I looked down at Ponyville, content about the day as my intangible body slipped through the town library.
"Content" I thought to myself, wondering what 'content' was and why I felt it. I looked down upon a purple pony and dragon, knowing they couldn't see me. A sigh left my throat, or at least what a pony would consider a throat.
The purple pony, the one that everypony named 'Twilight Sparkle' was reading a book, nothing out of the ordinary but the title made me wander off in thought. 'Science of the supernatural', written by a pony I vaguely remembered from my past.
It made me wonder again, who I was, what I was, why I was...
I could do so much, read ponies minds, go anywhere I want to go, but WHAT was I?
Was I a ghost? I couldn't remember that I ever lived, as far as I knew I had been floating around ponies in the last, well, forever? I didn't know and I couldn't answer.
Were there more creatures like me? That I couldn't see either, or was I the only one?
The thought of me being some sort of god had passed along long ago, I could in fact change things about the real world, but nothing more than giving a pony a hungry feeling when I was touching them to feel their emotions, or get them fascinated by an object when I was nearby...
But the thought that nagged me the most was why.
Why am I here?
Why couldn't I feel emotions?
I groaned, couldn't...
The one emotion I could feel, I couldn't pinpoint it, maybe it was sadness, despair, loneliness perhaps. Miserable even came to mind.
Maybe that is why I hang around Twilight that much, for as long as I could remember I followed around random ponies, enter their body, feel what they feel, what they think. Feel ALIVE, I reluctantly admitted to myself.
But this pony, it was different, when I got to know her I saw a little filly, her pure happiness because of her newly acquired cutie mark gravitating me towards Canterlot.
"I never felt something like it." I whispered to myself remembering the strong magical aura surrounding her at that time. The magical aura every unicorn had, but never as strong as this. But, deep down inside her, I sensed loneliness, the same feeling that I had felt within myself and other ponies, I couldn't pinpoint it, but she had something that made me want to be around her.
In the following years, my mind drifting off, noticing the purple unicorn had fallen asleep on her book (also not something that special), I had grown fond of her more and more, I liked to be within her magical aura, the word content slipping back into my mind as I tried to describe the feeling. I had never taken 'possession' of her body (as I cynically called it) as I did with others to sense their emotions, I could feel in her aura how happy she was to become Celestia's pupil, the true fear she felt when she thought she failed a test, the reluctance she felt when having to go to Ponyville, and the joy she felt when she had made her first friends.
Maybe that was what made me feel that 'miserable'. The constant, nagging, lonely feeling I had felt within myself and within Twilight had faded for her ever since, but not for me...
I didn't want to admit it but it felt like my connection to her had become slimmer ever since. "Hah, connection" I thought grudgingly, "she doesn't even know you exist."
The next morning, as I had been watching dreams all night a sudden sound attracted my attention.
"BUUUURP"
That sound, a note from Celestia, a sudden curiosity about what it was washed over me as I left the body of a small yellow filly with a red mane. She had dreamt about never earning her cutie mark, or was it a nightmare? I didn't know, and I didn't really care either, earning a cutie mark seemed quite a trivial problem in life to me. I left the barn as I speeded towards where I had felt that the burp had emerged.
"Twilight, Twilight! A letter from the princess!" the dragon ran towards Twilights bedroom, I felt Spikes excitement about what epic quest that might be coming up as he barged through the door to reveal a sleepy mare in the middle of the act of brushing her mane. I felt 'content' again, letting the emotions surrounding me change from the fearful nightmare to the eager excitement.
Her saggy eyes shot open as she levitated the scroll towards her.
I sat down in the middle of the room, knowing that she would read it aloud, feeling her emotions sway from worried, happy, terrified and anything in between.
The usual formal greeting passed me, I started paying attention when the tension in the room started to grow, knowing the next task was about to be announced.
" ... and a pony should learn from her mistakes. My faithful student, I give you the task to revisit the spells that had gone wrong in the time you have been in Ponyville..."
After the letter was finished (something about not meeting enough in person) I felt a storm leaving the room.
A storm, as in a purple blur running off to the library and as in an ever-changing train of thought, too fast for me to fully comprehend.
About half an hour later, the purple pony and dragon had made up their list and started planning on how to practice them, I didn't really care for that sort of stuff, but I liked the amount of excitement that emitted from the both as they were practicing things.
Everything from the smallest mishap, ones I didn't know (something with a bird changing into an orange and Spike being hit on the head with a hat which changed into a rock or something like that) to bigger mishaps that I had seen happen.
I never felt as 'content' as that time where everypony in Ponyville had ran around chasing some sort of doll. Happy emotions felt better as sad ones, I don't know why, but they did.
"Okay Spike, take note: spell number 24, come to life spell attempt 6." I remembered a huge ball of snow rolling down a hill.
I saw a bright purple light going towards a toy carriage. I turned around towards the carriage to see the effect, knowing that the spell was going to pass right through me, but nothing came. "Maybe she failed again" I said to myself, turning around.
What I saw shocked me. At least I think it was shock, I'm not completely sure though. I turned around, I saw a purple aura, but it was enveloping...
No
That's not possible
ME!!
I was grounded in fear. "What was happening to me!!" I saw the shocked faces on Twilight and Spike and felt something, something weird.
I knew the sensation, but that couldn't be, could it?
It reminded me of the times where I had been inside a ponies body, I felt MY HOOVES TOUCHING SOMETHING! And, and a-a-a mane draping over my neck?
I stared in awe at the ground, what I saw appearing was a pair of hooves, from a smoke like texture slowly turning solid.
I just stood there, not knowing what to do, nor how to do it.
I stared forward as I heard a gasp "s-sir, the library is closed today" I heard a mix of utter confusion and fear in her voice, I wanted to reply but found out I didn't really know how to.
I felt a weird sensation as the world turned sideways and I fell on my side.
Did I just topple over? I asked myself. "Sir! Are you alright?" I heard Twilight say.
Thinking back of possessing ponies, I vaguely remembered how to move limbs and try to mimic it. I tried to roll to my side, a grunt escapes my throat as I failed to do more then move my limbs a little. I feel a push to my rump rolling me over on my belly, hearing the dragon growl of either the weight, or the fact that I'm not helping at all.
Wait
WAIT
I FELT a push? My mind gearing out of control, not able to comprehend what had happened.
Relax, relax, I stammered to myself.
I looked at the floor in front of me, what had happened?
I ordered things in my mind, ignoring the weird stares of the others in the room.
1. I'm solid for some reason.
2. They can see me.
3. I just felt something.
I-I can't dream, can I? I asked myself.
After the initial shock I looked around, noticing I was laying completely flat on the floor, drawing weird looks from the crowd of two.
Okay, I know how to move, I mean I have felt ponies do it lots of times, I thought.
Trying to mimic the known motions, I move my eyelids, open and close my mouth and lift up my head. "Hey, this is actually not that hard." I said to myself, or at least I thought I did. "What's not that hard?" I heard the dragon standing next to me blurt out, after which he decided to hide behind Twilight, his sudden brave attitude disappearing.
Ignoring the question but ashamed on the inside (being ashamed of something, a sensation I never felt personally, but recognised from other ponies, I didn't like it) I put my front hooves under my body and pushed myself into a sitting position, the motion less wobbly as I had expected.
Curiosity winning it from the shame, "What happened?" I mumbled, more to myself as to the others.
"Who are you, it's a Sunday, the library isn't open today." She said with a stern but gentle voice, trying to hide the confusion I could definitely feel and understand, she just saw me appearing out of nowhere, right?
I stared at the floor, thinking about how I could understand what she felt. Comparing it to the same confusion that I was feeling.
Her voice softened and snapped me out of it, "Something wrong?" I could feel the compassion in her voice.
"No, yes, I don't think so," I stuttered, "you can see me?" Stating the obvious, my mind not yet able to fully grasp the possibility.
"Ehm, yes, I can, why?" her voice confused again.
"I'm sorry Twilight" I responded.
"Did we meet? I don't seem to remember you, Mr?"
"I know you very well." Wanting to facehoof for looking like a stalker now (maybe I, in fact was sort of a stalker, I noted grimly) I turned to her other question.
She wanted to know my name.
My name?
Did I have a name?
"Okay..." she seemed out of her composure for a moment by my first question, asking the question again to end the silence that had fallen. "So, what's your name?"
I stared at the floor, "I don't know" I whispered.
"I'm sorry, what's that?"
"I don't know!" I exclaimed, looking around, feeling trapped, wanting to get out.
Noticing my movement wasn't as good as I had hoped, I toppled to my side again when I tried to get up and run.
Rolling on my belly, I put my hooves on the floor, deciding to get out as fast as I could, giving a great push.
Somewhere in between the leap of faith and the impact with the bookshelf I remembered that I was tangible now...
I looked around, the first couple of seconds after regaining consciousness not realising that I, in fact had eyelids that should be opened.
I felt a weird throbbing on my head, I knew it was pain, but I had never felt it this vivid. "I hate being solid." I grunted, wanting to rub the sore spot on my head. I found out I couldn't rub it, nor could I see even while I knew my eyes were opened.
Suddenly light emerged and the large bookshelf was lifted up and away by the unicorn magic.
"Thanks!" I looked at Twilight, startled by the serious look on her face. Instead of the expected flood of accusations about wreaking havoc around her library or how I knew her name, but didn't know my own. I sensed compassion, not anger.
Thinking of it, did I not know my name? Or did I not have one?
Again, something I didn't know.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine... sorry for ruining your library." "Oh, that... Never mind, that thing gets ruined at least two times a week!" I knew for a fact that that was true.
We were sitting in front of each other, not knowing what to say, Spike started to clean up the mess, as he always did and I turned to Twilight. Looking at her he could sense questions welling up inside her.
"It was my come to life spell, wasn't it?" She asked boldly. "Yeah, it was." I said, the answer was as neutral as could be, no emotions were involved so I felt 'content' with it. I started wondering what 'content' actually meant and why I felt it when I heard the next question rolling out.
"Are you some kind of ghost?" She asked, her question as neutral as my last reply, no worries in her head as I had expected. It soothed me. "I don't know..." I said, meaning every word of it, I looked at her and suddenly felt an urge to tell her everything.
A 2 minute explanation of what I knew about myself later (I wondered how it could be that I knew so little about myself), Twilight was glancing at her books, I didn't even have to use my powers that I know she was trying to find out more about me.
"Don't bother, I read every book on the matter." I stated, startled by how depressed I sounded. My mind, as usual, drifting off again to try and grasp the meaning of depression, suddenly stopped.
A mirror
Twilight said something, but I didn't listen to it, it could wait, right?
In the corner of the room I saw a small mirror, I floated it over, noticing a very dull greyish purple aura surrounding it.
The first thing I noticed when I looked in the mirror was the fact that I had no horn. Probably the fact why Twilights jaw was somewhere near the floor.
What I saw amazed me, I saw myself.
For the first time in my life (could I call it life actually?), or at least that I can remember, I looked at myself.
The creature I saw was a plain looking earth pony, dark on dark, deep dark purple coat, reminding me of the night. Apart from that a flat mane with about the same colour, just a little more towards purple as black.
I kind of reminded myself of Pinkie Pie, when she had felt so down.
My mind returning to the real world, "...without a horn shouldn't even be possible."
I missed the first half of the sentence, but could pretty much fill in the first half.
"Dusk, you can name me that." I noted, talking more to myself as to Twilight.
I liked that name, it kind of popped up in my mind and it fitted my appearance.
Apart from that I liked the dusk most, ponies tended to be together and emit happy emotions that time of the day.
It also reminds me of Twilight, I thought, happy with the name I had chosen for myself.
"Okay then, Dusk, nice to meet you." She smiled but every fiber of her body screamed "awkward".
"So, now we do what?" I said what we were both thinking.
Some unknown amount of hours later I looked up from my book, we were trying to find a way to send me 'back' even though I didn't even know if I actually wanted to.
Being here, in the same room with a pony, a pony that actually knew you were there felt, nice? It popped up in my head and it seemed fit, 'content' also crossed my mind. We hadn't really talked, but we shared some words, eventually even feeling like what a normal day for a pony should be like.
A weird gurgling noise filled the room and I felt a strange pain in my lower abdomen. I stared at Twilight in terror, as I was afraid I might explode, or worse.
Seeing my face, she started to giggle. "Wow, it seems like we have skipped lunch!" I saw the unicorn getting up and walking to a room nearby, as if on auto-pilot I followed her, hearing the noise coming from her too, somehow relaxing me because it couldn't really be bad. She didn't emit worried feelings at least.
As I entered the room, "kitchen" it was called, I suddenly remembered. I saw Twilight taking some apples from a basket.
I didn't know a lot about everyday pony life, and was pretty oblivious about certain pony habits or why they existed, but even I could put 2 and 2 together.
"Food..." I sounded as if I had just discovered the most fantastic thing in all of Equestria, and Twilight's giggle made me blush. Shame, I hated it more than pain, it ate at me, even though I had only felt it twice in my whole life.
"Here," she said gently, flying the apple towards me "it should make you feel better." I took the apple with my magic and did what I had seen ponies do so many times, but never understanding why.
This was one of those feelings I could get used to, he thought as he tasted the sweetness of the apple. "Hmm" I emitted a sound from my vocal cords I could not place, 'hmm' wasn't a word, right? It reminded me of the sound I made when I got hit by the bookshelf.
"You told me about your powers, can you still use them?" I heard Twilight ask.
I swallowed the apple I still had in my mouth. "Well, I can still read your emotions, but to see if I could read thoughts I would have to touch you. I am obviously not intangible anymore, but maybe I can use my magic for that" Twilight looked at where my horn should be, "and I haven't tried flying either. I usually just floated, I don't think I had wings."
"And with reading minds, you mean like read thoughts?" she asked. "Yeah, if I touched a pony I can read their minds, hear what they think and feel. When I get inside them I can pretty much feel everything the exact way they do."
A short pause had emerged. "B-but I never did any of those things to you!" I felt my cheeks getting warm, as the wretched feeling of shame washed over me again."
"If you can use magic to become intangible, then that could still work, right?"
"I don't know." I responded, wondering if it might actually work.
I saw her lay a hoof on the table, I looked at her in confusion. Confusion was the feeling I had experienced the most of all, so it felt a bit reassuring, if that even makes sense.
"Come on, let's try if it works!"
I put my hoof on top of hers, I felt something, strong emotions. I tried focussing on them, they almost seemed too vivid.
I sensed happiness, the feeling of 'content' came rushing in, but more pure as ever. As I felt my cheeks getting warm again I sensed that the emotions weren't Twilight's, but mine!
I freaked out inside, I felt afraid, but somehow, I liked it. I looked at Twilight, wondering if I didn't accidentally fry her or something and noticed how her eyes had such a nice colour.
"Something wrong? You look afraid." She asked, with her pretty voice. "No, but it didn't work, sadly." I stated, but more wondering and shocked about what emotions and feelings were rushing through my newly acquired from, as thinking about my missing powers.
She pulled her hoof back, the emotions disappearing, it made me want to grab her hoof again.
I was searching my mind frantically (that was when I wasn't thinking of the pony in front of me), trying to find some information about these emotions. I must have possessed a pony that was feeling like this at least once, right?
The gears in my head grinded to a halt. I found the solution, I think I did but I didn't want it to.
Love...
I had sensed it in so many ways before, from a small foal daydreaming about a classmate, to a couple about to get married.
It felt similar, but I didn't want it to.
It was one of those emotions he could never place. Fear would make you fight or flee to save your life, so did anger. Happiness made you appreciate life and made you want to go on, even shame had a function for Celestia's sake!
But love, it was one of those few things that served no use in my perspective, it made ponies act weird, for the sole purpose of what seemed to me as a combination between a friendship and a family.
It was usually the one ponies loved that they used to procreate and raise their foals with, but I never understood why that couldn't just be done with any other pony.
I didn't understand it. I didn't want it
But oh Celestia I liked it!
"Are you still hungry?" Twilight snapped me out of my thoughts for what seemed the 1000th time today, she seemed oblivious about how I felt, her emotions still the same, and I gladly took another apple, trying to push away those emotions I didn't want.
She had been talking to me, I didn't hear a lot of it. I was lost in thought, as usual. She was saying something about a book she had read, I did want to listen to what she had to say but I had more important things in my head.
Why did I feel that stuff? Why didn't I want it? What to do with it? How am I able to keep her from finding out? Why was her mane so pretty?
I wanted to scold myself from trailing off to that again when I got this weird feeling, I knew what it was immediately.
I didn't like it at all.
There was a knock on the door, Twilight opened and there 'it' was.
I had always disliked her, whatever happened she always emitted negative emotions.
Fear, awkwardness, and the resented feeling of shame.
Even if good things would happen to her, a negative feeling would soon follow. I didn't like being around her.
"Oh, hi Fluttershy, come in!"
Twilight said to the yellow pegasus, she emitted good feelings, up to the moment she saw me, a stranger inside.
Fluttershy, I said to myself, remembering the name. Don't misunderstand me, I don't hate her, nor do I think she is evil or something like that.
I don't judge good and evil, simply because good to one is evil to another and vice versa. I could very well remember Discord and even though he brought chaos and misery, I liked being around him. The joy he emitted when he was playing tricks was something that I really appreciated.
I chuckled, remembering the amount of hunger my presence gave him, spreading joy to a pink pony that lived somewhere around here. I liked being around that pony too, she was always happy. I struggled to recall her name. Remembering the cotton candy clouds brought back positive memories.
I remember feeling 'content' about being able to change something about the 'real' world for once.
I looked at the yellow ball of fear staring at me from behind her bangs. I had been wanting to read her thoughts, find out why she felt like that. Just being near her made me uncomfortable, so I had decided to refrain from doing so.
If I had found out why, I could have helped her now. It's quite a shame, I thought resentful.
I heard a squeak from the pony in front of me. Twilight was pushing her along the floor, towards me.
"Don't be shy, he is a new friend of mine." Twilight stated, in a vain attempt at encouraging the pegasus.
At least I thought that would happen, pleasantly shocked when I felt some fear fade away. Apparently those assertiveness training Twilight was giving her had effect after all.
Or maybe the fact I was announced as a friend reassured her.
'Friend', I said to myself, that is a good thing, right?
"I'm, I'm F-Fluttershy." I heard her say, feeling more shy as fearful. Good progress in my opinion.
"Hey Fluttershy, I am..."
Crap...
I suck at names, not only forgetting the names of Twilights friends, that I actually saw quite often, I had just forgot my own. The realisation I made it up today didn't really comfort me.
I heard a cute laugh as I saw Twilight giggle at me.
"His name is Dusk." She said, winking at me.
I wanted to kill the butterflies in my stomach, but knew Fluttershy wouldn't really appreciate me doing so.
"Yeah, heheh, nice to meet you." I scratched my neck as I was trying to stop feeling ashamed about what had just happened.
It felt like Fluttershy and me had been staring at the floor in front of us for ages, I started wishing I had bangs like her to hide behind, as Twilight broke the silence.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Oh, yes, I just wanted to tell you Owlowiscious is doing fine, his neck isn't that stiff anymore, I will bring him back next week.... If that's not a problem, that is."
Not sure why she felt uncomfortable about that last part.
I liked the owl, he didn't feel a lot of emotions, and he looked rather silly when he couldn't turn his neck anymore.
I suspect a burnout.
I heard them say something, I was submerged in thought again.
I should stop doing that, I thought as I felt 4 eyes stare at me.
"Oh, err, sorry. I wasn't really paying attention." I smiled sheepishly.
The girls were giggling, why it was cute I can't tell. And before I realised, I was guided out of the library.
The sun was bright and warm. The ground felt rather smooth under my hooves and I smelled a cacophony of every smell available, from fresh pie to cart of manure.
My senses were overpowered by how vivid it all felt compared to entering a pony.
I actually like this, I thought, feeling a smile creep on my face.
"You are getting the official town tour!" I heard Twilight shout eagerly, drawing gazes from the town-folk.
As we walked through Ponyville, exchanging greetings with ponies I vaguely remember seeing before, I felt 'content' again, maybe even towards happy.
Twilight turned around in an attempt to get the silent pony to say anything. Fluttershy had just been following us along the road.
I felt a surge of energy going through me.
Immediately afterwards, I had the strange feeling that I was being watched. I looked to a stand selling vegetables of some sort, instead of expecting the vendor to be staring at me, I saw that it were the vegetables themselves staring at me.
I wanted to facehoof when I reminded myself that that was actually impossible. My brain got kicked out of my skull as a tornado started rambling my eardrums to shreds.
"I haven't seen you here before, what's your name? I'm Pinkie Pie!! I bake cupcakes at Sugarcube Corner and give the most super duper awesome fun parties, I could give you one if you want!"
The pounding on my ears stopped and for the first time since I saw the pair of eyes in the stand the pink pony was actually in one spot for more as a second.
"Err... Sure?" I said to the humongous smile that was way closer as what normal personal space allowed.
"Yes! It's going to be awesome, you won't regret choosing Pink Party Inc. for your personal welcome party Dusk!" She yelled in ecstasy, pulling us all in a group hug.
I would have liked being pushed against Twilight like this if I wouldn't be struggling not to choke.
As she bolted off, I made a realisation.
"How did she know my name?" I said to everypony around, including myself.
"She's just being Pinkie Pie, don't try to explain it." Twilight stated as if it was nothing special.
Wondering if I might have grown my name as a cutie mark on my flank, I saw I was guided towards a big and very bright building.
I knew what it was and who lived there, and I was wondering how a dress would look on me.
Rather silly, I suppose.
Twilight knocked on the door. It flew open by magic and we were called in. What I saw was a white unicorn, very busy with a piece of brown cloth, and an orange earth pony watching her work. Judging from the tone of both Twilight and Fluttershy, it wasn't common to find her in the boutique.
"Applejack, what are you doing here?"
Ah yes, Applejack, now for the white one. Something with an R...
I had to note that the white unicorn looked very pretty. Not as pretty as Twilight of course, but I could see very well that she took a lot of time every morning to look as good as possible.
AJ, on the other hand looked like she had never really seen a comb. There was something that drew my attention, she was missing something. I couldn't put my hoof on it.
She also felt less excited as most other ponies I had met. Her mindset was kind of neutral, I preferred it over the unicorn's. Her emotions were swaying all over the place, from happy to irritated in the blink of an eye.
"Oh, I am so very sorry Twilight, Applejack here asked me to fix her hat."
That answered my question fairly easily...
She turned to Applejack with a stern look on her face, floating the fixed hat towards her.
"I still don't see why you like this old rag so much, as my friend you deserve to get the finest fashion available. Oh you would look absolutely fabulous with one of my latest spring hats, why don't you try one on for me!"
Applejack, not prepared to wear anything remotely fabulous shrugged. Then proceeded to casually fling her hat back on her head.
"Ah just find it really comfy, y'all shouldn't worry about having fancy hats."
Both ponies turned to look at the three of us.
"Oh I am so sorry sir, I didn't see you coming in, can I be of your assistance?"
I looked over my shoulder to see the pony she was talking to, but couldn't see him.
"Oh no, Rarity, he's with me."
Oh, she was talking about me.
"Ah yes, of course. My name is Rarity, nice to meet you."
A friendly smile as she walked towards me, radiating confidence.
"Well, nice to meet you too Rarity, I'm Dusk." I proceeded to nod at Applejack.
"Ah'm Applejack, pleasure." And a slight nod in return.
"I must say your coat looks absolutely extraordinary." Kind of off-put by this remark of the unicorn, all I could do was make a confused sound.
"Those colours, I have never seen anything quite like it. If you don't mind me asking, is it all natural?"
Good question actually. My body was made by Twilight's spell, for as far as I know. Is that considered natural?
"Um, yeah, I guess so?"
"It's simply divine," (she apparently missed or ignored my hesitation) "so special! It would open up so many new colour patterns to use in my line of suits."
I sent a desperate look towards Twilight, hoping she could silence her.
Being looked at was also a thing I didn't like that much.
She just smiled and nodded.
Dammit...
"Would you mind me making you a suit, I could make you look absolutely stunning."
The hopeful twinkle in her eyes, I could feel some sort of nervousness in her too. As if she was afraid to get a no.
And apart from that, how bad could it be?
I mean, maybe I would look as stunning as she said. Maybe Twilight would think that too.
Not that again...
"Ehm, sure, I mean. It would be an honour to wear one of your creations."
Maybe a bit of over-stroking of one's ego?
The hopeful twinkle turned into one of utter focus. She started running tape measures all over me, not sure if some privacy had been broken, I suddenly heard a chuckle in the corner.
"Y'all startin' to look like some kind of mummy."
"Oh haha Applejack, refrain from being childish, will you."
I felt hostility, deeper as this single incident, but not as deep as hate.
They are too different not to cause friction I figured.
"Ah should be headin' back to the farm anyway, trees not gunna buck 'emselves. Big Mac could use the help."
"Bye." 4 voices chimed back at Applejack, causing some grins.
"Btw. See y'all at Pinkie's party t'night. Any idea why she's throwin' it?"
"New guy in town." Twilight replied, nodding at me.
Goodbyes were exchanged once again, and the farm pony left the building, taking the faint smell of hay and sweat with her.
"So, where are you from actually?"
Rarity asked me, done with the measuring apparently.
I didn't know what to say, tell the truth or make up some story about where I came from.
"It's quite a long story, actually. I think I will tell it later tonight, instead of 5 separate times."
Happy about how I just bought some more time, I wondered why Fluttershy and Applejack hadn't asked.
Pinkie simply didn't have time to ask...
Or she had somehow figured out, she knew my name too.
I should ask her about my past sometime.
Wondering if that made any sense, Fluttershy broke the silence.
"I-I'm sorry but I really have to go back."
She murmured something about her animals, and alone at home, and she shuffled towards the door.
"See you tonight, Fluttershy." I waved at her, she replied something inaudible and the purple-maned mares said their goodbyes too.
Sitting, we were looking at rarity work. She was drawing suits on pieces of paper.
They all looked great to me, but somehow she threw them all away.
Apparently I don't know fashion.
A short while later, Twilight broke the silence.
"Rarity, I think we should be heading off too, it's almost dinner time."
"Ah, yes, I still have a lot of work to do, see you both tonight."
Scribbling on a piece of paper, she didn't look up as we left the boutique.
"Your friends are weird."
Crap... Di-did I just say that out loud!
Instead of an angry Twilight, as I had expected, I heard her giggle.
"Yeah, they can be quite weird sometimes, but it's what makes them great."
Why is that smile so pretty?
Brain, shut up.
"So, shall we grab something to eat?"
"Sure!"
I wasn't really hungry, but I didn't really mind.
Maybe it would mean some time alone with Twilight.
SHUT UP BRAIN!!!
So close.
Almost at the library.
Now I'm being introduced to an excited pegasus with an ego big enough to have its own train seat.
The confidence poured out of the rainbow coloured pegasus as she told me about herself.
That same radiating confidence felt good, though her story hurt my ears.
"...and Pinkie told me you were Dusk, am I right?."
"Yeah, that's me."
"She told me not to ask about your past, something with you telling at the party, what's with that?"
Her look of confusion must have matched mine.
How could Pinkie know?
"It's quite a long story, otherwise I had to keep repeating it."
"But! Pinkie asked me to get some stuff, so I should be on my way again!"
After exchanging goodbyes, she flew off. Taking the one-sided conversation with her.
Twilight and I proceeded to enter the library, but something felt odd.
I sensed emotions again, happy ones, expecting ones and excited ones.
But what worried me most, was how pressuring it felt. Like there was a big crowd nearby.
I was trying to put the puzzle together as Twilight guided me into the dark library...
