My Little Yandere: Painful Magic

>"Alright, do you have it now?"
"I think so."
>"Give it a try now."
"Ok."
>>Hello book. My name is Anon. I am writing to you with a quill Twilight provided me with. It isn't mine to keep but that's ok. I want one that compliments hers.
>Your head goes foggy and you drop the quill
>Twilight catches it in time, enveloping it with a gorgeous purple aura
>You only managed to push the quill along while keeping it straight up
>She really grasps it
>"Well..."
>My purple mentor appraises my work
>"Oh geeze... I wrote better in magic kindergarten!"
>That hurts
>You hang your head with a sigh
"Is it that bad... I'm sorry Twilight. I just can't... I wrap my head around it. And it feels like it's taking everything to focus. I don't know how you do it."
>Twilight spins her quill around, letting it write what she speaks in the air
>Trace amounts of purple form words that last for only a second but long enough to wow you
>"Oh, don't you worry about me! I've been using magic since forever ago! And you're still really new to everything too..."
>It's true
>You really don't remember anything except that you've been Twilight's student for
>For a while?
>It can't have been that long
>"By the way, Anon. Have you been having any dreams? Nightmares?"
>Feeling your head start to clear up, you nod
"A few. One where you bit me."
>Twilight's quill stops in mid-air
>"...b-bit you?"
"Yeah. It was kinda weird."
>Twilight gives you a funny sounding laugh
>"Must've been those books you were reading!"
>I nod
>It sounds reasonable
>You learned to read by reading books that Twilight, herself, wrote
>Some of them are really wild but they're all great
>You look down at yourself, idly scraping a hoof against the wooden floor
"Hey Twilight... when you leave and go upstairs. Can I come with you this time?"
>Twilight giggles, her quill again moving in the air to write her spoken words
>It really has helped you to speak and read
>"Why? Do you really miss me so?"
>You feel a bit embarrassed but you don't hide it
"W-well... of course I do... without you, I'm lonely. I can't speak to the books like I can with you."
>You would know
>You've tried speaking to a few
>Twilight said they wouldn't answer but you felt like you had to at least try
>She giggles and trots to you, leaning against your side
>"Oh Anon... you can't just yet. But you know that I do love you. I would never let you be alone for too long."
>Every time she said those words, you get a funny feeling in your chest
>She said that those words are far more magical than any spell she could cast
>You know for a fact that you couldn't cast such a spell so easily
>Not when it has such a powerful effect on you
"I know..."
>"Listen.. how about I go upstairs, get us some food, and we can have a date dinner here?"
>Your eyes widen
>You can feel the tip of your horn spark with the faintest color of green
"A... a date?"
>Another strong word that you were told contained magic
>She giggles and rubs her face against your neck
>"That's right...! Just you and me..."
>You couldn't say 'no' to her
>Never
>Especially not with something like this
"In... in that case, I'll wait for as long as you need!"
>After further nuzzling, she distances herself from you
>"That sounds fantastic! Now practice reading some more and before you know it, I'll be back with the best dinner ever!"
>Twilight explained cooking to you once
>She's a master chef too
"Alright! I'll get back to it!"
>Twilight beams and trots away, up the staircase that quickly raises up and closes off the entrance to your room
>With her gone, your room is dreadfully silent again
>You have a nice bed, of course
>And a lot of really nice candles set up that are bright enough to read by with no problem
>The wood, walls, and ceiling are all really nice looking wood that smells pleasant
>But no windows
>You still don't really know what's outside of your room
>You want to read, as she requested you do, but you want to wait for... at least another second
>Just in case she forgets something
>Eventually, she does come back down, a pair of large, shiny platters hovering above her
>Held in place by her magic, of course
>She smiles and looks a little surprised to see you
>"Anon!"
"Huh?"
>"What's wrong?"
"What? What do you mean, Twilight?"
>She quickly sets the platters down on a wide table that forms from the wood that makes up the floor of your room
>She rubs her face against yours
>"You're crying. You didn't just sit there and wait for me again, did you?"
"I... I was?"
>You didn't even know you could cry
>You read about what crying was, of course
>In one of the books Twilight wrote
>But you didn't know that you could do it
>"Don't worry... I'll make it up to you. I just sometimes forget how much you need me."
>She sounds like she's making fun of you
>But you know she isn't
"I'm sorry Twilight."
>"Oh Anon... don't be. I'm here now. All you need is me. And all I need is you."
>It takes a while before she stops soothing you but she does eventually finish
>"Now then. Dinner date time, right?"
"Yeah... yeah, it is!"
>Eating was still a little difficult
>But it's fun
>And it tastes good too
>The food, anyway
>Eating is the process of... eating food
>Twilight said it involves things like systems and multiple steps but it went over your head
>She melts away the lids and reveals a wide array of colorful types of food
>Some of it smells better than others
>Some of it definitely tastes better than others
>But it's all good
"Oh wow... you really are amazing, Twilight."
>"Anon, you're too much!"
>Twilight covers her mouth with her hoof and giggles
>"It's just... a little something I do. Cooking is one of my many talents, after all!"
>Cooking, writing, reading, eating, and magic
>Twilight has a lot of really great talents
>"Now then... shall we?"
"We shall!"
>You watch her use her magic to eat like it's nothing
>You kinda zone out for a second too
>How does she manage to do everything at once?
>After a few bites, she looks at you
>With a funny smile she stops
"S-sorry Twilight. I..."
>"It's ok, Anon. I understand! Here, open up?"
>Your jaw drops without second thought
>A portion of food from your own platter slides into your mouth
>Your mouth closes and you begin to eat
>She sighs and looks at you
>She looks happy
>So you're happy
>She focuses between eating, herself, and letting you eat
>You're pretty sure you aren't using your own magic but you don't mind
>Twilight laughed when you ate without using magic
>It was a whole lot easier to eat that way but she said that it wasn't the right way
>Before you know it, you're done
>You haven't looked away from her for a moment
>"There we are! Do you feel full?"
>You open your mouth to speak but some food drops out
>You feel frustration as you immediately focus on eating the rest of the food in your mouth and then speak
"I do! It was great and hot too, so I feel warmer too."
>"Good! That's my dear Anon!"
>The platters poof into thin air, and the table itself seems to melt back into the floor
>Twilight slides up to you and inhales hard
>"Now then... do you know what comes after a dinner date?"
>You do know
>You want to shake your head
>But you nod instead
>She giggles, smiling wider
>She glares at you
>You feel afraid
>"Want to... take me to bed, Anon?"
>No
>You kinda wanna go back to reading
>You didn't read when you were supposed to
>Legs shaking, you stand up and lead her to your bed
>It's big enough for myself and Twilight
>You stop at the edge of the bed
>"My, what a big bed you have! What do you think we should do on it?"
>Your lip trembles
>You really want to say 'sleep'
>The warmth of food in your stomach feels like it's being drained into an uncomfortable feeling of coldness
>When you don't answer for long enough, Twilight climbs into it and lifts you up
>Your vision goes hazy whenever her magic is around your head
>When it clears up, Twilight is on her back
>You're right above her
>You can feel her magic...
>Tugging
>On part of you
>By reflex or instinct, you snort and shake
>"Come on, Anon... do you feel that? It's right where it's supposed to go... just push yourself forward. Don't be afraid to lose control, ok?"
>You can't describe the feelings Twilight gives you
>Especially now
>You can't think
>All you do is strain your body in accordance to Twilight's excited screams

>>Hello book. My name is Anon. I am writing to you again with my own quill. It does not look like Twilight's at all. But I am proud to own it. I am writing very carefully this time so she won't laugh at me again. I
>The quill drops
>You've been trying to write in the book for a while now
>The only issue is that after a few words, your vision blurs
>Red leaks from your nose too
>You aren't sure what that means but you know that Twilight will know
>You feel lonely
>You must have read over half of your books now
>But you still feel lonely
>Worse, you feel lonely because you read so many books
>They all have so many characters and settings and situations
>You''re jealous
>You look down and watch your hooves
>For some reason it feels so awkward to walk around
>Of course, you could never walk any other way
>You miss Twilight
>You leave your writing table and trot to the area that usually becomes stairs when Twilight comes and goes
"Please, open."
>Nothing happens
>But then again, why would it?
>Twilight never has to speak to make them appear
>She uses magic, you're willing to bet
>You take a steady stance and point your horn at the ceiling
...
...
...
>Nothing is happening
>You really weren't sure what you were expecting
>You were using magic, weren't you?
>You know how to grab a quill and write
>A bit
>But you don't know how to just... make magic happen
>Defeated, you take a seat
>You've examined your room more times than you can count
>You really can't do much more in here
>You watch the ceiling for now
>You want it to open really badly
>You want to see Twilight again
>You can't focus on writing anymore but you want her to read it
>Maybe it'll lead to another big, warm dinner
>You wince
>Something feels off
>Something's dripping off of your chin
>Your tongue flickers out and tastes something unusual
>You don't pay it any mind
>You want to see Twilight
>And the only way you can see Twilight is to leave your room
>Not even blinking at the exact same spot, you start to feel faint
>You attempt to steady yourself and focus on the ceiling
>You can almost see the wood warp, on the exact spot you're looking
>Then you see it
>A tiny bump that's like the wood sank down just a little
>You smile
>You're that much closer to Twwwwwwwwwwwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
>The room goes dark and you feel your right side hit the floor
>"Oh dear Celestia, Anon?!"
>"Anon, don't you dare!"
>You can hear Twilight
>She sounds so pleasant
>She sounds concerned too
>What could be the reason?
>You want to ask her but your mouth can't move
>You can't really see either
>Your eyelids just feel too heavy
>"Your heart... Anon, what have you done?! It's beating too fast!"
>You don't know what that means
>But it does mean that Twilight has finally come to see you
>You feel what could only be Twilight nuzzling the side of your neck
>"Anon, please calm down!"
>You aren't that excited, are you?
>You feel rather tired
>"Please... I'm right here, ok? Twilight's right here Anon. You're going to be ok... it's just... it's just a minor setback. But please try to relax, ok?"
>You could relax from her voice even if she were condemning you to death
>Some books involved death
>Sometimes y o u w o n d e r w h a t i t m u s t f e e l l i k e t o d i e
>"Anon... Anon? Anon?! ANON!? Wake up! Please, not again! I promise I did it right this time! Anonymous, don't leave me!"
>W h y
>S a d
>S o u n d s ?
>T w i l i g h t

>>Hello book, my name is Anonymous. Twilight calls me Anon. I don't really understand why my name sounds so funny but I trust that she knows best. I had another one of those bad dreams; I was dying. It was otherworldly to say the least. Twilight loaned me some of her books on words so I sound much smarter now. It still hurts to use magic but I'm dedicated to writing all of this in one go. I hope Twilight grades me well.
>You finish and try to avert Twilight's eyes on you
>She's been watching you write this entire time
>She's been watching you a lot lately
>Maybe she's starting to believe you when you say you've been having bad dreams
"I... how did I do, Twilight?"
>Her purple aura overcomes your green and she takes control of your quill that was patiently hovering over the page
>She carefully reads it, glancing back at you
>She looks worried about something
>You're confident that you've been keeping your studies at a consistent pace so there hopefully aren't any spelling mistakes
>She gives you a weary smile and hugs you
>"Oh Anon... you've done brilliantly! You've kept concentration up and you look just fine!"
>You smile at her words
>Though she told you repeatedly that it wasn't a part of your dream, she did worry about nosebleeds you got
>Evidently they're getting better now
>After a lengthy hug, she dips her head down and presses it against your chest
"I... Twilight...?"
>"Shh Anon... just a second."
>You pause and look around your room, as if expecting something to happen
>After long enough, she raises her head up and beams
>"Perfect! I knew you were alright!"
>You're confused
"I'm glad I am!"
>You aren't sure you noticed before
>Or if you even knew to notice it
>But...
"Twilight."
>"Yes, Anon?"
"You look... tired. Are you alright?"
>That question makes her smile drop in an instant
>"You... you noticed that, huh?"
>You nod
>"It's nothing, promise! I've just been studying a lot and... well, it's not important. What is important is that you're improving!"
>You smile
>But something tells you, in your chest, to ask again
"Twilight?"
>"Yes, my l... Anon?"
"Are you ok?"
>You ask more slowly
>Deliberately
>You believe that you aren't without empathy
>You would be tired if you had to study a lot too
>But something else demands that you do this
>You can even hear a tinge of authority in your voice
>You can tell it's authoritative because Twilight used to use the same tone to tell you it was time to sleep
>Her lack of a smile worsens to a frown
>A very sad frown
>She nods
>"I am, Anon. I... I'll be honest. You've been sick. I've tried a lot of medicines and not a lot of them have worked so far. I don't know what's helping you the most, and it scares me that I don't know. I don't want you to hurt."
>You?
>Hurt?
>You laugh at her words
>Laughing helps diffuse stressful situations, you've read
"I haven't been hurting. I don't think I've ever felt pain when I'm around you."
>As you say that, you feel
>Or rather, hear
>Twilight screaming
>You furrow your brow at the instantaneous recollection
>What was that supposed to mean?
"Twilight. May I ask something?"
>Twilight looks a little relieved
>"Of course you may!"
"Rather than..."
>You feel a shiver go down your spine
"Rather... than... playing..."
>You don't know what else to describe it as
>You've never played before so you can only guess that's what it was
"...can you please sleep with me more often? I want to make sure that you're getting enough rest."
>Twilight looks confused for a moment but she lets out a nervous laugh
>She rubs one of her front hooves against the side of her neck
>"W-well... I guess we have been b... playing... a lot... that could have had something to do with it, honestly..."
>She looks you up and down, appraising you for something
>"Maybe it's been too hard..."
>You're not sure what she means by that
"Would you like to sleep with me more often?"
>You repeat yourself, smiling
>She eagerly nods
>"Yes, please! You're so considerate... honestly, it's why I love you. Helpful too... maybe..."
>She trails off, mumbling to herself
>She does that at times so you don't mind it
>She trots to you, then sits down and leans against your side
>"Anon?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
>"I'm going to close my eyes and listen to your heart. Can you stay like this until I'm done?"
>You aren't particularly in any position to be against it
>It feels nice that she's leaning against you too
"Well, certainly, I don't mind it."
>"Thank you. Please don't use magic for a while. I think there are still some issues."
>You don't understand what she means by that
>It's not like you know how to use magic outside of writing anyway
"Of course, Twilight."
>Some time passes
>You look down at Twilight
>She sounds like she's sleeping
>She must not be that comfortable, having to duck her head down to keep it against your chest
>Maybe...
>You wrap a front leg around her and lean back until you're laying on your side
>She follows, half-laying on your chest
>This is much better
>Though the wooden floor isn't comfortable, you close your eyes
>With Twilight's breathing, the room feels so vibrant now
>You don't know if you breath, since you've never had to try, but her breathing sounds beautiful
>Maybe when she wakes up you can have a dinner

>>Hello book, my name is Anonymous. I do not remember writing in you but it seems like I have multiple times before. I am sad that I do not remember you. Twilight is very happy today, she said that she's made some "grand advances" in something. I hope that next time I write in you, that I will remember. You are my friend.
>You finish writing with your quill, smiling to yourself
>Twilight said that she had great news for you
>You have been passing every test she has set up
>Magical writing
>Breathing exercises
>Heart rate
>And even durability
>You do not know how she tested those things
>But you are still proud of yourself
>You sit at your table, letting the quill fly around in the air
>You have been noticing new things too
>No doubt thanks to Twilight
>One thing that has bothered you, however
>There is a very large red stain on the floor
>You do not know where it came from
>But every time you look at it, you feel terror
>Maybe it was from a
>"Anon! I'm back!"
>Your attention snaps immediately to Twilight
>She looks excited but exhausted
>She trots down the stairs that always seem to come for her but never for you
>You greet her with a nuzzling hug
"How have you been? I have missed you."
>Twilight giggles, smiling
>"Oh and I've missed you so much, Anon... I saw y..."
>She interrupts herself
>She looks distraught over something
>But only for a second
>"y... saw what I thought was you! And that made me think of you! So I had to rush home to see you."
>She does not sound ok
>But she shows you that she is with another concerned smile
>"Anon... if you ever remember only one thing, remember that I love you. And only you. Ok?"
>You smile
>You are not sure if you can say the same to her though
"Of course, Twilight. May I ask something?"
>"Of course!"
"What is that red stain on the floor?"
>"W-what?"
"That red stain. Over near the stairs up."
>You lean to the side to look at it
>It really is big
>"Anon... don't... don't pay attention to that."
"Why not? I would like to know what it is."
>"That can wait until later! Listen, I-"
"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE STAIN IS THERE, TWILIGHT."
>Your voice raises
>It raises far louder than you realized you could speak
>It does not sound like you
>It sounds terrified
>But you do not feel scared
>Twilight looks just as surprised
"Please. It scares me. It speaks to me, in my head."
>You hear your voice crumble to a whisper
"It tells me I died."
>Twilight looks even worse than before
>It concerns you
>"Anon... I... you..."
>Her mouth twitches into a facsimile of a smile
>"You got hurt... and... I fixed you."
"Why did I hurt?"
>"I don't know... I don't know, Anon. I thought you were stable. I celebrated too early and... and it hurt you."
>You look down at the floor
>Tears hit it, from both your face and hers
"Twilight... am I sick?"
>"No! No, I love you, you can't be sick. I'm just... I'm doing my best! I can't tell Celestia, she'll take you away, I just know it!"
>Who is Celestia?
>So much of this registers with you but you still do not understand it
"Twilight..."
>You realize that you can control your tone
>It changes from a sad whisper to a more controlled tone
"Please... take me with you next time you leave."
>Twilight looks like she could break into two
>"I-I promise! I will, soon! And... and we'll show them! We'll show them all that you were made for me! And I was made for you! And I..."
>She curls up against you
>You are not sure how to process this
>You sit there, and watch over her as she cries
>You can tell that she needs help
>But you do not know how to help
>You wait until she calms down
"Twilight... you told me that you had great news for me. Can I hear it?"
>Twilight does not perk up immediately
>"Oh... oh yes. I almost forgot... silly me."
>Something poofs onto the table from a cloud of purple magic
>It's a lump of wood with other things in it
>It makes a tic
>Tock
>Tic
>Tock
>You shake your head, easily caught up in the rhythm
>"It's a clock! Starting today... we're going to have a schedule now!"
>A schedule?
"What does that mean?"
>She wipes her face with her hoof and sniffles
>"Well. I like schedules. And schedules help..."
>She gives a tired sigh
>"Schedules help."
"How does a clock work?"
>"Well, let me show you!"
>She sits in front of you, though her head leans back against your chest
>"Do you see the longer stick in the circle?"
"Yes."
>"That shows the minute we're at."
"What's a minute?"
>"It's sixty seconds."
"What's a second?"
>"It's a really small measurement of time."
>You blink a few times
>You never kept track of time before
"So... what is the shorter stick in the circle for?"
>"That tells us what hour it is! And I know what you want to know: an hour is sixty minutes."
"Which is sixty measurements of sixty seconds."
>"Yup!"
>You do not know why they have to go to sixty
>You frown
"There is a third stick that is moving fast."
>"That counts the seconds."
>You nod
"I see..."
>You watch minutes tick by
"Twilight?"
>"Yes, Anon?"
"What will my schedule include?"
>"Plenty! An appropriate sleep schedule... for both of us, honestly... an eating schedule too! I want us to spend more time together. The world outside is... it doesn't concern me anymore. "
>She sounds like she's far more relaxed now
>"You will be strong... with my help, you will beat any pony in anything. You will change the face of Equestria. When we have foals... they will be able to do anything in the world at all."
>Why does it sound like you have heard these words before?
"One thing at a time, please. I said that there's no rush."
>Twilight's head twists in an instant
>She looks at you with an unreadable expression
>"W... what did you say?"
>You look at her, a little unfocused
"I-I'm sorry? I don't know what I just said, Twilight."
>You frown
"I feel like.. we have known each other for a long time now."
>Her expression turns to a smile again
>But not the one she normally has
>"We've... we've known each other for a long time now, Anon. Maybe you've just heard me say it before."
>You frown
>You feel uncomfortable
"How long have I been here, Twilight? How much time has passed?"
>"Too long... I want to show you to everypony. To my..."
>She hesitates
>"M-my friends."
>She sounds like saying those words have given her a revelation of some sort
"Friends?"
>"That's right! That's right, Anon! That's what we need!"
"Friends?"
>"Yes! Oh, Anon... you know exactly what to say sometimes."
>You are not sure what she means
>She cuddles up to you again, sighing like a weight had been taken off of her
>"Soon... soon everything will be all better."
>You hope so
>You want to ask another question but the sound of Twilight breathing nearly hypnotizes you then and there
>The ticking and tocking of the clock doesn't help either
>You bring your face down and stroke her mane with your chin
>Perfectly in tune with the clock
>You feel content doing this, so there is no reason to stop it
>You want to ask a lot of things
>But you can ask them later
>Twilight needs her sleep again
>You know she sleeps if she stays with you, sooner or later

>>Hello book, this is Anonymous again. I have great news: I am going to a party! Twilight is hosting a party. I think I am invited. She said that she had a lot of really good friends and that it might be time to introduce me to them. I am starting to feel embarrassed again when Twilight reads this. I feel confident in my writing ability but I feel odd about her reading my thoughts like this.
>You bring down your quill and sigh
>You've gotten better about getting used to the clock
>You've even tried matching some movements and gestures to the ticking and tocking
>The stairs from above come down and Twilight trots down them as soon as they're formed
>"Anon, it's almost time!"
>She comes to a skidding halt, nearly bumping into your side
>She looks so happy
>Still tired
>But happier
>"I have so many friends to show you to! There's Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, App..."
>Her smile melts off
>What replaces it is a more bitter frown
>"Apples..."
"Apples?"
>"Anon, do you like apples?"
>You're not sure how to respond
"I don't know. Have I had apples before?"
>Her frown reverts back to a more mellow smile
>"Yes, you silly stallion! I've included a few with our dinners!"
"Oh! Oh yes, I do love them then."
>Your eyes widen and you nod, now that you think about it
>You're really not sure what part of your dinners were an apple
>But it all does taste good so you can only agree
>As you nod, you look around your room
>The red stain is finally gone
>Twilight used magic to get rid of it
>That really has helped you feel better
"Is this room big enough for so many of us?"
>Twilight looks at you
>Kinda like how she used to look at you when you first tried writing
>"We aren't gonna have a party here, Anon! It's... upstairs..."
>She slows her words as she speaks, as if she's realizing something
>"Upstairs... listen, Anon!"
>You sit to attention
"Yes, Twilight?"
>"Let's go upstairs! That's where we'll have our party! And we gotta get you used to things because otherwise it'll be kinda silly and I want you to really feel at home!"
"Feel at home..."
>You've read about 'homes'
>But you didn't think you had one
>Maybe your room was your home
>"Anon, hurry up!"
>You snap out of your thoughts
"Yes, coming Twilight!"
>You quickly trot up behind her
>Sometimes you forget how much larger than her you are
>When you reach the stairs, you hesitate
>You've never climbed them before
>Halfway up the stairs Twilight stops and looks back at you
>"It's ok, Anon. Just one hoof in front of the other, ok? Watch how I do."
>You take your first steps
>It's a weird feeling, to go higher than the floor
>Seven steps in, you start to feel dizzy
"Twilight, I..."
>"Anon, look at me!"
>Your focus pinpoints on her
>She's already at the top of the stairs
>"Keep your eyes on me and just walk, ok?"
"Y... yeah. Ok, Twilight."
>She's nice to look at
>She has such a nice smile
>She's growing too
>No, she's just getting closer
>"That's it! Just focus on me and it'll be ok."
>She starts backing up
>You pick up your pace to keep her in your sight
>After more steps, you're on level ground again
>"You did it! I'm so proud of you, Anon!"
"...huh?"
>You look around
>You feel faint at the explosion of colors, light and items
>The wood is almost pink now
>There are so many books
>More stairs on the right
>And giant blue holes in the walls
"Wh... where am I?!"
>She beams at you
>"This is my... our home!"
"What? But what is all of this? How did this all get here?"
>Your room had a bed, a table, dozens of books piled up, and even a clock
>Obviously, Twilight made the table and the clock and the bed
>And she wrote the books
>How in the world did she make all of this?
>"Oh, well... this also doubles as a library! All of the books down there don't hold a candle to everything here!"
>The sensory overload is enough to make you need to sit down
>So you do
>Twilight picks up on this instantly and hugs up to your side
>"Anon! What's wrong?"
"I..."
>You shake your head
"This is... this is a big room."
>She laughs but it doesn't sound like it was funny
>"Well... yeah... it is. It's not the only room here too."
>You close your eyes, steadying your breathing
>Twilight taught you that if you were ever feeling too excited or scared, to close your eyes and focus on breathing
>You can feel her head pressing against your chest
>"That's ok, Anon... you're going to be ok. I'm right here. There's no need to shake."
>It takes a lot of time, going off of the little ticking and tocking that you keep in the back of your mind to help keep track of time
>But you do eventually open your eyes
"Alright... thank you, Twilight."
>"Anytime, for you Anon."
>You stand up again, stamping down to test the floor
>You can't even tell that your room is below
"So what do you do in this room?"
>"Well I read, study, research, explore, and hypothesize!"
>She smiles at you with a squee
>You can't help but nod
"This looks like the right room to do those things in..."
>Twilight trots over to the stairs leading ever upward
>They have interesting little heart shapes carved into them
>"And up here... is my room. With my bed."
>The look she gives you and the inflection of her words create a now-familiar hunger in your gut
>She sees your physical reaction and giggles
>"Not right now, silly!"
"Huh?"
>You look below yourself and frown
"Oh... s-"
>"Anon, you never need to apologize for that! Just... we have to learn that sometimes it has to wait. But only until it can't any longer. Ok?"
>She winks at you
>You don't understand
>You think
"Of course, Twilight."
>She spends a lot of time exploring the library with you, going over every shelf, every book, everywhere
>She introduces you to the wooden pony head statue at the table in the center of the room
>You were a little worried to bring it up but now that you've felt it, you're pleased to meet it
>She mentions how awkward the ladder is, how the windows are nice to let natural reading light in, that the giant sun image on the ceiling actually produces light during the day, that scrolls are different than books
>And the front door
>When she gets to that, she hesitates
>"And that... that leads outside of our home."
>You watch the door as if it were some looming threat
"...what's outside, Twilight? Is it like the books?"
>"Sometimes, Anon. It can be dangerous outside. But a lot of good things are out there too. There's a whole lot of ponies out there like us. And worse things too."
>You can feel a lump in your throat
"I-I see..."
>Twilight watches your face with a stoic expression
>"Would you like to go outside, Anon? I can't promise it would be safe."
>A growing fear bubbles in your stomach
"N-no, Twilight. That's ok."
>"Are you sure? There are mares out there, like me. But some of them are really dangerous too."
>You take a step back
>The tone of her voice is frightening
"N-no, that's ok Twilight. I don't feel the need to go out there."
>Twilight watches you more with the most expressionless mask you've ever seen
>What happened to her?
>In an instant, her cheerful demeanor comes back
>"Alright! Would you like to see if we can find you a favorite book?"
>You aren't able to pull your attention to a new topic so easily but you feel relief
"Yes, please! Thank you, Twilight."
>You check through dozens upon dozens of books, examining not just the contents of their pages but their spines and covers
>Twilight seems to judge what you look at, going by how she'll smile or grumble something if you take a liking to it
>A book on pony anatomy was one of those books that warranted a grumble
>You eventually decide on a scroll that doubles as a map
>Though her reaction wasn't overly positive, she helps spread the scroll out
>You sit on the floor together and view it
"Wow..."
>You see a map had dozens of small colors and shapes on it, along with drawings of sigils, emblems and creatures
"It's really like those adventures..."
>"It is! We live in a really big world, Anon."
>You nod and squint
>You can't see where you are
"Twilight... where are we?"
>"Where?"
"Yeah. I don't see our names anywhere."
>Twilight giggles and produces a long purple aura that seems to double as a pointer
>"We are right here, in a place called Ponyville. In Equestria."
>You've never heard those names before
"What's Ponyville like?"
>"Well... that's where we are! And it's pretty comfy here, wouldn't you say?"
>You feel a little dumb for asking that
>You want to ask more things but you're not really sure if you want to sound dumb in front of her again
>You randomly point to the map with a hoof
"What is... here?"
>"Oh, the Everfree Forest?"
"Yeah! Forests are neat. They're full of trees like this one, right?"
>"Actually..."
>Twilight's tone changes to something far more wary
>"Timberwolves live there... a zebra does too... they hate unicorns. Which is what you and I are. There are also a lot of creepy crawly things like spiders."
>All of that does sound scary
>But you have no clue what those could look like
"I-I see..."
>You shiver from your head down to your flank
"So what about..."
>You point to another spot on the map
"Here?"
>"Oh, that's Applewood!"
"And here?"
>"Las Pegasus!"
"Here?"
>"Neighagra Falls!"
"This big thing here?"
>"Mount Everhoof!"
>You spurt out and laugh
>You can't help yourself
"All of these places sound so silly!"
>"The world is a big place, Anon, that's for sure."
"Is it really so dangerous everywhere? Is there really nowhere we can go?"
>At the word 'we', Twilight cuddles up against you
"Well... I think as long as we go, and stay, together, it'll be just fine!"
>You smile, content with that
"Twilight. Let's visit these places one day."
>You speak confidently about it
>"You aren't scared?"
"Not if I'm with you. And wouldn't it be an adventure just like our books?"
>"Yeah... it really would."
"Then let's go!"
>Twilight giggles
>"Right now?"
"Huh?"
>You look at her, away from the map
>"You want to go right now?"
>You feel another shiver go down your spine
"Well... no, not right now... but..."
>You falter
"But... eventually. Once it stops being dangerous outside."
>"And... what if it doesn't?"
>You frown at that idea
>It means you would never get to see any of those silly-sounding places
"Then... I'm still with you at least. So we can read about them."
>She seems pleased about it and kisses the side of your neck
>"That's right. No matter where we'll be, we'll be together."

>You spend the day with Twilight, in the massive room
>There's no shortage of books to look at
>No shortage of questions to ask
>The only thing that genuinely worries you is when the windows start to dim
>Even the sun on the ceiling starts to fade out
>Twilight doesn't show any fear so you try your best to mirror her
>From the way your tail flickers over, you don't think you're doing a good job
"Twilight..."
>"Yes, Anon?"
"...is it weird that things are getting darker?"
>You do your best to look unimpressed but she must be able to see some emotion in your eyes
>It takes her a second before she smiles
>"Oh! Oh, yes. Celestia raises the sun every morning. At night, Princess Luna raises the moon."
>You stare at her
>Is she serious?
>You read that the sun was a giant ball of fire and light in the sky and that it just... is a thing
>She giggles
>"Don't worry about it. When it gets dark, that just means that a lot of ponies go to sleep. But some stay up and prefer the night too. Along with certain insects, animals and other things."
>The 'other things' make a cold bolt go down your spine
>You haven't yet forgotten about what's outside and out to get you
"Right... a day is a full twenty four hour cycle, isn't it?"
>"That's right! You must've learned that."
>You smile at her but your realization concerns you
"Twilight... I have a question I really want to ask."
>Twilight crosses her front legs and watches you
>You've been studying her face so much that you think she looks interested in you
>She has such an expressive face
>"Anon?"
>You blink a few times and stutter
"O-oh, sorry. I was... I got distracted."
>You lick your lips and force yourself to speak
"Twilight. How many days has it been?"
>"Has it been since when?"
>You shrug
"I don't know. How many days has it been since... I've known you? Since you've known me?"
>The smile she has starts to fade
>"Well... I suppose I forgot."
>Something about the way she said that rubs you the wrong way
"Please tell me, Twilight. It's important to me."
>She tries to smile but it's gone in a second
>"It's been two hundred and thirty two days... two hundred and thirty three by tomorrow."
>You don't even know how to quantify that
>You don't have two hundred and thirty two journal entries
>You have less than ten
>But you've been writing in it nearly every day that you remember
>How do you not remember all of those days?
>Twilight says something to you but you can't hear her
>You can see her mouth moving though
>The look on her face is getting less and less happy
>Wait
>She's made that face before
>"Anon?!"
>Your attention snaps back to her hard enough to make you feel dizzy
"Yes Twilight?"
>She looks distraught by something
>"A-are you alright? You look... I thought you were..."
>You shake your head a few times
"I'm... I'm ok. I just don't... how has it been so many days? I don't understand?"
>Twilight watches you before speaking
>"Well... I've... known you for much longer than that time. But... you haven't known me for as long a time. You were..."
>She taps one of her front hooves on the wooden floor like she's trying to think of what to say
>"Sick. For the longest time... you just couldn't walk. Or talk. Or... anything. So. For a lot of time, I just took care of you. I kept a close eye on you, I did everything that I could for you."
>This doesn't give you any sense of clarity
>It just confuses you more
"What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I do any of those things?"
>"You just couldn't. I promise you that I've done everything possible to help you. To see you grow into the fine stallion you are today."
>If she didn't want to, surely she wouldn't have helped you so much
"So... was you and I doing..."
>Twilight giggles again, drawing a circle on the floor with her hoof
>"Well... that was just because I love you, Anon. And I know you love me too. So there's nothing wrong with expressing that love."
>She has a point
>You do love her

>Without her, who knows where you would have been
>If you were really in such a bad situation, or a bad condition, maybe you needed her far more than you realize
"I... I understand."
>You do understand
>You think
>You and her remain silent as the room dims
>Soon you can barely see her
>A number of purple candles poof into the air, giving the room a comfortably dark ambient light that matches your room below
>"Anon?"
>She finally speaks up
>You don't answer
>You've been trying to think but you don't know if you have the ability
>"Anon?"
>You blink a few times and nod
"Yes, Twilight?"
>"You know I love you."
"I do know that."
>"Tomorrow we have the party."
"We do."
>"You're gonna have fun, I just know it."
"Twilight?"
>"Yes, Anon?"
"Can I go to my room?"
>Twilight looks like you said something bad
>"Oh... would you really like to? I could show you my bed and we could enjoy the night together?"
>You shift uncomfortably
>Obviously part of you likes the sound of that
"I... I would like that."
>Twilight smiles
"But I would like to go to my room more, please."
>Her smile fades
>"Oh... ok."
>She looks at a portion of the floor and it melts down in a purple glow
>She must be very strong to be able to do that without trying
>You drag yourself up and look down at her
>She isn't moving
"Will you come to see me in the morning? I would like to help prepare for the party."
>She nods
>"Oh, of course. I think it might be a little too late for dinner. So tomorrow morning we'll have a nice, big breakfast."
>You can hear her voice wavering
"I love you Twilight."
>You hear something like a whimper
>"I... I love you too Anon."
>After waiting for a moment to see if anything else would happen, you trot down the stairs into your room
>Your stomach turns as you step down but you focus hard on staring straight ahead
>You step onto solid ground and immediately collapse
>You didn't think your legs would be so shaky
>How could you have possibly been here for so long?
>What could have happened to you?
>You notice that as you lay to recuperate, the stairs haven't melted back up into the ceiling, separating you from Twilight
>Does this mean that it will stay open?
>You stare at it until you don't feel nearly as sick
>You half-crawl to the table, just to see if it's worth doing
>It isn't
>You hardly have anything to grip onto, the wood is so smooth
>When you reach your table and your diary, you grab your quill with your own magic
>It looks greener than it did before
>You haven't yet forgotten anything but you really don't want to forget things now
>Dragging yourself to a sitting position, you focus on your journal
>Is it a diary more than a journal?
>It's still a good book
>>Hello book, this is Anonymous. It is day
>You shake your head
>How could it be such a number?
>>It is day two hundred and thirty two, at night. Night means the moon came up. Twilight told me that I have been here for two hundred and thirty two days. How many times have I written inside of you? What if I had another book but didn't know about it? Maybe I should mark this. Let's call this Official Entry Number One. At day two hundred and thirty two, at night, which means the sun has gone down and that the moon has risen.
>What do you write next?
>What could you possibly write?
>>Twilight is sad. We have a party tomorrow but I don't know how it will go. I've never had a party.
>Your mind can't escape from Twilight's whimpering
>Have you been making her sad?
>Are you ungrateful?
>>Ok, book. Let's think of what we can do. We need to find a way to make Twilight feel better tomorrow. I promise you that we will figure something out. Maybe something
>Something with magic
>You stare at the quill that's being held
>It's held in place with magic
>Your magic
>Twilight can do anything with magic
>Maybe you just need to figure out a way to use it for her

>Something feels wrong
>This isn't your bed
>You open your eyes and see that you aren't even near your bed
>You're at the table
>How did this happen?
>Your eyes are slow to scan the table but lock onto your quill
>Wait
>The quill!
>The magic trick!
>Using your own magic!
>You stumble into a standing position, stretching your back legs
>Today is time for the party, too!
>You see that the stairs haven't vanished and you want to see Twilight
>But before you do, you sit back down at your table, quill in greenish aura
>>Good morning book! This is day
>The number still seems off to you, but you write it anyway
>>This is day two hundred and thirty three, at
>You look at your clock
>>at eight hours and twenty three minutes. And twenty seconds. Twenty two. Twenty four.
>You shake your head to refocus
>>Enough about time, today is a party for Twilight! Parties, I've read, are meant to make ponies feel happier about their lives. She has many friends that will be here, and she will have me there, and I will impress her with my trick! I am afraid that I may worry her about something. But now, I will try to wake her because the stairs are here and have not gone away. I am going to do my best!
>You close your book and slide your quill into your mane
>You don't think the ink will really be enough to bother you, and you never know when you might need it
>As excited as you are to see Twilight, you stop before your one true enemy
>The stairs
>If Twilight is up there and still sad, you may be her only hope
>Many heroes in your books face tests of courage, wisdom, and strength
>You need all three for this
>Furrowing your brow, you stare straight ahead until you have tunnel vision
>With a shaky hoof, you start to ascend
>As long as you focus on Twilight, you're fine
>You don't even notice that you're basically leaving the ground
>You aren't even aware of how the walls are moving down as you move up, giving you a growing sense of vertigo
>The sight of the floor above doesn't scare you about falling for a moment
>After reaching the bright, brilliant library, you take a moment to sit down
>You were almost worried that you might not make it, or that the stairs might crumble away
>A quick look around the room and you feel like your achievement was for nothing
>Twilight isn't in here
>Where could she be?
>There are the stairs that go even higher
>Except those don't have a wooden ledge above them to help stop from falling over
>And the heart patterns worry you for some reason
>They could be a trap
>You've read about heroes encountering traps
>Or maybe Twilight is still sleeping and you're just afraid to ascend more stairs
>Even for her, the challenge is too great
"Twilight... wake up..."
>Almost as if your voice reached her, the door to outside burst open!
>"TWILIGHT, WAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUP!"
>From the blinding brightness of outside, a shrill voice screeches loud enough to make you dizzy
>What was that?!
>A pink pony-shaped creature bounds in, holding a dazzling green and yellow thing between its hooves
>"IT'S PARTY TIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!"
>It squeezes it and it goes off with a disorienting BANG
>As if the sensory overload wasn't enough, seeing a pink pony that didn't even have a horn terrified you beyond your capacity
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, TWILIGHT HELP ME!"
>The pony sets its bright blue eyes on you and lets out a scream to match yours
>The crazy look in it's eye makes you scream even harder
>For some reason it matches your screams but with a smile
>Your voice raises higher than you thought possible
>This is it
>This is death
>This creature from outside is going to kill you, and then Twilight
>Why did you leave the room, Anon?!
>"Pinkie, shut up already! Do you know what time it is? For once, just come in like a normal po-"
>You can hear Twilight, and even see her descend her stairs, but your eyes are trapped on the screaming monster who's face seems to extend longer and wider beyond what should be possible
>In a fit of animal panic, your horn grows bright green
>The quill in your mane twirls in the air twice and shoots out at the pink monster, tip first
>To your sheer horror, it catches your quill in it's mouth?!
>It spins on the floor and poses, poking her tongue out
>The quill is balancing perfectly on it
>"TAAAAAAAA-LAAAAAAAAAA!"
>You screech again, your sorrow renewed
>"Anon, shut up it's just Pinkie Pie!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--wait, who?"
>Her words snap you back to sanity, but you can't stop your pulse from racing
>That name is familiar
>Wasn't that the name of one of her friends?
>Was this... hornless thing a friend of Twilight?
>"Twilight,today'sapartyday,youknowthatIcan'tjustholdoffonwaitingwhenthere'sanentiredaytoprepareandgetthingsjustrightespeciallysinceyou'vebeengoneforsolongwewereworriedaboutyou,allexceptApplejack,butstill!"
>You switch your gaze between Pinkie Pie and Twilight
>What did she just say?
>She spoke far too quickly for you to keep up
>She then sets her eyes on you again
>You freeze on the spot, unable to help but get the urge to scream again
>"OooooooooohhIknewyouweregettingbusybutthisis..."
>Her eyelids droop down
>She's leering at you
>The smile she has changes into something that makes your stomach feel worse than empty
>But it only lasts a second
>"W h o i s t h i s . . . ?"
>"Pinkie, this is Anon..."
>Pinkie looks at Twilight
>Then at you
>Then at Twilight again
>And back and forth until her head becomes a pink and blue blur
>It stops on you again, causing you to uncomfortably tense up
>"Well that's awesome!"
>Pinkie squats down and somehow slides toward you from a considerable distance away making a long 'swooooooooce' noise
>She stops a few inches from your face
>That leer and that smile returns
>"It's nice to meet you, Anon."
>She speaks very slowly
>You get the idea that she's looking down at you
>For some reason you can't explain, you blurt out some words
"I... if I pull t-the mask off. Will you... die?"
>Those words don't mean anything to you but it makes her eyes light up
>The energy in those eyes sap your ability to breath
>She leans forward again, as if she's examining your face
>She whispers, eyes shining and trained on you to the point that she could see right through you
>"Do you like wrestling, Anon?"

>You stumble away from Pinkie Pie
>Something inside of you hurts just from that word alone
>But something else reacts to the word
>Positively
>Out of nowhere, Twilight comes between you two
>"Ok Pinkie, remember the personal bubble?"
>"Oh, I do! The better friends you are, the smaller the bubble becomes!"
>"That's right! And... well, he's a new friend so scoot back. Back!"
>The scent of a new pony is a curious thing
>It's completely not like Twilight
>It's not even like anything that you've smelled before
>Twilight turns back to you
>She looks like she's about to say something but she looks beyond shocked at something
>"A-anon?! Behave yourself!"
"W-what?"
>You can't imagine what's wrong
>Until you feel something hit the underside of your stomach
>It's...
>You
>You idly blink, trying to understand everything from the smell of Twilight's friend, to the weird looks she gives you while Twilight tries to shield you from her view
>"Wow, I bet you're really fun at parties!"
>"By Celestia, Pinkie, stop goofing around. Anon, please not now!"
>She sounds really mad
>Was getting mad at friends normal for her?
>You sit down and awkwardly try to... not make it obvious of how much you like Twilight's friend
>After watching the two bicker and wrestle, the excitement dies down
>"Ok Pinkie, STOP already!"
>Pinkie giggles again and sighs
>"Awww... ok... so what's the party plans? Is Anon a party favor?"
>"A party fa-no! Of course not! He's-"
>Twilight stops herself
>"He's a guest here. And I've been helping him from being sick."
>You don't know how to interact between the two so you sit there
>"Well that's neat! But why is his name Anon too?"
>She pokes her head back over Twilight's shoulder and looks at you
>"Is he his brother? Where's his cutie mark?"
>"I'll explain later. Can we please focus on the party at hoof?"
>"Well... alright. So, first, the games! What I got planned is..."
>You sit in silence as Pinkie Pie discusses all sorts of weird things
>Not surprisingly, Twilight not only understands it, but speaks in the colorful jargon
>For a moment, you wondered if it was even the same language
>It had to be
>You understood Twilight's words, and that they were indeed words
>But you had no clue what all of those things were
>After enough conversation, Twilight turns to look at you
>You can't help but flinch again
>At least you aren't as excited as you were before
>"Anon... can you come here and sit next to me for a moment?"
"Y-yes, Twilight!"
>You get up and immediately trot to her side before taking a seat again
>"Now Anon... this is Pinkie Pie."
>You blink at the pony pony
"Nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie."
>Pinkie Pie giggles and gives you an impressively wide smile
>It's still a little scary
>"And I am super duper happy to meet you too!"
>You expect her to try to attack you but she doesn't
>Without thinking, you say the first thing that comes to mind
"Where's your horn?"
>That comment takes Pinkie Pie by surprise for a second but she bursts out laughing
>"I don't have one, silly!"
>You glance at Twilight as if the pink pony is... wrong
>Twilight nods
>"Now Pinkie, please be nice to Anon. He's never seen an earth pony before... or a pegasus. His lack of cutie mark is... well, to be honest, it's a mystery to me too. But that's why I've been doing my very best to help him. And, in the process, he's become a really good friend."
>Pinkie giggles again
>"With how excited he got before, I bet he's a super special friend too!"
>Twilight's purple face starts to turn red
>You smile at the compliment
"I am proud to be Twilight's friend! And a friend of Twilight is a friend of mine."
>Twilight gave you a book on friends and how to make them, back when you were still learning how to read
>This is definitely one of the most important aspects of introducing yourself
>Pinkie Pie giggles even more
>"Oh, I would be too if I were you!"
>"Ok Pinkie, that's..."
>Twilight clears her throat
>"Y-yes, Anon and I are... closer than normal friends are."
>You push your chest out with pride and nod
"It's true. I love Twilight. And she loves me."
>You speak with purpose
>You're proud to say this to a friend of Twilight
>You look at Twilight, smiling as if she told you that for the first time again
>She looks...
>Well she looks a little more blue than purple now
>And she looks like something's really worrying her
>"Ohhhhh! Is that how that is! Well why didn't you say that you finally found a coltfriend! Yay Twilight!"
>Twilight mumbles something while avoiding direct eye contact
"W-what was that, Twilight?"
>She's never spoken so softly before
>Twilight speaks but it sounds like a mix of quiet whimpers
"T-Twilight... are you ok?"
>"I'm FiNe!"
>Her voice cracks as she tries to speak
>"Awwwwww Twilight's shy! No wonder you want to have a party for today, you've finally done it! Honestly, I thought that you'd never get over Anon! We sure had fun back then but now look at you! That's worthy of TWO parties, one for each of you!"
>She lets out the biggest gasp, as if her goal was to breath everything at once
>"WE SHOULD THROW TWO PARTIES AT THE SAME TIME!!!"
>Twilight sinks down, putting her hooves over her head
"Two parties... Twilight, does that sound good?"
>You look down at her and nudge her shoulder with your hoof
"Twi... Twilight?"
>"Anon, tell me! Do you reaaaaaaaaaaaaally love Twilight?"
>Pinkie Pie grins as she asks
>Twilight whimpers
"Well, of course I do. Without her, I wouldn't be here today. I love Twilight more each day."
>Twilight lets out a loud whinny and tries to slap at you with one of her hooves
>"Anon, don't just go saying that to anypony!"
"But it's true! I love you!"
>The more you say it, the more confident you feel in saying it
>Pinkie Pie bursts out laughing
>Twilight lets out another distressed noise
>"Say it again!"
"I love Twilight!"
>"Anon, stop it!"
>"One more time, with feeling!"
"I love you, Twilight!"

"So... a party is a gathering of friends to eat and drink sweet things and to have fun."
>"Exactly! I'm surprised you've never had one before!"
>You can't help but shrug
>If you did have a party before, you wouldn't have known it
>While Twilight was still curled up and trying to deny your declaration, Pinkie Pie pulled you aside and started asking you questions
>She seems really friendly
>If you look past that weird look in her eye
"So..."
>You look down at the wooden floor
"What can you tell me about Twilight?"
>"Twilight?! What CAN'T I tell you about her!"
>You look at her excited smile
"I... don't know?"
>You feel discomfort around her
>"Weeeeeeeeeell, did you know that her favorite party favor is streamers? And that she doesn't like hot sauce? I like hot sauce! She's also a big worry wort and when she likes someone she really likes to go all out! Don't think now but I think she likes you too, didyouknowthatshelikedsomeonealsonamedAnonIbetyoudidn'tknowthatIbetyouhaveasupercloseconnectionlikeyouguysarebrothersorsomethingbutheisn'taponyhowfunnywoulditbeifyoutwowererelatedyouknowwhatelseisfunnyis..."
>The more she speaks the faster she goes
>The faster she goes, the more difficult it is to focus
>Her mouth is moving so fast
>How is she moving so fast?
>Before you know it, her head lowers
>"And ooooooooooooooooOOOOooooohhh! Party favors!"
>She boops the tip of her nose against your crotch, making you jump back
"T-Twilight!?"
>Twilight, roused from her embarrassed, finally looks up at you
>Her face bright red, she lets out an uneasy laugh
>"Oh right! I forgot, Pinkie Pie, why don't you go upstairs real quick! I wrote a book on parties and I think that it might really help with today!"
>"Oh, okey dokey loki!"
>Pinkie Pie hops off without a second thought up the stairs without hesitation
>You sigh as she goes out of sight
>Only to feel a leg wrap around your neck
>It's Twilight's
>"Anon... you can't just say something like that and not expect consequences..."
>The look on her face is enough to make a chill go down your spine
>But not a bad chill
>You're not really sure on what you should say
>But you did mean it
"I-is it bad that I said that-"
>She stops you by pushing her face into yours
>Almost like she's trying to kiss you but her lips don't move
>She inhales hard and shakes
>"Tonight... dear Celestia, tonight..."
>She slithers her tongue between her lips before pulling away
>You really aren't sure what is going on but you've been reacting very positively to it
>"TWILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT I FOUND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT"
>Twilight creates distance and pats down her mane
>"Compose yourself, you can handle one day of normal friends, don't answer any questions, don't ask anything, be prepared to..."
>She's talking to herself like she's going down a checklist
>Pinkie Pie comes bouncing back down the stairs
>A massive book is bouncing off of her head yet, somehow, it doesn't fall onto the ground
>"Ok Pinkie Pie. Let's go read the fifth chapter, third paragraph. That's where I started with the idea of a dual party. But it was mostly for ponies sharing birthdays."
>"Oh, is it Anon's birthday too!?"
>You sit, like a statue, as they talk back and forth about utterly alien things
>Whenever either of them asks you something, you simply nod or shake your head
>Before your eyes, Pinkie Pie produces a truly extravagant amount of items from behind her back, or inside of her pink mane or tail
>It looks like magic to you
>Bowls, cups, plates, liquids, colorful solids that smell sweet, and more are set up astonishingly quick
>Whenever you feel concerned or scared, you give Twilight a look
>Every time, she smiles and nods, as if she's aware of what you're thinking
>When Pinkie Pie finishes, strands and papers and more decorate the books, the table, the pony head, the stairs, even the door!
>"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand boop!"
>You flinch but she puts something on your head
>"One for the party prince!"
>"Pinkie Pie, you really don't have to-"
>"AND ONE FOR PARTY PRINCESS YAAAAAAAY!"
>Pinkie flips into the air and bounces off of Twilight's head
>She put something on her head too
>A bright yellow thing
>It looks like her horn but it's in the wrong spot
>How silly would it be if Twilight had two horns?
"Pfft."
>You just find that funny
>Pinkie Pie lands on her tail of all things and cheers
>"Ta-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Partified ponies a plenty!"
>Twilight looks at her
>Then at me
>"Pinkie... is this really necessary?"
>Her tail deflates until she's on her hooves again
>"Not really. I mean, when's the last time we've even seen each other? You've been away from us all for so long!"
>Pinkie Pie gives Twilight a smile
>It's not as happy as the other manic, crazed expressions she's given so far
>"We're still friends. Aren't we?"
>Twilight looks down
>"Well... of course we are... but I... had to help Anon. He needed me. He needs me still."
>"Then why not have us help too! If we did, we would all still-"
>"No, Pinkie. Only I can help him."
>The sudden sharp tone in Twilight's voice causes both you and Pinkie Pie to recoil
>"He's my friend. He needs me to help him... not any other pony. He wouldn't be ok with you, or Rarity, or Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash, or..."
>Pinkie Pie glances at you
>Kinda like how you glance at Twilight
>She's looking for an answer
>Why is she asking you?
>You shrug
>All of this is new to you too
>"Alright... well... at least we're together again now, right?"
>She pats Twilight's shoulder
>"I'm gonna be right back, ok?"
>She waits for Twilight to answer but she doesn't
>Her smile fades more
>"I'm gonna go get our friends... and then we can have our party."
>Uncharacteristic for her, as little as you know her, Pinkie Pie walks back into the outside world
"...Twilight? Is everything ok?"
>Now that it's just you and her, you feel a weight lift off your shoulders
>"No... I mean, yeah. Yeah, it is, Anon. It will be."
>You don't understand
>You go to her side, sitting by
>You kinda feel like you should just stay at her side, no matter what's going on
>Things make more sense when she's there to help interpret it all
"Is it... bad that it's been two hundred and thirty three days?"
>"Well... no. Not at all, because it's been spent on you. But I guess I miss my friends too..."
>She looks at you
>"Anonymous, I need to tell you something important about my friends."
>Expecting good news, you perk up and smile
"Of course, Twilight! Your friends are my friends!"
>Twilight smiles at that
>But it looks bitter
>"Anon... no matter what. Remember that they don't love you. Only I love you."
>What?
"What?"
>"They... they aren't capable of loving you. Only I can. No matter how friendly they act, they will never love you. Do you understand? You need to understand."
>You don't really get it
>Why wouldn't they love you?
>From how Pinkie Pie was acting, wasn't that love right there?
>You love Twilight but you could never do what the pink pony did in a million days, even if you tried!
"I... I don't..."
>Twilight puts her hooves on the side of your face
>"THEY CAN'T LOVE YOU, ANON. ONLY I CAN. I UNDERSTAND YOU."
>What's going on?
>"I LOVE YOU. ONLY ME. ONLY TWILIGHT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"
>Twilight, please stop being scary
>"YOU NEED TO TELL ME THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW."
>You feel a painful fire burn in your chest
>And behind your eyes
"Y-yes, I understand! Twilight, I understand! Please stop!"
>The growing aggression in her voice is truly terrifying to you
>She can't possibly be so mad at you
>You didn't do anything wrong
>Right?
"Please stop, I understand now!"
>You feel hot droplets go down the side of your face
>Everything's been so confusing
>You thought everything was going well
>You thought that it was good to say that you loved Twilight, and that there was a dual-party set up, and that there were going to be friends of Twilight to meet and be friends with
>You thought that she was happy because Pinkie Pie was happy
>None of this makes any sense to you!
>You try to say that to Twilight but it comes out in heavy, deep sobs
>You don't know any of Twilight's friends beyond Pinkie Pie but it hurts so much to hear that they would never love you
>"Oh Anon... shh... it's ok..."
>Her hooves, which had been pressing into the sides of your head, slide down and wrap around your neck into a hug
>"It's ok Anon... I'll love you. I'll always love you. They'll still be your friends... our friends. I just need you to understand... I don't want them to hurt you..."
>For some reason that just makes your sobbing turn that much more aggressive
>How could friends of Twilight be so hateful toward you?
>They don't even know you!
>You don't even know them!

>After Twilight's warning, you ended up curled up against a wall
>You found your quill on the floor and reclaimed it
>Since your journal were down a set of stairs, you resigned yourself to writing your thoughts against the wood
>Of course, you didn't have ink available
>The wood is also pretty hard too so it's not like you can carve into it
>>Hello floor. This is Anonymous. I was prepared for a party with Twilight's friends. I thought that they would be my friends too. Twilight told me that they won't be my friends.
>You already ran out of the emotion to cry
>Now you just feel empty
>>I guess that's not right, floor. Twilight said that they could be my friends. But they would never love me. I guess it makes sense. But it still doesn't sound good. I want to be friends but I don't think being a friend means loving them. It's not the same thing, right?
>You hear Twilight talking to herself and trotting over all of the room
>It sounds like she's talking to someone
>Or more like she's talking to herself
>"Why yes, his name is Anon but it's completely not related to Anon... you know what I mean. Applejack? No... no no, of course we're still friends. BFFs forever, right?"
>She gulped down half of a large bowl of pink liquid already in the middle of her conversations
>You want to ask her what she's talking about but you can't really bring yourself to talk to her
>You can't bring yourself to talk at all
>You're unlovable
>Except to Twilight
>You tap the quill on the floor
>You don't know what else you want to say to the floor
>It isn't great for conversation
>You prefer your journal much more
>You would never write in one of Twilight's books, but maybe she wouldn't notice if one went missing
>Your musings are cut off with the opening of the door that separates you from the outside world
>"PARTY TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!"
>The shrill screaming is easy to remember
>You only know of three voices anyway
>"Finally, party at Twilight's! I thought this place was empty or something!"
>You don't recognize that voice
>It sounds... scratchy
>"Nonsense, our Twilight Sparkle wouldn't leave Ponyville for anything. Not without letting us know, in any case."
>A new voice, kinda something you would imagine a princess having
>"I hope she would... but we would help even if you didn't! I'm just happy that you're ok!"
>A really soft voice
>It sounds soothing
>Quiet, too
>Almost like your voice
>From your seat, you look at a truly dizzying sight
>Pinkie is back
>Twilight is there
>But there's... a white Twilight?
>And two more that have wings but no horn!?
>They're all in such a dizzying array of colors
>They all huddle together and talk all at once to each other
>The new voices are hard to tell apart
>You even can't hear Twilight's voice through all of the noise
>But she looks so happy
>"OH I FORGOT OUR OTHER PARTY PONY!"
>Pinkie's screech makes your stomach feel terrible
>Your eyes widen at the five ponies that focus on you
>"Oh my..."
>"You can't exactly join a party way over there, darling..."
>"Woah... a guy in Twilight's place..."
>Watching them speak, you can connect the new voices to their bodies
>"Girls, this is..."
>"His name's Anon too!"
>Just like that, you feel like everything died then and there
>You watch all of them, stand there
>Studying you
>Studying Twilight too
>Say something
>Say something!
>You need to say something!
"H... hi... I'm."
>You need to say this right
"I'm Anon. This... this is my quill."
>Your green-coated quill floats up to your face and out toward them
>You can't help but think that something might be wrong
>"...Anon? As in Anonymous, by chance?"
>The white one speaks up and steps toward you
>You slowly nod
>"...have we met before, Anon?"
>How could you?
>You would recognize a white Twilight
>The purple of her hair is too different from Twilight
>It's too dark a purple
>"It's not kind to stare at a lady."
>You avert your eyes
"S-sorry. No... no, I don't think we have."
>The unicorn isn't impressed
>But she nods and gives you a warm smile
>"Then I'm pleased to meet you. Very fashionable quill, I like it."
>That makes you smile
>You casually twirl it in the air but the pointed tip pokes the side of your face
>The yellow winged party guest approaches from White's side
>"Oh... it is a really nice quill! That feather looks really rare, too... is it from a phoenix?"
>What's a phoenix?
>So she's the one with the calm voice
"I... I don't know."
>You go from looking at the quill, to Yellow, to the floor
>The nice look in her eyes makes you feel sad
>It's like she can understand your concern
>Your sadness
>"Girls now don't crowd. He's... he's not all that social. He's really timid sometimes."
>"I understand. Well, Anonymous, I am pleased to meet you. My name is Rarity and I am open if you would ever like to talk."
>The so called Rarity walks off, leaving you feeling a little more... confident?
>Yellow nods and smiles
>"And I'm Fluttershy! I'm very happy to meet you, Anon. I hope we get to be the best of friends!"
>You can't help but smile at her energy
>It's difficult to explain but you believe her words fully
>You watch her follow Rarity
>Twilight enters your view with a quizzical look
>Your smile immediately drops
>"Are you doing better now?"
"Y... yes, Twilight... I'm sorry for how I was acting."
>You can't help but apologize
>She smiles and nuzzles her face against yours
>"It's ok. It's our party today, right? Let's enjoy it!"
>She has a point
>She helps you up and you twirl the quill into your mane
>Rarity, Fluttershy and the blue one are talking to each other
>Pinkie is bouncing around, and stops in front of the stairs leading further up
>Out of nowhere she pulls out a large black box and pokes it
>It starts... singing?
>"Every pony needs music for a party!"
>She says that to... no one in particular
"Twilight...?"
>"Yes, Anon?"
"Is... is Pinkie magic?"
>Twilight giggles with a sigh at the end
>"No... at least, she isn't any sort of magic I'm familiar with. She's just... well, she's Pinkie Pie."
>That really doesn't bring you any comfort
>But it almost makes sense
>Almost
>With the so-claimed music playing, Twilight trots off to join the bigger conversations
>By the look of how they all react to her, they must really like her
>It's not shocking
>Anyone would like Twilight
>She looks so happy
>You haven't ever made her so happy
>Though you were smiling before
>Or trying to
>It's gone now
>"Are you alright, Anon?"
>You flinch at the voice
>Of course it's Pinkie's
>When did she end up at your side?
"I'm... yeah... yeah, I'm ok."
>She used to be scary before but she sounds kinda nicer now
>"Why no smile? Parties are really great for smiling!"
>You have no reason to hide anything from her
>You've always been open with Twilight
>You can be open to friends like Pinkie too
"I'm... I don't know. Twilight looks happy."
>Your eyes lose focus as you gleam everything going on at once
"I... I don't think I've ever made her that happy."
>Pinkie laughs but it sounds hollow
>From her other laughing, this time it doesn't sound nearly as good
>"She's happy to see her friends again! I don't think anyone except her friends could make her smile so much!"
"Yeah... I guess."
>"Twilight's a little busy. How about we talk for a little while?"
>That sounds good
>You know now that she's a good friend who brought more friends, so she is trustworthy
"Sure, yeah!"
>You nod to yourself for a few moments
>What is there to talk about?
>Your nodding stops
"Uh... I... I like writing?"
>In an instant, Pinkie bounces from your side to in front of you
>Her eyes are huge
>"That's awesome? What sort of things do you write? Are you an author? You know that would make since that Twilight would like you then, IonecreadabookwhenIwasalittlefillyanditputmetosleepfordaysanddaysandwhenIwasfinishedIthoughtIturnedintoabookbecauseIrememberedallthewordsbutwhenmysistersbroughtinarockandtrippedithitmeandI-"
>Her words become a noisy mess that makes you see double
>She giggles
>"No need to go cross-eyed, Anon! I'm just an author with words instead of words!"
>You have no clue what she just said but you think you understood it
>That passing thought confuses you too much
>You need to think of something more solid
"I... I have a journal. I write in that. I enjoy it."
>Her energy raises and lowers without rhyme or reason
>"Would you like me to read it? I'm always good for a good read!"
>She doesn't seem like the type who would read for fun
>You don't mean to be rude but she seems too hyper to sit down and read so much
"S-sure, I guess... but it's down stairs."
>"Twilight has a downstairs?"
>She looks around and spies the stairs that lead to your things
>"Let's go!"
>You want to ask Twilight if it's ok but she seems like she's having so much fun
>Even if the blue on is poking her with a really snide look
>You want to ask Pinkie about it but she's already bouncing down the stairs
>You trot to chase her and stop at the stairs
>The stairs...
>Pinkie's handling the stairs so gracefully
>Though there are a lot of steps, it looks like she's actually jumping from one step to the next
>"Last one down's a stale cupcake!"
>You don't know what that means but her gleeful tone is infectious!
>You hop in place as a test
>You don't hop nearly as high as Pinkie does
>Thinking it's still a good idea, you hop forward onto the first step
>You land
>But immediately slip
>You try to stop yourself but you end up losing your footing worse!
>"Tw-TWILI-"
>You start to cry out for Twilight but your chin meets one of the stair steps
>Everything becomes a blur as your body flails down
>Every part of you that you're aware of hurts
>Including even more parts of you that hurt that you didn't even know could hurt
>When the world comes to a stop, you whimper enough to know that you're still alive
>You open your mouth to croak out a cry for Twilight
>But something's blocking your mouth
>Or more like it's mashed up right against it
>"Anon... watch out for that first step. It's a doozy...! O-ouchie..."
>Pinkie?
>Your vision clears and you see that Pinkie is with you
>In fact, she's right in front of you
>On her back
>Her head lifts up and she smirks at you
>"Was this a trick just to get a taste of Pinkie's Pie?"
>What does that mean?
>You look down at where you are
>You're between her legs
>You're familiar with what's there
>You're very familiar with what's there with Twilight
>You blink at her a few times
>She giggles and watches you
>"Well don't just stare at me like you need permission!"
>You're suddenly reminded that you have legs
>And other things
>A particularly vigorous heartbeat leads to you scrambling up to your legs
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I, I saw you hopping and I'm not good with stairs and I, I wanted to have fun and you were having fun and I..."
>Your panicked explanation drops off when you see...
>Her
>A whole lot more of her than what you saw before
>"Oh no, you're looking at me like I'm a snack... are you going to eat me up?"
>Pinkie's tone almost sounds like Twilight's
>It's low
>Quiet
>In the far more quiet room, you can even hear her exhale
"I..."
>"Don't you worry, Anon... ol' Pinkie Pie is good at keeping secrets... you should know that by now though."

>She reminds you of Twilight
>Obviously it isn't her
>But so much of her looks the same
>So much of her looks inviting
>You've been taught what to do in this situation
>Before you show Pinkie Pie what you've been taught, you hear a scream that freezes your blood
>You recognize that shriek
>It's Twilight
>You freeze and look dead ahead, hoping that she won't see you
>"PINKIE PIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
>Pinkie Pie looks at you with one last knowing grin before she explodes in a puff of purple
>"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ANON?!"
>"I didn't do anything, Twilight! Sheesh, you're acting like I just broke into a hidden treasure room or something!"
>She's giggling
>"Twilight, darling, c-calm down."
>"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIENDS AND THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS TRY TO STEAL ANON!"
>"Excuse me? Twilight, I've hardly spoken to the boy."
>"Oh my... Twilight, please calm down. I'm sure Pinkie Pie-"
>"PINKIE PIE KNOWS BETTER!"
>Your energy depletes and you deflate in a matter of seconds
>She's been irritated at you maybe once or twice
>She's never once screamed like this before
>Even you can tell that she's really mad
>Really, seriously mad
>You drag yourself from your spot into the furthest corner from the stairs up, unable to stop yourself from listening to the anger upstairs
>You listen to Fluttershy being scared off
>Rarity getting upset and leaving after giving an apology that you don't think is genuine
>The winged pony you don't remember scoffing and calling Twilight a 'nerd'
>It's down to just Twilight and Pinkie Pie
>"I don't understand, why are you so angry? We both liked Anon, didn't we?"
>"That was DIFFERENT, Pinkie Pie!"
>"No it isn't! It's Anon, I can tell!"
>"No it isn't!"
>"Yes it is!"
>"Pinkie, get out!"
>"No! Twilight, you're acting silly, you've been cooped up in here for who knows how long-"
>"I said GET OUT!"
>"FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS DO THIS!"
>"THEN YOU AREN'T MY FRIEND!"
>The conversation dies right there
>You huddle into yourself as hard as you can
>You caused this
>You just know it
>"T-Twilight..."
>"Don't make me repeat myself, Pinkie..."
>"You can't mean it... let's start over, ok? I can pretend like I never met him before! And, and we can keep going like normal!"
>The stone cold tone of Twilight mixed with the desperate pleading of Pinkie is enough to shred your heart
>You bury your head straight down, trying to think of any way to block out the arguing
>The crying
>Whether or not it was either of them up there crying or you, you couldn't tell
>You didn't mean to do any of this
>Why did you ruin the party like that?
>Why couldn't you have just been better?
>You feel something nudge against your shoulder
>It takes a moment for you to wake up
>You didn't know you were even sleeping
>It takes a minute for your eyes to focus, but you recognize the shape well, even in the barely lit room
"Twilight..."
>Your voice trembles
"I'm sorry... please don't be mad at your friends."
>Twilight sits down in front of you
>Staring down
>"Anon... don't apologize. It was Pinkie that was in the wrong. I know what you were going to do to her..."
>The stern, emotionless tone in her voice makes it impossible for you to speak
>"And... I know that she's a very attractive pony. I should have known that there would still be a connection between you and her. Maybe it's just your personality."
>She sighs
>It's a sigh like she's been holding it back
>"You know... even back then, I suspected things. She was too happy to watch over you. Far too eager to help you out."
>What does she even mean?
>She sighs again
>"Anon... can I do something? Do you trust me?"
>That question gives you the strength to speak of
"Of course I do."
>"Good... I love you, Anon"
"I love you too, Tw-"
>Purple fills your vision
>You aren't able to speak
>It feels like that one time when you tried to drink and speak at the same time
>You don't feel the need to be concerned but you realize you can't breath either
>Twilight doesn't let you loose
>She knows what she's doing
>She loves you
>You know this
>You know this for sure, which is why you aren't scared
>But you need to breath
>Twilight will let you breath, you know that for a fact
>Maybe this will make her feel better
>You would
>be ok with that
>You just need
>To
>Wait
>Patiently
>...
>You come to, bolting upright
>You're in bed
>Wait
>In bed?
>You hear humming
>Like it's a song or something
>You look around but don't see anyone
>"Oh, Anon! You're awake! Silly me, I forgot you were sleeping?"
"Twilight?! Where are you?"
>"Up here!"
>Up where?
>You look up, expecting it to be a joke
>Instead, you see Twilight
>Clinging to the ceiling with her legs
>All... hundred of them?
>Your body goes ice cold
>She doesn't have that many legs
>She makes her way down to you, her dozens of legs dancing wildly
>But she's not making any noise
>Before you can ask her what's going on, she grabs onto you with two long, jagged legs
>The hooves at the end are narrow, and angled
>They squeeze into you, to the point that they're inside of you
>Twilight looks at you with a smile
>The smile goes so wide that the edge of her lips go behind her head
>Her head silently opens into a gaping maw
>"Now we'MM ʙe toGetHeR ғoReveR."
>Her voice doesn't match the gnashing and the twitching of the top of her head
>You want to say something to her but it's Twilight
>You can't say 'no' to her
>She brings you close into a multi-legged embrace
>Her mouth extends and engulfs your head
"TWILIGHT NO!"
>You bolt upright
>You're in bed
>Twilight is nowhere to be seen
>Heart beating in your chest so hard you're uneven, you wrench your head upward
>No Twilight
>Of course
>Of course you wouldn't see Twilight on the roof
>Why would that ever happen?
"Twilight? Where are you?"
>You stumble to your hooves, half-asleep
>You stop at the base of the stairs, siting down
>There are no lights on though
>That's weird
>Wasn't there supposed to be a party today?
"Oh no..."
>The realization hits you
>Did you sleep through the entire party?!
>You hurry to your journal
>Your quill is resting right nearby, which is comforting
>You're not quite sure you left it there though
"Good morning, day two hundred thirty three..."
>You mumble your entry to yourself
>You do remember writing this
>But you don't remember much else
>It couldn't possibly be morning
>You check your clock
>It's past midnight!
>Or past noon?
"Oh no..."
>You let your head drop onto the table
"I slept through it..."
>You swoop up your quill in a glow of green
>Something about it stands out to you
"...what's a phoenix?"
>You really aren't sure
>But for some reason your quill says 'phoenix' to you