The Singer's Quest

“That’s FANTASTIC!” The pink one shouted while hopping excitedly. “We have to have a party, now!”

My face went white and I got somber. “Party?” I thought. My mind instantly went to Grayson’s hosted loud events with a lot of drinking… and kicking. I began to weep.

“No. Please. I don’t want to have a party…” I covered my face in my hooves again, as she pulled them off my dripping eyes and dragged me down a path towards what looked like more buildings. She went ON AND ON about how she has many friends and I should meet them, how I would “fit in” and where I could stay for a while. She spoke quite highly of one named Twilight Sparkle and how she moved here, too.
I gave in. I guess friends are better than being locked in one place and hit.
We arrived at a magnificent library… in a tree.
“Wait here!” The bouncy, extremely excited for no reason pony said as she rushed and pounded on the door of the wondrous tree. I promptly sat about ten feet back from the steps, poking at the ground with my hooves.
A purple unicorn answered. “Pinkie, what is it? I’m entirely busy… can this wait?”
Pinkie got sort of… upset with her greeting “TWILIGHT! There is a pony over there and… I need to plan a party for her. Could you pretty please with cupcakes on top watch her for a teensie weensie bit? I bet you’ll have loads of things to talk about or she can help you do whatever it is you do!”
Pinkie stepped to the side and pointed at me.
Twilight waved, and began to speak again. “You know, I have Spike for that. You know how he gets.”

Pinkie whispered into her ear, and Twilight facial expression changed from annoyance to distress, then immediately changed her mind.

“Excuse me, why don’t you come in for a while? Any friend of Pinkie’s is a friend of mine.”
I nodded, and trotted past Pinkie into the lovely library home.
“I’ll be back later! You girls have fun!” Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced off into a random direction.
After taking one step inside, Twilight shut the door and I found myself in a room filled with shelves. She and another small purple creature pushed a small sofa towards me. I felt inclined to sit upon it, so I did.
“Umm. Hi.” I sheepishly said.
“Hi. I’m Twilight. Pinkie said something about you running away this morning and recently getting your cutie mark?” She said as she dragged a stool across the room with her magic and sat hastily upon it.
“She talks really fast, if that is what she whispered about.” I looked out the window blankly, for I did not really feel like talking.
“Well, yes. Would you like to talk about it?”
“I don’t like others. I really don’t want to have a party. I don’t like to talk.” I shifted to lay on my back and stare at the celling, noting the texture.
“I was afraid of that. I think it stems from possible abuse.”
“What’s that?”
“When… someone, an older person, possibly an authority figure, hits you or hurts your feelings to the point where you…”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean, yes?”
“Yes. That happened. A lot. Which is why I left.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
“What’s your cutie mark mean?”
“Music.”
“What about it?”
I started to sing my mother’s song to her. She watched in awe as the music swirled around her, and then I pushed the swirling musical staff into her. Her eyes glowed bright blue as she sang it near perfectly back to me.
“That is astounding. I have never seen something like that, even with the most musical of ponies. We really should celebrate finding you. “
“But I don’t like other ponies. I do not want a party.”
“Even I like parties. It may not look like it, because there are so many books around, but it will be fun.”
“I… guess I’ll try.”
Twilight returned to her usual business and ushered the purple creature to leave me alone.
“Spike, she looks exhausted. Let her rest a bit. It takes a lot of energy for someone in her condition to handle social interaction.” She waved him over to a different doorway across the way and I shifted on the couch to get comfortable. I closed my eyes and heaved out a giant sigh, as my mind began to wander, as it usually does before falling into a deep slumber.
I was having a wondrous dream about being back at my home, no Grayson to be heard and playing my flute. The sun was shining brilliantly through my window and I finally felt at peace.
I was shaken a bit, and awoke to a room of a lot of brightly colored ponies. Pinkie was in my face as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
“Wake up!” She shouted excitedly as she shook me again. “It’s time for your party, uhh… What’s your name?”
“Singspiel.” I blankly replied as I scanned the room. No big drunk colts. Good. Some cakes on the side of the room, a bowl of purple drink-like stuff, little fillies, ponies, and a few pegasi as well as a couple unicorns.
Pinkie picked me up with ease and held me in the air. “I found her and she’s special!” she exclaimed.
Everyone stomped their hooves excitedly and started eating. As she sat me down, I began to feel anxious because there were so many others in this seemingly tiny room. I ran to one side and was confronted by a cyan, rainbow-haired pony.
“What’s the hurry? Sit down, have some punch.” She set her hoof on my shoulder and tried to hand me a cup.
“I. Ugh. No. I gotta…” I stuttered as I broke free and backed towards a corner. “No. I do not like parties. There are too many others and I do not desire for interaction.” I thought to myself as I hid in my hooves again.
“Girl. You just ran into me.” A voice behind me said calmly, yet sternly.
I jumped due to being startled and turned slowly. There was a dark red Pegasus with jet black messy hair sitting in the corner where I was going to hide. He looked a lot older than me. Maybe 12 versus my 8.
I quickly apologized and searched for another place to hide.
“No. Don’t worry. Sit with me. No one ever does…” He solemnly said as he hung his head down. That is when I noticed he also wore glasses.
I hesitantly sat next to him. He’s got issues with people like me, I guess. Birds of a feather flock together, or something.
“I don’t like others.” I told him without making eye contact.
“Why are you at a party, then?” He inquired.
“Pinkie threw this for me, and I didn’t even want it.” I stated while hiding my face.
“She never really… listens.” He replied
I nodded, and then searched his side closest to me for a cutie mark. Nothing. He set a hoof over my shoulder to give me a side-hug and I almost completely lost my mind. I whimpered a bit, thinking he was going to hit me. He must have noticed this, because he withdrew his hoof and whispered in my ear.
“I am not going to hurt you. I never will. I promise.”
I felt a strange… calming sensation. Then, I hugged him. He was solid and warm. I’ve never really hugged a boy before, and I got really bad tinglies in my little belly. I gazed into his eyes to notice they were a brilliant yellow.
“See, that’s not so bad.” He reassured me while he patted my springy hair. “My name is Psyreo.”
“My name’s…”
“I know your name. Everyone does, now.” He interrupted.
“You must live down here, then. How do you function with all these happy ponies? I mean, you seem a lot like me and I can barely handle being in this room, let alone in a whole town filled with probably more of them.”
“1, yes, I am very much like you. And 2, I don’t live here. I live in Cloudsdale.” He replied.
“How did you inquire and hence make it to this gathering, then?”
“It was a mistake of somepony’s timing. I really shouldn’t be here.”
“What? Why?” I scanned the room a second time, and the others were starting to stare at me and Psyreo as if he was doing something dreadfully wrong.
“They don’t like me. I came here with Rainbow Dash.” He whispered. “You better go talk to another pony to make it seem like I’m not corrupting you or something.”
I agreed to his seemingly silly request and got up to talk to somepony else.
I found a group of three very little fillies. A little orangey Pegasus, A white unicorn, similar to me, and a yellow earth pony. They all jumped around me with excitement while they pestered and bombarded me with questions.
“What’s your cutie mark mean?”
“How’d you get it?”
“Your hair is pretty!”
“Are you magical?”
“Where are you from?”
“Why were you talking to that Psycho guy?”
I extended my leg to halt their bouncy annoyances. They stopped abruptly and hit the ground with a thud.
“I’m not from here, I’m from… I don’t really know. My cutie mark is music. And I was talking to Psyreo because he is… nice. His name isn’t Psycho. And he isn’t. ” I replied with a snoody annoyed air.
“Yes he is! He hurts people and he’s really weird. He mumbles to himself and no one likes him!” The orange one said matter-of-fact-ly.
I glanced over at him for a small moment, and he was holding his head and looked like he was in tremendous pain… I couldn’t help but feel distressed.
“And you HUGGED HIM?!” The white unicorn squeaked while jumping to get my attention from Psyreo. “That’s really not good.”
“I’m gonna tell my big sis! She won’t like that!” the yellow one chimed as she imitated the unicorn by jumping again.
I couldn’t handle this newfound disappointment and turned around to speak to somepony else. I looked into their faces and couldn’t take their stares… I decided to hide again. This time, I found a tiny dark closet and fell asleep on a pile of raincoats.