over at Silent with his blue eyes, waving his light cream hoof over and signaling that he is serving them now; then he led both into available table, levitating the menu as they took their seats respectively. Twilight and Silent shook their head at the waiter; both already knowing their order: hayburgers. Both of the Unicorn chuckled when they realized that they expressed same thing synonymously. Silent then did a wave that tells Twilight “go ahead and order for us”; Twilight nodded- acknowledging it before giving her full attention at the waiter which not moments later he trotted off with their orders. A purple glow encased the quill, initiating to write something; Silent held his hoof out to stop her from writing and asked for the quill then a parchment, remembering what he thought up back in the hotel room. Silent’s horn gleamed in green taking over the communication means, Since you’re teaching me “a thing or two” about stargazing, I think I could teach you “a thing or two” about Equestria Sign Language. It is what us deaf ponies use to communicate with each other, although it is rather rare for me to use it since I don’t have any good opportunities to use it. Twilight enthusiastically accepted the offer, and they began bantering back and forth. Silent started off slow at first, beginning with basic sign language- Twilight made sure to pay attention, taking notes on her new parchment on series of signs that Silent called Equestria Sign Language, or known as ESL. “Hello.” “Good-bye.” “How are you?” “I’m fine.” “Yes.” “No.” “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” At Twilight’s request, Silent taught her how to sign “Princess Celestia” and “Princess Luna”, which was series of signs showing the status that both Princesses held then signed the celestial bodies that was related to either sister. Twilight was so excited to learn new things; she kept practicing the basic signs that Silent just taught her before starting moving on into less of words and into basic sentences, but got interrupted by the waiter holding the tray containing hayburgers, side orders of salads, and drinks. They ate together in peace, passing the time by talking about sign language and star constellations. After few minutes, the plates were clean and the table was cluttered with various empty cups. The waiter ushered over when Twilight waved him over, and spoke few words which the deaf stallion assumed that it was her asking for the bill. Twilight didn’t finish her second hayburger and tried to offer it to Silent- much to his dismay; his stomach kicked him once reminding of how full he was; weakly waving it off then the deaf Unicorn rushed off to do his business in cafè’s bathroom while his new purple companion borne the expense of their dinner. Stepping out into the cold air, after the bill have been settled with- Twilight guided Silent through the Ponyville through the dark; there was barely any visible light sources expect some lights escaping out of house’s windows. After about two miles there was no more light pollution- the deaf Unicorn and scholarly Unicorn laid down on the grass with small space between them. Twilight began to teach the deaf stallion with star constellations as best she could from memory. The quill came to life as Twilight pointed the area of sky to Silent, while explaining it to him That’s the Canes Venatici, it shows the dogs hunting something. Leo Minor! Can you see it from there and there? Silent shook his head, and Twilight pointed him in the direction of the star constellation she was trying to show. See, there? Does it look like a lion cub? Squinting his eyes, connecting the dots very carefully; slowly he could see the rough shape of a lion cub- smirking when he finally figured it out. It went like this for couple of hours, bantering back and forth; teaching and learning the sign language and star constellations. Both of the Unicorns managed to have a fire started then going with their magic when the temperatures dropped some. The subject gradually changed as Twilight revealed more about herself, as per her Instructor’s suggestions. Twilight first told Silent about how she first saw Princess Celestia’s sun rising and inspired her to learn everything about magic, she could spend hours and hours reading books on every subject she could think of. Time skip to year later of how she earned her Cutie Mark through a magic mishap caused by Rainbow Dash’s sonicboom and got enrolled into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Youngsters; it was also the day when Twilight became Princess Celestia’s protege. Twilight skipped the story to the of how she came into Ponyville after discovering the threat against Equestria in form of Nightmare Moon and happened afterwards of how she met all her now friends: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity along with a few other ponies like Derpy Hooves, Lyra, and Bon-Bon. While Twilight was on the subject, still writing on the parchment about the aforementioned life story of how her Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding went crazy; with all changelings and Queen Chrysalis’s assault on Canterlot and Princess Celestia. While she was on the subject of her family, she kept writing and didn’t think ahead before she wrote the question for Silent. “What was your family like?” Twilight instantly cringed; realizing her mistake only mere seconds after handing over the paper with her stories of her life and family and her question at the bottom. Silent’s demeanor changed flipped around. Twilight found herself getting stared down by Silent, afraid of what will come. Happy Belated Birthday Fimfiction! Cheers! [Fuck you and your cliffhangers! XD Otherwise, brilliant story as always and I await the next chapter.] - MrMinimi
Chapter 2Before the train departed Baltimare's station, Silent made his way into last of passenger coaches and spied an excellently comfortable looking bench that had large window next to it. It had Silent's name on it. The white Unicorn had a small spring in his trot as he realized that there was nopony in this car. Not soon after he sat down, the train rattled around a bit then slowly the city lights began to move then fade from sight. This terrible feeling that he felt too often began to snake its way back up. As Silent sat down, his spring was gone; his ears slowly flattening and he began to sob quietly. He was alone, truly alone now. Muttering angrily as he took out Absolut Vodka, only to down about one-third of the bottle in a hurry. A warm but strong feeling trickled down his throat, then his esophagus. Shakily holding his bottle with his hoof, Silent constantly felt "empty", yet what was stopping him from choosing a easy way out? He then began to feel cold. Dad...what did I do? Mom... Anything to get away from this feeling, anything. Throwing his head up and took another gulp of his “remedy”, he screwed the cap back on. Finally he reached where he wanted to be, numb. Slowly Silent cast his eyes out of the window, watching silently at landmarks whizzing away in the darkness. Only things that was distinctive about the objects that blurred past was black outline, naturally his eyes was drawn to million of lights and one large celestial body in the sky. It was only things that wasn't moving in the sky, ignorant of the changing landscape. Silent opened his window as when it did, the cold air rushed into the opening hitting his face and sending waves down his green mane. Slowly he came to after few minutes of this breeze, he began to shiver a bit. Deciding to get out of the cold, he lazily closes the window and closing his eyes while laying back for minute on the bench. As minutes pass, then an hour Silent felt the train rattle some then pull into stop. Peering out of his eye, lazily climbing up and walked to other side of the coach then he saw the sign: Welcome to Manehattan Yawning a little bit, Silent groggily walked back to his bench. Silent conjured the bronze ticket in front of his face, reading the schedule. Apparently Hoofington was next, Fillydelphia, then finally Trottingham, then lastly Ponyville. Trottingham sounds great to Silent, Ponyville sounded like a hick town or something. Just going from a city to another city sounds like better transmigration for Silent. Out of his corner of his eye, he noticed a movement as well, feeling the hoofsteps as they tapped along the ground. Scratching his mane and pulling himself up, noticed a mare walking with a colt and sitting down, then there was a rush of ponies. Probably ten ponies in the coach, figures- it is Manehattan after all. Silent prayed that none of them will bother him. After little while, the coach was packed and he still sat alone at his bench- sipping his vodka now and then, keeping the buzz up; fighting off his disease of depression. Finally, the train finally began moving- heading to Hoofington. He noticed a family across the coach looking around hard for available seats, it was parents with two foals; a filly and colt. Silent had the most available one. Hmph, winner takes all. He remained perched at his seat, not caring for minute. For a second, he could feel somepony boring a stare at him. Silent takes a quick look around, taking in a sight of few ponies were looking at him expectantly. The white unicorn finally gave into himself, muttering. Let's see, vodka, books, tickets, bag of weed, pipe...whatever that's everything...bits! Ah, there they are. Sighing inwardly to himself, packing all of his possessions, save for his vodka. Standing on his hind legs, using his left forehoof on the back support of other bench for balance while waving his right forehoof to grab their attention. It worked, it grabbed this stallion's attention; Silent then gestured to him that there was seat available. Sitting back as they began to walk over, Silent scooted over as far as he could. Packing up his vodka, out of the sight of the foals as the family finally made their way there and took their respective seats. The mare and stallion nodded and spoke their gratitude, Silent just nodded and pretended like he understood. Sinking some into his seat, not really wanting any type of confrontation- either good or bad. Silent then gazed out of the window again, looking up at stars. They seemed to dance across the sky, blinking in and out of existence. As the train turned in a curve, the sky seemed to move into a different position. Silent's eyes fluttered for second, he fought hard to keep them open. He lost, putting the bag behind his back on the corner of bench to protect it against theft before he succumbed to the temptation, the last thing he saw was two foals playing the slap game, laughing among each other. Silent felt an instant ping of jealousy, how he wished to be that innocent once again. The white unicorn finally took a trip to the land of dreams, Silent exhaled wistfully as it finally came. It was one of good dreams that he had in while, but it was rudely interrupted. A hoof began and kept poking him, why is it still poking him?! Silent tried to fight off the hoof that was poking him to “death”, and finally his dream shook. Why was it shaking?! Slowly his mind came to, his eyelids opening and finally noticed a bellhop was shaking him awake, shouting something at him. Silent swatted her hoof away then glared at her angrily. The mare kept talking, Silent had his mind elsewhere on two things: his bag and something else, he didn’t quite remember. Silent spun around and discovered that his bag still there, rummaging through it and everything was still there. Breathing a sigh of relief, and finally what he didn't remember came back to him. The family who was sitting with him was gone, apparently they took off at one of stops. ..WAIT?! Where am I, what station am I at? Silent, still ignoring the bellhop whom had yet to cease in her efforts to talk to the deaf Unicorn, and rushed to other side of coach. What he saw had his heart stopped for second, he have missed his stop at Trottingham. Just wonderful, GREAT! Silent walked back to his bag, began to pick it up and putting it on his neck. He just waved to the bell-hop, letting her know that he was getting off now while at same time, cursed at her under his “breath” for ruining one of best sleep that he had in while- that dream, too. Squinting his eyes as he stepped outside, Celestia's Sun was blasting at him full force. It was decent day as well. Just then he walked under the sign that was at this station. Welcome to Ponyville! Angrily cursing at himself for missing his sought after stop, Silent walked to the ticket booth while fluidly taking out his notebook- rewriting everything down once again. ”Greetings, I'm curious about something. How much a ticket to Trottingham would cost?” Finally making it to the booth with the note ready, he realizes that nopony was there and there was a “Closed” sign. Smaller text was below it: The Equestria Railroad will be closed for weekend and Monday. We apologize for any inconvenience. Bucking great! I missed my stop and now I'm stuck in this hick town for four days. Whatever, probably not too much of interesting things would happen in span of four days... Silent's stomach growled, ready to devour anything he puts in it. He rubbed his stomach a bit, deciding to explore the town first. The very first building that Silent ran into, purposefully positioned near the railroad station was a cafè. Pulling out about ten bits in preparation, as well his notebook he made his way into the cafe. Walking up to the counter and reading off the menu that was hung on the wall. It spouted on about various salads, hays, sandwiches, soups, and some snacks, then finally coffees in various kinds. No alcohol, Silent joked to himself. After few moments of pondering, a cream colored hoof waved in his face snapping himself out of his hunger-indicted trace. Silent glanced over to this mare, she had a light blue mane, cream coat with brown eyes. Silent assumed she is the waiter of this establishment. Handing over the notebook to her with his magic. I would like to order some salad with sliced apples, some cheese pour some sauce on it and two cups of coffee, please. The mare gave him a quick glance over, her eyes narrowed for a second as she saw the scar running down on his left cheek, as well some on his horn. Forcing herself to smile at him and nodding to him that his order is going to be worked on, she shakily handed the notebook back to him. Silent couldn't figure what was wrong with her, however, opted to resume his traditional apathetic ways. Silent rested his forehoofs on the counter as he hitched himself on the stool, then rested his head on the forehoofs; waiting patiently for his order. After few minutes of waiting, it finally came. Silent's stomach growled loudly once again, come to think of it- he hasn't eaten in the last two days. Content with himself that he finally some food to quell his stomach, he began to dig in. After few minutes of ravenous eating, the plate was squeaky clean and one cup of coffee was done. Silent fall back into one of his habits, which he did not one day prior at that bar. Instead of a shot glass, though, it was cup of coffee. Whacking it back and forth gently between his hoofs, this activity somewhat had calming effects on Silent. As the time passed, Silent downed the second cup of coffee as his mind began to wander into deep thoughts; living quarters for four days came into his mind. A motel or hotel had to be somewhere in this hick town. Writing into his notebook reminding himself to buy a ticket to go to Trottingham. Lastly, yes...is there any bar in this town?! Snapping out of his thoughts as the bill was placed front of him, 5 bits total. Silent took out ten bits and placed it and nodded to her, she earned it. He just began to climb off the stool When... Out of his corner of eye, through the large window; noticing a pink blur speeding toward the establishment. Thanks for being awesome Editor MrMinimii
Chapter 3It happened in all slow motion, in fact it was a total of three seconds. This pink blur threw open the door of the cafè, blurred over to Silent and, when it seemed that the blur was going to crash into him, only to stop in ...mid-air? Silent stared at huge blue eyes, which was only a inch from his green eyes then she sprouted something. Silent was sure it was actually a whole sentence. As this pink blur became more definitive, Silent gave her a quick glance over; she was, well pink, with cotton candy shaped mane and tail which, was a darker pink. Bouncing around, disappearing and reappearing from bottom, left, and right of his field of view. She then popped from top of Silent's view, and was STILL talking. Those three seconds were over and time returned to normal speed. Slowly Silent backtracked back to stool where his saddlebag laid on the floor, plucking out his bottle of liquor, pacing himself in reading while blatantly ignoring this mare. Being deaf has its advantages: she is still moving her mouth, but no sounds came to him. The cream-colored waiter just froze at her spot looking on a unique, yes oddly typical scene. Silent began muttering to himself. Now, let's see... Absolut Vodka This superb vodka was distilled from grain grown in rich fields of Southern Equestria. It has been produced at the famous old distilleries near...blah blah Flipping the bottle around, finally he found what he was looking for: warning label. Silent began to read aloud in his head. GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, mares should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to walk, fly, or do magic and may cause health problems. Doesn't this say anything about hallucinations? I'm going to give this a read-over in case... Nope, still nothing about hallucinations. Taking his eyes off the bottle, Silent looks up and.... Nothing. That pink mare was gone. Silent began to put off what he just experienced as hallucination. Conjuring his magic to hold his bottle as he got on all of his legs, and turned arou- ARGH! Silent jumped then screamed deactivating his magic dropping his vodka bottle shattering on the floor. My treasured water of life!... I haven't even finished it! This pink mare was still right there, bouncing gleefully holding Silent's bag with her mouth, and her mouth was still moving. Silent finally began to discard his theory that that mare was his imagination. Blinking out of his thoughts, he held out his hoof cautiously to ask for the bag back. She seems to get the message, dropping the bag in front of Silent and bounced at the spot. Smiling awkwardly as he picked up the bag; suddenly this mare just gasped, while shooting up in the air at same time then only a second after pink earth pony 'flew' over his head and out of the establishment. Blinking once, then twice. Looking around in the cafè, Silent noticed the waiter there snickering. Probably not at him but the situation as whole. Words that he thought out earlier rang once again ...our days. Whatever, probably not too much of interesting things would happen in span of four days... Silent had to admit that something rather interesting has actually happened. Sighing inwardly to himself, he realized he would have to start hunting for a liquor store or a bar in the town to replace his drink that was shattered mercilessly. Silent began to clean up the mess that his drink left behind, picking up the remnants carefully. The waiter came out of her counter to offer help, which Silent accepted, and in no time all the floor looked like new. Silent looked up as the waiter had her mouth moving, assuming that it was her thanking him for staying behind to start on cleaning. Nodding, the unicorn opened the door to outside with magic, as he stepped he made a mental note. I better start on carrying a back-up drink from now on... Cracking his neck, he let out a satisfied sigh, “ahhhh.” Adjusting his bag until it was comfortable, the strange circumstance that he was involved with still rang in his head. She, she...s. defied both logic and physics! Is that mare on drugs or something?!..I think she actually froze in the midair when she left like that..argh, a headache already just thinking about it. I might should avoid her if that is case... Realizing that he made it into Ponyville centrè- his thinking distracted and unattached himself from sense of time and distance- he looked around the surrounding area. Stallions and mares, fillies and colts of all colors, shapes, race, and sizes, chatted, played or simply went on their daily business. Before Silent figured where he was, he found himself in middle of marketplace. Drawing in the many sights, stands and unique shops. In small distance he could see a...gingerbread house? Apple, oranges, lettuce, tomato and various other stands with mares or stallions with their respective cutie marks to match. Well time to hunt! Two...hours and...NO LIQUOR STORE?! Silent was beginning to panic internally, wondering where he could get some good-to-Celestia drink?! Silent felt his heart stopped for second time now, first being at that train station- Minus the crazy pink mare, that was completely different thing. Silent was panting, sweating some under the blast of hot sun, too hot! Silent sat on his hunches, activating his magic pulling off his black turtleneck shirt and packed it into his bag. A gentle breeze brushed over him, provoking a small gentle smile on Silent's face. His need of liquor was quelled for now, but it was sure to snake its way back up sooner or later. As he began to walk again, he started to really take in names of stores or various services. Quills and Sofa...nah, another cafè...already ate, soap stand?! Nope and nope. Bowling alley?! This hick town had one? I should check it out..ooooo do they have drinks?!. Mental note! Sugarcube Corner?...my stomach is already hurting from thinking about too much sugar..Carousel Boutique..yewch, too girly. Silent began to follow a trail that was little out of the way, coming across a maple tree that had...windows sticking out? Telescope on the top, lanterns wait.. A tree being a house? The white unicorn circled around it and he saw a sign that was posted outside, it had no words but just open book. Glancing over to the slightly open door, slowly a realization that came to him that this is a library! Silent wanted to do a jump then click his hind legs together in mini-celebration. As this was a library, he figured it was okay to just walk in so he did. Taking a deep breath, in least he was somewhat content with where he was. Beside drinking and occasional weed to escape, he had at least one healthy form of escape and that was “reading”. Silent trotted over to the bookshelves, it was very organized and in excellent condition. Rummaging through his bag, pulling out a notebook and old books that he did his best to keep together. Flipping backwards through the notebook to first or two page and it had list of books that Silent wanted to read. Hopefully this will jump my memory a bit, hopefully this library would have those in stock... Let's see. Eternal The Promises We Keep Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone Daring Do and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Daring Do and Temple of Doom Through Eyes of Another Pony Purple Haze Silence is Bittersweet Number One Memories of the Dark, Prospects of the Light No Need for Words Eh, I still have more books to list out but those should be enough for some worthy search for now... Silent began at “A” section and ran his way all way to first letter in his list “D”, plucking out one Daring Do, and it was the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. Silent chose to put off one Daring Do for another reading tomorrow, or two days from now. Reminding himself over and over to not forget about purchasing a ticket to get out of here on Tuesday morning, first thing. Muttering to himself, walking over to next letter in his list. Eternal...not in the mood for that. Moving on...Number One and No Need for Words, and Silence is Bittersweet seemed good for a reading later, he plucked out those three then began to carry four books in neat stack with his magic. Silent decided that two more books will be enough, six books for four days. A few minutes later he added Purple Haze and Through Eyes of Another Pony to the stack. Carrying it over to the small wooden counter with his magic, noticing and there was still nopony stationed at it but it had a bell ring. Levitating his notebook, flipping it over until he found a empty page to write down as he rang the bell. Remembering the etiquette that libraries had- having to put down your full name and everything to check out a book or books. ”Hello, My name is Silent Dreamweaver and I would like to check those bo-.” Silent dropped his pen as his motor control was lost for minute, when a lavender unicorn mare with pink stripe running through her tail and mane, and her purple eyes making contact with Silent's eyes. Finally his motor control came back as he picked up the pen with his magic, and finished what he was writing. oks out. If you're wondering why I'm communicating to you through this is because I'm deaf. Silent was always blunt about it, he found it was best way rather than beating around the bush to get that fact out. Silent turned over his notebook, the purple mare smiled which melted Silent's heart for few moments. She turned around the notebook, which grabbed Silent's undivided attention. The hoof-writing of her response was very regal and pleasant. Yes, you may borrow those books. Sign your name on the back of the books, then hand over those little white cards with your name over me. You can borrow those books for up to week, but over that, there will be fee of 2 bits per book for each day overdue. My name is Twilight Sparkle by the way, are you new to town or something. I don't think I ever seen you before. Wait, how much do you like reading? Almost nopony ever comes to library to read or even borrow a book. Who's your favorite author, what about your favorite series?! Do you study anything? Twilight peered at Silent, watching him with greeting smile. As Silent proceeded to do what she asked. Unknown to white unicorn, Twilight's eyes were jumping from scar to scar that adorned his body. Finished signing his name on all six white cards and handed over the cards which Twilight nodded with slightly awkward smile on her face, it seemed like she wanted to ask a question. Her powerful urge to learn it all, know it all began to slowly take over her mind. As all of kinds of questions popping up in her head, she snapped out of it as she noticed the notebook was turned around with a answer from Silent. I'm not exactly moving in per say, I missed my train stop at Trottingham. I apparently overslept and missed it. The train won't be running for four days so I'm stuck here until then. It was very nice to meet a sensual mare like you, I ran into..well she did. It was earth pink mare with poofy mane or something, I thought she was a hallucination! Anyway. I don't have any set of favorites really, I read those books to...escape. It's long story, anyhow! Thanks for the books! Instead of actually reliving Twilight's curiosity, Silent's answer brought even more questions for her to ask for some other time, if it ever happens. By the time Twilight snapped out of her thought-indicted trace, her library was empty once again. Silent Dreamweaver had apparently packed up his notebook and his loaned books then left. Special thanks once again to MrMinimii for being awesome editor.
Chapter 4It was mid afternoon when Silent walked out of that library, yawning loudly as it had been quite a long day for him already. Meeting that crazy pink mare, then walking all over town for liquor but he hasn't gone to bowling alley yet to check out if they do have some available. Silent's back ached some, due to added weight of the books that he just borrowed; speaking of books that library mare was nice..uhh what was her name?.. To answer his own question, he took out his notebook and flipped through until he found the written conversation, ah Twilight Sparkle. Hm, nice name... Silent made his way through the town centrè, looking for open field or somewhere that he could be alone. As time passed quickly as Silent tried to find secluded spot, the temperatures began to rise making it considerably warm, though unlike the sweating temperatures that Silent endured earlier. Figuring out that asking somepony would be fastest way to get where he wanted to be, so that what he did. Trotting up to some pink mare that was sitting on bench; at first Silent was very cautious if in fact it was that pink mare from this morning- to his relief it wasn't. After few minutes of idle chatter, instead of writing down the directions; she drew a map and it made a lot of things easier for her to explain as well for Silent to understand. Bowing his head once, hoping that mare would take it as sign of thanks. Which she did, returning the gesture with simple hoof wave with small smile adorning on her face. ...This town isn't too bad, ponies that I've met so far was nothing but kind. Minus that crazy mare...probably. This town still needs a bar, though, or I’m really blind to not notice one yet. Looking at crudely made map in his notebook, following the main road then he took a left turn following the map to T. He arrived at town center, levitating the map in front of his face. Occasionally peering over the mini-map to make sure he wasn't running into anypony. Changing his gait in his trot, wanting to get there faster, the scene transformed from a house that is usually packed somewhat tight against another into a house every hundred yard or so to trees, then apple trees as far he can see. Those apples looks so good, yet Silent resisted, he just kept on making tracks. After wasting about twenty minutes of the deaf Unicorn's lifespan, Silent's green eyes surveyed the spot that mare told him about. There was single huge oak tree at top of the hill, with nothing around for few yards. It was pretty out of way, Silent nodded to himself confirming this spot will work. Perfect for stargazing if he doesn't fall asleep, Silent mentally added. Dropping his bag, cradling his neck rubbing a sore spot where his bag strap was hanging from. Licking his lips in anticipation as he opened up his bag, dumping all contents out of his bag: books, a bag of weed, bowl and bits sat there – minus the vodka, and the expired ticket that he brought back in Baltimare. A gleeful smile creeping up on his face as he levitated his bag of weed over to him, taking out two buds and tearing it up gently; making sure he doesn't drop any into grass. Placing the cannabis into the bowl of the pipe, packing it in tight best he can. one....two buds, gonna send me somewhere elseeee. I need lighter, lighter. Silent scratched top of his head, before hitting something solid. Groaning to himself. duhhhhh, my horn and that equals to magic. Smacking his lips, bringing up pipe to his mouth making a tight seal around stem of the pipe, holding a hoof over small hole on side of bowl. Silent closed his eyes as he focused his magic into weed, igniting it and takes a deep inhale. Silent then held it in long, five to ten seconds before finally exhaling all smoke out. After one hit, then two, three and four. By the time toke had burnt out, Silent felt mellowed out; his bowl was set down next to him with fine smoke raising from it. Finally a sure sign that he was high was red, half-hidden eyes which was complemented by stupid smile on his stupid face. Silent giggled, exhaling some smoke then did tricks with it- expertly making some smoke rings. Coughing out some smoke that resided in his lungs, watching it slowly rising in air. It was like...snakes dancing or mating then it became some sort of space...swirling around like..ah, black hole. Silent slowly frowned as he watched the smoke dissipating, like a life ending. Yeah that's it. Silent kept commenting on everything of what he saw in his mind. Heavier smoke kept residing around him, then gently carried off by wind. Silent kept playing around with his mouth, licking the top of it with his tongue- it's like there’s cotton candy just sticking anywhere in his mouth. Slowly crawling up to base of the tree, laying back taking in a nice sunset. Beautiful various colors danced across the sky, trees in the distance served as perfect outline. Silent bet that if he had a canvas and some pastel with him, he probably would have tried to capture that beautiful, yet common sight. It was his favorite as well, since it meant night was coming up. Silent's mind began to ramble off to strange thoughts. The sun looks nothing like Princess Celestia, why do ponies call her a sun princess. Wouldn't that make her fat and round if she was sun?... wait..the Moon. So..if I think like that, it would have insulted Princess Luna as well with this comment of size? By proxy? Silent's eyes widened in panic as he knelt down to the moon that was rising in opposite side of the sunset, spouting out this quickly in mind. Princess Luna, forgive me if you are actually reading my mind right now I. I. I'm. I'm sorrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy Shifting through his bowl, once again Silent did a skip in his heart as he realized there was some left. Needless to say, few seconds later it was finally all smoked- all reduced to ashes. Silent's eyes ran over some books that was laid out in messy order. Man..how could I have forgotten of what I wanted to do...umm, what was it..ah.. yeah, that’s that, uhhh that’s it.. Yeah. Silent shifted over to the books, smacking lips as he looked on at choices he had; beginning to figure out how he could choose a book. Deciding to wing his choice. Purple Haze Silence is Bittersweet Number One Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone No Need for Words Through Eyes of Another Pony Umm..mie moe men... wasn't it..no, ah it went like this uhh. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, yeah that's it! Ill just like count those out four times, then use that book. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Ah Daring Do, eh? Silent's hoof stopped at chosen book. And...here we go! Subconsciously triggering his magic, slowly casting it around the Daring Do book. The green aura of Silent's magic finally encased it, the book flipped through the first page all way to the last then closing. Slowly the images came into view, almost dream-like state but that was actually outside his mind. It began to play out the events, exactly what happened in the book. One of his talent's use, there was plenty more that he can do with it. He gave a undivided attention to two tasks. Silent got comfortable before he got started with the dream spell. Silent's horn shimmed with green-colored magic, keeping it activated- this was first task. Second task was to...have fun! The “dream” flicked into life, Silent seeing Daring Do herself then Silent felt like he was actually the part of the story, or rather a movie. As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. Few days... it might as well be a few months, or a few years! The mosquitoes buzzed loudly. The macaws cried from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step... Safely landing on the other side, Daring finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. She turned around to find herself face to face with the long lost temple that she had sought tirelessly for over sixty days and nights! The smell of decay and danger hit Daring Do as she peered into the dimly-lit entrance of the ancient temple..... The “dream movie” lasted for hour and half, before he realized it- the sun was gone, the moon replaced it. The ending of Daring Do “book” began, characters from the book that Silent conjured began to fade from sight one by one, depending on their distance from Silent's magic. He slowly deactivated it, and his horn's green aura slowly faded along with the last character- Daring Do, froze in the air with her trademark smirk holding a sapphire artifact. The high that he had about 40 minutes earlier was mostly worn off, Silent rubbed his head gently; he felt somewhat good. The white unicorn began to pack up his stuff, rolling the buds back into bag and cleaned his pipe with some of fire, blowing out hard to get rid of ashes. Holding up the bag of it to moonlight, his minding clicking thoughts out. From look of it, I'll say there is enough for four bowls at most...yeah. My mouth feel bit dry now, I think might be good time to get a drink. What was that place, hm ah the bowling alley. I, Silent pray that they would have some in stock and is ope-e-n-n-n-n. As the beautiful night began to reign over the sky, the temperatures began to drop. Silent want to get somewhere warm right now as he began to shiver as cool breeze went against him. Rubbing his forelegs, pulling out his black turtleneck sweatshirt out of his bag putting it on. A sound of relief rang out, as the shirt hugged him like teddy bear- soft and warm. As he kept moving, his bladder was pushed in wrong way. Silent rushed off to one of bushes, he got goosebumps as he finally did his business. “Ahhhhhhhh...”, Silent felt million bits better, stretching himself his joints cracks from various spots. Trotting back to his spot where he left his bag, stars twinkling above him and once again moonlight served as guide. It put him into stargazing trance, the stars putting on light show. Snapping out of it for minute, the deaf stallion gave himself a check-over, his hair, mane and tail was mess from laying down on ground from his previous activity. Meh... As he looked around and began to walk off the hill, his heart stopped, for the third time now when Silent saw something familiar that he saw earlier today. It wasn't pink still, thank Celestia quickly echoed in his head. In the distance, Silent could see purple glow in the darkness, partially covered by trees heading toward him. As it got closer and closer, more definitive features came into view. First thing that Silent caught on to was a pink strip glowing slightly from moonlight reflecting on it, then a sapphire blue, violet mane came into view then her purple coat...Twilight! She was trotting over, toward Silent and the oak tree. How did she find me? Probably that mare...No wait, scratch that- why does she look angry, and is glaring at me? No...it seems like it's mixture of bewildered and angry glare? Silent Dreamweaver began to sweat a little bit, as he got slightly nervous. A usual thanks to Minimii for being awesome!
Chapter 5You know, sometimes when somepony that you know or don't know that well is walking up to you and bearing down on you angrily? You don't have the slightest idea what exactly you did wrong; thinking hard back on the day or anytime that you encountered with said pony? Naturally you would get nervous, this is exactly same thing that Silent is going through right now. Shuffling, rubbing his right forehoof as he sat down, thinking back on his day so far in Ponyville. Waking up in that train, the cafè, meeting that crazy mare, walking around town, looking for liquor, found a library, meeting Twilight, borrowed books, came here to this spot, smoked some toke, did my thing with Daring Do, peed in the bushes and there she is. Silent's brief memory trip came to end as Twilight arrived, face to face whilst deactivating her light magic that she used to navigate her way here through the dark. Twilight began speaking for a second or two before holding her hoof her mouth, as her memory tugged at her that Silent told her earlier today that he was deaf. The lavender Unicorn awkwardly smiled waiting for something. Silent figured it out, smiling nervously as he pulled out his notebook and pen with his magic. There is million of things that he could just write down, asking her why she is angry, how did she find him, what exactly had she seen, and so forth on. Silent just chose most simplistic thing to write before he handed it over to her. Hello Twilight?__ Twilight's face scrunched up as she read this simple message, looking up to make eye contact with Silent, which only made him quite more queasy. A purple aura took over his pen, which Silent promptly released his own magic- Twilight focused on writing her message before turning it over to the white Unicorn. Silent's green eyes traced over her writing very carefully, not wanting to misunderstand. “Why' didn't you show up to your party? Pinkie Pie told me that she invited you earlier today, most of the town was there waiting for two hours but you didn't show up! Half of town is angry with you, and the party host is depressed that you didn't show up.” Silent sighed, waiting as Twilight paused for second before handing back the pen and notebook. Twilight's face told Silent that she had more to say or ask, but this was bit of good start. The deaf Unicorn's mind began to work trying to remember who Pinkie Pie was before realizing that it was that crazy mare earlier in the cafè. Exhaling as he realized that the explanation was somewhat simple, and this whole situation was, for a lack of better word- misunderstood. This was one of few times that Silent wished that he was normal pony, once again he felt like his deafness had done nothing but cause yet another problem. A problem that he didn't mean to happen. Silent somberly wrote his response, his thoughts began to wander back to depression. Some drink, any drink, sounded so good to Silent right now. “Pinkie Pie? Wasn't that the crazy pink mare? I didn't know anything of this party or invitation. She ran into me in that cafe, and did...her thing, if you could call that. She just kept talking, then left abruptly; it was then I left. She didn't talk to me directly, like what we're doing now.” Nervously floating both of pad of paper and pen back to the lavender Unicorn promptly. Her expression shifted noticeably from being suspicious and mad, then realization, eyes widening, returning to normal then understanding, then finally a soft expression. Twilight then did a facehoof, muttering “Oh Pinkie Pie!”, Silent assumed based on his lip reading. Twilight muttered something to herself, writing her reply. Silent was still rubbing his right forehoof while he anxiously waited. ”I see, that explains things. You see, when we arrived at party and Pinkie Pie announced that she invited, I mean invited a new stallion in the town to the party. I thought she communicated to you by writing. Anyway, naturally she went around the town inviting everypony that she knows, including her friends like myself to go. Well, after some time had passed, and you didn't show up. Pinkie Pie was getting..depressed, thinking that the pony- you- didn't like parties or ignored her invitation- the situation slowly got out of hand. Luckily, one of my friends asked her what did this stallion looked like.” Twilight looked up at Silent briefly, taking a mini-break before continuing. The notebook was floating in the air, encased with purple aura and the pen wrote by itself frantically. “After our pink friend explained this stallion's features, I realized that it matched you. Putting 2 and 2 together myself, I took the reins and asked the party-goers if they have met anypony like you in town today. Berry Punch came up, told me where she sent you. I spent about last hour looking for you, though I couldn't find you until I saw a strange glow in distance, coupled with my magic locating spell. I think the party is going on, if you want to come with me. I'll try my best to explain the whole situation.” Putting down the notebook down after Twilight turned it over to him, Silent began to comprehend the situation, then things got quiet as Silent contemplated about the party. Personally, Silent hated parties, he had some of bad memory/experiences that came out of it. Silent's mind began to take a memory trip. It was long time ago, when Silent was still colt; he was at his first outside party to getting his first taste of booze. This was just soon after series of events that sent him spiraling downwards. One of his former friends brought him there, and after while everything was good. Upbeat, drunk, and most of all- numb. Silent loved this feeling. Soon after, some drunk mare at, one point, began going around to spread the word that Silent Dreamweaver was hitting on her. It was getting a bit cold, so the party moved into the party host's house. A few moments later, a huge stallion breaks down the door running up straight to Silent- naturally the deaf Unicorn doesn't know what had transpired. Apparently, that stallion was the mare's coltfriend. They were face to face, literally. In his drunken state, he only got one hit in on this angry stallion to defend himself. Silent couldn't use his magic properly. The stallion ducked the second punch that Silent threw and gave quick right hoof to the jaw and dropped the deaf Unicorn. The next thing that he remembered from that night was rain of hoofs to his face, with his face red shouting vulgar things that was directed at him but never actually got through. Pain, is all he remembered; the ponies did nothing to help but after a few moments of beating. Two colts that were there finally pulled the enraged stallion off Silent's battered body. Those colts had difficulty keeping him away, as Silent could remember next that he received a kick to the face that knocked him out cold, his blood was sprayed into wall. He had received some heavy bruises on his face and cuts on his forehead as well his horn. Silent was sent to the ER, and spent a week of his life in that undesirable place- the hospital. It was one of his first scars, both physically and emotionally, it was also the beginning of his distrust of ponies in general. Silent later learnt that the stallion ran away from the party with his marefriend. Long story short, they questioned everypony at the party and somepony said that stallion's name. Few days later the Celestia's guards arrested him and threw him into jail, yet it did nothing to quell his new founded scars. Snapping out of the big memory trip, blinking once then twice. Quickly Silent's bad side snaked its way to his mind and conscience. Silent needed his booze, he wanted to be numb from depressive and horrible thoughts that was creeping up on him, just to get away from the world, away from himself. He literally needed a drink now, giving into his addiction it was always an answer to everything for him. Twilight was still sitting there, looking at him wondering what got into him. Silent looked like he was sad, just out of it. Suddenly, Silent perked up and put on the mask of a smile as he attempted to force his lugubrious feeling and thoughts down. Twilight felt that Silent was hiding something, and she felt like even a touch would break him down. She examined him carefully, hoping to find her way in and ask him if he was okay. Silent wouldn't have it, he had his guard up- focusing on his writing. There was something else that he did that she saw. Twilight also noticed the book was encased with Silent's magic, it looked like it was actually playing out the book! What kind of spell was that? She wanted to learn that spell! Silent Dreamweaver's cutie mark was another thing on her mind. It was of dream cloud, one light cloud with a black cloud behind it. She so badly wanted to ask him about it, of its meaning but she forced herself to not in fear of losing a new friend and driving him away. ”A party? That sounds great, I'm grateful that you're willing to help me out by explaining the situation. I think it would help a bit if I apologized to your friend,” Silent paused in his writing as he glanced over to top of page of their previous conversation. What was that crazy pink mare name?... aha Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, even if it is unnecessary, after all I feel like it is my fault. I think you're great at magic, since you're able to find me with this..magic locating spell you say? Thank you Twilight, shall you lead the way?” Silent Dreamweaver put on his best fake smile as he could, he thought Twilight believed it when she smiled, trotting away from oak tree toward Ponyville. Twilight reactivated her light spell to navigate their way through the darkness, the moonlight helping them out. Silent promptly followed, making sure he doesn't get lost or drifted away after all he was still new to this area. Sigh, only three days to go... After spending about thirty minutes navigating their way back into town, they finally made it back. Ponyville's night lights was like a beacon to them, they released a small sigh of relief coupled with sense of pride that there was no problems on the way. Silent couldn't help but get some sense that Ponyville was different during the night, it was too quiet, almost like a ghost town. Twilight did say that half of the town was at party, but still. Various stands that stood at town centrè wasn't there, in the darkness Silent could see few of places that he went past earlier today. Only place that had their lights on was Sugarcube Corner; with each step that Twilight and Silent took he could feel his heart jumping to his throat, getting bit hard to breathe, getting a cold sweat; Twilight was oblivious to this. In a nutshell, Silent was afraid of what would happen when he walked into Sugarcube Corner. Both of the Unicorns made it to the door, standing next to each other. Silent tried to calm down his frayed nerves, smiling nervously at himself and Twilight. Twilight found his nervous smile slightly amusing, when she knocked on the door and the lavender unicorn's ears perked up- hearing some noises coming from other side of the door. Silent watched as the door knob wiggled then turned to the right, his eyes widened- it seemed like it was the end of the world for him. Gradually, the door opened. Overly-super-awesome editor as usual! -----> MrMinimii
Chapter 6As Silent took a step into the unknown, his heart and head pounded in synchronous. What Silent first saw was a sea of multicolored ponies, all turning their attention to the star guest. Silent wanted to trot backwards and get out of there because he wasn't used having this many eyes on him. Half of Ponyville, no less! Twilight noticed this and she wouldn't have it, with the rate of things are going anyway,so she stepped forward like a natural leader and spoke up clearly and loudly. The deaf Unicorn just sat there, smiling awkwardly as he gradually got more attention than when they walked through that door. Praying to Princess Luna over and over that this party wouldn't be a repeat of that party incident. Silent sat just a couple feet away from the lavender Unicorn speaking the crowd, supposedly explaining the situation to the party-goers. Scanning the place, he could see there was a plethora of confetti, balloons, food, few different punches I so hope those are the drinks that I've been dying forand ... the crazy pink mare? Pinkie Pie looked so different, her pink coat darkened and her mane and tail were flat. Silent thought it actually looked better on her, although her current mood was creeping him out. Noticing Twilight, his new Unicorn friend, walking up to Pinkie Pie, spoke few words to her and nodded her head at her then gesturing her at me with a smile. It was then, very strange thing happened when Silent watched Pinkie Pie's transformation. Pinkie Pie's eyes widened, her frown turned upside down as she beamed a huge smile. The crazy pink mare’s darkened pink coat turned back into, well, more pink. Silent actually compared the crazy pink mare's mane and tail to balloons, due to them inflating just like it. If Silent wasn't deaf, he would have bet some bits that it would sound like balloons if you rubbed her mane. Barraging through Twilight and some of crowd, she stoped at Silent- bouncing in place and apparently eternally grateful that this whole thing was just misunderstanding. Also the Unicorn, the star guest that she invited to 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, actually showed up. Pinkie Pie then began to bounce on the spot, and when she was finished bouncing she actually spoke slowly for once, Twilight's speech earlier directing her actions in her seemingly random head. Silent was lip reading very carefully; Pinkie Pie trying her best to be slow for the deaf Unicorn. “My name’s Pinkie Pie, and welcome to 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!” Silent chuckled then nodded, gesturing to that crazy pink mare that he understood most of it. The white Unicorn held his hoof out which Pinkie Pie accepted, shaking his hoof furiously. When the villagers witnessed turn of her mood, they gave their cheers at both ponies- including Twilight. Drink, drink! Silent exhaled sharply walking past the crazy pink mare, deciding to ignore the other ponies for the moment: his need of liquor took control. Some ponies stopped him on the way, greeting him. He returned the gesture autonomously. Silent kept pacing himself toward the punchs like there was nothing there to stop him. The deaf Unicorn made it to the table, recognizing one of the liquids in bowl before him, though it wasn't his preferred drink. Instead of vodka, it was hard cider. Activating his magic to pour himself some; in a rush Silent downed his drink in no time at all. Only ten minutes had passed after he polished off his fourth cup. He finally achieved where he wanted to be: numb yet coherent. Four cups of hard cider isn't even close to what his usual vodka can do. With an extra spring in his trot,he finally got what he wanted all day. Making his way through the crowd levitating his fifth bottle, along with an extra one. In short distance, Silent could make out the purple Unicorn, Twilight, among with pink, cream, yellow, light blue, and white ponies. When you are in a semi-huge party, not knowing anypony, but one, naturally you would go to somepony that is familiar. For Silent, it was Twilight that he was most familiar with, so he went with it. After weaving his way through the party-goers, nearly spilling both of the cups twice when somepony bumped into him, Silent waved at Twilight which she perked up at, smiling beckoning him to sit down among her group for friends. The creamy yellow Pegasus rushed and hid behind the rainbow maned Pegasus. The white Unicorn with an extravagantly styled purple mane made a loud gasp, her sapphire eyes giving a quick glance over Silent's choice of fashion; the group of ponies looked at him expectantly. Floating the extra cup over to Twilight, which she graciously accepted, but after sipping some of it; she secretly set it down behind her when Silent wasn't looking. The deaf Unicorn was rummaging through his bag, fishing out his now-beaten notebook. Silent had a bit of difficulty finding a blank page as there was only ten left. As soon Silent pulled it out, Twilight snatched it out of his hoofs; looking at the deaf Unicorn with a wry smile as she pulled a pen out of his bag. Giggling to herself, placing the pen on the blank page. Silent began to fiddle around with his hoof, giving this mini group of mares a look around; they looked quite different than his usual set of friends- it was somewhat strange of Twilight since Silent was beginning to peg her as academic type. After all, Twilight lived in the library! Silent, however, reeled his thoughts back, reminding him that you can find friendship with anypony if you take your time to know them. He felt something tapping him, glancing over his shoulder and noticing the floating notebook, courtesy of Twilight's magic. Twilight smiled as Silent pulled it out of the air, and began to talk to her friends. Holding the notebook with his magic; his green eyes began to read from left to right. “Are you enjoying your party so far? I hope you are. Anyhow, I would love to introduce you to my friends! I'll list them off from left to right so you could attribute the names to correct mares. My name is Twilight Sparkle! I jest! and I'm sure you already know who Pinkie Pie is ; she's actually Ponyville's go-to-mare for parties. That's Applejack, the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, they produced that hard cider that you are drinking right now. That's Rarity, she's a.. ‘passionate’ fashion designer. Onwards to the cyan Pegasus with rainbow mane, her name is Rainbow Dash; her talent is stunt flying. The shy Pegasus that is currently hiding behind Rainbow Dash is our friend, Fluttershy. She's sort of local veterinarian; she absolutely loves animals.” Silent contemplated, remembering that not a few seconds earlier that he thought Twilight had a diverse group friends, he was proven right. He allowed himself a small genuine smile. Not sure of what he should go on with this, he just chose to write big words on a single page that stated. “Nice to meet you all! My name is Silent Dreamweaver!” Flipping over the notebook so everypony could see, all of their reactions was all the same. All were smiling, speaking very briefly which Silent assumed that it was reply of “Nice to meet you too” or somewhere along those lines. They proceeded to spend some time with each for half of the hour, Pinkie was asking him how much did he like the party, Fluttershy finally had some courage to come out just enough to say “hi”, Applejack asked him how did he like the hard cider, Silent told her that he loved the taste but believes it is not potent enough. Somewhere along the line, Silent's notebook was finally full but only to have Pinkie Pie appear randomly holding a empty notebook, and of course it was a pink notebook. Sometimes the conversation steers the others other way briefly, discluding Silent in the chat. It was somewhat okay with him for time being, one of worst perks of being deaf was that normal ponies sometimes forget that he was there- even if they didn’t mean it. Things got increasingly worse afterward, however. It began with Rarity examining Silent, more specifically the black turtleneck that he was wearing. It looked like it was sewn together very well, no mistakes in the seams and the materials were high quality. The black color on it hasn't faded at all, even with years of wearing. Rarity wanted to look at it closer, and so she began asking Silent about it. Rarity's obsession of fashion which drove her bit too far with her request as she tried to touch Silent's black turtleneck with her magic. Silent held his cloth down with his hoof, growling and gave her an angry glare at Rarity, which came across to her as ungentlemanly. What Rarity said next to Silent broke him. “Honestly! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?!” Silent was lip reading, his body began to shake with rage. Silent's disease of depression came back to him twofold. Snatching up the notebook and the pen that he set down earlier. Silent wrote rashly in very first page of his new notebook before shoving it over to Rarity with his magic. “Don't touch this piece of cloth ever again, it was made by my mother! It is last thing left that I have of her!” The tension in the air was so high between both ponies, even a slightest movement could cut through it. Rarity became quiet for some reason, she began to pick up the pen with her magic and began to write something. It was something so trivial, it would be easy for Rarity to apologize and for Silent for accept, but he doesn’t have exactly the best handle with his emotional state or best of social skills. Silent tried to calm himself down, exhaling sharply and slowly as his brief outburst began to settle down in the minds of Rarity, Twilight, and their friends. Not to mention the party-goers that were nearby. Silent was almost entirely calmed down with bit of help until Twilight who set her hoof on his shoulder gently, this simple gesture of supposed comfort- Silent wasn’t used to this simple action. The deaf Unicorn broke down, shaking on his haunches. Silent’s eyes threatened to break down. With that, without letting Rarity a chance to respond or anypony for that matter. Silent stood up and left the Sugarcube Corner. Leaving the six ponies and the party-goers behind in shock. He wanted to run from everything and then himself as usual. Tears were threatening to break out, so he just ran. Stopping for few moments at one of Ponyville’s street corner. Buck this, buck this all! Sluggishly walking, he came across his destination- the bowling alley that he spied earlier today. Opening the door with heavy heart, giving the place a quick scan. It was still open, his eyes making contact with a large counter. Ignoring the bowlers doing their thing at the lanes, trotting his way up whilst taking out about thirty bits and asking for best drinks that they have. Afterwards when he stepped outside; first thing he could feel was the cold air; carrying five cheap brewed vodka bottles. Silent’s bad side finally took over him as he screwed open one bottle and began drinking, began his journey back to one place that he was truly alone earlier. Anything. Anything. Anything to get away from this. Making it back to that oak tree where he was earlier, he screwed open his second bottle and continued drinking his troubles away. The first or second bottle of liquor wasn't working very well, he just screamed and threw the bottle at the tree trying to quell his rage and pain, mostly his pain. Silent just began crying as memories of his mother began to surface, her beautiful white face, brown mane looking down at him with a loving smile. The memory began to skip over various points of Silent’s life of his mother or his father or both. Wiping away his tears, his body shook in anguish holding his head with his hoof. Go away. Go away. Go away, please After quite some time, half of third bottle was finished; he went past the stage of simple numb and a buzz to full blown drunk. Silent began to behave very differently, he pranced around tree not caring about single thing in the world, not even himself. Needlessly to say, Silent's face and body was mess; probably worse than that day in that bar prior getting kicked out of his home. Silent's vision was heavily blurred, he stumbled on his hoof falling sideways holding fourth bottle. Adding up what he had so far, five cups of hard cider, four bottles of cheap vodka- subtracting the unopened one. Silent groaned as he felt like something was pinching his stomach, and twisting it around, holding both of his forehoofs to his stomach. Pain is all he could describe in this drunken state, Silent threw up most of what he drank or ate that day. He released a pathetic whimper, crying. He hated himself so much. He felt so pathetic that he always resorted to this to get “away”. Under the canvas of one million stars with a moon gradually moving across the sky, Silent blacked out. The deaf unicorn's snoring breaks the peaceful night, he laid there wasted with empty bottles then some around him. Slowly a purple aura encased Silent’s unconscious body, floating him in the air. Twilight deciding to take matters in her own hoofs. Sixth thanks to MrMinimii!
Chapter 7 (Edited)Silent drifted away from the land of blankness, somewhere that he actually felt peaceful. Even if it was empty, something pushed him to awake from safety of a dream; back into reality that he is constantly trying so hard to avoid. Waking up slowly, his green eyes scanning the ceiling, and slowly he came to the realization that he wasn't outside. He didn’t remember much from last night, his body was just beginning to reactivate after the long rest. Silent wished that it didn't do so- hungover from his drinking binge came to him two-fold, probably worse than one that he went through that day when he got kicked out of his home. Silent groaned as his headache pounded along at the same time as his heart in harmony, but chuckled wearily at how low of the point he is at now. It is actually bit of wonder why he wasn't dead yet. Was there something out there waiting for him? Or is Silent being blind if something that he wanted is already right front of him? At least the room was dark, even if it was morning: the curtains was shut. Silent's mental state was a mess; he cannot think of anything. Silent didn’t even want to question why he was in bed, all snuggled in. Pushing himself to fight the hangover by simply closing his eyes, the dark bedroom helping him, and soon after, Silent fell asleep. Only this time he didn’t dream, he just simply slept. How funny is it of how fast time passes when you are out of it? When you're awake, sometimes your conscience could actually feel the tick, tick, tick and you wonder why don't the time go faster; every second felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours and so forth on. Slowly he came to once again, the sun moved across the sky; it was in the afternoon. Physically, Silent returned to normal, however mentally- that’s another story. Taking a breath, rolling out of bed into his all fours. Speaking of time, only two more days to go now... Dragging himself out of the bedroom, the short hallway was unrecognizable to Silent but he had only one goal. Following this goal, he checked all of doors in the hallway. Bedroom, closet, another closet, aha bathroom Pushing himself into the bathroom, closing the door then locking it. It was just him now. Slowly climbing up to the mirror, staring at himself. Have you ever looked in the mirror trying to find out who you are only to see a stranger staring back? Do you ever reach out for him? He always reaches back but something won't let you touch him. He's who you're looking for, he knows who he is. He is you. He knows, but he can't tell you. He's so lost. You don’t know how to find him. You feel like you know him but you don't recognize him. He might be smart, kind, handsome and strong. He must be friends with everypony, he looks so friendly. He must be accomplished and proud of who he is. He must know who he is. That's a bunch of horseapples. He is none of those above; he just wishes to be a normal pony with all normal things. But that is not the story his eyes tell, he's broken inside. He wants to fix it, he tries to ignore it, but it's always going to be there. He isn't who you thought she was. Not at all. Now when you look at him, he is disgusting. You see fear in his eyes. He is afraid of you knowing who he is. He drinks himself to oblivion but that just makes it worse. He should just do everyone a favour and kill himself. But that’s not who you are; you aren’t either of those stallions. You aren’t anything in between. You are nothing. That’s who you are, nothing. Why was it so hard for you to figure out who you are when you aren’t anything? You were searching for somepony who isn’t there. All Silent wanted in life was somepony showing him who he was and would accept who he is, without attempting to change anything themselves. Silent touched the mirror, slowly increasing his pressure, just wanting to shatter it. He just looked away from the mirror, backing up a bit before going on with his business. Silent began to smell himself, the smell was terrible; some of vomit stuck to him from last night. Climbing in the shower, he just stood there letting hot water hitting him for awhile. Silent had no more tears to shed for the moment, using up most of it last night. Turning off the water before getting out; he felt at least a little bit cleaner. He nearly forgot which room that he woke up in for moment, but nevertheless, after little treasure hunt he found it. There was something weighing on his mind, he felt like there was something missing- can't quite put his hoof on it. Suddenly it came to him: his saddlebag! He began to look around the dark room. Activating his magic, a bright green glow slowly came to life as he cluttered around the room looking for it. He found it lying at the foot of his bed. Sighing in relief, he dug into it and withdrew 'Number One', a book he had always enjoyed. One of ponies that he knew back in Baltimare once asked him, ‘Why do you read?’ The simple question turned out to be much more complex for Silent. Silent could always lie- “Oh, I want to educate ourselves, maybe simple entertainment or seeking an imaginative world to escape to.” No, Silent Dreamweaver's answer to the question was that for a brief moment he could at least pretend to be somepony else in the book, maybe the main character, maybe the other characters to avoid being himself. Silent explored the house for bit, mainly to find a good place to read- somewhere with good lighting. Out the bedroom, down the hallway, then down the stairs. Taking in a familiar sight, this was where he borrowed his books yesterday; it seemed like nopony was around. Silent revelled in the solitude, trotting over to a comfortable-looking couch. Silent once again slapped his name on the couch, calling it his own when he laid down on his back. Settling down, his horn began to glow green; the book floated above him as he began with his reading. Look out for number one. That was the rule for as long as you could remember. You grew up in Clopton, a tough place ponies always told stories of. Every mistake was painful, every insult was personal, and everypony took what they could get. Between the gangs and the violence, you had managed to lay low in the background and survive, albeit not unscathed. You had a few scars here and there, the bigger ones you covered up with a jacket. There were some down your forelegs and one deep one around the base of your neck. You made your bits as a repaircolt of sorts. As m... Muttering to himself whilst reading, snapping out of trance when he felt something sharp tapping his shoulder. Silent folded the corner of page that he was on to 'bookmark' it and closed it, slowly turning his attention the other way. What he saw made him jump and scream in bewilderment at first, which soon after evolved into alaugh. After laughing for awhile, it became pure mirth. Now imagine this, you were reading something then turned your attention to a small lizard, or some sorts just standing there wearing a pink apron decorated with flowers, holding a spatula! It seemed so unnatural and comical that Silent just had to laugh. Slowly his laugh died to the occasional snicker. The overgrown lizard mumbled angrily while walking out the room. Silent exhaled slowly, returning to his reading. The mood within the room returned to its usual melancholy state. Shivering for second or two when he felt some cold air rush into the room, Silent looked up from the book and only to get his eyes assaulted by a wall of purple front of him. Scanning the room, he noticed the door to outside was wide open; it was still sunny. Sitting up, Silent wasn't sure what he should say now in this situation, Twilight seemed had same thing on her mind. This whole thing is new to her: a traumatized, deaf, drunk Unicorn... It seemed bad to her at first, but somehow she didn't want to believe that there is such a pony like him in peaceful land of Equestria. Twilight had spent most of last night studying the effects of alcoholism, as well some of deafness, yes she couldn’t understand why somepony as nice as him, based on what she had seen so far, would drink himself to the brink. At least Twilight could do something for him, but she wasn't sure if he would accept the help or not and internal battle flared within her between holding herself back and letting her learn it all, know it all to take over. Putting her decision on if she should extending hoof to Silent, instead she put it off for later. She pulled out a notebook and did the usual before handing it over to Silent. Twilight chose to not touch upon the subject of his drinking, but rather act on her friend's request Good afternoon Silent. I hope you slept well, Twilight paused, figuring out what was right thing to say to him. After few moment of deep thoughts, she decided to just go with: I was wondering if you could come with me for few minutes. I would like to take you someplace, maybe to eat or something? Silent seemed stoic, just sitting there when she levitated the message over to him. Silent looked up at her briefly, this message was very brief, and he couldn't help but feel there was ulterior motive behind it. It didn't seem bad- go out get some lunch then probably come back, pack up his things then go back to that bowling alley to drink some more and rent a hotel or motel room if he could find one in this town, ride out last two days. Before finally purchasing a ticket to Trottingham, then settle down in repeated cycle of his life. The deaf Unicorn accepted with some refrain. That sounds...great, I haven't eaten anything yet today. Just one question before we go out for a lunch: who was that? I met this uh, overgrown lizard wearing a pink apron. I think I made him angry.. Silent tossed the notebook gently at Twilight, which she caught with her magic. Twilight's eye did a once-over before smiling slightly as she wrote. That's Spike, he's actually a baby dragon and he is my number one assistant in running this library and whatnot. What did you do to make him angry? Twilight tossed the notebook back to Silent, he wasn't paying attention for a moment while he pondered of what Spike was. Twilight snickered slightly when the notebook smacked into his face, mouthing “sorry” at Silent's perplexed face. Silent made a small smile, reading over her reply, feeling his jaw drop weakly. A... a dragon?! A baby dragon, fine, but still a fire-breathing dragon living in very flammable environment- namely the tree itself and books, as well the furniture. Silent, although still a bit shaken from the dragon, didn’t question the mare. If this Unicorn deemed it safe to live here with a... a dragon, then so did he. Silent hopped off the couch, carrying the book that he was reading back up upstairs and set it down next to his bag; taking out about 40 bits, just in case. Checking himself over briefly in the bathroom, taking a deep breath trying to prepare himself . Silent trotted back downstairs where he saw Twilight waiting at the door, levitating her parchment and quill. The deaf Unicorn gestured for the parchment and quill that Twilight had. He wasn’t too sure about this whole thing, not after last night. Deciding to be blunt with his question. Um, Twilight. Where are we going to eat out at? Silent sent the parchment back over to Twilight, she paused to think before writing. Some cafè that I know, they have great hay fries and hay sandwiches. It is not far from here. Rubbing his back of neck, sighing. Silent gives up for now, deciding to stick by with his decision of accepting Twilight’s offer. ‘Number One’ by Whirring Gears (check it out: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1827/Number-One) Awesome editor as usual - MrMinimii /)^ɛ^(\
Chapter 8Silent and Twilight trotted through the vibrant village, the sun shining, overcast clouds and some wind lightly blew against their side. However, this beautiful weather betrayed Silent's actual mood. He still couldn't but help himself to feel that Twilight had some ulterior motive behind this all; hoping it wouldn't be bad at all. Twilight stopped for moment, looking back and snickering when Silent's stomach growled loudly. Rubbing his hoof on his stomach, looking up and saw Twilight was still trotting up ahead. Silent sighed, letting his primitive urge of getting food winning out. He increased his speed, soon catching up to the lavender Unicorn. Twilight was stopped few times on their way by random ponies that Silent didn't know; some spoke briefly, others just waved. Amidst all of this,Twilight's mind wasn't on anypony but Silent. They were quiet the whole time. ever since they left the library; the atmosphere gradually became oppressive for Twilight, afraid of what things would turn out which was her friend’s request and Twilight’s plan. Whetever if it would bear some fruit. After few minutes of trotting, passing the establishments that he recognized from his first exploration of Ponyville, Silent finally took in the first glimpse of the cafè that Twilight had mentioned. It was somewhat fancy with few tables right outside,. A waiter running around with his snout poised, politely conducting his business; taking orders and refilling customer's drinks. Twilight walked up, Silent peering over her shoulder and noticed a sign: Welcome and Please Wait to be Seated After waiting a few moments, that waiter came up to the Unicorn pair, and after few words were exchanged between him and Twilight, the waiter turned around to face Silent. Silent examined the waiter for short time: he had a blue slicked back mane and tail, a goatee, light cream coat, a bowtie, and his cutie mark was a dish with metal cover. The waiter’s blue eyes glanced over the Unicorn pair once more before picking up two menus and led the pair to their table. Both Unicorns took their seats respectively; the waiter nodded once before passing out two menus out. Silent gave it a quick glance-over, and chose a simple meal- hayburger. Let's see, it says here...hayburger is grilled hay, and it will be stacked by lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, some sort of sauce. Sounds good enough for me, cheap too: five bits. Let’s see what this cafè has for the beverages. Silent peeked out of his menu, noticing that Twilight was already chose her order and the waiter was waiting for them, sporting his signature smile. With horn glowing a light blue, he held a notepad, readily taking Twilight’s order, flashing his signature smile. Silent just chose to hurry it up, rushing through the back of the ledger. Drinks, drinks, there you are! Water, regular cider, and soda. Moving on. Aha!...specific drinks. Margarita, Purple Rain, Tubboocki..blah blah Bloody Mare! Perfect. Silent didn't have anything to write with at that moment, so he just floated the menu to the waiter and pointed his hoof at his orders: a hayburger and a Bloody Mare. The waiter gave him a curt nod, repeating the order to confirm, before taking Twilight's order. Not soon after waiter trotted off with their orders, explaining that their food will be ready in fifteen minutes to half of hour. An awkward silence grew between them while they waited for their order to be completed. Twilight smiled nervously, finally nerved herself up to kick-start a conversation, floated a parchment and quill out of her saddlebag, flattening it out on the table. Twilight was nervous, hoping to guide the discussion in the right direction, yet still not wanted to upset the other. Twilight tapped the quill few times on her parchment, before finally writing then turned it over to Silent. How are you today? Are you enjoying Ponyville so far, what awaits for you in Trottingham, I remember you saying something about it before. Shifting in his chair, Silent’s eyes looked down and he fiddled with his hoofs: the first two questions weren't too prying, but the third question was. Silent didn't really have anything waiting for him in Trottingham, not to mention that he was kicked out of his home. Silent went to work on the parchment, hoping to change the subject in his favor. Silent chose to lie, he figured it would work better in long run since he would be gone from this village in two days. I'm fine, little tired but fine. I actually originally thought this was a hick town when I got off the train, but overtime Ponyville, and its denizens, proved me mostly wrong... Silent just sat there, quickly forming a believable story. I'm actually moving to Trottingham, I decided that my life in Baltimare wasn't what I wanted when I was colt. When one of my friends told me his experiences in that city, then invited me to live with him; needless to say her had grabbed my interest. I just had to go- I'm in search of... A word popped in his head, and with no other alternatives, Silent caved and wrote: freedom. ______________________ What about you Twilight? Floating the parchment back to Twilight, looking at the short reply, she couldn't help but question that there was something more than just moving to Trottingham “just because his friend told him about it”. Pressing on it or not, she couldn't decide upon, though, instead she asks him a another question but not before telling him bit about herself to help continue the conversation. I don't need to tell you my name more than twice. I jest! Actually, I hail from Canterlot, and I'm here in Ponyville under orders of my teacher, Princess Celestia, to learn magic of friendship. My hobbies are studying, specifically magic, and reading, hence why I was able to have this job as a librarian! What about yourself? What are your interests and hobbies? This is not going where Silent thought it would go, however Twilight seemed genuine with her questions; once again Silent gave up and simply wrote his reply. Silent looks up noticing Twilight smiling; looking at him working on his reply intently. Silent found that little bit odd, but harmless, prossibly even cute. Shaking his head few times, chuckling as turned the quill and the parchment back to Twilight. For once, he was actually having little bit of fun. Silent shakes that content feeling off because he still cannot shake off the feeling of impending doom. What Twilight said in the parchment hit him in full force. She's the personal student of Princess Celestia? Ignoring this tidbit for now, Silent began working on his reply. Slowly cold realization hit him that he doesn't have any interests or hobbies aside from drinking and reading. Silent began trying to think back on his foalhood, drawing some long and dead facts into light. Well, I enjoy a lot of things. I used to write and draw, and I do various things as it comes to me. I don't...really keep interests in things long enough beside reading. Silent felt like this reply was too short, but he was having great difficulty remembering the real him: there was more to him but he couldn't simply remember. He had been avoiding the subject of his past, more specifically his parents. Sighing somberly, his bad side began slowly latching on. Well, at least that Bloody Mare is coming out Twilight sighed, the reply of his was too brief and vague; the atmosphere between two unicorn gradually became awkward. Both are not sure of what to say to each other, Twilight had still so much to ask him. Silent's scars, magic, cutiemark, and that spell! She couldn't put her mind off it for last few days, she even researched and consulted the spell books and to no avail, she couldn't find spell similar to what Silent did. Twilight's studious personality slowly took over her common sense. Both Unicorns were deep in thought on their subject respectively, snapping out of it when the waiter arrived with their order. Serving the food and drinks on the table, Silent's prying eyes followed the plate as it floated through the air. On it were two hayburgers. Silent's mouth began watering, his stomach reminding him once again that he hasn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. He was also eternally grateful that this cafè had a alcoholic drink: vodka, tomato juice, red hot sauce, green hot sauce, worcester sauce, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper- the Bloody Mare! Twilight's main order was hay fries, the side meal was salad; it was in a medium bowl. Whisked sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil with spinach, and toss just before serving. Twilight and Silent decided to put off the talk off for now to quell this awkward situation as well as to enjoy their dinner. Being deaf, sometimes Silent had to remind himself to not chew loudly and keep his mouth closed to not disturb anypony with his eating. Silent did so and they ate in peace for time being, successfully killing off one hayburger and half of the other. and downing not one, but two Blood Mares while Twilight finished up. That was good dinner, Silent! I should order a hayburger next time I'm here, never had one before. It looked like you were gorging upon it. Twilight giggled as Silent construed over the message. The deaf Unicorn smirked as he cut through his half-finished hayburger and offered it to Twilight, which she accepted with reluctance, her stomach reminding that she was nearly full. She took a bite out of it and her eyes widened, then narrowed. Silent chuckled as her lips read “This is good!”, then proceeded to vanquish the hayburger from existence. Silent and Twilight sat there, writing back and forth about trivial things: . Twilight was stalling for time, and succeed- few minutes after the appointed time that the mare and Twilight planned on of her showing up. All had gone according to plan as the mare in question trotted silently behind Silent.Twilight was first to notice, slowly forming a nervous silence hoping that her friend's request and Twilight's plan wouldn't be blown out of proportion. Silent looked up, wondering what-had drove her companion to sudden silence, followed her line of sight, taking in her features, learning more details about her than he did last night at the party: she was a white coated unicorn, with a purple styled mare, blue eyes with eyeliner accompanying it a trio of cyan gems for her cutie mark . What he saw made his heart stop for minute, all sense of relaxation drained away then replaced with a renewed sense of anger. He began to growl under his breath, but chose to not show it for now, having no idea why she was here. [When is part nine coming out? O.O] - MrMinimii [No idea :D]- Morfonious
Chapter 9It's funny how weather, wonderful weather at that, can betray the mood when this event began to fold out by itself. Silent began to turn red, quivering at his seat with his renewed anger from last night's party began to flare up within him. Nopony have ever touched his beloved black turtleneck like that. Silent's green eyes narrowed, his behaviour suddenly became cautious. Silent began working himself off the chair, wordlessly throwing some bits on the table to pay for his food. Silent still had no idea why that mare was here! Bidding his time to leave, but was only stopped by not one but two mares: Twilight and Rarity. Sidestepping toward the exit, then blocked with their bodies; both mares stood side by side whilst Twilight smiled nervously, while Rarity bore a face of heavy regret, like there was something that she wanted to say so badly. Silent tried to go around them, the deaf Unicorn was afraid of what he would do if things went wrong; Twilight shifted herself to block his attempts to leave. He gradually became angrier at Twilight, when cold realization hit Silent about Twilight and her actions of as late. Now he was angry at two mares! Silent's lavender unicorn companion had tricked, set up, deceived him into coming here. Why else would Rarity show up at this out-of-way cafè? Why else would Twilight ask him out for a dinner? Silent's anger doubled. Berating himself at his pathetic attempt to control himself, nearly losing himself here and there. He tried to push gently past them; he may be angry at both, but he wouldn't never hit a mare- for any reason. However, his his mind began to cloud: he wanted to lash out. Twilight became genuinely afraid that the plan was beginning to disintegrate. Rarity took the actions into her own hooves, shoving herself up against him and shouted something at him. Silent's eyes widened for moment, then slowly dropped. A strange emotion took over him; he was still angry, but beginning to feel guilty. Silent was about to confront her with whatever was on his mind, but she just shouted again to confirm it, repeating it for good measure. “I'm sorry!” The deaf stallion's eyes widened and he sighed, not knowing what to do: rarely he encountered this kind of situation in his life. Silen Dreamweaver began to drop on his haunches- scratching his mane. Something was nagging at him, prodding him along. Rarity held her breath, this silence after an apology wasn't something that she was used to. Rarity felt bad that she went too far with her fashion obsession, touching something that wasn't hers without asking. Rarity felt like time was stagnant, looking upon the deaf stallion. Snapping to attention, the fashion designer perks up then droops her ears down when Silent looked back up with an unreadable face. Silent Dreamweaver couldn't think straight enough to write, or form any words. Staring at Rarity’s eyes; debating within himself on whetever if she was telling the truth. Finally, Silent blinked once then nodded softly. Half of the heavy tension in the air instantly dissipated as Rarity acknowledged Silent's acceptance. Twilight heaved her own sigh as their plan worked like charm... or so she thought. Rarity released a breath, not realizing that she had been holding it in, and began to move in the typical mare's response: to hug. Silent may have forgiven her, but he didn't still like her very much. The deaf Unicorn pushed his hoof against her advance darkly shaking his head no. Silent was able to manage himself when he activated his horn, gleaming in green, to levitate the parchment from the table over, With a renewed mind, Silent took the quill and began writing his message. The deaf stallion regained control of his mind being able to form words, so he began writing. I may have forgiven you, but I still don't appreciate what you did. What followed was an awkward silence. Rarity felt slightly offended, but she did do what she intended to do- apologize to this deaf newcomer. Rarity shuffled nervously then gracefully held her hoof out, looking at the white coated stallion front of her. Silent responded by handing over the parchment with the quill with his magic. She elegantly activated her horn, which was glimmering in light blue, and began to write. Silent peered at her writing; it was very fancy- like something that those rich snobs would have. It was that feeling that Silent held on Rarity, but some of it got thrown out of the window when she actually apologized. Thank you, I understand and I am still sorry about this whole dreadful incident. I do wish to be a friend to you but I understand if that is something slow to take up... Rarity paused, that cloth was still nagging her. It was sewn perfectly, and it was so black that it rivaled Princess Luna's night itself. She must learn how it was created, then there was the subject of his mother. What was Silent Dreamweaver's mother was like? How was she capable of sewing something like that. However, Rarity chose to stop right there; if she asked again, it would make her apologization null void. The beautiful fashion designer simply waved her hoof, and bowed slightly then left with graceful trot. Silent offered no gesture as he watched her leave the cafè. The deaf Unicorn just sat there, processing everything that had just happened. All focus was upon Twilight; Silent's mind was like scrambled eggs, hard to follow through with his thoughts, but slowly it fell upon on Twilight and his realization earlier. Twilight was sitting across at their table, finished plates and cups cluttered it. It was ignored by both Unicorns as they exchanged looks. Silent was livid. He was tricked. Silent didn't like it one bit. The deaf stallion shot her a dark look, which Twilight took aback. She thought everything went well when Rarity apologized fully to her lunch companion. She thought the situation was solved. She thought she could begin again in a positive light. Twilight took a carefully threaded step when she slowly took the communicating device from Silent, but was stopped by a green aura stemmed from his magic. Snatching both parchment with the quill back into his possession, Silent angrily wrote a note upon it. Twilight could hear some screeching from the quill: it was pressing down hard on the paper. Twilight Sparkle sat there, nervously shifting- her stomach began to churn, not from food, but raw emotion that Silent was radiating. While I'm glad about of your plan to help Rarity to apologize, I do not enjoy being deceived and tricked like this. NOT. AT. ALL. Why wouldn't Rarity come up and do it herself?! Don't you trust some ponies to fix things on their own! Better yet, why were you asking a prying questions earlier when we were having lunch? Don't you figure out that someponies do have parts of their life that they don't want in the open, or pried upon on?! Fine, I will summarize it up for your own sake. My name is Silent Dreamweaver, I was kicked out of my home by my father. He said this to me before I left: “I'm so bucking sick and tired of taking care of you. You're a borderline alcoholic, depressed and at times suicidal. We can't even communicate about anything anymore. In this box, it contains your personal things and some money for you to survive off of. Good-bye." That's the very last thing my father ever said to me. My mother is dead for long time now. There is much more about me, but I don't want to reveal anything more. I think this will suffice for the time being! An- The quill's tip was snapped from heavy misuse. Watching the black blot expanding on the parchment. Silent gave up, turning the now-broken quill and parchment over back to the lavender Unicorn. Twilight nervously began to read, her purple eyes setting on this piece of paper. Amidst her reading, her lips quivered. Never before had she received this anger toward herself. Twilight's stomach felt queasy, and before she knew it- A cold realization hit her, Silent Dreamweaver already left and with a bad note at that. She was alone at her table with curious customers and waiters looking on thinking it was some sort of date that went bad. Twilight just sat there, but quickly starting to pack her bags and give a chase. She felt guilty, Silent Dreamweaver felt worse- at the lowest of point. Everything felt bad, and Silent wanted to get away. Silent just ran back to the library. It felt good to release some anger through the form of exercise, wanting to forget everything about himself. Silent wished that he would take his decision back and went with the gut feeling that he had. Through the streets of Ponyville, the deaf Unicorn just ran and ran, ignoring his surrounding- just wanting to escape from everything...again. The beautiful weather slowly turned into dusk; with each passing minutes the sky’s hue got dark and darker, everything became harder to see except for guide of lampposts on his way to the library. Silent made it to the library, throwing open the door with about few minutes head start; not knowing that Twilight was actually giving a chase. In a hurry, he went up the stairs, and went right into the room that he slept in. Picking up the saddlebag, and pulling out all six books that he borrowed then threw it all on the bed next to him. When Silent was sure he got everything, he bolted out of the library, heading straight to bowling alley; remembering that there was booze at that place. Silent had to figure out how to find a motel in a hurry; if that doesn’t pan out- in least that train station was a option. A few minutes later, his saddlebag was packed with various alcoholic drinks. Slowing down, panting hard from his running all over the town, at this moment Silent felt like he didn't care if he died overnight from hypothermia. Slowing down to a trot, his head hanging low, his green eyes slowly scanned the buildings hoping that he would run into some sort of motel or hotel. Silent let out a empty scream, though it did nothing to alleviate of his emotion that was swirling within himself. Digging into the ground, before moving on. Twilight arrived only moments after he made his escape, asking Spike with sense of intense urgency. Spike told her that he saw him running through the house just few minutes earlier. She was in full blown panic mode, trying to figure out where Silent could be at right now. Twilight began to sob, Spike rushing over in an attempt to comfort her. She began to rummage through her paper, hoping she had saved some of their writing or that he had left some behind by accident. Twilight knew that he was planning to ride out the last few days before finally leaving for Trottingham, but don’t remember of Silent have said of where. Rather than going out to search for him blindingly, figuring out things before going out to find him was best course of plan. Twilight muttered to herself. Oh Celestia, what have I done? I just drove him away. I need to find those papers! Maybe seek an advice with Princess Celestia of what I should do! “Oh Spike! Could you fetch me all parchments that you think was being used within last two days, also get me a royal parchment and a new quill. The last one...broke” mustered Twilight. “On it!” Spike proclaimed, before scurrying off to do the given tasks. Silent spent about an hour looking through the entire bucking town for some sort of motel, and eventually found one. It was right near the train station. Silent felt a bit stupid that he never thought of that beforehand. With a heavy mind and heart, he trotted inside the lobby. Pulling out his own notebook out of his saddlebag, then showed it to the receptionist. How much does the single bed cost per night? I would like to rent two days worth please. I would like it to be a smoking room if you have one available The receptionist mare shot him yet another look of pity, Silent just groaned- giving up with dealing with it. Silent didn’t pay her any mind when receptionist made a smile designed to make customers feel welcome before writing, then turned it over. Of course sir. We do have a smoking room, and since you're asking for two days worth of rent. It is 20 bits per night, but extra 15 bits if you would like three home-made meals that will be served at specific time included, and you may choose either to come or not. Silent allowed himself a small smile, he in least had a overhead protection, a bed and food at that for two days before his plan of leaving this town. Silent did a brief math in his head, thirty-five bits times two days equals to seventy bits, so he once again rummaged through his saddlebag before floating over 70 bits to the receptionist. She nodded once, leading the deaf stallion into his assigned room, when they do get there the receptionist paused at the front of the doorto make sure deaf Unicorn is paying attention to her, speaking whilst forking over the room keys. “Have a good night” Silent lip read, he just nodded once before walking into that room. The receptionist left; going back to oversee the counter and the lobby. “Good night” Silent mocked her in his thoughts. Ha! What a stupid mare! At least the motel was one of things that went right in this bucking town! At least I have booze now. Silent locked the door, trotting over to the bed setting down his saddlebag; then trotted over to the end of room, there was two doors next to each other, with a firm decision to check it out. Silent began peeking inside of first door, it was a closet, so Silent knew another room would be the bathroom; opening then entering the dark bathroom. Laughing to his reflection in the mirror when he went in the bathroom, he was laughing at of how much he hated himself. Silent trotted backwards, made contact with the wall supporting then himself against the said wall; sliding down sitting in the dark bathroom. After just sitting alone in complete darkness, deciding to get out of bathroom. Searched for few seconds and he found where his saddlebag rested, picking it up with his magic walking up to the window and opened it. Silent noticed that the stars and moon began to come out of their hiding; smiling internally at knowledge that night was coming up yet realizing he was looking at twilight, a time between sunset and the moon rising. He growled as he closed the curtains to block the sight of twilight, the word reminding him too much of that lavander Unicorn. Twilight...ugh, buck this. Time to erase her from my mind...at least for a few days. Let’s see what drinks I do have in my bag. Cheap vodka, more vodka...gin. Huh, I haven’t had a drink of gin in while. I guess that my choice of tonight. A sound of cork popping out of it's place rang out in his room, boozing down first bottle of gin with. A strong warm feeling tickled down his throat and body. Slowly he began his usual escape, getting numb and number with each bottle. It was only him with his gin and vodka, laying down on bed; boozing it down. Silent was truly alone now. Awesome editor as usual! -> MrMinimii
Chapter 10Waking up, feeling groggy from last night’s drinking binge, Silent was successful at wasting himself away. What happened yesterday wasn't on his mind, not because him forgetting it was because of massive hungover; hurts so much to think, his head pounded. Silent groaned and rolled over in his bed. Six vodka lay empty and scattered around the room, the room was still dark. Silent didn't know what time it was when he decided to push himself out of the bed to go to the bathroom. Silent wished that he never made out of that bed when only few seconds after setting his body upright, the booze decided to smack in his stomach with a vengeance. Silent dropped on his knees, his stomach hurt too much. He hated this life and himself; though there was nothing he could to to escape this self destructive loop. Moving some more at where was, his stomach churned more, a awful taste began to snake its way up his throat; the deaf Unicorn stood and ran fast he could to the bathroom. He burst through the door and directly to the toilet, emptying his stomach into the porcelain bowl. Making it just in time when he began to throw up his stomach's contents. His body shook in paroxysm; hugging the toilet tightly like his life depended upon it to keep himself upright to ward off the stomach torture. Slowly the deaf stallion rubbed his stomach in soothing circles, it seemed to work, but when he tried to stand up his stomach rumbled when booze went ahead with second vengeance. Pain was all that went through his mind when its contents filled the bowl, and all that seemed to leave anymore was acid. Heaving hard, he managed to sprout off a single thought. I am going to put off drinking, but I don't know if it will last..heheeheheeee. Ugh... Silent rested his head on the rim of the bathtub, alone in the dark lavatory; he hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights. The deaf Unicorn's eyes wandered, barely making out objects; only able to ascertain black silhouettes in the bathroom. Having lost track of time, Silent began the process of standing up, slowly turning over carefully to be upright again, then slowly got into his stomach then knees. One hoof at time, he chuckled nervously to himself when he finally stood up. Releasing a small victory sigh when his stomach didn’t chur, not soon after he climbed inside the bathtub; slowly turning the knob to cold first. Silently he stood under there, letting the water droplets peck him endlessly. Silent began to feel better; slowly turning the knob to lukewarm then began to wash himself with complimentary hotel shampoo and soap. Silent sniffed himself, and commented upon it with inadequate pride. At least I don't smell like booze and vomit now, ha! Silent dried himself off before heading out of his room. Before he left his hotel room, he made sure to clean after himself: throwing his empty bottles into trash can, washed some of vomit off the toilet, packed his saddlebag neatly after he just dumped the contents into floor last night and hiding the saddlebag since it contained bits that his father gave to him. Locking the door behind him, then headed to hotel’s lobby. The first thing he noticed was a different receptionist than the one he met: this time it was a brown stallion. As Silent wandered closer to ask him the time, he took in more features of this earth stallion, yellow eyes and mismatching blue mane. Oh whatever, can't let myself get off track. I can see outside, though all I can see is light. I need actual time! He gently set himself to stand up on his hind legs on the counter, abstaining from certain movements to avoid the stomach pain like Silent experienced one hour earlier. The deaf Unicorn began to gesture briefly for pen and paper, the receptionist didn't understand him. He tried to speak at first, then tried to gesture something back to the deaf Unicorn, both in vain. Releasing an annoyed sigh, Silent activated his magic, snagging a pen and scrap paper and hastily writing on it. What time is it now? Also could you tell me where I could get a breakfast or lunch or dinner? I don't know where the dining room is at. The receptionist seemed annoyed that he had to go out his way to deal with this customer, Silent could tell by his facial expression when he turned over the paper. The brown stallion tapped the pen few times, looking at the time under the counter. The stallion's writing was very indolent as Silent read his reply. Around 2:00 in the afternoon is the time, walk straight down this hallway the dining room should be on the second door on the right, or was it fourth? Whatever. Silent, annoyed at the receptionist’s apathy, merely forced a smile. The deaf Unicorn turned around, set on his journey to the dining room and sprouting off few things in his mind when he found the hallway. Silent took the view in, walking through it in small strides. It was decorated with some cheap artwork, the deaf stallion took a closer look at some wood carving in the ceiling or the arcs then finally the hall was draped in blue carpet in full length. Let's see he said this hallway, ah there is the first door on the right. I see an exercise room on the left, maybe I could check it out. I so hope they make some greasy food, it's one of better hangover cures. At least my stomach isn't hurting like earlier, oh Luna! Aha, second door on the right, oh god- can't it be! Yes! A pool! I'm going to check it out quickly before my curiosity kills me. Pulling the door open with his magic, walking around moderately sized pool looking for one of his favorite things in hotels. Silent felt himself getting excited more and more as he takes a every trot closer to his destination: a bubbling hot tub, and two small rooms next to each other- one was a steaming room; the other a wooden sauna. Silent became giddy, making a mental note to return after breakfast if he was feeling well enough, to relieve his hangover. Silent Finally made his way to the dining room- it was moderately sized with few tables draped in simple white cloth. Scoping out the dining lodge further the deaf Unicorn could make out a self-serve table with various food arrayed upon it. Everything from hay, fried hays, grass, flowers and wheats with few fruits assorted. On the other table, there was drinks- water, fruit juice, vegetable juice and coffee. Out of the corner of his eye, a hotel employee came up from side, saying something. Once again Silent went through the usual gesture of that he didn't understand, the employee gave yet another look of pity. Silent's eye twitched before examining this employee- her coat was light green, her splurged mane was in light brown with her purple eyes examining him in return. Silent began smiling politely, pushing himself to not show his true feelings; the deaf stallion didn't want to deal with anything right now. The light green mare turned around, walked into door that had the sign that stated “Employee Only”- coming out only a few seconds after with paper and pen in her mouth, she set it down first to restate what she had said earlier. Silent looked over the paper on the floor as she wrote. Hello there! Could I please have your name so I could check if you're on the list on paid meal plan. If you are, then you may can just go ahead and eat all you want. Silent's attitude toward her changed slightly because she understood his gesture earlier and was set on explaining things instead of pestering him about being deaf like most ponies do on their first encounter. The deaf unicorn held a hoof out, asking for employee's paper and pen which she promptly hands it over; watching white stallion promptly start working on it. Yes, you may know my name. It is Silent Dreamweaver “Silent Dreamweaver...” the mare quietly mouthed herself to take it right. She then proceeded to check the guest list, mumbling to herself as she read over few names- looking up after little while with inviting smile; nodding at Silent. Silent beamed at the prospect of getting some food to drown his hungover. Sprouting off his knowledge of hangover cures, as well as stomach ailments, when he arrived at food table- Silent only grabbed few things, that he deemed as remedy of his hangovers. Let's see, sleep..I'm wide awake, although I might get some if I don't feel too good. Some fruit juice and water, check! Orange juice for some vitamins, check! Take a shower- already crossed off! Some soft food, aha- warm soup. Coffee? Ain't no way I'm drinking this now, makes my hungover even worse... I learned that the hard way. I couldn’t go to the bathroom properly that day. Silent carried the tray with his magic, floating in the air above his head; keep his eyes unobstructed so he won’t run into things. He began to ravage through his meal choices. After few minutes, he was done with his meal with some leftovers- after all, he had to watch himself carefully; ensuring there will not be anymore vomiting. Silent still could feel some dull pain in his head, pounding very lightly along side his heartbeat. With a punctilious attitude, Silentclimbed off the chair then leaving the tray behind on the table as he didn't notice any disposals; figuring it was employee’s responsibility to tend after this. He left his 'mess' as neat as possible- after all, that employee deserved that much due to her quick adaptation of dealing with a deaf customer: namely himself. Buck yes! Time for that hot bubbling spa, then maybe that steam room. Silent was at least happy; getting out of his usual apathy attidute. The deaf Unicorn's mind wasn't on what had transpired over the last few days, and his need of booze was greatly suppressed along with his cloud of depression. Silent finding the exit of the dining lodge then simply walked across the hall to the pool. Silent began to prance lightly, around the pool straight to the hot spa; noticing there was nopony around. Silent felt warm, then goosebumps when the first of his hooves dipped into the lukewarm bubbling water. Slowly he sank until the water was level to his head- closing his eyes and letting the water take control of his body, his pain seeping away through the soothing waves. After spending about half of the hour relaxing, Silent made a decision to hop into steam room next. The deaf stallion got out hurriedly when the cold air struck him full force. With haste he trotted over to steam room- throwing open the door then slamming it closed; shivering from the sudden onslaught of cold air. Emitting out a sigh of relief when he was in the steam room, climbing up to one of ledge inside the steam room. Silent's horn activated in a display of green, glimmering light as he turned the knob to ON then set it to one hour. With the preparations complete, he began to drift into half-sleep state- free of worries, for now. Across Ponyville, at the tree library, Twilight was running around. Finally finding the paper that Silent and herself had used to communicate a few days ago; after reading some of them she discovered some important clue, but it wasn't much to begin with. Since Silent never actually told her, or anypony else for that matter, his actual plan she had no idea where to begin looking, and she was running out of time. Silent will be here for only two more days, today and tomorrow; he will be gone by Tuesday. Twilight sighed. I'm not exactly moving in per say, I missed my train stop at Trottingham. I apparently overslept and missed it. The train won't be running for four days so I'm stuck here until then. Twilight kept reading the paper over and over, focusing on the key word: train. If Silent isn't moving in like he said, it means he doesn't have somewhere solid to live, which comes down to two options- some sort of hotel near the train station, Twilight remembers seeing it when her friends and herself went out of the town to Canterlot some time ago to visit Princess Celestia. Another option was that Silent was sleeping somewhere outside; probably at that oak tree where I found him twice now. Twilight could hope that he was at either two aforementioned places. That name: Princess Celestia, reminded her that she sent her a letter requesting some guidance/advice from her teacher. As soon she reminded herself, Spike walked down the stairs being sleepy holding a letter. Apparently, the letter burp woke him up rather rudely. Spike sent himself back upstairs to go back to sleep. Twilight thanks him when he departed, as she hastily snatches the royal parchment with her magic- noticing there was two letters, first one was Twilight's first correspondence to Princess Celestia. Dear Princess Celestia, Recently I met this great stallion, his name is Silent Dreamweaver however when we first met, I learnt that he was deaf. Nevertheless, our first meeting went decently well, but as when Pinkie Pie threw him a party to introduce the “newcomer” to Ponyville, he didn't show up. When I found him after asking some ponies around- I saw some sort of ‘dream magic’ as I call it. I researched it and found nothing about it. When I got to know him some more, he looked so fragile and seemed to have his guard up and so restricted; refusing to tell anything more, so I thought I would be his friend! When we arrived at the party, it seemed to go well, until Rarity went...overboard with her passion of fashion- touching Silent's black turtleneck. He left when I touched his shoulder- he seemed upset; on verge of tears when I attempted to coax him. I didn't understand why, and the shock set in when I found him at same spot, he was amidst of scattered bottles; knocked out. I didn't understand why somepony would drink himself to death like that. So I chosen to carry him back to my home. More to the point, I had more interaction with him than previously today, when I invited him to dinner, along with my plan of Rarity coming up to apologize. It worked, but Silent turned on me. I attached what he have wrote, and while I understand of what I did wrong, I do not understand, however, why he doesn't acknowledge that I'm trying to help him or to befriend him. I don't know if I really tricked him or not. Please- could you give me your guidance on this? Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle Twilight discarded the letter, as she already knew what it said. What is interesting is what her mentor had to say about this, however Twilight was slightly disappointed that the letter was short. Nevertheless, Twilight began to scan the letter with her purple pupils, taking every word to the heart- reading her royal and regal hoofwriting. My Faithful Student, May I first say I apologize to hear of the situation that Rarity, Silent Dreamweaver, and you have gotten into thus far. In most ways, Silent is right- you were too obtrusive with your quest of knowledge- learning about him and his magic. If I may jest, do you like this stallion in certain way- since you are asking me for guidance on him? With my jest out of way, the best I can offer is to be his friend. Ask him out to do things, learn about him naturally and he might open up to you and tell you his secrets and what troubles him. In time, you will learn something about friendship, and I shall be expecting that letter with baited breath. Secretly, Princess Celestia Twilight sighed, setting down her mentor's letter. Her beloved mentor didn't offer much, but she was right. If she simply was told what to do, she wouldn't learn new things about friendship. Wait a second! Did Princess Celestia just joked that I liked Silent? Ugh! Now I can't get him out of my head. Twilight felt herself blushing; engrossed with her thoughts starting to wander upon the deaf Unicorn. Twilight thought he was nice, good looking if she ignored the scars that adorned his body, and his drinking. The lavender Unicorn debated with herself if she should go or not. No! She firmly decided that she would go and try to find to him, after all, when he left the opportunity of apologizing would be lost forever. Also there was the matter of her mentor’s joke- yet Twilight can’t start to push him out of her mind. With a renewed vigor within Twilight, she set out to seek him out and apologize to him, moreover if at all possible, become friends with him. The purple Unicorn actuated her horn, picking up and leaving a note for Spike explaining where she had gone and telling the baby dragon to take care of the library until then. Twilight’s horn radiated light purple, walking toward the door as her magic began surrounding the door, and upon stepping out, began heading to her first destination: Ponyville hotel. Extraordinary editor as usual! -> MrMinimii
Chapter 11The streets of the Ponyville were busy as usual- it was the time when the vendors, stores, and stands began their process of closing their stores. Celestia's sun began to set over the hills, casting a long shadow over Ponyville; afternoon was slowly turning its reign of light over to nighttime. The school bell rang; a few cute young foals; both colts and fillies ran out, excited with prospect of getting out of school getting away from their weekend project. There was a calm and cheerful atmosphere that was shared by villagers; elders, adults, and foals alike- except, of course, for one Unicorn that betrayed the atmosphere: Twilight Sparkle. An orange filter from the sun began to cast warm feel in the air throughout Ponyville. She kept making tracks; on the way some ponies greeted her- yet Twilight didn't pay heed, her scholar mind was telling her that the deaf stallion was renting a hotel room and she would find him there. What if he wasn't there? What if he already found somewhere else to shelter in? Will he be at that oak tree? What if he chose to not forgive her? What if he didn't want to be friends with her at all? Twilight was genuinely concerned about her impulsive alacrity to seek out the deaf Unicorn because of what happened to Rarity- Silent accepted her apology, but pushed her away. Although Silent technically never told her that he didn’t want to be her friend, even during that sticky situation; even now Twilight noticed that the deaf stallion still had his guard up yesterday at the cafè. The purple Unicorn took a pause in her trot to let out a ponderous exhale- after all, she was riding on flimsy hope. Twilight felt that she was so close to the truth, yet is far from the truth. The more the purple Unicorn thought about it,more that Twilight recognized there was two chief emotions flaring up inside her heart: first was apprehensiveness- fearful that things wouldn't work out the way that Twilight is hoping out which is Silent's accepting her beg of forgiveness and hopefully move on. It was cruel reminder of what happened at that cafè . The second emotion hit her with vehemence; Twilight couldn't describe the new feeling at all. She felt empty, then turned warm when she thought of Silent. All of this was new to the lavender mare and it scared her to the core. Why did Princess Celestia go and say something like that? What is wrong with me now?! All of this is new to me; there must be a book on this somewhere. Calm down, I don't want to have another Smarty-pants incident. Princess Celestia was very angry with me on that day. However, as her faithful student, I cannot let her down when she is expecting the next friendship report on what I will learn. What Twilight couldn't put her hoof on the deaf stallion, was why he was different. The lavender mare could remember growing up in solace under the tutelage of Princess Celestia, not having any friends when she was growing up. Until the day that she found out that Nightmare Moon was breaking out of her banishment which pushed her into the fate of becoming the Element of Magic, meeting the other five elements whom later became her best friends. Yet, she was happy and content from that point on, until he came into the town. At first, Twilight thought nothing of him until that day at the party and Princess Celestia's antic in the letter. Twilight couldn't figure out what she was feeling inside of her and why he was so different. Twilight began deviating from her thoughts, becoming more conscious of herself and the environment with every stride closer to the hotel. Some paid attention to the purple Unicorn- after all, she was one of local heroines who saved Equestria twice with her other five friends. Some simply nodded their head at her, or wave, or express their gratitude; Twilight stopped only once or twice to press upon the ponies about the deaf stallion; first Twilight would describe Silent’s features and if they have seen him. If so; which direction did he go? But by doing this method, Twilight noticed that she was burning daylight. “Enough dilly dallying!” Twilight whispered at herself, ensuring to not forget that she was a mare on a mission. Twilight finally worked her way into edge of the town centre; slightly exhausted from the journey. The Ponyville hotel was mere blocks away, yet with every step her vehemence snaked its way inside and and latched tighter and tighter. Part of Twilight wanted to turn around in fear that things would go worse than before, but she knew that she couldn't let Princess Celestia, or herself, down. With multitudinous emotions bouncing around within her, Twilight pressed on. Not procrastinating this any further, the purple mare doubled her stride to whether though torrents before her nerve would begin to fray when the hotel came into her field of view. There was almost no pony around, save for one or two train engineers working on the train at station. Swallowing a lump that formed in her throat, picking herself up and trotted toward the hotel; summoning her resolve to see this through to the end. As the hotel got closer, she could start make out definite features of the building that she intend to go to. Moderately sized, three stories high, and constructed with some sort of tan concrete and strange red shingles roof. There was also large sign near the entrance that boasted: Ponyville Hotel; We Offer the Best Night Sleep! What had drawn Twilight's eyes the most was the large glass wall surrounding the lobby; it was neat you could see everything inside the lobby, and there wasn’t anything worthy to mention to herself until she saw something that caught her full attention. It was either a stroke of luck or fate. When Twilight began to make out ponies inside the lobby; she could see the receptionist working the counter, a mare with a foal sitting on the couch and some black stallion was checking his family in. A set in when she saw a blot of white walking out of a hallway and into the lobby with an apathetic face on which was slightly betrayed by small smirk, his beautiful mane and tail were dripping wet. Twilight's mouth gaped at this. Her heart fluttered for second before she shook herself awake, reminding herself firmly the real reason of why she was here. Silent was finally content with himself, everything that had transpired over three days now. Wasn’t on his mind, rather of how peaceful he felt. That hot spa and steam room gave him that much. It was like for few moment; all of his emotion pain just melted off his fur and he cared for nothing but just getting back to his room then slip away to dreamland and ride out the last two days before leaving this town and going to Trottingham like he planned at the beginning. Silent, wanting to get into his bed, doubled his pacing: his room was just around the corner; reminding himself that he have hidden his room key just around the corner of his door. Twilight noticed that Silent had already turned into another hallway that led to the bedrooms. He was already at end of the hall, apparently never noticing the purple mare the whole way from the lobby to his room. Twilight's two aforementioned emotions flared within her by one hundredfold. The purple Unicorn began following Silent with a nimble trot. In the left hallway, Silent was already stopping at his door as his horn glowed a brilliant green, levitating a key out of the door crack and was about to unlock the door when Twilight ran up the hall before the opportunity was lost. Her hoofsteps was heavy; heavy enough for Silent to take notice and turn his head around. Silent's heart stopped. He never expecting her to show up like this, and he could feel the raw emotion radiating off her. Silent's rage slowly rose again; his response was to run like usual, but this time he simply gave up. If he just ran yet again, she or her friends would simply catch up to him. For once Silent decided to give her a chance and listen to her. A small part of him was glad that there was somepony that didn't give up on him, but for whatever reason the deaf stallion couldn’t put his hoof on it. Carefully studying the purple Unicorn before him; Silent couldn’t figure out what was her intent behind this meeting. What's the proper etiquette for this? Invite her in? Talk or er... write it out in this hallway? Go somewhere else? I don't know! How hay did she find me anyway? What do I do? Twilight is still at looking at me intently, hope I'm not going to regret this. Here I go... With a grunt he unlocks the door like originally intended, then extended his hoof to open the door rather than using his magic and then beckoning Twilight inside with his other hoof. The purple mare nodded once- biting her lower lips nervously; Twilight didn't want this to disintegrate like it did on their last meeting at that cafè. Pushing herself and building up small and shaky courage, she walked in and immediately noticed a small table at the corner of hotel room with two chairs. It was perfect for the intent that Twilight had in her mind: setting down her saddlebag at floor next to the table, and levitating out her parchment and a new quill- since Silent broke her last one day before today. Before she took a seat, noticing a movement behind her shoulder and discerning that Silent was extracting two unopened vodka bottles- levitating it with his magic. Silent then began to rummage through his saddlebags once again pulling out his black turtleneck; putting it on. Smiling slightly at Twilight, began to shake his hoofs around his arms and body and pretended to shake; gesturing that he was cold. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at him, still noticing that his mane and tail were still damp. Some of the bad mood began to dissipate, but to counteract this- Silent put his stoic face back on then began trotting to the table with two bottles, setting it down then parked his rear in a chair across the small table from Twilight. The first moments were of complete silence, just both ponies staring at each other. One was apathetic, tapping his right white hoof on the table; the other was looking down, chewing and biting on her lower lip still. Twilight could feel the clock in the background ticking, her chest tightened when Silent kept his eyes fixated on her. Suddenly, there was something that pushed her along; perhaps it was her mentor’s words or to learn more about friendship. With a backbone, Twilight gave a determined glance at Silent which made him take back a little bit. Pushing the vodka bottles out of the way so there was room for parchment to lay out, Twilight gave a strong exhale while she sprang to action; awakening her horn radiating in light purple- picking up a quill. Silent kept his attention on the purple lavender noticing that her eyes held the air of being indomitable, but her body betrayed her- hesitating briefly before she finally began to write. “Silent I want to star...” The purple lavender paused, looking straight at Silent again- there was yet another impulsive decision that she made in her mind, she decided to act upon it; stumbling around a little bit on her chair before climbing off. Quickly sprouting this off in her mind. Now or never! [I sense a kiss coming! ... Maybe - MrMinimii] [Maybe... - Morfonious P.S- Awesome editor as usual]
Chapter 13Laying back after he softened his stare at Twilight, looked up at the stars; after what he went through in his life and last three days, Silent couldn't simply stay angry at Twilight- stealing a look at Twilight just sitting there being disheartened, the moonlight reflecting off the brilliant light pink stripe on her mane. Silent's green eyes made contact with her terror-stricken purple eyes, and with some deep contemplation the deaf stallion finally helped himself up, beckoning Twilight to come closer. Silent calmed himself down when his heart told him that Twilight didn't mean what she said, but it seemed like she was genuinely interested in learning more about himself- after all they had great time stargazing and learning sign language. It had been so long, Silent couldn't quite remember the last time he had this much fun. Twilight flinched slightly, still not knowing what Silent's reaction would be; in there small distance between them sat the parchment that was heavily written on. Slowly a green aura took it over then carried it over to the magic caster. With a groan, the deaf Unicorn got closer to the fire so he could see in the dark, and after rummaging through the paper until he found a blank paper, began to flesh out his thoughts- his face became somber as he went on. My family was just an average family, but the amount of love that we...used to give and receive outweighed our small size. I was the first deaf Unicorn in our family. At first they didn't know how to deal with me as normal communication wouldn't work, but nevertheless they loved me like no other. They worked their flanks off providing me everything that they knew of life, and when I enrolled into school I had it bit easy compared to other foals because of my parents. The pony that has influenced my life the most is my mother, because she is the one pony that has always stood by my side, and always encourages me to reach my full potential, even with my disability. She was amazing mother, she was also the first who taught me how to do magic; I even remember the time when she taught me basic levitation... “I can't do it! I've tried again and again, but it always manages to blow up at my face, mom, no matter what I do! What am I supposed to do now? I don’t know any Unicorn who took months to learn how to cast a simple levitation spell. I'm just a... a broken Unicorn!” Silent proclaimed. “No! you aren't a broken Unicorn Silent!” a beautiful middle aged mare tried to reason with five year old white-coated foal. She had brown eyes with her brown mane and tail to accommodate it. The loving mother pulled Silent closer, fretting over him like a mom would do; the deaf foal had difficulty learning how to levitate objects and if Silent does manage to encase it in his aura it would pick up and fling itself across the room, or he would pick it up then the object would “leak” through his aura and fall into the floor below. There was also one incident where the deaf Unicorn somehow managed to make a glass explode, landing him in the hospital suffering from few cuts from flying shards. “I don't know, I've tried and tried. I'm this close to giving up.” Silent replied back in sign language, his face somber. Silent's mother rubbed her foal's back before replying in sign language. “You can do it, let's try it again but this time don't think that you're going to pick it up. Instead, you need to want to pick it up.” Sighing heavily, young Silent began trying again with his mother's words pushing him along in the right direction. The deaf foal straining hard focusing all of his magic on his horn and on the plate on the table then slowly it got encased in green aura, slowly the plate levitated into the air then began it's journey to the magic caster, floating close and closer to Silent with each passing moment when the plate finally reached midway it shook and fell out of the deaf foal's control. The plate shattered upon the impact on the floor. Throwing his forehoofs up in the air, he ran to his room. It seemed hopeless to the deaf foal. The house rattled lightly when a particular door slammed closed, a stallion walked into the room with worried expression on his face upon hearing the shattering of the plate prior and the loud bang just after. “Should I dear?...” a rugged brown-coated Unicorn with green mane; his lofty green eyes glancing at Silent's room door in small distance. “Of course Mochaccino, be careful my love, our son is in that unstable condition right now.” Mochaccino began to wrap his forehoof around his wife, nuzzling her, kissing her as they broke apart, his voice trailing off as he took off, trotting the stairs that led to the hallway, their son's room was just at the end of the hallway. “Winter Blossom, that goes without saying. I love you my dear flower.” The brown Unicorn trotted up the stairs, not soon after the father was at the door, opening it cautiously and searching blindly with his hoof until he found the light switch and flicked it on and off several times to grab his son's attention. When the father entered his room, the scene that he found before him was a bit disheartening, his beloved son laid there on the bed with somber face. Mochaccino paced himself until he reached his bed, sitting on it and soon after he began to tap on his shoulder which made Silent to turn around; both of them were eye to eye. Silent’s father began. “You know what son? I was like you when I was a kid. It took me about two months to activate my magic.” Mochaccino was going to carry on with his story, but got intervened by Silent. Silent stared at his father intently, and signed “Really dad? I always thought that you had no problem learning everything you know now, I mean you don't really...offer any advice to me when I was practicing it.” Silent’s father sighed at this, before replying. “I'm beginning to comprehend where you are coming from with this Silent, now that you said it. And I am sorry. You see, I thought if I left you alone, you might eventually find your own way of activating your magic. I was worried of how you would get treated at school if somepony there found out about it. I guess I didn't want them to stack up the picking you get already for being deaf. I assumed you got used to it as I've seen the words go in one ear and out of another when I went to pick you up the other day.” Silent looked up, his five year old mind unable to process the deeper meaning of what his father had said. The deaf foal sighed and replied. “I forgive you daddy waddy.” Ihe father and son began to laugh at the nickname that Silent gave to his father after that certain incident where he caught him doing some...strange stuff with his mom in their room. Only later would he get “scarred” for life by learning about facts of life from his parents. “No, seriously dad, the school is pretty terrible to me thus far due to bullying. I mean, I've learnt to ignore it, but it still gets to me sometimes. At least you know that they don't want to attempt to physically rough me up anymore after my rage took control of my magic and I threw that bully right out of school window.” Silent's bed shook slightly when his imposing father roared out in laughter, Mochaccino wiped a fresh tear of joy off his face, recalling that day he was so angry with his son that he resorted to violence, but was also proud that he did stood up to his bully, and it was always entertaining remembering that bully scampering to get behind his mother's hindlegs when Silent walked out of the principal office. “Listen to me son, your mother and I are worried about you. You can be anything you want to be, don't give up practicing. Do this for yourself, not for me or your mother. I know you can do it Silent.” Mochaccino's hoof sign was impeccable- both of Silent's parents took a private lesson in sign language to be able to communicate with their son effectively after they found out about their son's disability. Nodding to his father, Silent gave a small smile as he signed. “I will try dad, I'm going to apologlize to mom for running off like that.” As Silent began to hitch himself off his bed, his father activated his horn and a dark brown aura encased Silent, picking him up carrying him to his father who then gave him a bear crushing hug. “I love you." That's just one instance of how my parents used to be Twilight, after my... Silent's tears dripped on the paper; wiping his face with his forehoof before proceeding with his writing on the parchment avoiding the wet marks. My mom's death was few years back. My dad stopped...well, being a dad; we communicated less and less and eventually he couldn't even remember how to use sign language anymore- we retreated back to using paper or simple signs to communicate though we rarely did. We both were like strangers in that house. It felt unbelievably good for Silent to let out what he have been holding inside for long time about his family, but he couldn’t figure out why he let it out to Twilight. Why her? Maybe she was his first friend in a long time, or was it something else? Silent couldn't put his hoof on it. His bad side began to loom over; it may feel good to let it out but that doesn't stop the terrible drinking addiction he had. Twilight was still reading the story when Silent hoofed the parchment over; in this single moment she had learnt more about her deaf companion than she had in last three days. Snapping to attention when Silent got up on all of his fours and took a few steps then stopped; drooping his head and ears. He was planning to leave but for some reason couldn't so he turned around and trotted back to the fire-pit, laying down then began to sob. Silent was a wreck, he didn't feel like walking all way back to the hotel, yet his addiction commanded him to go. Silent was desperate for a drink! Twilight cautiously moved closer to her new friend and started to reach over with her hoof and stroked his mane; it was like external forces, that even Twilight couldn’t explain, drove her to do it. Normally Silent would push her off and tell her to leave him alone, but this time he didn't want to because he was taking in pleasure of getting comforted like this. Unhurriedly Silent became stable enough to think straight, feeling better. Turning his head around to make a eye contact with Twilight to mouth something to her. “Thank you.” Twilight smiled at this. After Silent ceased his sobbing; his mind bitterly wandered upon on the memory of his father kicking him out of the house few days prior, finding himself debating within himself of what really happened to their relationship and why had they become like this. Silent lightly bashed his hoof against his forehead. Maybe...it's me, I didn't try too hard or what. NO NO, it wasn’t him- he certainly didn’t act like father!..no argh oh Luna. I need that drink now. No! Don’t get distracted... Silent spent about thirty minutes of heart-searching, figuring out what he should do from now on and in the future, before finally deciding on something in regards of fixing himself and of his life. Silent determined to tell Twilight of his plan before he leaves tomorrow when the train station opens. Twilight simply remained quiet, just enjoying the moment when Silent opened himself up. Silent’s bones cracked as he stretched, getting up slowly while yawning. He was exhausted, but felt content with himself. He tiredly gestured for the parchment, which Twilight then floated it over to him along with the quill. I'm tired Twilight, let’s go back to the hotel. It is getting pretty late, pretty cold out right now. The lavender mare nodded in agreement, using her magic to exhaust the fire and packing everything up once again in her saddlebag; then together they commenced a trip through the park, quiet the whole way back to the hotel. The purple Unicorn once again guided Silent through the park back to Ponyville. Together they trotted together for hour to go back to the hotel. Silent's eyes were drooping heavily, yawning repeatedly as they made it inside the lobby then both Unicorns let out sigh of relief when warm air enveloped them. Making for Silent's hotel room, the deaf Unicorn pulled out the key out of the hiding place that he designated before leaving with Twilight earlier for their dinner and stargazing. Opening the door then turning around, noticing Twilight was still following him inside- Silent thought this moment would be good as any, he mounted himself on the bed to rest his sore hoofs. Lazily activating his magic, drifting the hotel's paper and pen that sat at coffee table over to him. Thank you Twilight, that was fun. I learnt more about stargazing than I ever thought I would know- I never thought somepony would memorize most of star constellations by themselves! Twilight, I want to tell you something. Tomorrow, I'm going to leave by the train to go back to Baltimare. I've resolved to meet up with my father, and talk things out... if possible. After my little storytelling earlier, a realization struck me of of how much I bucked up. My father may haven’t been there for me and his family, I could have tried to patch things up instead and maybe things would worked out. When Silent began to hover over the paper and pen over to her, the purple aura took the control of items in the air. Twilight giving it a quick read-over, all suddenly she became bleak. When the deaf Unicorn gave her a quizzical look, wondering if he had gotten into her. However, he got his answer from Twilight not soon after; giving an awkward smile at Silent as she wrote. I hope this doesn't come across to you as outlandish, I mean... I finally made friends with you after few days of messing up, and now you're leaving? The deaf stallion read the answer, then began to pretend that he was considering something, staring up at something in the sky to smiling at Twilight gently. The pen came to life, fleshing out an answer for his friend. That was another thing that I've been thinking about earlier, after my meeting with my father- for better or worse or if the meeting even take place. Afterwards I am going to Trottingham to check things out like originally planned, and if it doesn't work out I might...might come back to Ponyville to live here; everypony here seems so friendly- including you. No promises, but I will try? The personal student of Princess Celestia gave an ample smile, at least she knew now that she was accepted by Silent- one step closer to figuring out what she felt for him. Twilight was glad that Princess Celestia's advice in that letter worked for her in the end. Twilight had only final question that she wanted to ask the deaf stallion. Silent, I'm wondering if you would like to hang out again tomorrow before you leave? Maybe you could come to my library and finish that book that you didn’t finish? ‘Number One’ I think it was? The deaf stallion pondered upon this briefly, then answered. Maybe I will come, but I need to go and figure out what time is the first departure tomorrow. Then I will make some time or not depending on the time, okay? Anyhow Twilight, I need my sleep if I'm going to function tomorrow. Silent stuck out his tongue at Twilight when he showed the notepad back to her. After the lavender mare finished her fit of light giggle, she trotted out of Silent's hotel room after both made their good byes. Finally alone in his room, the addiction that had been haggling at him the whole way back from stargazing earlier. Silent gave a sigh of relief as he uncorked a new bottle of vodka then downed one-thirds of it. He stargazed once more from the safety and warmth of his hotel room. He spent about an hour before the deaf Unicorn finally felt that his bed was calling out to him. Setting down his drink on the lamp table next to the bed, Silent tiredly climbed into his and snuggled within his blankets. A few minutes later, some snoring rang out in his room Fluttering his eyes open, trying to keep it shut closed; but gave in. Silent figured that some coffee would do him some good. He began to slowly turn over to his side but got flashed by the bright light and after leaning to the edge of his bed to stand up, toppled off the bed with a loud crash. Rolling over while clenching his jaw with his hoof, groaning in the pain then shook his head to fight off pain. After few moments of fighting off the pain the deaf stallion began to make some hot coffee, while it was brewing; he began going around the room quickly packing up his things into his saddlebag. An idea slowly formed inside Silent’s head. Hmm some morning weed along with coffee sounds amazing, gonna get out of here soon since I need a train ticket. But first, a shower! The white-coated stallion dove into the shower, preparing himself for another day. After about fifteen minutes of cleansing, and grabbing a towel to dry himself, he strode to his prepared coffee, pouring it into a cup with two sugar cubes and a healthy amount of creamer. Silent settled with only one bowl, he wouldn't want to be high as kite when he does finally go out to do his business. While Silent waited for his coffee to simmer down, he scrutinized his saddlebag then fished out a bowl and bag of weed. Smacking his lips, he filled the bowl and brought it to his mouth, ignited it, and took a long drag. Silent held it in a small stretch of time before finally exhaling all smoke out, his free hoof sealing the hole to make it not burn out. After about ten minutes, the bowl was finally finished and the coffee smoldered down to the right temperature. Silent took a sip of his coffee, taking in simple pleasure of this morning with his coffee and weed minus the rude wake up. After it was all said and done, he trotted out out of his room with his now packed saddlebags; making his way to the lobby, he signed out and hoofed over his room key to the receptionist. The receptionist gave Silent a strange look when she saw his lazy pink eyes, but didn’t give it much of thought. It was still morning when he stepped outside, going to the train station was easy as it was right next to the Ponyville hotel. Silent took a notice of about ten ponies bustling around to form a line to buy their tickets- the deaf Unicorn joined the line with the ponies still gathering behind him. After spending thirty minutes of his life waiting in the line, sweating his flank off under full blast of morning sun; he cursed Princess Celestia, remembering that it was her sun's fault that he fell off the bed this morning. Finally he made it into ticket booth with his note ready, giving the clerk a curt smile. Hello there, how much would a ticket to Baltimare cost? Also, what time will the first train leave? The red-coated mare that sported a train engineer's hat examined the note, a welcoming smile spreading across her mouth. Because she was an Earth Pony, she fumbled a little bit while picking up Silent's pen with her mouth and writing a reply. Good morning sir! A ticket to Baltimare would be... The booth clerk paused, giving a quick peruse over a piece of paper that was tacked on the wall; after getting the information out of it, the clerk continued. ...45 bits please. Also, the first train's departure is in two hours, you should show up about fifteen minutes earlier so we could ticket you in. With this the deaf Unicorn put up 45 bits in exchange for a ticket, and left after giving that clerk his thanks. After he weaved his way through ponies getting tickets then made it out, he decided to take up Twilight's offer from last night. It was nice remembering some of Ponyville's layout when he began exploring the now semi-familiar town; walking past the Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, and Twilight's home as well; it was unusual so it was pretty easy to find. It was same as the deaf Unicorn remembered it- a giant tree with few windows and a huge open book in the front. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door few times, taking heed of the door opening. Silent expected a purple mare opening the door, but instead he got little baby dragon standing there with peeved look. Silent couldn’t help but snicker when a recent memory resurfaced of seeing this little “overgrown lizard” in pink apron holding a spatula. What was his name?...Sp...uh..Spi, aha! Spike! Spike! That's it Spike grumbled and gave Silent a death glare; apparently the little dragon figured out why he was laughing at him. Suddenly the baby dragon perked up, turned his head inside and spoke briefly before returning his attention to the deaf stallion at the deaf stallion, beckoning him to come inside. Twilight was smiling when she trotted down the stairs pausing to wave once, holding 'Number One' with a brand-new notepad instead of paper or parchment. Letting a sigh of relief, glad to be out of the blasting sun outside, he settled down on the couch when the purple mare sat next to him with the book and notepad ready, wafting it over to Silent. Good morning Silent, I'm so glad that you took up my offer and was able to make it before you left. By the way, I have gift for you! Hold on while I go upstairs to get it. You can finish this book while you wait. Silent gave an inquiring look at the lavender Unicorn, what he got in return was a blush and that book being tossed at him as Twilight quickly trotted upstairs to 'escape'. Silent still didn't get why his new friend was acting like this, but he chose to shrug it off once again, beginning to bury himself into the book. A few pages and minutes later, the librarian made it back down from upstairs holding a wrapped box. Silent respectfully put it the book down before he made a gesture by pointing at it which said by it’s own. “What’s that?” The Ponyville librarian, the protege of Princess Celestia, the bearer of the Element of Magic, and one of the heroes who saved Equestria twice nervously bequeathed Silent with something, watching him intently as Silent began to unwrap his voluminous gift. Upon first glance, he found the book- "NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe", but as he dug in he noticed a second book buried beneath the first. No wonder was so heavy! The second book was designated “The Backyard Stargazing's Guide”. The third gift was the new notepad. Silent looked up and signed to Twilight, expressing his gratefulness.. “Thank you.” In return, Twilight signed back with huge smile, happy with him accepting the gifts- remembering the sign that he taught her last night. “You're welcome!” They spent about an hour and half reading their books together on the couch. Occasionally the lavender Unicorn would steal look at Silent, examining the deaf stallion before her, but when Silent looked back at her, she would instantly turn her head away, blushing, and dive back into her book- pretending to read it. Subsequently Silent eyed a clock above the counter, and noticing that it was thirty minutes before the departing time, flipped to new page on his new notepad. See you later Twilight, I have to go now: The train leaves in thirty minutes and I don't want to miss it. Thanks again for the books! I might will bring back a souvenir for you from Baltimare, it will only make this fair. No disagreeing on this! And... Twilight, I want to thank you for the fun we had stargazing. Anyway, I have to go. Have a good day Twilight. The lavender librarian pondered over this, before replying. Of course, I will wait for you with that gift. Have a safe trip! I'm glad that we were able to patch and fix the misunderstanding, if you could call it that. I'll be here if you return. Good bye Silent. Twilight hitched herself off the couch, giving a Silent a hug, but not before giving his new notepad back to him. Silent smiled and gave her a goofy salute, leaving the now finished book behind on the couch, and trotted out of the library. After the navigating through the town, he made it to the train station with ten minutes to spare. A particularly crazy pink mare stopped him on the way, saying her own good-bye. How she knew those things is mystery to Silent, but at least he wouldn't have contact with her for a few days. Silent didn't hate Pinkie Pie, but felt that small doses of her hyper personality is better than dealing with her all the time. Dragging along his new two books with his magic because it wouldn’t fit the saddlepack: it was too packed, he was the first in line and he began to climb inside the train. Hm, I wonder... Making his way to the last passenger car, Silent jumped a little in the air as a mini-victory celebration when he saw the last seat was available. Jumping into it, claiming the seat as his, Silent unloaded his stuff on the chair and cracked his neck, reveling in the fact that the laborious saddlebag had been lifted from his back. The ticketmaster then came up to him as the train was doing the final calls for boarding before departure. Silent held up his hoof to signify 'wait a moment' and began digging into his bag to find the ticket. Once he had found it, he presented to the Ticketmaster, who promptly ripped it in half and returned it to the deaf Unicorn. Silent began to read one of his new book, choosing “The Backyard Stargazer's Guide” to start with. After few minutes of waiting, he could feel the train rattle as it departed Ponyville's station. At first, Silent just looked outside of the window, taking in the sights in the glorious daylight, as opposed to the candle-lit silhouettes he was presented upon first arrival in the dead of night. After awhile he got bored, so he decided to read one of his new book to learn much as possible about his favorite activity: stargazing. Silent opened the book to the first page, it was introduction of sorts. Did you know you can see a galaxy 2½ million light-years away with your unaided eyes? Craters on the Moon with binoculars? Countless wonders await you on any clear night. The first step is simply to look up and ask, “What's that?” When you do, you're taking the first step toward a lifetime of cosmic exploration and enjoyment. But what, exactly, comes next? Too many newc... By the time Silent was one-third through the book, it was well into the afternoon and the train already made two stops at Trottingham and Fillydelphia, then it was to Hoofington, Manehattan and finally Baltimare. The deaf Unicorn looked up to find himself with fewer ponies in the cart than had first arrived. Among himself sat a family of four entertaining themselves, an aged couple interlocking hooves as they enjoyed the scenery that flew past the window, and a teenage filly whom Silent suspected of being a runaway. As he realized the train were getting closer to closer to his town which resided his former home, more importantly: his father- taking a deep but shaky breath. Gulping, extremely nervous of what will happen when they do finally meet face to face. Silent now can’t figure out what method he should use. Should I just knock on his door? Go to his workplace? Or just go in, and say “Hi! we need to talk?” Leave him a note telling him to meet someplace and hope for him to come? OR this is a stupid idea altogether!...argh! Don’t know... Silent’s contemplation got interrupted when his stomach growled, reminding him that he needed to eat, so he took a break from reading, putting the book away in his saddlebag, and waved down an attendant to order some food. He opted for a simple salad, followed by a quick nap. As he waited for his food, the deaf stallion delved into his bag and fished out his unfinished vodka, soon to be finished, but a first small shake made him drop his drink. As he muttered to himself while picking it up, he felt there was something strange when the train made a curve turn. Silent felt that there was something to this when he felt small tremors throughout the train. Curious, he got up on his hindlegs, looking ahead at the train car front of him. In slow motion he could see the car that was front of him bend then twist as a wall of dust and fire formed, and a huge jolt struck throughout the last passenger car. The jolt was so great that it threw Silent forward into the chair front of him, breaking his right forehoof in several places. The deaf stallion screamed out in the pain, unknowing of what came next; the force of the first moments of the wreck was so colossal that it picked up the last passenger car into the air, flipping it over and over in the air; flinging Silent around inside the train car. Slamming hard against the objects in the train as it rolled- hitting the chairs, other ponies, the wall, then train did a final flip before coming to rest. When Silent became conscious briefly, being unable to discern where he was- only seeing a blue sky above him- the only thing that he knew was that he was on his back. Suddenly immense and horrendous pain came rushing over him when the shock began to subside; his body felt shattered. Silent couldn't think straight or even move. The last thing he remembered was being flung headfirst into the structure pole of the passenger seat. His breath quickened while his heart races when he noticed trails of blood streaking across his once white coat.. Silent wanted to scream out, but he couldn’t: the shock was too tremendous. Then the darkness came to him. Thanks MrMinimii once again!
Chapter 14An orange sun slowly crept out of hiding while the moon went into ensconce, the light gently filtered through a window decorated with star themed curtains. A certain lavender mare pitifully tried to shield the sunlight with her hoof, desperate to go back to sleep since it was her first night in last four days that she finally had proper and peaceful sleep. Shuffling around in her bedsheets, fighting to go back to sleep but a particular white-coated stallion suddenly popped in her head brought a smile on her face, reminding her once again that she finally managed to strike up a friendship with the deaf Unicorn. I had fun with him yesterday. And although we are from completely different spectrum of life, we have so much in common. The best thing was when he opened up to me, I mean, who would've thought somepony could go through so much, and still be so persisting? We still have so much to learn from each other, but I can't figure out how to deal with this swelling feeling... I'll need to speak with somepony about it. Maybe Princess Celestia? or Rarity? Her mind manifested and played out inappropriate scenes between the scholar mare and sensual deaf stallion. Blushing furiously and eternally grateful that nopony was there to see her in this state, she anxiously started to figure out what she really felt for him. It was same thing that she left for one colt back in magic kindergarten, although it was fleeting because later on she got too busy with her studying after being enrolled into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. But with Silent, the ephemeral feeling didn’t exist, it lingers within Twilight. Pushing to go back to the normal routine of hers before it got interrupted four days earlier when Silent came into her library, rubbing out the cluster that had gathered in her sleepy eyes noticing a loud grumbling and snoring. Taking a quick look-around; she ascertained a humor-filled scene. It was her number-one assistant, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth, leg twitching and once or twice Twilight could have swore hearing him saying Rarity's name which she rolled her eyes then giggled at. Spike had more than earned his sleep- the baby dragon have been putting himself out there taking care of the library and chores while she was running around the town figuring out how to fix her situation with the new stallion in her life. Wait! A new stallion in my life, doesn't that sound like we are already... Quickly and quietly Twilight made for bathroom to attempt to take her mind off Silent, it was beginning to work when she thought up of taking a shower. Twilight looked at herself, mane was mess and tail were all over the place with some hair strands springing up. Fidgeting to combat the bed hair, the librarian decided to take a shower. Slipping into another world as the warm water dribbled upon Twilight, her mind began to devise a plan for today; the checklist was firstmost on her mind, reminding herself that she had heaps to catch up on that list. There was also issue of her friends, the last time she hung out with them was one or two days back at Silent's party- apart from Rarity when she spent some time with her planning out the fashion designer's apologization for the party incident. Bit by bit images of Silent crept back into her mind. Twilight tried to shake him out, but couldn’t, so the lavender mare conjured up images that made her happy to try combat this strange but powerful feeling that wouldn’t go away. The studious mare imagined herself reading a book that she ordered another day, with some luscious cake and a coffee with some zing in it to go with. Twilight would open a book then snuggle within strong embrace of Silent- reading the first pages together then falling over oneself when Silent's green eyes began to close as he moved his head closer and closer, heart racing and- Twilight snapped her eyes open in the shower- what hay did she just imagine? Her cheek blushed heavily, her heart throbbed furiously like if Silent was right there with her now. No matter what scenario the lavender mare chose the deaf stallion would be there. Stargazing? Silent would be there snuggling against Twilight, nibbling lightly on her neck under the watch of the stars. Contriving a checklist? The deaf Unicorn would at first help her with it, then behind her back wrote “Kiss Twilight” on it, when Twilight noticed; she would get flipped on her back gently- her heart racing, her cheek reddening as the stallion start climbing over her then start to... Twilight immediately opened her eyes- in an instant she turned off the shower, stepping out of it while her heart thumped million miles; that was it, she simply gave up and allowed Silent infiltrate her imagination and remain there. Twilight styled her mane to the usual straight mane then trotted downstairs after drying herself, embarrassed with herself about those thoughts, yet it felt so great. This academic Unicorn wasn't sure if this was something wrong with her; she would have to analyze it to fully understand- but love isn't something to be studied, you have to feel it. Twilight have yet to learn this. Coffee! Yes Coffee! That might would help me to avoid those thoughts. Blushing while muttering, Twilight pulled herself together, but just scantily- this whole new sensation that she had for him was so foreign to her that it scared her to the core. When all was said and done the Unicorn made it into her kitchen, yawning as she hunted for ground coffee can within her cabinets. Fishing it out of the cabinet with her magic, briefly followed a simple directions on the label, the morning finally felt decent enough for Twilight when she finally brewed enough for two cups. Sipping some of the java, her stomach’s growl reminding her that she was hungry. She sulked at this; cooking wasn’t her forte and Spike was still sleeping in so with no other alternative that she could find within the library. Deciding to cheat out of cooking by acquiring some baked goods instead from Sugarcube Corner. Trotting into her study room, her horn glimmered in light purple aura while her coffee bobbed behind her- the student of Princess Celestia became excited at the prospect of doing her checklist! Erasing and adding some to the checklist then reading the renewed list over to herself after spending few minutes editing it. _ Help Applejack with applebucking. _ Purchase a new parchment and quills. _ Purchase a fresh supply of gems. _ Purchase daily necessities. _ Check if library's order arrived at Post Office. _ Visit Rarity. _Bring Owlowisicous to Flutt... Twilight figured this was good enough of a start. First up was Sugarcube Corner to get some quick breakfast, then the second primary destination would be Sweet Apple Acres to help out Applejack upon on her request few days back. Scrolling up her checklist, packing some bits and few other miscellaneous items- sure that she had everything needed to go through the day; she put the empty cup into kitchen sink on the way out, then produced a note for her personal assistant. Fully prepared for the day, minus food, Twilight locked the door behind her and began to head for the local confectionery shop. ____________ Cracking his head, the baby dragon was finally aroused from his sleep; slowly he pulled himself out of the bed. First thing that he would usually do is head downstairs and start on breakfast while waiting for her to awake up. Spike gave a dismissive glance to the bed where he would normally find his mentor enjoying sleep, but for the first time he could remember, she wasn't in the bed. How unusual, his next bet was that Twilight was downstairs. Pacing himself down the stairs, the scent of coffee brewing invaded his nose; thinking that it confirmed his suspicions but he had to be sure so he explored the entire library and became surprised when there was no sign of the Unicorn anywhere within the library. The only sign he was given was a piece of parchment lying on the kitchen table. He picked it up and began to read. Spike, I decided to let you sleep in. After all, you earned it by putting yourself out of keeping care and organizing the library for the last few days. I already left to follow through my checklist. Don't worry about me- I don't need your help today. Also no work for you today as well, so enjoy your day off. -Twilight [P.S- You may have a few of gems from the bowl above the fridge if there are any, but do not overeat!] Fist-pumping in the air while clenching the paper, his voice displayed motivation- to indulge into his guilty pleasure that is. “Yes! Mouth-watering gems!” the baby dragon drooled, wasting no time as he rushed across the kitchen then dragged a chair across the floor making a scraping noise. Spike paid it no mind. The gems bowl right above the fridge was his only ultimate goal. After alot of maneuvering the chair then balancing himself on it, he finally managed pluck it off the top of fridge and get down safely. Still not wasting any time, he gorged upon on the precious rocks. While he was eating, his thoughts deviated somewhere else, mostly on the strange stallion that he met twice so far. Spike was a bit worried because that stalion was the one who had Twilight so worked up for last few days, the purple dragon figured that it was same thing that he had for beautiful local fashion designer. Spike was getting heart-shaped eyes just thinking about Rarity. Burping now and then, groaning as he felt half-way full with all of gems that he devoured earlier, the baby dragon decided to pick up the newspaper as usual for Twilight to read when she gets home. Spike then went outside, it seemed like it would be yet another good day: clear skies and warm weather. Letting a strong yawn out, the petite dragon walked over to object on the ground. It was fluttering lightly when the wind blew against it and Spike was about to pick it up, but he let out a empty heave. Swiftly Spike retrieved the newspaper that had headlines that commanded attention. EQUESTRIA TRAIN TRADEGY NEAR HOOFINGTON; DOZENS DEAD. Spike nearly dropped the newspaper but went on reading it very briefly, there was also picture on the page of the train wreck. The collision occurred just north of Hoofington in the afternoon after the train ended up derailing after hitting one of weakened rail on a curve. Neighbours in the town of North Hoofington were alerted by what they said sounded like a bomb and rushed to the scene as survivors emerged. Rescuers worked through the night to recover bodies and help the wounded. Equestria Railroad was closed for four days as a maintenance work was being done on the tracks before the accident, but officials said it was too early to determine the... This was as far as Spike could go; he spat out the remains of gems that he was chewing on and just stared at the newspaper in heavy disbelief. Twilight... Spike just knew at that moment that Twilight had to learn of this immediately. Scooping up the newspaper into tight clench as the dragon ran back into the library in a rush in start of his attempt to figure where Twilight possibly would be at. But how? How do I find her? Think! Think Spike! Spike did remember having a conversation with Twilight few days back about her friend asking her for help, but who?! A thought occurred to the young dragon that he had known Twilight his whole life, meaning that Twilight may be Princess Celestia's protegè, but it didn't mean she could cook worth any hay. No offense to her, of course, but it gave Spike a logical reasoning since she didn't make any breakfast at the library. It means she would head to the Sugarcube Corner first thing in the morning before getting together with somepony who requested help from her. Rapidly Spike locked the door before rushing out of the library, the start of his search effort for Twilight. The young dragon's legs carrying him fast as they could, for once the dragon wished that he was bit older so he could have his wings to speed it up. Panting hard as he barreled through the street of Ponyville, aiming for his first goal: Sugarcube Corner, or more specifically Pinkie Pie. If Twilight went there to buy a quick breakfast, the hyper pink mare would know where she went or Twilight might still be there chatting it up with bearer of the Element of Laughter. After some stretch of time, weaving through the street; the view that came up was glorious to Spike. It was decorated like a gingerbread house with various candies topping it up, the tower was some kind of giant cupcake with three candles lights on the top. But Spike didn't have the time to admire the sight. Throwing open the doors, Spike gained some surprised stares from early morning customers in the line with Mr. and Mrs. Cake popping their head out of the counter, wondering what had got the dragon so animated. Spike suddenly called out to the owners of Sugarcube Corner. “Cakes! Where's Pinkie?! I need to talk to her!” Mr. Cake replied in his gruff voice, sensing the urgency that the dragon had. “Either in the backroom or the kitchen, Pinkie should be working on the customers’ orders.” With that, the dragon wiggled his way through the annoyed customers and into the kitchen, which was met by the baker. “Hi!” Pinkie Pie began to bounce, being bubbly as the usual. “My Pinkie Sense told me that a door will open, and it did! It did! But I didn't expect you at all. I don't think there's sense for dragons, OHH OHH. Do you want some cupcakes, I just baked and th-” “PINKIE! Where's Twilight?!” Pinkie Pie didn't care that she got interrupted, she just pressed on. “You silly dragon, she was here this morning! Getting a cupcake, or was it muffin? Frosted cake? OOOOooooOOO I know!, I think it was toast, no wait- or it was..” “Pinkie Pie!” the dragon commanded to grab her attention, wishing for once that this mare wouldn't be full of energy for this moment. “This is serious, take a quick read!” Spike proclaimed, sliding the newspaper across the counter to the pink mare. When Pinkie finally calmed down enough to read straight, she just stared at headlines that promulgated the train accident that occurred near Hoofington. Pinkie's hair deflated half-way, when the effectual information processed in her mind she rebutted before Spike could speak up. “Twilight...Oh, she should not learn of this- if she knew there won't be any laughs or smiles! That won't do! And I'm going to keep this paper, Twilight should not..” A loud slam echoed throughout the confectionery shop. Spike had to do it to stop her from saying something that she would regret later although the dragon understood where Pinkie was coming from, after all she stands for making others happy and is Element of Laughter. “No! Twilight has to know about this! I would rather to have her find out from us, it is better than her finding out through other sources then realize that we knew all along but didn't tell her! It is like you always say Pinkie: the best way to lose a friend is by lying or breaking a promise!” Pinkie Pie was bit taken back by Spike's brief outburst, staring briefly before agreeing with the purple dragon. “You're right Spike-Wikey.” Pinkie Pie used Rarity's nickname for the dragon in weak attempt in remedying the gloomy mood that now held power over both of them. “Twilight came by this morning, telling me that she needed something to keep her going for most of the morning to help Applejack with her applebucking.” Spike became downcast in a exasperation, remembering what Twilight had said to the dragon one or two days back. “Come on Pinkie, we need to find her!” Armed with this new information, they proceeded to bolt out of the the confectionery shop- Spike running in the front while Pinkie was right behind him; they both were tearing through the village as fast as their legs could carry them. After while they noticed there were less buildings and more greenlands and trees as they followed the dirt trail to Apples family’s farm in the outskirts of the village. “Hey! Wait up guys!” The dragon and pink pony attributed that voice, hearing the flapping of wings behind him. Not soon after a pegasus with a brash attitude was gliding around them as then ran. “What’s got you guys so worked up?” “No time Rainbow! You will understand when we get to Applejack's place,” the dragon answered before charging once again. Pinkie Pie was quiet the whole way while Rainbow was being herself as expected. It was the usual round of bragging of how easy it was to fly there and talking about her stunt flying. Rainbow Dash kept doing mini-stunts around the running group out of boredom. Spike was getting a bit annoyed; soon enough she will know. Soon enough. They finally got their first glimpse of their destination, a huge red barn peeking over the hill and Spike could see the orange blob in the distance among a larger red shape. It became more and more familiar as they got closer, which snapped into attention when Spike shouted. “Applejack!” The farmer pony pulled her hat up so she could see clearly and walked up to the group half-way. “Whoa there, Nelly!” Applejack sidestepped to avoid getting hit by the dragon; Spike was panting hard- taking a quick breaths then deep ones to regain his breath. Rainbow was paying attention as Pinkie was the first to speak up. “Where's Twilight?” Applejack was bit taken back, Rainbow Dash was too when she finally noticed the darker hue color and slightly deflated mane and tail. The last time that she saw Pinkie Pie like this was at previous party of that strange stallion. Something about that stallion just puts off her, Applejack couldn't pinpoint it but there was something that he was hiding. At least he was honest with her when she asked what he thought of Sweet Apples Acres's hard cider. The whole situation now felt strange to her. “Applejack! Where..is Twilight?” This time the voice came not from Pinkie, but Spike. “Ah don't know. She was here earlier helping out with my rush order that was made by somepony in Canterlot. Normally I wouldn't allow magic to be used, but it had to be done. After it was finished, Twilight just told me that she was off to do rest of her checklist and whatnot.” The earth pony then pointed her hoof into the direction of other loose pavement that led into north Ponyville where most shops are centered at. Spike began to ran in that direction, but was stopped by Applejack holding his tail with her teeth. “Whoa there! Ah still don't know what got you so worked up.” The baby dragon decided this time was as good as any, uncurling the newspaper and laying it out for both ponies to see. Applejack gasped- trying to find words, and a strong realization struck Rainbow Dash and both of them just stared the paper in disbelief. The cyan Pegasus felt terrible that she acted like that earlier on their way to here. Subsequently, Applejack was first to speak up; worry lingered in her voice. “Ah'll go with you. Twilight might need us more than ever, and I will be darned if we won't there like she was there for us, consarn it. Hold on girls!” Applejack rushed inside her house to tell her family that she would be gone, then returned in an instant. Then the group began to run together straight to Ponyville. For once, the competitive spirit that Rainbow and Applejack always held for each other simply didn't exist. They became increasingly worried that Twilight might have already found out, after all it was no secret since it was all over the paper and someponies might already be talking about the train tragedy. The gang redoubled their effort with their search of lavender Unicorn; dashing through the streets of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash took the lead to higher skies hoping to spot Twilight faster. As they made it to Ponyville’s business district, where Spike assumed that Twilight would be at. He wasn't mistaken when the cheerful voice rang out belonging to the very same pony he had spent all morning searching for. Observing a Unicorn coming out of the Quills and Sofa shop, levitating a stack of parchments while her saddlebags were packed with brand-new quills. On her right floated her usual checklist. When Twilight saw her friends, she perked up; it was rare for them to meet so early in the morning. “What are you doing here girls?” Twilight gave a pause when she noticed a panicked stricken dragon along with four others displaying either worried or somber expressions. Carefully she set down the stack of new parchments onto ground. Becoming increasingly nervous herself, it was clear that they had something heavy on their mind. At first they said nothing, so Twilight asked again. “What is going on everypony?” Enduring it, Spike stepped up and was apprehensive when he showed the curled up newspaper to Twilight which prompted her to grab it by her magic then uncurl. The dragon said in soft voice, much alike to Fluttershy's. “I'm sorry...” It was then Twilight's set of purple eyes laid upon the huge headlines of the accident along with a picture of the train wreck. She didn't even read the rest of it, she just stared at the headlines. “No..” Twilight's horn deactivated, dropping the newspaper- a tear threatening to escape from her eyes. The Unicorn's breath was dry, four of her friends delicately stepped closer to Twilight cautiously, afraid of powerful Unicorn who could snap at any time. “No. No, this can’t real!” Twilight wasn't able to wrap around the hard, cold reality. Everypony's eyes were cast down on the ground; they all felt terrible. Spike wanted to answer his parent, but he couldn't bring up enough courage to do it, so instead it was Applejack who stepped up. She had to be honest with her friend, saying nothing is same as lying to the farmer pony; after all she is Element of Honesty. Applejack carefully answered, “No, ah wish it wasn't, but it did happen. Twilight....All of it” As soon Twilight heard those words leaving the orange pony's mouth, she couldn't figure out what to do. Nothing could come to mind, and then it was when Twilight let out a distressing sob, dropping everything and trying to run, but her body won't cooperate. She managed to distance herself from the others by a few feet, but froze. Twilight began to stutter as she began to walk in erratic circles. “Bu..but. H-he was he-e-re ye-ss-ter-day. An-and.” Twilight was so distraught that she couldn't even string a sentence together and finish it. Her fight or flight response finally kicked in, turning tail as she chose the flight response and began to run hard as she could, but was stopped by cyan pegasus first, blocking her path as Applejack raced forward. Both of ponies quickly pulled Twilight into a hug, trying their best to comfort their friend. Spike and Pinkie were last to arrive, but weren't far behind then they joined the hug; the company surrounding her could feel the lavender mare's body shudder with each sob. Letting out what she was feeling up to this point of time, her tears were pouring out. Everypony nearby on the street could tell that she cried her heart out, it was powerful enough to make someponies have misty eyes. Not to mention, her friends were crying with her. Twilight could barely speak in between the sobs. “How..can so many bad things happen to one pony?” “Ah don't know.” Applejack and other three then pulled Twilight aside from the street to get away from the prying eyes. The walk back to Twilight's home was deathly quiet, the lavender mare's cheeks were still wet from wailing. Nopony couldn't even get in a word with her because, for first time Twilight learned how to have her guard up and keep it there, pushing herself to just go home. Spike hurriedly went ahead to unlock the door to grant entrance into the library for his four companions. Twilight was first to enter, silently mounting herself on the couch, where she began to tear up once again because she remembered that this couch was where she and Silent spent so much time together before he left yesterday. Spike still held the newspaper, deciding to read it over- his eyes widened when he arrived at bottom of the newspaper then quietly exclaimed, which also grabbed the attention of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but not the heartbroken mare, who was still crying on the couch. It was something that they overlooked in the intense emotional event. The dragon decided to reveal a silver lining to this, taking in powerful breath to let out a strong voice. “Twilight and everypony, read this over- at the bottom of the front page.” The dragon once again turned over the newspaper to the grief-stricken Unicorn, his right claw pointing at the bottom, and sure enough Twilight's eyes widened as well- it was a list of victims/survivors of the train accident. Skimming through the dead then alive, Twilight didn't see his name. The third column of that list was very short, but nonetheless grabbed her attention. Alive but unidentified: A maroon filly, with black mane and tail. Three pieces of musical notes cutie mark. Moved to Fillydelphia hospital. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A light mint mare, yellow-black striped mane and tail. An ice-cream cutie mark. Transferred to Fillydelphia hospital. A grey stallion with blue spiked mane and tail. A drawing pad cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A renewed sense of hope settled into everypony in the room, especially Twilight. This hope revitalized in Twilight as well as the others. Hope that drove the young mare to act, sending a quick letter to her esteemed teacher requesting the royal chariot, as that would be the quickest way to get to the hospital. The Equestria Railroad would surely be closed due to the accident, so this was her only hope! Twilight explained the horrid details to her mentor, despite how much it pained her to think of them, to gain a little extra favor with her endlessly compassionate teacher. Twilight then asked Spike to send the letter to Princess Celestia, whom then gave a faithful salute before breathing a green flame that danced around the letter, melting it into magic foam and began its journey to the Canterlot where it resided the two celestial sisters. The anticipation for that reply was too much of a wait for her friends, and almost unbearable for Twilight. All of eyes were on Spike, which made him squeamish, but he took it in because he understood why. While they were holding out for the letter from the Sun Princess Applejack and Rainbow gave Twilight a hug, telling her that they both will be right back: they needed to go out and do something. Twilight nodded weakly; with that they both left the library with only thing on their mind. As minutes ticked away, everypony including Spike were trying to keep themselves busy in pathetic attempt to put their mind off the anticipation of that letter. Twilight was trying to read a book, but her feeble attempts to focus on the book were instantly dashed when Silent, and all the horrific possibilities of what could have happened, raced through her mind. She just stared absently at the words that filled the pages, hoping the best for her friend. Pinkie Pie was trying to cheer herself and Twilight up by telling her that she would set up a super-duper “get-well” party for Silent. Twilight chuckled weakly, it wasn't much but it was a start to the party pony. Spike was rummaging through the library, cleaning halfheartedly on occasions, but mostly kept himself busy with the mind numbing task of reorganizing the library. The idling animation of everypony was broken when Rainbow Dash and Applejack came back, entering the library with two other friends in tow. Normally Spike's eyes would become heart-shaped and float over to the new guest, but the current situation commanded him to not. Twilight was vaguely aware of hoofsteps making their way to the library, then a door opening and closing. A temperate voice rang through the silent building. “Oh darling!” Twilight rose to the attention and saw none other than Rarity; whom rushed right over and gave the lavender mare a hug. “I'm sorry to hear what happened! But I am here now, and I simply won't leave you alone!” Rarity held her hoof up to signify her decisive action. “End of discussion!” the fashion designer sprouted off with her signature smile. Twilight offered no counter. Another voice rose throughout the room, although it was squeaky and quiet as always. A cream-colored Pegasus stepped out from behind Rainbow Dash, her eyes unwavering, looking ahead at Twilight. “Um..I'm sorry.” Fluttershy slowly flew to distraught Unicorn and got her into a gentle hug. “I'm just glad that you’re here Fluttershy, everyday I am truly thankful that you all are my friends. I guess if I didn't have you by now, I might would got sent into a deeper end than I am now.” Twilight trying her best to keep a strong front, but her friends looked past her false bravery, and she knew it. A bright green flame flashed throughout the room, floating in the air was a parchment with a royal stamp, tied up with red ribbon. Spike groaned, but didn’t complain. Without a thought, Princess Celestia's progetè grabbed it out of the air with her magic, hurriedly levitating it over to her. Opening it up, she was pleasing to see her beloved teacher's writing- even in this situation, reading it aloud for everypony to listen. My Dear Faithful Student, I have also recently learned of the train accident. I'm sorry to hear of what happened to your new friend. I already sent for a chariot large enough to fit all of your friends, as I am sure that they will go with you regardless of what you have said or planned. It will take you straight to any destination you like. I look forward hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. With Twilight currently incapacitated, Applejack assumed charge and led the group out of the library to wait for the chariot. As they waited Twilight's mind reeled back to the stallion, making her smile warmly in memory. As she was in her trance, the chariot arrived to take them to the hospital. At long last the group began to hear sound of whinnying and strong wings flapping; looking up in the sky revealed a huge chariot being commandeered by huge Pegasus stallions. They made a few circles to slow down with their landing, gently glided over then touched down in front of the library. The leader of the four-stallion team turned his head and spoke in authoritative voice. “A chariot for Lady Sparkle and company.” The mane 6 and a baby dragon to boost climbed aboard on the chariot with Twilight telling the Pegasus leader the destination: Hoofington Hospital. It was then the Elements of Harmony were pushed into yet another dangerous direction. This time it wasn't a threat to Princess Celestia or Equestria as whole, but to a mare's heart. As they took to the air, five ponies and Spike all thought the same thing: help their distraught friend for better or for worse. Twilight's breath quickened and she anxious, figuring that every distance the chariot made the closer Silent became. She was afraid of what she will find when she got to see the deaf Unicorn. Applejack trotted up behind her and began to rub her back whilst everyponey just remained quiet and looked on. The chariot began to ascend, and breaking holes in some the clouds. The winding hit against all ponies- their mane and tail waving in the air. After traveling by the air for awhile, the girls finally got first glimpse of Hoofington; various lights blinked in the distance in the late afternoon. The moon and stars were beginning to come out of their hiding place, the moon just peeking over the mountain in the distance and the chariot began going through the process of descanting down. There it was, Hoofington in it's full glory. Twilight's heart tightened up, she could feel it pound heavily because she knew that she was getting closer and closer to Silent. The chariot finally arrived at their ultimate destination, Twilight was first to get off followed by others one by one. Spike looked up; the group was at main entrance of the hospital. There was a large sign right above the rotating doors Central Hoofington Hospital Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike began to walk forward but instantly noticed Twilight was holding back ; Fluttershy took it upon herself to gently fly over to the Unicorn and partake in a supportive embrace, reassuring her that everything will be alright. The lavender mare only nodded weakly in response. Together they trotted inside, first thing that all of them noticed was that it was packed with families and friends of the train victims; doctors was running around trying to help everypony much as possible. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to stop of the passing doctors, but were promptly ignored. With no help but hearts bursting with anticipation, the seven merely walked deeper into the hospital in hopes of finding the hospitalized Unicorn as quickly as possible. “Hey! You can't go in there!” The group turned around and noticed a green Unicorn with a vibrant yellow mane sporting a doctor coat. The doctor's tired eyes laid upon on six ponies and a little dragon, his voice exhausted. “How can I help you misses...?” It was then that Twilight finally found enough energy to speak up. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, I came here with my friends to look for my friend who was involved in the accident; his name is Silent Dreamweaver.” The doctor blinked in confusion; he had too many patients from that train catastrophe to know any of them by name. “I don't know any patients by that name. I would help you better if I knew his physical features,” the doctor replied quickly, like he was used to. It was then Fluttershy spoke up softly, just strong enough for doctor to hear. “Um.. he is..a white Unicorn... with green mane and tail...” The cream-colored Pegasus's voice shrunk as all attention was redirected to her, making her revert back to her shy self. “I'm sorry..” The doctor was for once surprised, looking ahead past the group for moment in disbelief and blurted something out. “Oh! Him?” The gang perked up at this; did this doctor know him? The doctor finally offered up his name. “Name's Doctor Fleetheart, would you follow me please?” The gang offered him a quizzical look before accepting his offer. Fleetheart led them through the hospital that he knew by heart, easily choosing paths that weren't packed with distraught families. They first went through the main lobby, then one of long hallway, and finally going up one flight of stairs. Arriving at particular section which made Twilight's heart tightened even more. Intensive Care “Stay here for moment,” the doctor instructed. Fleetheart then pushed a button to speak somepony on the line. “Doctor Fleetheart, authorization number four-nine-two-five. Here for patient check-up.” All of ponies nearby could hear the click of the door. “Thank you Nurse Blossom.” The green Unicorn then beckoned the group inside, instructing them even further to be quiet as patients are sleeping. Arriving upon at the blank door with some paper hanging on it, Doctor Fleetheart suddenly asked the group. “What was his name again?” Rainbow Dash chose to answer this time. “Silent Dreamweaver...” the doctor muttered it to himself to not forget as he levitated up a marker off the nurse's table in the small distance with his magic then wrote on white bar of patient's name. Twilight became a nervous wreck at this point because her ultimate goal is just right there, beyond that door; paying attention best as she could when the doctor spoke up. “It is my duty to inform you what injuries that he endured. Bear with me for moment.” The doctor levitated the medical report into his view before proceeding, “Mr. Dreamweaver suffered heavily injuries. He had: Left hip broken C-spine fracture Tail broken and dislocated Right shoulder shattered- able to repair Right hoof broken Five ribs cracked or broken Heavy concussion Cracked jaw The group cringed every time the doctor listed out the injuries that Silent had, Rainbow Dash gulped heavily- this deaf stallion went through so much more than her wing injury that she suffered few months back when she was training her stunt flying. Fluttershy and Rarity were trembling, looking like they were ready to faint at a moments notice- not being used to hearing of those kind of traumas. Spike, Pinkie Pie and Applejack couldn't wrap their mind of having those kind of wounds then live. Twilight said nothing. The doctor maintained his composure as he spoke after a brief pause. “The patient's horn has also been severed but-” Rarity interrupted him, exclaiming aloud with horrified look “His horn is gone?! But that's lifeline for us Unicorns!” Doctor Fleetheart sighed heavily before he answered carefully to the girls. “Yes but when the paramedics found him at the scene, fortunately they were able to locate his horn and salvage it. This hospital’s finest surgeon worked on him for seven hours and they were able to reattach the horn.” The doctor paused yet once again to let them ingest this new information in before perpetuating his disclosing of the patient. “But it is unknown if Mr.Dreamweaver would be able to wield his magic ever again in his life. It is miracle enough that he is still alive, and the road to the full recovery will be long and harsh one. How quick the recovery is, however... is up to him. Some ponies just give up. Just give him your best support in the future.” Fleetheart then placed the clipboard back on Silent's door, the doctor decided to break hospital’s procedure for this one. “Do you want to see him?” At first the lavender mare gave a pause- afraid of what she would face behind that door. However, there was something that pushed along which compelled her into giving the doctor a weak but determined nod. “Be quiet as there is another patient sleeping, that’s all I am asking.” Fleetheart then gave the group a brief glance before slowly pushing the door ajar. At first, the room was dark but that was before the doctor activated his magic, turning on a lamp that only gave out a gentle glow. The artificial light reflected against the equipment around the bed, then the form in the bed. What the ponies and the dragon saw made their mind reel in recoil. Twilight nearly fainted at the sight. [Hurr de Durr Imma end this in ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER just to make MrMinimii mad! :D] - Morfonious *evil laughter* - Morfonious
Chapter 15Ponies often wished for the power to reverse time, much like Twilight and her friends did as they gazed upon the bed that held Twilight’s friend. The constant beep of the heart monitor grew and faded out over and over again as the nurses walked past the open doorway, talking quietly while accompanying to their duty for the patients. Twilight glanced all over the room, her mind wandering for few moments as she took in the plain features of the room. With a single window with the view of Hoofington- it was a beautiful evening sunlight reflecting off hundreds of skyscrapers. A white plain room with a single light source shining down on stallion, a lonely flower vase on the small drawer table. Also there was something that Rarity and Twilight recognized; a black saddlebags sitting at bottom of the bed. Twilight couldn't think straight anymore, it was like reality got warped around her; her environment disappeared leaving only a distraught Unicorn and a single bed across her within the new cracked world of hers. All she could do was stand there with silence reigning, biting her lower lip as she peered at the white stallion enveloped in blood-stained bandages with a huge cast adorning his hips to keep them from separating further and another covering his right hoof, but all of that injures doesn't compare to having his horn being severed, while Twilight was observing Silent- only thing that was not bandaged was his left eyes and his mouth. His chest was rising and lowering gently; he was at peace- unaware of the heart-shattering news he would learn upon waking up. All of a sudden, her knees buckled under the heavy tension that she felt the whole time from the moment she learnt of the train tragedy only mere few hours ago. All of her self-control got decimated when she realized there is nothing she could do to help Silent but wait. All of her best friends instantly picked up on the signal, rushing over quickly and holding her, petting her mane, telling her everything will be okay. They had to remind Twilight that Silent was still alive! Fluttershy ushered her over to the couch which sat at the opposing side of the room near the exit. All ponies within the room were quiet, and the only sound that they could hear is laborious breathing of the deaf stallion, constant beeping of the heart monitor and soft sobbing coming from the lavender mare. Rarity asked the doctor straightaway if all of them could stay, with the promise they won't cause any trouble naturally. “Oh doctor!” Rarity rang out with a spry voice before pressing on with quieter voice, “Is it improper to request upon you if we all could stay to support her...and him?” Rarity subtly gestured at the Unicorn sitting on the couch with and next to cream-colored Pegasus. Doctor Fleetheart didn’t even gave it a thought, being used to deal with this situation with hundreds of families and friends grieving or worried about their loved ones in his career, nodding once before replying. “Of course, but only two ponies can stay in here while others have to stay in the lobby, you may rotate the visits. Since you are going to stay here, I implore you to inform the nurse at the desk right there immediately if Mr. Dreamweaver wakes up.” Doctor Fleetheart held his hoof up to drive the point home. All ponies in the room minus the injured Unicorn and distressed Unicorn gave their affirmation. “Thank you. I have to go to check out others patients. Have a good evening. If you have any questions, ask the head nurse or myself.” the doctor finalized with soft yet authoritative voice, trotting out of the room with rest of her friends following him the way out. “Wait!” Everypony paused their trotting, turning their head in the direction of the lavender mare. “Um thank you Doctor Fleetheart... and thank you everypony,” Twilight quickly inserted before her friends left, with all of them giving their soft smile. Applejack and Rainbow Dash optioned for the lobby while Fluttershy wanted to go outside to escape the dreadful environment that loomed over the hospital, and Pinkie Pie was followed by the baby dragon as they left to find some guilty-pleasure food to cheer themselves up. Rarity stayed behind with Twilight because they knew Silent the best, even though if it was only mere days. Rarity approached the distressed mare as the others left and began lightly petting her mane; it helped Twilight drift away to dreamland. Just each others company was enough to put both at ease for tonight. The rest of the gang slept in the lobby, Twilight being firstmost on their minds- hoping she was strong enough to go through this, and even if she wasn’t her friends will be right there. It was well into early morning; Princess Celestia haven't yet raised the sun and Princess Luna is about to finish attending to her night duties. An alluring white mare stepped off the couch quietly as she could- she didn't want to wake up her scholar friend who have been through so much in last few days. Letting out a depressing sigh, remembering what Twilight said yesterday- echoing around her empty mind. “How..can so many bad things happen to one pony?” Adjusting her mane to calm the little nag that had been gnawing at the back of her mind while she began contemplating about what Twilight said yesterday. “Don't know...oh dear!” Rarity muttered, spotting something in short distance and recognized it instantly but it was torn and battered. Calmly activating her horn which glimmered in light blue; picking up it then guided it through the air toward Rarity. The fashion designer gave out a small gasp, it was Silent's black turtleneck that was made by her mother- she remembered that detail because it reminded her of how much anger the deaf stallion gave to her at that party, and now it was unwearable. Closer examination revealed that the sleeves were torn to shreds, the bottom half of the attire was missing and splotches of dirt caked what remained of the cloth. A light glimmer of reflected moonlight danced briefly across the fashionista's eye, so she inspected it further but immediately turned away in horror when she realized what had cause the silver light show. Pools of the blood stained the little pieces of shirt that weren't caked in mud or torn away altogether. This won't do! I must correct this anomaly; this is simply crime to fashion! It simply won’t do!! the fashion designer claimed inwardly in her overly dramatic voice. Rarity “borrowed” it, deciding upon herself that she would mend it to exactly what it was and give it back to the deaf Unicorn as further apology. She felt that it was least she could do for him as both an apology and a surprise. Carefully she folded it with her magic, then using a empty trash bag from the room to wrap it in deposited it in her saddlebag. She was exhausted, trotting out of room carrying the saddlebag and began heading for bathroom to fix up herself best as she could. Soon after the hospital came back to life as patients, families and friends stirred. Doctor or nurses coming in for their day shifts with barely enough sleep due to the intensive calamity of the train catastrophe. Twilight slowly blinked her eyes open when the first of morning light crept upon her face. Wiping off the excessive eye mucus, the intellectual Unicorn hopped off the couch. The first thing she checked was if Silent had woken up, but got dejected when she discovered that Silent was still slumbering. Twilight sat down at the foot of the bed exhaling; calming her nerves as she summoned up enough courage to look over Silent in detail, seeing his injuries in full extent. Twilight was stricken by this but never let it get to her. Perking up when the door opened, looking away from Silent and gave a weak smile at the farmer pony, she was carrying a breakfast table in her mouth. Setting it down on a small table next to Silent's bed, taking a quick breath in before speaking. “Ah, I'm sorry. He hasn't woken up yet?” “No,” Twilight said as she lifted a hoof to rub her head, as if it would help her to what say next. Finally a crackling voice rang out, “Not yet? I don't know, I don’t know how long til he wakes up either. I have been thinking last night of how I feel useless right now Applejack.” Applejack circumnavigated the bed, grabbing ahold of Twilight then held her in arms while replying in solemn yet strong and honest voice. “No, ah don't think you are useless at all! You are the Element of Magic. You are one of six ponies who saved Equestria twice now! You are far from being useless. As soon you heard that he could be alive you came all way here with your friends to be there for him!” Applejack paused for moment, letting her words sink into the Unicorn before her. “Just because you wanted to be there for him!” Applejack paused, boring her sincere and honest eyes at Twilight. “Ah' don't want to hear of this again.” Twilight gave Applejack a hug, whispering a thank you before releasing her. “Well! You must be mighty hungry, so I brought you breakfast!” The lavender Unicorn gave a small smile for first time, despite the situation that she was going through. Together the cultivator and intellectual mares ate their morning meal in peace. Twilight only finished half of her breakfast; it was hard to think about food when all of her capacity of her mind was devoted toward the deaf stallion, of how she could be of some use to his recovery. An idea formed inside her head but she wasn't ready to make it a reality. The mare quickly put her thought on the hold when a doctor arrived to perform a quick check-up on the patient, but it wasn't Fleetheart from last night. This doctor didn't speak, he just nodded once and left. About half of the hour passed, her friends rotated their visits- Twilight remained in the room naturally. While Fluttershy had her turn in the rotation of the visit, they optioned to banter back and forth about how recovery worked with her animals back home and how it would be applied on Silent. Fluttershy explained that she once took care of a dog who was mauled by some animal near Everfree Forest which took about two months of recovery to be able to walk again. Fluttershy reassured that his recovery won't be impossible based on what the medical practitioner told the group last night. However, worry reigned within the shy Pegasus because she knew that Doctor Fleetheart was right; some ponies do give up on their recovery and she had seen this happen all too often with her animals caring experience. Instantly Fluttershy reverted to her shy self, diving behind the couch and began to shake like morsel mouse when a sound of rustling came across the room, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile the lavender Unicorn gave a gasp, hope built quickly within her when she focused her purple eyes at the bed. Quickly trotting over there while Fluttershy peeked over the couch with a quivering lips, her eyes widening at the miraculous sight. ____________________ Estranged feelings began washing over Silent- one felt as if a demon was crawling within him, deciding that Silent's inner organs would serve better as nourishment for his insatiable appetite. The other, an overwhelming sense of consciousnesses. Silent fought the feeling as best as he could manage, boring himself deeper into his pillow and forcing his eyes to remain closed in vain as life circulated through his veins. Suddenly memories of what happened to him a mere night ago came rushing into his mind, a scene replaying itself in first-person view. Everything was in slow motion, after clenching his broken right hoof after smashing it against the front chair. So vividly Silent could see himself getting picked up in the air by outside force and thrown around the train mercilessly then last thing that replayed inside his mind was a pole slowly getting closer, closer and.. Silent let out a pitiful cry as he snapped his eyes open, panting quickly- jumping from point to another in the room, his cheeks felt wet. Crying? He hasn't cried in long time. Groaning as he attempted to bring up his dominant arm to wipe off the wet streaks, the deaf stallion’s eyes widened as the cast on his right arm came into his view. Letting a quick yelp as he began moving around his bed frantically to to get a better view of himself. Silent chuckled at how terrible he looked, despite only being able to view a small percentage of his body. The deaf Unicorn snapped his head in either direction to get a better view of his surroundings, which proved difficult because the bandages that enveloped his face prohibited any moment. Silent attempted to force himself to sit upright when it hit him that there was no pain, quickly deducing the medicine was responsible for that. Managing to hoist himself upright, he felt himself being pushed back the bed gently. It was powerful magic, but it was lightly taking control all of his trembling limbs. Silent looked toward the source of the magic and began to calm down when his eyes settled on an all too familiar pony. Silent took a long and deep breath to calm some of his temerity, then let out a small wheeze with small smirk growing on his face. The deaf unicorn was very surprised to see her, but it cheered him up. Fluttershy retreated from the room as soon Silent stirred, both out of her usual phobia of everything and her obligation to Doctor Fleetheart to inform the nurses. Twilight gave her own brand of smirk back when she saw Silent gave a tender smile upon her, turning her head around slowly to hide her blush- hoping that the deaf Unicorn didn’t take notice of it. Silence reigned in the room for few minutes when the lavender mare realized that the deaf stallion could lip-read well, opting to speak to him instead of writing on paper. Twilight was hoping to avoid use of magic because of what Silent’s reaction would be if he tried to use his magic to grab parchment and the quill and found he was unable to due to what happened to his horn. “Hello, are you feeling better?” Silent took a moment, his eyes wandering around the room. It was a bit strange that he didn’t feel any pain, knew he knew that it wouldn’t last. The deaf stallion weakly indicated that he was in-between. Just ok. Groaning as he shuffled around in the bed to get comfortable and, whilst he was at it, casting a quick look around where he was in detail. Silent shot Twilight a imploring look with a hope that she could understand him then confirm. As Twilight have studied Magic of Friendship for over year now, she learnt that knowing the body and facial expression is one of most useful skill to have if you are communicating with somepony; this was the very skill that Twilight relied on to catch on to what Silent was thinking. “If you were wondering, you are in a hospital.” At first Silent didn’t get the last part, weakly waving his left hoof to have her repeat it. “Hospital, you are in a hospital.” Twilight put on her best smile for Silent, attempting to display that there was hope for the lugubrious stallion. Sighing heavily as his usual depressive temperament began to bubble back up, the stallion leant back on his bed- breaking the eye contact with her to stare at the ceiling to mull things over. What should he do now, and this train accident was another thing to add to his long mental list. Just another fact to add to that long bucking list of what else can go wrong! You know what? I’m not going to ask myself that, I need a good-to-Luna drink! Or maybe a bowl. Oh Luna, why is it so hard to breath? Maybe it just needs some watering down. When the bed-ridden stallion tried to swallow his saliva, his his throat became dry as if there were a sandstorm raging in the desert in his trachea. The bed-ridden stallion tried to swallow some saliva once again to fight off the raging sandstorm within his throat, but it didn’t work as he began to cough violently, looking around the room for something to quell his seared throat. The answer was instead presented to him in the form of a floating cup of water encased in a light purple hue. Twilight evinced a concerned face as she held it up with her magic; her mind having completely forgotten about his severed horn as her subconscious naturally performed her hasty, yet genuine, gesture. Silent nodded in gratitude and released a magical charge of his own to take the cup from Twilight's grip. Twilight gulped when she realized what Silent just tried to do, but went unnoticed by her friend in the bed. Instantaneously the lavender Unicorn’s body felt like it was ran over by a stampede emotionally. Nothing. Blinking his eyes then wiping his eyes with his free hoof with debilitated resolution. Must be the medicine hehe... now let's try again. Silent geared up again to attempt another one, focusing one’s magic field to his horn- imaging that he was gripping the cup or it was surmised to. Once again nothing materialized. Silent's mental health quickly deteriorated as he casted a demented look at the cup, swatting it out the air. Silent desperately attempting to cast a spell, any spell, on everything in the room. The pain killer that the doctor had been feeding him via IV was working well, until the moment the deaf Unicorn became hysterical and started forcing himself out of the bed. The heart monitor’s beeps intensified, becoming louder and more erratic as the pain killer diluted. Indubitable pain that he learnt of back at the accident came back in full force; he held back his voice, on verge of screaming. The white stallion tried to step down from the bed when purple aura encased him, the Unicorn tried to fight it off with raw muscle but it wasn't a match for the powerful magic of Twilight. Silent finally bellowed out loud as he gripped the bed with all his strength, still endeavoring to escape- his mind finally collapsed upon itself, his voice bellowing out unintelligible noises. Twilight intensified her aura, effectively doubling its strength, and forced the bewildered Unicorn onto the bed with a loud thud. She hated to do this to the already weakened pony, but the situation desperately called for a more forceful grapple. A team of nurses rushed into the room upon hearing the commotion from the lobby; one of head nurse quickly trotted up with a syringe acknowledging that the patient was a danger to himself and his recovery. Silent began to cry uncontrollably, still trying to escape while his mind is trying to wrap out of not being able to have magic forever or if he could ever get it back. One of the nurses took advantage of powerful magic that held him in the place, quickly injecting a powerful sedative into Silent's neck. Twilight immediately became paralyzed when she could see Silent promptly falling into unconsciousness in spark of irony of what she saw in his eyes met after he broke out of his torpor. The thrashing, crying, and general noises slowly died down into nihility. Snoring rang out after few moments of silence, everypony including Twilight and Fluttershy were stunned at what had happened; one of nurse muttered that this hasn't happened in long time. The whole ER floor was in reticence, the team of nurses then shuffled out together planning on telling the patient's doctor of what transpired, and one nurse stayed behind to give the patient a full check-out. Twilight just stared at empty space, still shocked at of what happened. Something finally pushed her into right direction as she turned herself around. Trotting out of the room with Fluttershy trailing behind, Twilight decided it was time to put her idea that popped into her head recently into action. What inspired inside that hospital room would put someponies in for more misery, but not Twilight. It instead solidified her idea and support since the deaf stallion needed it now more than anything, and the more support he received, the better. Twilight but of course will offer all of her support for stallion that she liked. She could finally admit it to herself after what she and he have been through in short amount of time, but it was still too early to admit to the world, or her friends, and especially him. The lavender Unicorn and cream Pegasus made for the lobby where their friends waited. The scholar mare knew that the chariot was still waiting outside on standby until the order came from the protege of Princess Celestia to go home or to another destination, proclaiming that surprised her companions. “Girls, I'm going to go Baltimare. I think it is only appropriate that I bring his father into this; he is going to need all support he needs!” Twilight expected some of the girls would be against this idea but they agreed without provocation. “Spike!” The baby dragon stepped up, giving a salute to her mentor. “Present!” Twilight weakly chuckled at his attempt of humor before getting on with her scheme. “Take a letter!” With this command the baby dragon spent few moments borrowing a blank paper from a nurse at the front desk and a pen from somepony at the lobby. “Thank you Spike, Dear Princess Celestia...” [Done. I’d rage about yet another cliffhanger, but I know the story now! >:D] - MrMinimii [Starting on chapter 16 today or tomorrow] - Morfonious
Chapter 16On a lonely and dark street the only noises that echoed off the buildings that were packed side to side was the clacking of the chariot’s flight team hoofs and whinnying. A lavender mare hopped off- once again thanking them, as usual, and requesting they linger for bit longer. Twilight mouthed Silent’s father name, then muttered the building number to herself. It didn’t take long as there was only one light source coming out of the main window next to the door; assuming somepony was home. Twilight checked herself to the best of her abilities, then began to ascend the small staircase step by step. Twilight’s voice was alike to Fluttershy for once, squeaking out, “Okay..Here I go,” swiftly picking up a hoof while balancing on other three,other three she proceeded to knock: loudly once followed by a few small raps. The lavender Unicorn’s ears perked up; small noises of cluttering and hoofsteps escaped the bottom crack of the door. It was too dark for to make out any discernible characteristics, but Twilight did see a silhouette approach the door. She straightened her posture and prepared herself to speak, but a raspy voice dashed her courage and made her waver slightly. “Who the hay are you?” the voice demanded. “Why are you here at this time of night? If you are door to door salesmare, I’m going to kindly ask you to buck off and- “Are you Mochaccino?” Twilight interrupted, anxious to get both herself and the stallion back to the hospital as quickly as possible. “I’m here to talk to you about S-” “Wonderful, a bucking random mare that knows my name shows up at my door while it is still the middle of the night. I don’t have any reason to talk with you, now good-bye!” The door became enclosed in a dark brown aura and promptly slammed itself shut in front of Twilight. Twilight, still on edge from the abrupt conversation, found herself blurting out, "I know your son!" The door froze mere inches from Twilight's face, and slowly opened itself to reveal the innards of the building, with a very long ansty pause before the door was opened all the way. “...Come in,” a cold voice called out to a lavender mare standing at entrance of wide open door, a dark brown aura encased the door when Twilight stepped through. A slam resounded throughout the room, then silence which was immediately broken with an inquiry shot by a stallion with - what Twilight could assume as it was still dark - an irritated look to him. “Anything to drink? Coffee? Water? Or any “drinks” that tickles your fancy?” Twilight quickly pondered about the offer, choosing quickly to push things along. “Coffee! Coffee would be fine, thank you,” replied the lavender mare as she trotted up to a couch in the living room. Her ears perked up and she became bit more nervous when the only response she received from him was a grunt among the cluttering of appliances in what Twilight assumed was a kitchen. “It's brewing.” Twilight finally took in full features of stallion when he paced himself out of the kitchen. She could see slight resemblance to Silent, but this stallion was more rugged and donned a brown coat instead of Silent's bright white. The thing that hit Twilight over the head though, were the bright green eyes that bore into the scholar's soul and the unkempt green mane, just like Silent's. Something gained her attention briefly, it was a family photo on the wall just ahead of what Twilight assumed was a young and scarless Silent with Mochaccino. There was pulchritudinous mare with an snowy coat, tawny mane and tail sitting next to them. Amidst this she was giving a deprecating gaze- probably at the photographer. Twilight deduced that that must be his mother. “Now then..” Twilight snapped out of her meditating by a voice that demanded answers out of the mare. Mochaccino went straight to the point, “You still haven't told me why you are here, how you found me or how you knew my name. More importantly, how do you know Silent?” A deep breath was enough to build up some courage before speaking with Silent's father; chafing her flank against the couch, trying to fight off the heavy and penetrating look that stallion had on her. “I'm going to jump to the point, Mochaccino. Silent is in a hospital, moreover- ” Twilight was prepared to carry on to tell him what exactly have transpired very recently, but Mocha had his own ideas. “Silent? Hmph, kicked him out of my house. Good riddance! He was nothing but trouble I tell you! And the hospital?” Mochaccino laughed. “What did Silent do this time? Alcohol poisoning, this would be his...fifth time? This is getting old. Wait! Wait, don't tell me- did he get into a bar brawl again or did Silent get in-” Mochaccino kept waving his hoof, gesturing every time he pointed out all the possibilities that his son could gotten himself into. Twilight found it odd how his own father deliberately avoided the term "son"; it was a testament of the odious relationship that they had for other. Twilight could sense a hint of fluctuate in his cold, demeaning voice; pausing then she decided to interrupt him before he will regret saying some terrible things later on in his life. “Sile- SILENT WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT!” A booming yet feminine voice echoed around the room, then reticence. The only sound echoing through the newly silenced house was the monotonous drip of the coffee machine. “I'm sorry, just had...to,” Twilight's lips were quivering, “Stop you before you said something that you would regret later on. He was in...” the mare drifted her voice repeating it for good measure. “A train accident.” Mochaccino remained stoic. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but a knot in his throat blocked his bid to converse; he couldn't wrap his mind around what this mare before had had just said. The brown stallion's fatherly instinct, for first time in a long, time took over when Mochaccino's voice cracked as he replied. “Is he okay? Where is he? Is he fine? Is he alright? Where is Silent?!” The lavender mare receded while the brown stallion advanced towards her, slowly losing his nerves. Taking a another quick breath to speak about to formulate her response but only got deterred when Mochaccino beseeches the mare before her, to let him to see his son- in spark of irony with the way how he have been acting just prior when he knelt down in begging position, his usual attitude ruffled because he lost his wife and that is one too much. As the chariot flew through the air, sending wind that made Twilight's mane and tail whip back and forth as it rushed past, the lavender shot a concerned gaze at end of the chariot where a brown stallion sat with downcast but worried expression. With a brief moment of peace within the chariot, the magical protege thought back to how this entire chain of events began. It was after a quick correspondence between the personal protegè and her mentor; asking Princess Celestia to use her royal record-keepers to investigate Silent Dreamweaver's family records. After a few tense minutes of waiting, the sun princess replied very briefly with a short but detailed record of his family, focusing mostly on the deaf stallion's father: Mochaccino. Twilight quickly learnt his address within Balitmare, just short reach from the train station. When Twilight was about to leave, her friends tried to go with her for advocation, but she didn't want any of it. She wanted to face him alone, for herself and for Silent, so it was with reluctance that her friends accepted that Twilight went off on this mission alone. A sound rose over and above the various rattlings that came with traveling by a chariot; it was a robust cry. “Lady Twilight, we are almost to our arrival, inform your associate as well. After this trip, we are taking off for the night to head back to Canterlot. I apologize in advance.” Twilight wiped her face, yawning as today's circumstances have been very taxing to her physical and mental fitness, so with a nimble nod at the Pegasus's flight team leader that she understood. Pacing herself toward back of the chariot then picked up a hoof, while balancing on all other three to tap on Mochaccino's shoulder to gain his attention, adopting a delicate voice to match the mood that hovered over two passengers of the chariot. “Moch..Mochaccino. Wake up We're disembarking in few minutes.” As Twilight spoke, the brown stallion stirred out of his half-heartened stupor and set his sights on the lavender mare - ruminating about something. Mochaccino looked up at Twilight, bearing an austere look in his eyes as he asked. “What are you to my son?” The question caught Twilight off guard. Slightly taken aback - she had to steel herself to avoid expressing any emotion, it was too soon - she responded, “A friend, new friend actually. I met him a few days back at Ponyville.” The stallion took a moment to ponder before responding, racking Twilight's nerves slightly. “Are you lying to me? Because it seems like you did more than a normal friend could have done with regards of my son's...” Mochaccino paused, wavering within his mind to find right word that wouldn't be so insulting. “...demeanor. You mean to tell that, after all this time, you still didn't give up on getting to know Silent, despite his faults? You even traveled all way from Ponyville to Hoofington to be there for him and now...” Mochaccino paused to take a breath before proceeding to voice what was on his mind, gesturing one of his hoof toward the Unicorn. “Now this? You went out of your way to find me, Silent's father? Why?" Twilight rubbed her neck, nervous to answer straight away. “Well you see, when he came in-” Twilight began tip toeing in her explanation, but got “saved by the bell” when the team of Pegasus whinnied, tilting the chariot to do a quick turn - lining up to land on the street. Pulling to full standstill at front of the hospital, Twilight hopped off and thanked the fliers; their only response was proud whinny as they took off to the air with empty chariot trailing behind them. Luckily the landing procedure put Mochaccino's mind off the subject at hoof. The father paused when Twilight began to trot toward the doors of Central Hoofington Hospital, knowing that he was only short distance from his son scared him; he wasn't sure if Silent even wanted to see him even though Twilight's intent was pure and true. Ignoring all of the small noises around them, Mocha perked up when a crystal clear voice invaded his ears. “Are you coming?” ___________________________________ A few hours have passed since Mochaccino walked into the lobby and was greeted by five mares plus a baby dragon, which naturally surprised him. Twilight then went into lecture mode, explaining everything that had occurred to Silent within this hospital. Including the messy details of when he learned, the hard way, that he couldn't use magic and could possibly never get it back. It disgusted Silent's father to no end; being unable to comprehend why he went through so many misfortunes in his life, although part of it was entirely Silent's blame due with his poor choices in life. It was also during this time that the party agreed that Silent and Mochaccino should have some time together as a family when he woke up, so for few hours he was all alone with his son just waiting for that moment. Doctor Fleetheart stopped by after learning that his patient’s father is visiting; explaining to avoid the use of magic so his trauma didn't recur. It was also because of Silent's latest outburst that his doctor ordered that he is not to be given anything else but medicine via IV, and he was limited to hospital food only. Mochaccino chuckled lightly, thinking of how Silent will manage to go through this without his addiction of hard liquors. He figured that his son would crawl on his belly to get just one drop of liquor if it got bad enough. ___________________________________ It was morning, urban birds were chirping as the sun rose over the horizon, the ponies were stirred out of their dormancy across the city. The brown stallion gazed upon a reflection of himself in his cup of coffee, still waiting for that moment for him to fall out of dreamland’s control and for the talk that was long time overdue. Mochaccino got his answer when a white forehoof laced with two IV’s twitched, groans followed shortly after, but what broke Silent from the normal wake-cycle was a loud scream which exited his throat upon realizing who was sitting in front of him. All of his old feelings began to flare up, most of them ba,- but subsided when he realized that this pony was the very reason he was leaving Ponyville in the first place. A heart-wrenching silence declared its sovereignty over both father and son while both figured out what to say. Silent had worst of it because he knew that he had to own up to his mistakes and apologize like he originally planned, but he couldn't figure out if he should call him “father”, “dad” or “Mochaccino.” The sunbeams, filtered by the dirt on the window, danced across the floor being interrupted by the occasional bird that flew by. The white and brown Unicorn had a stand-off, it was only Silent who broke it. “Dad...” motioned the white Unicorn in the weakest hoofsign that Mochaccino has ever seen with his son. The father gently leaned over to his son, giving him a hug which made Silent break down; there was no need for a long talk or lecture for this moment. A single tear broke out of his unobstructed eye. The brown stallion backed off to give him some space, rubbing his worn hoofs and began to hoofsign in vain: he stuttered and stumbled so much that, if not for Mocha's experience with Silent at his worst, it would have been unreadable to even the most talented reader. Nevertheless it made Silent happy that this was very first step of repairing whatever of relationship that they had. “How..are you...” Mochaccino kept pondering what sign it was for next word. Silent didn't waste anytime helping out his father with weak left hoof by showing how to say the word “doing”, waving his hoof in downward side to side motion. Mochaccino finished the sentence with his son's help. “I won't lie...I'm not exactly okay, but you being...here helps a lot.” Silent looked at his father, repeating once the last of his sentence: “a lot”. The brown stallion then offered his coffee to Silent, in defiance to what Doctor Fleetheart’s orders earlier. “Did you br-” Silent groaned in small pain as some of pain killer wore off for a moment, but another drip from the pack hanging above him remedied it. “Did you brew... it?” The deaf stallion fought off some of small throbbing pain everywhere on his body. “No.” The deaf stallion made a funny expression, then stuck out his tongue in disgust while shaking his head no. Silent denied the coffee because only his father's home-brew sated that itch in his throat. It is perfectly attributed to his father’s cutie mark: bag of ground coffee that was scattered around the cup of coffee with vapor coming out of it. “Then I...don't want it,” the deaf Unicorn replied in hoofsign with a chuckle, which his father joined. Then a groan exited the stallion when a pain shot from his left hoof to the rest of the body and forced the Unicorn into silence until it died down. Mochaccino began to fret over his son, wondering what he was supposed to do but when he noticed Silent have settled down; right way he asked him. “Son, can...we communicate on paper? Things...easier?” The brown stallion looked at his son with both of concern and reluctance; Silent thought for minute then nodded to his father that he was okay with it for now. Mochaccino didn’t remember the last time that he had a real conversation with his son, so rather than divulge into their past problems now he sought to change the topic by redirecting it into another subject that was foremost in his mind. What is that purple mare to you Silent? The brown stallion figured this was good enough to start off. Snaking his way up on his bed, groaning as he instigated a magical charge to his horn to grab ahold of the pen, but nothing materialized once again. Silent chuckled sadly, this was his first attempt at magic since his accident yesterday. Using his left hoof to support himself, he grabbed the pen with his mouth and began writing in messy, but still comprehensible writing. She's a friend, I don't know how else to describe it. the deaf Unicorn turned the note upside-down so he could read it. The pen quickly got encased in dark brown aura as he transcribed his thoughts. Are you sure? I've only known her for few hours now, yet when she speaks of you I could see that spark in her eyes that shows how much she truly cares for you. The brown stallion carefully floated the paper back to him. Mocha noticed that Silent’s writing became bit more emotional. Yes, I know that she does have those...affections for me, but I chose to ignore it. That mare thinks she could hide it well enough, but it is as obvious as the light of day. Silent chortled at what he wrote. Mochaccino heard enough, they may had problems that still needs to be ironing out, they may be just at first step of repairing his relationship, but ignoring a mare’s feelings outright? This won't do! Silent quickly began to shut down his father with a weak but abrupt reply. You won't understand at all dad, just some stupid horseshit. Mochaccino had enough of this, angrily yanking the paper away from his son to speak his mind, writing quickly as he could. Enlighten me, then! It's wrong to ignore a mare like that, when she’s poured her heart out to you; I don't care if she's said it outright or not! Fatherly instincts took over as he bore a look that only a son or daughter would squirm around at; attempting to change the subject would have proven fruitless as Silent knew how stubborn his father was. Shifting around in his bed once again, fighting off the uncomfortable casts that he had on most of his body, his left eye radiated downhearted aura. Pausing now and then with pen just hovering above the paper, his hoof shook in small tremors when memories of his past love life began to resurface. Okay dad, you win. It is because I... I’m afraid of love! Mocha peered at Silent, wordlessly compelling his son to continue. It was a couple years after...mom died and when it was beginning of my problems. I met this beautiful mare. I won't divulge into details of exactly happened, but we did everything together. We stargazed, drank, partied, got into trouble together, shared a bed...just everything that there is to do as Unicorns. Think back on whatever my mother did with you, we did. Eventually we made it known to most ponies within our circle that we were lovers. We were happy; everything, it seemed, was finally looking up for myself and her. Silent weakly slid the paper across the food table to his father, which he carefully read and came up with two quick questions. What happened? And who was she? The deaf stallion sighed, there was no avoiding it now, might as well tell his father. Anyhow, one night I picked up a few liquors as a gift for her. We were planning to---get drunk and do whatever that we usually do. I walked up to her apartment; her door was unlocked, which was unusual. I thought that there was something wrong, so I snuck into her living quarters, checking if my first reaction was right. I opened the door and there she was... in the hoofs of my damned ex-best friend!. They were just...bucking. I wanted to barge through that door and murder him at that very spot, but I never did. I could remember her looking up and seeing me through the crack of the door with atormented face when she realized that she betrayed our relationship. I won’t ever forget that scene for as long I live. I ran away when she threw him off, chased me for few blocks before I shook her off. And before you ask: her name is Amber Blossom. Silent couldn’t write any more. It was getting bit hard for him to go on, but a small part of him told himself that it felt somehow better. Mochaccino delicately picked up the paper, reading it over- remembering the maroon mare all too fondly, with the white highlights that contrasted her otherwise jet black mane, her yellow eyes that would’ve made any colts captivated. Coming over to his house, knocking on the door to ask for his son, back then Silent would be off drinking or partying somewhere. That was exactly that what he told her everytime she came over. She looked desperate, hurt even, but she never told him why she was looking for his son. Her shame wouldn’t have allowed her to. I don’t think I’ve ever told you this because..well... you weren’t exactly around at home. Amber came over to our house a few times, the last time was month ago, asking for you, but I never knew why. Silent just nodded at his father for a brief reply, gesturing with his free hoof for the pen and paper back. Love has only been painful. So yes, I am afraid of love; afraid of being hurt again. You want to know why I refute Twilight’s feeling? Now you know. But you wanna know the worst part? The father intently shook his head, few answers came to mind, but he waited patiently for the real answer which came after. Sure, if I do find somepony someday, start up a relationship and go far as we want, then inevitable would happen. What scares me the most is that if Amber just showed up one day and asked me to give her another chance, I’m afraid that I might would said 'yes', even after what she did to me. I don't know! So...confusing. Mochaccino have learnt more about his son and his life in one hour of talking than last five years of grunts or simple signs within that household. The brown Unicorn's forehead furrowed in deep thought as he chose the simple approach in regards to this slew of information. ...You're stupid. Very stupid, Silent. Whatever you had with Amber is gone, and you maybe will never get it back. But love isn't planned or projected. True love just happens to us when we’re not searching for it; that’s what makes it so undefined. What I'm trying to say, my son, is give love a second chance, embrace it and you will see the truth. I don't care if I sound like a hypocrite now, but trust me. Just once, I ask you to trust me. Silent gazed at the paper for a long time, chuckling at first at his father's last sentence rebuttal, but the chuckling subsided and a long exasperated sigh soon replaced it as Silent racked his brain in an attempt to find a true justification for his love life. After few minutes of soul-searching, Silent opted to find one another time; right now... he wanted to change the subject. Alright dad, I’ll try to trust you this time, but no promises. Silent once again changed the subject, this time to learn what had been happening with his father since the split up. So, whatever happ- ___________________________________ Meanwhile, just down the hall where father and son were continuing their heart to heart talk, the hospital's cafe was offering food to any waiters and/or doctors that were working today. Which was the main reason why Twilight chose to satiate her growling stomach here; eagerly heading to the counter to order. Unfortunately, the lavender mare's emotional state churned her stomach and made food hard to digest properly. It was with this in mind that made Twilight look through the assortment of foods being offered and choose the easiest pieces she could find. The perfect answer was right there: the scent of artichokes with a dash of garlic invaded her muzzle. It looked rich, smooth, and creamy; she just had to have this. With an order in her mind, Twilight started pulling the bits out of her saddlebags. “Hello, how can I help you?” The cashier with strange nurse garb asked. Twilight didn’t take in much of features of the worker, but the deep voice told her that it was a stallion. Twilight didn’t make a eye contact with the cashier, staring intently at the food just near her. “Yes, I would like that bowl of Artichoke soup please. A cup of tea, coffee or water in that order as well. The cashier sighed then chuckled at the odd behavior that the Unicorn was displaying before him. Walking up with the soup carefully balanced on a tray, he poured the coffee and returned to the mare with the tray now filled. “That would be 6 bits please.” Twilight quickly complied and cashed in her bits. Then, she merrily carried her dinner to an empty table. A large growl erupted from the studious mare's stomach, sending the mare looking in every direction, hoping that no pony had been able to hear it. Twilight scanned the small, scarcely populated room, but didn't take notice to a rainbow-maned Pegasus and Earth Pony brandishing an old stetson hat arguing in a booth a few tables over. “There’s our egghead.” Rainbow went ahead of Applejack, prodding Twilight from behind. “Whatcha eating?” The cyan Pegasus planted her rump on a chair, spouting off before Twilight could formulate a response. “Can I have some? Man, I’m so hungry. You know flying all day and stuff does work up an appetite.” “Rainbow Dash! Corsarn it, don’t get distracted; we aren’t here for food! Beside you didn’t do much of flying today!” Applejack tugged on the Pegasus’s tail. Twilight got a sneaking suspicion that two of her friends wasn’t here just to dilly dally around, what sealed the deal was Applejack sighing. “Twilight, you know that all of us six will be always be your friend, no matter what happens. Rainbow Dash and mahself have been..debating with rest of the girls; some agree and some don’t.” A pause, the silverware made a quiet clang as the Unicorn deactivated her magic to divulge her full attention. “Mind you, ah’m saying this...it’s nothing bad. But it is about-” Rainbow Dash spoke up. Applejack may be an honest pony, but when dealing with hard facts she had a tendency to dance around the subject. “It’s about Silent, but more of about you...” [Fucking.... DONE!] - Mr-Happy-Mii! :D *inhales deeply* ...yay! - Morfy
Chapter 17For once in this whole hospital experience, Silent was at peace - the extra dose of painkiller coupled with good sleep made sure of that. All alone in his world, disconnected from reality, it is difficult to comprehend pain if one has not felt it first hand. Only those who understood this intangible sensation lived with it, persevered through it; in some ways he envied Twilight - she was innocent to him; to the pain. This was a world of nothingness. Silent was almost invisible while everything around him was pure white: the floor, walls, even the ceiling. The size of his new prison seemed impossible to figure out; it was just a white canvas that extended infinitely. He could not recollect how he came to be trapped in this sterilized white expanse. A big white canvas to him, what was he doing there- he doesn't know. Silent trotted around with seemingly no end in any direction, he was content that there was nothing to find. Though he was lacking emotions Silent was content; in his dream he didn’t have to deal with anything. But this emotionless solitude was a lie, a pure snowy hoof materialized out of the thin air and reached out to him. Silent looked from the hoof to a familiar face. She had this expression that was not of anger, not of concern, a mask of calmness; it was a face that only a mother could make. His mother. Seeing his mother brought back too many memories for the stallion - painful memories. His thoughts shifted drastically to getting out from this paradise-gone-wrong. Silent flattened his ears while backpedaling, trying his hardest to block out the hurt expression that his mother wore. Odd thing about dreams, everything in it including yourself is considered perfect. The emotionally shaken unicorn was surprised when he could hear his mother's voice; it was in-between a serenade and motherly tone. Determined to not let his son to run away anymore. “Silent...” Freezing on the spot, he clenched his eyes shut as a tear threatened to escape and break this perfect neutral world that Silent built for himself. Hearing his mother’s voice hurt; yet he yearned to see her once again but not at the cost of feeling pain. What little mental defense he had left finally shattered with a single graceful movement from his long-dead mother; a serenaded murmur. It was quiet enough for her son to hear yet too quiet for anything else to understand, which was ironic since there was no one else in his world. “It's all right, shh.” A heartbreaking cry began to ring out, Silent’s achromatic world was being destroyed as deeply buried emotions were released. He buried his head in to the caring embrace of his mother like he was a foal once more. A rough, comprehensible voice tinged with disuse rang out. It was only in his dreams that he had the ability to hear or use his voice. “...M..” Slowly opening his wet eyes, watching as his world began to shatter and fall at it's own leisure. “...M-mom?” Silent sat still, unable to move. His perfect picture of peace shattered, sending white shards cascading down around him only to dissolve when they reach the ground. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't happy to see his mother, even if this wasn't real. The deaf stallion laid his head on his mother lap as she stroked his mane like he was but a wee colt; there was no need for a talk. “I have to go now, Silent. Just always remember that I love you, no matter what choices you make in your life.” Winter Blossom giggled when she added, “Tell your daddy waddy that I will always love him. Also, please remind him not to forget our “coffee-whipped” moment.” Silent couldn't help but laugh, to which his mother joined after moment or two of snickering as they reminisced on that past memory. Winter then began to dissolve among with Silent's dream, however before she could leave, his lofty green eyes quickly made contact with her tawny eyes, smiling. “I love you mom.” Winter smiled, a single tear broke out of her eye as she ceased to exist. “Thank you...” Silent looked down as he rubbed his hoof, at the very spot where his mother had touched. He closed his eyes out of fatigue, enduring the bittersweet pain. The deaf stallion figured that pain was a reminder that he was still alive, and it only hurt if he allowed it to. A smirk broke out on his face, as to the deaf unicorn it represented something within him growing and changing, even if he didn't know it. ___________________________________ The first thing his tired eyes made contact with was a heart monitor, the pixel heart beeping in synonymous with his actual heart. It was the first time that Silent truly accepted his mother's death. He figured that she was somewhere better - it replaced his memory of her frail being in the bed. Things were looking up for his father as well, somewhat. Wearily chuckling, all he wanted was to go back sleep. He felt so mellow and content, so extremely happy that he was able to have seen his mother once again. It had been a couple weeks since the accident, and Silent was still stuck in the intensive care unit. A matter, of which he let everypony around know straight up, that he hated with an absolute passion. The nurses and doctors that knew him dubbed him the “Silent Fighter”, which sounded stupid and insulting to the deaf stallion but at end he didn’t care enough to make it known. The Unicorn could think back to week and half ago, when Twilight and her friends had to leave. After all, they had their lives to tend to and couldn't always be right there to support Twilight. But Twilight made sure that she paid visits to him - ranging from twice to four times a week. In those few hours, he would see that lavender face peek through his door like she was asking permission to come in. It was funny, but cute to him; he naturally waved her in and told her it is fine for her to enter. Mocha made visits too, he tried to pay off the hospital bill but everypony, including families of alive or deceased victims was surprised when there was an announcement that Princess Celestia have had passed a bill that granted bits for all victims of the train tragedy in either form of recovery or funeral. It was one of many proof that Princess Celestia loved her little ponies. Also, the stars blinked brighter and the moon slightly larger than normal, which was the work of Princess Luna to honor everypony who was involved. Silent's bubbly attitude deflated as soon a nurse walked in with her all-too-caring smile, which the deaf stallion hated with vehemence because he knew all too well what what would soon follow.. It was a week ago when Doctor Fleetheart informed Silent that they would have to re-break his bones to reset them properly. They explained that the c-spine fracture, cracked jaw, right shoulder and right hoof were fine as they were; the only injuries that they had to focus on were the broken ribs and left hip, which hadn’t set right when nurses set the cast on him. Laughing nervously as a flashback came to Silent; a week ago, he learnt exactly how bad pain can get and hope to not endure it ever again, for his left hip: when the doctor used his magic to probe it and discovered the problem; the left hip was shifted out, the socket wasn’t connecting properly. If there was problem with his hip- there was a possibility that there would be a problem with rest of his injuries; so they checked- discovering everything was fine and healing naturally expect for his ribs. As the doctor began to grip his left hip, a random nurse held his hoof while administering the anesthetic they had available, but it didn't help much when the doctor gripped left hip and snapped it into two place. The deaf stallion screamed out in pain but was held down with powerful magic by another nurse to not impede the procedure. To Silent it felt somepony took a sledgehammer and just smashed it apart, not once, but over and over again. Doctor Fleetheart sweated, trying to ignore the screams of the deaf stallion; this procedure required the patient to be awake so they could see if he had ability to move his left leg or hip so they could verify that it was successful. Threading it carefully with his magic, he finally managed to connect the left hip's joint and bone the right way it was supposed to be. Silent broke out in a cold sweat, panting heavily as his pain at the hip region seared Silent’s gripped of the nurse's hoof so tightly that the nurse yelped in the pain. Clenching his teeth, Silent fought meekly against the urge to scream out with all of his might, but the doctor thankfully redirected his attention to a note scrawled on a piece of paper. Can you move your leg or hip? I know this is a lot to ask of you, but it’s only way I could verify that what we just did was effective. After several minutes of fighting and pain just enough to move his leg a few measly inches, and Silent breathlessly struggling to keep his shrieks of agony in his throat, a single, pain-filled tear escaped his unobstructed eye when the doctor elevated his broken leg. Very gently, oh so gently, the doctor set it back down as the nurse quickly went to work of recasting his hip region, as well his left leg to ensure that it will heal right. Silent quickly broke out of his flashback when a nurse held up already written note for him to read. Good afternoon Silent! After a quick discussion with your doctor.. Silent paused his reading to take look at his personal doctor, Fleetheart, before going back on the paper. we decided to do all of your ribs today, one at time. There is total of four. This is, however, ultimately up to you if we do this all at once or one rib every other day. Closing his eyes for moment, deciding between mending it by little and little but experiencing pain or experience a big one and be done with it, never to be acquaintanced with this suffering ever again. With great hesitation, Silent pointed his hoof on the paper with the choice of doing it at all once. The nurses and Doctor Fleetheart winced briefly as they realized what Silent just chose. A nod at a nurse nearby sent her to close the door for privacy while another nurse went to work of holding Silent down. The silence within that floor was broken few moments later by some thrashing coupled with screams that gripped in patient's hearts in the entire floor, as well as turned a few heads from the staff that populated the halls., turning a few heads when they heard it. A few hours passed and Silent was zoning out, forgetting the searing and throbbing pain that latched onto his ribs, thanks to the morphine that doctor and nurse opted for. They put Silent under a vigilant watch for the duration of his morphine induced relaxation; his father informed the doctor that he was an alcoholic, and it could easily transfer over since he was denied alcohol until he left the hospital However, there was one new addiction that hospital staff took notice of, and it was arriving today, smiling while waving at the nurse as she trotted past them. Doctor Fleetheart knew that it will do him some good after that painful procedure that he infected upon Silent. “Room 11...12, there we go!” The lavender Unicorn took a deep breath before she pushed the door ajar with her magic. When her eyes met the exhausted, but beautiful eyes of the stallion before her in the bed, blushing lightly as she remembered the conversation that she had with two of her friends about Silent. Twilight's jaw dropped when he saw Silent holding something then threw his head up with it, sprang into action very quickly; activating her horn flaring up very quickly in bright purple. ___________________________________ “It’s about Silent, but more of about you...” “What about him?” Twilight became somewhat panicky, this wasn't going according to her plan, even if there was no plans at all. “Ah will start this off. While you were off searching for his father, the girls got together. We were talking about normal things, but then Spike but then Spike brought somethin' up... Twilight perked her ears up, signifying that she was listening intently. “Don't take this in wrong way, we think that Silent is good pony that made bad choices in life, even if we don't know what it is. I know you don't know him well, either.” “Rarity says that he is not sophisticated enough for you, but ‘who would say or go against ways of love,’ she says. Fluttershy was inclined to agree with her spa partner.” Applejack took her hat off, setting it down on the table when the cyan Pegasus interrupted the farmer. “I don't think if he is awesome enough for you. I mean, what is so special about him, Twilight? All I saw was that you got hurt by him and that was only making friends with the stallion! I know, how all of us were worried about you, we still do.” Rainbow Dash ribbed Twilight, unashamedly letting her know of her opinion. It hurt, but that was what friends do. Applejack may have admired Rainbow Dash for telling the truth, or her opinion of the truth, but what she didn't like was how brutally she decided to share them. She kicked Rainbow's leg under the table. “OW!” Rainbow Dash began to tend to her fresh injury, rubbing the sore spot on her leg. “Well, yes, that's one opinion... Ah’m saying that Ah don't mind him as my friend, but something about him just rubs me the wrong way. He hadn't lied outright, but I could see that he is hiding something. Also’ what he doesn't share the same feelings for you? Ah'm just saying Ah don't want to see you hurt.” Applejack explained, rubbing the edge of her cowboy hat with her hoof. Rainbow doubled over, laughing as she explained her sudden mirth. “I-I'm sorry, but while we were discussing Silent- Pinkie Pie was, well, being Pinkie Pie. What she said was...” “More smiles! No, that's too many smiles. More like! No, less like. Ooh! I know! Love! If it happens, I will throw a party!" Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from Twilight's back, which made all three jump in their seat. They could hear Rainbow Dash mutter mostly to herself, mumbling something noncomprehending. Pinkie giggled. “I know silly! OOOOOoooooo food!” She then proceeded to swipe the half-finished soup that Twilight ordered and gulp it all down in one go. The crazed pink mare moved her head closer to lavender Unicorn’s ear and whispered quickly, “Get ‘em tiger. Grr rawr, grr, more food calls upon on me!” The sugar-induced mare then disappeared behind Twilight's back just as suddenly as she arrived, leaving the group at the table staring in utter silence while they tried to make any sense as to what just ensued. Twilight opted to ignore it, refocusing on the subject that her friends brought up. “You know girls, forgetting Pinkie Pie for just a moment, it is quite hard to explain, but I like him. I really do. When I first met him, when he walked into my library to borrow books, we made a eye contact and immediately I felt there was something there. When I introduced myself to him-at that moment, I realized that Silent knew of the pain, like I did. When I was young... you know the story of how I became Princess Celestia's personal student, right?” Applejack and Rainbow nodded, moving their head closer in great intent of listening to Twilight. “While my family was happy for me, the ponies that I had the...displeasure of meeting with didn't approve of my status of being the personal student of Princess Celestia. I was bullied relentlessly, but I always ignored them by simply focusing on my studies and devoting my attention to only my family, Cadence, and Princess Celestia. But later on it got worse, saying how I cheated to get into graces of Princess Celestia. How I didn't have friends. Quietly frankly, I saw a bit of myself in him, of being different. What amazed me more was that he endured it for very long time, even with his bad choices. Something similar to myself, I could see that Silent chooses who get to be close to him, whether if it was family or friends, very carefully- it was like he was afraid to get hurt and I understood him because I used to have that same feeling. I didn't want to make friends at all when I first came into Ponyville.” The lavender mare sighed. “Anyway, when we finally did spend some time together: stargazing, reading together, went out for a dinner and after what the Princess said, I finally realized that I liked him. Truly liked him.” Twilight blushed as she reminisced of her good times with Silent. “But...” “No buts. I'm sorry girls, I understand why you are concerned about this whole situation, but I'm a grown mare now. I would like to make my own decisions.” Twilight offered a sympathetic smile to her friends, content at the fact that they'd be there to support her no matter what. ___________________________________ Despite the painkillers starting to kick in, it still felt as if somepony had taken a knife and went to town on his midsection. The stallion laid in his bed writhing in agony; the morphine he had been given didn't work for shit. Gazing around the room to take his mind off the pain, he found his old saddle bag, home to all of his possessions: his books, bits, alcohol he had yet to drink, and most importantly his sweatshirt. But wait... his sweatshirt? Surely it was here, he packed it here just before getting on the train! Silent's heart rate exploded; he searched frantically through the room, moving as fast as he could despite the casts that decorated his body. It wasn't there! Silent quickly examined his room carefully hoping that it was hanging up, or on floor - somewhere! To his anguish, it wasn't anywhere in his room. Sighing- he broke out a tear. One memento of his mother, gone. The deaf stallion then took another look in his bag and recognized something, being unaware that his subconscious was reaching out for this. Silent's eye became unwavering, his action became unpremeditated and automatic as he fished out the unbroken vodka bottle that was latched safely in one of inner workings of his bag. The bottle trembled in his left hoof as Silent tried to cast his magic to uncork the bottle again; losing his ability to wield magic with no possibility that he’d ever get it back stabbed upon Silent's soul over and over. It meant that his special talent, which was represented by a single dream cloud cutie-mark on his flank, was completely useless now. He finally took that fateful step, swinging his head up and shakily downing that drink even he knew it wouldn't be too good of choice with all of drugs that the doctor were giving him. Greedily, he took huge gulps of the drink; his subconscious inflated when it got what it wanted. While he downed his drink, he was completely oblivious to the door behind him being pushed open by a purple Unicorn, who in that same instant encased the bottle in a deep aura and yanked it from the stallion's mouth, pouring its contents to the floor. Silent tried to reach for it, his desperation for the drink flared, but in doing so he was forced to face the very mare who prevented his binge of alcohol - Twilight Sparkle. Silent gave her a piercing look capable of setting things on fire, then turned away in disgust, shaking her head as the contents of bottle continued to spill into the trash bin. Silent stammered for second before hunting quickly through his bag praying that there would be another bottle hidden. Twilight sensed it and levitated the bag away from the injured stallion, but the deaf Unicorn managed to grab the bag's latch with his left hoof and began to pull it back. He never quite learned how strong the raw magic that Twilight possessed was until the bag was ripped from his hoof and another spell was cast to hold him down. After things settled down, quickly she began to take notice of a faint sobbing across the room. Twilight then proceeded to drop everything that she was doing, trot over to jump up on his bed, and give him a soothing hug. Alone in the bleak room, Twilight and Silent had one of their deepest moment together, even if no words were exchanged. Silent just sobbed into Twilight's shoulder, his tears wetting his cheeks. After while the tears and crying died down, Silent leaned back on the bed sighing, being depressed. Silent began to contemplate of how Twilight was there for him. The bedridden Unicorn looked at Twilight with a soft expression of gratitude. Twilight gawked at the face that Silent had on, moving her eyes up and down the stallion’s figure. The atmosphere wasn't volatile like it was mere moments ago- it was peaceful, there was odd but warm ambience within the room. There wasn't going to be another moment so perfect, so Twilight had to take full advantage of it, moving closer to Silent. The magical protege wrapped her arms around the stallion. Closing his eyes to enjoy the moment, Silent offered no resistance, nor did he have the means to, either. Twilight's lips met his and her hoof wrapped around his head as she pulled him closer for a more loving embrace. The heart monitor beside his bed beeped faster and faster to match his increasing heartbeat. The lavender mare took notice of it, kissing him more deeply for good measure. It was only seconds later they finally came apart, Silent gaped at Twilight- his mind trying to process what just happened - the same could be said for Twilight. When she became conscious of what exactly she did, she jumped off the bed, blushing furiously, and ran out of the room. A half-hearted shout rang out throughout the ER of the hospital, most of ponies heard it but not the left-behind, bewildered, and injured Silent that was unable to chase Twilight. “What did I just DO?!” Thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Xaxalot2774 – Xaxalot2774 for the fanart! Once again, thanks MrMinimii, also my newish editor: He shall be not named unless he wants the credit! (Refer to my blog so you can get some kind of expectations of how often I shall update chapters).
Chapter 18This hurts so...bucking much. Oh buck... buck... Buck those doctors and nurs-! Groaning as his body creaked and cracked at every step he took with some support that was wrapped around his belly, the deaf stallion growled as he bantered to himself. ’Relearn how to walk’ my ass! When I get better, I am going to personally strangle that Fleetheart. They need to bucking back off! I'm in pain, and they pretend to know what it feels like to get on train then have it crash! Buck them all! Having enough of the agony, Silent dropped on the floor gently as he heaved short breaths. A nurse rushed to his side, but remained silent. The nurse then wrapped her hooves around Silent with the intent to help him up into his wheelchair. Silent growled internally, pushing off the hooves. This is last straw that broke his back, growling as he bantered with himself while he worked his way up the wheelchair. Ok buck this shit, I'm done. When I do get out of this shithole, I'm going on a drinking binge to drown all of this shit. The deaf stallion then turned around, grunting as he used his weak muscles that weakened after a month of just staying in the bed. Silent wanted nothing more than wipe that fake smile off that nurse's face. He knew she cared for him, but that smile was beginning to get on his nerves. Leaning over his wheelchair for a second, he withdrew a notepad and pencil, pausing slightly to sigh as he remembered that magical aura would no longer surround his horn. Silent was losing bit by bit of himself with every passing day; what is a Unicorn without his magic? Redoubling his focus on the paper as he picked up the pencil with his mouth. I'm done for today, could you take me...back to my room? Silent pushed the paper in the direction of the nurse noticing her nervous biting of her lower lips because the doctor had specifically told her to keep him in physical therapy for at least an hour - it had only been thirty minutes so far. Mr. Dreamweaver, I'm afraid that I cannot do that. I strongly encourage you to try again, walk from where you are right now to the end of that line, you’ve got about 50 feet to go. Then you may go back to your room and rest as long you want. The nurse altered her cap, shifting her eyes away as she hoofed the reply back into Silent's hooves. Everypony who was in that room felt a heavy dose of Silent's anger as he let out a dark growl. Climbing from his wheelchair, the nurse who was in charge of the Unicorn for the day realized what he was doing, so she trotted backwards to the white line. Silent had half of his mind on hoping he could strangle somepony - he wouldn't if given choice, but somepony can wish right? Silent grunted as he went through memorized straits of pony walk, left hoof forward while right hindleg forward then switch and switch, toward that damnable nurse; better to have dark goal than no goal. Silent counted off the steps once again - right then left - in his straits, his body was screaming him to stop. He was pissed at the nurse who was waiting at end line, but he used his anger to push past the heavy injuries that he had. When he finally got to the end, he wavered a bit before resetting himself. A couple of nurses who was working with him gave him a cheer as they counted down the distance: forty feet, thirty feet, down to twenty, then ten. Finally, a white hoof rested on nurse's shoulder- the one that Silent was pissed at. He gave her a cold smile that spoke “Happy now? Get to the work of taking me back to my room”. The nurse just nodded once, waving her assistant to come over with his wheelchair and helped him, as much as possible through the stallion's constant rejections, anyway. The deaf stallion hated receiving help from others; his stubborn pride just one more item in the list of his negative attributes. Growling as he grudgingly accepted some help from the nurses in form of them pushing the deaf Unicorn back to his room. Silent among with other nurses entered the room; only the deaf Unicorn gave out a heavy sigh. It was back to bleak and plain walls of his room that drove him insane, he would love to see different sights such as trees, sky, other ponies...Twilight. Twilight... Silent's lips tugged at him, transforming into a small smirk- he couldn’t figure out exactly why Twilight never gave up on him, or why she liked him and, for that matter, why she kissed him in this very room two weeks ago! After that talk with his father, Silent began to pick up the pieces of his emotional state- figuring out if he was truly ready to let another pony into his heart. Would he make the right choice accepting her in? Could he live with himself if he pushed her away? Sighing as he pulled himself into his hospital bed, his feelings were all jumbled up- pulling his feelings in two directions. Would he still agree with what his father have said in that conversation or do he follow his heart? He only knew one thing in this state of complete disarray: love hurts. Not soon after, a nurse trotted up to him holding a two red pills; Silent loftily looked at it, recognizing his usual pain pills. It was a warm welcome, away from throbbing pain that he acquired from recent physical therapy. Silent grabbed up the pills into his hoofs, popping them into his mouth while gracefully bending over to grab a glass of water that was next to him on nightstand. One side effect of the painkiller that the nurses were feeding him that it made him very drowsy. The deaf Unicorn tried to fight the side effect off by keeping active in his bed, mainly by naming everything he could find in his room and rereading old newspapers and magazines. Silent plucked one magazine out, flipping through until he found an odd but interesting article: “Learning to Lie”. The deaf stallion flipped to next page where it began. In the last few years, a handful of intrepid scholars have decided it’s time to try to understand why fillies or colts lie. For a study to assess the extent of teenage dissembling, Dr. Whooves, then at Equestria University, recruited a special research team of a dozen undergraduate students, all under the age of 21. Using gift certificates for free food as bait, Whooves’s Mod Squad persuaded the students to spend a few hours with them in the local pizzeria. Each filly or colts was handed a deck of 36 cards, and each card in this deck listed a topic teens sometimes lie about to their parents. Over a slice and a Coke, the teen and two researchers worked through the deck, learning what things the kid was lying to his parents about, and why. “They began the interviews saying... The poor stallion never got far with his read when the byproduct of his antiodontalgic struck with full force. The medience that he was administered finally knocked him out cold, snoring rang out out of the room with small noise of magazine falling off out of Silent’s grip into floor. ___________________________________ “My dear, do you honestly think he will be angry at me? I mean it was a...spur of moment when I saw this thing just laying there all battered up like it was! I couldn't simply let it be!” Rarity paused for dramatic effect while Twilight gave her blank look hinting the white mare to press on. Don't try to play it off Twilight! You've seen him in his...dark moments, and I must say it is ungentlemanly of him. I don't know if I will be able to handle apologizing to him, what if he reacts in way that I don't expect? Twilight sighed, giving her a plain face as they walked through the entrance of the hospital. “Rarity...I read in a book that you need to admit that you did something wrong and apologize, it is part of being a friend. Besides, this would make for a good friendship report that I'm due on tomorrow!” Twilight beamed her best smile at Rarity, hoping to redirect her worry elsewhere. Then there was the stallion, of whom preoccupied the lavender Unicorn's thoughts as she replayed her first kiss with him over and over again. It had been few days now, her organized mind went to work; remembering the kiss- the lavender Unicorn blushed. A few of the nurses and doctors smiled at the mares as they passed each other on the way to the ward that held the victims of the train crash. “Oh~~~ Are. You. Sure.Twilight?!” Rarity moved her head closer with every word, hoping to draw out some empathy from the Element of Magic, but Twilight had seen through it, giving her a stare that she used on Spike when he burnt up that book or went into one of his crazy “love episodes” about one particularly sophisticated, white mare. Twilight sighed once again giving Rarity a pointed look before pushing the door ajar gently; peeking around hoping that he would be fully awake but to her discouragement that it didn't hold true. “Well Rarity, let's wait in his room until he wakes up,” Twilight explained as she plopped herself on small couch, beckoning Rarity to take up empty space next to her. There was few moment of silence, it reigned over this room while Silent's new friends was beginning or finally wrap the train accident in it's entirity in their minds. It may have been selfish of them to say it right out, but they were hopeful that anything to do with that calamity would never happen to them. But who could actually say “life is predictable” and be right about it? They validated that truth a long time ago when they faced with becoming Elements of Harmony then facing Nightmare Moon and Discord, as well their wacky events that seemed to pop out often in their small, sweet village of Ponyville. Rarity solemnly looked down inside her bag, her memories ringing loud and true back then at that fateful party that Pinkie Pie threw for him. Rarity then activated her magic to pull a single piece of cloth out of her saddlebag as she recimsined. Silent, hoof dripping the cloth, glared the the white, which, in her opinion, came off as brutish and ungentlecoltly. “Honestly! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?!” Rarity realized that Silent was lip reading. His body began to shake with rage, his depression came back to him twofold. Snatching up the notebook and the pen that he set down earlier. Silent wrote rashly with his mouth in very first page of his new notebook before shoving it over to Rarity with his magic. “Don't touch this piece of cloth ever again, it was made by my mother! It is last thing left that I have of her!” It wasn't soon after when Silent bolted straight out of that party, leaving behind a bewildered party ponies, particularly Rarity herself. The memory of that sweatshirt was brief but powerful. Which was why Rarity took it upon herself to "borrow" it and restore; it served both as a crime against all of her fashion beliefs and, most importantly, a catalyst of her apology for the past. The white Unicorn began to fold it neatly, like it was preparation for a present wrapping. The combo of lavender and white Unicorns snapped out of their alternative musing when they heard something stir; the noise was quickly attached to the deaf stallion. Silent heaved a great yawn, wiping the eye mucus away, and took a quick look around in his room. Instantly, a set of green eyes widened at sight that he wasn't expecting to see. It was his beloved sweatshirt, being levitated by the very same mare who touched his sweatshirt without permission. Bending over to sit on his haunches, his left hip throbbing in pain- Silent shot the mare across the room a dark look. The deaf stallion then pointed his healed right hoof at her then waved her over. Rarity bit her lips, glancing her eyes left and right hoping to avoid any kind of actual contact. It was clear that Silent was pissed right now, but exactly how pissed he was, she didn't know. Twilight gave her an apologetic smile then motioned in Silent's direction subtly. Rarity huffed, moving her purple mane back to its rightful style, and hopped off the couch, swallowing hard, and began her short journey toward the angry stallion. A black sweater drifted lazily behind the mare, creeping ever closer to Silent. Only soon there was nowhere else for Rarity to go but forward, she had to face the situation that she hoped that she wouldn't get in. Silent raised his eyebrow that promulgated a single word wordlessly to both mares who could see him. Well? With a deep breath, Rarity regained her regal posture and faced the stallion heat on. Her bright blue eyes finally made contact with his, the black sweatshirt floated past her and into his waiting hoof. Silent inspected it; it was the same as before. Silent broke off his eye contact from the waiting fashion designer, holding his beloved sweatshirt up. A fragment of his memory came to him for a fraction of a moment: it wasn't perfect when he came out of that train accident. All he could remember was blood, blood everywhere so it must have stained his sweatshirt. The deaf Unicorn then dropped his sweatshirt into his lap, reinstating a eye contact with the white Unicorn before him. Silent waved her even closer, the sweatshirt thief didn't have any choice but to comply. As she drew nearer, Silent raised his hoof higher and higher as if he were going to smack across this mare's face. Twilight's eyes widened, her maw hanged slack at sight that didn't come across even slightly in her mind of many possible situations when the Element of Generosity would be making her apology. Rarity shrieked, closing her eyes in preparation that hit will come; her body shook in fear, she never faced a stallion who would raise a hoof against a lady. Instead, it was more of a soft thud coupled with boisterous laughter. Rarity blinked twice before to realizing that she was buried within the stallion's chest whom she thought was going to take a swing at her; her cheeks grew a heavy, dark red blush when realization crept inside her that she was tricked. Rarity reacted like any lady would do: hit Silent over and over senselessly. Twilight's tense mood dissipated instantly when she grasped what just had happened, her laughter joined the deaf Unicorn's. Rarity then wiggled out of Silent's hug, took a quick look at both of laughing Unicorns, and huffed for second while tending to herself. A smirk tugged on her lips, comprehending that Silent just have forgiven her- a crude method of forgiveness, but nevertheless! Finally, a third laughter joined the existing ones, Rarity held a hoof against her mouth hoping to suppress it so she could still behave as proper lady. Gradually, the laughter died down- Rarity finally had enough comprise to turn around and face the stallion in the bed, mouthing a sentence to him. “Thank you for accepting my apology.” Silent gave her a smile and a nod to gesture that he understood what she have said. Twilight trotted up to him then gave him a long and loving hug. Rarity tittered at that sight “Oh my~, I shall leave you lovebirds alone. Be sure to be quiet, don't quite want anypony to know of your...activities~” “Oh Celestia, Rarity! I have done none of that sorts! An-and I..” “I know dear, I was just kidding. Be on your best behavior. I need to freshen up- thanks to your stallion for giving the scare of my life! I thought this was the Worst.Possible.Thing!” Rarity heaved, “Well ta-da~” A door then was encased with Rarity’s magic, opening then closing as she left- leaving the two so-called lovebirds alone in the room. Twilight looked around as blush grew on her face, giving Silent a smile, activating her magic to pull out a pink notebook and pencil out of Silent's saddlebag. How are you doing so far Silent? I heard from Dr. Fleetheart that you began physical therapy so I thought I would bring a couple books relating to it. I thought they might help you some. While Silent was reading it, Twilight levitated over her saddlebags then pulled two books- The Equestrian Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Maintenance and Repair Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Secrets Thanks Twilight.. Silent paused for moment, knowing that Twilight was only trying to help him recover, but the deaf stallion learnt to hate therapists or anything related to them. So he chose to lie. those books will help along, it hurts like you won't believe. It's pretty damn hard to compare the agony that I know as it is to anything else. Twilight...how are you doing lately? Silent then pushed the notebook back to her. Twilight smiled after quickly reading his response, only to watch Silent cracking open the first book that Twilight brought for him and gestured to her to come over to sit next him so she could have the pleasure of reading a book with him. Twilight blushed, climbing up on the bed- being extremely careful about his injured areas. Silent then flipped through the pages, skipping to Part I- Chapter Nine which spoke of ankle and hoofs. For a good hour Twilight and Silent dialogued back and forth with the mare taking up most of the conversation by explaining what the book meant about how a pony should go to restore health to their hoof and hips. Some exercises seemed outlandish or painful. Twilight perked up to the sound of knocking on the door with voice asking cautiously. “Is this Silent's room?” Twilight gestured quickly that there was somepony at the door; the deaf stallion nodded once and went to work of bookmarking all important parts that both Unicorns were discussing about. Twilight answered the voice quickly as it came, not recognizing the voice, but figured that it was somepony that her...dear friend knew. “Yes, you may come in,” both of their eyes focused on the door ahead of them. The door became encased in dark red then a maroon hoof decorated with a single black hoofband stepped through the door. The room quickly seemed bigger to the deaf Unicorn when a head peeked through the door as it was pushed ajar and in a instant a pair of yellow made contact with his. Time froze. [Done.] - MrMinimii Yay! -Morfonious
Chapter 19Hello Bronies, I'm so sorry that this chapter is so late and overdue. I apologize for this, I hope it won't happen again. I was just so busy picking up my life putting it together by piece and piece, multiple things going at once: getting a new girlfriend, renewing my license, and finding a job to have a steady source of income. Anyhow, after a month of waiting- here's your rightly deserved chapter nineteen! It’s VERY short, I apologize once again. Happy Belated Thanksgiving everypony!To make this be fair for such a short chapter, I'm going to write 3,000 to 4,000 words chapters! Then Ill try my damnest to put it out there ASAP. If Silent wasn't deaf, he might could have heard a pin drop within the room when that particular mare walked in. It was almost as if that never happened. The mare's yellow eyes deterred from his; was she sorry about it?. The deaf stallion gripped the bed as dark emotions shot through him, he wanted nothing more than to make her pay, make her feel miserable for what she put him through, but just as suddenly as they came, the malicious thoughts disappeared and new thoughts, nicer thoughts, filled his mind. Only for a brief moment, however, as the dramatic emotional shift overwhelmed the Unicorn and blurred his vision. Silent quickly shut his eyes, muttering it to go away. The deaf Unicorn felt something tapping his shoulder, snapping to attention when Twilight gave him a befuddled look. A sudden movement redirected his attention to a sorrowful Unicorn braving a step forward, but stopping when the burning glare of her ex became fixated on her. She hid her face, but couldn't hide the depths of sorrow that poured from her eyes.. It seems like that was still fresh and intact in his mind. Twilight have noticed but she didn't know exactly, hoping to diffuse the mood that was descending upon the trios of Unicorns. Twilight cleared her throat loudly and forced her best smile to the other mare. “Oh, hello there.” The magical protege held her hoof up to shake this mysterious, yet beautiful mare as greeting. Suddenly, she was held back by Silent's hoof; he shook his head 'no'. The deaf stallion turned, lashing out loudly by pointing his other free hoof toward the door. Clenching his teeth, he tried for the only two words that could solve the situation that had befallen the happy couple. ”Get. Out.” “But..” the maroon Unicorn finally spoke up, only to be interrupted by Silent slamming his hoof on his bed to punctuate his anger. The deaf stallion began to shake out of anger and sadness, crystal orbs at the threat of breaking bubbled on either side of her eyes. The maroon mare broke under the pressure, galloping out of the room to escape the offensive and desperate stares from her ex and the mare respectively. Twilight could not, for her life, figure out what just happened. There was a sudden drive within herself to help her soon-to-be lover, so she calmly trotted out of the room with the intent of talking with her. __________________________________ The hospital staff was leery of a certain maroon mare just loafing around in their break room, just staring at the coffee-maker like it was non-existent; a depressed face held on her. The yellow eyes once held sadness and vibrancy, but she repressed the feelings upon entering the lobby. She tried to pick herself up and do something, anything to keep her busy until her ride turned around to pick her up. A sob broke through he pursed lips, her mind flashed back to the first time she heard the news of the train crash. The maroon-coated Unicorn stirred in her sleep, waking from yet another bucking nightmare. Everything that she tried to get rid of that tormented face never worked, but she learned to accept it. Quickly hopping off the bed, the mare trotted to her door to do her usual rounds in the morning, but it was fate, to her anyway, when she picked up that newspaper with her magic that contained the very same information that Twilight had read. EQUESTRIA TRAIN TRADEGY NEAR HOOFINGTON; DOZENS DEAD. The collision occurred just north of Hoofington in the afternoon after the train ended up derailing after hitting one of weakened rails on a curve. Neighbours in the town of North Hoofington were alerted by what they said sounded like a bomb and rushed to the scene as survivors emerged. Rescuers worked through the night to recover bodies and help the wounded. Equestria Railroad was closed for four days as maintenance work was being done on the tracks before the accident, but officials said it was too early to determine the... She skimmed over the uninteresting bit, jumping instead to the names of the victims involved in the accident. She could have sworn there was something that made her eyes draw to this very list. Alive but unidentified: A maroon filly, with black mane and tail. Three pieces of musical notes cutie mark. Moved to Fillydelphia hospital. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. A light mint mare, yellow-black striped mane and tail. An ice-cream cutie mark. Transferred to Fillydelphia hospital. A gray stallion with blue spiky mane and tail. A drawing pad cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. She couldn't believe it as one particular sentence that she just have read looped over and over in her head. A white stallion, green mane and tail; various scars. Dream-cloud cutie mark. Transferred to Hoofington hospital. She couldn't believe that he was still out there, injured, but at the moment all she could think about was visiting him. The fear of Silent's response and retaliation deterred her to no end, even though she had cut all ties with his best friend. She already actually kicked out then cut ties with Silent's now ex-best friend. The red aura around her horn deactivated, and the newspaper dropped into the ground unceremoniously. The maroon mare began to bite her lower lips as she rubbed her foreleg in very deep thought; Should she go or should she stay? Because, after all, she had betrayed him. Snapping out of her stupor when she felt a gentle hoof resting on her shoulder, her eyes dilated and focused on a silhouette who, after adjusting, turned out to be the very Unicorn sitting beside Silent on his bed. The depressed Unicorn was beginning to question her entire trip to this hospital to see her ex-lover and if it was feasible at all right now or ever. “Uh..” The yellow eyes of hers made contact, but only to break away out of despair. “Hello.” Twilight was taken aback when she realized how shaky the voice was. She moved quickly to her side to ensure that she wouldn't do anything stupid in that kind of state. “Hello! My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm Ponyville’s librarian and the personal student of Princess Celestia! What is yours?” a vigorous voice chirped in hopes of squashing the depressing mood that mare before her have set into the room. “Amber..” The maroon Unicorn felt awkward in this situation because of what transpired in that room earlier with her...complicated relationship with her lover or was it ex-lover? Amber sighed before pushing herself to answer the question. “Amber Blossom, a florist and party-goer from the city of Baltimare and personal student to nobody.” Amber rebutted Twilight's fiasco introduction of herself. “Hehe...yeah.” Twilight turned her head to ask her a cautious, yet necessary question. “What are you doing here? Why is Silent that...” The lavender mare twitched when she remembered a dark piercing look that he had on this mare next to her. “angry with you? What happened between you two?” “I don't want to talk about it...please.” Amber turned to Twilight with a pained look in her eyes, opening her mouth to continue, “If you truly want to know, ask him.” The maroon mare turned and slumped; Amber muttered very quietly- thinking that Twilight wouldn’t overhear it. Twilight’s eyes shrinked instantly as her equine ears picked up the noise. “Why did this have to happen?...” Amber’s voice cracked before continuing “I love you..” [Uh-huh...]-MrMinimii I apologize for very short chapter, been so busy with my life- refer to the message above
Chapter 20The room became wider and wider as Twilight heard those three words that would be music to her sister-in-law's ears. Cadence would gladly support this brand new Unicorn from nowhere over her own family, distant albeit, for the mere fact that she loved the stallion. The purple Unicorn folded her ears taking a hit to her heart; she didn't know what she should do in this situation. The kiss from the deaf unicorn sent a flurry of feelings too strong for her to cloud her brain, and she hadn't even let them develop before this new mare- or old mare- entered the picture, or re-enter the picture; she hadn't even figured out how she truly felt! Until now. She sat on her haunches, perched at the edge of a couch in the hospital lobby sobbing lightly to herself, too enveloped with her own self pity to notice the mare starting to move. ”Why did this have to happen? I love you...” Those words kept looping inside her head; Twilight slumped her head down as she began fighting this new war within herself. How would Twilight decide to go through this, what would be best method to conquer and win this raging strife. After all, this Unicorn always plans everything that she does ahead of the time! First thing that she put into a scrutiny was the Magic of Friendship and what of she learnt through her writing of friendship reports to her beloved Princess Celestia. Twilight began to apply what meant the most to this situation; the first useful thing that came to her was: Dear Princess Celestia, I am happy to report that I now realize there are wonderful things in this world you just can't explain, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them. And sometimes it takes a friend to show you the way. Dear Princess Celestia, Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself, and others. And that's something every heart desires. Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned it's not good to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something. If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did. This could hurt their feelings, and it could make you feel really foolish. So from now on, I will make sure to always get all the facts. I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives... Even when they don't always seem to make sense... But in this case, the solution to this dilemma would come from within herself. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, took a deep breath and decided on best method that would hopefully fix the predicament that all three Unicorns involved were in using the appropriate lessons. Twilight looked on at Amber sitting there on her haunches just nearby. Meanwhile, among all of this, Amber was burying her head between her hind legs- slumping as she tried to wrap her head around this whole situation that she had to face, but she wasn't sure if she had courage to do so. A single, painful tear broke from its barrier in her eye and cascaded down her cheek; the frozen image of his expression when he had caught her still tearing away her nerves. With his best friend, no less! Amber felt that she was no less than dirt and right now, she was holding on to a pathetic but hopeful goal that only made sense to her. Amber would give anything to return things to how they once were before she ruined everything. Now only one question remained: Will Silent feel the same way? Despite the feelings of sadness that plagued the air, she felt familiar muscles begin to shape into a satisfied smile. The maroon Unicorn's mouth began to tug at her, unconsciously smirking as her mind cranked back to the time when they were at their happiest but Amber have chosen the origin of Silent Dreamweaver and Amber Blossom; in her eyes was the happiest moment because she wouldn't have discovered exactly what it meant to love one another. She could remember it very clearly, there is no chance that she would forget that day. There was music disseminating from within one of the watering holes in Baltimare; groups of ponies occupied the chairs and stools that dotted the floor, but one particular group caught her eye. A couple of rowdy stallions were wrestling playfully while a group of mares chatted noisily about something that her friends easily filtered out. They were here to drink and have fun, gossip their night away, and unwind after a long day. “So Meadow, do you see any table open for us?” A chipper female voice spoke up as the door slammed behind them. The bar was commonly rowdy, yet it added to the overall feel of the pub and it drew in customers night after night in anticipation for a great fight. Amber’s friend; Meadow and Purple went in first and they began arguing about where they should sit down, behaving like kids by throwing “No, there. Yes, No! There!” back and forth between them. “Oh look Raven, there's a table open. Let's hop to it and leave those idiots to bicker for a bit.” Amber giggled as she took a backseat that oversaw over the whole bar. “Who do you think you are saying that we are an idiots? OH WAIT!” Meadow and Purple Haze said in unison as they trotted over to take their respective seats. “Wait up!” both Meadow and Purple were attempting to weave their way through the crowd, sprouting “excuse me” as quick they went; Amber and her friend went ahead and took their respective seats. Amber Blossom was lofting around as her friends began ordering their usual drinks then began killing their time chatting with each other about their life, families, bad tidbits, and general gossips about celebrities. Amber kept quiet, mainly because nothing truly spectacular happened in her life recently. The familiar chime of the door's bell alerted the group to a new visitor; no one but the maroon mare bothered to look to the new visitor. Silent strode in in thirst for a drink. Nothing about the stallion separated him from the other drunkards that littered the chairs except his eyes, his black lifeless eyes. Amber kept her eye fixated on the stallion, paying particular interest to his demeanor; it was rare to find one so solemn in a land so overcome with cheer. He made his way to the pub and tapped slowly on the wooden counter top, first once, then twice before the bartender responded in a well practiced motion slidding a bottle vodka toward him. After the usual exchanging of bits for products they both went on their way; however the stallion was just content where he was- drowning his sorrows with alcohol. Amber averted her eyes, refocusing on her friends who was chatting about the Wonderbolts show that was upcoming in nearby city of Fillydelphia. The maroon Unicorn could pick up there and there of the whispers about that stallion of how often he comes in and get drunk, of how pathetic he was and of how little he spoke. Every attempt ever made in trying to communicate with him ended with a grimace followed by a swig of his vodka; it didn't matter if it was a mare that was interested in him or a stallion that wanted to make friends with him. “Don't chu dare i'nor' me... Hey retard! The entire bar turned to the focal point where a Pegasus was screaming mere inches away from the stallion's ears. Any attempt to ignore the situation was quickly trumped by the boisterous voice of the inebriated Pegasus.The Pegasus stallion flared his wings to display his annoyance and anger toward the mute drunk, but Amber was sure that it was alcohol talking not him. The mute's lack of a response snapped the final bit that held the stallion back. He rose a hoof in fury, smashing it into the shoulder of the silent stallion sending both him and the bottle of vodka to the floor. The Unicorn, dazed from the hit and the alcohol, scrambled to his hooves unsteadily and strained to make eye contact with his attacker. Amber watched as both inebriated stallions exchanging glassy stares. The deaf stallion swayed around lightly, lightly, his vision reduced to blurs and blobs but not enough to inhibit his coordination.The pegasus's mouth kept moving; his physical expression told the deaf stallion that something would happen soon enough.The Pegasus's scowl and demeanor ensured a show soon enough. Amber and her friends’, as well among most of everypony in the bar's, eyes widened at the sight that they thought they would never witness. The Pegasus cocked a foreleg back to knock the Unicorn upside his head, but Silent, in anticipation for the blow, ducked from under the swinging hoof and administered a blow of his own directly into his throat. The sound resonated around the now-silent pub and the Pegasus stepped back shakily, hoofs pressed on the impact spot with astonished pain. The breath wheezed down his throat as blind rage rose to the drunkard's head. He released an aggressive growl and charged for the deaf defender. The aggressor stopped dead in his tracks as an eerie aura entangled him, freezing him in place. The source of the magic, one drunken Unicorn, stared evenly, his void eyes masking the rage that surged through his veins. The Pegasus rose from the ground slowly in relation to the Unicorn's eyes; his face awestruck and colorless. A twinge in the magician's muscle sent the newly-found victim crashing to the floor with a cacophonous crack that sent every onlooker cringing in pain. The aura dissipated the still body with nothing but the unsteady, restricted rising and falling of his crack ribs to signal his grip, however weak, to life. Amber speculated that this night would forever be wiped from the Pegasus's memory. The room burst into murmurs and whispers of the stallions, berating them for resorting to violence in such a peaceful land; two of Amber's friends being of the first to spar the chatter. Amber took no interest to the attempts to get her to join them, opting instead to study the victor. His eyes relinquished all thoughts of anger and contempt, resorting back to his recessive, apathetic appearance, yet something sparked deep in his eyes, a spark that told of feelings passed the outer shell, feelings longing for acceptance, feelings longing for affection. Amber and her friend looked on to the stallion as he seated himself, looked down to the downed stallion with a condescending sigh, and returned to the endeavor held within his bottle of clear, liquid problem-solver. He wrapped it in white magic and retreated to the snowy wasteland just beyond the door with nothing more than a black sweater and green scarf to shield him from the ice. “So Amber, what did you think of that stallion? I wouldn't mind to jump into bed with him!” Raven fluttered her wings and looked upon the stallion with the same yearning look one would find from a mare in heat. “Oh, so you mean you would like to roll in the hay with that stallion that is knocked out cold right there on the floor?” Raven immediately answered, “Yes,” before realizing that Amber tricked her whilst her other two friends, sitting across the table, began laughing at her; Amber Blossom couldn't resist the temptation to join the fun. However, it ended rudely when Raven discreetly kicked Amber's leg underneath the table. For some strange reason he maroon mare, whilst tending to her leg, found her thoughts trailing to the mysterious stallion time and again. The stallion tugged at her curiosity until, finally, she succumbed to his mystery and resolved to follow him. Amber quickly excused herself from her friends at the table by saying that she forgot something at her apartment. Quickly scarffing herself to battle the frigid temperatures that plagued the winter months, she crossed the threshold of the doors and inter the wintry land beyond.A cloud of steam escaped from the mare mouth as she exhaled her first breath. The falling snow flakes meant that Baltimare would soon be blessed with a fresh, new sheet of white winter wonder, but her concern was not with the city as a whole, just the section of the city that held the silent protagonist she sought after. She dropped her head to the sidewalk to study any sets of tracks that lead away; after all he couldn't have gotten too far. The set that stuck out to her were hoof prints that seemed to burn the snow away, leaving nothing but cements with every step; she pressed on immediately, lest the remnant hoof prints be buried and forever hidden in the cascading snow, her search came to an abrupt end; she didn't search long before stumbling upon the mystery fighter sitting alone atop a frozen park bench, his green mane and tail blowing lazily in the wind. She paused, second guessing her own actions. How should she, how should any pony, dare approach a Unicorn that just slammed a Pegasus to the ground? Amber after inhaling then exhaling a great breath to gain courage; took the first step forward to introduce herself to the Unicorn. As Amber looked on at the sight that was getting closer, more and more feature of the Unicorn became more clear and clearer, tons of scars adorned his body, his heavy green eyes just stared blankly at the snow mounds around the park. He didn't acknowledge anything around him, a nearly finished bottle of vodka floated around him mindlessly as his horn kept glimmering in green. The snowflakes was falling gently- a truly beautiful sight to behold if somepony took a pause in time to look at it. Amber watched an another steam escaping from her mouth then raising up in the air, building up a quick courage then finally spoke. “Hello there...” she began, just strong enough to grab his attention, but weak enough so as not to provoke or startle him.However, he didn't respond. She stepped back; who did this stallion think he was, ignoring her! “HEY! What’s up with you an...?” She paused. His ears remained flat, but all equine ears twitched at any sound of noise. She calmed herself and stepped forward. She was immediately noticed by the Unicorn, who raised his head quickly and stared at her. She motioned to the seat next to him with a wavering smile. The stallion returned to his drink with a grunt and slid to one side of the bench. She sat and activated her magic, sliding the bottle from the white Unicorn's grasp, and sipped it. The owner looked at her as the softest smile broke over his usually placid face. A second tear widened the track that the first one made as she returned to the present. She closed her eyes to delve back once more, but a light tapping on her shoulder broke her concentration. Twilight was gingerly rapping on her shoulder to garner her attention; a tense smile adorned her face. “Come on, Amber Blossom, let's go back to his room together and you can talk it out.” Twilight had thought this plan over time and time again; make Silent decide so no emotions would be hurt and he would be happy. Fortunately, she took to analyzing every detail possible to use her knowledge of friendship to win the Unicorn over to her favor, however selfish it may be. Amber gawked at Twilight in vain hope that she only be a figment conjured from the depths of her mind that took a sick glee in torturing her, as they did by making her relive every cherished moment with Silent. She wasn't. While Twilight was busy developing her plan and Amber was busy taking a trip down memory lane, Silent lay in his room, silent save for the annoying blips emitting from the machines that went unheeded by the deaf Unicorn. He, however, wouldn't noticed it either way since he was preoccupied with chucking anything within hoofs reach to expel the anger that boiled within him. A storm of emotions tore at him, a battle between the feelings of is lost love and the personal student of Celestia. But feelings couldn't be decided. Nothing can stop it from staying or change. Author's Note [DONE] - MrMinimii [Whoo, whoo you rock!]- Morfonious MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR MY READERS! (this is my early wrapped gift for you guys). :D
Chapter 21Nurses and doctors scurried through the hallway, past Twilight and Amber whom traveled its length to reach the incapacitated patients. Amber was still quiet, her eyes was set on floor watching it go by as she trotted by her enemy in love. Although the mood was heavy and dark, throughout the whole thing the maroon mare couldn't help but smirk as her mind took to more of a positive light. Amber began to hum some familiar song that she made up herself a long time ago, when Silent's heart belonged to her. Twilight turned around for a moment to the source of the noise and scrutinized the Unicorn behind her; she couldn't help but wonder what exactly Silent and Amber could have done together. Pangs of jealousy forced their way into the lavender Unicorn's subconscious, coupling the increasingly intimate images of Amber and Silent: at the park, their home, a bar, in... bed. Shaking her head, she worked feverishly to rid herself of the thoughts that now plagued her mind, of Amber being a genuine love to Silent, or at least tried to. Why else would she show up out of the blue, weakly acting like nothing had happened between them? The scholar wanted so desperately to ask what could have driven them apart. The further they trotted along the hallway the further Amber sunk into a memory. As she did so a smirk of inexplicable emotion that Twilight couldn't place spread across her mouth. Twilight gathered her courage and decided to ask Amber straight out - mare to mare. “What exactly are you to Silent?” Amber stopped, perking her ears up. Hearing the question that cut her deep down, the maroon Unicorn lowered her head to lowest point possible. She began to speak, her voice fluctuating dramatically as was common when faced with a conflicting situation. “I... don’t know... anymore...” Amber kept her head down, her eyes making contact on the white tiled floor of the hospital. “I am, or was his lover.” The mare then sat on her haunches, sighing as she coordinated her reply to the purple mare before her. She looked down the hallway, she wasn’t ready to look her opponent in the eyes. She was about to stop, but the intrigue on the other’s face egged her onward, so she breathed a deep, shaky breath and continued. “I...look...Twilight was it?” A nod came from the temporary companion. “I bucked up, not an ‘ Oops! I'll apologize; forgive me?’ I bucked it up bad.” Amber slammed her hoof against the floor. Twilight leaned in, anxious for the next part of Amber's explanation, but, to her dismay, Amber pushed her along in favor of being alone with her thoughts. She released the air that had been building within her much smoother than it had initially entered, but try as she might she was not able to release the terrible thought that floated around in her mind. “I need some time alone.” The maroon mare shot the other unicorn a pained look as Twilight began to vocalize her reply to the ex-lover. “I'm not all here right now in my head. All I need a some time alone then I'll head up to that big lug's room.” Amber smiled weakly as Twilight bit her lower lip the moment she heard the one of many handles that the maroon had for Silent, trotting forth on and not bothering to look back. It had been a couple of weeks since Amber met Silent at that fateful, cold night, just sitting there sipping his vodka together. For their first night of being friends, they began to communicate through a series of gestures; Silent tried to keep his excitement in check. He wouldn't want to scare away his first potential friend in a long time, at least since his middle school days. Throughout the week they would meet up, exchange their respective "hello", and promptly head down to the bar to drink. The Pegasus even returned and apologized! After a stern "talk" courtesy of Amber, of course. Needless to say, it was hilarious seeing a stallion piss his legs when a she used one of mare's arguing techniques. It was during the weekend when Amber had to take charge in this new formed friendship, introducing him to her friends, including one particular stallion whom later became his best friend. One time she had invited Silent for coffee, an attempt to pry deeper into the reclusive Unicorn, but, to her dismay, Silent didn't show. As the minutes ticked away, the ever growing anxiety within the mare shook her in her seat and forced her eyes to scan the small shop time and again in hopes of spotting the stallion. She thought she had gotten lucky once when a white pony came in, but unfortunately it was an elderly mare with a brown mane. Amber became increasingly worried when the clock struck the next hour, quickly scrambling out of her chair, but not before picking up her shoulder sling bag and throwing some bits on the table for two cups of coffee, one empty and another full, untouched. Hurriedly trotting through the streets, eyeing the few ponies walking by, Amber searched for Silent. Normally, there wouldn't be a cause for alarm if some pony didn't show up at an aforementioned time for some coffee together; it would have translated as him blowing her off or getting caught up in something that took big deal of time, but Silent wasn't normal, at least not emotional-wise. In fact, in the time that Amber had spent with the stallion he would never quite seem attached mentally. She would occasionally prod him to bring him back, along with a slur of assurances - lies through his teeth - of how he was perfectly fine. It had been only one week but the maroon Unicorn also realized that the deaf Unicorn was always a stallion of his word; no matter what he did, he make sure he would be done with it instead of prostrating. Which is why him not showing up to the meeting worried her as she trotted along trying to remember where the deaf stallion lived. Amber wasn't sure what was exactly wrong with him now, especially since she knew so little to begin with. Along the way, the mare remembered that his house was near the train station, so she trotted through the streets as Princess Celestia's sun was moving down into the skyline.The distraught mare paused at the station in a combination of exhaustion and confusion. The sun had since vanished, giving way to night. She watched the sky darken and the stars emerge from the abyss, but a white blob emerging as just another freckle against the sun's perfect deep sea complexion stood out to her from among the top of an apartment building. Fear gripped the panic-stricken Unicorn as she leapt into action, fearing she'd lose a life she had just gotten. Amber used her magic to kick down the door, then ran down the hallway quickly reaching the spiral staircase. The mare panted as the fourth floor passed her in her ascent to the top, then the fifth, and the sixth; How many more staircases would there be!? Finally reaching the eleventh floor, and nearly out of breath, she away the final door that lead to the roof of Silent's family's building. A fearful chill rocketed up her spine as she saw her new friend just sitting on very edge of this building with about hundred foot drop to pavement below where he would become nothing but a mound of meat. Silent was swigging some last drops of his newly purchased vodka. First thing that came into her mind is to yell out to him to get away, or to stop, hell, anything at all really, but she quickly realized afterwards that he was deaf and nothing could change that. Amber very, very cautiously edged closer and closer the stallion;instead of galloping or trotting, which he would surely feel, sitting atop the unsteady ledge. Instead, Amber began to slide her hoof along the hoof, two at time- front then back, front then back - the process repeated over until she finally reached the deaf stallion who was still swaying around, looking straight down the ground. Amber's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do; she dove toward him and grabbed him by wrapping her forelegs around his chest then activating her magic to assist her in her effort of hauling the heavy stallion onto floor, far away from an edge of any sort. Amber panted heavily as Silent dazedly looked around of what exactly what happened. One minute he was looking down at the dark street, the bottle of vodka he had just ingested quietly nudging him further over the ledge in a fit of drunken disorientation, and the next he lay on his back in a pained daze. Amber regained enough of her composure in time to unload in front of Silent's face, screaming as loudly as her vocal chords could withstand, her voice carried in the darkness followed by a resounding slap as her hoof met his left cheek. Despite being deaf, she was sure he would get the message. “Why?! WHY WOULD YOU GO AND DO THAT?” Another slap aimed at his cheek, “WHAT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?! HUH?! Interchanging one for another smack into his face to empathize his parents. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?! WHAT ABOUT ME?” Amber picked his head up with both of her hoof, “What about yourself?” A single tear finally escaped her eye, the anguish of watching somepony nearly plummeting to their death, by their own choice no less. Worse, it was her new friend. “Why would you do that?!” The mare let out a sob, then a gasp for air. All of that shouting left a bad taste in her mouth as this night added to her own list of bad memories. Amber then stared at Silent's eyes, hoping to find some answer to rectify the stallion’s recent actions. Silent just laid there, as the first tear broke through the threshold of his hardened persona; his own breath became short and swallow. No words were exchanged, but the night became filled with a nerve racking sob since Silent's outer shell crumbled and he tried desperately to express what had been welling within him for most of the night. Amber carefully levitated her bag over to the pair then pulled out a notebook and a pen for deaf stallion to use. The pen, wrapped in Amber's aura, shook heavily as it contacted paper, pausing momentarily while she reflected on what to write. She waved the thought away and wrote what came naturally. What is wrong, Silent? He shuffled awkwardly under the question, sitting higher to prepare an answer, but his shoulders slumped as if the weight of Equestria taxed them. The magic aura around the notebook and pen changed color as it turned over to his control. He tried, to the best of his inhibited abilities, to summarize everything that happened happened with willful restraint to explain the problem head-on. My mother... died today, and my father just took it out on me. I don't know exactly why, but we ended up brawling it out right outside of her room. After she... Silent wept, his tears falling on the paper, sniffing as he pushed the paper back to his new friend. Amber disregarded the paper without a second thought. Instead, she wrapped her forelegs around the trembling stallion, hoping that her action could speak volumes more than her words ever could. Silent accepted the embrace like a safety blanket, and while not erasing the pain from his mind, it comforted him to know he had another soul to share the emotional strain with. Silent buried his head into one of her forelegs and let loose the slue of emotion and mental trauma that had gnawed at the back of his mind. His caretaker, the one who helped him to control his magic, the one who cheered him up at anytime given, the one who gave advice and the one of rock in his life was utterly, truly gone and going to be buried six feet under sometime this week. The deaf stallion then wrapped his forelegs around the maroon mare, his shoulder resting on her shoulder; her being there made all of the difference in his life- even if he didn't know at that very moment. After a long while had passed, only dry streaks on his cheek remained along with Amber's for different reasons. The air oddly became warm as the young night pushed along, the moon floated in the air with face of Mare in the Moon staring down upon them, not knowing that a thousand years curse will come to the end in a few years. Silent's breaths became short as his emotion and mind ransacked itself for something of a safe refuge from all of this. Without thinking at all, Silent backed up and then plunged in for a kiss. Amber pulled back in shock, slightly lightheaded from the air that had just been sucked from her lungs. She was void of all logical thought process. Her normal emotional state had since been thrown out as she, too, sought refuge from the horrifying acts she was mere moments away from witnessing. Their forelegs pulled each other toward each other, each aching for something as both dove into a frenzied kiss. Silent kissed her lower lips and began moving down her neck, moaning began to fill the silence that the night brought around. Silent began to pant, his apathetic personality got completely thrown out as his primal, raw urge took control of him pushing the weaker couple into the floor as he placed his lips upon her again, then moved up to her horn where Silent gave a few experimental licks. An excited gasp caught in Amber's throat and she quivered with excitement. Not one to waste an opportunity, Silent slowly slid his hoof down her figure until finally reaching his prize. His head trailed his adventurous hoof, earning an excited squeak from the mare. Amber bit her lower lips watching him with great intent, realizing that she hadn't ever gone this far with any of the stallions she have been with yet. Sure she had a few fun times with her ex-coltfriends in school but there was som- Her train of thought came to a crashing halt as she felt the slippery tongue of Silent emerge from its dwelling and find a new one within her. Amber rapidly shook her head in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the best moment in her, and possibly Silent's, life. It just wasn't right to delve into such memories given the situation at hoof. Amber deemed that it would be hard, probably impossible, to gain his trust, or possibly his love, but it was worth trying because of everything they have gone through together in their old life in Baltimare. Try. She just had to try, no matter what kind of words Silent would say to her- no matter what, she had to believe that love could conquer all, but it was only a naught hope that she grasped so dearly to. Amber wiped tears that she was unaware had accumulated whilst she traveled back on Memory Lane. A fire welled withing her stomach as she gathered the courage to finally her fate. She rose to her hooves and walked uneasily to the room. [DONE! I’m just done... I hate you for making me go through that... I still feel dirty!] - MrMinimii :) In least I made on my promise to myself and readers, I won’t write clop and I didn’t get into anything remotely near to it. Okay, my dear readers; here’s your rightly deserved chapter after a month of waiting!- Morfonious
Chapter 22The streets of metropolitan Hoofington were as busy as ever. The streets shook with the commotion of various business carriages being pulled by powerful Earth ponies; the sidewalks echoed with the hoofsteps of hundreds of ponies chattering their day away. A newspaper stand stood at the corner, advertising their low prices for their papers and a small assortment of snacks.Shops and restaurant doors opened and closed a stallions and mares went about their daily chores or breaks. It would’ve been just an ordinary day in, Hoofington expect for one detail. It was now center of horrible train tragedy, ponies all across Equestria were still pouring in their help in anything: food, bits, or workers who hauled off the heavy metal parts of the train, repairing the train line for next hundred miles to check if everything up to their standards or better so there wouldn’t be a repeat of this- orders of Princess Celestia. The doctors and nurses were still busying themselves with taking care the patients within the Hoofington Hospital. It had calmed down significantly as ponies were relieved that their family or friends is under best care possible; some were sent away in tears when the doctors or nurses took care in their craft with words, gently telling them that their loved ones had passed away. They then would direct them to a stallion who worked within the medical place for further discussion of what would be deceased pony’s wish: to be buried or cremated. Away from the happiness or despair that took place in the various sterile rooms, a few floors up from the lobby, the two mares—one purple Unicorn, another maroon Unicorn—walked toward Silent’s room.The purple Unicorn, Twilight, made it to the room first and took the grace period to gesture toward the incapacitated Unicorn, who was unable to pick up anything at the moment. Twilight was taking it easy, hoping to set the mood just right for whenever Amber decides to pop in to speak her mind and, hopefully, offer an apology. Amber just stood there quietly, wanting to wilt away then disappear from existence because Silent was right there inside the room, blocked by a wooden door and all it took to open it was to reach for the doorknob. She couldn't do it; she had hurt Silent enough, evident through his demeanor toward her, but Twilight encouraged her to speak to him despite the consequences she might face. Amber reached for the doorknob and twisted, a light push sent the door swaying open as a new bout of courage set her body aflame. The disgraced, yet courageous mare trotted in with her heart pounding loudly, enough to feel it everywhere in her body. Her eyes fixated on the stallion in the bed. He courage dwindled at the sight of him rising and looking at her, hoof extended, sharply enough to convey, without a shadow of a doubt, that he could have her sent away at his whimsy, effectively cutting her from his life altogether. The prospect gripped her heart like stone, forcing her to waver as she approached. Amber breathed deeply to calm her nerves, the air seemed to boost her demoralized hope, but when she tried to speak, only a squeak escaped her lips. It made no difference to the deaf stallion glaring at her, but she was not trying to appeal to him. She was speaking to the purple mare beside him. “Do you mind giving us some privacy, Twilight?” The purple Unicorn stared at Amber out of disbelief. Just when she thought she would finally learn something more about Silent and his past, she was getting kicked out of the room?! Internally she grumbled as she climbed down from the stool next to Silent’s bed, landing on her hind legs first then front to balance herself. She wanted to stay and listen, but common courtesy told her to leave since it was a private matter between the two Unicorns. Twilight wanted to tear out some of her hair as she made it out the door, closing the door gently as her emotions was raging a war out of the view from everypony who was nearby in the hallway. Deep down, the purple mare was scared of what will inspire within the walls of that room; she took it upon to herself to just wait it out for better or worse. Amber looked around the room, anywhere but the eyes of the stallion lying before her in the bed; she couldn't handle it stoic expression. Drawing a deep breath for support, she dared to look into his brilliant emerald eyes. They were just as amazing as she remembered, they reminded her of why she pursued him that night so long ago. The maroon mare shook herself of the thoughts and began signing. These words can't undo the dry heaves, long nights lying awake, the tears, dry mouth, shaking hoofs, and queasy stomach that you had to endure after what I did. They can't take back the cruel sight that you saw me doing on that day. They can't erase the tears I cried. I tried so hard to rationalize it of what or why I did that, but I couldn’t find any reason. The tension was building within Silent, it became harder to keep his even face as he searched Amber's eyes to find any hint of betrayal, any hint of falsehood, scrutinizing her every step of the way. I didn't know how much I hurt you until I talked with your father, so that I could apologize to him, but he sent me away. It broke my heart to hear from him how much my decision hurt you. Please, please forgive me for hurting you. I love you so much. When I think of you hurting, and when I heard you sniffling or crying, it broke my heart. I cannot stand this anymore, that’s why I seeked you out. It broke my heart when I read your physical description in the newspaper regarding the train wreck. I thought of you leaving the world again, permanently this time, when our last memory would be... that... Amber broke out in tears, fighting her new dry heaves and uneasy stomach- her valor of facing her fear head on began to falter as she pressed on with weak signs. I’m baring my soul, my whole existence, it is your choice now to do anything to it: smash it apart, send it away, accept it. Anything so I could only have a meager of your forgiveness or some closeness. I will work my heart and my flank off for your forgiveness. Amber slowly moved closer to the bed, noticed that the deaf stallion had a tear that was threatening to break out of his eye, and stopped at the stool where Twilight sat at just earlier. She pulled it toward her with magic so she could be little bit closer to him, hitching herself up to take a seat on it I.. Pausing for a moment, the disconsolate Unicorn was incredibly afraid of what would happen when she pushed ahead with her feeble wish, Amber shook her head slowly, deciding, at last, what to say to the placid face that bore into her soul so effectively. Silent looked on intently; Amber truly did regret what she did so long ago. Will you forgive me? Silent was about to answer, after giving a quick thought, but got interrupted which frustrated Amber to no end. “Um, is it alright to come in now?” A purple head slowly popped in, her horn glowed purple, enveloping the door with her magic, and pushed the door open. Silent cracked a smirk and nodded toward the encroaching unicorn. Then, he turned to Amber and signed with heavy, but quick consideration. Amber, I don’t have an answer right now. But I do believe your words Amber gave a hopeful look then nodded weakly, accepted that as answer for now. Amber then snapped her attention toward the lavender mare now trotting toward his bed, her eyes showed a spark of curiosity of what had transpired within the room. It was obvious to Amber that Twilight wanted to ask either one of them about it, but out of common sense and courtesy she didn’t. Twilight took a seat on the bed since Amber had claimed the stool in her absence. An awkward silence dominated the room; silent drummed aimlessly on his legs, Amber played with her hair while casually muttering about needing a drink which sparked a thought in Twilight's mind. Was she the reason that his addiction to liquor got worse in the first place? Twilight wanted to have Silent get better, but not in the physical aspect alone; the accident kept him off the sauce, and it would do him good, Twilight thought, if he kept it up. Hoping to break some ice, Amber decided to ask while signing at same time so Silent wouldn’t be left out, “Twilight, would you like me to teach you some Equestrian Hoof Language? It might make your communication issues with Silent a bit...easier in future.” Amber flashed her best smile despite the events that lead to this moment. The scholar gave her a big smile that could only stem from curiosity and excitement of learning something new, clopping her hooves together—eager and ready to learn more than Silent have taught her for short time back then. Amber looked to Silent who nodded, much to her relief. She didn't push him per se, she was just eager to bestow upon the studious mare the culture that accompanied the deaf of Equestria.. Silent coughed uneasily, earning both of the mares' attentions. When he saw that he had it, he began making slow motions with his hoof, ones that Amber was quick to translate. Okay Twilight, do you remember the few words that I taught you that day at that restaurant? A nod, Twilight looked back and forth between two Unicorn, a little bit confused. You do? Excellent! So you already have concept of signing those words, now try to string them together into a sentence. Since you are new to this, there’s no pressure! Twilight smiled anxiously, sticking her tongue in the age-old tradition of the scholar mare whenever she tried to apply her knowledge on a task. It was cute to Silent, making him chortle. Twilight then picked up her hoof, pausing as she ransacked her mind trying to remember which words before moving her hoof to form her first sentence in ESL. Food is..yummy and delicious. Silent signaled that Twilight did well for her first time application; Amber grinned remembering her own lessons with this big oaf—it took a quite long time because of the limited communication they had up back and the alcohol used to lubricate it.. Good job Twilight! Now I’m going to teach you some few more words, the first of them would be... This hospital sucks! It is living hell and I would love to get out of here already! Twilight’s eyes lighted up and a genuine laughter erupted whilst Silent and Amber joined her. Finishing her translating, Amber continued for the deaf stallion- still working to be his voice for Twilight. Well then, let me think— Silent stopped then looked up with puzzled expression on his face when Doctor Fleetheart walked up, levitating his clipboard as usual. “I heard that, you know. Ahem, anyway, since you hate this hospital; I think I got good news for you. You’re going to be cleared for a discharge in a couple weeks after a few more treatments,” stated Doctor Fleetheart, glancing over the paper as Amber translated what he said to the deaf Unicorn. When the doctor was sure that the maroon Unicorn was done, he spoke up once again, “You have showed remarkable improvement in your pacing of walking, all up to a simple trotting, but I don’t recommend you to try galloping. The fact that you’re communicating with your hoof without any tire is a good sign, also.” The doctor paused, drawing another breath as he flipped his medical clipboard. “Although there is a noticeable limp on your left hind leg, it won’t be much of a problem if you still stick with your exercise regimen for at least a month or two.” Fleetheart nodded as Amber was just finishing up her interpretation. Silent listened intently, jumping his eyes back and forth between the doctor and his ex to make sure he understood everything correctly before focusing on the medical expert who then proceeded with ending statements. “Although, I am bit worried about some underlying problems that we might have not discovered yet, so I would like to ask you to come in once or twice a week for those two months after the discharge .I'll write you a prescription for pain killers, no more than 40mg so you won't get addicted, though.” Fleetheart paused once again to let Amber finish her job, jumping back in not moment after. “I would also like to offer you some counseling with one of our counselors because, frankly, you’ve been in a train accident and I do know that it is not something that everypony walks out of every time.” Silent loomed his tired eyes, trying to ransack his mental capabilities for anything wrong with himself before hitting into one, being unable to use his magic. Silent somberly said magic... but Twilight was quickly there to save the day, or so to speak. Twilight laced her voice with passion that was directed at Silent, hopeful that she would be able to use her massive knowledge of magic to teach. “I’ll help you in anyway possible, first I think I should start you off with simple exercises which hopefully would gain your touch on the waves of magic that is circulating around us and within yourself, and,” Twilight mused for moment before moving on with her excited rant, “then possibly some levitation and turns of simple things which would help you to move on wit-” The doctor coughed with a smile, interrupting her before she went any further with her rant. Amber then took the moment to remind Twilight that Silent couldn’t hear. Twilight blushed, realizing that she went into one of her mini-rants about magic and worst of all, Silent didn’t hear a single word. Twilight will tell him that she will help with magic, but it was awkward to put that out now. So Amber took her turn and tapped him to snap him out of his trance before telling the last words of Fleetheart. “Any questions?” Silent just stared blankly for a minute, unable to think of anything special to say, so he just shook his head. Dr. Fleetheart nodded, flashing his cheerful grin before trotting to the HM' lines to make sure everything was operating just fine, dialing down the speed of morphine and water drips before leaving the room. Silent cast his head down, muttering something before signing to Amber with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Yeah, I just have one question. Where am I supposed to live for the duration of those two months? Twilight and Amber looked at each other, blinking as realization hit them. [DONNNNEEEE! :D- MrMinimii [... I have to edit my own sign off... Never thought I’d see the day.] - MrMinimii {XD} [:D, heres your next chapter everypone as promised- Morfonious] Author's Note http://www.fimfiction.net/story/88340/his-black-hearts-inquiry My newest fanfic out there, chapter 2 coming out this week or next. (selfless advertising) :D
Chapter 23 (The End)A gray smoke rose into the air accompanied only by the shallow breath a white stallion, only to be wiped away into the cool indifference of the atmosphere above whenever a pony walked by and nodded to him. His green mane bounced lifelessly against his neck with each stumbling step forward. He recovered decently considering what he had recovered from.The stallion flinched as memories flashed like bolts of lightning against his skull of that fateful day. They dulled, however, when his recovery displayed two very caring, very loving ponies standing by his side the entire way. Grunting, he shuffled to get the weight off of his right hind leg as the snow fell like a thousand tissues torn to shreds and rained down from the heavens themselves. They covered everything, perfectly camouflaging Silent in the wintry wonderland to the point where he looked like a floating bush wandering for a spot of warmth, away from the cold wasteland below. Silent looked up to the endless sea of white as if Celestia were watching over all of the land, gracing its denizens with the story of the blind filly who forever changed the thought of winter with one passion-crafted snowflake. “The first few flakes falling from the sky, signifying great change...” The white stallion took another drag from his black cigarette, muttering to himself about the great change. Silent's life may have taken a complete left turn, but—No, this terrified him. He no longer knew where he truly belonged, what his purpose was in life, nor who he truly was anymore. Silent's thought paused when he looked up to spoke the first ice crystal descend from the sky above directly towards him. He couldn't help but drag the book and rip another quote from it. “...all brought forth by a single, powdery flake.” I disagree..." Silent said to the castle resting atop a mountain miles from him. "A snowflake doesn't bring any great change," he took another drag, "Rather, it is the congregation of them all to bring about any measurable sense of change." The castle offered nothing in response. He blew the cigarette's smoke, half mixed with his own clouded breath. But the question I want to ask is... Who gets to be the snowflake? Who gets to start a movement? Who gets to make the change?" Greeted with nothing but silence, Silent trudged forth as a new layer of snow wiped the memories of the previous travelers away. His cigarette was half gone by the time he reached the center of town, where he paused and looked into the static of the scene. He had a life. A real life, with all the lovely perks that he read about in the stories: a job, friends, family, everything. ||| His deficits came with his mental faculties. Silent would seize as the wreck would play, in its entirety, in front of his eyes, often several times a week, usually in his dreams. He had recovered, but it took its toll on the stallion who would often bolt upright in his bed, a seering pain shooting through his body. Even now the throbbing of his joints begged him to stop, to collapse into the snow and let the frozen crystals sooth his heated muscled, but he forced himself onwards. After all, he had a meeting with two very special ponies. He owed them his life, in every sense of the word, and he would do anything for them. Even, should the circumstance call for it, fight off a rainbow dragon with nothing but a wooden sword and shield. Silent blinked and found himself, again, the snowy streets of Ponyville, his sword and shield disappearing in his hooves—though he kept the stance that accompanied them. He shook his head to rid the thoughts and quickly readjusted himself, hoping that no pony had seen his impromptu pose. However, the universe had other plans as he hurriedly walked through the many disapproving glances. Silent silently kicked his own flank. No matter what he did, he had a problem. Even fixing a problem only caused others to arise. His only hope was to amass minor idiosyncrasies rather than major, noticeable faults or failings as a pony, or at least internal ones. He could deal with himself, but he would not stand if his actions hurt others. Walking through the town's center, his eyes happened upon familiar fronts. Some looked new, or previously unnoticed, but others he could name if he could find the drive to do so. Finally his eyes landed squarely on a familiar restaurant front. Inside, waiting for him, was the mare of his dreams. He should hurry; the restaurant was the pinnacle of decrepit. Probably why nobility, or any pony thinking themselves above the common class, avoided the place like poison joke. Their loss. A wonderland for any tongue awaited inside, eager to be ordered and devoured. His stomach agreed with his mind, harmonizing gloriously with the rumble only ever heard from a low timpano. The warm interior dragged him through the doorway. A pony stood at a desk to welcome in any potential customers, but he did not notice the deaf stallion walk in as his eyes were elsewhere, but when Silent trotted over, his attention was shifted. A nod from both ponies was that needed to be exchanged. Thee pony gestured deeper into the warm glow of the restaurant as he led the deaf stallion to the best table in the house. The white stallion watched with an even glare as something danced around his stomach. Butterflies? Couldn't be, they resembled demons from tartarus, and dancing would be generous. Running jagged pitchforks along his intestines fit his feeling better. His eyes wandered in his stoic stupor and offered him the first chance to truly take in the setting around him. He and the impromptu chauffeur walked through a grand room divided by a big, red rug that ran from wall to wall, splitting off to travel elsewhere in the restaurant like a river dividing through a country. Silent's eyes lost track of the many paths to take, but froze when they landed upon a brilliant golden arch leading from one section of the restaurant to the other. A stiff glance from the steward brought Silent back down to Equestria, and they continued onward to find a mare sitting patiently at a table. Silent's hooves dragged along the rug as he ran through every possible choice and event that lead to this moment. The steward stopped so Silent could continue on alone, which he did trepidasiously. His eyes locked on the mare, but seemed to travel past her and to the heavens beyond, and only gateways beyond could bring him back. The mare turned her head, and the heavens slammed into Silent as the world came crushing around him, leaving him, the table, and the mare wearing her best smile. He could hardly control himself as he trotted over and wrapped his forelegs around the mare in the biggest hug either have them had ever experienced. Silent broke the embrace first, locking eyes with a look that assured her nothing would ever tear them apart again. When they each found their seats, a waiter arrived brandishing two menus for the couple to look over, though he didn't see them as he brought his snout in the air with an air of elegance to match the setting. Silent stole a glance at the stallion, chuckling to himself before a cough interrupted the mare from her own reading. She quickly explained about his deafness, and the waiter nodded understandingly. “Very good ma’am, what would the sir like?” Silent looked over the menu intently before finally resting upon the best sounding dish. “I would like this lasanga with extra cheese, please, Salad with ranch dressing sprinkled with a little bit a pepper, and good pint of your cider.” The waiter looked past Silent into space as he tried to interpret the random hoof movements. The mare suppressed a giggle and tapped the waiter to get his attention before translating. The waiter nodded, avoiding Silent's eyes as she continued with her order. “I would like number 17: the fish dipped in lemon sauce with touch of soy sauce. Same side and drink, please.” The waiter, in rehearsed fluidity, stifled his outburst at the meat-lover, and withdrew to the kitchen to relay their orders to the chefs. The other patrons, however, were not so practiced, muttering among themselves at the gall of the mare. In puzzled amusement, she looked around, but found not one other pony's eye. A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to the stallion sitting across the table. She smiled and managed to struggle out a greeting in her broken and flailing sign language. “How are you doing Silent? How is your leg doing?” She frowned when Silent's face fell, and he too found more interest in the tablecloth than her as he answered. Fine... Silent motioned to continue on with conversation, but his hooves froze when he looked up to find the mare with a knowing and prodding glare beaming from her pupils and into his very soul. He stammered, his own hooves now failing him, yet he managed to say something to break the statuesque purgatory he found himself in. "My hind leg isn't improving past the point of basic function. I can still walk, and even run, but it locks up too often." "My mind, though, won't stop. It drives my autonomously; to the point that I often blink and find myself in a position I wouldn't willingly fall into." "The doctors are trying their best, but they aren't really helping. Overall, though, I think I'm doing okay," the stallion finished, offering a smile half-bravado, half-relief. “With you by my side, I could take on Equestria.” When Silent's hooves met the surface of the table, a smile exploded on the mare's face. She found great interest in the light clopping her own hooves made in response, and a long pause loomed over the duo as stillness crept over. Thankfully, the pause was dissipated when two mugs of cider clamored together as they landed on the tablecloth. Silent smiled and snatched one of the mugs, thought became entrapped at the amber liquid, like material surrounded him. The mare slowly grabbed her own mug, her eyes locked on the stallion's lips as they slowly contorted to a smirk. She rose her hooves to speak, but they fell limp instantly. The cider, she realized, no longer rested in his hooves, but floated a few inches above the table, enveloped in a pale green aura. She rubbed her eyes, yet there the mug stayed, shifting and wobbling uncomfortably in the new aura, matching the stallion's own facial features as he struggled to channel the energy necessary to keep the glass chunk aloft, let alone upright. Finally the mug fell hard before a panting silent, unaware of his own gasps. A hoof reached across and grabbed his own, breaking him from the tired haze he found himself in. The smile he saw was enough to bring him back to the restaurant, with the most beautiful mare, in the most perfect moment. The smile drove him forward, and once again a pale green aura encased the mug, and once it again it wobbled into life. This time, however, the stallion became cocky, and the mud soared higher and high until finally... it tipped. A great golden river poured from the mug and onto the mare, staining her dress. The mug clattered to the table top moments later, its clings ringing in a silent room as all eyes were turned to the stallion, furiously fumbling his hooves together in a mixture of embarrassment and horror, and the mare, stoic face of surprised collapsing under the pressure of a new, bursting emotion. Her lips cracked apart, and from within came a wonderful thing. Uneven, high pitched bouts of laughter surprised everypony in the restaurant, the stallion included. However, Silent soon broke from his shell and joined her own boisterous laughter, and together they laughed, hooves intertwining. Eventually the happiness subsided, and the mare was painfully aware of all the eyes set upon her table. Her cheeks burned like the candle between them, and like the wick she struggled to become smaller and small under the prying gaze. Silent coughed, grabbing the napkin and handed it to her. The patrons returned to their food. Once she finished scrubbing off what she could from her dressed, she placed the napkin back on the table, and happened to meet the stallion's expecting, yet inviting eyes. His smile was infectious as she took his outstretched hoof, though her smile faltered when his eyes glazed over, and he seemed to look beyond her. She tapped the table softly, returning him from his adventure. The waiter walked in, placing the plates of food in front of each pony, earning a duet of grace bows for his performance. He produced a pitcher from his back, and refilled Silent's empty mug, a reserved smile on his mouth as he did so. The smile was not lost on the duo; Silent shrunk back into his seat as the waiter bowed and left. The ponies looked at each other, a smile on their faces. Forced smiles matching strained eyes as the enticing scent of the meals wafted into the air. A staring contest, a test of will, of endurance, of might! Silent was the first to crack, breaking the eye contact and digging into his food with renewed vigor. His date matched him, chewing into her food like a bear fishing at the stream. The moments their mouths were not full of food was when they were cleared with a wash of cider. “So...how is your lasagna so far? This has too much lemon, but the fish is really good. Still not quite as good as my mother’s recipe. It was to die for!” Amber said, her fish half devoured on her plate. “Yeah, homemade meals are the best. My mom made the best meals. I remember the time that she would make a odd vegetable cake; don't ask me how she did it. My father and I would eat the entire cake within one or two days, much to my mother's displeasure. What did your mother do to the fish before it was cooked?” Silent replied. Thus began a chain of stories from foalhood regarding food, friends, and family. Brief glances to the past at best, yet volumes about each were shared and let loose. Even after the plates were cleared and taken from the table, they continued with skits from the past, yet they were slowly becoming incoherent as the alcohol made nests in each of their brains. They didn't care. Nothing existed except one another, and they embraced the new void with open arms. “Hey Silent?...” The stallion looked up pensively at the mare, his smile fading into the void around them. He was crashing back to land quickly, and the new look on the mare's face only put rocks in his pouches. “Yes?...What is it Amber?” The mare gazed to the ceiling, wishing to see the constellation beyond in a vain hope for an answer. Her hoof tapped a rhythmic four beats before resting back to her chair which she brought closer to the stallion before looking him in the eyes. "Our lives haven't been... easy, to say the least." They shared a light laugh. "But, we've stuck together, and I guess I just want to know... why? Why me?" Silent's ears fell, and he turned away only to be turned back by a familiar, yet unnaturally forceful hoof. He gazed into her eyes, and she responded by mouthing the word "Why?" Her hooves fell to his chest, and there she stay, her hooves feeling the subtle beats of his heart. She rose when his chest did as he took a shaky breath to answer. "_There is no real 'why.' We have history, we have a past, and nothing can take that away from us. My heart belongs to you, and only you, Amber._ "Twilight, she's... special to me. She's smarter, more resourceful, and a better magician, but I never found that spark. Here's the real story of what happened..." _____________________________________ Twilight sat across from Silent in a room bearing his namesake in a time bearing hers. Tears streamed down her face, a complete shift to her emotions when receiving his invitation to his house. She was sure... she was so sure. Silent was the problem. Moreover, he solved the problem. A clean detachment, a clear answer. Cut the string while it was still weak. His indecisiveness hurt every pony involved, yet his decisiveness hurt one exponentially. But only for a short time, he had reasoned to himself as his quill scratched on to the parchment. "I'm sorry, Twilight. It hurts now, but I could not lead you down a never ending path. I spent many days thinking about this, many hours of solitary imagining endless possibilities... but in none of them could I find a world where I could return the love you have for me. "And you deserve better than me, anyway. You deserve a stallion as smart as you, as funny, as beautiful, and can even begin to return the endless pools of love you have within your heart." The scratching stopped, only for tears to replace the ink. It pained him, the quill like a spike injecting poison at the same rate it ejected ink. "And I just can't do that..." Silent set down the quill, and relinquished the letter to the mare before him. It pained him to write it, and it pains him to have her eyes, her tears stained, bloodshot eyes grazing over every letter in a vain hope in understanding, and it hurt him the most as he squirmed under her reaction. But to his surprise. He looked up to hind a letter floating before his eyes. Behind it a calm unicorn staring at the floor. "I understand" Silent smiled, moving the paper with his hoof as Twilight flashed a small smile back. _ "How could it have worked out? A student to the princess herself, a hero, a savior of the world, paired with a stallion whose greatest accomplishment so far is living? I hated having to hurt her, but I had to. Now she's free, she's stronger, she's able to pursue stallions much better than I.” Silent pulled Amber close, connecting his lips with hers, placing them both in an utter bliss of emotions released. “Hey Amber?” The maroon Unicorn looked up with eyes misting up. “Shall we go and weave our dream together?” Author's Note SPECIAL THANKS TO MY EDITOR, MR. MINIMII! HE'S AWESOME. Also special thanks to my watchers/reader! It've been long ride on this fanfic but now it is the end. (I MIGHT make a epilogue) but alas! Time for me to focus on His Black Heart's Inquiry.
Chapter 1In some run-down bar in Baltimare, a white-coated stallion sat on a stool. This was one of his favorite places, anything to get away from that place he called “home”. His lofty green eyes moving left to right, the stallion hid a bored expression by sighing. A empty shot slides across the counter, his hoof pushing it back and forth in the form of a rhythm. There was spark of enjoyment that he got out of this, vodka numbing his emotions. Good enough of a escape, although he would be punished in the morning- he didn't care. Everything is quiet to him; he was exclusive in his own universe. All of good feeling that came from drinking would go away within minutes, as the good feeling began to wash away. Grunting angrily, raising his hoof which a barcolt snaps to attention- smiling best as he can to this customer, he doesn't speak. Nodding his head as he poured another shot of vodka, picking up bits this white stallion just threw on the counter. As soon this exchange was finished, this drunken stallion threw his head up and downed that drink in fast motion as second shot was poured, then third, fourth. He instantly began to regret that many shots within few hours, his vision began to blur and room was spinning. Falling off the stool he was on and clumsily trotted to bathroom, he hit some ponies on the way. Throwing up the toilet lid up, his stomach began to deplete its contents in another way. Alone in the bathroom cubicle, he began to sob, then cry. His hate of life began to snake its way up; all he could think at that moment that he wanted more drinks to try force this feeling that held such power over him everyday away. He detested it, loathing himself and the world. Wiping off his mouth with his hoof, he slowly crawled to one of many sinks. Splashing his face with cold water, and looked up at the mirror. His green mane was a mess, same can be said for his tail, dark bags under his green eyes and his white coat have seen better days. He growled at his reflection, wanting nothing more than smash that mirror in so he could not see himself anymore. Feeling a bit better after his episode in bathroom, and putting on best stoic face he can muster, he trotted out of the bathroom. After only few steps, he blacks out, hitting the floor face-first. The liquors that he boozed came back up with a vengeance. When he came to few hours later, cursing inwardly at the great celestial body of light, filtering through his room’s window stacked with symptoms of his hangover: massive cephalalgia pounded at his head, and his stomach felt like a knife was twisting around inside of it. Both his physical and emotional pain went up two-fold as he realized where he was, in his room, in this damned house. His lower lips quivered, shutting himself down before his hungover reminding him that he needed to get a remedy. Flattening his ears, he began to open the door silently after getting off his bed, gulping, hoping intemperately that he won't run into him. Sighing out as he made it to the bathroom cabinet, popping in two pain capsules with a glass of water, then began his short journey into kitchen. Taking out a two raw eggs, after few moments of shuffling around the kitchen. A dreadful, but remediational drink sat on the kitchen table. At least it was dark in this room, as there were no windows. After few moments, Silent chugged the raw eggs concoctiondown. Just after he finished his drink, he felt the room rumble from hoofsteps. Out of corner of his eyes, his ears flattening far as it can. As expected, his world rocked for second then spun as brown hoof made contact with his face. In full force, his father appeared angry and spiteful- his eyes burning with hatred toward his son. Creeping on the floor toward to the wall, latching his back against it to support him as the middle aged stallion angrily stormed off out of the room, then came back holding a box and a piece of paper. Nervously wondering what was being said on the paper, he got his answer as it was shoved at his face. It was very brief: Silent Dreamweaver, I'm so bucking tired and sick of taking care of you. You're a borderline alcoholic, depressed and at times suicidal. We can't even communicate about anything anymore. In this box, it contains your personal things and some money for you to survive off. Good-bye That's it?! Silent started to pant heavily, doesn't his father realize that he is one of chief cause of his behaviour in past years? He can't even admit that he was the wrong in this whole thing?! Rage began to swell up within him, overriding his usual lazy and stoic attitude and his mask broke for first time in long time. Standing up quickly, flipping over the kitchen chair that stood between both father and son. The brown stallion backed up slowly as Silent advanced on him; picking his hoof up in vain attempt to block his face as Silent punched him full force, knocking his father down. Silent wanted to keep going, but his emotional state was in disarray, and as he began to cry he picked up the spilled box up along with the money. It would be last time they see each other it seems, Silent's agonized face would burn into his father's mind for years to come. Silent began inhaling and exhaling sharply, trying his best to hold himself together for little while. Silent silently went up the stairs, then left into his room and took out some bag of his favorite “remedy”: a pipe and some personal drinks into his saddlebag. Taking out a black turtleneck shirt, putting it over him to keep himself warm in cold nights to come; it also serves well for covering up most of scars that was all over his body. A green glow began to cover his bag; levitating his bag overhead as Silent went back where he came from and transferred the box's contents into his bag with magic, which was a ton of small books. It was still morning as he stepped out of the house, and a pang of guilt came over him. Silent may have come to hate his father but it was still his father; if he thought back for few moments, Silent could recall good ol' days with him and his mother, cuddling lovingly around fireplace, Silent reading a book with his father, going to park where his father pushed him on swinging set. Not wanting to leave like this, he turned around back into the house where he found his father sitting on the couch with a somber face. Silent stood then walked out of that house, feeling slightly better. Muttering something to himself, the sun was watching over him and entire city of Baltimare. Silent trotted on the sidewalk as stallions pulling taxis rushed past him, figuring out his next step in this hell-hole of a life. When Silent's mind drifted toward transportation that paced all around him on the street, he thought of train and the railroad that they just finished that connected various cities and towns. It could be bit of new start for him, at least Silent could hope for. Counting his money, he had about five thousand bits which was enough for a year. Silent's internal smile didn't last that long as a cold realization that his father somehow still cared for him despite his deeds to him in past. Silent wanted to scream, as he was torn between his hatred and love for his father. As he tilted his head slightly, his hungover struck him again. Stopping at middle of sidewalk, holding his hoof to his head; rubbing his hoofs in circles hoping it would in least allure the headache. Remedies that he took a hour ago began to wear off by the time he made it to a park; few blocks away from his now former home. Silent simply wanted to take a nap under stars or sun or to think about things over or simply to get away from things. Sitting down on usual bench near the fountain, Silent pushed his bag against the armrest of the bench. Laying down his head on saddlebag gently, ensuring to not aggravate his hungover any further and began to sleep it off, his horn glowing in green briefly before fading away as snoring rang out in the park. Slowly waking up, first sight that greeted him was twinkling stars and huge moon hanging up there in vast black canvas. Good work with night sky, Princess Luna He always preferred night over daytime. It is somehow difficult to explain, but he quite liked it. It is cold and dark but it allures you with its beauty. Silent sometimes thought that it was saying everything may seem cold and dark to you and many others are like you, you are alone yet you aren't alone; and moon seems to symbolize that someday there will be somepony that will be like moon- watching over you, loving you no matter who you are and big part of your life. He once read a quote which he loves to recite to himself once in awhile. “No illusion is safe when bathed in the pure light of the moon.” Groggy, and yawning loudly as he took out a long bottle out of his bag and began to drink. Absolut Vodka, ah...my old friend Silent stashed it back into his saddlebag after imbuing some of it, before reminding himself that he couldn't go home anymore. Then, the flash of a train came into his mind in an instant; reminding him of what he wanted to do. Neatly packing up his bag, he floated it over his head and strapped it down around his neck and chest. Under the guide of moonlight, he discovered some signs pointing to train station and he followed it, spending about an hour figuring out and nearly getting lost twice due to sign being missing or painted over with graffiti. With small pride swelling inside him when he made it to the train station, and noticing the lights was still on in the booth with some grey mare with odd cap on. The train was stopped, still running with steam coming out of lead car. Silent took out a notebook, wrote on it then handed it over to the pony that was tending to the booth. “Hello there, I want to buy a ticket to town that is furthest from here. Anywhere will do.” The grey mare, looks up at Silent and ponders for minute before pulling out a train schedule on the counter and began to speak. Of course, he didn't hear a thing. Sighing inward to himself- annoyed at the fact that, once again, he would have to explain. Gently waving his hoof to get her attention before proceeding to write: “I apologize, but I'm deaf and I didn't understand anything what you said. Could you write down what you've said?” The mare stammered for second or two, probably her first dealing with a deaf pony, and this mare decides to shoot him a look of pity. Pity! Silent's eye twitched for second, although it wasn't noticeable to that mare. If there anything in the world that he hated more than anything else and it was ponies pitying upon on him. However, he had half of a decent mind to understand where normal ponies were coming from when they said that. She turned the notebook around with an answer. I'm sorry to hear about it. In regards to your question, there is two places that is “furthermost” from here. One is Trottingham and another is Ponyville. I could sell you a ticket that goes to Ponyville since it is bit further than Trottingham of by 40 minutes ride. You can choose to get off at either station. It will be 45 bits for the ticket please Silent gave her a curt nod as he placed the right amount of bits into her hoofs, while she handed over a bronze ticket which was decorated with mini schedule of train, packing up his notebook with magic. Slowly glancing his eyes over city of Baltimare, it was home for Silent since his foalhood. It was time to move on. Turning his head away, tears threatening to break out when he began to probe upon on recent memory of his last moments at home. Slowly he placed his white hoof into one of passenger car, ready for whatever comes next. Thanks to MrMinimii for being awesome editor.
Chapter 12Warmth... A feeling that some ponies take for granted. To some it was meaningless word and feeling. He can get it from many sources- a fire or the sun, Silent highly regarded it because this warmth that you can only get from other ponies because it made him feel safe; feel like he could go against the world with this warmth. However, the only thing that Silent could describe at this moment was a mixture of disgust and shock, yet is betrayed by this new warmth from genuine gesture this lavender mare just offered to him. The last thing he remembered before getting tackled and hugged furiously was Twilight pushing her parchment and quill away just as she had begun writing. At first, the purple Unicorn froze for a second- she seem very cautious of her actions and something was weighing heavily on her mind. Then, without any warning, Twilight cried out something that the deaf stallion was able to make out, much to his surprise. “I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” What she did next surprised him even further; she lunged at him, wrapping her forehoofs around him tightly and burying her face in his chest, beginning to sob lightly. Her tears made small wet spots on Silent's black turtleneck. Silent wanted to push the suddenly affectionate Unicorn off of him. He wanted to make her leave, but his mind swam under her embrace, causing him to lie there and merely enjoy it. This was something that Silent had not felt for a long time. His mind began to flashback the last time he felt this warmth, the very last time he felt innocent- it was also last time Silent could remember his father being.. well, a loving father. Silent walked into his bedroom that summer night and she was stripping his pastel, magic-weaved patterned wallpaper from his bedroom walls, making room for the much more sophisticated, striped wallpaper that Silent and his mother had chosen together. It was almost dark, so she had one of those work lamps from the garage pointing to the wall. Silent sat on his bed and babbled on to his Mom about this first mare he ever liked; how beautiful that filly was, with blue eyes and blue coat with white mane contrasting against each other. She quietly listened, nodding her head and putting strips of his little foal wallpaper into a garbage bin with her magic. He wished that he could have thanked her for working her hoof and horn to the bone to make his room look great. For taking the time to shop for new wallpaper and bedding and make sure everything was exactly as Silent wanted it. For listening to his colt stories. But being a foal, he didn’t see much past school, girls, and kisses. She knew that; It made her happy. Silent's mother was always like that with him. She did quiet and thoughtful things for him and his father and didn't ask much of us in return- just that we remain being happy and move forward in our lives. Silent could remember reading a book awhile ago and in it was a quote about one of the main characters.He read it repeatedly, feeling the tears stream down his cheeks as he realized that this quote was the embodiment of his mother: “. . . a mare who will make small demands on life, who will never burden others, who will never let on that she too had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have been ridiculed. A mare who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied, but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her." Five years had since she passed away- very quietly in the middle of night but not before Silent and his father, as well as their extended families, had all said our goodbyes in weeks prior. Silent's father was in and out of sleep in the chair next to her, his feet propped up on the bed, hoof crossed as if it were an ordinary couch nap... If only that were the case. And he, after saying his final goodbyes, had laid next to her. Quietly, enduring without complaint and never burdening anypony is how she lived her life. And how she ended it. The dull ache of missing her is never gone. He feels it every moment, just as powerful as it was the day she passed away. Silent always tried to avoid thinking of her smile or laugh or his father being a father; his hatred of world would bubble up within him. After her death, it was like she took half of his father to the grave. After that day, he stopped being a father. At least Silent was thankful that he didn't beat him...much, but he became so unstable; even a slight mention of his dead lover sent him over the edge. Silent and his father's relationship became heavily strained, and fighting in that household became just another daily ritual. Silent hated remembering her confusion, her frail body, her bald head, her inability to communicate well, the dementia, the overwhelming worry that she had- regrets and sorrows and fear . . . well, that serves no purpose for him. It could never bring a smile or gratitude like the wallpaper memory could. Silent's brief trip on memory lane ended when he felt his body getting lighter. Twilight was looking at him, fearful of the consequences that would unfold due to her bravado. The deaf stallion still hated to think about his mother or his happier days, but for first time in while he felt he could let it slide. Warmth... Silent finally remembered a little bit of what that word it meant to him; looking down at Twilight, he could feel his green eyes getting misty. At least right now, against his guard and conscience, Silent decided to do something that he would never do- especially not after getting betrayed by his friends few years back. The deaf Unicorn pointed his hoof at the empty chair that Twilight occupied earlier. Silent began gesturing Twilight to take a seat while wiping his misty eyes off with his forehoof. Pulling out the parchment off the table and stated his decision on the piece of paper. All right, Twilight. I've decided to give you a chance at having a friendship with me. Just one chance. Silent turned over the parchment before handing over her quill with diligence, ensuring Twilight was paying attention. The purple Unicorn began to nervously glance over the paper; she knew that she was still riding on very flimsy hope- not after what she did to Silent. In last few days; even now Twilight still wanted to ask Silent many questions about him. What kind of spell that he used on that book when she found him other day? Silent's cutie mark was another subject on her mind; it was of dream cloud, one light cloud with a black cloud behind it, but is afraid to ask due to possibility of losing her new friend for second time. Twilight gasped and her face lit up with huge smile; her flimsy hope had paid off! In a typical mare reaction, she began to squeal loudly, smiling wildly, and then trying her best to calm herself down when writing her reply, her eyes unwavering on the paper. However, Twilight decided to make sure that she wouldn't reveal her new-found feelings toward Silent out of fear of driving him away. Silent just took up his unopened vodka bottle, unscrewing then took a first sip out of it while he waited. Thank you Silent, I'll be sure to take a good use of this chance. Thank you so much... Twilight paused for second, figuring out what to write next; slowly it came into her mind as her horn pushed the quill back into life; fighting off the awkward atmosphere that have been built. Twilight suddenly remembered the parts of her beloved mentor's reply, her mind reciting exactly what it said. “With my jest out of the way, the best I can offer is to be his friend. Ask him out to do things, learn about him naturally and he might open up to you and tell you his secrets and what troubles him. In time, you will learn something about friendship, and I shall be expecting that letter with baited breath.” Twilight's horn began to flow in light purple once again, sending the quill through series of movements on the paper, Silent waiting patiently for her to be done. Not soon after, Twilight handed the parchment over to him; the new purple companion's hoofwriting is very pleasant to look at unlike Silent's simple writing. Silent's eyebrow raised as he began to read. I would like to start over again, which brings me to ask you this. Would you like to go out right now for a dinner? Maybe learn little more about each other..that is if you want. I'm paying for it all, maybe I could try that delicious hayburger that you had the last time! The purple mare remained in her seat, a huge smile creeping up on Twilight’s face because of Silent's forgiveness and she hoped that this new friendship will go smoothly. Snapping to attention when Silent looked up after reading her reply- her mention of food made deaf stallion let out a embarrassed chuckle when his stomach growled loudly. It occurred to Silent that Twilight asked him out for dinner...what does it mean? The deaf Unicorn decided to not look at it any further when another thought interrupted his thinking. Wait..dinner? What time is it right now? Silent muttered to himself while climbing off his chair, to the puzzlement of Twilight. Opening the window curtains with his magic; noticing the night sky which was adorned with moonlight filtered through some clouds amid thousand stars twinkled in the background. It was a very serene scene, looking behind him briefly when he felt hoofsteps, watching the purple Unicorn trotting behind him with blighted face. Twilight said something, though the deaf stallion held his hoof up then shook his face, signaling that he didn't understand; immediately she levitated the paper to herself and got to work on addressing him. Do you like stargazing? I can tell from the look that you have on your face. I love it, I have millions of books on it; would you like to watch it together? Maybe I could teach you a thing or two about stars and star constellations! Maybe more... Finally, some common ground to go along with. Silent nodded and chuckled, gesturing for the parchment. Twilight compiled his request, handing over the parchment over to him, excited about prospect of teaching something to somepony rather than keeping her knowledge to herself. I absolutely love Princess Luna's night; when I stargaze, something about it radiates peace. Calm and quiet. These days I stargaze to get away from everything, you know? I stargaze because I think that it was and is saying everything may seem cold and dark to me and many others like you- you are alone, yet you aren't alone. The moon on other hoof; it contradicts what I said, since it symbolizes that someday there will be somepony that will be like moon- watching over you, loving you no matter who you are and big part of your life. Anyway, I will take up your offer. Let's go stargazing after dinner, all right? With that, he handed over the paper back to lavender Unicorn and trotted back up to his saddlebag putting his vodka bottle back in, withdrawing some bits just in case. Something of an idea popped up in Silent's mind which would pass some time and probably make the communication easier between two; the question is would she be willing to learn it or have patience for it? Snapping out of his reverie, Silent gesturing for the door which Twilight understood as she began to trot out the door, already packed up everything that she brought with her except for two articles- a parchment and quill. Pausing on the way out of the room, Twilight handed over the folded parchment to Silent. I never thought about Princess Luna’s night that way before. Silent simply shrugged and began to leave with Twilight. Ensuring the door was locked, Silent and his new friend went outside. Twilight was leading the way once again to that restaurant that they went to yesterday; Silent's eyes kept wandering around at building, objects that were difficult to see in the dark then upwards to millions of glittering stars surrounding the moon above him. He looked back at Twilight and noticed that she was staring at him, but as soon he made a eye contact, she turned away quickly, trying her hardest to keep her eyes ahead. A little bit of confusion settled into Silent, but he decided to not read too much into it, changing his gait to keep up with Twilight. What the hay? Whatever...ugh so hungry, that hayburger is calling out to me. Needless to say, the new-found friends arrived at the very same cafè, though instead of eating outside like they did yesterday, instead they walked into that restaurant. Silent let out a sigh of relief when heated air washed over him, getting rid of the cold that they both suffered on their way from Ponyville Hotel. Twilight smiled at Silent, going ahead and speaking to the waiter which prompted him to look at direction where deaf Unicorn was at. Silent noticed that it was the same waiter that served them yesterday. The waiter glanced over at Silent with his blue eyes, waving his light cream hoof over and signaling that he is serving them now; then he led both into available table, levitating the menu as they took their seats respectively. Twilight and Silent shook their head at the waiter; both already knowing their order: hayburgers. Both of the Unicorn chuckled when they realized that they expressed same thing synonymously. Silent then did a wave that tells Twilight “go ahead and order for us”; Twilight nodded- acknowledging it before giving her full attention at the waiter which not moments later he trotted off with their orders. A purple glow encased the quill, initiating to write something; Silent held his hoof out to stop her from writing and asked for the quill then a parchment, remembering what he thought up back in the hotel room. Silent’s horn gleamed in green taking over the communication means, Since you’re teaching me “a thing or two” about stargazing, I think I could teach you “a thing or two” about Equestria Sign Language. It is what us deaf ponies use to communicate with each other, although it is rather rare for me to use it since I don’t have any good opportunities to use it. Twilight enthusiastically accepted the offer, and they began bantering back and forth. Silent started off slow at first, beginning with basic sign language- Twilight made sure to pay attention, taking notes on her new parchment on series of signs that Silent called Equestria Sign Language, or known as ESL. “Hello.” “Good-bye.” “How are you?” “I’m fine.” “Yes.” “No.” “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” At Twilight’s request, Silent taught her how to sign “Princess Celestia” and “Princess Luna”, which was series of signs showing the status that both Princesses held then signed the celestial bodies that was related to either sister. Twilight was so excited to learn new things; she kept practicing the basic signs that Silent just taught her before starting moving on into less of words and into basic sentences, but got interrupted by the waiter holding the tray containing hayburgers, side orders of salads, and drinks. They ate together in peace, passing the time by talking about sign language and star constellations. After few minutes, the plates were clean and the table was cluttered with various empty cups. The waiter ushered over when Twilight waved him over, and spoke few words which the deaf stallion assumed that it was her asking for the bill. Twilight didn’t finish her second hayburger and tried to offer it to Silent- much to his dismay; his stomach kicked him once reminding of how full he was; weakly waving it off then the deaf Unicorn rushed off to do his business in cafè’s bathroom while his new purple companion borne the expense of their dinner. Stepping out into the cold air, after the bill have been settled with- Twilight guided Silent through the Ponyville through the dark; there was barely any visible light sources expect some lights escaping out of house’s windows. After about two miles there was no more light pollution- the deaf Unicorn and scholarly Unicorn laid down on the grass with small space between them. Twilight began to teach the deaf stallion with star constellations as best she could from memory. The quill came to life as Twilight pointed the area of sky to Silent, while explaining it to him That’s the Canes Venatici, it shows the dogs hunting something. Leo Minor! Can you see it from there and there? Silent shook his head, and Twilight pointed him in the direction of the star constellation she was trying to show. See, there? Does it look like a lion cub? Squinting his eyes, connecting the dots very carefully; slowly he could see the rough shape of a lion cub- smirking when he finally figured it out. It went like this for couple of hours, bantering back and forth; teaching and learning the sign language and star constellations. Both of the Unicorns managed to have a fire started then going with their magic when the temperatures dropped some. The subject gradually changed as Twilight revealed more about herself, as per her Instructor’s suggestions. Twilight first told Silent about how she first saw Princess Celestia’s sun rising and inspired her to learn everything about magic, she could spend hours and hours reading books on every subject she could think of. Time skip to year later of how she earned her Cutie Mark through a magic mishap caused by Rainbow Dash’s sonicboom and got enrolled into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Youngsters; it was also the day when Twilight became Princess Celestia’s protege. Twilight skipped the story to the of how she came into Ponyville after discovering the threat against Equestria in form of Nightmare Moon and happened afterwards of how she met all her now friends: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity along with a few other ponies like Derpy Hooves, Lyra, and Bon-Bon. While Twilight was on the subject, still writing on the parchment about the aforementioned life story of how her Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding went crazy; with all changelings and Queen Chrysalis’s assault on Canterlot and Princess Celestia. While she was on the subject of her family, she kept writing and didn’t think ahead before she wrote the question for Silent. “What was your family like?” Twilight instantly cringed; realizing her mistake only mere seconds after handing over the paper with her stories of her life and family and her question at the bottom. Silent’s demeanor changed flipped around. Twilight found herself getting stared down by Silent, afraid of what will come. Happy Belated Birthday Fimfiction! Cheers! [Fuck you and your cliffhangers! XD Otherwise, brilliant story as always and I await the next chapter.] - MrMinimi
