Cute and Innocent

The enormous purple alicorn stares at me carefully, “So, what exactly do you know about friendship?”

I widen my eyes, still in a half-daze from what I just smoked, “Oh, golly! What’s to know? It’s about two ponies, working together towards a common goal and getting along and being happy, and stuff, right?” before grinning widely at her…

She stares at me blankly, and flatly states, “Well, it’s a start! What has Zecora been teaching you?”

“Oh, lots of stuff!”

Her eyes widen, “Like what?”

“She taught me to go back to my breathing whenever I’m stressed out or flustered! She also taught me that while the world may be scary at points, not everypony is bad!”

Her eyes widen, “Wait! Bad? Why would ponies be bad?”

I frown, “Well, they normally just hurt you! That’s why the best policy is to hurt them first and betray them, before they can to it to you!” Wait, what? What am I talking about?

She frowns, “You don’t need to betray ponies, Ophelia!”

My eyes enlarge again, “I don’t?”

A small smile forms on her face, “Well, Ophelia, how would you like to study friendship with me? I could give you lessons? You don’t have to reform alone!”

“Uh, I’m not Cozy Glow, though?”

She nods, “Well, be that as it may, you really don’t need to go into Equestria thinking you need to betray ponies!” before her eyes widen. “You need me!”

“I do?” She thinks she’s so clever, trying to lead me!

She nods again, “Nope! You got me now! I’ll teach you about friendship Ophelia! Me, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!”

I stare at this purple pony carefully and ponder to myself, This is probably the best way to becoming accepted in society again? “Oh, golly gee, Twilight Sparkle! That sure sounds like fun!”

She continues staring at me and flatly states, “I still can’t get over how much like Cozy Glow, you are, and I can’t shake this feeling that something is amiss… “ before lowering her head, and forcing her horn to glow purple, and a beam then shoots out and strikes me!

I’m enveloped in a violet glow with wide eyes as I shout at her, “Hey, what gives?”

She smiles, “That’s a little insurance policy, Ophelia! If you are ever around any powerful magic, I’ll know about it!”

I stare at her and say, “Oh, golly!” when suddenly, I hear the words, Sorry Ophelia! I was asleep! I sleep a lot! Uh, what just happened?

She nods, “Right! And I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to give you a lesson, as soon as I’m done with some other royal duties I need to attend! Until that point, you are to remain in this house, is that understood?”

I frown, “I think so?”

She lowers her head again, and forces her horn to glow purple again, before it zaps me with violet energy!

I widen my eyes, “What now?”

She raises her head and smiles, “There! You cannot leave this house now! Ophelia, since that’s your new name.You are hereby placed under house arrest, and I will be back to check on you tomorrow afternoon! Is that clear?”

“Um, okay!” You know, that really wouldn’t stop me! I hear Rowan say in my mind.

That’s not the point! I say back, before smiling at the alicorn, and wondering if Zecora wants to fire up after this? “Got it Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

She sighs, and says, “Just call me Twilight, please! If we are to be friends, there’s no need to formalities!” before rolling her eyes, “Oh, look at the way I’m talking! Uh, Ophelia, would you like a hug?”

And at that point, time stood still for me…

Hug her! That way, she’ll be of more use to us, later!

What? No! She’s the enemy! Uh, right?

I begin to wonder how much the strange voice has influenced the filly who was here before, before trotting forward, and being embraced by this large alicorn in a big loving hug!

“I’m gonna die!” I squeak out, while being held firmly in her hooves.

And as the alicorn lifts me, I see a smiling zebra with a Mohawk behind her, and I suddenly wonder if this was all an elaborate setup?

They’re just playing you, you know?

“I don’t trust you!” I flatly state while being held in her hooves…

“That’s okay, Ophelia! You don’t have to, just yet! You’re in good hooves though, so don’t worry about it!” She says to me reassuringly…

“I’m scared!” I say, before wondering why I did it?

“That’s okay too, Ophelia… I’m here for you… “

Golly! It’s like she doesn’t understand that it’s her that scares me? I finally crack a smile, and matter-of-factly state, “That’s nice!” I wonder how she’s going to kill me?

I’m still not sure I trust her completely just yet, although being her student would give us more opportunities for advancement…

Wait, Rowan? Is that you, or?

Is it me?

Why do I think like this?

I don’t know…

Twilight smiles kindly as she sets me down and gently pats my head, almost in a motherly way. She looks me over for a moment, before speaking up again, “Ophelia, can I ask you something personal?”

I widen my eyes, “Uh, if you want?” Better be ready to lie again…

Wait…

She sighs and smiles down at me, “Precisely how did you emerge, Ophelia? What I mean is, why isn’t Cozy Glow in there now? Where did you come from?”

I can only frown and giggle somewhat, “I don’t know, okay?”

Her smile and gaze both lowers, “So tell me Ophelia, what do you know?”

I stare up at her, and once again, despite my better judgment, I tell her the truth! “Not a lot! I opened my eyes and I was on a brightly lit concrete platform, standing there in the hot midday sun! For some reason, I didn’t feel safe, and well, I saw this blue pony, and so I flew away! I flew up north into the Everfree Forest, and uh, that’s where I met Zecora!”

She frowns, “Ophelia, why don’t you feel safe?”

I frown, “Well, other ponies are almost always bad news! I mean, sure they can help me and get me stuff when I ask really nicely, but they’re usually up to no good… “

Her eyes widen, “Uh, when exactly did you start thinking this way, Ophelia?”

I raise my gaze to the ceiling, “You know, I’m not sure about that either?” before bringing it back to her, “That’s another thing that sucks about not remembering stuff! I really don’t know anymore!”

She brings her hoof to her snout while lowering her face, “Ugh!” before bringing it back down to gaze at me, “Well Ophelia, that too, is not your fault!”

“It’s not?”

Her eyes widen, “No! Why would it be?”

“I don’t know?” We must move carefully and secretly… I hear the voice in my head chime in… I should probably talk to them later?

She sighs again, “Well, I must now take my leave of you filly! Do your best, and if you’re not sure if anything is right or ethical, ask Zecora, okay?”

I smile, and gaze at her blankly, “You got it!”

Her tall body is soon enveloped in a purple glow, similar to the one that zapped me earlier, and her body and the glow soon disappear to reveal a zebra behind it, with a Mohawk mane-cut and a grin on her face…

What just happened, must make her happy?

A look at her and say the one thing that’s been on my mind for awhile now… “Hey, can we eat something? I’m hungry!”

<*****>

Zecora smiles at me from her side of the table, and I see the sunlight coming from her big patio window outback at her shed, as it glimmers off her golden neck rings and enormous hoop earrings, and says, “So, now that you are Twilight’s student, your position has changed! But I must wonder, are you entirely sane?”

I stare at her and bluntly state, “I don’t know?”

I gaze at this kind zebra, as she says, “That’s okay too, young foal! I will teach you to be better! It will be good for your soul!”

Why does that irritate me? I widen my eyes, “What?”

She nods, “Yes, I will teach you yoga and meditation now, on top of Twilight! You will be an entirely new filly, and will finally see the light…

Does she not know who I am? “Oh, golly!” I flatly state, before I use my forehooves to pick up a carrot from the dinner she prepared for us…

I really don’t want to talk anymore…

“Are you alright Ophelia? You’re not eating very fast, and your food usually doesn’t last.”

I stare at her and say, “Uh, Zecora! I’m not hungry anymore! Can I uh, can I um, please go to bed now?” and smile at her timidly…

She frowns, “It is still quite early young one! But if you believe you’ve had enough, go ahead and end the fun!”

I then say something weird! “Uh, Z-Zecora! Can I have a hug, please?”

She smiles, “Of course Ophelia! You are always supported and loved! If you need reminding, then we’ll give it a shove!” before disembarking from her chair, and beginning to trot around the oval shaped table, from the far side on the left…

CLIP… CLOP… CLIP… CLOP…

She approaches me, and I see her body grow bigger, before lifting herself up on her hind legs, to embrace me in a warm hug!

My eyes widen! “I forget that you zebras can do that!” before timidly returning the embrace with my own two hooves…

<*****>

I closed the window drapes, because the sun was still shining on my bed…

I hate having a southern exposure!

I stare up at the thatched ceiling, as I lie there in my tiny room, and just breathed and thought…

In breath…

Do I entirely trust Zecora?

Well, she hasn’t given me any indication that she’s bad yet, right?

Out breath...

Then why do I keep thinking she’s going to hurt me?

I close my eyes and breathe again…

In breath…

Twilight might also be bad?

Oh, golly! Why am I talking to them?

Out breath…

I REALLY don’t want to think anymore… I just want sleep now…

In breath…

Out breath…

<*****>

I raise my view from the bed, to see a pink pegasus filly standing there, with her little wings at her side, neatly arranged bluish-white curls in her mane, and a smirk on her freckled face, under the glow of my ceiling lamp! She’s just barely in front of my door… “Hello again, Ophelia!”

My neck has my face propped her direction, “Hello again, Rowan!”

She frowns, “Wait! Who’s Rowan?”

I widen my eyes with this new bit of information! “Uh, never mind!”If that’s not Rowan, then that could only mean… “Cozy Glow, is it?”

She grumpily retorts, “Well, I’m not Rowan, whoever that is?”

I realize this is my chance! “Why aren’t you in charge anymore? And just where did I come from, anyway?”

She smiles widely… “Do you really wanna know?”

(To be continued… )