The Magic In Us

“True empathy isn’t simply understanding another’s experience, it’s connecting to the emotions that underpin that experience.”
~ Adapted from Brene’ Brown

"Feeling all alone again?" She heard her voice ask.

Misty squeezed her eyes shut, but it didn't look that much different than the dark void that had encompassed her before. She laid on her stomach, putting her hooves over her ears, as though to block out the words, but she knew from experience that wasn't the case.

"Aww…poor Misty–Wisty all by her lonesome self," She heard her voice pout. Misty could practically see its bottom lip pointing out in a mock pout. "Nopony loves her." The voice surrounded her, and echoed throughout the dark void, wrapping around her, suffocating her, resonating deep within her soul.

"Leave me alone," Misty muttered. She had hoped that after she made up with her friends, these would stop, but they almost seemed to get worse.

Her twin self scoffed. Her voice sounded as though it was above her. "Oh, get over yourself, Misty. You and I both know the devastating truth. Nopony would want to be friends with a pointless screw–up like you."

"I have friends," Misty muttered, thinking of Zipp, Izzy, Sunny, Hitch, and Pipp.

"They're not your friends, Misty. If they were, they wouldn't have abandoned you when times got tough. You're nothing to them. They only keep you around so you won't go evil like the hoof that raised you."

Misty squeezed her eyes tighter. "No. Zipp didn't abandon me."

Misty's voice scoffed again. "That's only because she felt sorry for you. Poor Misty–Wisty is all alone. Poor Misty–Wisty doesn't have any friends. Poor Misty–Wisty doesn't realize that everything Opaline told her was true."

"Stop. Just stop…please." Misty begged.

"If you're so confident about your friendship with those ponies, why don't you talk? Oh, I know!" The voice said, as though just realizing something. "Because you're afraid you'll say something so stupid, so horrible, that your friends won't want anything to do with you."

"No. That's not true," Misty argued weakly, tears filling her eyes.

"Oh? Then what's the real reason? Huh? Huh?" Misty remained silent, not able to think of anything. The voice made a triumphant sound, and she could practically see its triumphant smirk. "That's what I thought. 'Misty stutters too much'. 'Misty doesn't know what she wants to say'. 'Misty doesn't know what she's talking about'. We both know it's true."

"No, it's not," Misty mumbled, curling up tighter into a ball.

"Isn't it? Hmm…maybe you're right. Oh, that's what it was. 'Misty's stupid.' 'Misty doesn't know how to read ponies.' 'Misty ruins everything.' You know, that's exactly what all your so-called friends thought when you stupidly shattered those crystals and stupidly destroyed magic."

"No. They didn't. My friends would never think that of me."

"Oh? Then why don't you ask them? Is it because you're too scared to hear the truth?"

"Shut up," Misty muttered, anger and hopelessness brewing inside her.

"That's not surprising. Poor Misty–Wisty is afraid of everything," The voice taunted.

"Shut up!" Misty said louder, but the voice continued to ignore her.

"Why don't you stop being such a coward and actually grow a pair!"

"SHUT UP!"

Misty sat up. She panted heavily, looking around her at the barren landscape, the only thing notable being the pony–filled sleeping bags all lying on the massive tarp she was currently lying on.

Misty sighed, her whole body covered in a cold sweat. She didn't understand why she was having these nightmares. She reached up and grabbed her mane accessory out of her mane and looked through the bead. She stared at the picture in it. These ponies were really her friends, right? They loved her, right?

Misty sighed, putting her mane accessory back on. As she did, her eyes caught sight of the charm bracelet around her hoof, with all of her friends' cutie marks. She stared at them, more specifically Zipp's.

It hurt her knowing that Zipp had yet to forgive Hitch and Sunny. It made her feel worse that the biggest reason Zipp hadn't forgiven them was because of how much they hurt Misty. It made Misty feel guilty. Like she was getting in between their friendship. If only Zipp understood how guilty Hitch and Sunny felt. Like they didn't deserve Misty and Zipp's forgiveness.

Misty sighed, banishing their emotions the way Izzy taught her, and crawled out of her sleeping bag. She stared at her bag, debating whether or not she should bring a flashlight, but she quickly decided not to. They needed to conserve their batteries and make them last. During their stop in the last Equestrian city before the border, they had stocked up on supplies. They had all charged their phones, as well as charged their portable battery packs for their phones, as well as bought more. Each of them carried three battery packs and twelve packs of batteries. Considering how much longer they had to go, they didn't have resources to waste.

Misty began walking across the sandy plain, her breath fogging out in front of her. Walking was always the best way for her to think things through or clear her mind. Whenever she struggled to choose between doing what was right or doing what Opaline wanted her to do, she'd pace the width of her small bedroom, talking to herself.

While she didn't exactly talk anymore, though she didn't really understand why herself, she did still walk to sort things out. Back at the castle, when she'd have this nightmare every night, she'd roam the castle walls. It became a nightly routine, so common that the guards just got used to seeing her, and sometimes, they'd have stuff ready for her, whether it'd be hot tea, a nice note, or anything to help her out of her funk. Nopony else knew about her nightly habit. Just her and the same night guards that patrolled the hallways she walked.

As she walked, her mind began to wander back to the dream she had. She began to wonder how much of what her dream self said was true and how much of it was false. Was Zipp still only her friend because she pitied her? Did her friends really think she was stupid? That she ruins everything? Did her friends really think that when she destroyed the crystals? Was she really a coward?

It was then that Misty heard grunting, followed by a stream of curses. Misty, unsure of what to do, slowly crept towards the noise, despite the perfectly good silence in the other direction. As she got closer, she could see a figure holding something up. She slowly crept up, trying to see through the darkness, when the figure gained familiar features.

Misty kicked some sand with her hoof, purposefully making some noise. Hitch turned around to face her, phone in hoof. "Oh, thank hoofness, Misty. It's only you."

Misty narrowed her eyes at him, her body still in a ready-to-flee position.

Hitch sighed, rolling his eyes. "Damn changelings," He muttered before turning fully to Misty and looking her right in the eye. "My name is Hitch Trailblazer. I'm Sheriff of Maretime Bay. I'm on a rescue mission to save my marefriend, Pipp Petals, whom I love with all my heart, from the evil changeling queen. I'm on the side of the ponies and whatever time I'm not spending with Pipp, or being the best pony–dragon dad I can be to Sparky, I spend protecting Maretime Bay. Or, I would if I could get some damn service!"

Nothing. There was no glint in the eye, no carefully worded sentences that weren't technically lies. It was all straightforward and true.

Hitch then turned away and raised his phone high in the air. That was when Hitch seemed to realize something and he turned around to face Misty with narrowed eyes. "How do I know you're you?"

Misty sighed. She had prepared and written a speech similar to Hitch's. They all did for verification. It didn't matter if the changelings knew about them or even memorized them. They were meant to be lie-detector speeches. They were all straightforward and truthful, so when the other pony stared into their eyes, they could see whether or not there was a glint.

Misty pulled out her phone and opened the speech on a notepad app on her phone. She handed it to Hitch, who held it up for her after a moment of looking at her in confusion. No stuttering. No awkward silence as she tried to remember what she had to say.

Misty took a deep breath, and looked Hitch in the eye, seeing her speech from the corner of it. "My name is Misty Brightdawn and I'm one of the Guardians of Unity. I'm on a rescue mission to save one of my best friends Pipp Petals from an evil changeling queen. I was fillynapped as a filly by an evil fire alicorn named Opaline Arcana. My cutie mark is a butterfly and I found my long–lost father, Alphabittle Blossomforth."

Tears gathered in Misty's eyes. She didn't understand why it was so hard to talk for the past six months, but she decided she wanted to do it as little as possible. Hitch, seeming satisfied, handed Misty her phone after quickly glancing at it.

At Misty's confused look, Hitch quickly clarified. "Just checking to see if you had any service."

Misty shook her head disappointingly.

"Yeah, I know. As Zipp said, 'I doubt Z ▪︎ Heights considered me wanting to post Ponygram pictures 100 miles outside the Equestrian border when they set me up with the long distance plan.'"

Misty gave Hitch an apologetic look.

"Don't be sorry. Zipp was the one who said it."

Misty sighed, looking away before giving Hitch a sympathetic look.

"It's fine. I know Zipp is still pissed about what happened. Not that I blame her. If somepony said what I said to you to Pipp, and then said what I said to her to me, it'd take a while for me to forgive them as well," Hitch paused, looking at the ground away from Misty, before taking a deep breath and looking back at her. "Zipp told us you haven't said a word since…you know. And that it's about that…is it because of what we said to you? Is that why you don't…talk."

Misty shrugged, looking down and scraping her hoof into the ground.

Hitch sighed, sitting down, patting the spot next to him. Misty hesitantly sat down, not looking him in the eyes. "You know that Sunny and I…we didn't mean what we said, right?"

Misty nodded, still looking down at the ground.

Hitch watched Misty, knowing that her knowing they didn't mean it wasn't enough. "But, still, we're…I'm sorry. I was scared and confused and–"

Hitch stopped when he felt something on his hoof. Hitch looked down to see a blue hoof on his. He looked up at Misty, who had a sympathetic look on her face. Hitch could practically hear the words radiating from her look: ' It's okay. I know. You don't have to say it.'

"But I do!" Hitch argued. At Hitch's raised voice, Misty flinched, pulling her hoof away. "I do. It was wrong of Sunny and I to assume that you knew how sorry we were. We shouldn't have had you being an empath dictate what we do. You're just like any other pony, and any other pony deserves to hear a heartfelt apology. One we failed to give you. And for that I'm sorry."

Tears filled Misty's eyes. It was one thing to just know how sorry her friends were, but it was a completely different thing to hear one of her friends verbally apologize to her. To know that they really considered her a friend to want to give her such a heartfelt apology meant the world to her. She may not be ready to talk, but now she knew that everything her dream self said wasn't true. She did have friends. They didn't pity her. They didn't abandon her. She wasn't nothing and she wasn't a pointless screw-up. And, most importantly, she mattered. Not just to herself, but to her friends.

Hitch sighed, looking at the ground. "And I'm sorry for what I said. I was just…I didn't know how to react. I was so scared. I…that was the first time I realized that…that I may never see Pipp again. That I..." Hitch sighed, shaking his head. "I haven't been myself lately. Actually, I haven't been myself since I learned that Pipp was captured. She's been my rock. She's been the one that held me steady. That got me out of my comfort zone. She's been my compass. Without her…I'm just so…so lost. I just…I just wish I knew that then. When she was here. If I had…I wouldn't have picked that stupid fight with her."

Misty just stayed silent, much like she did with Zipp in front of Pipp's Cutie Blossom Bash Tree. Zipp and Hitch were very similar when it came to expressing their emotions. Once they started letting them out, the best thing to do was just to stay silent as if somepony wasn't there, listening to them, because as soon as they realize their emotions are affecting somepony else, they'll shut down again.

"I know it's stupid trying to find service in this place. I mean, we're miles away from the Equestrian border, but…worrying about Maretime Bay…it doesn't allow me to worry about Pipp…because once I start…knowing she's in that place…with those monsters…I wouldn't be able to think about anything else. If she dies…I don't know I might…I might just die right along with her."

Tears filled Hitch's eyes. Tears he quickly wiped away with his hoof. Misty wanted to comfort Hitch in some way, but her gut told her to restrain herself. To just let him talk. She wondered if she was doing the right thing or if she was ruining something…again.

"It's just that…if I can't protect the ones I love, how in Equestria can I protect Maretime Bay? It feels like since magic came, I'm suddenly not adequate. Who knows, maybe I never was. When Maretime Bay needed me to protect it the most, I've done nothing but fail it. When Sprout brainwashed everypony and built that robot thing, I wasn't there to stop him. When all the ponies began fighting and the magical black hole opened up, I wasn't able to bring the ponies back together. Sunny did that. When Opaline came to steal cutie marks, I couldn't stop her from taking all of Maretime Bay's. When the changelings fillynapped Pipp, I couldn't stop them. When…when that changeling wanted Sunny for Pipp, I wasn't strong enough to do what needed to be done and when you were, I scolded you for it. Who…Who am I...?"

The two of them were silent for a long while, not saying or doing anything. Misty didn't know what to do. She knew who Hitch was…to her. But only he knew who he was. He seemed so broken without Pipp. Ugh, why was she such a social idiot? Pipp would know what to do. Pipp would give him the confidence he nee…Her eyes widened as an idea came to her. Only he knew who he was and he needed the confidence to admit it proudly.

Misty turned to Hitch, tapping his shoulder. When he turned to face her, she held up her phone, which still had her lie detector speech. He looked at her, confused, before she pointed her hoof at Hitch.

"You want me…to say my lie detector speech?"

Misty quickly nodded.

Hitch sighed. "My name is Hitch Trailblazer?" Hitch started hesitantly before Misty put a hoof to his mouth.

She shook her head, puffing out her chest and raising her head high, gaining an air of confidence.

Hitch realized what she was trying to tell him. "My name is Hitch Trailblazer and I'm Sheriff of Maretime Bay. I'm on a rescue mission to save my marefriend, Pipp Petals, whom I love with all my heart, from the evil changeling queen! I'm on the side of the ponies and whatever time I'm not spending with Pipp, or being the best pony–dragon dad I can be to Sparky, I spend protecting Maretime Bay!" With every sentence, Hitch grew more and more confident, before he was exclaiming it to the heavens. He looked at Misty with renewed hope. "You're right, Misty. I love Maretime Bay. And I love Pipp. I'd do anything for them, including traveling outside of Equestria to save them. And the citizens of Maretime Bay feel safe under me. They feel protected. And it's a job nopony else can do. And in the end, that's all that really matters."

Hitch felt confidence and hope swell up in him. He wasn't a failure. He wasn't a disappointment. He was Sheriff Hitch, and he may not always be able to save those he loved by himself, but he can save them with the help of his friends. With them, he can do anything. And in that realization, it felt like there was a great weight lifted off his chest.

He looked at Misty with a gracious smile. "Thank you, Misty. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

Misty smiled back at him before laying her head on his shoulder. Hitch rested his head on hers, and they both stared off into the horizon, not even noticing Misty's cutie mark as it glowed brightly, drowned out by the light of the rising sun.

"Morning, Sheriff. Still trying to find the impossiservice, are we?" Zipp asked sarcastically, earning another glare from Misty.

Hitch stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Zipp. Sunny and Izzy swallowed nervously at the glare Hitch was giving her. Even Zipp was a little intimidated, but she refused to back down.

"Zipp!" Hitch started, taking a couple of steps closer to Zipp. Zipp glared back at him, expecting a blow she was sure to receive from a fed-up earth pony sheriff, a retort already on her tongue. "I don't care if you don't want to hear this, because you're going to hear it anyway! I'm sick and tired of letting others dictate my actions!" Hitch paused before continuing, Zipp bracing for the blow. "I'm…sorry. You didn't deserve all those horrible things I said to you just because you had the courage to do something that needed to be done. Courage I didn't have. Instead, I was scared and a coward, and insecure, so, instead of admitting that, I took it out on you and Misty. And for that…I'm sorry."

Zipp opened her mouth to say her retort when she froze as her brain processed what Hitch just said. She stared up at him, wide-eyed.

Hitch turned back around, addressing everypony else who was also staring at him in shock, even Misty herself. "C'mon ponies. Let's move. We got a long journey ahead of us still and I'm not sure how much longer Pipp will last."

Zipp stared at Hitch with wide eyes, speechless. This was…unexpected. Misty walked up to Zipp, just standing next to her. When Zipp was finally able to peel her eyes off of Hitch, she just stared at Misty, who had a knowing look on her face.

"Did…did something happen that I should know about?" Zipp asked, confused.

Misty shook her head and walked away. Yes, Misty thought to herself, looking at Hitch, who seemed to have a 100-lb weight lifted off of him. Something did happen. But not something she needs to know about.

And with that, the five little ponies packed up their things, and continued their long journey to the changeling kingdom.

Queen Vespula rolled her eyes as she watched her worst enemies in her Crystal ball, as she sat on her throne. Ugh. She's always hated sentimental moments. They were always about friendship, and flowers, and ponies, and bleh! Ugh. She was totally over the whole cute pony thing.

Honestly, she was surprised that Equestria lasted for so long with its gullible principles without being invaded or dominated. There was no such thing as friendship. None of it was real. Equality was a farce and fairness was nonexistent. That wasn't how the real world operated. It's either kill or be killed. And it was about time Queen Vespula taught them a little something about the real world.