---Protean---

“You were sleepwalking? All the way out of Golden Oaks, all the way out into the Everfree Forest?”

Applejack’s incredulity had been tiresome on the walk back home, but now it was really starting to grate on my nerves. Deep breaths, Bookish, deep breaths. I let out a sigh, and flop back against the sofa I’m sitting on.

We- ‘we’ here now having dwindled from ‘Twilight and all of her friends’ to ‘Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack’ -are sitting or standing around in the main room of the library. Fluttershy sits next to me on the sofa, Applejack stands in front of me, and Twilight seems lost in thought, pacing around the room. All but the former of the three wear similarly sceptical and/or worried expressions on their faces.

“What else do you want me to say?” I ask the room at large. “I told you everything!”

Applejack sighs. “I know y’think that, sugarcube, but it just don’t make sense!”

“Maybe your ‘magical lie detector’ can tell you something.” I mutter.

Applejack throws up a hoof in frustration, and goes over to talk to Twilight. Whatever she’s saying, it’s quiet enough that I can’t hear it. I sink further down into my lying position on the sofa, praying that, despite it not being the most comfy, I might be able to catch up on some sleep.

What is it that AJ thinks I’ll say? Why in the hell would I choose to be out of my bed at 3am, and of all places, why would it be the forest I’ve expressly been told not to go into?!

“That wasn’t very nice,” comes a soft voice from beside me. “We’re only trying to figure out what happened to you.”

I sigh dramatically.

“Now, don’t be like that,” Fluttershy continues, “This is very serious. Just because you don’t feel like you have anything else you can tell us, that doesn’t mean you have an excuse to act like a sourpuss.”

I roll my head over to look at her, and see the expected expression of motherly concern. Hers isn’t patronising in the same way Applejack’s is, it’s just the way she is. Her care for animals simply extends out to include anyone else in need. A paragon of Kindness, truly. As AJ and Twi walk upstairs, I take a moment of reflection. Fluttershy’s right, really, there isn’t any reason for me to be acting like this.

“Sorry, Fluttershy…” I mumble. “You all had to wake up in the middle of the night because of me, and I bet you’re all really worried…”

She smiles warmly. “That’s alright, Bookish. I bet you’re worried too, aren’t you?”

“I…” I start, ready to say that I’m not, that I’d just like to go back to bed. But the denial catches in my throat, and I let out a choked sob. “I don’t wanna go…”

I lean forwards into Fluttershy, and cry softly into her mane.

“I’m sorry, I really am… But it’ll be better for everypony if you can be safe, won’t it?”
I want to deny it, but the words don’t come. I can’t bring myself to make Luna worry for me any more.

Luna’s brow furrowed.

It just didn’t make any sense! Sleepwalking? Not even an initiate dreamwalker could lose control of their actions so drastically while asleep, let alone be carried by their subconscious so far as to reach a place as steeped in magic as the Everfree and remain asleep. Even as weak as she was in the art, Luna was certain Bookish had learned enough of the fundamentals of dreamwalking that she wouldn’t sleepwalk.

Twilight had been so sure of her assessment, but…

And then there was the matter of Bookish’s conspicuous absence from the dream world last night. Luna had searched thoroughly for her dream, (not that it was ever too hard to find the traces of her own magic bleeding out from it) but to no avail. There was nothing unusual about dreamless sleep, especially if the pony in question had a particularly tiring day, she supposed. But there was a little part of her that almost thought that Bookish was dreaming, and her presence was being hidden somehow.

And yet, it didn’t bear the mark of being one of the boorish schemes of the only other active dreamwalkers in Equestria. This was worrying, to say the least- at least she could deal with the likes of them. Though, even discounting more sinister possibilities, Luna knew that Bookish could not very well stay in Ponyville any longer. The poor filly would surely be distraught, for a time, but she would recover- and would be afforded the chance to do so, in the safety of her protection.

Luna huffed in frustration. She should have ripped off the bandaid sooner, and brought Bookish to the castle as soon as she was safe to be there, but she hadn’t wanted to tear her away from Spike and Twilight.

“This is quite the mess…” she sighed. “But you shall be safe here, little one. I promise.”

I slump down on the seat of the train, and look longingly out of the window. It’s strange how small Ponyville looks from this angle.

Maybe I shouldn’t have turned down Pinkie’s offer of a ‘farewell party spectacular’, but I wanted to spend my last day before being shipped off to the castle with Spike and Twilight. A whirlwind tour of everything I’m gonna miss, enjoying it all while I still could. My heart aches, knowing who and what I’m leaving behind back there.

The little things, even. The birdsong in the morning, the quiet nights, the library… I wonder when along the way I started to call that place home? Luna’s decision to rip me away from everything I’ve come to know in this world stings, even a day later. I’ll really miss it all…

Sighing, I shake my head to dismiss the thoughts. Spike and Twilight will visit, and I’m sure that Golden Oaks will still be standing when I get a chance to visit them.

The gentle rocking of the train helps, I think. To bring me back to a place where I can just rest on the ride. I’ll try and sleep, I guess. Twilight told me that I should try to, and that there’d be escorts waiting for me when the train reached the end of the line in Canterlot- so why the hay not. I lean myself against the wall of the train car, and close my eyes, letting myself relax.

…Only to be startled awake by a tap on the shoulder. My head darts to and fro, and it takes me a moment to realise I must’ve been asleep for a while. The sun is a lot lower in the sky, and we’ve apparently come to a stop. A blue-coated unicorn stallion stands in the aisle, smiling sheepishly.

“Ah, I didn’t mean to startle you,” He says apologetically “But you’re taking up two seats there, could I ask you to move up a little?”

I blush, and do as he says. I hadn’t realised I’d been taking up so much space, I must’ve slid across the seat in my sleep. How embarrassing…

He takes his seat next to me, and I hear the whistle of the train getting ready to leave the station.

“Next stop, Canterlot! All aboard!” calls the conductor, and soon after I can feel us start to move again.

“Pardon me, miss, but where are your parents?” starts the stallion next to me, “I don’t think a filly should be asleep on her own on such a long train ride…”

Ugh. He’s one of those types. Probably best not to let him know who I am, so what’s the most convenient lie I can think of…

I draw a blank, and opt to just stare blankly at him. I couldn’t have looked more dumb if I’d tried.

He shoots me a quizzical glance. “Say, I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but do I know you? I just get the strangest feeling from you, like we’ve met before.”

Finally, something to work with. “Um, maybe? What’s your name?” I say, trying my best to sound as normal as possible.

“Ink Blue, at your service!” He says, offering me a hoof. I shake it, and he continues. “I run a small inkery in Merston, but if I knew you, it’d be from Canterlot. Do you live there?”

“I… Yes? Yes, I do.”

Fuck, why did I hestitate? Stupid, stupid. He’s gonna get suspicious now, sweet Celestia…

But if he suspects me, it doesn’t show. In fact, on the contrary, he smiles widely at hearing that.

“I don’t suppose it’s somewhere in the Castle District? I fill orders there all the time, and I never forget a face!” he leans in conspiratorially, whispering “But between you and me, I sell the most of my wares to the Princess.”

Confidence, Bookish. Confidence! I giggle, and return his smile. “I do live there! Maybe my family bought some of your ink one time?”

Ink nods, stroking his chin with a hoof. “It’s certainly possible. I do business with a lot of members of house Blueblood, after all.”

I freeze. What did I just do, damn it. I don’t know anything about a ‘house Blueblood’, and I doubt I can pretend to be a member of it, so I think it’s probably best to deflect, and hopefully end the conversation there.

“What makes you think I’m a Blueblood?” I ask, deciding to start small. “There’s not a blue hair on me!”

He winks at me. “Right you are, right you are. Well, I must be mistaken then. I’ll leave it at that, and leave you to your nap.”

Mission accomplished! And so quickly! I’m basically a pro at this. What I’m not a pro at, though, is feeling comfortable sleeping when there’s someone I don’t know sitting next to me. He’s almost twice my size, too.

I didn’t get a look at his cutie mark while we were talking, and didn’t want to be caught looking now, so what better way to while away the time than to think up what it might look like?

Bottle of Ink? Nah, too simple. Ink and quill? Nah, he didn’t seem to be a writer. Blueberries? Well, that wouldn’t even stand out from his coat, would it? Well, there’s surely other possibilities…
And so I keep myself occupied on the ride, wondering when I’ll finally arrive at my new home.

Author's Note

I live! Short chapter, hope everyone enjoys and remembers to always measure twice and cut once!