Mirror: Book I - Mind

A strange, familiar feeling washed over the boy as his eyes were fixed to the stars above, a warm breeze blowing by as he walked side by side with his friend. The street lit corners of Ponyville that night were very sparse, thin and dimmed to the near point of pitch-black invisibility. How could any of these ponies see where they were going at night? The boy wondered.

“A full moon.” Silver Spanner’s eyes shone toward the night sky. “We also call it a ‘bright moon’ or ‘new light’ here in Equestria.”

“It’s very bright.” David agreed. “I can make out the details from here.”

“Do you have a moon where you come from?” Silver wondered.

“We do, and hundreds upon thousands of stars, too.” He scratched his scalp. “Most nights though I couldn’t make out as many stars in the sky since the cities would keep their lights on, shining out what sights space had to offer.”

“That’s why we have most of our streetlamps switched off, to compensate for the brightness of the moon.” Silver could hardly carry her gaze away. “I hear that it’s also a means of veneration to her majesty, Princess Luna.”

“She’s the loud one, right?”

Silver Spanner laughed. “She was quite the boaster that one Nightmare Night, but that won’t be until next month.” The unicorn trotted ahead down the cobblestone street, placing herself at the entrance to a building and looking back at her companion. “Anyways, you ready to get your circuits shorted?”

“About that-” David stopped short before the mare, rubbing his hair. “Not that I really know what that means, but…”

His gaze craned upwards towards the bright neon sign with brilliant lights and finely crafted wooden edges, glowing a murky green in the dim blue light from above. The Ponish written upon the sign made little sense to him, but the icon of the giant four-leaf clover next to the text gave him all the answers he needed.

“I think I’m starting to have second thoughts about this.”

“Now?” Silver stared, brows raised.

“I’m sorry, it’s a condition-”

“You’re a little nervous, so what?” She approached him. “All it takes is getting your hooves in the water. Er, well, your hands I guess.” And she smiled. “You’ll get used to it, I promise.”

“If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m not a very social guy. That’s how I was back home, and I can already tell nothing has changed now.” David hung his head and turned around. “I guess I’ll just take the walk of shame. See you tomorrow?”

“Oh no you don’t!” The mechanic mare swung around and forced him back towards the bar. “You promised we’d do this tonight. More importantly you promised this to yourself, remember?” The boy was resisting, but Silver pushed harder. “You’re the Royal Equerry, you should get to know just about every pony in town, or at least make an effort to.”

“I don’t understand why you unicorns want me to fulfill these tasks that are way over my head!” He leaned forward and leapt over Silver’s head, swinging downward and stopping himself with his hands, only to tumble and flip upside down, his rump to the side of the building and his head on the cobblestone. The boy watched as the pony with a discouraged, lowered gaze slowly approached him. He turned himself right side up and dusted himself off. “I’m sorry, Silver Spanner, but I’m just not cut out for these sorts of things.”

“What did you usually do back on your planet?” She asked.

“Cooped myself up in my room and watched anime.” He admitted.

“Then you and I aren’t so different.” She told him. “We may not have done the same thing, but ever since I was young I found my solace by staying indoors. I’d lock myself in my room and tinker around for hours, completely ignorant to the world outside my window. Whenever I saw how much fun the other fillies and colts were having, I’d let it pass me by. Whenever they invited me to play or go on some grand adventure, I’d always reject them. Only when that yearning to share my laughter with others finally came about did I realize it was too late. My younger years were behind me, and all I had to look forward to was…well, the only thing I ever really learned how to do.”

Her gaze diverted from the cobblestone and returned to the moon above them, the brilliant hues of silver-white and blue casting silent rays of reverence all across Ponyville.

“I know I’m in no position to be arguing about this, but even so I have no reason to give up on making friends, and neither do you. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I guess so.” David shrugged.

“Just think about it.” Silver Spanner urged. “Deep down inside, who do you really wanna be? Where’s that David waiting to break free and show ponies what you’re really all about? Don’t believe in the David that believes in quitting, believe in the one that believes in winning!”

The unicorn’s quote struck a strange chord within the boy, something deep down that triggered a tick, a click, like a forgotten cog working again within the pit of his dormant mind. His golden eyes slowly swiveled over to the mare, staring her dead on with a fixed, estranged gaze. He was prepared to utter something in return, but her warm smile said it all, and it elicited a grin of his own. The boy knew that nothing more needed to be said, and so he stood and dusted himself off a final time.

“Thanks, Silver Spanner.” He said confidentially. “I think I’m feeling a lot better now.”

“Ready to tackle this bar?”

“Hell no.” He laughed.

Silver Spanner looked at him deadpanned. She flared her horn to life and forcibly dragged him inside of the tavern.

“I didn’t arrange for this!” He cried.

“And you didn’t have to.” Amethyst pushed as hard as she could with her fore-hooves. “Mom’s already all dolled up for you, so get out there and show her how a good stallion treats his mare!”

The Doctor’s laboratory quickly became filled with the noises of bickering and whinnies from both sides of the argument. Whooves had sat himself down for a quiet evening in, a late night snack that meant butter on toast, and just a bit of extra butter for precautions. As expected by his calculations it wasn’t enough, and thus a roaring Amethyst raising Tartarus from the earth had barged her way in throwing objects here and there and making the poor doctor quickly decide if any of the other identical green ties in his closet looked better than any of the others. The one he had been wearing was stained with butter, of course.

“Can’t we just settle down in the kitchen?” He dug his hooves into the floor boards. Whipping around, he pulled forth an accessory. “By chance we could test my new scented candles? Butter scented-”

“Forget the candles.” The unicorn batted them away. “Just take her to the park for me, someplace you don’t gotta pay bits.”

“The sun has fallen beneath the horizon already! We’ll be bumbling in the dark.”

“Please, Doc, you have to understand this is very important.” Amethyst took a deep breath and reconsidered her tone, something more convincing. “Mom keeps talking about how you and her haven’t talked to each other in forever, she keeps bringing up all the times you two had together, all the adventures you had. You remember those times, right?”

“But, why now?” The doctor questioned. “Don’t get me wrong, I admire your mother dearly, but I fail to see the reason behind this sudden undertaking for nostalgia.”

“She misses you, Doc.” Amethyst pleaded up at him with puppy eyes. “She really does.”

There were sweet little lies dabbed into the mixing dough and Amethyst knew it, and she intended to hide it well. It was strange how the Doctor could only ever see the suspicious and deceptive parts of machines as opposed to ponies, at least if they weren’t so upfront about it, and it was that factor which the young unicorn intended to use to her advantage. No matter how deep the gash in her heart would grow for this small betrayal, Amethyst was determined to salvage the Doctor’s work and get her answers. The bait had been cast.

“If this means so much to her…” Whooves sighed, fixing his butter stained tie. “Then alright, where shall I take her?”

And so he bit. Amethyst struggled to contain her enthusiasm as she quickly began to push the stallion out the door, grabbing a long, multicolored scarf off of the coat hangar.

“Wherever you see fit!” She answered. “Here, throw this around your butter tie, don’t want to look like a slob in front of your date, do you?”

“Date?!” The doctor stood on end. “We’re merely friends! Pals, chums!”

“Welcome to my world.” Amethyst grunted, shutting the door. “Have fun!”

She turned and sped for the laboratory, climbing up onto the work bench and clamoring upon test tubes and large coils to reach for the upper window. She undid the latch with her magic and whispered harshly into the night, patiently awaiting a response as soon after, a young stallion’s hooves hung onto the window’s sill in a desperate attempt to pull himself upward.

“Couldn’t we have just waited-” He winced. “-to use the front door?”

“Suck it in, sumo.” Amethyst grabbed Ronin’s torso with her magic and pulled with all her strength.

The sound of a cork popping from a bottle reverberated through the lab as the two young ponies plummeted to the floor boards, the mare first and the hefty stallion slamming from above. Ronin peeled himself off of a dazed, googly eyed Amethyst, transistors and blueprints racing around her head.

“You’ve really gotta work on your landing…” She grumbled.

Ronin lent his hoof and helped the mare to her hooves. “C’mon, let’s find those blueprints.”

“Right. You check here, I’ll check over there.” The unicorn raced out of the room.

“Uh…” Ronin raised his concern. “Why would he keep it in his kitchen?”

“Oh…right.” Amethyst chuckled nervously and scurried herself back into the laboratory, rummaging around a pile of books and notes.

I’m beginning to think I’ve caused her some head trauma. Ronin thought.

Tens upon hundreds of eyes stung into the boy’s back as he timidly followed his unicorn friend across the hard wood floor, a few places slippery here and there, to which the sticky liquid stuck upon the bottom of his bare feet. He acquired a mental side note to get some manner of foot wraps or something of the sort sometime soon, all whilst weaving around a few more ponies whom gave their contributions of wide stares and gaping jaws of disbelief. The boy could tell Silver was trying her best to ignore the looks and whispers, and so David followed suit as the two arrived at her “favorite spot” in the bar, which was in fact right in the middle of the bar, or at least a little off to the side.

“The bartender here knows me well.” Silver beamed. “At least on Friday nights, that is.”

“I thought you said you spent your weekends at home.” David almost whispered.

“With you around, not anymore.” She teased. “He’s a nice stal, I’m sure he’ll like ya’.”

He couldn’t get another word out as a figure from off to the side trotted into view. The stallion in question adorned a dull, gray coat, a spiked back black mane, and the unquestionable cutie mark of three four-leafed clovers. His cloudy blue eyes blinked tiredly and focused on the unicorn.

“Evening, Silver.” He smiled. “Whadda’ ya’ have?”

“Just’a beer.” Silver smiled back. “This here’s my pal, he’s new to town so go easy on him.”

The gray bartender produced Silver’s drink without even looking at what he was doing, taking the time to stare the boy up and down with a stoic and unaffected gaze. “Whadda’ ya’ have?” He repeated just the same.

“Uh, water please.” David mumbled back.

The pony blinked, turned around and fixed the drink into the same sized mug as Silver’s. The boy heard a faucet running, and was presented a glass of a yellow-brown liquid almost completely identical to his friend’s drink.

“I-I asked for water.” He said.

“This is water.”

The murky brown liquid bubbled all the same as Silver’s beer. She licked her chops and downed half the mug within a second, and the rest within the next. “You gonna drink that?” Silver stared at David’s glass.

“What do you mean she cut the deal?” Spike shouted. “Rarity would never do that!”

Starlight gave a shrug. “That’s what she told me.”

“I don’t believe it.” The little dragon denied. “She’d go on and on about venturing new horizons, expanding the boutique.” He shook his head in dismay. “I’ll bet somepony did this to her, somepony threatened her!”

“For what? Some needles and thread?” Starlight joked.

“Somepony was with her that day, somepony went to help her out. But who could’ve…?” The dragon froze, his claw mid-air as something seemed to click in his brain. “It was him.”

“Who?”

“That damn dirty ape…” Spike growled. “He did this!”

“Slow down there, hot head.” Starlight chuckled. “You look like you’re about to shoot lasers out of your eyes.”

“Oh, if only…” Spike began hopping up and down, huffing and puffing as he threw a fist or two towards the air in front of him, a determined look about his face. “Where’s that slimy son of a brood at? Is he at the tavern?”

“Don’t tell me…” The unicorn face-hoofed. “You’re seriously going to fight him?”

“He messed with the wrong pony, and now he’s messed with the wrong dragon.”

“Spike, you might as well be fighting an orangutan. He will throw you around like an accessory sold separately.”

“The heck’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, one part of you will be here, another part of you will be over there-”

“Is he at the tavern or not?!”

“Spike, it’s a family bar.”

“Well then it’ll be a family fight!”

Starlight paused, watching the dragon march onward and for the door.

“Did you just imply that he’s family to you?” Starlight snickered.

The little lizard seethed and whipped around ferociously. “No! I’ll never call that thing family, not in a million years!” He swung the doors open with force. “Rarity is family, to me, and I’m gonna teach him what happens when he messes with my family!”

There was a single small flame sitting between the two of them, a red peach scented candle burning lightly to set the mood. Neither of them were exactly sure who set it up for them, it seemed to appear on its own at some point during the “date.” The date, however, consisted mostly of the mare timidly twirling her neatly braided mane around in her hooves, one eye to the table and the other dully scanning about the room as though there were a million other things more interesting than the stallion sitting right in front of her. The poor doctor didn’t know what else to say either, he hadn’t when he had come at her door to pick her up, and still hadn’t by the time they had finally sat down. It seemed as though that the only way to make this night not a complete and utter waste was to bring up the one thing they vowed never to bring up again.

“Derpy, I-”

“Doc, I-”

They stumbled over each other’s words. Mumbles and apologies were sparred this way and that, until finally the stallion of the night took the initiative.

“I don’t want to waste your time here tonight, Derpy.” He started. “I don’t want to waste my time, I don’t want to waste anypony’s time.”

“Was time always so important to you, Doctor?” She asked.

“I-” He paused, reviewing her words. She had used the full word and not just the nickname, a tell tale sign that things were more serious than usual, which of course went without saying. Only when Derpy used his real name was when business was beyond serious, and not only was she the only mare to ever say it but only had she said it once before. The doctor wondered when such a time would come again, he could sense it at some point in the future.

“I don’t know what this is really all about and neither am I going to pretend like I know, so let me tell you what I do know, Doctor.” Derpy began. “My life never would have turned out like this if it wasn’t for you, you and I both know that. Just because you saved my life doesn’t mean you are indebted to continue taking care of me and my family, in fact it should be the reverse, whereas we are taking care of you-”

“I would never demand-”

“Please, let me finish.” Derpy cut him off. She took a breath and continued. “There’s nothing I love more in this world than my two beautiful little girls, and as their mother it is my duty, no, it is my sole purpose to give them as much support as I possibly can. I would lay down my life for them, Doctor, and quite honestly I would do the same for you. But my girls come first.”

“And I agree, no doubt.” The doctor nodded his head. “I would give everything in their stead, and yours too.”

“I don’t have any problem with you talking to them, I hope you know that.” Derpy’s muzzle pinched, her eyes wandering with uncertainty. “It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just not fair.” The Captain of the weather pegasi mumbled to herself.

She sat in the corner of the booth among her other mates, Cskie and Oskie shuffling their cards and trying to guess each other’s numbers as they bubbled little insults this way and that, whatever the game was supposed to be Sunshower wasn’t quite sure. Cloud Chaser sat next to her staring at a variety of what she deemed to be good-looking stallions through the blurry glass of her half emptied mug, as was her custom just about every Friday night. She never told anypony as such, but Sunshower caught on quick after asking her if the expression was meant to be ‘looking through the bottom of the glass.’ Cloud Chaser explained she’d be too drunk by then, normally waking up in unknown bedrooms the day after.

“What’s that, Cap’n?” Cloud Chaser wondered.

“Nothing.” Sunshower protested. “Forget I said anything.”

“She’s been a social outcast most her life.” Oskie said. “She’s a tough shell to crack.”

“You’ve been a social outcast most your life.” Cskie shot back. “You’re like an open book.”

“Because I’m not symmetrical.” Oskie justified.

“The heck does that mean?”

“Cap, do you sleep with one hoof in or one hoof out?” Oskie asked across the table.

“What do you mean? That question is ambiguous.” Cloud Chaser noted.

“That’s because it’s a trick question.” Oskie explained. “I’ve seen how our Captain does it. Always two pencils lined up at her desk, always has two coffees, always blinks with both eyes.” He went on, grinning stupidly. “There’s no doubt she sleeps with both hooves tucked in, the other two at her sides. Symmetrical, y’see?”

Sunshower barely regarded her comrade’s talk and stared dully at the compass dial in her lap. Her special compass jiggled calmly, albeit not very much at all, maintaining a fixture on north. No activity. She sighed and couldn’t help but lend a discouraged gaze towards her team members, slowly shuffling for the other end of the booth.

“I’ll see you all in the morning.” She spoke quietly. “We’ve gotta lotta’ work to do tomorrow, so keep it on the low, yeah?” And with that, the weather Captain slowly turned tail and walked off without another word. Her crew mates stared at her, even the two drunkest bits showing gazes of concern.

“Did you guys hear that?” Cskie asked.

“Yeah…” Oskie drawled. “She used a casual inflection, our own Captain!”

“Not that.” Cloud Chaser grumbled. “She sounded kinda, I dunno, depressed?”

They all continued their stares, unable to stray away and back to their drinks as their normally confident Captain was parting through the crowd of ponies with her eyes to the floor and her shoulders slumping low.

If only. She thought involuntarily. If only that mare were a pegasus. But if she were born as such, what about the other earth ponies she was born with? What would happen to them? If only fate were a bit more fortunate…

But of course, that was always wishful thinking, like that of a fairy tale come true. Sunshower had stopped believing in fairy tales a long long time ago, as she had forced herself to do so, and would soon need a lot more force if she were to convince herself that the long, tall, pink apeish figure sitting all crooked at the bar was in fact not a machination of her imagination come to life before her very eyes.

As the pegasus’ estranged gaze held its attention elsewhere, her chest collided with a rough, rigid object standing directly in the way of her path. The opposing force seemed to take the collision as well, albeit in a frustrated and grunting manner, as Sunshower rubbed the back of her head and looked up and forward to find she had smashed into another pony. The run of apologies waiting at the tip of her tongue suddenly held still, her eyes fixed on a living figure of her past. She knew this pony.

“Wind Rider?” Sunshower muttered.

The old stag rubbed his mane and blinked blearily, wondering whatever had just hit him. Not an apology nor look of misfortune ran over his tired complexion, only exhaustion, hints of malice and sparks of complete and utter, passionate hate. The cloudy blue stallion, Wind Rider, wore a stark, navy blue flight jacket with fluffy gray lining. The milky white scarf around his neck had been knocked aside, poorly concealing a torn spot upon his jacket where the outline of a Wonderbolt’s emblem used to reside. The pegasus huffed and quickly fixed his scarf, covering over the tell tale sign of an ex-Wonderbolt.

“Of all the ponies…” Wind Rider muttered. “I thought they left you to rot in the weather factory.”

“I’m sorry-” Sunshower quickly stood and fixed her mane, gazing into her opponent’s eyes. “I believe the expression is ‘Don’t we have a lot to catch up on?’”

“Not enough for me to care.” The stallion huffed irritably. “Quite frankly, all I want to know is why you’ve decided to come and rub salt into the wound. Your old colt didn’t have his fill?”

“There’s no need to rope my father into this.” Sunshower trembled.

Oskie, Cskie and Cloud Chaser peered over from where they sat, staring with concern at the Captain and her new conversation.

Amethyst was tucking the rolled up print beneath her forehoof as she sat within the corner of their booth, Ronin by her side cautiously scanning the crowd over and over again for any sign of the business brothers and their promised arrival. The young colt sighed and turned to his partner.

“Think they stood us up?”

“And what would be the point of that?” Amethyst shuffled. “They’re looking for these.”

“And what if they decided to distract us while they go get the real prints?” Ronin argued.

“Please, they may be salesponies but they’re smarter than that.” The young mare informed. “They never actually steal. They’ll trick you, swindle you, play you for dumb, that’s for sure. But they’ll never steal because they know to stay beneath the radar.” She continued staring at her table. “These ponies know how to get what they want without breaking the law, so keep on your toes.”

“I have been.” He nodded. “Are you?”

“I should be doing better than this.” Amethyst grumbled.

“Just be patient, we’ll get there.” Ronin reassured. “We’ll get your job back soon enough.”

“No, not that.” She shook her head. “I mean…” She sighed, slowly turning towards the colt. “Listen, I know it’s a little out of the blue for me to say this, but I don’t think I’ve been giving you enough credit for what you’ve done so far. I don’t know if I’ve said this in the past either, but I would’ve been lost without your help, Ronin.”

The young foreigner blinked oddly at the mare, wondering where her words might go next or if he was meant to spare a few her way. He simply listened.

“Can you make a promise?” She asked.

“A promise?” Ronin’s eyes danced around the room nervously. “I-I’ve never really…”

Her hoof pressed against his lips.

“Just-” She began. “Promise me this. If things start getting really bad for whatever reason, if it looks like we’re not going to make it, I want you to hightail it outta’ here and forget any of this ever happened. I don’t care, just leave me behind. Above all else, save yourself. Is that a promise?” And she moved her hoof back.

“I don’t understand.” He stared at her, cock-eyed. “Why?”

“I don’t want to be a burden to anypony.” She shuffled where she sat.

Suddenly as though all in one swift motion, Amethyst stiffened as her hairs stood on end and she peered across the room to find a pair of familiar ponies sitting at a table with a red candle between them. It was her mother, with the Doctor. The unicorn plucked a picture frame off the wall and held it over her face like a makeshift menu, quickly yanking her partner down with her.

“What’s the big deal?” He asked.

“It’s my mom, she’s here!” She whimpered. “Why is she here?”

“I don’t know, why is she here?”

“I told Doc to take her somewhere nice-”

“We’re sitting in the middle of a country town past nine, nothing else is open but the bar.”

“Alright, I get it, I didn’t think this one through…” Amethyst whimpered again.

Ronin hadn’t time to utter another word as the sound of hooves calmly trotting towards them filled their ears, the two ponies looking up to find their business partners grinning widely at them, knowing smirks across their dappled faces. The two looked to each other, looked back, and once again began their introductory dance.

“Make no promises-”

“In the presence of accomplices-”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it already.” Amethyst huffed irritably. “Just sit down before you draw in any unwanted attention, will ya’?”

“Now is that any way to talk to your partners in dime?” Flim grimaced. “She’s a rude one, isn’t she, brother?”

“I couldn’t agree with you more.” Flam shuffled inside the booth, and so did his brother. “Acting as such will get you nowhere in the sales field, mind you, and the sales field is everywhere these days.”

“Enough talk about bits and money, let’s get down to the real business.” Ronin pressed in. “We have the prints, do you have your share?”

The brothers simultaneously pressed their hooves to the table. “The prints first.” Flam said.

Ronin peeked at Amethyst, nodding subtly. The mare took a deep breath and produced the rolled-up blue tinted paper out onto the wooded surface, pushing it lightly towards the bartering duo. Flim and Flam grinned at one another with devilish smirks, led their gazes back to the papers in front of them, practically gluing their eyeballs to the intricately detailed, schematically diagramed goodness flooding their eyes. Amethyst tapped her hoof upon the table impatiently as Ronin’s eyes wandered the bar for another scan, and in the midst of it all a pair of sky blue eyes had locked with his own green gaze.

“It’s just…” Derpy continued. “I don’t want to encourage them into thinking that you’ll always be at their beck and call. We’ve accepted your kindness time and time again, but we have no right to abuse it.”

“Amethyst, Dinky.” Whooves said quietly. “They’re both bright young mares, absolutely brilliant, I’ve seen it before.”

“And that’s wonderful, but there’s still so much they haven’t been through because of-” The pegasus caught a lump in her throat, she looked away and quietly swallowed. “Because of you.”

The doctor stared at her a little dumbfounded, his gaze slowly hovering across the bar.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Doc. You’ve shown my daughters so many wonderful things and I’m grateful for it, but at the same time I feel as if they’re not quite out of the nest yet, that they might think they’ll always be safe with you and me, here in Ponyville.”

Whooves’ gaze was now fixed upon something, upon somepony, his stare unwavering and unrelenting.

“What if something were to happen to you, Doc? What if you were to suddenly disappear, and who would we look to then?” Derpy went on. “All I’m trying to say is, let me be their mother. Do you understand what…I’m saying? Doctor…?”

Amethyst looked at Ronin. “What are you doing?” She peeked in the direction his eyes led and went back. “What are you doing?”

“The Doctor…” Ronin sat, slack-jawed. “He’s looking right at me.”

“Well, stop it! Look away!” Amethyst hissed.

“I…can’t.”

“Dude, stop it!” She hissed again. “What is with stallions and staring duels?!”

At that moment, Flim and Flam began to divert their attention at an angle, wondering whatever the young foreigner was so fixated upon. Amethyst quickly threw her front hooves across the table and held the brothers by their cheeks, their faces smooshed in-between like a sandwich. “My eyes are over here.” She gritted her teeth. “You have your prints, now tell us what you’ve got for us.”

“Doctor, are you listening to me?” Derpy’s gaze began to follow his.

It’s the kid, that Ronin. The doctor thought. Why is the kid here?

Whooves slowly began to rise from his seat. “Yes, it’s just-” He nodded but he felt himself hovering towards the colt in question. “Please excuse me.” He said rather involuntarily.

“He’s coming this way!” Ronin warned.

“Then do something, otherwise this whole gig will be a bust.” Amethyst ordered. “I’ll keep Ren and Stimpy occupied, you keep Doc distracted.”

Ronin needn’t say a word as he hopped form the booth and more or less bolted a beeline around the bar occupants and came face to face with the same doctor he had only met earlier in the afternoon. The doctor blinked and gasped quietly at the same time, stumbling where he stood and staring at the foreigner with wide, wondering eyes. He blinked again as though to clear any doubts and fixed his scarf.

“Mr. Edelhoof?” He chuckled.

“The one and only.” Ronin laughed nervously, sharing his hoof for a shake.

“I’ll admit, I’m tempted to question your age but I’m not a guard now am I?” The doctor subtly peeked around him. “Only, I thought I had just seen-”

Ronin blocked his view.

“I thought I had seen-”

Ronin moved in the way again, craning his neck and staring at the stallion with evergrowing intensity.

“Miss…Amethyst?”

“Amethyst? Why, she went home for the night.” Ronin rubbed his mane. “You must be seeing things. Had one too many, Doc ol’ colt?”

The doctor was unamused.

“Doctor, what’s going on?” Derpy approached from behind, her gaze shifting from concerned to surprised as she spotted the boy in front of them. “Ronin? I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Eto…” He began. Nagaiyo ni nari-souda…

His nostrils huffed with tiny embers and his fists bore bulging, white knuckles. Spike marched towards the front door to the Lucky Clover, but an expanse of sparkling teal magic suddenly came into view and blocked his path. The familiar cyan aura gripped onto the end of his tail, stopping him from going any further.

“Stay out of this, Starlight.” Spike growled.

“I’m not just going to let you walk into a bar, Spike.” The unicorn declared. “No matter how grownup you think your decisions may be, you’re still a child.”

Spike was ready to whip around and protest wildly, thrash and claw to break out of Starlight’s grip, anything to get him inside that bar and whooping some monkey butt like he thought he should be right at this very moment. However, the dragon went to bide his time a bit, knowing this would be a slow and steady process to getting inside. He slowly turned towards the mare, claws crossed beneath his arms.

“Y’know something, Starlight?” He began. “I don’t think anypony has told you yet, but you’ve got this really annoying soft spot for people and ponies who just don’t belong.”

“Okay?” She stared down at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s no wonder you and Trixie became friends, you practically gravitated towards her.” Spike gave a knowing look. “It just goes to show that no matter how hard some ponies may try, they’ll always be stuck with the kind of crowd that’ll give off that certain vibe.” And he subtly waved his claw in front of his nose as though to whisk away a “stench.”

Starlight’s gaze tightened, her jaw clenched and her horn flared just a little brighter, her grip just a little tighter. “Listen, you little-” She closed her eyes tight, took a deep breath and reconsidered her approach. “You listen here, Spike. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I think I have an idea. Whatever you’re feeling towards David right now is nothing but pure and utter jealousy, and that’s something you never showed me when I was around for the first few rounds. I’m trying to give him a chance, Twilight is trying to give him a chance. Have you forgotten that you, Twilight, everypony had given me a chance, too?”

Spike looked away, he did not want to hear it.

“After everything I had done, after all the terrible, horrible things I had said and done, you guys still found it in the goodness of your heart to give me another chance and it meant the world to me!” Starlight hoofed her chest, and she stomped it to the ground. “Why can’t you give him a chance? For once?”

Spike’s sights were slitted, aiming towards the ground as he walked around in circles shaking his head and letting the clench in his fists slowly drain away. By then Starlight had ceased her grip to see what the dragon might do next, hoping for a peaceful ending to this night, hoping that for once she could at least get this one small dilemma done right. A spell had passed, and the dragon looked up.

“Okay, Starlight…” He said wearily. “I’ll give him a chance.”

“Thank you.” Starlight breathed with relief, turning around.

“Right after I’ve knocked his teeth in.”

The unicorn twirled back around instantly, but was frozen just as fast. A spike and a sparkling hiss sounded through the air, a tight, red web of light forming around her figure. The mare was shocked solid, literally, as she soon found that she was unable to move her hooves, unable to twist her body, her ears locked, her tail locked, everything had come to a stand still.

“What-? What did you-?” Conveniently, her mouth was free, and she uttered her protests. “I can’t move! What did you do?!” She tried her horn, but even that was negated.

“Lock spell, twenty two minutes.” Spike held an amulet in his claw. “Plenty o’ time to take care of business.”

“Spike! Get back here!” The unicorn snarled and shouted desperately into the night, but to no avail. The dragon was already far past the door and inside the bar, doing Celestia knows what by then. “I don’t wanna have to explain this to Twilight!” She shouted again.

Sunshower had ceased her intense stare long ago, she only wished to leave the argument be and in fact didn’t wish to argue at all. She only wanted to go home and be alone with her thoughts, but something held her ground, something maintained her station as insult after insult was thrown her way, a few ponies stopping to watch what was going on.

“Your father was a disgrace to our team, it baffles me as to how he made it through basic training even to this day.” Wind Rider went on. “It’s because they had a soft spot for him, didn’t they? Boy, I’ll bet.” He huffed irritably, shaking his head. “I can only wonder what you had to do for them to send you down here.”

The Captain couldn’t stand it any longer, she blinked blearily.

“Oop! There she is.” Wind Rider teased.

“I’m sorry, was that last one meant to be an insult or a note of concern?” Sunshower decided to keep him going, for whatever reason she could not describe other than that it was simple ‘intuition.’

“You wanna talk about insults, sweetheart? Talk about your old colt weighing us down to the level of infantry. I don’t care if it was ‘just his style’ he sure as hell was cramping ours.”

“Infantry?” Sunshower supposed. “I didn’t say anything about military expanses, now did I?”

The ex-wonderbolt was silent. “I’ve wasted my time already…” He muttered.

Bingo. The Captain thought. There’s always some truth in a conversation a pony doesn’t want to engage.

“Hold it right there, hondo!” Oskie said from behind.

“What gives you the gull to talk to our Captain that way?” Cskie followed up.

And here come the rescue rangers. Sunshower groaned internally.

Cloud Chaser stepped up to her Captain’s side, giving the mare a reassuring glance before sneering her way to Wind Rider. “I’ve seen guys with sticks up their asses, but your look says it all.”

Wind Rider purposefully remained a stoic expression. “Beat it before you regret it, kid.”

“Oh yeah, you and what army?” Chaser shot back, she grinned and whispered to her companions. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

In immediate response, a heavy, brolly pegasus and another stepped seemingly out of thin air, a henchpony on each side of the grimacing, old pegasus.

One was deep orange with a stark brown mane covering his eyes, three basketballs for a cutie mark. The other was brown as mud, a combed blonde mane, blue eyes, and a dumbbell on his rump. They peered down at their little opponents with tightened jaws, snarling nostrils and piercing eyes that spoke nothing but with the intention to maim anything in their sight. The situation had quickly turned from a four-on-one to a five-on-four, both of the big, burly beasts easily summing up the size of two ponies each. In response, Oskie shied away and hid behind Cskie.

Five-on-three.

“You have your stupid prints.” Amethyst became desperate. “The evidence, spit it out.”

“I believe we’ve egged on this frying pan long enough, haven’t we?” Flim asked his brother.

“I couldn’t agree with you more.” Flam gave a satisfactory nod. “Let us give our partner here the evidence she’s been looking for all along without even knowing it.” He cleared his throat, raised one hoof to the table and the other to his breast as though he were delivering a great speech or sermon. Thus, he began.

“The thrush shall knock at the door thrice when the red sun rises over the horizon.”
“The door shall have many eyes but only one shall see the way inside.”
“Once inside there is no place to hide from the coming bellows that which reside.”

The stallion finished, gave himself a small round of applause, and sat back down with a small grin to his brother and back to the mare. Amethyst sat there, staring at them, an involuntary twitch of her eye.

“What?” She blinked.

“What what?”

“That was it? Some fortune cookie reading?!”

“To be more accurate, it’s an excerpt from a collection of ancient haiku’s-”

“You…” The whole upper half of her body lunged over the top of the table, both of her hooves digging into the collar of the stallion’s wardrobe. “You duped us you slimy son of a mule!”

Ronin’s head flicked backwards in response to the stupidity of his partner. Could she be any louder?

At that moment Whooves attempted once again to look in the direction of their booth but Ronin promptly stood in his way, a little too forceful to his liking. He knew now the jig was up, there was nothing more he could do on the conversational side. Derpy seemed to be getting a little irritated herself, and with that in mind Ronin did the only thing he could think of. His horn quietly flared alive.

“I’m so sorry for this.” He said quite abruptly. “But this is Equestrian custom, I presume?”

“What is?”

The doctor was unaware that Ronin had used his magic to tie his scarf to the ceiling fan. As though being swept into the twirling vortex of a tornado, Whooves swung around and soared across the bar, onlookers thinking a bird had just flown by whilst Derpy’s wall eye followed him so, her expression aghast and afraid. The stallion slammed into the wall of the bar, drinks tumbling downwards and onto the floor as a great deal of the sticky liquid coated Wind Rider’s flight jacket, making his already booze ridden coat smell, well, even more booze ridden. Ponies were slipping and falling upon the wet floor, Sunshower’s team staring down Wind Rider’s gang with intensity.

“Fight me like the chimp you are!” Spike howled.

And the room snapped…

“Get that graiser!” Somepony howled from out of nowhere.

The once family friendly bar known as the Lucky Clover twisted into an all-out brawl stadium within a matter of seconds, mugs flying through the air and hooves being thrown left and right. The battle expanded tremendously from the bar and burnt like wildfire to the other wall, shouts and screams replacing the air of heartfelt conversations and late night ramblings. There was a story now to bring home to their families tonight, that is if everypony had made it out in one piece, but the story wasn’t about to end there. The boy began wading through the sea of fighting equines, the upper half of his human stature far more fortunate than his lower half. As he desperately made his way for the door a row of sharp stings struck his calf, wondering if some glass shards had somehow entered his leg. He peaked downwards to find a tiny clump of purple scales latched onto him, and the boy knelt down, prying Spike off and holding him up by the tail.

“Spike?” He winced, his leg bled. “The hell are you doing here?”

“Bring it on, you ugly baboon!” Spike swung his fists in the air. “I ain’t scared of ya’!”

At that moment, a mug flew by and clocked the poor dragon right in the mouth, sending the little lizard into a whole new world of pain. He held his claws over his mouth and pinched his eyes shut, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay. David knelt down once again and picked up a small tooth lying on the ground, most likely Spike’s. The boy and the unicorn quickly ducked behind the cover of an overturned table, a pony nearby attempting to fix up a Molotrot cocktail. David looked on in horror for a moment before snatching up the cloth and pressing it to Spike’s bloodied lips.

“Keep him safe.” He said, carefully handing him over to Silver Spanner.

The unicorn cradled the dragon in her hooves and looked up at the boy. “What’re we gonna do?”

“Where’s the juke box at?” He looked around.

“There isn’t one, they just play off of an old record player.” Silver looked in the direction of the mentioned music player, and the boy nodded back.

“I’m going in.” He said, taking blood from his leg and smearing it over his face like war paint.

David hopped, ducked and rolled past an ocean of hyena possessed ponies, the colorful little creatures twisted into ferocious, blood thirsty animals before his very eyes, and thus the boy was inadvertently reminded of the self-gained allegories from Watership Down. Dodging cider bottles and broken pieces of chairs, he spotted the record player still spinning upon the needle, obnoxiously playing an uppity jazz tune for the bar-goers to get their brawl on the proper way. Soon enough he was in arms reach.

By God, this better work. He slammed his hands onto the disc, halting the music as the scratchy, washy trademark sound effect sounded throughout the room as though it were being played right next to one’s ear. As a result every single entity within, living or non-living, came to a freeze. Liquid cider looked as though it were frozen in space, a stallion was caught mid-punch on the side of his jaw, and Meowf, the Flim Flam brothers’ cat had been rudely interrupted in the middle of another Germane suplex.

“Holy crap, it actually worked.” He said aloud. “For Christ’s sake, it’s a cartoon, of course it worked!”

His next plan was to scoop up Spike and Silver Spanner and hightail it the heck outta’ dodge, alas the mere sound of his voice resumed the bar into play mode, albeit gracefully and with waiting looks posted towards center stage. Every eye in the room was now upon the boy, and the angry little ponies were beginning to wonder why the music had stopped, their expressions twisting ever so impatient with every second that passed. David thought fast, yanking a stool out of a stallion’s hooves, the fact that the pony had a better grip than he did was beyond him. He popped down, swept the microphone in his grasp and placed it to his lips.

“G-Good evening, everyone-er! Um…everypony?” He chuckled nervously. “How we all doin’ tonight?”

The stallion being held by his neck was the first one to choke out a “great.”

“So, uh…listen, I got a real kicker for you all tonight, and it goes a little something like this.” He improvised like he had never improvised before in his life. “So a brony walks into a bar, and the bartender looks at him and says…” A pause, he held a finger out. “…h-hey! Didn’t I tell you? No pets allowed.”

Two corks and a bottle crashing to the ground imitated the sound of the “bad joke” chime. Not a pony cracked a smile, however. The boy tried again.

“Huh, okay…” He thought once more. “Why did the brony cross the road?”

Nopony replied.

“To get to Equestria!” He slapped his knee and cackled to himself. “Get it? B-Because, he got hit by a car and now he’s…he’s…”

Once again, silence encapsulated the bar. Ronin slowly craned his head over to Amethyst. “What-a the fuck-a is a brony?”

“Tough crowd…” The boy tugged the collar of his shirt.

Cricket chirping could be heard emanating through the room, and ponies began to look around in wonder. They spotted a changeling in the far corner, clicking his wings together, and everypony gave him stares. “Sorry…” Kevin apologized.

“Hey monkey guy!” A stallion cupped his hooves around his mouth. “I heard the circus is in town, and they’re hiring!”

“Th-they are?” David replied timidly.

“Nah! They changed their minds!”

The entire bar’s silence was traded for a cacophonous fit of laughter, guffaws rising to the ceiling and pounding against the boy’s ears. “I never even applied…” He muttered. Howls reverberated through the walls and soon enough the patience of the ponies wore thin, airborne cider bottles heading straight for the stage where the boy sat. Sticky cider and glass shards threatened to paint and cut his feet, the final bottle threatening to clock him right on the head. In a sudden, incalculable movement, a yellow-blue blur swept inside and caught the bottle midair, thus stopping it from knocking out the boy cold. Sunshower stood between the crowd and the human, stance held high and cider bottle in her yellow-gold wing. She glanced back at the boy, a knowing smile upon her lips.

“You…?” David was speechless.

“Gotta return the favor somehow.” Sunshower shrugged.

“That was quick…” He muttered beneath his breath. “Too quick.”

Sunshower gave him a sideways glance, and then jolted in surprise.

“I’ve had enough of you for one night!” Wind Rider approached rapidly.

As though in only a single, swift movement, the bottle slid out from Sunshower’s wing. David swung the bottle, hit Wind Rider over the top of his skull, and watched the old colt stupor and stumble for a moment before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his figure fell to the floor with a defeated boom. All at once everything stopped. Every entity within the room fell deathly silent, and their eyes returned to David, his figure quivering in dreadful anticipation as to what might come next. The bartender, Lucky, emerged from his post and slowly approached the scene as though an investigator were analyzing an outlining of tape on the floor. He studied Wind Rider’s unconscious form, gave it a sniff, and slowly looked to the boy.

“You knocked him out cold, son.” Lucky snorted.

“I-I didn’t mean to, honest!” He waved his hands frantically. “It was just reflex!”

“Would you like to do the honors of throwing his sorry flank in the dumpster out back?” Lucky grinned happily. “After all, you earned it, kid.”

“I promise, it won’t happen again-” David’s head twisted around. “Wait, what?”

“Hey, everypony! Drinks are on me tonight!” Lucky cheered. “The wicked Wind Rider is no more!”

“Hooray for the monkey! The wicked Wind Rider is dead!” The crowd cheered along.

“No, he’s not dead! He’s just-” Lucky sighed but still smiled all the while. “C’mon, son, let’s get you a victory mug.”

Without another chance to utter another word, David felt his weight hoisted up by Sunshower and her team as they paraded him across the sea of ponies cheering and hollering their gratitude and good fortune into the night. That gloomy, glum ambiance about the room seemed to disappear entirely as Wind Rider’s two hulking henchponies hoisted his body out the window, his figure splattering into the sticky cider garbage below. They bumped hooves and joined the rest of the crowd. Silver Spanner looked across the room at David, giving the boy a curt smile and a wink. Feeling a smile curl to his lips, he shrugged and downed his first drink for the night, wrapping his arms around his fellow ponies, dancing and singing songs, telling stories and tall tales alike. For tonight was the end for one of Ponyville’s most hated occupants, the beginning of a new tale from the depths of the Everfree forest, and the shadows lurked beneath the noses of the drunken ponies in the streets…

Many stars above twinkled brilliantly down upon the head-hung-low mare sauntering her way down the cobblestoned streets, making an unbusied, short and slow trot for Ponyville’s one and only iconic bar, the Lucky Clover. She only dared to lift her heavy head to see the building come in sight, but upon the glance she found another figure standing just outside its entrance, and a familiar figure at that. The tired magician took a long, wide gaze at the statue of a mare standing perfectly still, even daring a sniff or two.

“Impressive.” Trixie inspected. “So life-like…”

“That’s because I am-”

“Gah!” Trixie sprung backwards on her rump, fixing her hat and staring dumbfounded. “Starlight? Is that really you?”

“What? Did ya’ think I wanted to stand out here all night greeting our local drunks?” Starlight could only turn her eyes.

“Wha-? Hey! I am no-” The magician stood back up and fixed her cape. “Trixie is no drunk!”

The frozen Starlight released a heavy sigh, peering towards her hooves. “I’m sorry, Trixie, I know it’s been rough.” She admitted.

“What’re you talking about?”

“I’ve seen you walk in here in broad daylight.”

“S-So?” Trixie faked innocence.

“I’ve been a terrible friend to you, I should’ve been reaching out, helping you get back on your hooves. But all I did was-” Starlight paused, catching herself. “No, never mind.”

“Oh, Starlight.” The showmare slowly approached. “As noble as your willingness to sacrifice for Trixie is, it simply doesn’t concern you. This is Trixie’s duel, and hers alone.”

Despite her iconic third-person demeanor, there was a hint of hurt within her subtle wording. Starlight desperately tried to ignore it, knowing that talking any further might deal more damage than was already dealt. Ever since the dilemma in the open field, the show that would’ve gotten her enough bits to move on to the next town had it not been for that human…everything seemed as though it were falling apart piece by piece, day after day.

“But really,” Trixie started, dismissing Starlight’s thoughts. “Why are you standing all frozen like that?”

The unicorn groaned and rolled her eyes. “Spike cast a lock spell on me.”

The magician eyed her friend silently, looking her up and down once again until a spell of the giggles struck her core, causing the magical mare to flip over on her back and hold her stomach, cackles and laughter rising into the night. “You, the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria next to Starswirl the Bearded, let Princess Twilight’s little dragon do this to you?” She howled on and on.

“Go ahead, rub the salt in.” Starlight growled, teeth gritted. Just this once, you worthless, husk of an unfulfilled brood.

“Oh, wow, this is rich!” Trixie climbed to her hooves, wiping a tear from her eye. “Perhaps Trixie should help you then? Hold still now-”

“Ah ah ah! That won’t be necessary.”

“Why? Did you actually want to stand out here all night?”

“It’ll wear off eventually.”

A sudden burst of warmth and light echoed out of the tavern door, swinging open to piles of gluttonously drunk ponies climbing over one another, trying to decipher which way was home. They all poured out like hot sauce out of an expired bottle, the scent oozing around and filling Starlight’s nostrils with a puke-ridden sting.

“Here comes the payload.” Starlight groaned.

A certain, bubbly, grape purple mare chuckled and hobbled her way over to the two unicorns, holding a bottle in one hoof and swinging the other around Starlight’s neck. “Let me tell ya’ bout my best friend here…” Berry Punch slurred and breathed obnoxiously.

“Ugh! Take a hike, beer keg!” Starlight struggled.

“Shoo, you drunk!” Trixie shoved the mare off of her friends shoulders and wrapped her own hooves around Starlight, caressing and fixing her mane. “I’ve got you, friend.”

“Your breath stinks, too.”

Trixie quietly recoiled and attempted to mask the alcohol on her tongue. “Sorry.” She mumbled.

Derpy and the Doctor stumbled out of one of the windows, an option most other ponies were now pursuing given the blockage at the front door. They wrapped their hooves around each other for support and balance, but seemed more keen on bringing each other down after having one too many. Amethyst wrapped around one side of the building whilst Ronin came around the other, approaching the two drunken adults with concerned gazes and words. Derpy lifted her head blearily.

“Whadda ya’ doing out so late, young lady?” Derpy drawled. “If you don’t get back to bed this instant, I’ll-hic-I’ll…well, I’ll do something!” She looked behind her. “Doc, back me up here.”

“I told you already, I’m not a doctor.” Whooves stumbled about. “I’m a bloody…Time Lord! Yes, that’s it!”

Two ponies drunk out of their minds only meant one thing in the presence of two sobers. Amethyst looked to Ronin with a hint of pleading in her eyes and asked if it would be too much to take the Doctor back home. Ronin accepted without hesitance, advising his partner to lay the pegasus on her side when she slept so she might not choke on her own vomit. The young unicorn nodded, shocked to the strange fact, but nodded nonetheless. She raced after her mother trying to fly drunk, and Ronin wondered how he was going to remember where exactly the Doctor lived when all he was telling him was that he lived in a blue telephone box flying through space.

Finally, the barricade at the front door pried free with a bit of crowbar work, and out the door the boy emerged with a little purple dragon scooped up in one arm, a half-drunk Silver Spanner dangling onto his other. There was a swell, blushing complexion about the boy’s smile, a satisfied grin. He gazed up at the night sky with wet, bleary eyes, blinking to get the images straight. He could have sworn he saw figures moving in the constellations, a strange hum calling to him. Must be a side effect. He figured.

“You gonna be okay walking home, dear~?” Silver cooed, tugging his arm.

David belched and looked down. “I traversed light years on my way to this planet, a half-drunk walk home isn’t gonna kill me.”

“You!” Trixie barked.

“On second thought-!” He began to turn around.

“Get back here you hideous abomination! You are the one who ruined Trixie’s show!” The magician whined into the night. “Because of you, Trixie is ruined!”

“Um, okay.” David took a deep breath. “I don’t know how to tell you I’m too drunk to deal with this right now, but I’m too drunk to deal with this right now.”

Trixie stared at the boy, waiting.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry?” He shrugged.

“I’m not going down without a fight…” Spike grumbled, weakly swinging at David’s chest. “Bring it on, ape wars.”

“Spike!” Starlight hollered from where she stood. “Oh stars above, is he okay?”

The boy took a heavy step forward and knelt before the unicorn, revealing the dragon’s tooth in his open palm. “A souvenir.” He said.

“You hit him?!”

“No! He bit me and then a bottle flew by.” He shook his head. “The hell were you thinking anyways, letting him in there?”

“Excuse me, we’re not finished.” Trixie attempted.

“You have no idea.” Starlight grumbled, pinching her eyes. “This is just great, Twilight is going to kill me.”

“Not you, us.” David affirmed. “C’mon, we’ll face her together.”

“What? No! I was just going to make up some story about the tooth fairy.”

“Spike’s too old to believe in that stuff now.” David began rubbing and patting the little dragon’s back, the lizard burped over his shoulder. “Kid drank more than me.”

“Let’s just get him home for now.” Starlight wobbled with little effort as though her hooves were glued to stilts. She desperately looked up at the boy. “Er, a little help?”

“I figured as much.” David sighed and scooped yet another Equestrian inhabitant into his free arm. “I always wondered what it would be like to have my own plush.”

“Just hurry up and get to the castle.” Starlight muttered.

A stiff, motionless unicorn was tucked beneath the boy’s arm as Spike lazily clawed and jabbed at his shoulder, eyeing Trixie left all alone as they walked away into the streets of Ponyville. The magician was left with nothing but the bar before her and the stars above her, not even the rise for protest attempting to well up within her lungs and shout past her tongue. She held it so, resumed a sunken head and pushed open the front door to the bar moments later. She was greeted with the equivalent of an explosion going off in a hoarder’s basement, a single little pony staying behind to clean up the mess while Lucky was busy wiping down the counter, not really cleaning up anything at all. He looked Trixie’s way and smiled.

“Come for a while? We’ve got one stool left.” He said.

The toilet flushed again and again. Spike hurled one supply of bourbon, booze and whatever else after the other, wiping his jaw with the hopes that it was over, only to do the whole thing all over again. Twilight had soaked a cloth in beer and saliva at this point, trading it for another to continue cleaning her little dragon’s lip. She leaned over him resting a hoof to his back, mumbling calming affirmations in between sentences of groundings and allowance deductions.

Meanwhile, Starlight and David stood outside the cracked doorway of the bathroom listening to their little lizard friend’s unrelenting vomit audio. The unicorn finally free of the amulet spell, dangled the said piece in her levitation for her and the boy to observe.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Starlight prodded. “I suppose you don’t have any ideas?”

“What makes you think I would?”

“Don’t act dumb, buster.” Starlight squinted. “I know you know things.”

“You do? I mean-” He looked around. “I do?”

“I have a hunch that this night, of all nights, is going to be a night full of epiphanies.”

The bathroom door swung open, and though Spike was still at his puking game, Twilight butted in and flared her horn alive, grabbing the amulet right out of the air and snugging it away. She turned to her student.

“You. The map room. Now.”

Starlight began to turn, looked over her shoulder to stare at David, and trotted down the hall.

“You.” Twilight turned to David. She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say to you, but I’m sure you’ve got a lot to answer for, mister.”

“For the record I did a bit of underage drinking myself tonight.” He informed. “So if you don’t mind, I’m gonna find a bathroom to go and puke my regrets out.”

“You’re old enough to take responsibility, and that includes looking out for Spike.” She continued. “It’s nearly midnight, I’ve got plenty of work tomorrow and a poor little dragon to attend to, and not to mention a student to scold, so I guess I’m letting you off easy for now.” Twilight sighed, turning away. “If you need to take care of yourself I’m not holding you back.”

David stood there motionless, that same strange calling from before when he had looked up at the stars encapsulating his senses once again. He slowly approached the Alicorn, kneeling down before her.

“Twilight, listen.” He began. “Whatever it’s worth to you, I’ve been trying my best. As your Royal Equerry, I think I got just a little closer to the ponies tonight. It wasn’t all just badmouthing and violence, Spike, me, everyone had a wonderful time tonight. It made me realize that if you just try really hard to look out for your friends and keep them in mind, then maybe…just maybe you’ll pull through in the end. I don’t know, I guess once we got our hands and hooves on all that beer we decided it didn’t matter who was a pony and who wasn’t, we all just had one big party. Y’know? Like friends.”

Twilight forced herself to smile and let a chuckle go, shaking her head and looking over the boy with a knowing stare. “Whatever you did tonight, I just hope you got some sort of lesson out of it. I take it this was your first shot at drinking?”

“More or less.” He shrugged, grinning.

“Well, just be prepared to lose all those fun memories by morning.” Twilight gave the boy a small, curt nod, and returned to the bathroom. “Goodnight, David.”

With that note in mind, David took a moment to stare at the door and return his sights to the hallways, where he proceeded to stumble his way through the corridor trying one door after another in finding his room. Plenty of them had beds already set, but he wanted his own bed, the one he had molded himself into and gotten used to over these two short weeks that he had inhabited this strange, magical world. As he opened his door and finally found the correct room, David’s mind wandered to just how much time he had spent in Equestria, all the trials he had been through so far and all the characters he had met. What was he to do when he woke up? Forget about all of it?

No, I won’t forget this. He thought to himself. Not ever. Even if this is all just a silly dream, I’m not forgetting a single second of it. This is my story, my dream. Here, in Equestria.

He eyed the book on his desk from afar, deciding the distance was too far as his body took him over and flopped down onto the bed without his control. His mind wandered over the events of the day, the party at night, the ponies he met and the words spoken all the while. The visions, the sounds and the sights, everything began to blur and mesh together like slippery black and blue spirals swirling around his slowly shutting eyes. A final yawn pinched his lids shut, the world shifting into a sightless and soundless nothing. The stars above twinkled for a final time. The moon shimmered silver.

David fell into a deep, deep slumber.