Chapter 10: Long, Far Off, Unhappy Things

"Twilight he said he wanted to be alone, you know how he is. Why do you want to go an bother him?" Spike said to Twilight.

She didn't care. Her mind was made up, her stubbornness at a peak.

"You saw how he was Spike, he needs someone to talk to, and that someone is me. Now we'll be back later, go get some rest okay?" she said to the young dragon.

"Fine. Whatever Twi," Spike said as he made his way upstairs.

Twilight then made her way out of the library into town to look for her human friend.

"I know he's hurting, and I know he wants his own space, but I can't let him do this on his own," she thought to herself, but she realized she had no clue where to begin looking.

Twilight sighed to herself and began asking everypony she saw around town if they'd seen Evan at all, some seeing him briefly or not at all. She was about to give up and teleport to all his usual hangout places until she saw a very happy Lyra bouncing in place as she was talking to Bon Bon.

"Ah, why didn't I think of asking Lyra in the first place? She's always watching him," she said to herself as she laughed at the thought.

Twilight then made her way over to the pair and was greeted by Lyra with a huge gasp.

"Twilight! GUESS WHAT! hehe!" the light green unicorn almost shouted, making Twilight stumble back a bit.

"Uh hey girls, whats up Lyra?" she asked.

"I finally asked Evan out on a date and he said yes! Hehe, were going out for smoothies really soon!" she squeed in delight.

Twilight on the other hand, almost had her jaw hit the floor.

"What..? Evan wouldn't go on a date with Lyra would he? And he'd rather go out to the club instead of smoothies. " Twilight thought to herself with a pang of...jealousy?

But she had heard what Lyra had said and felt almost numb, after all the time her and Evan have spent together he agrees to go on a date with the pony who has been pretty much stalking him? She tried to push the thought aside until she found him and then would rip into him about it.

"Oh that's...great Lyra, anyway did you happen to see where he went off too? I need to talk to him about some things," she said.

Lyra was still in the middle of giggles while she answered, "Yep! He walked off down to the lake, but he seemed kinda down, he wouldn't let me come with him, said he needed alone time."

"Okay, thanks Lyra, see you girls later," Twilight said blankly.

As she made her way towards the lake she heard behind her some more giggling and an annoyed sigh from Bon Bon.

Now coming over the hill that lead to the lake, Twilight was once again filled with the thought of Lyra and Evan.

"Why am I worrying about it so much? He can do whatever he wants. When the human nation and Equestria were close there were many pony and human couples...but that's not why I'm upset. Do I like Evan?" she thought.

She felt butterflies in her stomach and her face blushing at the thought, which gave it away to herself in an instant. She realized she had gotten very close to him in the past months he has been here, he considered her his best friend of the six and did pretty much everything together.

"He's trusted me with so many things, and I of him. He's opened up to me before anyone else about his past, the only thing he is still hiding is what happened that day," she thought as she reached the top of the cliff, "I know he hates it when I pry..But I care about him way to much to even think about him being in pain. He's going to get a lecture if he doesn't open up. And then I'll work Lyra in there someho-".

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, all previous thoughts erased when the sight before her played out. She saw Evan sitting against a tree and put his new gun to his head, she wanted to scream but no words formed. She wanted to dash at him, but her muscles were locked. The only thing she could do was feel the tears and dread form as she was about to see her best friend take his own life. She nearly collapsed as she heard the loud -BANG- of the handgun go off, until she saw it flying away in an orange aura.

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I pulled the trigger and I felt the heat of the gun, I heard the gunfire go off right next to my head. But I was still very much alive. I opened my eyes and saw the gun was tossed aside at the very last moment, a millisecond longer and I'd have been dead. I felt myself tense up with anger, for I had been denied my way out of my misery, and sadness of why I had to keep going. I turned to see who or what had stopped me and saw who I expected, it was the other human, his hands aglow in the orange aura that defined him. Rage finally took over as I shot straight up, no longer was I looking for answers, now I was just bent on destroying him.

"You just HAD to follow me this time didn't you, you goddess damned STALKER!" I yelled.

He still hid behind his mask and goggles but I heard a gruff sigh from beneath it.

"I told you my house was over here, you just happened to be in a spot where I saw you. And you just happened to be doing something very stupid, and I couldn't allow it," he said calmly.

But I never heard a word of it, I wanted a fight and I was going to get one.

"Stupid? No, it was stupid letting you walk away," I said bitterly and flared my hands up.

He eyed me cautiously.

"You don't want to do this. I can take you down without hurting you...permanently," he said threateningly.

And that was it for me. I charged up and sent a plume of fire straight at him, not letting up an instant, yelling in anger which only fueled me. He put up a barrier and seemed to bat my attack out of the air like nothing. After my inferno let up he sent a barrage of ice shards hurdling towards me, which I engulfed in a fireball as big as a small boulder, and let it fly towards the other magi. He put up another barrier, but I was ready this time, as the fireball connected to it I took back control and sent it around the front and brought the blaze upon his unprotected back. He figured this out quickly and regained control but not before being singed on his lower back.

He looked back at me now with his eyes filled with not anger, but determination to end this fight. I hardly noticed before I was picked up and slammed into the pine tree, the impact took all my breath out and I fell to the ground. It took only a second for me to recover and stand back up but he was on me in less. He got in close and peppered me with quick, magic fueled punches to the chest which left me stunned. He ended the barrage with a solid punch to my stab wound and brought me to the ground once again. As I laid on my stomach, trying to catch my breath again and aching in pain, he flipped me over and squatted down to look into my eyes. I was done and he knew it, everything had happened to quick and he took me down so easily. My anger had been replaced my pain and shame, the sadness still dominated the other areas of my brain.

As he looked down on me he said only one sentence, "Tell me why."

I knew what he meant by it, and I had no other choice but to tell him, the fight in me was gone at that moment.

"Because my life was ruined. Everything was taken from me, everyone I loved. You might have seen it happen to me, but you will NEVER know what that kind of loss feels like," I told him.

He then smacked me across my face, which did nothing but shock me into surprise.

"Don't you EVER make that kind of assumption you krifing idiot. Everyone has been affected by this damn war...everybody..." he paused, his eyes showed a brief flash of pain,"But let me tell you something.." he continued, his voice getting calmer and gentle, "You might not see how important you are, but something is happening, something awful. What it is, I have no idea, the Order has told me nothing beyond that. But you are needed, not in the point of being used, you as in everything you are."

His words struck me as I was lying on the ground, unsure of what to make of it. What was happening and why me? Nothing was making sense, but he seemed to not understand either. I snapped back to reality as he started talking again.

"Too many human lives have been lost in this damn war young one, and too many by their own hands. I couldn't let you just take your life, out of my duty and morality, and because I know that you don't want to die," he paused, my full attention on him, "From what I've seen in my time here, you've picked up a new life, filled with many friends and a new family. Not to replace your old one...but to help you adjust and move on. What you were about to do would destroy everyone that cares about you, and undo everything fate has in store. And that's something I cannot allow. It was selfish and stupid, but it was stopped."

He finished, his words genuine and point taken in my head.

I was still in silence for another minute before I was able to say something.

"What is you're name?" was all I asked.

What seemed like a random question was said as a sign of new respect and understanding. He picked up on it and smiled faintly under his mask.

"You may call me...Davian," he replied.

I simply nodded at him, which showed I had taken in everything he said and believed, I was just too emotionally wrecked to say it aloud. He returned the nod and sat me up before speaking again.

"I know you have questions about the events I have told you, but the answers to them I do not have," he said as he glanced off beyond my shoulder and his eyes dropped a bit, "But if you're frustrations are out meet me at my home and I will answer anything you ask to the best ability, for now I would spend time with the ones you love, I think you need it."

He held out his hand for me to shake, and I took it, after he turned around and walked in the direction to his home, leaving me to turn and look at what had made him glance off.

The pony who stood in front of me made my heart drop, I saw Twilight standing within feet of me, her big eyes filled with tears. I was about to say something before she tackled me down and held on to me now crying.

"WHY? Why Evan, why were you going to do that?" she yelled at me. "Were you just going to hurt me and everypony else like that so calmly?!"

I sat in silence holding my crying friend while she continued to yell and punch me a bit, letting her tire out. She had stopped yelling after a few moments and began sobbing, I just held her tighter and began rubbing her mane, tears now in my eyes. Her mane was silky to the touch as I ran my hand down it, trying to calm Twilight down.

"Twi...I'm so sorry. I cannot apologize enough, but it wasn't me," I explained, "Something else took over..something dark, and I just let it do whatever it wanted. But I'm back now, it's me again."

She finally brought her head off my shoulder and looked at me, her coat was wet from tears still streaming down her face and her eyes looked into mine.

"But I thought you had gotten better? I thought all of us had helped you, I thought I had helped you through all of it!" she said between sobs.

I couldn't hold back anymore tears at that point, I hated her being upset, and to know I caused it just meant that I had to fix it. I felt like I had crushed her, and I felt like I was the weakest person on the planet at that point.

"I'm only human Twi...sometimes bad things happen to us that we can't control, but you and everyone else have helped me so much I can never begin to explain. Don't ever think you haven't," I said seriously.

She kept looking into my eyes before resting her head on my shoulder again, the sobs getting quieter now and her breathing was normal.

"I love you Evan..please don't ever take yourself away. Please don't ever leave me." she pleaded.

I felt my heart warm up at the words; I was going to make this right again; I was going to make this up to her.

"I'm never going to leave you Twilight. I love you too...and I promise," I said, as we sat under the lone pine tree holding each other for sometime.

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A day had passed and the event that had happened yesterday was kept a secret. Twilight and Davian were the only ones who knew, and Davian wouldn't interfere with my friends. I had decided too take up his words and spend some extra time with my friends today as I walked around town. Twilight was still somewhat upset about what happened but that was expected, but she trusted that I'd keep my word. Today had been pretty eventful from the start, I had a big breakfast with Twilight and Spike, followed with a trip to Sugar Cube Corner to help Pinkie bake a dozen cakes for a party she was throwing for someone. I then joined Rainbow Dash and Applejack in a friendly race which I was destroyed in. After that I had gone over to Fluttershy's cottage to help her adjust some new animals to their homes, which mostly meant her getting nervous when I touched baby animals. Finally, Rarity had called me to her boutique to get a few designs for new sets of clothes for me, which ended with me leaving with a bag full of new jackets and pants, as winter was starting to be brought in. As I thanked the white unicorn I decided I'd go and pick Scootaloo up from school and spend the rest of the day with her, doing whatever she wanted.

As I made my way to the school I saw Lyra sitting on a bench who then blushed as her eyes locked onto me.

"Hey again Evan! Sooo I was just wondering if you still wanted to get a smoothie or something?" she squeed shyly.

I smiled at her and realized how happy and nervous she was.

"Sure Lyra, how about later tonight hmm?" I said.

Her only reaction was to jump up and hug me, blush and run off towards her house to probably bug Bon Bon with the news. I smiled after her and continued my way to the school.

"I'd much rather go to the club though," I thought to myself.

Finally reaching the school building just in time as the bell rang, I waited outside for Scootaloo who walked out last alongside Sweetie Bell and Applebloom. As she noticed me a huge grin came across her face and dashed towards me, her little wings fluttered as she jumped into my already out stretched arms for a hug.

"Evan! Whats up? What are you doing here?" she said excitedly.

"Well I just thought that maybe you'd like to hangout a little today?" I grinned at her.

She nodded hurriedly but then looked back at her friends.

"Uh..is that okay with you girls?" she said nervously.

Applebloom spoke up in an instant, saying with a smile, "Well duh! Why wouldn't it be okay? Go hangout with your big brother!"

"Besides, we don't have any crusading to do until tomorrow!" Sweetie Bell spoke up.

"Awesome! Thanks guys; see you later!" Scootaloo said as the duo made their way home.

Scootaloo then turned back to me and climbed onto my shoulders, her wings still fluttering.

"Well Scoot, waddya wanna do today?" I asked her.

"Whatever is fine for me big bro! I'd like to practice some new moves on my scooter, but we have to stop my my house so I can drop my school stuff off," she said.

And with that we made our way to the little filly's home.

As we arrived she hopped down and brought me inside, showing me around and bringing me to her room. On her walls were posters of the famous Wonder Bolts everywhere along with some rock and roll pony bands.

"Wow Scoot, pretty cool room you got here, might even rival Rainbow Dash," I said.

She giggled at the thought.

"Yeah right, she's the coolest pony ever! No one is cooler than her, well except you, but you know what I mean," she said.

I ruffed up her mane and made her giggle more.

"Sure I do punk," I replied.

At that point a voice called from down the hallway, saying, "Scoot honey, is that you?"

Scootaloo looked up and yelled back, "Yes Nanna, I'm in my room with Evan, just showing him around."

After a few seconds a middle aged Earth pony stepped into the doorway.

"Oh hello dear! How are you doing today?" she said politely.

Something seemed off about her.

"Hi Miss Buckle, how are you today?" I said to Scootaloo's nanny.

"I'm doing well dear. I'm actually glad you stopped by, may I have a word with you for a moment?" she said, still polite.

I looked down to Scootaloo who was confused but I ruffed her mane once more.

"Of course you may, be right back Scoot," I said as I left the room with the nanny.

"Is everything okay Miss Buckle? You seem kinda upset about something," I said.

She brought me to the living room before sighing and looking at me with heavy eyes.

"No my dear; something is not okay. I'm afraid the payment left by Scootaloo's parents is running out, and I will have to move back to Manehatten," she explained sadly.

Her words hit me like I ran into a brick wall.

"What!?" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice down, "What will happen to her?"

"Well I had planned on taking her with me, I love the child with all my heart, but the payment for the house and my services in Ponyville are almost gone," she said.

"But you can't take her from here! Everything she knows is here, all her friends and I! It would destroy whatever family value she still has left," I said, now desperate.

Miss Buckle simply looked at me and smiled as she said, "And that is exactly why I want her to stay here with you."

My eyes opened wide and I hesitated for  a second.

"I'm only eighteen...I agree to taking her but as to why you chose me I don't know why." I said to her questioningly.

Her dark blue eyes shone with happiness and loss.

"Ever since her parents disappeared in their trip to the Griffon lands I have looked after young Scootaloo for years. She's turning twelve this year and in all my time I have never seen her grow to love and care about someone more than you. And I could not bare to take that away...I will miss her with all my heart, but she will be happy to know that she has you to look after her." she said.

We stood together in silence before I spoke up.

"When and how are you going to tell her?" I asked.

She looked like her heart had been taking a beating but she quickly overcame that.

"Tonight would be best, and I will explain to her about you taking her in. Are you sure Twilight will be okay with it?"

I didn't blink before I gave an instant 'Yes."

"Fantastic...now why don't you go and spend the day with her, I have much to sort and pack," she said before walking off holding in a sniff.

As I re-entered Scootaloo's room I was much more solemn, but smiled as I saw her bouncing up and down on her bed, her wings letting her hover up for a couple seconds. She stopped as she saw me and sat down and I took a seat next to her.

"Hey Evan, what was all that about?" she asked.

I thought about telling her, but quickly pushed that away.

"Just something your nanny wanted to talk about, don't worry everything is fine Scoot," I answered.

She shrugged and smiled at me but then saw my face and looked at my pendant.

"Hey big bro, can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Well duh, ask away squirt," I said calmly, expecting something dorky or cute.

"Are you happy here in Ponyville? And that I'm your little sister now?" she asked.

"Of course I'm happy Scootaloo, especially with you! Wha-What would make you think I'm not?" I asked her, shocked.

She brought her tail around her and scooted next to me.

"Well some days when I see you, you look really really sad. You may think other ponies don't notice it, but I can tell. Especially after you look through your camera necklace," she explained.

My heart felt heavy, and I tried to explain the best I could.

"A lot happened to me before Scoot...some really bad things. And some things on my pendant bring back those bad things and really upset me," I explained.

"Well, what kinda things are on there? Does it have to do with your..family?" she asked now concerned.

I thought a moment before answering and turned to her.

"Yeah it does Scoot...but those are things that you should never have to worry about hun," I said.

Scootaloo thought for a moment before jumping up and hugging me.

"Well, I do worry about you, but those things aren't going to come back today or anytime soon big bro. Not if I can help it, I love you Evan," she said before squeezing me harder.

I chuckled to myself and hugged the filly back.

"And I love you too Scoot, you're a perfect little sister," I said back to her.

She giggled again and then got back to her defiant self.

"Alright come on! We got some new moves to practice!" she said, grabbing her scooter and helmet, motioning me to follow her.

I smiled as I stood up, following her out into the street. As we made our way to her practice spot I thought about what her and Twilight had said, I looked around town to see all the ponies laughing and doing what they did daily. As I passed them by I was greeted with smiles and waves instead of quick glances and whispers. I thought about the town itself, the six mares, and a little pegasus filly who had adopted me into their family.

Soon I found myself thinking of the future here, instead of those long, far off, unhappy things.