It was a dark and stormy night...
Twilight Sparkle was tidying up the library for about the fiftieth time that day. There had been so little to do lately that she just didn't know what to do with herself and had resorted to menial chores as her only form of occupying her mind. She would have tried reading, but she had already read every book in the Ponyville library and was not in the mood for repeats. The fact that it was cold and stormy outside only served to add to the unicorn's frustration, as it meant that she couldn't go for a walk or gaze at the stars like she often did on restless nights. In essence, she was trapped and could find no way of escape.
“You could try writing a book,” suggested her friend Spike, who assisted her in the library.
“Spike, you know I don't have the patience or the creativity for that!” said Twilight, knocking her head against a wooden wall. “Besides, why would I even want to? Once I had written the book, I'd never read it, because I'd already know what it said!” She began to walk around in a circle, looking around for anything to keep her busy.
“Hey, Twi,” Spike said a few minutes later, “did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” she asked. They both silenced themselves and listened for any peculiar sound, but neither of them could hear anything but the rain outside.
“I could've sworn I heard somepony sneeze,” said Spike with a shrug. “I guess I was just imagining things.” They both went back to doing nothing in their own particular fashions, Twilight pacing the floor, and Spike trying to sleep.
After a while, Twilight thought she heard something.
“Spike, wake up,” she said. “I think I hear something too.” The baby dragon rubbed his eyes sleepily.
“It's probably just the wind,” he said.
“No, listen!” Again, the two hushed and listened for a sound. This time, they actually did hear something. It sounded like the chattering of a pony's teeth just outside the front door. The dragon and pony looked at each other momentarily and then quickly scrambled to open the door and see who was out there. Twilight looked down to see a white unicorn colt with a black mane and a horribly disfigured face, completely soaking wet, and shivering from the cold.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed in shock. “How long have you been out there? Come inside quickly before you catch your death!” Shakily, he brought himself to his feet and, with a bit of help, stepped inside. Twilight quickly teleported herself upstairs, grabbed some towels from a drawer, then teleported back down again and immediately began to dry off the soaking colt. He sneezed and then sat down, apparently too weak to remain standing. “Spike, please prepare some hot tea for our guest,” the unicorn mare instructed her assistant, and the little dragon immediately ran off to put on the kettle. Twilight then returned her attention to the newcomer.
“Now then,” she said, “I am Twilight Sparkle, and I live here in the Ponyville library. If you don't mind, could you please tell me who you are and what you were doing outside on a stormy night?” The colt, who seemed to be shivering from more than just the cold, swayed a bit, trying to steady himself.
“H-hi,” he managed to say through his shaky breath. “I... I'm Jeffy.” Then he couldn't seem to hold himself upright any longer, and he was laying on the floor, quickly slipping into unconsciousness.
“Spike!” Twilight yelled. The dragon came running to see what was wrong.
“What is it, Twilight?” he asked, concerned.
“He just passed out!” she said with shock. “Help me get him upstairs to the bed.” The little dragon complied, although Twilight could see that he was nervous. She guessed that it might have had something to do with the frightening scars on the colt's – Jeffy's, she corrected herself – face. She didn't like to admit it, even to herself, but she really couldn't blame him. Those scars were making her uncomfortable too. Now, Twilight, she told herself, he can't help that his face is scarred. It's not fair to judge somepony by their appearance. I'm sure Jeffy is a very normal, very nice young colt who has just been through some terrible mishap. She nodded to herself and decided that she would do whatever she could to help him.
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“So, his name's Jeffy, and that's all you got out of him before he passed out?” Apple Jack asked with concern. “Where'd he come from?” It was morning, and Twilight had gathered her five best friends to help her figure out what to do with the mysterious unicorn colt who had collapsed at her front door the night before.
“I don't know,” replied Twilight. “I found him last night and brought him in out of the rain. Then he just collapsed. I think he has pneumonia, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get him to the hospital or even if that's a good idea. Does anypony have any ideas?”
Jeffy stirred in the bed, beginning to regain consciousness. “Mommy?” Twilight thought she heard him say, although she couldn't be sure because he was so quiet.
“Jeffy,” she said, “it's me, Twilight. You're in the Ponyville library. Do you remember anything from last night?” His eyes focused after a moment, and he was aware of six other ponies in the room, three of them standing around the bed where he lay. He recognized the purple unicorn from the night before, but the other unicorn and the earth pony were strangers.
“How're ya feelin'?” asked the orange mare with the cowboy hat. Jeffy put a hoof to his forehead and tried to sit up, only to be gently pushed back onto the pillow by Twilight.
“Don't try to get up,” she warned him. “You're really sick, and you need your rest if you're going to get better.” He started to open his mouth in protest but then thought better of it and did what she said. He nodded weakly.
Then the three mares turned to face away from him, but he saw the white unicorn with the diamonds on her ass – Why do ponies have those? he wondered – lean in closer to Twilight and whisper something to her.
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“What are you planning on doing with him until he gets better?” asked Rarity. “Surely you aren't planning on keeping him here in the library.”
“Where else is he going to go?” Twilight stated. It was really less of a question and more of a statement that the colt had nowhere else to go. “As long as he needs to be cared for and has no place else to stay, the library is open to him.”
“But Darling, doesn't he frighten you? I'm not trying to be mean, but... just look at him.”
“It's true he does look a little scary,” the librarian admitted, “but that's no reason to judge him. He's so young; what threat could he possibly be? Don't you remember the lesson we learned from Zecora about not judging a book by its cover? I think we should give Jeffy that same courtesy, don't you?”
“Twilight's right,” said Apple Jack. “I'll admit, his scarred up face does freak me out a little bit, but he is just a colt, and besides, we haven't really got to know the poor guy yet. I'll bet he's really a decent fellow if we'd just give 'im a chance.”
“Oh, I suppose you're right,” said Rarity. “I just can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable around him. I hope the poor dear doesn't take it personally.” She looked over at the bed, and her face showed her concern and pity. “And I promise I will really try not to let my discomfort show,” she added.
“So that's settled then,” said Twilight. The others looked at her questioningly. “You are going to help me take care of him, right?”
“Oh yeah, of course,” the other two both agreed. The three of them put their hooves together in the middle of them in a sign of mutual trust and teamwork, and they all smiled at each other.
On the other side of the room, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were also discussing the colt.
“I don't know about you guys,” said Rainbow Dash, “but I think those scars on his face make him look super tough and wicked cool. It's just too bad he doesn't fit that picture laying in bed sick.” Fluttershy thought that was a bit unfair.
“The poor thing just needs some tender love and care to get him back on his feet is all,” she said. “As for the scars on his face, he was probably in some terrible accident. Oh, I feel so sorry for him thinking of how much that must have hurt. We should try to be understanding about it, Dash, instead of putting labels on him before we even know him.”
“But Fluttershy,” Dash argued. “He's a unicorn. If he didn't want the scars, don't you think he could have just healed himself with magic and been pretty again?”
“Not necessarily. Twilight said healing spells can take a while to learn, and this pony looks pretty young.”
“Well, he's still obviously a badass,” the cyan pegasus stubbornly persisted.
“I think we should throw him a welcoming party!” squeaked Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked at her like she was crazy, and she added "you know... when he gets better." The other two then looked at each other and shrugged. She was just being typical Pinkie Pie, they figured; they couldn't blame her for being who she was.
The pink pony trotted over for a closer look at the sleeping colt, and her eyes immediately widened.
“Oooh!” she squealed. “He's got a big --”
“Pinkie!” Twilight said in shock. She had never known her friend to behave this way before, and it was like looking at her for the first time.
“Well, he does,” Pinkie insisted, totally unashamed. Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned, thinking Why do I even bother trying to talk sense with Pinkie Pie around?
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Pinkie, you are disgusting.” Pinkie giggled.
“Oh, Dashie,” she said, laying a hoof on her friend's shoulder, “you only say that because you like mares. If you liked stallions, would you not be impressed by the size of that thing?”
Ahem! Twilight interrupted her again. “Shouldn't we be focusing on a way to get him feeling better instead of on the proportions of his anatomy?” There was a collective muttered agreement from everypony in the room, including Pinkie Pie, who was finally showing some signs of embarrassment for her behavior. After a few awkward moments, Fluttershy cleared her throat.
“Umm, Twilight?” she asked shyly in typical Fluttershy fashion. “Where will he be staying while he's getting better?”
“Well,” said Twilight, “he's already here in the library, and I'm not sure if it's a good idea to move him while he's so sick.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, “but Twilight, you only have one bed, and if he's sleeping in it, where will you be? On the floor?”
“My house has extra beds,” said Fluttershy. “He could stay with me once he is well enough to move there. I'd take good care of him.” Twilight Sparkle smiled.
“I know you would, Fluttershy,” she said, “and I'm sure he would be very grateful. Once he's rested for a bit, you can ask him if you want.”
“Okay,” agreed the yellow pegasus with a warm smile. “I would rather offer up one of my beds than have you be without one.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” her friend said, and she hugged her.
And so it was decided that Jeffy the unicorn colt would go to stay in the cottage of Fluttershy for the duration of his recovery. It also soon became apparent that Pinkie Pie felt responsible for keeping him entertained while he was bedridden, as she would visit often and bring balloons, sweet but healthy snacks, and other devices of cheer for him. Best of all, he thought, was that nopony seemed to fear or judge him, and nopony questioned him about his scars.
“Hey Jeffy, do you feel like going outside today?” asked Pinkie Pie.
The unicorn had been wandering around Fluttershy's house looking for things to do, and she thought he looked pretty bored.
“Pinkie, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea,” Fluttershy said quietly. “What if he gets sick again?”
“Oh, he'll be fine,” assured the pink earth pony. “Won'tcha, Jeffy?”
“I'm fine, Pinkie,” said the unicorn, looking up from a book about wild cats he had found on one of Fluttershy's bookshelves.
“But there's nothing to do here!” she insisted. “Wouldn't you like to go have a look around the town? I mean, you've already been here for two weeks, and the only two places you've seen are the library and Fluttershy's house.”
“Pinkie, I said I'm fine. There's no need.” Jeffy's ears laid back against his head in frustration. He had only known the pink pony for two weeks, but he had already figured out that it was nearly impossible to talk sense into her once she had a crazy idea stuck in her head. If he was going to avoid the town, his best option was to cut her off from the idea before she got to the point of insistence. Pinkie sighed and flopped down onto Fluttershy's couch.
“Darn it,” she said, “and I was planning on a welcoming party today.” Jeffy snorted.
“I'd hate to miss that,” he said sarcastically. Neither of the other ponies noticed his sarcasm, though, and he mentally slapped himself for having accidentally just planted the idea that he might want a party. He really hoped she wouldn't take him seriously.
“Oh, don't worry,” Pinkie cheerfully assured him. “You won't.” Jeffy rolled his eyes and groaned.
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“So tell me again why I'm out here with you...”
Somehow, Pinkie had managed to get Jeffy out of Fluttershy's house for a walk, and now they were entering the town. Jeffy was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat in an attempt to shield his face, but he still felt uneasy in such a public area.
“We're going to visit Twilight Sparkle,” she reminded him. “I figured the three of us could have lunch together. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you in better health.”
Jeffy sighed and said “Fine. Let's go see Twilight Sparkle.”
“Oki doki loki!” Pinkie squeaked cheerfully, bouncing up and down. Jeff wondered if anypony else in town was as weirded out by the pink mare-filly's antics as he was.
She led him to the center of town, where a huge oak tree grew. That is the biggest damn tree I have ever seen in my entire life, he thought. Upon a closer inspection, he noticed that the tree had windows and a door. That's a house?
“Welp! Here we are,” announced his guide. “Ponyville library!” Jeffy was surprised.
“The library is in a tree?” he asked? "I don't remember it being a tree..."
“Well, duh!” said Pinkie. “I don't see any other place to call a library around here; do you? Don't you recognize it from the night Twilight found you?”
“Well, it was pretty dark,” pointed out the colt, “and my mind was a bit cloudy at the time.”
“Well, that's alright,” she said, “because now that you're all better and it's broad daylight, you can get the grand tour! I'll show you.” She grinned at him. Jeffy wasn't so sure how he felt about that, but she had been nice to him so far, and since she seemed to be his only friend so far, he didn't really feel like upsetting her, so he agreed.
“Sure,” was all he said. Together they stepped into the library.
“Oh, Twilight!” Pinkie called out to her friend. “I brought someone to see you!”
“Just a minute, Pinkie!” Twilight called from another room. When she stepped into the room, there was a surprised look on her face. “Oh, hey Jeffy,” she said in a friendly tone. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah,” he said, then added “mostly.” Twilight looked accusingly at Pinkie, who only grinned and shrugged. The unicorn mare decided not to pursue the issue and just let it slide.
“Well it's good to see you up and about,” she said to the colt. “I was just on my way out to lunch. Would you two like to join me?”
“Sure!” Pinkie agreed wholeheartedly. “We were just going to ask you the same thing! We would have if you hadn't beat us to it, right Jeffy?” Pinkie put one of her forelegs over Jeffy's shoulder to indicate that the two of them had been in the plan together all along, although Jeffy himself was clearly uninvolved.
"Right," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, then let's go," Twilight said cheerfully, and the three of them all stepped back out of the library and into the street.
At Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie led her friends to a table, and they sat down.
"Twilight, would you come with me up to the counter?" the pink pony asked innocently. "I might need help carrying the food."
"Sure, Pinkie," replied the purple unicorn. "Jeffy, you stay here and save our table." On the way to the counter she turned to Pinkie and asked "Exactly how much food are we getting?"
Pinkie glanced around and leaned in close to her friend. "I just said that because I wanted to ask you for some advice," she said.
"Advice? What sort of advice do I need to be in line at the Sugarcube Corner to give you?" Twilight was confused.
"I just didn't want Jeffy to hear," explained the younger mare, "because, umm... it's about him."
"Oh?" Her friend was slightly shocked. "What's going on, Pinkie Pie?"
"I just, umm... well..." Pinkie stammered awkwardly for a moment before taking a deep breath and asking, finally, "Twilight, how do you tell a colt you like him?"
"What?" The unicorn must have been a bit louder than she intended, because her friend quickly shushed her.
"Twilight!" she whispered loudly, "Do you want him to hear us?"
"I'm sorry, Pinkie; it's just that, umm... I never expected you to ask me for advice like that. I don't get out much, you know."
"But surely you've read books about it, right? Rainbow Dash says you read books about absolutely everything, so I figured there had to be at least one book you've read that says how to tell a colt you like him!" The pink pony's eyes were wide and pleading, and Twilight hated to disappoint her friend, so she thought really hard about it for a moment.
"Well..." she finally said, putting a hoof to her chin and looking off over her shoulder, "I don't know much about this sort of thing, but I think maybe it would be best if you just sort of, you know... tell him." Pinkie's jaw dropped.
"Oh, but Twilight, I could never do that; I'd be way too nervous!" After a pause, she seemed to suddenly have thought of an idea. "I know! You tell him." She smiled and looked at her friend hopefully, but now it was Twilight's turn to look awkward and uncomfortable.
"Pinkie, I don't know..."
"Pleeeeeaase, Twilight?" The unicorn sighed and lowered her head.
"Fine." Pinkie squeeed and hugged her.
"Thanks, Twilight; you're the best!"
When Twilight and Pinkie Pie got back to the table -- carrying two large boxes of cupcakes, Jeffy was surprisingly un-shocked to see -- Jeffy noticed that Pinkie seemed to be acting a bit stranger than usual. He decided to ignore it and go about his business of eating cupcakes (which he really doubted were as nutritious as these horses seemed to believe they were. Why are we eating this for lunch? he wondered with a bit of concern).
After a while of eating and attempting to make small talk with their new friend, the two mares looked at each other, and Pinkie nudged twilight with her hoof, clearing her throat. The unicorn mare put down the cupcake she had been about to take a bite of and turned toward the colt.
"Pinkie has something she wants you to know," she said. Jeffy's ears pricked forward. Oh dear; what was this? With a roll of her eyes and a heavy sigh, Twilight confessed what her younger friend was holding back.
"Jeffy, Pinkie likes you."
His jaw dropped.
His ears lay flat against his skull. How could this happen? He didn't want to hurt these ponies because of the kindness they'd shown him, but he was definitely not comfortable crossing the friendliness line with any of them, especially that hyper pink one.
"That's, uhh... nice, Pinkie," he said, "but I, uhh... gotta go. Where's the restroom?"
"Just around that corner," said Pinkie, pointing a hoof in indication of the direction.
"Yeah..." Jeffy said, backing away from the table. He turned and walked toward the restroom normally, but once he was sure he was out of their sight, he made his escape from the restaurant and took off at a gallop in the first random direction he could. He had no idea where he was going, but all that mattered was that he was away from Pinkie Pie and any awkward situation that might come from being around her.
He slowed to a trot and eventually stopped for a breath in sight of a relatively large, fancy-looking building. A white unicorn with a purple mane was busy sweeping dust out of the doorway when she spotted him.
Oh, no, he thought, another one of Pinkie Pie's friends... He wanted to keep running, but it was too late.
"Jeffy!" called out Rarity in a fawning tone that he highly suspected was fake. "You seem to have made a wonderful recovery. Oh, how marvelous it is to see you out of the house!" Yep, he decided, definitely fake.
"Uhh... yeah," he answered. "Pinkie Pie thought I was bored, so she sort of... dragged me out here." He shifted on his hooves and and looked around a bit. Rarity seemed to notice his discomfort at being out in the open, because she generously stepped aside and held the door open for him.
"Won't you come in, dear?" she offered with a smile that only looked about twenty percent forced. Jeffy looked around him once more and, seeing no place else to go, he nodded and stepped inside.
