Babysitting sucksby SusuoanChaptersPrologueFirst weekSecond weekThird weekLoose EndsPrologueFor some places, nighttime was a moment of peace and quiet, where people would lay down in bed and rest, or perhaps enjoy relaxing activities such as reading or watching a movie at home. Manehattan wasn’t one of those places. No matter if it was the last minute of the day or if the clock was starting anew, Manehattan always buzzed with energy. Cars driving all over the city as the drivers retreated to their homes after an exhausting day of work; people hosting parties all the way up until dawn; tourists experiencing every last thing the city had to offer; and anything in-between. For one man, it was his first date in years. He noticed that, at least from his viewpoint, clicking with someone became harder and harder as age progressed, so getting to meet a beautiful lady and not only that but having a date with her!? It definitely felt surreal. Their first encounter hadn’t been anything dramatic, they were both waiting in the bus station, and, captivated by her beauty, he decided to try his luck. They started simply greeting each other, asking where they were headed and such. He had lived his entire life in the big city, whereas the lady came from Canterlot and was currently here on a business trip. After chatting some more, he gathered all of his courage and asked if she was interested in dinner, claiming he knew all of the finest places to grab food in the city. She, however, had visited Manehattan in the past and didn’t need his help, as she also knew her way around the restaurants. She accepted his offer regardless. And now, here they were. A yellow-haired man, wearing a dark-blue coat, and on the opposite side of the table sat a pink-skinned woman, wearing a mauve blouse, her straight, short, blue hair resting idly as it surrounded her neck. Deciding to break the ice, the man awkwardly shifted in his place. “So,” he hesitated, “have you ever been to this restaurant, Miss Honey?” Honey nodded. “Just Honey is fine,” she clarified. “I stumbled against it once and decided to give it a shot. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made; the food here is so delicious.” “Agreed,” the man said, now feeling more comfortable as they shared the same feeling. “I, myself discovered this place back when I was a kid. My parents brought me here once, and I was awestruck at the magnificent taste of the food.” Honey giggled, “I can relate.” An awkward silence started to form as the conversation slowly died, so to avoid that, the man cleared his throat. “I meant to ask you this earlier, but, what brings you to Manehattan?” “A plane,” she said mockingly. The couple shared a laugh and shortly after, Honey turned her focus back to her date. “Well you see, Silk, I studied architecture at the University of Nottingham, and I’m currently a construction manager. My team and I are building a museum here in Manehattan, and I’ve come to oversee the construction.” “So, does that mean you’re staying for a while then?” the hopeful man asked. “That’s correct,” she nodded and fluttered her eyelashes at him, “Why? Are we planning on a second date? A flustered grin covered Silk’s face as his face turned a bright red, but before they could continue, their attention diverted to Honey’s phone. “Oh, so sorry, Silk, this seems important,” she said, picking up her phone. “Hello?” Honey asked, and since Honey visibly flinched, Silk assumed the caller wasn’t in a particularly good mood. Squinting her eyes at all the yelling and complaining from the opposite side of the call, Honey sighed. “Fine, don’t worry about it, it’s alright. I’m sure you did a marvelous job, but if this is what you want, I understand.” Hanging up, Honey turned to Silk. “I’m so terribly sorry, Silk, but I have to go. My daughter’s babysitter just informed me that she’s quitting, so I have to go make sure my little angel doesn’t get hurt,” Honey explained. “You have a daughter?” This time, it was Honey’s turn to get flustered, as a grin escaped Honey’s face and awkwardly faced the man. “Heh, yeah, I uh… I usually save that for the third date.” Silk chuckled, “Nah, don’t worry about it, I understand how it can be sometimes.” Moments later, the couple was standing outside the restaurant, saying their goodbyes. “I still have work to do at the construction site, so when I come back, do you want to go to the movies or something?” Honey asked. Taken aback, Silk stammered. “Y-you… r-really?“ Honey looked at him with a flirty smile, slightly biting the bottom of her lips. “Y-yeah! I’d love to!” “Great!” Honey exclaimed, “I’ll see you there then, Mr. Handkerchief.” Silk Handkerchief blushed and nodded shyly. ................................................................................... Across the country and several timezones behind Manhattan, in the city of Canterlot, most of the students of Canterlot High School had already left for the day, either going home from school or to hang out with friends. Friends that were - mostly - just acquaintances who happened to have similar interests and therefore sat together at a specific lunch table. However, some of the students stayed behind a little longer. The reasons were mostly training sessions, clubs, detention, and that one girl who always seemed to be forgotten at school. Suddenly, the school’s doors burst open and a moderate amount of students walked outside. Some wore martial arts robes -mostly white- with colorful belts tied on the waist, while others carried poles or training sticks around. Some stayed to chat, while others rushed straight home. One student, a green-haired male, avoided the conversing groups of his peers and set a leisurely pace for his walk home, fiddling with his collapsible staff along the way. Opening the door to his home, he was greeted with silence, though it was short-lived. Not long after, a small, elongated, furry creature ran in from an adjacent room. Once close enough, the guy picked up the weasel-like animal and started petting it. “Heya! Missed me?” he asked, expecting some sort of sound as a response, but none came. “Come on, Whistle, you’re supposed to make funny noises while I remain my silent self,” he said, still petting the ferret, which squeaked this time around. After feeding the ferret, the boy retired to his room. There, he took out a notebook from his backpack. He nibbled at the cap of his pen for a while before actually doing anything. Eventually, numbers, symbols, and letters were scribbled as he began solving several equations and filling out his homework. As the hours passed and the sun started to set on the horizon, the guy found himself sitting on the couch of the living room, playing a game on the television, with the ferret beside him. Suddenly, the sound of jingling keys caught both of their attention, so they turned their heads towards the main door. The door opened as two adults came inside. “We’re home!” called a dark green-skinned man who wore a black and yellow vest. The mauve-skinned woman, who was wearing casual clothing, didn’t say anything and looked towards the living room instead. Following his wife’s gaze, the man noticed the teen, the ferret, and the red centaur wrecking the main character on the television. The man spoke up, “I thought you said you were busy, Thornsly.” The guy -Thorn Thistle- replied hastily, “I am! I was... studying ancient mythology!” He cleared his throat and gave a sideways glance at the screen. “Thus the centaur,” he added matter-of-factly. Both adults took another look at the screen, and the centaur, who was still wrecking the player. Then they looked at each other, unamused. “Thorn, son,” the man spoke up, “your mom and I were thinking, and you spend a lot of time here. Alone.” The remark made Thorn roll his eyes. “I’m not alone, I have Whistle,” he said, glancing at the ferret, who was chewing away at the edge of Thorn’s homework. “Whistle, no! The teachers didn’t believe me last time!” he exclaimed, snatching the sheet of paper from the ferret’s mouth. Thorn’s father let out a sigh, “You know what we mean. If you have the time to play video games, then why not use it to meet other people instead?” “Playing is a rare treat. I’m usually busy with schoolwork,” he countered, then gave a glance to the screen. “Today’s not a good example.” “Thorn, for the past week I’ve found you playing right when I arrive,” his father countered calmly, but sternly. “You’re exaggerating. But even if you weren't, the semester is just starting y’know. Most teachers go easy on us,” he grimaced at the thought of Mr. Cranky Doodle, the one teacher who didn’t go easy on them and opted to give them overly-complex assignments instead. “Well,” his father continued, knowing that last expression all too well, “if you’re still having trouble with maths, then maybe you could work on the assignments with someone else,” he suggested. “Tried that. Failed at it,” Thorn stated as he looked away, growing more tired of the conversation. “Then try again, until you make it work!” Thorn didn’t look back, and so his father continued. “Friendship and cooperation are an important part of life, son.” His parents couldn’t see it, but Thorn smirked. “Well, it’s not like you are constantly cooperating with anybody, and you seem just fine,” he said, repressing his smirk and looking back at them. His mom, who had been doing nothing but stare and nod at his father’s statements, perked up, her eyes widening a little. “What do you mean?” asked the father. “I work with the other firefighters all the-” “I was talking about mom.” The father grimaced and turned to his wife. Her glance somehow expressed something like ‘how did you not see it coming’ despite being identical to the blank stare she had all the while. Silence followed. After a while, the father sighed. “We forgot to buy something at the store. We’ll be right back,” he said, opening the door behind them. “And turn that thing off!” he added, referring to the television, which now displayed a ‘you lost’ screen accompanied with ominous music. When the door closed, Thorn remained staring at it for a while. Eventually, he turned to Whistle, who stared back. “Did I just win?” he asked, incredulously. The ferret kept staring. “Ha! And those midnight thoughts said my shower discussions would be useless!” He added pridefully. Whistle squeaked. Thorn then stared blankly. “I’m telling a ferret about the arguments I hold with myself in the bathroom... maybe I do need friends...” ................................................................................... “Sorry, but we don’t have the time to babysit right now,” a woman just down the street firmly informed Honey, who was standing outside the door. She sighed in exhaustion and added a nod, robotically heading to the house next door. That is until she noticed a nice-looking couple exit a house just down the street. In the distance, Thorn’s parents were holding a conversation. “I just want him to have someone else to share his time with, besides Whistle, but he keeps avoiding it!” the man said. His wife resigned to nod silently. “I mean, I know friendships are... complicated in CHS. I saw this Sunset Shimmer gal myself a couple of times and she does appear to be as mean as Thornsly described her, but...” he stopped himself, fiddling with the watch on his wrist, considering ideas. “There’s got to be something we could try. Maybe a neighbor? A cousin at least? Oh! Didn’t a friend of yours say that her daughter was considering studying nearby? Maybe we could-“ This time it was his wife who cut him off, placing her hand on top of his shoulder and shaking her head. “I know, I know, you’re right. It’s just… I kinda wish I could force him to try at the very least…” As they kept walking forward, they got close enough for Honey to get a clearer look at them. Thorn’s father looked at the sky, and seeing how the sun was just setting down on the sky, he bent his right arm to look at his silver watch. “Hmm, I thought it would be darker.” Looking up, he noticed a lady walking towards them. “Hi~!” Honey beamed, “I’m your current neighbor from over there,” she gestured at a house a couple of blocks away, with a black van parked out in the driveway. “Could I borrow a few minutes of your time?” They gave a sideways glance at each other and agreed. “Sure, is there anything we can do for you?” “Yes, you see, I have been called away to work unexpectedly for a few several days and I don’t have anyone in the area who could help take care of my kid at this very moment. My latest babysitter just quit, and I was hoping you might know of a good babysitter, by chance?” A streetlamp behind Thorn’s parents turned on and they looked at each other. The mother shook her head slowly, whereas her husband motioned with a knowing nod. Thorn’s mother rolled her eyes and sighed. After a further exchange of details, Thorn’s father sealed the deal with the lady with a handshake. First weekA few steps away from the golden horseshoe of CHS, Thorn Thistle stared at the long roads in front of him; at the buildings that stood tall in the distance; the houses and apartments in which people rested and families enjoyed each other’s company. Today, however, he didn’t think of his home as a place to rest and enjoy others’ company, but rather to exhaust himself, because of others’ company. “What if...? I got myself into detention! That way, I can skip all of this nonsense! My parents will think I’m not responsible and that’ll be the end of that, right?” Thorn contemplated, paying little attention to the fact that he had said it aloud. Thorn stared at the city, plotting other ideas, but he was taken aback by a feminine voice. “Um… were you talking to me?” Startled, Thorn turned to his right to see another student. Or at least, he assumed she was a student. The girl had bushy, green hair and wore a brown, striped sweater. ‘Has she been there the whole time?’ Thorn thought before clearing his throat. “Uh, no… I was- uh… I was talking to myself,” he explained, adding a sheepish smile. “Oh! I-I thought… since you… I mean…” Out of awkwardness, a blush formed on the girl’s cheeks. She closed her eyes and sighed, then looked away. “Sorry, my bad.” An awkward silence followed as both green students avoided eye contact. “I uh… I have to go... So uh… bye!” Thorn said before heading in the direction he was staring at a moment ago. The girl sighed again and hugged her backpack. ‘Guess I’m giving this babysitting thing a chance now…’ Thorn thought, a frown on his face. ……………………………………………………………. “There you are, Thorn!” a masculine voice called as soon as Thorn closed the door to his house. He turned to see it was his father who had greeted him. “Hi, Dad,” Thorn replied. His father chuckled, “You know, your mother thought you were going to force yourself into detention rather than go through with babysitting! But I knew you’d come!” Thorn tittered awkwardly at the accurate assumption. “Haha… right… as if I’d let you guys down,” Thorn said, adding a hand gesture to dismiss the thought. “Anyway, our guest is already here, come introduce yourself,” his father said as he walked into the kitchen; Thorn followed reluctantly. Inside, there was a little girl with curly blue hair. She was filling in a coloring book while occasionally sipping on her juice box. Not far away, there was the crust of a pizza slice. “Thorn,” the father began, “this is Cozy Glow.” At the call of her name, Cozy Glow’s head raised. “Oh golly! Are you Mister Wildfire’s son, Thorn Thistle!? Your dad told me allll~ about you! My name is Cozy Glow, nice to meet you!” Thorn acknowledged her with a nod. “Alright,” Thorn’s father said after clearing his throat. “Listen, kids, this is the plan. While Cozy’s mother is out of town, I’ll pick her up from school and we’ll stay here until you arrive, Thorn. Then, I’ll go back to work while you take care of the rest, understood?” Thorn nodded. “Good. Your aunt is picking you up at seven, right Cozy?” “Yep, that’s correct!” “Very well! Guess I’ll be going then. There’s some pizza left and your mother is in her room in case you need anything.” Thorn nodded, and Cozy waved goodbye. “Bye Mister Wildfire!” Thorn’s father waved back, then put on the rest of his uniform and left. ……………………………………………………………. “And that’s how I decided I liked pink better than blue!” Cozy exclaimed with excitement. “Great,” Thorn replied with opposite excitement, “but I only asked where your mom traveled to.” “Oh! I don’t know,” Cozy said with a shrug. Thorn‘s head fell flat on the table. He sighed and raised his head. “Anyway, I’m kinda busy. You can do your homework or something,” he said, standing up from the chair he was sitting on. “I already finished my homework.” ‘What!? H o w?’ Thorn inwardly questioned, but shook the thought away quickly. “I guess you can watch cartoons if you want to, or read a book?” he suggested, motioning to the living room. “Can I play… those?” Cozy said, pointing at a stack of video game cases. “Yeah, sure,” Thorn said while heading to his room. Once inside, he noticed Whistle, who was running around inside of his little cage. “So, that’s why you weren’t stealing food in the kitchen,” he said, grabbing the cage from the top. He headed outside of his room with the cage in his grasp. Once in the living room, he noticed Cozy checking out the games’ cases. “Ugh, no, I can’t work with this!” Thorn cleared his throat, which caused Cozy to jump in her place. “Hey, are you allergic to ferrets?” Thorn asked. “Nope!” she said cheerfully. “But, uh... What’s a ferret?” Thorn lifted the cage for her to see. “This is Whistle, he’s my pet,” he explained with a slight smile on his face. “I always let him run around the house. Do you have any problem with that?” Cozy recoiled a bit. “D-does it bite?” Thorn shook his head, “If anything, he might steal your stuff. If you lose something, just tell me. I know where he stores it.” “Oh, well that sounds just peachy! As long as it doesn’t bite me, then there’s no problem!” Without a second thought, Thorn lifted the door of the cage, and Whistle flew through the living room. Thorn went back to his room, while Whistle ran hysterically around the house and Cozy began to reconsider her decision. ……………………………………………………………. Some hours later, Thorn returned to the living room after having finished his homework. The first thing he noticed was Cozy Glow curled in a ball, in a corner, shakily staring at Whistle, who was being held by Thorn’s mother. “You’re back!” cried Cozy. “Can you tell Ms. Flame to stop scaring me?!” she added with tearful eyes. Thorn tilted his head and looked towards his mother, who looked back. “She’s just trying to show you not to be scared of Whistle, Cozy.” “Y-yeah?” Thorn nodded. “T-then why didn’t she say so!?” Cozy demanded, still recoiling from Whistle. “You won’t get a word out of my mom anytime soon.” Thorn’s mother—Sward Flame—nodded at the statement. After a while, Cozy relaxed a little bit and gently shoved Ms. Flame’s hand away, along with Whistle. “M-maybe some other day...” ‘Maybe it’s not too late to back away...’ Thorn pondered, making sure he wasn’t talking out loud this time, ‘after all, it’s only the second day, they’d unde-’ His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he once again heard a feminine voice. This one, though, he was familiar with. “Where’s Flash!? I know you’re friends with him so speak up! Or else!” Some lockers away, Thunderbass, Valhallen, and Brawly Beats were trying fruitlessly to back away from Sunset Shimmer, who was grabbing the latter by the shirt. Seeing this, Thorn grabbed his stuff from the locker and made a 180º turn towards the opposite direction from the pleading cries for mercy. Thorn saw the panic in their faces as Sunset cornered them, but ultimately decided not to intervene. It would only bring more problems. Thorn arrived home not long after and once he opened the door, he greeted his father. Mr. Wildfire, however, seemed distracted. “Um...” Thorn looked around the house and spotted his mother, and Cozy Glow in the kitchen, the latter cheerfully waved hello at him. He returned his attention to his father. “Did you lose something, dad?” His father didn’t answer and kept lifting books and pillows. Thorn’s mother approached and tapped him on the back. Hardwood snapped back to reality and turned around. “H-huh? Oh, Thornsly! You’re here? So soon?” Thorn deadpanned and Ms. Flame pointed at the clock in the wall next to the kitchen. Mr. Wildfire’s eyes went wide. “What!? Already!?” “Did you lose something, dad?” Thorn reiterated. “Yeah, I haven’t seen my silver watch since yesterday, so I figured I’d look around while you arrived. Oh well,” he sighed, “I should get going. Tell me if you happen to find it, please.” A few moments later, Hardwood grabbed his keys and left the house. “Hello, Thorn!” Cozy called from the kitchen. “Hi, Cozy Glow,” Thorn replied mildly irritated. ... Just like the previous day, Thorn grabbed some food and then retired to his room. This time, however, Cozy followed him. “So, why do you always come home so late? Do your classes run late?” Cozy asked from behind him. “No.” “So, when do they finish then?” “About two hours ago.” “Is your school that far away?” “No.” “What do you do, then?” “Training sessions.” “Ooh! Are you on a team? One that depends on your presence or otherwise it will fall apart and everyone on the team will blame you for their failures?” Thorn turned around with a worried, quizzical look and stared at Cozy. “What?” She asked innocently. Thorn turned back to his room, where he unlocked Whistle’s cage. Cozy flinched as Whistle bolted out of his cage, and into the living room. “No, I’m not in a team. I practice martial arts, and I’m pretty sure no one would miss me if I skip a class... Not that I want to.” Thorn answered. Cozy gasped. “Golly! Are you a master martial artist!?” “No.” “Oh. So how long have you been training?” “A little over a semester,” he said while unpacking some notebooks. “And what did you do before that?” “I was in the swimming team, which isn’t much of a team honestly.” “And why did you leave?” “I learned everything I wanted to learn, and it got kind of intense afterward.” “And you left? Just like that?” “Yes. Now, if you don’t mind, I have homework to do.” “You can do that while you talk with me!” “I’d rather not,” Thorn curtly said. “Aw, c’mon! I could help you!” Cozy offered. “Do you know how to make a graph of a rational function?” “No... But maybe you could teach me!” “Absolutely not.” “Pretty please~. That way, I’ll do better in a few years when I study that!” “Cozy, I barely understand the topic myself, so if you could please leave so that I can focus...” “B-but I don’t want to be alone with that... that… thing!” Cozy pointed at Whistle, who was preparing itself to jump from one couch to another. He failed miserably, bumping head-first with the edge of the second couch and then fell face-up on the floor. Unamused, Thorn looked at Cozy, who was somehow still freaked out. “You could always stay with my mom,” Thorn pointed out. “Wh-what!? After what happened yesterday!?” “I’m sure it won’t happen again,” he reassured her. Still unsure about it, Cozy pouted and looked at Thorn with puppy eyes. “Good luck!” Thorn exclaimed, closing the door shortly after. Thorn was once again leaving school supplies inside of his locker when he heard fastened steps approaching. Turning around to identify the person responsible for the noise, he found an agitated Flash Sentry, Sunset Shimmer’s boyfriend. The blue-haired guitarist looked around trying to spot someone, anyone, and then noticed Thorn so he ran up to him. “Hey, you! I need your help, um... What’s your name again? I know it had a ‘th’ sound somewhere...” “Thorn.” “Yeah! It had a thorn somewhere!” “No, my name is Thorn Thistle.” “Oh, sorry, sorry, my bad. Anyway, do you know Sunset Shimmer?” Sarcastically, Thorn replied, “Sunset Shimmer? The reason the majority of the martial arts students decided to enroll? The red-and-yellow-haired girl who got called in detention 8 times this week? Never heard of her.” Flash got the point and continued. “Right... Uh, Sunset’s been dragging me along everywhere! And when she gets in trouble, I too, get in trouble, because I’m dragged along with her, but if I don’t help her, I also get in trouble, with Sunset! It’s driving me crazy! You won’t happen to know someplace where I could hide, would you? ‘Well, yeah, but… should I share that information with him?’ Thorn contemplated while faking to be thinking for an answer to Flash’s question. “Can’t you just leave?” Thorn suggested, attempting to end the conversation there. “No, my ride doesn’t get here for another hour.” ‘Fine,’ Thorn said to himself, sighing. “How about...” Thorn looked at the air in thought, and then returned his attention towards Flash, “the third floor of the library?” “The library has a third floor?” Thorn nodded, “No one ever goes there... I’m not even sure if the teachers know it’s there,” Thorn explained. “Do you think Sunset knows about it?” Flash said warily. “No way, that’s one of the many places where I go when I need to hide from Ms. Biggest meanie,” Thorn said air-quoting Sunset’s title. “Hey! That was years ago! Principal Celestia asked everyone not to call Sunset that way anymore, I can’t believe you still do it.” Flash said, indignated. “Flash, everyone calls her that behind her back.” “Well don’t! It hurts her feelings…” “Right…” Thorn replied, wondering why Flash was defending Sunset now, when he straight up came asking for someplace to hide from her. Or why he’d be defending Sunset at all. Period. He cleared his throat, “Anyway… about the library…?” Flash pondered for a few seconds and then lightened up. “Yeah, that should work! Thank you very much, Thorn!” “Yeah, sure, but if you get caught in the act, don’t tell her it was my idea! I really like the serenity of that place!” Thorn exclaimed as Flash left for the library. ……………………………………………………………. “See you later, son,” Hardwood said as he closed the main door. “Bye, dad.” “Hello, Thorn!” “Hi, Cozy.” “Hey, can I ask you a question?” “N-“ “When Mister Wildfire brings me here, Miss Flame’s here to wave hello, and then she goes to her room for a while... Hey! Just like you!” Thorn stood arm-crossed, unamused. “Uhm, but I didn’t see her today, and Mister Wildfire said she left to do her job. So, was she not working the last two days?” Thorn nodded, “Mom works several weeks straight, and every month or so she gets a five-day-long break,” he explained as he reached into the fridge and took out a cooking pot from the inside. “What!? Several weeks!? What’s her job!?” “She’s a fire ranger, she can’t leave her post due to the possibility that a wildfire might happen while she’s gone.” “So she stays there and just looks at a forest 24/7?” “No, she monitors weather, temperature, humidity, stuff like that. She’s also a sort of tourist guide, on the rare occasion that someone might get lost. And she does sleep, or so she’s told me.” “Well, anyhow, isn’t that a really short break?” “Yeah… but I think she starts getting really anxious if she’s away for too long…” Cozy didn’t say anything for a few seconds, so Thorn figured that was it, and turned back to the stove. “So... Ms. Flame is a fire ranger…” Cozy said as Thorn was about to turn around. “Yes,” Thorn replied looking down, crestfallen. “And Mr. Wildfire’s a firefighter…” “What are you getting at?” “So what do you do? Do you… manufacture stoves in your free time or something?” Thorn slowly walked away from the stove. “No, I’m not really into the fire business, just your average high school student.” “Oh! That reminds me... Do high schoolers break into songs in the cafeteria or something? Like they do in the movies?” “Hasn’t happened yet, which is kinda strange actually, considering how many students know how to play an instrument flawlessly...” “So... You don’t break into songs...?” “Nope.” “High school sounds sad...” “It is.” Second weekAnother day, another mentally exhausting afternoon with Cozy Glow. Although to be fair, Thorn may have overreacted during the first few days he spent babysitting. Sure, he was still bitter that his parents never asked him if we wanted to take care of Cozy, and he would always rather lay down in his bed all day long doing nothing except staring at the ceiling, but having Cozy around made things more… interesting? That was beside the point right now, however. After his training finished, he went to his locker and eyed everything inside a couple of times. ‘I must’ve left it back at home…’ He was about to triple-check, but his locker door was suddenly slammed shut. Flinching, he turned to his left and saw none other than CHS’s bacon-haired bully. “You… wouldn’t happen to know where Flash is, would you, Thorn?" Sunset Shimmer asked uncharacteristically coldly. ‘Oh no,’ Thorn thought while he gulped and backed away a few steps. “Who?” “Don’t play dumb with me, Thistle!” she exclaimed as she stepped forward in a characteristically fiery attitude. “Flash has been avoiding me, and I’ve been told you might have something to do with it!” In the distance, Thorn managed to see Snips and Snails, a pair of freshmen he’s seen then and again, snickering at his ordeal. Thorn’s mind raced while thinking of some way to manage the situation. Sunset, however, wasn’t in the mood to stand idly by. “Well!? Answer me! Unless of course, you want to do this the other way.” Thorn stood straight where he was, petrified. He was perfectly aware of what the other way meant. It was a hard thing to forget after all. Thorn pressed his eyes closed, and sighed, “Just so we’re clear, I didn’t tell him to do anything. He’s the one who asked me for a hiding spot.” “Where is he now!?” “In the cafeteria. Lower floor… maybe.” Sunset deadpanned. “The cafeteria has a lower floor?” Thorn nodded warily. “It’s not well maintained, though.” Sunset turned around and walked towards the cafeteria, but stopped a few steps later. “I’m warning you, Thorn, don’t try anything. You know the consequences,” she said, glaring back from the top of her shoulder. When Sunset walked closer to Snips and Snails, Snips smiled confidently and pulled his hand forward, probably expecting to receive something from Sunset Shimmer. When the girl ignored them, the pair of freshmen looked at each other in confusion and followed after her. With Sunset and her apparent spies gone, Thorn sighed. Mildly relieved, but mostly… powerless. He locked his locker and quickly left. That lower floor existed all right, but, number one, Flash wasn’t there, and two, it was disgusting. Those two things might give Sunset the impression that it was some sort of prank or trick, so it was better to leave, ASAP. ……. It was the same routine once he arrived back home; he’d greet his father, then Cozy Glow; Hardwood would leave, and Cozy would barrage him with questions. Despite his current situation, Thorn decided to answer some of them. After all, he couldn’t straight-out ignore Cozy. Although that didn’t force him to pay attention to her. Cozy quickly noticed that Thorn was distracted and looking for something. “What’cha looking for?” she asked. “Are you looking for your father’s silver watch?” Thorn stood still, facepalming, “Uh, yeah, I should probably look for that too. But I’m looking for my staff, actually. You haven’t seen it around, have you?” “Nope, not really. But I can help you search for it if you want.” “Nah, don’t worry about it. I lost it, I should find it myself.” “Well… okay!” She exclaimed, as she cheerfully retreated towards his parents’ room, where Cozy had been leaving her stuff ever since Thorn’s mom stopped coming around. “Huh, that’s odd,” Thorn contemplated as Cozy left. “It’s usually very hard to get her to lea-“ Cozy quickly came back with her backpack and sat on the couch. ‘Aaand she’s back. Of course,” Thorn thought as he continued to look around. Stared at the shelves, he noticed that the books, game cases, and other similar stuff were all organized in separate layers. Not only that, but they were also in the order of a color wheel Cozy had left above the shelf. ‘Impressive,’ Thorn said to himself. ‘I gotta hand it to that girl, she is very organized.’ Careful not to mess with Cozy’s work, Thorn began moving stuff, to check if Cozy had mistakenly placed his staff somewhere on the shelf. His staff wasn’t there, and after looking at every other place nearby that anyone could have misplaced it, he went to the next most plausible place it could be. And by place, he meant places. In plural. As in, a lot. “Are you sure that you don’t want any help?” Cozy asked, seeing how he was struggling to move a piece of furniture, which also had the television on top. “I mean, I don’t think I could move that, but…” “Nope,” Thorn said in-between breaths, “I got this.” Cozy went back to her phone as Thorn managed to slip his hand behind the tv. Withdrawing his hand, he obtained a soft ball, an odd rock, a sock, a tree branch, the cap of a lipstick tube, and a very dusty dinosaur toy. “Wow, I haven’t seen this thing in ages,” Thorn said to himself, but Cozy managed to overhear it and peered at all the stuff Thorn withdrew. “Is that a petrified donut?” Thorn looked at the odd rock, and taking a clearer look at it, he realized it did indeed look like a donut. “Huh.” Thorn shrugged and placed everything back inside. Questioning why there was so much random stuff behind the tv, Cozy raised a quizzical look, “Do you often throw stuff in there?” “Not me. Whistle. And not just here.” Thorn headed to a cabinet, kneeled, and opened the drawer at the bottom. Thorn took out seven different balls, three bottles of water, twelve socks—all different from one another—, a cereal box, a long rubber band, and a ferret holding a phone. Shocked, Cozy looked to her left, where her phone used to be, and realized it wasn’t there any longer. “What? How!?” As he answered Cozy’s question, Thorn struggled to make Whistle drop the phone. “I like to think ferrets are like wild felines in a way. You do not turn your back on them. The only difference is that tigers want to kill you, whereas ferrets want to steal your stuff.” Having successfully snatched the phone away from Whistle, Thorn cleaned the part of the phone his pet chewed, and after making sure no harm was made to the device, he handed it back to Cozy Glow. Cozy Glow grabbed it by the edge as if it was contaminated and then dropped it inside of her backpack, closing it afterward. “So, are there any other places where your rodent stores stuff?” “Not a rodent,” Thorn corrected. “And yes, there are more.” Thorn checked in a gap beneath the couch, and after not finding what he was looking for, he moved on to Whistle’s cage, underneath a chair, then to a gap between a shelf and the wall, and lastly, underneath his parents’ desk. When it was clear Whistle was innocent, he moved on to other parts of the house in which Thorn might have left it by accident. He checked the attic, his room, the living room…again, the roof. When it all proved fruitless, he tried the living room just one more time. But as he moved everything back into position, he sighed. Thorn stretched his arms and legs, fixed his hair slightly and then he plopped into one of the kitchen’s chairs. “Oh well.” “What!?” Cozy Glow asked. “That’s it!?” “Yeah.” “You’re just giving up on it? It seemed like it was important to you.” “…it is.” “So?” “Do you remember how you said high school sounded sad?” He asked, rhetorically, as he didn’t wait for Cozy Glow to answer. “Well, it’s sad. I have homework to do, and don’t really have that much time to take care of the stuff I care about… I’d know.” By the end of the next day, Thorn was practically crawling his way out of the school’s halls with exhaustion. With all the time he spent looking for his staff, Thorn had to stay up late completing the assignments. Cozy getting on his nerves by questioning his life choices didn’t help much either. Not to mention that an average school day, a training session, and a minor argument with a certain blue-haired guitar player over the fact that his deranged girlfriend followed him home and now knows where he lives, was pretty exhausting on top of everything else. He thought he’d never have this sleep-deprivation feeling ever again, but clearly, he was wrong. It felt just as draining and exhausting as he remembered it. He was itching to lay down on his bed if only to rest a little bit, but a pink bush just outside the school entrance interrupted that thought when it called out his name. Perplexed, Thorn rubbed his eyes and saw nothing but normal bushes. ‘Oh no, it’s worse than I thought,” he thought turning around, eager to get home and get some sleep. “Psst, Thorn Thistle!” Rapidly, he turned around once more, and as much as he rubbed his eyes, the pink bush sitting between all the other normal bushes didn’t disappear. ‘What the-‘ Thorn thought, astounded. “Get over here!” the bush called. At that moment, Thorn did what any other exhausted teenager would; obey the pink bush. Thorn walked closer to the bush, and a pair of blue eyes popped from underneath, which caused him to flinch. “Wow, you look awful!” the bush laughed, in a bubbly, energetic voice. In his not-that-long life, Thorn had never been insulted by a bush before, but there was a first time for everything, apparently. “Hey-!“ Thorn exclaimed but was stopped once again. “I know just what’ll cheer you up! A party!” The bush suddenly rose a few feet higher and revealed a fellow student he knew all too well. Stumbling from the sudden movement, Thorn relaxed shortly after, “Oh, it’s just Pinkie Pie,” he reassured himself. “Of course I am, silly,” Pinkie explained. “What did you think was going on? That a pink fluff of hair was telepathically speaking to you?” “No.” Pinkie Pie squinted her eyes and went suddenly quiet, staring at Thorn, while she scratched her chin with her hand. “Uh… Pinkie Pie?” Thorn asked, backing away slowly. “Your expression… it seems… familiar.” “Uh-“ Thorn muttered but was once again cut short, this time by a loud gasp. “Aha! I remember now! I made that expression, and I saw myself with it in the mirror!” Pinkie Pie pointed at the statue in front of the school’s entrance, and it was at that moment that Thorn remembered that Pinkie Pie often trailed off, so he attempted to flee the scene. “That’s nice, Pinkie, but I should really get go-“ “I don’t know if you knew this about me, but I’m a really good babysitter, heh, if I do say so myself.” “Uh-huh, well, I sho-“ “But there was this one kid—” As much as Thorn would appreciate the tips, he needed to get going, so he rolled his eyes, turned around, and walked away. “—Cozy Glow! Yeah, that was her name!” Thorn stopped abruptly and turned his head back towards Pinkie. “Come again?” Thorn asked warily. “Cozy Glow, a girl I used to babysit a while ago. It was awful! At first, she’s all sweet and caring. She organizes your stuff and it feels like you can talk to her like she’s a close friend, but then I suddenly lost my pet Gummy, and I realized Cozy had kidnapped him!” Thorn was aware that Gummy was an alligator plushie, so he wasn’t thatconcerned. Little kids took toys all the time, even when the toys didn't necessarily belong to them. ‘Wait,’ Thorn thought, remembering last day’s ordeal. “Then, things get more and more serious,” Pinkie continued. “You lose important stuff, you sleep less, when you manage to sleep you have nightmares about her, and before you know it, BAM! Your sister’s gone!” “WHAT!?” Thorn asked, terrified. “No, wait, wrong story. That’s when I got lost during last hearth’s warm… eh, forget the last part,” Pinkie explained. Thorn took a sharp, prolonged breath, and calmed himself down. “Well… as far as I remember, once someone gets to the paranoia part, it’s when the babysitters often quit.” Still struck by the sister confusion, Thorn led his hand towards his forehead to calm himself down, if only a little. “Hey! That’s the expression I made when I talked to one of her previous babysi- Oh no, Thorn! You’re babysitting Cozy!?” Thorn nodded. “You have to escape while you still can! Before it’s too late!” Pinkie yelled as she shook Thorn’s entire body back and forth. “And whatever you do, don’t tell her anything about your personal life! Everything went downhill for me when she knew about Sunset Shimmer. The worst part is when she starts messing with your-“ Pinkie stopped as her phone suddenly started chiming a bubbly, upbeat, happy tune, which made her drop Thorn, grab her phone and take a peek at the screen. “Oh! I’m running late for my part-time job!” Pinkie exclaimed as she jumped back into the bushes, and immediately re-emerged wearing roller skates and a different outfit. “K’ see ya, Thorn!” Pinkie called as she slid away as if nothing had happened, “I’ll text you the details for your party later!” And then she popped out of visual range. Author's Note In another universe, parallel to ours, I decided to add a horror tag and elaborate on the missing sister part. :) Third weekCozy Glow’s mother had returned from Manehattan the very next day after Thorn had his conversation with Pinkie Pie, and he figured it would be some weeks until Ms. Honey had to leave again. He thought wrong. Ms. Honey was needed at Baltimare the day after tomorrow, which meant he would be taking care of Cozy Glow once again. Thorn was still preoccupied from Pinkie’s warning regarding Cozy Glow’s actions, so Thorn wasn’t letting Cozy out of his sight this time, which led him to where he currently was. Professor Cranky Doodle placed a finger on his chin, pretending to consider Thorn’s request. “Well, that is a good argument,” the teacher said. Thorn nodded with hope. “But the answer is still no.” Shattered, Thorn slumped in place. “What!? Why not!?” “I will not let you work ahead of your classmates, you will suffer just as much as everyone else. Now, if you’ll excuse me, if I don’t get to the teachers’ lounge before Luna, there’ll be no coffee left.” Cranky Doodle stood up from his chair and left for the door, but as he was opening it, he felt a grip on his ankles. “Just give me the homework and I’ll leave!” “No! Let go of me this instant!” “You don’t understand, I need this!” “No! If you keep this up, I’ll have to report you, and I know you don’t want me to!” “Why are you suppressing knowledge from the public!?” Cranky groaned and after struggling for a moment, he was eventually able to free himself of Thorn’s grip, leaving the student face-palmed against the floor. Exiting the classroom while mumbling in disgust, Cranky spotted Vice Principal Luna in the distance, heading towards the teachers’ lounge. Seeing this, Cranky gasped and ran for the lounge. “What just happened?” Someone else asked. Thorn raised his head weakly, and found Microchips staring at him. Thorn groaned and allowed his head to fall back on the floor. “I’m going to be facing some… difficulties… this week and wanted to get Professor Cranky to give me this week’s homework.” “Oh! I thought he was refusing to explain a topic to you, what with you saying he’s suppressing knowledge? I was going to offer my experience and explain whatever it was to you, but it seems you don’t need help after all. Good luck with your... intricacies” Microchips then started walking away while taking out a calculator from his pocket and making an ambitious smile, like if he was about to discover the last digit of pi. “Wait!” Microchips turned around, and Thorn huffed. “Actually, I could use some guidance with math… er… if you’re free sometime today, I mean.” “Of course I’m free! I never do anything after school!” “That actually sounds a bit sad…” The day after tomorrow had arrived, and along with it, Cozy Glow. “I mean it, Thorn,” Hardwood stated, “I don’t have a problem with staying a bit longer.” Thorn and his father were talking in the hallway as Cozy unpacked her crayons and coloring book back in the kitchen. “Well,” Thorn shrugged, “I don’t have a problem with it either, I was just saying that if you have to go, I can handle myself just fine.” “I’ll stay for a while longer then,” Hardwood stated as headed to the kitchen. “I’m cooking tho,” Thorn said from behind, “it’s been a while since I did, instead of having to just heat precooked food.” Hardwood chuckled, “I certainly don’t have a problem with you choosing what to eat, instead of me,” “Hooray,” Thorn said without a hint of emotion, causing Hardwood to raise his eyebrow. Thorn headed to the fridge in order to know what he could prepare, while his father sat along with Cozy Glow, who looked mildly confused. “Wait, you’re not cooking today, Mr. Wildfire?” She asked. “No, Cozy Glow, Thorn’s handling that today.” Astonished, Cozy turned towards Thorn, “You can cook!?” “Yes,” Thorn replied warily, still recalling Pinkie’s warning. An awkward silence filled the room, making Hardwood uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he decided to change the subject. “So, how did your day go?” Cozy turned back at Thorn, more intrigued than Hardwood was. “It was fine.” Cozy slouched and decided to guide the conversation herself. “Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?” Noticing that Hardwood cringed at the choice of words, Cozy reformulated. “At this moment, I mean. You usually arrive a couple of hours later.” “The instructor couldn’t come today,” Thorn answered. “Did something happen?” Hardwood asked. “An accident.” “Oh no!” Cozy Glow exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s awful, I hope she’s fine… aside from everything else, I mean,” Hardwood said. “Mhmm,” Thorn replied, channeling his inner Marble Pie. Noticing Thorn’s emotions, or lack thereof, Hardwood leaned in the table. “Hey, Thorn, is something bothering you?” he asked. “If this is about that Sunset Shimmer, I can-“ Thorn sighed, “That’s not it,” he said, keeping his attention on his cooking while rising his voice a bit. “You don’t have to keep this to yourself, Thorn,” Hardwood said as he got up and closer to his son. “Just tell me and I’ll talk to your principal to get that girl expelled. I’ll do it, you know I will.” Cozy Glow decided to take out her phone and started chatting with one of her contacts, rather than listen to their conversation. The conversation, however, didn’t move any further, and after a few moments of intense silence, filled only with the noise of Cozy Glow’s phone tapping, Hardwood’s own phone buzzed. He sighed, “I have to take this.” Thorn’s attention remained on the food, Hardwood spoke to the person on the other side of the call, and Cozy Glow smirked fondly at her phone. “What!? Right now!?” Hardwood asked. “Alright,” he then said, crestfallen, “I’ll be right there.” Hanging the call, he turned back to the kitchen. “An emergency rose up, there’s a fire ongoing right now… I-I have to get going.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Wildfire,” Cozy said, “you go out there and answer the call of duty!” Thorn just nodded without looking back at him. Nodding to himself more than anything, Hardwood showed himself out. … Hours later, Cozy Glow was packing her stuff back into her backpack while Thorn was in the living room playing with Whistle. Whistle was inside a translucent blue maze made out of several tunnels, with small holes in which Thorn would drop treats for Whistle to pursue. After his father left, Thorn was left alone with his thoughts, while Cozy Glow busied herself with her homework, which was sort of relieving for Thorn. As they waited for Cozy Glow’s uncle to arrive, Thorn pondered about the recent incidents, while Cozy Glow looked at a map on her phone. Shortly after, she laid her phone aside and decided to break the silence. “So, tense day, huh?” “Mhm-mm” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “What happened back there anyway?” Thorn turned around with a quizzical look. “You know, in the kitchen. You and your father seemed... how do I put it... on edge.” “Well, I can’t speak from his side, but I wasn’t feeling tense.” “How so?” “Didn’t feel that way.” In mild annoyance to Thorn’s curtness, Cozy Glow squinted her eyes and puffed her cheeks slightly. After a fleeting moment of consideration, she nodded to herself, and then returned her attention to her caretaker. “You know, I think I know what your problem is, Thorn.” “What?” Thorn asked in an annoyed voice. “The other day, when you were all sleepy and paranoid, your father told me a story about your boo-boos with Sunset Shimmer.” Thorn’s stoic, apathetic, cold gaze faltered after the mention of Sunset Shimmer. It was a fleeting moment, but one that Cozy managed to see. “And I think I know what’s bothering you. It must have hurt when your relationship with your parents got strained after that incident. But even after all this time, it seems like your parents still don’t hang out with you.” “Huh?” “I mean, your mother leaves you alone for over a month and only visits for 5 days before disappearing again,” Cozy explained. “And your father leaves immediately after you arrive, even leaving your problems as secondary compared to his.” Thorn didn’t say anything and just stood still where he was. “I might even go so far as to say that they’re only pressuring you to make new friends as an excuse so that you don’t bother them. “If I were in your place, I would have exploded a long time ago, so… props to you!” Before Thorn could even consider whether to reply or not, a car honked from outside. “Oh! I gotta go! Thanks again, Thorn. And good luck with your issue!” Cozy exclaimed as she picked her stuff from the couch. She gave Thorn a goodbye hug—which he didn’t react to, as she expected—and then exited the house. Once she got in the car, it quickly drove away, while Thorn remained motionless on the couch. It was true his relationship with his parents hadn’t been the same since the Sunset incident, but he always thought they had fixed it already. But…what if that wasn’t the case. Did he just assume things were fine after a simple apology? Had things not changed… had they remained the same after all this time? Whistle escaped his translucent maze, and approached Thorn, softly chewing his fingers as soon as he was nearby. The next morning had come and gone. Thorn had arrived at school upset. When his normal classes finished, he was upset again. During his training… he actually felt quite comfortable. It was a feeling he didn’t pay much attention to but he was always glad that it happened. Once his training finished, however, his prior emotions returned. Add that to the bonus adrenaline rush, and he was determined to end whatever Cozy’s plan was. Yesterday she had struck a chord in Thorn’s heart, but after spending quite literally two hours looking at the ceiling during midnight, he accepted that Cozy Glow was just trying to mess with him. And he did not appreciate that. Any interruptions to take out his revenge would not be taken kindly. Which was a shame for Flash, since he had just arrived to ask for Thorn’s opinion. Thorn groaned loudly, “What do you want now!?” Flash flinched and stumbled back a little, “Um… it’s about Sunset.” “It always is,” Thorn spat. “I’m in a bit of a predicament… Brawly said that maybe it’d be better if I broke up with Sunset, and everyone else agreed to it. So I came to you, surely you think that’s a bad idea, right?” “What!? No! You should break up with her!” “Wh-what!? You too!?” “She’s a horrible person, Flash!” “No, she’s not! She just needs a little help, that’s all.” “You’re way too pure for your own good.” “Huh?” “Stop caring so much about her, and start thinking about yourself! You aren’t happy with this, it’s not healthy for you!” “Sunset just needs to learn how to be a better person, she-“ “She doesn’t care about being a better person, Flash!” Thorn exclaimed, flailing his arms in the air. “But-“ “But nothing! She’s hurt so many people, it’s about time she starts facing the music on her own.” “She’s not that bad once y-” “Yes, she is! All she does is make people miserable by hurting others and stalking them!” Thorn exclaimed, shoving the main entrance’s door hard enough for Snips and Snails to stumble on their feet. Flash blinked. “Have they been-“ “Yes.” “Well, mayb-“ “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but she only sees you as a trophy, Flash! You can’t protect her from her own mistakes.” “Well, what do I do instead, huh!? Leave her alone and let her hurt even more people!?” “Yes! Uh… I mean… Uhm…” Thorn wanted to stick to his reply so badly, but he knew from experience that this was a complicated question to respond to. Anything he said would sound bad, yet… “If I just push her aside, she’ll just haunt someone else…” Flash pointed out, and Thorn stared at the ground. “But… maybe you’re right… maybe I shouldn’t put someone else’s problems above my own…” Both students stood in silence for a while, until Flash spoke up again. “Thank you, Thorn; for the perspective, I mean. I’ll think about it.” Thorn nodded. ‘Yeah… right back at you,’ he thought, as Flash walked away. Arriving home, Thorn was shocked. He had arrived at his house, pondering about his conversation with Flash, and the first thing he saw opening the door was Cozy Glow. She was sitting in a chair right in the middle of the room… Petting Whistle. “Hello, Thorn.” Thorn shook away his bewilderment and cast his eyes down at Cozy Glow with a stoic gaze. “Cozy Glow.” The two of them stared at each other for a few moments; Cozy with her characteristic innocent smile, and Thorn with a fixed, stern glance. It was Thorn who decided to make the first move. “You can drop the smile.” “What do you mean?” Cozy asked, knowing exactly what he meant. “Pinkie Pie told me all about you.” “You’ve met Pinkie Pie?!” Cozy cried, faking surprise. “Golly! I had no idea!” “So now that we’re both on the same page, you can drop the act.” Cozy Glow accommodated in her seat. “Gee, I sure don’t know what you’re talking about, Thorn. It all comes naturally to me at this point,” she said, her smile shifting into a smirk. Thorn groaned. “But you’re right. We are on the same page now, so let’s get straight to the point.” Thorn shifted his stance. “Look, it might not look that way, but I can take care of myself just fine. And you obviously didn’t want to do this thing in the first place.” Thorn squinted his eyes. “So I’ll put it simply,” she cleared her throat. “You don’t want to do this anymore, and I have better things to do than keep playing around with some loser like you.” Thorn had heard those words before. They had played in his mind countless times, and apparently, Cozy Glow knew it. ‘So let’s make a deal,’ he recalled in his mind while Cozy Glow said those exact words aloud. “Quit…” she started. “And you can go back to your life,” he finished. “See? You get it. Do we have a deal then?” Uncertainty dawned over Thorn as his eyes darted from one side to another. Thorn wasn’t sure of what he expected, but it hadn’t been this. As logic and emotions clashed to find an answer, and his resolve wavered, he clenched his fists and squinted his eyes, holding onto the preliminary decision he had taken before entering the door. “No!” He exclaimed as he released the tension in his arms, shooting them downwards. “Huh?” “Unlike you, I don’t know what your problem is! But if I had to guess, I’d say it’s everything that you accused me of yesterday.” “Golly, isn’t that nice,” she said. “But anyway, if you’re not quitting then I guess I’ll just keep bothering you.” Cozy Glow let go of Whistle and coyly reached into her backpack, withdrawing Thorn’s missing staff. “If I’ve learned anything this days is that all I have to do is mess just a wittle bit with your stuff, and your entire day goes haywire, teehee.” “Give me that!” He exclaimed as he swiftly grabbed his staff back from Cozy Glow, and taking it as an opportunity to get his thoughts in order, he also took Whistle back to his cage. “So,” he said upon returning, “why are you doing this then? What do you get from this?” “Uh, other than the satisfaction of outsmarting people at their own game?” Thorn rolled his eyes, “Come on Cozy Glow, let me help you, and maybe we could both each go our own way as you said earlier... Only without having to resort to trauma?” “You mean the boring way?” “Yep.” Cozy slouched. “Fine, what’s your brilliant plan? Have me tell you all of my problems and that I magically feel better?” “Kind of. Let’s do that, but don’t tell me. Tell your mom!” Cozy stared at him. “That’s your plan? Do you really think no one has thought of rattling me to my mom already?” “I don’t think you have tried.” “Of course I have!” “I don’t think you have tried.” “Of course I- well… actually I gave up on that three years ago…” Dirt and dust all over her face, Honey swiped away her sweat after a tiresome job. “Yeah, that might do.” Her attention then diverted, as the phone in her pocket buzzed. Disturbed, Honey took the phone rapidly, and when she didn’t recognize the number, she gulped. “H-hello?” She asked warily, answering the call. “Hey…mom.” “Cozy!” Honey cheerfully greeted as she laid down her shovel in the grass. “What a nice surprise! But… could it wait? I’m kind of in the middle of something…” “Yeah! Absolutely, I’ll call you when you’re not busy, ‘kay b-“ Honey heard a grumbling noise interrupt Cozy, who then groaned in protest and added a disgruntled “fine.” “Actually,” Cozy continued, “there’s something I have to tell you… it’s about the babysitting thing…” Honey facepalmed slightly, “did the kid quit too?” “No, he’s still here, it’s about the other babysitters, all of them… I… I’m… “It’s my fault that they quit.” Honey blinked, not understanding what Cozy was trying to say. “Well, I mean, technically, yeah, they couldn’t handle you, but it’s not your fault-“ “No, it is.” Honey didn’t reply, so Cozy continued. “I was being troublesome in purpose so that they’d quit and you would come back.” “Wh-what?” “I was upset. I was angry that you never came home… you’re away all the time, and you only come back for a few days and never spend any of that time with me… it’s been five years since we celebrate Christmas together! “So I thought that if I forced you to come home, then you’d stay here eventually…” “…” “You made me turn flights around thirteen times so that you could tell me that you missed me!?” Honey exclaimed, scowling. “Well… yeah! And it’s your fault! You always arrive, hire someone and then leave again! You think that just because you’re the boss of a group of people makes your problems more important than mine! Is that it!? Am I, your daughter, less important than a bunch of adults that can take care of themselves for a few weeks!? Don’t I deserve to see you as much as they do!?” Honey’s scowl never left her face, but it did falter once she heard Cozy Glow sobbing. “We’ll talk later.” Honey hung up, and after pocketing her phone, she sighed. A very masculine scream distracted her, and she walked away. “I told you to leave that anthill alone, Sturdy Dust!” She exclaimed, yelling at the top of her lungs, the silver watch on her arm swinging as she made her way towards her peer. Loose Ends“I was not expecting that,” Hardwood said, baffled by the revelation. Figuring his parents should know about what had happened, Thorn decided to explain his afternoon to Hardwood. “Yep,” Thorn replied to his father’s bewilderment, “heavy stuff, huh?” “Yeah… so now what? Is her mother staying with her now?” Thorn shrugged. “If you ask me… it doesn’t look like that way…” “Oh. Are you two in good terms, at least?” “I wouldn’t say so... just before she left, I asked if she had taken my staff again... and then she hurled it at me.” “Oh, geez! Are you alright!?” “Yeah, I was able to catch it. Obviously.” Hardwood sighed in relief. Similar to last time, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. The only noise that could be heard was Whistle’s, who was trying to get Hardwood’s attention. Still feeling a tad hurt about Cozy’s words from the previous day—regarding his relationship with his parents—Thorn decided he didn’t feel like keeping his emotions to himself right now. So after a heavy sigh, Thorn looked at Hardwood straight in the eye. Hardwood noticed it and figured Thorn was upset about babysitting, as was noticeable since the first day. “Hey, Thorn, listen... uhm... if you don’t want to keep doing this, I can te-” Hardwood was promptly interrupted by Thorn, who hugged him tightly. “This is... not something you’d do often, are you feeling alright?” “N-no…” Hardwood noticed Thorn’s despondent state and quickly placed his hands around Thorn’s shoulders and pushed him slightly backwards so to look at him in the eye. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong, Thorn?” “I-it’s just… Cozy mentioned something yesterday, and…” “Don’t listen to what she said, she was just confused and directed her frustration towards you, but I promise you that tomorrow she’ll get the talking of-“ “Let me finish!” Hardwood pursed his lips and gave his full attention to Thorn. “It’s just… you… uhm… you remember the incident, right?” “The incide-? Oh! That incident… yes, I remember…” “Cozy brought it up… and I was thinking… are you… are we… close?” “Well, yeah. Of course we’re close, you’re my son.” Thorn looked away. “Well you heard how the dynamic’s with Cozy… and it scared me…” “Thorn, you have nothing to be scared of.” “Don’t I? You guys leave almost for the entire day, and I’ve spent months without seeing mom face to face even once…” Crestfallen, Thorn said softly, “Did we ever really patch up?” Hardwood’s eyes darted away in a soft manner. “You’re right, maybe we haven’t entirely… so, what do you think we start now? We can take a day to do something together, if we discuss it with enough time, maybe we could even visit your mom at her outpost. “What do you think?” “Yeah… I’d like that.” Hardwood surrounded Thorn as he embraced him, to which he smiled warmly and returned the hug. “By the way, since we’re letting everything out, don’t ever try to fix my social life again, dad.” Hardwood chuckled. “Can’t promise you tha-“ Hardwood suddenly fell to the nearby couch, as Thorn made him lose his balance and trip over, while he glared mockingly at him. “Alright, alright. I promise. Geez, can’t you take a joke?” ——————————————————————————————————————— As far as Thorn was concerned, his life was looking bright. He had successfully stopped Cozy Glow’s schemes… to an extent. He had also improved his relationship with his parents. Well, he‘s going to… starting this Saturday… if things went according to planned… But thanks to Microchips, he was doing better in his classes and was up to date with the topics. Was. They’re now seeing a new topic that he was not understanding in the slightest. And he also had friends now. Well, there was a friend-ly kid who complained about his ex-girlfriend, a friend-ly other kid who complained about her ex-babysittee, and another friend-ly kid who Thorn complained with about math class… Yes, things were definitely better than ever for Thorn Thistle. From this point onward, he was going to live happily ever afte- “There he is! He’s the one who told your boyfriend to break up with you!” Thorn swiftly looked around to find Snips and Snails pointing towards him as Sunset stared at him with a look that conveyed hatred, betrayal, and a desire to murder someone. Thorn gulped and tried to grab his staff, solely for intimidation purposes, but instead found a crudely drawn image of Cozy Glow sticking out her tongue. “When I see that child again, I swear…” Author's Note What’s that thing they say at the end of marvel movies…? Oh yeah! *ejem* Thorn Thistle will return.
PrologueFor some places, nighttime was a moment of peace and quiet, where people would lay down in bed and rest, or perhaps enjoy relaxing activities such as reading or watching a movie at home. Manehattan wasn’t one of those places. No matter if it was the last minute of the day or if the clock was starting anew, Manehattan always buzzed with energy. Cars driving all over the city as the drivers retreated to their homes after an exhausting day of work; people hosting parties all the way up until dawn; tourists experiencing every last thing the city had to offer; and anything in-between. For one man, it was his first date in years. He noticed that, at least from his viewpoint, clicking with someone became harder and harder as age progressed, so getting to meet a beautiful lady and not only that but having a date with her!? It definitely felt surreal. Their first encounter hadn’t been anything dramatic, they were both waiting in the bus station, and, captivated by her beauty, he decided to try his luck. They started simply greeting each other, asking where they were headed and such. He had lived his entire life in the big city, whereas the lady came from Canterlot and was currently here on a business trip. After chatting some more, he gathered all of his courage and asked if she was interested in dinner, claiming he knew all of the finest places to grab food in the city. She, however, had visited Manehattan in the past and didn’t need his help, as she also knew her way around the restaurants. She accepted his offer regardless. And now, here they were. A yellow-haired man, wearing a dark-blue coat, and on the opposite side of the table sat a pink-skinned woman, wearing a mauve blouse, her straight, short, blue hair resting idly as it surrounded her neck. Deciding to break the ice, the man awkwardly shifted in his place. “So,” he hesitated, “have you ever been to this restaurant, Miss Honey?” Honey nodded. “Just Honey is fine,” she clarified. “I stumbled against it once and decided to give it a shot. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made; the food here is so delicious.” “Agreed,” the man said, now feeling more comfortable as they shared the same feeling. “I, myself discovered this place back when I was a kid. My parents brought me here once, and I was awestruck at the magnificent taste of the food.” Honey giggled, “I can relate.” An awkward silence started to form as the conversation slowly died, so to avoid that, the man cleared his throat. “I meant to ask you this earlier, but, what brings you to Manehattan?” “A plane,” she said mockingly. The couple shared a laugh and shortly after, Honey turned her focus back to her date. “Well you see, Silk, I studied architecture at the University of Nottingham, and I’m currently a construction manager. My team and I are building a museum here in Manehattan, and I’ve come to oversee the construction.” “So, does that mean you’re staying for a while then?” the hopeful man asked. “That’s correct,” she nodded and fluttered her eyelashes at him, “Why? Are we planning on a second date? A flustered grin covered Silk’s face as his face turned a bright red, but before they could continue, their attention diverted to Honey’s phone. “Oh, so sorry, Silk, this seems important,” she said, picking up her phone. “Hello?” Honey asked, and since Honey visibly flinched, Silk assumed the caller wasn’t in a particularly good mood. Squinting her eyes at all the yelling and complaining from the opposite side of the call, Honey sighed. “Fine, don’t worry about it, it’s alright. I’m sure you did a marvelous job, but if this is what you want, I understand.” Hanging up, Honey turned to Silk. “I’m so terribly sorry, Silk, but I have to go. My daughter’s babysitter just informed me that she’s quitting, so I have to go make sure my little angel doesn’t get hurt,” Honey explained. “You have a daughter?” This time, it was Honey’s turn to get flustered, as a grin escaped Honey’s face and awkwardly faced the man. “Heh, yeah, I uh… I usually save that for the third date.” Silk chuckled, “Nah, don’t worry about it, I understand how it can be sometimes.” Moments later, the couple was standing outside the restaurant, saying their goodbyes. “I still have work to do at the construction site, so when I come back, do you want to go to the movies or something?” Honey asked. Taken aback, Silk stammered. “Y-you… r-really?“ Honey looked at him with a flirty smile, slightly biting the bottom of her lips. “Y-yeah! I’d love to!” “Great!” Honey exclaimed, “I’ll see you there then, Mr. Handkerchief.” Silk Handkerchief blushed and nodded shyly. ................................................................................... Across the country and several timezones behind Manhattan, in the city of Canterlot, most of the students of Canterlot High School had already left for the day, either going home from school or to hang out with friends. Friends that were - mostly - just acquaintances who happened to have similar interests and therefore sat together at a specific lunch table. However, some of the students stayed behind a little longer. The reasons were mostly training sessions, clubs, detention, and that one girl who always seemed to be forgotten at school. Suddenly, the school’s doors burst open and a moderate amount of students walked outside. Some wore martial arts robes -mostly white- with colorful belts tied on the waist, while others carried poles or training sticks around. Some stayed to chat, while others rushed straight home. One student, a green-haired male, avoided the conversing groups of his peers and set a leisurely pace for his walk home, fiddling with his collapsible staff along the way. Opening the door to his home, he was greeted with silence, though it was short-lived. Not long after, a small, elongated, furry creature ran in from an adjacent room. Once close enough, the guy picked up the weasel-like animal and started petting it. “Heya! Missed me?” he asked, expecting some sort of sound as a response, but none came. “Come on, Whistle, you’re supposed to make funny noises while I remain my silent self,” he said, still petting the ferret, which squeaked this time around. After feeding the ferret, the boy retired to his room. There, he took out a notebook from his backpack. He nibbled at the cap of his pen for a while before actually doing anything. Eventually, numbers, symbols, and letters were scribbled as he began solving several equations and filling out his homework. As the hours passed and the sun started to set on the horizon, the guy found himself sitting on the couch of the living room, playing a game on the television, with the ferret beside him. Suddenly, the sound of jingling keys caught both of their attention, so they turned their heads towards the main door. The door opened as two adults came inside. “We’re home!” called a dark green-skinned man who wore a black and yellow vest. The mauve-skinned woman, who was wearing casual clothing, didn’t say anything and looked towards the living room instead. Following his wife’s gaze, the man noticed the teen, the ferret, and the red centaur wrecking the main character on the television. The man spoke up, “I thought you said you were busy, Thornsly.” The guy -Thorn Thistle- replied hastily, “I am! I was... studying ancient mythology!” He cleared his throat and gave a sideways glance at the screen. “Thus the centaur,” he added matter-of-factly. Both adults took another look at the screen, and the centaur, who was still wrecking the player. Then they looked at each other, unamused. “Thorn, son,” the man spoke up, “your mom and I were thinking, and you spend a lot of time here. Alone.” The remark made Thorn roll his eyes. “I’m not alone, I have Whistle,” he said, glancing at the ferret, who was chewing away at the edge of Thorn’s homework. “Whistle, no! The teachers didn’t believe me last time!” he exclaimed, snatching the sheet of paper from the ferret’s mouth. Thorn’s father let out a sigh, “You know what we mean. If you have the time to play video games, then why not use it to meet other people instead?” “Playing is a rare treat. I’m usually busy with schoolwork,” he countered, then gave a glance to the screen. “Today’s not a good example.” “Thorn, for the past week I’ve found you playing right when I arrive,” his father countered calmly, but sternly. “You’re exaggerating. But even if you weren't, the semester is just starting y’know. Most teachers go easy on us,” he grimaced at the thought of Mr. Cranky Doodle, the one teacher who didn’t go easy on them and opted to give them overly-complex assignments instead. “Well,” his father continued, knowing that last expression all too well, “if you’re still having trouble with maths, then maybe you could work on the assignments with someone else,” he suggested. “Tried that. Failed at it,” Thorn stated as he looked away, growing more tired of the conversation. “Then try again, until you make it work!” Thorn didn’t look back, and so his father continued. “Friendship and cooperation are an important part of life, son.” His parents couldn’t see it, but Thorn smirked. “Well, it’s not like you are constantly cooperating with anybody, and you seem just fine,” he said, repressing his smirk and looking back at them. His mom, who had been doing nothing but stare and nod at his father’s statements, perked up, her eyes widening a little. “What do you mean?” asked the father. “I work with the other firefighters all the-” “I was talking about mom.” The father grimaced and turned to his wife. Her glance somehow expressed something like ‘how did you not see it coming’ despite being identical to the blank stare she had all the while. Silence followed. After a while, the father sighed. “We forgot to buy something at the store. We’ll be right back,” he said, opening the door behind them. “And turn that thing off!” he added, referring to the television, which now displayed a ‘you lost’ screen accompanied with ominous music. When the door closed, Thorn remained staring at it for a while. Eventually, he turned to Whistle, who stared back. “Did I just win?” he asked, incredulously. The ferret kept staring. “Ha! And those midnight thoughts said my shower discussions would be useless!” He added pridefully. Whistle squeaked. Thorn then stared blankly. “I’m telling a ferret about the arguments I hold with myself in the bathroom... maybe I do need friends...” ................................................................................... “Sorry, but we don’t have the time to babysit right now,” a woman just down the street firmly informed Honey, who was standing outside the door. She sighed in exhaustion and added a nod, robotically heading to the house next door. That is until she noticed a nice-looking couple exit a house just down the street. In the distance, Thorn’s parents were holding a conversation. “I just want him to have someone else to share his time with, besides Whistle, but he keeps avoiding it!” the man said. His wife resigned to nod silently. “I mean, I know friendships are... complicated in CHS. I saw this Sunset Shimmer gal myself a couple of times and she does appear to be as mean as Thornsly described her, but...” he stopped himself, fiddling with the watch on his wrist, considering ideas. “There’s got to be something we could try. Maybe a neighbor? A cousin at least? Oh! Didn’t a friend of yours say that her daughter was considering studying nearby? Maybe we could-“ This time it was his wife who cut him off, placing her hand on top of his shoulder and shaking her head. “I know, I know, you’re right. It’s just… I kinda wish I could force him to try at the very least…” As they kept walking forward, they got close enough for Honey to get a clearer look at them. Thorn’s father looked at the sky, and seeing how the sun was just setting down on the sky, he bent his right arm to look at his silver watch. “Hmm, I thought it would be darker.” Looking up, he noticed a lady walking towards them. “Hi~!” Honey beamed, “I’m your current neighbor from over there,” she gestured at a house a couple of blocks away, with a black van parked out in the driveway. “Could I borrow a few minutes of your time?” They gave a sideways glance at each other and agreed. “Sure, is there anything we can do for you?” “Yes, you see, I have been called away to work unexpectedly for a few several days and I don’t have anyone in the area who could help take care of my kid at this very moment. My latest babysitter just quit, and I was hoping you might know of a good babysitter, by chance?” A streetlamp behind Thorn’s parents turned on and they looked at each other. The mother shook her head slowly, whereas her husband motioned with a knowing nod. Thorn’s mother rolled her eyes and sighed. After a further exchange of details, Thorn’s father sealed the deal with the lady with a handshake.
First weekA few steps away from the golden horseshoe of CHS, Thorn Thistle stared at the long roads in front of him; at the buildings that stood tall in the distance; the houses and apartments in which people rested and families enjoyed each other’s company. Today, however, he didn’t think of his home as a place to rest and enjoy others’ company, but rather to exhaust himself, because of others’ company. “What if...? I got myself into detention! That way, I can skip all of this nonsense! My parents will think I’m not responsible and that’ll be the end of that, right?” Thorn contemplated, paying little attention to the fact that he had said it aloud. Thorn stared at the city, plotting other ideas, but he was taken aback by a feminine voice. “Um… were you talking to me?” Startled, Thorn turned to his right to see another student. Or at least, he assumed she was a student. The girl had bushy, green hair and wore a brown, striped sweater. ‘Has she been there the whole time?’ Thorn thought before clearing his throat. “Uh, no… I was- uh… I was talking to myself,” he explained, adding a sheepish smile. “Oh! I-I thought… since you… I mean…” Out of awkwardness, a blush formed on the girl’s cheeks. She closed her eyes and sighed, then looked away. “Sorry, my bad.” An awkward silence followed as both green students avoided eye contact. “I uh… I have to go... So uh… bye!” Thorn said before heading in the direction he was staring at a moment ago. The girl sighed again and hugged her backpack. ‘Guess I’m giving this babysitting thing a chance now…’ Thorn thought, a frown on his face. ……………………………………………………………. “There you are, Thorn!” a masculine voice called as soon as Thorn closed the door to his house. He turned to see it was his father who had greeted him. “Hi, Dad,” Thorn replied. His father chuckled, “You know, your mother thought you were going to force yourself into detention rather than go through with babysitting! But I knew you’d come!” Thorn tittered awkwardly at the accurate assumption. “Haha… right… as if I’d let you guys down,” Thorn said, adding a hand gesture to dismiss the thought. “Anyway, our guest is already here, come introduce yourself,” his father said as he walked into the kitchen; Thorn followed reluctantly. Inside, there was a little girl with curly blue hair. She was filling in a coloring book while occasionally sipping on her juice box. Not far away, there was the crust of a pizza slice. “Thorn,” the father began, “this is Cozy Glow.” At the call of her name, Cozy Glow’s head raised. “Oh golly! Are you Mister Wildfire’s son, Thorn Thistle!? Your dad told me allll~ about you! My name is Cozy Glow, nice to meet you!” Thorn acknowledged her with a nod. “Alright,” Thorn’s father said after clearing his throat. “Listen, kids, this is the plan. While Cozy’s mother is out of town, I’ll pick her up from school and we’ll stay here until you arrive, Thorn. Then, I’ll go back to work while you take care of the rest, understood?” Thorn nodded. “Good. Your aunt is picking you up at seven, right Cozy?” “Yep, that’s correct!” “Very well! Guess I’ll be going then. There’s some pizza left and your mother is in her room in case you need anything.” Thorn nodded, and Cozy waved goodbye. “Bye Mister Wildfire!” Thorn’s father waved back, then put on the rest of his uniform and left. ……………………………………………………………. “And that’s how I decided I liked pink better than blue!” Cozy exclaimed with excitement. “Great,” Thorn replied with opposite excitement, “but I only asked where your mom traveled to.” “Oh! I don’t know,” Cozy said with a shrug. Thorn‘s head fell flat on the table. He sighed and raised his head. “Anyway, I’m kinda busy. You can do your homework or something,” he said, standing up from the chair he was sitting on. “I already finished my homework.” ‘What!? H o w?’ Thorn inwardly questioned, but shook the thought away quickly. “I guess you can watch cartoons if you want to, or read a book?” he suggested, motioning to the living room. “Can I play… those?” Cozy said, pointing at a stack of video game cases. “Yeah, sure,” Thorn said while heading to his room. Once inside, he noticed Whistle, who was running around inside of his little cage. “So, that’s why you weren’t stealing food in the kitchen,” he said, grabbing the cage from the top. He headed outside of his room with the cage in his grasp. Once in the living room, he noticed Cozy checking out the games’ cases. “Ugh, no, I can’t work with this!” Thorn cleared his throat, which caused Cozy to jump in her place. “Hey, are you allergic to ferrets?” Thorn asked. “Nope!” she said cheerfully. “But, uh... What’s a ferret?” Thorn lifted the cage for her to see. “This is Whistle, he’s my pet,” he explained with a slight smile on his face. “I always let him run around the house. Do you have any problem with that?” Cozy recoiled a bit. “D-does it bite?” Thorn shook his head, “If anything, he might steal your stuff. If you lose something, just tell me. I know where he stores it.” “Oh, well that sounds just peachy! As long as it doesn’t bite me, then there’s no problem!” Without a second thought, Thorn lifted the door of the cage, and Whistle flew through the living room. Thorn went back to his room, while Whistle ran hysterically around the house and Cozy began to reconsider her decision. ……………………………………………………………. Some hours later, Thorn returned to the living room after having finished his homework. The first thing he noticed was Cozy Glow curled in a ball, in a corner, shakily staring at Whistle, who was being held by Thorn’s mother. “You’re back!” cried Cozy. “Can you tell Ms. Flame to stop scaring me?!” she added with tearful eyes. Thorn tilted his head and looked towards his mother, who looked back. “She’s just trying to show you not to be scared of Whistle, Cozy.” “Y-yeah?” Thorn nodded. “T-then why didn’t she say so!?” Cozy demanded, still recoiling from Whistle. “You won’t get a word out of my mom anytime soon.” Thorn’s mother—Sward Flame—nodded at the statement. After a while, Cozy relaxed a little bit and gently shoved Ms. Flame’s hand away, along with Whistle. “M-maybe some other day...” ‘Maybe it’s not too late to back away...’ Thorn pondered, making sure he wasn’t talking out loud this time, ‘after all, it’s only the second day, they’d unde-’ His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he once again heard a feminine voice. This one, though, he was familiar with. “Where’s Flash!? I know you’re friends with him so speak up! Or else!” Some lockers away, Thunderbass, Valhallen, and Brawly Beats were trying fruitlessly to back away from Sunset Shimmer, who was grabbing the latter by the shirt. Seeing this, Thorn grabbed his stuff from the locker and made a 180º turn towards the opposite direction from the pleading cries for mercy. Thorn saw the panic in their faces as Sunset cornered them, but ultimately decided not to intervene. It would only bring more problems. Thorn arrived home not long after and once he opened the door, he greeted his father. Mr. Wildfire, however, seemed distracted. “Um...” Thorn looked around the house and spotted his mother, and Cozy Glow in the kitchen, the latter cheerfully waved hello at him. He returned his attention to his father. “Did you lose something, dad?” His father didn’t answer and kept lifting books and pillows. Thorn’s mother approached and tapped him on the back. Hardwood snapped back to reality and turned around. “H-huh? Oh, Thornsly! You’re here? So soon?” Thorn deadpanned and Ms. Flame pointed at the clock in the wall next to the kitchen. Mr. Wildfire’s eyes went wide. “What!? Already!?” “Did you lose something, dad?” Thorn reiterated. “Yeah, I haven’t seen my silver watch since yesterday, so I figured I’d look around while you arrived. Oh well,” he sighed, “I should get going. Tell me if you happen to find it, please.” A few moments later, Hardwood grabbed his keys and left the house. “Hello, Thorn!” Cozy called from the kitchen. “Hi, Cozy Glow,” Thorn replied mildly irritated. ... Just like the previous day, Thorn grabbed some food and then retired to his room. This time, however, Cozy followed him. “So, why do you always come home so late? Do your classes run late?” Cozy asked from behind him. “No.” “So, when do they finish then?” “About two hours ago.” “Is your school that far away?” “No.” “What do you do, then?” “Training sessions.” “Ooh! Are you on a team? One that depends on your presence or otherwise it will fall apart and everyone on the team will blame you for their failures?” Thorn turned around with a worried, quizzical look and stared at Cozy. “What?” She asked innocently. Thorn turned back to his room, where he unlocked Whistle’s cage. Cozy flinched as Whistle bolted out of his cage, and into the living room. “No, I’m not in a team. I practice martial arts, and I’m pretty sure no one would miss me if I skip a class... Not that I want to.” Thorn answered. Cozy gasped. “Golly! Are you a master martial artist!?” “No.” “Oh. So how long have you been training?” “A little over a semester,” he said while unpacking some notebooks. “And what did you do before that?” “I was in the swimming team, which isn’t much of a team honestly.” “And why did you leave?” “I learned everything I wanted to learn, and it got kind of intense afterward.” “And you left? Just like that?” “Yes. Now, if you don’t mind, I have homework to do.” “You can do that while you talk with me!” “I’d rather not,” Thorn curtly said. “Aw, c’mon! I could help you!” Cozy offered. “Do you know how to make a graph of a rational function?” “No... But maybe you could teach me!” “Absolutely not.” “Pretty please~. That way, I’ll do better in a few years when I study that!” “Cozy, I barely understand the topic myself, so if you could please leave so that I can focus...” “B-but I don’t want to be alone with that... that… thing!” Cozy pointed at Whistle, who was preparing itself to jump from one couch to another. He failed miserably, bumping head-first with the edge of the second couch and then fell face-up on the floor. Unamused, Thorn looked at Cozy, who was somehow still freaked out. “You could always stay with my mom,” Thorn pointed out. “Wh-what!? After what happened yesterday!?” “I’m sure it won’t happen again,” he reassured her. Still unsure about it, Cozy pouted and looked at Thorn with puppy eyes. “Good luck!” Thorn exclaimed, closing the door shortly after. Thorn was once again leaving school supplies inside of his locker when he heard fastened steps approaching. Turning around to identify the person responsible for the noise, he found an agitated Flash Sentry, Sunset Shimmer’s boyfriend. The blue-haired guitarist looked around trying to spot someone, anyone, and then noticed Thorn so he ran up to him. “Hey, you! I need your help, um... What’s your name again? I know it had a ‘th’ sound somewhere...” “Thorn.” “Yeah! It had a thorn somewhere!” “No, my name is Thorn Thistle.” “Oh, sorry, sorry, my bad. Anyway, do you know Sunset Shimmer?” Sarcastically, Thorn replied, “Sunset Shimmer? The reason the majority of the martial arts students decided to enroll? The red-and-yellow-haired girl who got called in detention 8 times this week? Never heard of her.” Flash got the point and continued. “Right... Uh, Sunset’s been dragging me along everywhere! And when she gets in trouble, I too, get in trouble, because I’m dragged along with her, but if I don’t help her, I also get in trouble, with Sunset! It’s driving me crazy! You won’t happen to know someplace where I could hide, would you? ‘Well, yeah, but… should I share that information with him?’ Thorn contemplated while faking to be thinking for an answer to Flash’s question. “Can’t you just leave?” Thorn suggested, attempting to end the conversation there. “No, my ride doesn’t get here for another hour.” ‘Fine,’ Thorn said to himself, sighing. “How about...” Thorn looked at the air in thought, and then returned his attention towards Flash, “the third floor of the library?” “The library has a third floor?” Thorn nodded, “No one ever goes there... I’m not even sure if the teachers know it’s there,” Thorn explained. “Do you think Sunset knows about it?” Flash said warily. “No way, that’s one of the many places where I go when I need to hide from Ms. Biggest meanie,” Thorn said air-quoting Sunset’s title. “Hey! That was years ago! Principal Celestia asked everyone not to call Sunset that way anymore, I can’t believe you still do it.” Flash said, indignated. “Flash, everyone calls her that behind her back.” “Well don’t! It hurts her feelings…” “Right…” Thorn replied, wondering why Flash was defending Sunset now, when he straight up came asking for someplace to hide from her. Or why he’d be defending Sunset at all. Period. He cleared his throat, “Anyway… about the library…?” Flash pondered for a few seconds and then lightened up. “Yeah, that should work! Thank you very much, Thorn!” “Yeah, sure, but if you get caught in the act, don’t tell her it was my idea! I really like the serenity of that place!” Thorn exclaimed as Flash left for the library. ……………………………………………………………. “See you later, son,” Hardwood said as he closed the main door. “Bye, dad.” “Hello, Thorn!” “Hi, Cozy.” “Hey, can I ask you a question?” “N-“ “When Mister Wildfire brings me here, Miss Flame’s here to wave hello, and then she goes to her room for a while... Hey! Just like you!” Thorn stood arm-crossed, unamused. “Uhm, but I didn’t see her today, and Mister Wildfire said she left to do her job. So, was she not working the last two days?” Thorn nodded, “Mom works several weeks straight, and every month or so she gets a five-day-long break,” he explained as he reached into the fridge and took out a cooking pot from the inside. “What!? Several weeks!? What’s her job!?” “She’s a fire ranger, she can’t leave her post due to the possibility that a wildfire might happen while she’s gone.” “So she stays there and just looks at a forest 24/7?” “No, she monitors weather, temperature, humidity, stuff like that. She’s also a sort of tourist guide, on the rare occasion that someone might get lost. And she does sleep, or so she’s told me.” “Well, anyhow, isn’t that a really short break?” “Yeah… but I think she starts getting really anxious if she’s away for too long…” Cozy didn’t say anything for a few seconds, so Thorn figured that was it, and turned back to the stove. “So... Ms. Flame is a fire ranger…” Cozy said as Thorn was about to turn around. “Yes,” Thorn replied looking down, crestfallen. “And Mr. Wildfire’s a firefighter…” “What are you getting at?” “So what do you do? Do you… manufacture stoves in your free time or something?” Thorn slowly walked away from the stove. “No, I’m not really into the fire business, just your average high school student.” “Oh! That reminds me... Do high schoolers break into songs in the cafeteria or something? Like they do in the movies?” “Hasn’t happened yet, which is kinda strange actually, considering how many students know how to play an instrument flawlessly...” “So... You don’t break into songs...?” “Nope.” “High school sounds sad...” “It is.”
Second weekAnother day, another mentally exhausting afternoon with Cozy Glow. Although to be fair, Thorn may have overreacted during the first few days he spent babysitting. Sure, he was still bitter that his parents never asked him if we wanted to take care of Cozy, and he would always rather lay down in his bed all day long doing nothing except staring at the ceiling, but having Cozy around made things more… interesting? That was beside the point right now, however. After his training finished, he went to his locker and eyed everything inside a couple of times. ‘I must’ve left it back at home…’ He was about to triple-check, but his locker door was suddenly slammed shut. Flinching, he turned to his left and saw none other than CHS’s bacon-haired bully. “You… wouldn’t happen to know where Flash is, would you, Thorn?" Sunset Shimmer asked uncharacteristically coldly. ‘Oh no,’ Thorn thought while he gulped and backed away a few steps. “Who?” “Don’t play dumb with me, Thistle!” she exclaimed as she stepped forward in a characteristically fiery attitude. “Flash has been avoiding me, and I’ve been told you might have something to do with it!” In the distance, Thorn managed to see Snips and Snails, a pair of freshmen he’s seen then and again, snickering at his ordeal. Thorn’s mind raced while thinking of some way to manage the situation. Sunset, however, wasn’t in the mood to stand idly by. “Well!? Answer me! Unless of course, you want to do this the other way.” Thorn stood straight where he was, petrified. He was perfectly aware of what the other way meant. It was a hard thing to forget after all. Thorn pressed his eyes closed, and sighed, “Just so we’re clear, I didn’t tell him to do anything. He’s the one who asked me for a hiding spot.” “Where is he now!?” “In the cafeteria. Lower floor… maybe.” Sunset deadpanned. “The cafeteria has a lower floor?” Thorn nodded warily. “It’s not well maintained, though.” Sunset turned around and walked towards the cafeteria, but stopped a few steps later. “I’m warning you, Thorn, don’t try anything. You know the consequences,” she said, glaring back from the top of her shoulder. When Sunset walked closer to Snips and Snails, Snips smiled confidently and pulled his hand forward, probably expecting to receive something from Sunset Shimmer. When the girl ignored them, the pair of freshmen looked at each other in confusion and followed after her. With Sunset and her apparent spies gone, Thorn sighed. Mildly relieved, but mostly… powerless. He locked his locker and quickly left. That lower floor existed all right, but, number one, Flash wasn’t there, and two, it was disgusting. Those two things might give Sunset the impression that it was some sort of prank or trick, so it was better to leave, ASAP. ……. It was the same routine once he arrived back home; he’d greet his father, then Cozy Glow; Hardwood would leave, and Cozy would barrage him with questions. Despite his current situation, Thorn decided to answer some of them. After all, he couldn’t straight-out ignore Cozy. Although that didn’t force him to pay attention to her. Cozy quickly noticed that Thorn was distracted and looking for something. “What’cha looking for?” she asked. “Are you looking for your father’s silver watch?” Thorn stood still, facepalming, “Uh, yeah, I should probably look for that too. But I’m looking for my staff, actually. You haven’t seen it around, have you?” “Nope, not really. But I can help you search for it if you want.” “Nah, don’t worry about it. I lost it, I should find it myself.” “Well… okay!” She exclaimed, as she cheerfully retreated towards his parents’ room, where Cozy had been leaving her stuff ever since Thorn’s mom stopped coming around. “Huh, that’s odd,” Thorn contemplated as Cozy left. “It’s usually very hard to get her to lea-“ Cozy quickly came back with her backpack and sat on the couch. ‘Aaand she’s back. Of course,” Thorn thought as he continued to look around. Stared at the shelves, he noticed that the books, game cases, and other similar stuff were all organized in separate layers. Not only that, but they were also in the order of a color wheel Cozy had left above the shelf. ‘Impressive,’ Thorn said to himself. ‘I gotta hand it to that girl, she is very organized.’ Careful not to mess with Cozy’s work, Thorn began moving stuff, to check if Cozy had mistakenly placed his staff somewhere on the shelf. His staff wasn’t there, and after looking at every other place nearby that anyone could have misplaced it, he went to the next most plausible place it could be. And by place, he meant places. In plural. As in, a lot. “Are you sure that you don’t want any help?” Cozy asked, seeing how he was struggling to move a piece of furniture, which also had the television on top. “I mean, I don’t think I could move that, but…” “Nope,” Thorn said in-between breaths, “I got this.” Cozy went back to her phone as Thorn managed to slip his hand behind the tv. Withdrawing his hand, he obtained a soft ball, an odd rock, a sock, a tree branch, the cap of a lipstick tube, and a very dusty dinosaur toy. “Wow, I haven’t seen this thing in ages,” Thorn said to himself, but Cozy managed to overhear it and peered at all the stuff Thorn withdrew. “Is that a petrified donut?” Thorn looked at the odd rock, and taking a clearer look at it, he realized it did indeed look like a donut. “Huh.” Thorn shrugged and placed everything back inside. Questioning why there was so much random stuff behind the tv, Cozy raised a quizzical look, “Do you often throw stuff in there?” “Not me. Whistle. And not just here.” Thorn headed to a cabinet, kneeled, and opened the drawer at the bottom. Thorn took out seven different balls, three bottles of water, twelve socks—all different from one another—, a cereal box, a long rubber band, and a ferret holding a phone. Shocked, Cozy looked to her left, where her phone used to be, and realized it wasn’t there any longer. “What? How!?” As he answered Cozy’s question, Thorn struggled to make Whistle drop the phone. “I like to think ferrets are like wild felines in a way. You do not turn your back on them. The only difference is that tigers want to kill you, whereas ferrets want to steal your stuff.” Having successfully snatched the phone away from Whistle, Thorn cleaned the part of the phone his pet chewed, and after making sure no harm was made to the device, he handed it back to Cozy Glow. Cozy Glow grabbed it by the edge as if it was contaminated and then dropped it inside of her backpack, closing it afterward. “So, are there any other places where your rodent stores stuff?” “Not a rodent,” Thorn corrected. “And yes, there are more.” Thorn checked in a gap beneath the couch, and after not finding what he was looking for, he moved on to Whistle’s cage, underneath a chair, then to a gap between a shelf and the wall, and lastly, underneath his parents’ desk. When it was clear Whistle was innocent, he moved on to other parts of the house in which Thorn might have left it by accident. He checked the attic, his room, the living room…again, the roof. When it all proved fruitless, he tried the living room just one more time. But as he moved everything back into position, he sighed. Thorn stretched his arms and legs, fixed his hair slightly and then he plopped into one of the kitchen’s chairs. “Oh well.” “What!?” Cozy Glow asked. “That’s it!?” “Yeah.” “You’re just giving up on it? It seemed like it was important to you.” “…it is.” “So?” “Do you remember how you said high school sounded sad?” He asked, rhetorically, as he didn’t wait for Cozy Glow to answer. “Well, it’s sad. I have homework to do, and don’t really have that much time to take care of the stuff I care about… I’d know.” By the end of the next day, Thorn was practically crawling his way out of the school’s halls with exhaustion. With all the time he spent looking for his staff, Thorn had to stay up late completing the assignments. Cozy getting on his nerves by questioning his life choices didn’t help much either. Not to mention that an average school day, a training session, and a minor argument with a certain blue-haired guitar player over the fact that his deranged girlfriend followed him home and now knows where he lives, was pretty exhausting on top of everything else. He thought he’d never have this sleep-deprivation feeling ever again, but clearly, he was wrong. It felt just as draining and exhausting as he remembered it. He was itching to lay down on his bed if only to rest a little bit, but a pink bush just outside the school entrance interrupted that thought when it called out his name. Perplexed, Thorn rubbed his eyes and saw nothing but normal bushes. ‘Oh no, it’s worse than I thought,” he thought turning around, eager to get home and get some sleep. “Psst, Thorn Thistle!” Rapidly, he turned around once more, and as much as he rubbed his eyes, the pink bush sitting between all the other normal bushes didn’t disappear. ‘What the-‘ Thorn thought, astounded. “Get over here!” the bush called. At that moment, Thorn did what any other exhausted teenager would; obey the pink bush. Thorn walked closer to the bush, and a pair of blue eyes popped from underneath, which caused him to flinch. “Wow, you look awful!” the bush laughed, in a bubbly, energetic voice. In his not-that-long life, Thorn had never been insulted by a bush before, but there was a first time for everything, apparently. “Hey-!“ Thorn exclaimed but was stopped once again. “I know just what’ll cheer you up! A party!” The bush suddenly rose a few feet higher and revealed a fellow student he knew all too well. Stumbling from the sudden movement, Thorn relaxed shortly after, “Oh, it’s just Pinkie Pie,” he reassured himself. “Of course I am, silly,” Pinkie explained. “What did you think was going on? That a pink fluff of hair was telepathically speaking to you?” “No.” Pinkie Pie squinted her eyes and went suddenly quiet, staring at Thorn, while she scratched her chin with her hand. “Uh… Pinkie Pie?” Thorn asked, backing away slowly. “Your expression… it seems… familiar.” “Uh-“ Thorn muttered but was once again cut short, this time by a loud gasp. “Aha! I remember now! I made that expression, and I saw myself with it in the mirror!” Pinkie Pie pointed at the statue in front of the school’s entrance, and it was at that moment that Thorn remembered that Pinkie Pie often trailed off, so he attempted to flee the scene. “That’s nice, Pinkie, but I should really get go-“ “I don’t know if you knew this about me, but I’m a really good babysitter, heh, if I do say so myself.” “Uh-huh, well, I sho-“ “But there was this one kid—” As much as Thorn would appreciate the tips, he needed to get going, so he rolled his eyes, turned around, and walked away. “—Cozy Glow! Yeah, that was her name!” Thorn stopped abruptly and turned his head back towards Pinkie. “Come again?” Thorn asked warily. “Cozy Glow, a girl I used to babysit a while ago. It was awful! At first, she’s all sweet and caring. She organizes your stuff and it feels like you can talk to her like she’s a close friend, but then I suddenly lost my pet Gummy, and I realized Cozy had kidnapped him!” Thorn was aware that Gummy was an alligator plushie, so he wasn’t thatconcerned. Little kids took toys all the time, even when the toys didn't necessarily belong to them. ‘Wait,’ Thorn thought, remembering last day’s ordeal. “Then, things get more and more serious,” Pinkie continued. “You lose important stuff, you sleep less, when you manage to sleep you have nightmares about her, and before you know it, BAM! Your sister’s gone!” “WHAT!?” Thorn asked, terrified. “No, wait, wrong story. That’s when I got lost during last hearth’s warm… eh, forget the last part,” Pinkie explained. Thorn took a sharp, prolonged breath, and calmed himself down. “Well… as far as I remember, once someone gets to the paranoia part, it’s when the babysitters often quit.” Still struck by the sister confusion, Thorn led his hand towards his forehead to calm himself down, if only a little. “Hey! That’s the expression I made when I talked to one of her previous babysi- Oh no, Thorn! You’re babysitting Cozy!?” Thorn nodded. “You have to escape while you still can! Before it’s too late!” Pinkie yelled as she shook Thorn’s entire body back and forth. “And whatever you do, don’t tell her anything about your personal life! Everything went downhill for me when she knew about Sunset Shimmer. The worst part is when she starts messing with your-“ Pinkie stopped as her phone suddenly started chiming a bubbly, upbeat, happy tune, which made her drop Thorn, grab her phone and take a peek at the screen. “Oh! I’m running late for my part-time job!” Pinkie exclaimed as she jumped back into the bushes, and immediately re-emerged wearing roller skates and a different outfit. “K’ see ya, Thorn!” Pinkie called as she slid away as if nothing had happened, “I’ll text you the details for your party later!” And then she popped out of visual range. Author's Note In another universe, parallel to ours, I decided to add a horror tag and elaborate on the missing sister part. :)
Third weekCozy Glow’s mother had returned from Manehattan the very next day after Thorn had his conversation with Pinkie Pie, and he figured it would be some weeks until Ms. Honey had to leave again. He thought wrong. Ms. Honey was needed at Baltimare the day after tomorrow, which meant he would be taking care of Cozy Glow once again. Thorn was still preoccupied from Pinkie’s warning regarding Cozy Glow’s actions, so Thorn wasn’t letting Cozy out of his sight this time, which led him to where he currently was. Professor Cranky Doodle placed a finger on his chin, pretending to consider Thorn’s request. “Well, that is a good argument,” the teacher said. Thorn nodded with hope. “But the answer is still no.” Shattered, Thorn slumped in place. “What!? Why not!?” “I will not let you work ahead of your classmates, you will suffer just as much as everyone else. Now, if you’ll excuse me, if I don’t get to the teachers’ lounge before Luna, there’ll be no coffee left.” Cranky Doodle stood up from his chair and left for the door, but as he was opening it, he felt a grip on his ankles. “Just give me the homework and I’ll leave!” “No! Let go of me this instant!” “You don’t understand, I need this!” “No! If you keep this up, I’ll have to report you, and I know you don’t want me to!” “Why are you suppressing knowledge from the public!?” Cranky groaned and after struggling for a moment, he was eventually able to free himself of Thorn’s grip, leaving the student face-palmed against the floor. Exiting the classroom while mumbling in disgust, Cranky spotted Vice Principal Luna in the distance, heading towards the teachers’ lounge. Seeing this, Cranky gasped and ran for the lounge. “What just happened?” Someone else asked. Thorn raised his head weakly, and found Microchips staring at him. Thorn groaned and allowed his head to fall back on the floor. “I’m going to be facing some… difficulties… this week and wanted to get Professor Cranky to give me this week’s homework.” “Oh! I thought he was refusing to explain a topic to you, what with you saying he’s suppressing knowledge? I was going to offer my experience and explain whatever it was to you, but it seems you don’t need help after all. Good luck with your... intricacies” Microchips then started walking away while taking out a calculator from his pocket and making an ambitious smile, like if he was about to discover the last digit of pi. “Wait!” Microchips turned around, and Thorn huffed. “Actually, I could use some guidance with math… er… if you’re free sometime today, I mean.” “Of course I’m free! I never do anything after school!” “That actually sounds a bit sad…” The day after tomorrow had arrived, and along with it, Cozy Glow. “I mean it, Thorn,” Hardwood stated, “I don’t have a problem with staying a bit longer.” Thorn and his father were talking in the hallway as Cozy unpacked her crayons and coloring book back in the kitchen. “Well,” Thorn shrugged, “I don’t have a problem with it either, I was just saying that if you have to go, I can handle myself just fine.” “I’ll stay for a while longer then,” Hardwood stated as headed to the kitchen. “I’m cooking tho,” Thorn said from behind, “it’s been a while since I did, instead of having to just heat precooked food.” Hardwood chuckled, “I certainly don’t have a problem with you choosing what to eat, instead of me,” “Hooray,” Thorn said without a hint of emotion, causing Hardwood to raise his eyebrow. Thorn headed to the fridge in order to know what he could prepare, while his father sat along with Cozy Glow, who looked mildly confused. “Wait, you’re not cooking today, Mr. Wildfire?” She asked. “No, Cozy Glow, Thorn’s handling that today.” Astonished, Cozy turned towards Thorn, “You can cook!?” “Yes,” Thorn replied warily, still recalling Pinkie’s warning. An awkward silence filled the room, making Hardwood uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he decided to change the subject. “So, how did your day go?” Cozy turned back at Thorn, more intrigued than Hardwood was. “It was fine.” Cozy slouched and decided to guide the conversation herself. “Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?” Noticing that Hardwood cringed at the choice of words, Cozy reformulated. “At this moment, I mean. You usually arrive a couple of hours later.” “The instructor couldn’t come today,” Thorn answered. “Did something happen?” Hardwood asked. “An accident.” “Oh no!” Cozy Glow exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s awful, I hope she’s fine… aside from everything else, I mean,” Hardwood said. “Mhmm,” Thorn replied, channeling his inner Marble Pie. Noticing Thorn’s emotions, or lack thereof, Hardwood leaned in the table. “Hey, Thorn, is something bothering you?” he asked. “If this is about that Sunset Shimmer, I can-“ Thorn sighed, “That’s not it,” he said, keeping his attention on his cooking while rising his voice a bit. “You don’t have to keep this to yourself, Thorn,” Hardwood said as he got up and closer to his son. “Just tell me and I’ll talk to your principal to get that girl expelled. I’ll do it, you know I will.” Cozy Glow decided to take out her phone and started chatting with one of her contacts, rather than listen to their conversation. The conversation, however, didn’t move any further, and after a few moments of intense silence, filled only with the noise of Cozy Glow’s phone tapping, Hardwood’s own phone buzzed. He sighed, “I have to take this.” Thorn’s attention remained on the food, Hardwood spoke to the person on the other side of the call, and Cozy Glow smirked fondly at her phone. “What!? Right now!?” Hardwood asked. “Alright,” he then said, crestfallen, “I’ll be right there.” Hanging the call, he turned back to the kitchen. “An emergency rose up, there’s a fire ongoing right now… I-I have to get going.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Wildfire,” Cozy said, “you go out there and answer the call of duty!” Thorn just nodded without looking back at him. Nodding to himself more than anything, Hardwood showed himself out. … Hours later, Cozy Glow was packing her stuff back into her backpack while Thorn was in the living room playing with Whistle. Whistle was inside a translucent blue maze made out of several tunnels, with small holes in which Thorn would drop treats for Whistle to pursue. After his father left, Thorn was left alone with his thoughts, while Cozy Glow busied herself with her homework, which was sort of relieving for Thorn. As they waited for Cozy Glow’s uncle to arrive, Thorn pondered about the recent incidents, while Cozy Glow looked at a map on her phone. Shortly after, she laid her phone aside and decided to break the silence. “So, tense day, huh?” “Mhm-mm” Cozy Glow rolled her eyes. “What happened back there anyway?” Thorn turned around with a quizzical look. “You know, in the kitchen. You and your father seemed... how do I put it... on edge.” “Well, I can’t speak from his side, but I wasn’t feeling tense.” “How so?” “Didn’t feel that way.” In mild annoyance to Thorn’s curtness, Cozy Glow squinted her eyes and puffed her cheeks slightly. After a fleeting moment of consideration, she nodded to herself, and then returned her attention to her caretaker. “You know, I think I know what your problem is, Thorn.” “What?” Thorn asked in an annoyed voice. “The other day, when you were all sleepy and paranoid, your father told me a story about your boo-boos with Sunset Shimmer.” Thorn’s stoic, apathetic, cold gaze faltered after the mention of Sunset Shimmer. It was a fleeting moment, but one that Cozy managed to see. “And I think I know what’s bothering you. It must have hurt when your relationship with your parents got strained after that incident. But even after all this time, it seems like your parents still don’t hang out with you.” “Huh?” “I mean, your mother leaves you alone for over a month and only visits for 5 days before disappearing again,” Cozy explained. “And your father leaves immediately after you arrive, even leaving your problems as secondary compared to his.” Thorn didn’t say anything and just stood still where he was. “I might even go so far as to say that they’re only pressuring you to make new friends as an excuse so that you don’t bother them. “If I were in your place, I would have exploded a long time ago, so… props to you!” Before Thorn could even consider whether to reply or not, a car honked from outside. “Oh! I gotta go! Thanks again, Thorn. And good luck with your issue!” Cozy exclaimed as she picked her stuff from the couch. She gave Thorn a goodbye hug—which he didn’t react to, as she expected—and then exited the house. Once she got in the car, it quickly drove away, while Thorn remained motionless on the couch. It was true his relationship with his parents hadn’t been the same since the Sunset incident, but he always thought they had fixed it already. But…what if that wasn’t the case. Did he just assume things were fine after a simple apology? Had things not changed… had they remained the same after all this time? Whistle escaped his translucent maze, and approached Thorn, softly chewing his fingers as soon as he was nearby. The next morning had come and gone. Thorn had arrived at school upset. When his normal classes finished, he was upset again. During his training… he actually felt quite comfortable. It was a feeling he didn’t pay much attention to but he was always glad that it happened. Once his training finished, however, his prior emotions returned. Add that to the bonus adrenaline rush, and he was determined to end whatever Cozy’s plan was. Yesterday she had struck a chord in Thorn’s heart, but after spending quite literally two hours looking at the ceiling during midnight, he accepted that Cozy Glow was just trying to mess with him. And he did not appreciate that. Any interruptions to take out his revenge would not be taken kindly. Which was a shame for Flash, since he had just arrived to ask for Thorn’s opinion. Thorn groaned loudly, “What do you want now!?” Flash flinched and stumbled back a little, “Um… it’s about Sunset.” “It always is,” Thorn spat. “I’m in a bit of a predicament… Brawly said that maybe it’d be better if I broke up with Sunset, and everyone else agreed to it. So I came to you, surely you think that’s a bad idea, right?” “What!? No! You should break up with her!” “Wh-what!? You too!?” “She’s a horrible person, Flash!” “No, she’s not! She just needs a little help, that’s all.” “You’re way too pure for your own good.” “Huh?” “Stop caring so much about her, and start thinking about yourself! You aren’t happy with this, it’s not healthy for you!” “Sunset just needs to learn how to be a better person, she-“ “She doesn’t care about being a better person, Flash!” Thorn exclaimed, flailing his arms in the air. “But-“ “But nothing! She’s hurt so many people, it’s about time she starts facing the music on her own.” “She’s not that bad once y-” “Yes, she is! All she does is make people miserable by hurting others and stalking them!” Thorn exclaimed, shoving the main entrance’s door hard enough for Snips and Snails to stumble on their feet. Flash blinked. “Have they been-“ “Yes.” “Well, mayb-“ “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but she only sees you as a trophy, Flash! You can’t protect her from her own mistakes.” “Well, what do I do instead, huh!? Leave her alone and let her hurt even more people!?” “Yes! Uh… I mean… Uhm…” Thorn wanted to stick to his reply so badly, but he knew from experience that this was a complicated question to respond to. Anything he said would sound bad, yet… “If I just push her aside, she’ll just haunt someone else…” Flash pointed out, and Thorn stared at the ground. “But… maybe you’re right… maybe I shouldn’t put someone else’s problems above my own…” Both students stood in silence for a while, until Flash spoke up again. “Thank you, Thorn; for the perspective, I mean. I’ll think about it.” Thorn nodded. ‘Yeah… right back at you,’ he thought, as Flash walked away. Arriving home, Thorn was shocked. He had arrived at his house, pondering about his conversation with Flash, and the first thing he saw opening the door was Cozy Glow. She was sitting in a chair right in the middle of the room… Petting Whistle. “Hello, Thorn.” Thorn shook away his bewilderment and cast his eyes down at Cozy Glow with a stoic gaze. “Cozy Glow.” The two of them stared at each other for a few moments; Cozy with her characteristic innocent smile, and Thorn with a fixed, stern glance. It was Thorn who decided to make the first move. “You can drop the smile.” “What do you mean?” Cozy asked, knowing exactly what he meant. “Pinkie Pie told me all about you.” “You’ve met Pinkie Pie?!” Cozy cried, faking surprise. “Golly! I had no idea!” “So now that we’re both on the same page, you can drop the act.” Cozy Glow accommodated in her seat. “Gee, I sure don’t know what you’re talking about, Thorn. It all comes naturally to me at this point,” she said, her smile shifting into a smirk. Thorn groaned. “But you’re right. We are on the same page now, so let’s get straight to the point.” Thorn shifted his stance. “Look, it might not look that way, but I can take care of myself just fine. And you obviously didn’t want to do this thing in the first place.” Thorn squinted his eyes. “So I’ll put it simply,” she cleared her throat. “You don’t want to do this anymore, and I have better things to do than keep playing around with some loser like you.” Thorn had heard those words before. They had played in his mind countless times, and apparently, Cozy Glow knew it. ‘So let’s make a deal,’ he recalled in his mind while Cozy Glow said those exact words aloud. “Quit…” she started. “And you can go back to your life,” he finished. “See? You get it. Do we have a deal then?” Uncertainty dawned over Thorn as his eyes darted from one side to another. Thorn wasn’t sure of what he expected, but it hadn’t been this. As logic and emotions clashed to find an answer, and his resolve wavered, he clenched his fists and squinted his eyes, holding onto the preliminary decision he had taken before entering the door. “No!” He exclaimed as he released the tension in his arms, shooting them downwards. “Huh?” “Unlike you, I don’t know what your problem is! But if I had to guess, I’d say it’s everything that you accused me of yesterday.” “Golly, isn’t that nice,” she said. “But anyway, if you’re not quitting then I guess I’ll just keep bothering you.” Cozy Glow let go of Whistle and coyly reached into her backpack, withdrawing Thorn’s missing staff. “If I’ve learned anything this days is that all I have to do is mess just a wittle bit with your stuff, and your entire day goes haywire, teehee.” “Give me that!” He exclaimed as he swiftly grabbed his staff back from Cozy Glow, and taking it as an opportunity to get his thoughts in order, he also took Whistle back to his cage. “So,” he said upon returning, “why are you doing this then? What do you get from this?” “Uh, other than the satisfaction of outsmarting people at their own game?” Thorn rolled his eyes, “Come on Cozy Glow, let me help you, and maybe we could both each go our own way as you said earlier... Only without having to resort to trauma?” “You mean the boring way?” “Yep.” Cozy slouched. “Fine, what’s your brilliant plan? Have me tell you all of my problems and that I magically feel better?” “Kind of. Let’s do that, but don’t tell me. Tell your mom!” Cozy stared at him. “That’s your plan? Do you really think no one has thought of rattling me to my mom already?” “I don’t think you have tried.” “Of course I have!” “I don’t think you have tried.” “Of course I- well… actually I gave up on that three years ago…” Dirt and dust all over her face, Honey swiped away her sweat after a tiresome job. “Yeah, that might do.” Her attention then diverted, as the phone in her pocket buzzed. Disturbed, Honey took the phone rapidly, and when she didn’t recognize the number, she gulped. “H-hello?” She asked warily, answering the call. “Hey…mom.” “Cozy!” Honey cheerfully greeted as she laid down her shovel in the grass. “What a nice surprise! But… could it wait? I’m kind of in the middle of something…” “Yeah! Absolutely, I’ll call you when you’re not busy, ‘kay b-“ Honey heard a grumbling noise interrupt Cozy, who then groaned in protest and added a disgruntled “fine.” “Actually,” Cozy continued, “there’s something I have to tell you… it’s about the babysitting thing…” Honey facepalmed slightly, “did the kid quit too?” “No, he’s still here, it’s about the other babysitters, all of them… I… I’m… “It’s my fault that they quit.” Honey blinked, not understanding what Cozy was trying to say. “Well, I mean, technically, yeah, they couldn’t handle you, but it’s not your fault-“ “No, it is.” Honey didn’t reply, so Cozy continued. “I was being troublesome in purpose so that they’d quit and you would come back.” “Wh-what?” “I was upset. I was angry that you never came home… you’re away all the time, and you only come back for a few days and never spend any of that time with me… it’s been five years since we celebrate Christmas together! “So I thought that if I forced you to come home, then you’d stay here eventually…” “…” “You made me turn flights around thirteen times so that you could tell me that you missed me!?” Honey exclaimed, scowling. “Well… yeah! And it’s your fault! You always arrive, hire someone and then leave again! You think that just because you’re the boss of a group of people makes your problems more important than mine! Is that it!? Am I, your daughter, less important than a bunch of adults that can take care of themselves for a few weeks!? Don’t I deserve to see you as much as they do!?” Honey’s scowl never left her face, but it did falter once she heard Cozy Glow sobbing. “We’ll talk later.” Honey hung up, and after pocketing her phone, she sighed. A very masculine scream distracted her, and she walked away. “I told you to leave that anthill alone, Sturdy Dust!” She exclaimed, yelling at the top of her lungs, the silver watch on her arm swinging as she made her way towards her peer.
Loose Ends“I was not expecting that,” Hardwood said, baffled by the revelation. Figuring his parents should know about what had happened, Thorn decided to explain his afternoon to Hardwood. “Yep,” Thorn replied to his father’s bewilderment, “heavy stuff, huh?” “Yeah… so now what? Is her mother staying with her now?” Thorn shrugged. “If you ask me… it doesn’t look like that way…” “Oh. Are you two in good terms, at least?” “I wouldn’t say so... just before she left, I asked if she had taken my staff again... and then she hurled it at me.” “Oh, geez! Are you alright!?” “Yeah, I was able to catch it. Obviously.” Hardwood sighed in relief. Similar to last time, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. The only noise that could be heard was Whistle’s, who was trying to get Hardwood’s attention. Still feeling a tad hurt about Cozy’s words from the previous day—regarding his relationship with his parents—Thorn decided he didn’t feel like keeping his emotions to himself right now. So after a heavy sigh, Thorn looked at Hardwood straight in the eye. Hardwood noticed it and figured Thorn was upset about babysitting, as was noticeable since the first day. “Hey, Thorn, listen... uhm... if you don’t want to keep doing this, I can te-” Hardwood was promptly interrupted by Thorn, who hugged him tightly. “This is... not something you’d do often, are you feeling alright?” “N-no…” Hardwood noticed Thorn’s despondent state and quickly placed his hands around Thorn’s shoulders and pushed him slightly backwards so to look at him in the eye. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong, Thorn?” “I-it’s just… Cozy mentioned something yesterday, and…” “Don’t listen to what she said, she was just confused and directed her frustration towards you, but I promise you that tomorrow she’ll get the talking of-“ “Let me finish!” Hardwood pursed his lips and gave his full attention to Thorn. “It’s just… you… uhm… you remember the incident, right?” “The incide-? Oh! That incident… yes, I remember…” “Cozy brought it up… and I was thinking… are you… are we… close?” “Well, yeah. Of course we’re close, you’re my son.” Thorn looked away. “Well you heard how the dynamic’s with Cozy… and it scared me…” “Thorn, you have nothing to be scared of.” “Don’t I? You guys leave almost for the entire day, and I’ve spent months without seeing mom face to face even once…” Crestfallen, Thorn said softly, “Did we ever really patch up?” Hardwood’s eyes darted away in a soft manner. “You’re right, maybe we haven’t entirely… so, what do you think we start now? We can take a day to do something together, if we discuss it with enough time, maybe we could even visit your mom at her outpost. “What do you think?” “Yeah… I’d like that.” Hardwood surrounded Thorn as he embraced him, to which he smiled warmly and returned the hug. “By the way, since we’re letting everything out, don’t ever try to fix my social life again, dad.” Hardwood chuckled. “Can’t promise you tha-“ Hardwood suddenly fell to the nearby couch, as Thorn made him lose his balance and trip over, while he glared mockingly at him. “Alright, alright. I promise. Geez, can’t you take a joke?” ——————————————————————————————————————— As far as Thorn was concerned, his life was looking bright. He had successfully stopped Cozy Glow’s schemes… to an extent. He had also improved his relationship with his parents. Well, he‘s going to… starting this Saturday… if things went according to planned… But thanks to Microchips, he was doing better in his classes and was up to date with the topics. Was. They’re now seeing a new topic that he was not understanding in the slightest. And he also had friends now. Well, there was a friend-ly kid who complained about his ex-girlfriend, a friend-ly other kid who complained about her ex-babysittee, and another friend-ly kid who Thorn complained with about math class… Yes, things were definitely better than ever for Thorn Thistle. From this point onward, he was going to live happily ever afte- “There he is! He’s the one who told your boyfriend to break up with you!” Thorn swiftly looked around to find Snips and Snails pointing towards him as Sunset stared at him with a look that conveyed hatred, betrayal, and a desire to murder someone. Thorn gulped and tried to grab his staff, solely for intimidation purposes, but instead found a crudely drawn image of Cozy Glow sticking out her tongue. “When I see that child again, I swear…” Author's Note What’s that thing they say at the end of marvel movies…? Oh yeah! *ejem* Thorn Thistle will return.
