Creation’s Folly

The outside of the library appeared like I expected Ponyville to be, though the ground felt heavier, like concrete. The sky far above reflected back its hollow gaze and echoed dark like onyx, devoid of the happiness Equestria typically covered me with. Luna and I walked on edge through the streets, hunting for any sign of unwelcome nightmares. Being that we no longer were in the center of the dream, anything could be made manifest from my subconscious as I actively sought to find my trauma and fears. It filled me with unease and dread, threatening to drown me in the nightmare’s festering.

“Be easy, Aurelius. Though I am with you, your nightmares are unlike any I have faced before,” Luna stated matter-of-factly. “They are willy and unpredictable.”

I shuddered at the sudden drop in temperature I felt, but Luna didn’t seem fazed. “Easier said than done. I feel all kinds of heebie-jeebies around here.”

Red eyes looked out from the shadows behind the townhouses, darting away shortly after being noticed. I wondered if the nightmare would be more under my own control had I waited for the day time, but it was too late now.

Everything felt distorted—the buildings were taller, looming like jagged teeth, and the once familiar streets felt foreign, suffocating. The chill in the air wasn’t just physical; it clawed at my thoughts, pulling them deeper into a well of anxiety.

The red eyes that flickered in the distance didn’t bother us, rather content to act as spectators for what was to come. My heart pounded in my chest and my mind raced to prepare for whatever might jump out, to act faster than any horrors that waited for us to discover them.

“Stay close,” Luna whispered. “For though we have the upper hand in our lucidity, any distance you put from will threaten to consume your rational. Right now, I am an anchor for your conscious mind.” That’s putting it rather up front.

She wasn’t wrong. The closer I stayed next to Luna, the less oppressive the nightmare felt. I took a deep breath, trying to ground myself. “What if we find something buried deep in my subconscious? Something so utterly foreign and monstrous, I’m stuck here for the rest of the night?”

“Then we fight it for control. This is your mind, Aurelius, and nothing and nopony will rule it, least of all a figment.”

I nodded, but the unease gnawed at me, growing more intense with every step we took. The streets stretched endlessly in every direction, as though the dream was keeping us in place. Ponyville had become a maze of my own making, twisting and winding in ways that defied logic.

As we approached the town square, the sky above us seemed to shift, dark clouds swirling ominously. A cold wind blew through the air, and with it came a low, eerie sound, like a distant wail carried on the breeze.

Luna stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as she looked ahead. “Something approaches.”

From the shadows, a lone glowing pair of red eyes emerged, the darkness wisping off its incomplete form. I thought I could recognize some small facial features, but through the dark mist coating it, I wasn’t sure. It seemed gleeful, murderous and cruel at the prospect of tormenting me.

“Well, well, the dreamer walks among us! Bravo!” It spat. “How quaint. Usually you’re more manic and distracted by my compatriots, yet here you are absolutely sober. Odd.”

He shifted his attention back into the shadows and muttered something unheard, before shifting back to the two of us. “You know, I’ve been with you since you were but a babe, helping to guide you. A whisper here, a push there, and you never even questioned me.” He stood tall, his form towering over us with exaggerated limbs that seemed to stretch far too long for his body. “I OWN you, Aurelius. You will bow to me as you always do, or you will experience fears I have yet to show you.”

Luna’s hand rested on my shoulder, firm and grounding. “Do not let him sway you, Aurelius. He is but an illusion, your fear made manifest into something your mind can conceive.”

The figure’s laughter echoed around us, warping with the landscape as the ground beneath us cracked like shattered glass. “You think he doesn’t know that already, dreamweaver? This is his mind after all.” he turned his attention towards me. “Have you nothing to say to yourself? No thanks or words of admiration for one who helped shape you?”

I swallowed the acid in the back of my throat and stood tall, walking within a hand distance away from the evil. “I know exactly what you are. You’re a Fearmonger, a living nightmare. And YOU don’t scare me.”

He sneered and showed off his yellowed fangs. “Oh, but I do. You’re terrified and want to run to your new mommy and quiver,” he said, extending a long tongue and raking it on the side of my face. “I can taste it.”

He was right. My instincts screamed at me to run away, but I stood firm. “Everyone’s afraid of something. Afraid of failure, afraid of not being enough, afraid of the dark. But I’m done letting you push me around and haunt my most private thoughts. Get the fuck behind me and kneel.”

We stood facing each other, sizing each other up and staring into each other’s souls. Something about how cocky this bastard was made me angry as well as afraid. He chuckled. “Why stop me now? You’ve never made an effort before.”

This smug motherfucker.“I didn’t know it was possible before.” He dared to circle me, sniffing at me, soaking up my emotions like a vampire.

“Something in you’s changed. I wonder what it could be?”

I felt my eyes flash their golden color, the telltale sign that I was pooling my magic. “I’ve grown. I’m ready to knock you down a peg and I’m not leaving until you beg me to spare your putrid existence.”

He stopped once he stood back in front of me. “Oh, is that all? I thought this was a meeting between friends.”

Rage, rage, fucking rage! Static built in my hands, small sparks of electricity jumping between my fingers as I clenched my fists, my magic building up in my palms. I want nothing more than to strangle it, to put it in its place. But something was holding me back.

Luna walked closer, holding me on my shoulder. “Easy, Aurelius. He only wants to goad you into acting irrationally. Let’s walk past him and find the same monster from before.”

I shook my head and pointed a thumb at the Fearmonger. “He’s right here, Luna. He’s been the one I was after in this stupid game of cat and mouse.”

The Fearmonger’s mouth stretched wide and his body rippled violently, a series of tentacles ending in sharp claws bursting from his back. “I am going to enjoy breaking you, Aurelius,” he said, stretching his arms wide to open himself up. “Tell you what, I’ll let you have the first hit.”

It was like something snapped inside me and I felt my rage burst, my breathing reckless and rapid. I gripped at the air in front of my chest, my hands opening and closing in tune to an unheard beat. ”GRRAAAAGH!” I screamed, jumping forward to grab at his legs, missing as he backpedaled. I refused to let up and willed my own set of ethereal claws at the ends on my finger. I charged after him into the gathering crowd of shadows behind him, slashing left and right. He sidestepped his spindly long legs, attempting to create as much distance between him and I as possible, but I wasn’t having it. “No you don’t, get the fuck back over here!”

My legs felt like they swelled from the magic pumping into them and I lept hard to my right, shoulder checking him in the shin and knocking him off balance. If only for a second, I had the upper hand over this beast, but only a second. He moved quicker than I anticipated and flipped backward, narrowly missing the claws aimed at his thighs. In response, he cracked his tentacles like a whip, striking me in the chest and throwing me to the ground.

The place I landed crumpled underneath me, like I’d fallen through the roof of a building and I plummeted deep fast down the bottomless pit. I reached my hands out to sink them into the wall, continuing to fall a few meters before stopping. My rage continued to build and I grit my teeth as friction rubbed my fingers raw. “Luna, don’t let that bastard escape into the shadows or we’ll have to hunt him down again!” I cried up above the hole. Come on, think! This is your dream, manipulate it!

I heard clashing up above the ground, bolts of lightning zipping up ahead at the charging shadows. The opening of the pit above started to close up with the cobblestone and dirt that fell down beneath me. If I wasn’t out soon, I’d be cut off from Luna and stuck in the nightmare. I wasn’t having it. I relaxed my arms so that I drop a little bit and with all my Mike threw myself upwards., making it out of the ground. Being that it was a dream it didn’t take much effort at all to possess superhuman strength. But strength was not enough.

One of the Fearmonger’s minions appeared shortly after I came out of the ground, trampling me and pinning me on my back. It’s gnashing teeth found purchase in my shoulder, grinding deeply. “Get the fuck off me!” I demanded as I reached up and grabbed it by the top of the head. I pried hard, straining against its inherent strength with my own. My eyes lit up a more vibrant and bright gold color, magic filling my muscles with newfound power, allowing me to rip its head right off its body.

Right now I was furious, blind to the pain I felt throbbing through my shoulder and chest. I swore that anything that dared to get between me and my prey would die a horrible death, worse than they deserved. My teeth were bared in a snarl, small jets of white flame leaking from the corners of my mouth, and I would have relished my wrath if I could think straight. More of the shadows lept out to block my path and I tore straight through them like coffee filters, their bodies staining mine with their inky black blood.

My head was pounding something fierce. I’ve never felt so alive, so strong before! I bounded forth on all fours like a jaguar, landing on any of the creeps that dared to step in my path as I made my way to my opponent. I nearly escaped being on by a group of four formless shadow monsters, but they were no match for the razor-sharp, glass-like claws on my hands. My arms wanted to drop and hang loosely, but still I pressed on.

The assured adrenaline pumping through my veins mixed like a volatile cocktail with the ether my C.A.M. was producing, beating to the beat of its ability to keep me alive. I could barely think of anything more than blood. His blood, that sickly black tar the Fearmonger called his essence. I would rip him limb from limb until he begged for forgiveness, and then I would kill him.

In the back of my mind, I recognized Luna calling out to me through the fog in my mind, but I didn’t recognize what she said. Didn’t matter at all, I felt invincible. My hands dripped with literal raw, white-hot magic as my body felt like it was beginning to shut down. My throat burnt something fierce, and something wet started dripping out my nostril. “FEARMONGER!!!”

He stood barely meters away, watching me with a mixture of amusement and something else—wariness. He had been confident before, sure that I would break beneath his torment. Now, there was a flicker of uncertainty in his glowing red eyes. But he still smiled.

“You think you’ve won something?” His voice dripped with condescension as, goading me, taunting me. “This is nothing more than a temper tantrum! You’re still a scared little boy, Aurelius, and you always will be!”

I growled, lunging forward, ready to strike again. But this time, I felt something’s grip tighten on my arm, pulling me back. I whipped around, baring my teeth and moved my free arm in an attempt to slash it off, only to have that hand get caught in their second hand. For a moment, all I saw was red. And then my vision cleared enough to make out Luna’s sad eyes. “LET ME GO YOU MONSTER! I’LL… I’M GOING TO-“ My heart was beginning to give out.

“Enough!” Her voice commanded me, and I struggled to listen. “Look at yourself, Aurelius! Snap out of it!”

My pupils shrunk to pinpricks and I dropped to the ground, vomiting blood and the golden-white glowing mana that filled my body. I retched until nothing remained in my stomach. The once overwhelming power I felt before had vanished like the flames of a campfire, leaving naught but embers. I could still feel my C.A.M. pulsating violently, but it hurt like hell.

“Aurelius, you don’t beat back fear with rage. That makes you no more than the beast he is. Look at the carnage you’ve wrought around you.”

I looked around at the smashed and slashed bodies littering the ground in my wake, the stones in the town square bubbling like hot magma where I had once stood. Buildings all around looked like they were blown apart, scattered like a hurricane come through.

“I did this?” I knew this was a dream, but what if these had been people? What if I had hurt someone I loved? I summoned what little will I had to magic a full body mirror and was decimated by my own reflection.

I had sprouted horns akin to a crown thorns, along with a pair of tattered bat-wings. My arms and leg muscles were grotesquely large and torn from over-use. My own blood and magic stained my mouth and neck a sickly reddish-gold, which burned like acid on my body. The claws that once were pristine and ethereal, were now cracked and rotting.

“The sheer amount of magic you were producing was starting to rot your mental image, my child. You’ve fallen for his trap.” I couldn’t turn to face her. “You were becoming every bit of monster he believes you to be.”

I felt my body shift back to normal as I calmed down. I blinked, my vision cleared enough to see the twisted grin still plastered on the Fearmonger’s face. He was waiting for me to lose control again. Waiting for me to prove him right.

“Way to ruin the mood, dreamweaver,” he said, his smile never fading. “Just a bit longer and he’d have snapped enough for me to torment him another night.”

She scowled at him as he shook like a dog, fluffing up the darkness that covered him. “Be that as it may, don’t you think that testing him like this is only going to damage his psyche further?”

My mouth dropped. “What?” I looked between the both of them, then settled on the Fearmonger. “What is she talking about?”

His grin was replaced by a frown. “Way to ruin the game I had going on here, dreamweaver.” He turned his attention back to me. “Well, cat’s out of the bag now. Yes, Aurelius, a test. And you failed miserably.”

I stammered, trying to find the words to say something, but he cut me off. “I am indeed a Fearmonger, a nightmare that’s gained its own will. Ever since your magic first awakened, I’ve been sifting through your memories to figure out what I am in relation to you. I realized that I am a manifestation of your fear.

“In the past months, more of your emotions than just me have awoken, and we all agreed to try and prepare you. For what, I’m not certain, but there’s something brewing inside of you that we have no idea what it is.”

He scratched at his head like a cat would, then continued. “Your magic is tempestuous, beating wildly with fear as it gets closer. And you are nowhere near ready to face it.”

A series of doors opened behind the Fearmonger, numerous different entities stepping out. Their shapes differed from one another. In total they numbered about nine, including the Fearmonger.

“As you know, I am Fear. And you are filled with much of it. I am the being that warns you of danger and inspires anxiety. I’m neither good nor bad,” spoke the Fearmonger.

His voice dripped with mockery, resonating in the dark, echoing the tumultuous memories of my past.

A tall, angelic figure with four arms, wreathed in light, stepped forth. “I am Hope. I am the one who helps you dream of a better tomorrow, to help you plan.”

She radiated a sense of purity, which calmed my internal turmoil.

The third figure stepped forward, this one covered in plate-like armor for scales. Its head reminded me of a dragon, though it had ten different eyes of various colors. “I am Courage, the one to push you to your limits and temper your spirit. You have more than shown you are capable of wielding me.”

The fourth was a cyan-colored tortoise humanoid, its shell looking more like a boulder than a reptile’s. “I am Determination. I am the companion of Courage, who represents your willpower. You, my boy, possess much.”

The ground shook slightly as he spoke, grounding me in the reality that strength lay not just in magic but also in sheer will.

The fifth was a sleeping cat, its soft fur shining gently in the darkness. “I… am Acceptance. I am the… yawn… one who is content with existence. I help you to deal with your circumstances.”

It exuded a sense of tranquility, befitting of its sleeping cat form.

Two more stepped forward, these two being a red and blue imp, each with one horn on opposite sides of their heads. They looked like twins. The red one spoke first. “Hiya, we’re Despair and Scorn! I’m the empty feeling of hopelessness that’s been eating away at you!”

His voice was high-pitched, mocking, embodying the relentless weight of sorrow I often carried.

Then the blue one spoke. “And I’m the one that’s been inspiring your feelings of contempt towards injustice you’ve experienced.”

Her tone was sharp, cutting through my resolve like a blade, reminding me of the bitterness I had buried deep.

And the ninth and final one slugged forward. It was the eldritch blob of flesh I had seen before. “And finally, I am Malice. I am the hatred you feel for all things, the one who gives purpose to your anger.”

Its voice was a low, slithering whisper, laced with a promise of destruction, embodying the darkest corners of my heart.

Each of the emotions that was presented before me represented something key to my psyche, I just knew it. If they weren’t lying, that would mean that there’s something about my emotions that I was unaware of.

They all opened their mouths and spoke in unison. “We are but a few of the emotions that have awoken in you, Aurelius. We are part of you, as you are of us.”

“What do you all want? Why are you here?”

“We want you to be made hole. You are broken almost beyond repair. If you cannot master and temper your soul, you will be consumed by darkness.

A chill ran down my spine at their words, the weight of their truth pressing down on me. It felt like an ultimatum, a call to arms against the very parts of myself I often tried to hide.

“Consume me?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. “You mean what’s coming?”

They nodded. Determination spoke. “Seems like fate once more than anything to crush us. To make us its bitch. And I will not stand for that.”

Courage step forward and put his hand on my shoulder. “You have much strength in you. The fact that you were able to resist fear for so long before evolving into an emotional mess, says something about you.”

Despair twirled and jumped up on my shoulders, wrapping his devilish tail around my torso. “Yeah! You already know what it’s like to slip into a pit, and the only one who gets to make you feel like that is me. I’m not gonna have some OTHER creepy crawly darkness take away what defines me!”

Luna hugged me from behind. “I never knew emotions could be so potent. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Same here,” I replied. “It’s like I’m standing in the eye of a storm, and each of them represents a different part of the chaos swirling within.”

“I take it, you’ve gotten more than you bargained for?” asked Hope. “Though we may be small parts of what makes you you, you have the power within you to become something great, if you give yourself a chance.”

Despair leaned closer, whispering in my ear. “You know I’m always here, waiting to remind you of what you’ve lost. But maybe, just maybe, you can use that feeling to push forward instead of falling back.”

I nodded, letting their words sink in. “I can’t deny the darkness I’ve faced. It’s part of who I am. But I can choose how to respond to it.”

“Good,” Courage said, a proud smile on his face. “You’re starting to see the bigger picture. Every battle you face is a chance for growth.”

Fear smiled again. “What was it that president one said? ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?’ Words of wisdom, if you ask me...”

I walked right up to the Fearmonger, watching him shrink in size. “Let’s get this over with,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m not going to let you control me any longer.”

Fear didn’t change his expression at all. “Are we done here? I thought this was going to take longer. I suppose I could tone down the intensity of how you feel about me, at least until something else torments you.”

The other emotions smiled, content with me. They each stepped back into their respective portals and vanished. “Remember our meeting, dear host. Otherwise, it won’t be another adversary as you have to worry about dreaming about.”

Fear vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving Luna and I alone in the darkness of the ruined Ponyville.

The silence that followed was heavy, the remnants of chaos lingering like a fog. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the adrenaline still coursing through me. “What just happened?” I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the stillness.

Luna held on to me gently. “For once, I too am at a loss for words. I suppose I could try to say something philosophical, like you faced an important part of yourself that many choose to avoid, but I don’t feel that would be appropriate right now.”

I chuckled. “I knew you put on the whole ‘wise’ attitude for my sake. Guess it takes spontaneous to stump even Princess Luna.”

“You could say that. But then I’m still wise.”

I threw Luna’s arms off me, turning around to accuse her of my suspicions. “Wait a minute, you knew he was testing me! How did you know that?!”

“Calm down, it isn’t like the Everfree. While you were down in the hole, I gave chase after Fear and caught up to him easily. He simply waved at me with that ghastly smile of his and winked, pointing at you. When neither he nor his minions tried to attack me, he asked me to play along and make the fight look real.”

I paused to digest what she said. “…Oh that dick!”

Luna burst out laughing at my expense. “Believe me, I thought this whole thing would go a different way entirely. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“I still can’t believe I lost control of my magic again. Even though this is just a dream, I feel more exhausted than before, but also refreshed if that makes sense.”

“I don’t doubt it. You’re probably be sore when you wake up, but with a newfound clarity you’ve never felt before.”

We continued to enjoy each other’s time now that I was free from the nightmare and talk more about the ‘coming darkness’, both of us drawing blanks about that little tidbit. It wasn’t long before the dream finally started to fade and I woke up.

—-

It was currently Friday afternoon. I’d just finished up my job at the Apple Farm early and was free to do whatever I’d like. Twilight thought it fit to teach me more spells to help master my abilities as a mage, and it was going swimmingly. Ever since I woke up from the nightmare, I’d been feeling fresher than I ever did. Even comparing it to when I had the cuffs taken off me back during my first week here, I don’t think it held a candle. My mind was clear for the first time in ages, like a trip to the spa or a dip in a hot tub. The work week didn’t feel like it dragged on and Twilight remarked how much brighter my eyes were, especially when I used magic. Gods above, I swear I was a new man entirely.

My dreams were also more fascinating, clearer and more vibrant with the help of my emotions. Each night following Monday, one of the nine would visit me and hold conversation, often dipping into hypotheticals and hosting countless short dreams for me to go through and test. By their own words, I was nowhere near ready to reach my full potential, but I had promise.

My magic seemed to be more responsive as a result, seeming alive and eager to listen to my will. Whereas before I needed to study a specific spell, its frameworks, and the mental exercises needed to cast what I wanted, I found it increasingly simpler to just imagine what I wanted my magic to do and it would do it. I still needed to at least read up on the spells I wanted to perform and practice them, but eventually I figured out I didn’t need to build the easier ones in my mind first. Levitation, Increased Strength, Increased Speed, and even Minor Illusion came to me without a second thought. I could conjure small objects at will and entertain or distract myself and they’d vanish soon after I willed it. Nothing crazy, just pencils when I needed them or a toy ball.

Even the Shield spell, which I found difficult when Twilight taught me it, was now subject to ease. I could wrap it around my body like a skin-suit or use it to protect even the most delicate of objects.

Twilight noticed the change. “You’ve made remarkable progress,” she said one evening, her tone filled with awe. “You’re more in tune with your magic than ever before.”

I nodded, feeling a sense of confidence I hadn’t known in years. “It’s almost like I’ve unlocked a new part of myself.”

She smiled. “I don’t know what went on in your weird induced nightmare spree, but it definitely shows. You’re not even breaking a sweat on the easy stuff now.” She stopped to suddenly fire a bolt of magic at me from her hand. “Think fast!”

I caught the bolt in a shaped Shield spell and spun to return it to sender. It harmlessly hit the wall behind her. She looked at the burn mark a foot away from her head. “Well I’m impressed. You’re mastering it as quickly as me. You might be ready for more complicated spellwork come tomorrow.”

Her compliment touched me and I smiled.b“You really think so?”

Twilight adopted a side smile. “Aurelius, your skill growth is incredible. I wouldn’t be surprised if you managed to achieve a place for yourself in the history books, given your affinity for magic.”

“History books, huh?” I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to hide my embarrassment. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

She shook her head, her eyes rife with certainty. “Not at all. Everypony starts from the basics. Even Star Swirl the Bearded wrote about his early failings in his journals, and he’s the one who helped create the modern field of magic!”

“Now that I’m more in tune with my emotions and my magic, I feel the sky’s the limit.” She stared at me, not even questioning my own exaggeration, content to be happy for me.

A knock came from the front door. Spike stood up from his spot on the table, setting down his Power Ponies comic. “I got it!”

Opening the door, he revealed Applebloom, who decided to dress more casually today. Her short sleeved black t-shirt and plaid skirt that came down to her knees, along with her usual green socks and white shoes. She seemed a bit apprehensive to say anything, her confidence going out the window when she saw us all standing there.

“Oh hey, Applebloom! What brings you to the library this afternoon?” said Twilight.

Applebloom hesitated, her eyes darting between Twilight, Spike, and I, now that she was put on the spot. She seemed nervous, for some reason. “Oh, n-no reason. Ah was just… walkin’ through town and thought Ah’d s-stop by an’ see how y’all were doin’! Yep!” She fiddled with something behind her back, her fingers clutching tightly to whatever it was.

I raised an eyebrow, not buying that lie for a second. She wasn’t usually this skittish, at least she used to not be. Ever since the whole barn collapsed, she had been a bundle of nerves any time we spent near one another. Maybe I should ask?

Spike welcomed her in with a wave, offering to go fetch some snacks and drinks for everyone, which Applebloom happily accepted. Though it was most likely because he skipped lunch. I shook my head.

“Silly little dragon. Come on in, Blossom, and get comfortable. We were just practicing magic.” I summoned an ethereal tennis ball and tossed it to her. “Check it out, illusion magic!”

She caught it easily. “W-wow, it almost feels real!”

I smiled. “Would you believe me if I said I learned how to do that today?” That earned me an eye opening.

“Gosh Aurelius, yer so talented… Ah wish ah could do that,” she said solemnly. Applebloom sat down at the center table. “Makes me wish Ah could do fancy magic like that.”

“But then you wouldn’t be the Blossom I know and love.” She blushed heavily. “The crops you and your family grow are second to none. With as much skill as that takes, it’s a magic all on its own.”

“Oh uhm.. ah, You can’t…” She stammered, flustered so much that she pulled her hands up to grab her cheeks, revealing a sealed envelope.

Spike returned in the nick of time with sliced fruits and crackers, along with his own plate of gem-encrusted gummies. “I’m back, did I miss anything?”

Twilight shot Applebloom a friendly smile, though she, too, looked a bit puzzled by the filly’s sudden nerves. “Well, it’s nice of you to stop by, Applebloom. How’s everything been at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“It’s been really hectic. Granny Smith an’ Applejack have been hard at cooking up enough food for the next week for Ponyville’s joint school event. It’s the Fall Formal Dance.”

That might be why she’s so nervous. Time to act. “I didn’t know that was coming up so soon. Time really does fly. Have you found a date yet?” She shook her head, glancing at me before realizing her hidden treasure was out in the open and panicked. “That an invitation for someone?”

“Oh, this thing? It’s a uh… a treasure map the girls and Ah drew up for a game! Ah’m uh…”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Everything all right there Applebloom? You seem nervous.”

She hung her head. “Oh, who am Ah kiddin’. Ah’m terrible at lyin.” She raised the letter up. “Ah came all confident in myself too. Ah can’t do this!” She damn near burst into tears while trying to get up and run out.

I caught her by the arm and she pulled against me. “Lemme go. Ah don’t want ya ta see me right now!” Bloom wouldn’t meet my eyes, looking down while tears formed at the edges of her eyes.

Twilight and Spike were shocked, as was I. None of us had ever seen her act like this before. “Applebloom, what’s eating you? You know you can tell me anything, so what’s wrong?”

She sobbed and leaned into my shoulder to cry. “A-ah came to… I… Ah don’t know if I can…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I rubbed the back of her head as gently as I could manage. It hurt to see her so distraught. Her mouth quivered and she grit her teeth, struggling to find the words that escaped her. “Is this about not having a date?” I asked.

Applebloom didn’t try to pull away anymore. Her cheeks were still flushed a deep red and she refused to meet my eyes. “Ah just don’t wanna make a fool of mahself…” She said, sniffling. “But mah head feels all jumbled and it’s harder than it needs to be.”

“Whatever’s upset you is my problem too.”

Her eyes shimmered with uncertainty and daring. “Ah came…” She swallowed hard and barely spoke over a whisper.

“What was that?”

“Ah said Ah came to ask if you’d be muh date to the dance, darnit!” She squeezed her eyes shut and thrust the letter in my chest, knocking my grip off her and allowing her to be free.

The words hung in the air, her confession raw and vulnerable. I was gobsmacked, thrown for a loop. The room filled with silence, nobody daring to make a move.

Applebloom didn’t wait for anyone else to respond. “Well? Aincha gonna turn me down, break my heart or somethin’ stupid?!” She looked angry, almost terrified. “That yer too good fer me or that there’s plenta fish in tha pond er something…”

I blinked, taken by surprise. Applebloom had always been a constant in Ponyville, a friend I considered to be like a little sister of my own, like how I treated Spike. But this threw that whole foundation of our relationship into the toilet. Of all the things I had expected her to say, this was the lowest on my list.

She sounded hurt at my silence. “Ah just wanted to tell you how I felt and now Ah’ve gone and messed it up. It wasn’t supposed ta happen like this…” She didn’t bother to let her tears stay hidden. “But Ah like you Aurelius. More than a friend.”

Thst hit me like a ton of bricks. So she really does have a crush on me like I suspected. Just… wow. More than a friend? Like, wants to hold a relationship with prospect of a marriage type deal? I still didn’t know what to say. I just kinda stood there frozen, trying my best to process it all. “I didn’t know… I hadn’t realized…” I said softly.

“Realized what? she asked, her voice still shaking but now edged with frustration. “That someone like me could have feelings for you?”

“No, I never realized you felt that strongly,” I said, shaking my head. “I always considered you more like family. I hadn’t thought you saw me like this.”

She slumped her shoulders, disappointed. “Oh…” She wiped her eyes. “Ah guess Ah jumped the bridge on that. Do ya not feel tha same?”

“Well i-it’s… complicated. I never really thought about it before now, if I’m honest. You kind of put me on the spot.”

Applebloom grabbed at her hair and grimaced. “Oh, Ah done really bucked this up somethin’ major. So yer not gonna go with me?” Her voice broke.

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. What did I feel for her, really? She was a nice girl, brilliant in her own right and wasn’t unattractive. Having lived here long enough, I started to develop enough of an understanding between ‘attractive’ and ‘ugly’ qualities when it came to ponies. The qualities she reflected were almost spot on for what I looked for in a partner, but there was one thing that made me hesitant to consider her that.

“It’s your age, Blossom,” I explained. “Where I come from, there’s too far of an age gap between the two of us for me to consider saying that I like you too. Romance is a massive step in a relationship and I really don’t want to end up taking advantage of your feelings on accident. It doesn’t mean I don’t like you per say, it just feels inappropriate.” How do I put this? “I don’t feel like either of us has grown enough to be able to really comprehend what getting into a relationship means.”

She bit her lip, cheeks still as flushed as before. “Ah’m not some kid, Aurelius. Ah know what Ah feel and what Ah want! Just cause Ah’m younger than you, don’t mean Ah can’t think fer myself.”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m implying, but I just don’t have the words to say what I wanna say. I know you’re a grown girl, but you’re still really young and it doesn’t change the fact that I’m four years your senior. Back where I come from if somebody were to find out, I was dating a 15-year-old, I’d be put in prison.”

The look on her face dropped. “Oh.”

I scratched at the back of my head. “Yeah. Even though I’ve been here for almost half a year, and I know the law here is different involving age of consent, how I was raised is still very prominent in my mind. I can’t just suddenly be comfortable with changing everything I know, even if I’ve had to do that with magic.”

Her eyes filled with tears again, and she looked away. “Ah though… that if Ah pulled my boots up and asked ya on a date, ya’d say yes and that would be that. Sounds like I’m asking to marry ya or nothin’. Just that we could go dance an’ have a nice time.” She ended that by muttering under her breath, thinking nobody heard her.

I knew exactly how much courage it took to speak up about your feelings to somebody you have a crush on. Lord knows I went through that back in high school. “I get it Applebloom, I really do. I’m still just, like, I’m shocked. But I’ll tell you what,” I said, watching her face light up with hope. “I’ll absolutely go with you for the dance. But as a FRIEND, not your boyfriend, er coltfriend.” Gods, I was sweating bullets by how awkward this was.

The smile on her face absolutely melted my heart. “Do ya really mean it?”

“Yes, Blossom, I’ll g-“ I couldn’t finish, not with the arms of earth pony magic squeezing the life out of me. “…tight…”

“OH THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” Applebloom squealed, jumping up and down with me. It took her a moment to realized I couldn’t breath. “Oops, mah bad. Sorry.”

Twilight and Spike exchanged glances, still watching from the sidelines but smiling quietly to themselves. It wasn’t the situation Applebloom had probably hoped for, but at least it wasn’t a flat-out rejection.

She left the library shortly afterward with a skip in her step, leaving the three of us to kick the can about what happened.

I cringed. “Guys, be honest, how badly did I fumble that?”

Spike shrugged. “Dude, honestly that was kind of cringey. Four out of ten.”

That earned a tsk from Twilight. “I thought it was rather moving and sweet. You didn’t outrightly tell her you wanted to date her, rather you danced around that issue and gave her the answer she wanted.”

I sat down on the floor. “What was I supposed to say? I’ve never had a girl come up to me and tell me that they like me, especially a close friend that I’ve known for like four or five months.” A thought occurred to me. “Has she had a crush on me since I saved her life?”

Spike guffawed hard, falling to the floor and kicking his feet. “Bahaha! Have you seriously never noticed?! I thought I was dumb!”

I smiled, a chance to play along at his jab. “Hey, I’m not dumb, I’m stupid. Er…” Wish I could’ve recorded the goofy face I made when I said that. “Heheh, thank you guys for not stepping in. I feel like it would’ve just made her feel worse.”

“No problem, buddy.”

“You looked like you had a decent handle on it. I have to say, I’m impressed with you a lot today,” said Twilight.

I sighed, leaning back against the nearest bookshelf. “I guess you’re right. I just didn’t expect any of that today. It feels like I keep stumbling into new things without really knowing what I’m doing.”

Twilight walked over and helped me up to my feet. “Eh, that’s kind of how life is. Runs right up to you and throws you to the timberwolves. Sometimes you get chomped and sometimes you lead the pack.”

The cringe returned with a passion. “That was terrible, Twi. You suck at philosophy.”

She feigned a scoff. “Well excuuuuse me, wise guy. Not all of us are ancient prophets, like Princess Luna.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I sighed. “What’s next on the lesson plan?”