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sad A Beautiful Swallow


Tone Shift

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This story is based on real life events.

Everything in this story happened, be it metaphorically or literally.

Some things have been twisted and altered to protect personal information.

I hope you enjoy...

 

mlp__fim_a_beautiful_swallow_coverart_by

 

Chapter 1

    I once read somewhere that when you find something wonderful, something that you can't live without, you aren't really aware of how important it is until you feel it's absence. I don't really remember where I read that, and I don't care that much. All I know is that I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment. I suppose you are at least slightly curious about who I am and what in Tartarus I'm blabbering on about. Well, I'm a young stallion, almost able to be considered an adult, though I still have a fair amount I need to learn. I was born in Ponyville 17 years ago, and I have yet to move from that town. I've lived with my mother, father, and brother in our second house since I was born. We had to move from our first because of a few problems with the walls letting large amounts of moisture in. As for my name, I'm Stinging Nettle.

 

   I like to think that my name represents my somewhat nasty personality. Don't get me wrong, I'm a perfectly nice stallion when I like you. If I don't like you, then there can be some pretty nasty words spoken, and depending on circumstances, a really nasty action to accompany the words. A good example, I was in a rather foul mood, and one of the local school bullies whom I detested every cell of, pushed me to the side as he passed. I did not approve, to say the least. I admit, I could have reacted a bit more intelligently, but given the circumstances of what was going on that day, I didn't really have a clear head. I attacked him. He got detention, I got suspended for a week.

 

   Now, while I'm sure that's all very interesting and all, I want to get to the point I made a second ago; The thing you care about being absent. Well, in my case it's a pony. A young unicorn, a few months younger than I am. I would just give you the gist of what's going on, but I haven't talked about this nearly enough to anypony. I'm going to give you every little detail that I can. Even with my rather profound lack in writing talent, I just want to make sure I get this out of my system. It's been bugging me for too long now. And now I'm rambling, and procrastinating against the point. Go figure.

 

   Well, I guess it only makes sense that I just tell you the story starting from the beginning. This was maybe four, five years ago? Something like that.

 

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

   5 years ago, I found myself sitting at my desk in the Ponyville school. Cheerilee was up in front of the class giving some lecture that I can barely remember. I don't even remember what class it was for. What I did know was that a friend of mine, Heartfelt Waltz was going to be holding a meet-up between me and fellow aspiring writers of the school to collaboratively tell a story. At this time, I wanted nothing more than to be a writer. I loved reading, and wrote the occasional story when the muse struck me. None of them were good, but whatever. That's in the past, and not the point of what I'm talking about. Waltz was a great storyteller, though she liked to incorporate elements from other things into it. Either way, she told good stories, and liked to get everypony else involved.

 

   Our typical formula is we'd each invent a character, and take turns deciding the actions of the various characters, jotting down our ideas, and passing them to the front. Each pony got 3 pages to work with for their turn, with limited control over the other characters. When I say limited, I mean it had to be approved by the creator of the character if it was dialogue, and everyone if it was a story-important action or effect. Anyways, the class went on, and eventually wrapped up. I grabbed my stuff and made my way to Waltz's house.

 

   The house eventually came into sight. The second story window that I knew lead into Waltz's 'meeting room' (Really, it was just her bedroom) had light shining from it, indicating that the rest had already arrived. I checked my small saddlebags, making sure that I still had my quills, ink, and paper. If I ran out Waltz would supply more. She was very generous like that. Either way, I stepped up to the door, ran a green hoof through my unkempt, long brown mane, and knocked. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Waltz herself. She wasn't as tall as I was, had a dark, midnight blue coat, and a silver mane. It was kind of an interesting contrast, really.

 

   “Hey, Nettle! Glad you could make it. How was the assignment?” she asked.

 

   “Eh,” Was my response. At this point, I'd been home schooled for most of my life. Therefore, I was still getting used to interacting with ponies, both outside of my family, and inside of my age group. She tilted her head at me. She was much more used to the social scene than I was, and also had a bad tendency to over-analyze reactions.

 

   “You seem a little out of it. You OK?” she asked me. I nodded.

 

   “Yeah, just wasn't a very fun day. Is everypony else here yet?” I asked, taking a questioning step forwards, asking silently for permission to enter. She nodded and stepped aside, letting me in.

 

   “Yes. We're only waiting on one other. Head on up. I'll stay down here until they show up,” Waltz said with a strange smile on her face. I knew that look; she was hiding something, and it was fun for her to keep it hidden. She gave me that look at my birthday party when she gave me my present. Whatever, I thought. If she wants to hide something, I'm sure she'll reveal it shortly, and it'll be a pleasant surprise. I made my way up the stairs. Taking a left at the top, I entered into Waltz's room. OK, headcount time. Teal Buckler was here, Violet pedal was here, as was Brimstone.

 

   Teal buckler was a teal color, with a cranberry colored mane, with little streaks of dull grayish blue in it. Violet pedal had a fitting violet coat, and a lavender mane. Brimstone was the youngest one here, and had a gray coat, along with a red and yellow mane. Wait... that meant we were all already here. It confused me. Who could we possibly be waiting on? All of the members of my circle of friends was already here.

 

   “Hi folks. Anypony know who we're waiting for?” I asked.

 

   “Not a clue,” Buckler replied, walking up to me. We hoof-bumped really quick, and then I turned to Brimstone, who shrugged.

 

   “I don't know the name. I just know that Waltz is pretty excited. Supposedly she's bringing in a good storyteller,” Brimstone confirmed, shrugging.  I nodded slowly and looked out the window of the room. As I did, I spotted a white unicorn mare, looking about as old as I was, trotting slowly up to the house. My mind kicked into gear, and I quickly put two and two together.

 

   “Well, whoever it is, she's here, I think,” I replied. She was a snow white color, with a long, flowing blue mane. It was a nice sight, honestly, even from this distance and with my poor eyesight. At this point in my life, I really didn't look for attractive features. I wasn't interested in the dating scene or

anything like that as all I ever saw happen in it was a lot of garbage and drama. I snapped myself back to reality as Violet came up next to me.

 

   “Pearly white unicorn with a blue mane?” she asked, to which my reply was a sharp nod. She smiled slightly. “Ah, yes. I’ve seen her around the schoolyard before. I think she just moved here a few weeks ago,” Violet said, leaning forward towards the window slightly. I turned my gaze back to the rest of the room. It was fairly neat, with a bed in the corner, a desk opposite of it, and then the long table with six chairs around it. The walls were plain and simple. I heard the door open downstairs, and some words were exchanged.

 

   I couldn't make them out, however. I didn't try to listen in as I was more focused on trying to remember if we were starting a new story or continuing an old one. I supposed it would make sense to start a new one, given that we were bringing in a new storyteller. Whatever the case, the door popped open and Waltz walked in, followed by the white Unicorn who was smiling pleasantly. It was actually a very warming smile to see, now that I think about it. I am not sure what, but there was just something to that smile that got to me.

 

   Waltz smiled and rested a hoof on the white Unicorns shoulder. “Everypony, welcome the newest edition to the group! Twinkling Swallow!” She gave Swallow a friendly smack on the back, causing Swallow to jump slightly. She was nervous. “Go on and say hi.” Waltz urged, gently pushing Swallow forwards a bit.

 

   Swallow smiled at us, “Hello, there. I'm Twinkling Swallow. I was told by my new friend, Waltz, here that you were all aspiring writers who work to help each other. I am a writer, too, and am hoping to help each of you out, and be helped myself.” She smiled at the lot of us, but said no more after that. Something stirred in me, a compulsion to introduce myself.

 

   “I'm Stinging Nettle. Don't let the name fool you, I'm a pretty nice guy, usually. It's a pleasure,” I said in

a friendly tone. That seemed to get the others to introduce themselves as well.

 

   “I'm Teal Buckler. Very nice to meet you, Swallow.”

 

   “Violet pedal, but you can just call me Violet.”

 

   “Brimstone, nice to meet 'cha.”

 

   It was essentially 'Get to know the newcomer' time. We spent maybe twenty or thirty minutes just talking to Swallow about various things. Eventually we settled in around the table to begin the session of telling the story. I was assigned to be Swallows 'coach and instructor'. It was my job to make sure she knew what she was doing. It took a few minutes when her turn came around, but she caught on quickly. We had started a new story. We were young, and very creative.

 

   We began off with Brimstone setting the scene; A realm called “The void” being our starting point. The void was a realm divided into three factions who constantly warred with each other. Two of these factions, after a long standoff against each other for control of an area, sent in their very best warriors to do battle in a special arena to decide who should claim the area. I took the reigns here, detailing the battle, mostly. I always had a knack for fight scenes, especially when they had really ridiculous levels of power.

 

   Next up, Violet connected the two warriors by a common enemy. This common enemy's Void-swimmer attacked the arena, causing the two warriors to have to fight their way out and flee. After, Waltz had some characterization between them on the Void-Swimmer that the warriors found. Then, Buckler followed up with a scene of the duo landing in the capital city of the third nation to try and communicate a cease-fire.

 

   Swallow took the reigns here, and told of how the common enemy arrived shortly after and did battle with the two warriors. We continued with this particular pattern. We eventually stopped as the sun was setting outside with the two Warriors splitting up to try and find the 'Avatars of the Elements.' Now, given when I'm writing this, you may think 'Elements of harmony.’ Well, that's wrong. Its the universal elements of nature. Completely different thing. This was still three years before the Elements of Harmony were to be rediscovered by Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

 

   Either way, we quickly compiled our sheets into a stack which Waltz put away, for reference when we met up next week, and proceeded for the door. Swallow glanced about as we stepped outside. Farewells were exchanged as everypony began to go their own ways. As I was turning to go my own way, I heard hoofsteps behind me. When I turned to look, I saw Swallow following me. I hesitated then, as did she. An awkward silence hung there for a second. I was the one to break the silence. “There uh, something you need? I mean, I gotta get home soon or my parents will object,” I said. Swallow nodded.

 

   “Well, my house is in the same direction, though it's further off. I was wondering if I could talk with you along the way?” she inquired, a slight tilt overcoming her head as she looked at me, almost curiously. I hesitated. I had the bad tendency to over-think other ponies’ intentions. She stepped a little closer. “Please? I'm still trying to learn about this town.”

 

   “Uh... Sure, why not?” I finally settled on. I gave her a smile as she trotted up next to me. My house was about ten minutes away, so that gave me ten minutes to answer any and all questions she may have had.

 

   “So, what are the winters like here?” she asked after a moment. Oh, right. Winter was rolling closer, wasn't it? My birthday, which was only a month ago, was in the fall. So, that being said, winter was approaching. With that confirmed, at least, I began to wrack my brain for any information that could answer her question.

 

   “Huh. Never been asked that one before. Well, they're cold, obviously, but I've never had to go out with anything more than a scarf even on the coldest of days. Snow gets pretty deep, but not so deep that walking is a problem. I'd say about.. hm... three inches, tops?” Swallow nodded, and got a thoughtful look on her face.

 

   “So, what about the Winter wrap-ups? How do you usually get them done efficiently? I mean, every town has their own practices for it,” she inquired further.

 

   “Ah. Well, this one may irritate you, seeing as you're a unicorn. Magic is not allowed when cleaning up winter, with the exception of the pegasi's passive abilities to manipulate the weather. You're horn will pretty much be forbidden if used for helping clean up winter," The deadpan look she was giving me was actually kind of amusing.I stifled a chuckle.

 

   “Why is magic not allowed?”

 

   “Earth pony tradition. This town was founded by earth ponies, and we are a very tradition-based community,” I explained, snickering after I was done. That face left quite an impression on me, I hope you realize. She nodded, deadpan expression being replaced by a much more neutral one. We walked on in silence for a moment with me awaiting her next question. One thing I found that always helped me set my mind straight on stuff and remember details was to interview myself. Just ask myself a bunch of random questions that related heavily to the topic.

 

   It worked wonders on stories. Well, so long as I knew the right questions to ask. Anyways, Swallow followed up on her last question, “Any other traditions I should know about?”

 

   “Well, were you here for the running of the leaves?”

 

   “What's that?”

 

   “I'll take that as a no.” I chuckled as she gave me another look. “Sorry. Anyways, the running of the leaves is an annual autumn event where the locals come together in a large race. The point is that the shaking from so many hooves will knock the leaves out of the trees. It could be considered a sort of 'autumn wrap-up', if you look at it correctly.” I explained. She nodded silently. We continued our walk in a peaceful silence for a long while. I don't know why, or, more accurately, I didn't know why at the time, but being able to walk home with somepony by my side for the entire way was very comforting. I just felt less pent up, less stressed. I like to think that it was this event that spurred me to take so many long walks with my brother later on in life.

 

   Either way, we eventually reached the street my house was on. “You were pretty silent for a while there. Got any last questions?” I asked.

 

She nodded pleasantly.“Yes, though it's less about the town and more related to you yourself.” She confirmed with a nod. She turned to face me fully. “Why do you want to be a writer? Like, what inspired you?”

 

That question caught me off guard a little bit. “Uh... well... I'm not sure. I first started writing when I was six, believe it or not. About the same time my older brother started, now that I think about it.”

 

   “You're brother wants to be a writer, too?”

 

   “Yeah, but he's eons ahead of me. He's like, what, five years older than I am? Something like that. I read his first work when I was little, and I always kinda copied what I thought would be fun. So, I wrote the most pitiful piece of garbage ever to grace paper at the age of six.” I smiled when she laughed.

 

   “Oh come on, it can't be that bad,” she said between snickers.

 

   “Actually, it is. But I guess what inspired me was my brother. He inspires me in a number of ways, even if he and I don’t always get along. He wants to be a novelist of stories about the older days of Equestria. As for me, I just kinda write whatever hits me as a good idea,” I explained. She nodded, finally recovery from her light giggling. “So, what about you?” I asked.

 

   “Well... I’ve always loved a good story. I guess part of why I want to write so much is because I find how simple it is to be the best part. It doesn't require a lot of training if you have the knack for it. You just need to know a few basic things: What you want to say, how to say it, and why you want to say it,” she explained.

 

   “Example?” I inquired. She smiled, though somewhat sadly.

 

   “It actually started with a dream. I had this dream one night, and it began a whole string of them. I still

have them, telling an ever evolving story in my head. I learn a lot from these dreams, and well... Some of these things I never see reflected in the real world. I want to try and change that. I know I can't get rid of the negativity, but if I can at least be noticed by writing a good book that accurately conveys my point, maybe... just maybe... I can make the future generations more willing to do the right things,” she explained, then smiled at me. I took a moment to process that.

 

   I wrote to tell a good story. She wrote to better the world around us. I smiled softly at her. “That's the best reason to write I've ever heard,” I admitted. She nodded happily. Before either of us could get in another word, however, the distant chiming of a bell began to go off. I was late in getting home. “Horse apples! Uh, I gotta go! Oh man, am I gonna get it now!” I said quickly. I quickly turned and galloped home. It struck me that I forgot something. But given how my parents could be about my curfew, I figured it could wait.

 

   The sun began to set, and the moon rose as I entered my house to an irked look from my parents.

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This story is interesting.

 

I'll keep a look out for more I liked the characters though maybe a bit more insight on the friends could have flushed them out just a bit more in all good.

 

Lol I'm writing a Story Myself involving " The Void." lol though it's a bit different. 

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This story is interesting.

 

I'll keep a look out for more I liked the characters though maybe a bit more insight on the friends could have flushed them out just a bit more in all good.

 

Lol I'm writing a Story Myself involving " The Void." lol though it's a bit different. 

 

 

Yeah. Ive got up to chapter 11 written, though only up through chapter 5 is proofread. Ill go ahead and throw up Chapter 2 tomorrow.

Chapter 2

(I'm not sure if there are any rules about cursing, so, let me know about that, as this chapter [the whole story, in fact] has it in spots.)

 

    Alright, so I covered how I met her. I'm not going to give you every single detail of every single day as this story would be thousands of pages if I did. I'm simply going to cover the events that I deem important enough to include. Now, I did catch a little bit of crap from my parents, but not enough to really cause a problem. I was only a few minutes late, and they were understanding that I was a little distracted because I was talking to somepony. I spent that night sleeping and dreaming about some pretty unusual things, as was my duty. One thing about me; my dreams make no bucking sense. I don't even remember them most of the time, and when I do, the first words to leave my mouth after waking up are usually, “Well, that was weird”.

 

    But whatever. The next few days were spent pretty normally. I spent a bit of extra time getting to know Swallow a bit better. I was rather happy that Waltz brought her into the group; her capacity for storytelling was incredible. It astonished me, really, how the words seemed to flow willingly from her quill onto the paper every time she wrote anything down. It was a simple, yet elegant form of writing that surprised me. She seemed to like talking to me a lot more than any of the other ponies I saw her with. She began to tell me stories about her dream world, as she liked to call it. It was, as she said, an ever evolving, changing, and advancing story in her mind. One dream would pick up where the last left off.

 

    It quite frankly amazed me how in-depth these dreams could become. The story was far beyond what I could come up with on my own. Not everyone thought as such, though. Allow me to elaborate.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    School had finally gotten out for the week, which was good. It was on Sunday that we had agreed to meet up next; some stuff had come up for Waltz, making our normal day of Friday a bit impossible. She didn't really tell us what, but eh. Gave me more time to get my characters back story worked out in my mind. A noise caught my ear, however. It sounded like laughing. -Not fun, happy laughter- but cynical, mocking laughter that caused the hairs atop my head to stand on end.

 

    That's a thing; there are things that really anger me, but only if it directs itself in my direction. My hair prickling is almost like me becoming angry, without actually being angry. I don't feel angry, but I act much more like I am angry then otherwise. The reason my scalp was prickling here was pretty obvious to me. The laughter was coming from Diamond Tiara. Pardon the language, but that little bitch pissed me off. Still does, actually. I didn't know what she was laughing at, and I didn't care. I would have absolutely no part in it.

 

    I maintained that train of thought until they came into my line of sight. My breath caught. Swallow was pressing into the ground in defeat, her ears lowered. Diamond Tiara was facing her, snickering snidely, as though she found the sight to be the most wonderful thing around. I knew she was a spoiled brat, and liked to pick on others, and I normally wouldn’t care. But she was picking on my friend. Diamond tiara didn't have her cutie mark yet, but that didn't stop her being an intolerable jerk to everypony else she viewed as being inferior in some way.

 

    I didn't see Silver Spoon anywhere, so I figured she was off either bossing somepony else around, had a lot of homework, or was in some kind of trouble. I hoped it was the third. Either way, Diamond Tiara finished her irritating laughter to mock Swallow. “Really, you dream about that sort of stuff? Points for having an active imagination, but do you have these dreams simply because you've got no friends? So you dream them up?” My eye twitched. I'd never seen Diamond Tiara act this mean-spirited before, but I didn't really notice that at first. All that mattered to me was she had dared to pick on one of my friends. My first instinct was to charge Diamond Tiara and smash her face into the ground with enough force to break her snout so that she'd shut up. However, my logical side popped in, telling me that would cause more problems than it was worth.

 

    As I approached, I could hear Swallow reply, “N-no! I have friends!” Damn straight! I stepped up next to her crouching form and glared daggers at Tiara. Well, daggers was an understatement. Try Broadswords.

 

    “Diamond tiara,” I said as though in friendly greeting, though I kept my face in a scowl.

 

    “Stinging Nettle. We never really get to talk much, do we?” Diamond Tiara replied, looking over at me instead, that cruel smile still plastered on her face. “Why is that? I've actually kinda wanted to talk to you a few times, yet you’ve always walked away.”

 

    “Maybe that should be a hint,” I replied, venom dripping off every word. She looked taken aback by the way the words left my mouth, almost a growl.

 

    “You were avoiding me?” she asked. I nodded sharply. She narrowed her eyes. “So why are you here, then? If You have been avoiding me, what brings you to me now?” I didn't answer her right away. Instead, I knelt down to Swallow.

 

    “You alright?” I asked. Swallow nodded slowly. Tiara looked a little surprised. Now I answered Tiara's question. “Nothing brought me to you, specifically. You just happened to be right next to what I was drawn to.” Diamond Tiara gave me a deadpan glare.

 

    “Then what brought you over here?” she asked. I stood back up and made the effort to put on a threatening stance.

 

    “I was brought to the defense of one of my friends,” I replied, and my lip twitched upwards in a smirk as Tiara got a look of anger on her face. The anger on her features faded, replaced by a smug smile.

 

    “Oh? I always knew that you liked the crazy ones, but I thought you at least had some sense.” She sighed, as though disappointed. I knew she was just trying to draw a reaction from me, so I opted not to say anything. “What? No counter? So you admit to it, then?” My eye twitched. She must have seen the movement because she pressed on. “Is she a part of your silly little writing group?” My brain stalled for a second. How the flying heck did she know about that? My muscles were getting tensed up. I was about done with this.

 

    Diamond Tiara looked at me expectantly. When I made no reply, she lost her cool a little bit. Good, I was outlasting her. Her ears flattened back and her eyes narrowed. I was bigger than she was, and older by a couple of years, but she still knew how to push buttons. “You know, if you need to form a little committee about something none of you are really good at, then you should keep from poisoning the minds of those with real talent, like me!”

 

    “So we can get better,” Swallow said suddenly. I winced. She gave Tiara a reaction. The exact opposite of what I was wanting. I was hoping that through silence she would get bored and leave us alone.

 

    “Do you expect writing is going to be your special talent?” Diamond Tiara mocked. With the silence broken already, I now had the ability to speak my mind. I was pretty pissed right now. I just hoped Tiara took this next little bit to heart; it would be bad for everypony involved if I snapped.

 

    “Tiara, I will warn you now. back. off!” I snarled, taking a step forward. She took a step back, suddenly looking a lot less confident than she did a moment ago.

 

    “What, are you going to hit me?” Tiara asked.

 

    “If you don't back the hay off, I'll do more than hit you,” I snarled, taking another step forwards. She took two steps back. She was being cautious.

 

    “You'd hurt a lady?” she asked. That one sent me over the edge.

 

    “Lady? You think you're a lady!? Oh, you poor wretch. You want to see a lady? Go and look at Rarity! SHE is a lady! You? I don't even know. But you are NOT a lady, and with an attitude like that, you never will be!” I was practically shouting when I was done. I had closed the distance between us rather quickly, and was now looming over her. “Now, get out of my sight!” Tiara scooted away from me, scrambled to her hooves, and galloped away without another word.

 

    A moment later and I began to realize the attention our little squabble had drawn. There were a fair number of grown-ups here to guide their foals home who were staring at me with surprised looks. Normally I would not have cared. I didn't care actually. What I cared about was the individual I had been protecting had to see that. I slowly turned to look at Swallow. She was looking at me with wide, frightened eyes. My ears drooped of their own accord. I took a slow step in her direction. She backed away slightly. “Swallow...” I muttered, lifting a hoof in her direction.

 

    Damn. I had made a new friend, and now I was scaring her away. All because I had lost my temper trying to protect her. The extended hoof began to shake slightly. I had so few friends; I didn't want to lose a single one. I felt my chest tighten and lowered my hoof, as well as my head. I was shaking visibly, now. I slowly closed my eyes, and wrapped myself up in my thoughts. I hadn't had a good reason to shed a tear in years. I was hoping to keep it that way, but that thope got shattered as a tear rolled down my left cheek.

 

    I didn't hear her move. Somepony suddenly hugged me. Looking up Swallow wrap her forelegs around me. I froze. What was going on? “Thank you, Nettle. Just... try to keep calm next time, ok?” she whispered. I nodded silently.

<^><^><^><^>

    Things were a little awkward after that. We started on our way towards our individual homes, but we stopped in a small park area to talk. I found myself sitting on a park bench, with Swallow beside me. Something had been bothering me since the incident with Tiara. “Hey, Swallow?” I asked. She looked towards me curiously. “What was Tiara bullying you over?” She lowered her gaze ever so slightly.

 

    “It's... She used my dream world as a conduit to tease me,” Sshe explained. “Said that I had to dream up my friends.”

I sighed.  “That Diamond Tiara's going to elicit a violent reaction one of these days,” I muttered. My own reaction bubbled back to the forefront of my mind. I lost my temper big time.

 

    “I knew she was wrong, but it still hurt to hear her say that,” Swallow explained, and I nodded in response. A silence hung in the air for a moment. “Have I told you about the various characters in my dream world?” she asked. I shook my head.

 

    “No. You've mentioned them, but I'm pretty lost on who they are,” I replied.

 

    “Well, the one that Tiara heard about was Longbow. He's my best friend in the dreams. Kindest soul I've ever met, real or not,” she said. The next hour was spent with her just telling me about the various characters in her dreams. There were quite a few, and each of them was unique.

 

    Obviously there was Longbow. he was the heart and soul of her group, helping out everywhere he possibly could, and giving his friends sound advice. He was quite talented with a bow, and was also incredibly brave. I imagine this was exaggerated, but apparently he fended off a dragon for a couple of minutes. How he fended it off was left unclear, so maybe it was through negotiating.

 

    There was also a young filly named Summer Breeze. According to Swallow, she was like Longbow’s daughter, but was fully capable of handling herself. She was given some form of curse at birth which she was able to warp into more of a blessing, of sorts. I don’t know the specifics, but in the long run her abilities sounded nasty.

 

    The third of the most notable of them was a griffon named Harclaw. Harclaw was basically the group’s warrior, specializing in melee and close quarters combat as well as intimidation. Swallow didn’t stay on the topic of him for very long, and I was able to pick up from her tone that she and him didn’t get along so well.

 

I stayed mostly silent, and just listened. Swallow eventually had to leave for her house, so we parted ways where we had the night before, with me remembering to say a proper farewell.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    The following monday proved to be rather gloomy. The scheduled weather was much more miserable than I was expecting. It was so miserable that the lot of Students had to stay inside the school-house over the Midday-break. It was raining, and the sky crackled with lightning with the boom of thunder shorty after. I was busying myself with finishing up a math assignment. One of my natural habits was to constantly glance around myself. Nervous habit, more accurately. On one of these nervous glances, I saw Swallow.

She was sitting in a corner, facing the room, head down.

 

    At first I thought maybe she was reading or something, but when I noticed a distinct lack of a book, a red flag went off in my head. Something was up. I slowly got up and made my way over to her. The closer I got, the slower and quieter I became. She was trembling. Something was definitely up. I slowed to a full stop in front of her. “Hey,” I said softly. She winced, as if startled, but made no further response. That was not good. “You alright?” I asked quietly, drawing closer. She shook her head. “What's wrong?”

 

    “It's...” She tried to say something, but the use of her voice caused it to crack, and she choked down a sob. Uh-oh. I sat down in front of her as the trembling began to get worse. She composed herself as best as I imagine she was able, and looked up at me. Her eyes were bloodshot, irritated, and had bags under them. She'd been crying. I noticed that her hair was in a mess instead of its usual well brushed self. “It's Longbow...” she managed with a whisper.

 

    “What about Longbow?” I asked. Something inside of swallow seemed to visibly snap. Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. By now we were drawing attention again. And again, I didn't care in the least. Swallow was in pain, and I wasn't about to be distracted from helping her.

 

    “He's... Oh Celestia... He's dead.” She struggled with every word. Now I could see what was wrong. I'd come to understand that she could become very attached to things, even if they weren't real, and with something as involved as her dream world, It was easy for me to see how she could be grieving over this. Those dreams are pretty much her second life.

 

    “I... I'm sorry to hear that, Swallow.” I said quietly. She was trying to keep her sobs quiet, but with the small size of the current room, plenty of others could hear her. Thunder boomed outside. I hardly even noticed, and likely wouldn't have if it hadn't been so loud. The absurdly loud noise caused Swallow to shudder violently. I reached out and pulled her into a hug. I wasn't usually the initiator of hugs, but this was different. She was suffering emotionally, and needed some comfort. I heard hoof steps approaching, but paid them no heed.

 

    Turns out it was Miss Cherilee. “What's going on over here?” she asked with a hint of concern in her voice. I patted Swallows back as she buried her face into my neck.

 

    “Swallow’s going through something very difficult right now,” was my reply. Cherilee sat down next to us, ears lowering slightly.

 

    “I'll be fine,” Swallow said quietly, though it wasn't very convincing. There were no doubts in my mind that she'd get over it, but she needed a bit of time.

 

    “Give her a few days, and I'm sure she'll be in a good mood again,” I said, giving Swallow another pat on the back.

 

    “Do you need to head home? Relax a bit?” Cherilee suggested. I looked at Swallow’s expression as she lifted her face. It was tired looking. She sighed.

 

    “I don't see the harm in it...” She muttered. She slowly stood, disengaging from my hug, before walking past me. I followed her movements. They were slow, sluggish, and easily identifiable as distracted. If she went out at that pace in this weather, she could very easily catch a cold. It wasn't raining when we showed up this morning, but I always brought may favorite coat with me. I always anticipated bad weather. It was a few moments later that Swallow was out the door.

 

    “Uh, Miss Cherilee?” I asked hesitantly.

 

    “Yes?”

 

    “Can I go with her? I'll come back and pick up whatever I missed, but I don't want her to catch a cold. I don't think she brought a coat or umbrella, both of which I have in my saddlebags. At the rate she's going, she'll catch a cold, which will only make her feel worse,” I explained and requested at the same time. Cherilee looked at me thoughtfully for a moment.

 

    “Alright, go with her. I'm holding you to your word.” I nodded my thanks, and trotted out the door into the rain after Swallow. She was almost out of the school yard when I spotted her, still trudging along.

 

    “Hey, Swallow!” I called. She hesitated but turned to face me. I found my saddlebags and flipped open the left pouch, digging around for my coat and umbrella. My umbrella was a simple one, and could be extended and compacted. Further, it can also be mounted on a saddlebag for ponies without magic. I quickly retrieved my coat and began to put it on. It was a simple dark blue coat. I may be green, but my favorite color is dark blue. I then retrieved my umbrella and approached Swallow. “Here, take it.” I said, setting the umbrella down in front of her.

 

    She looked at me, a confused expression on her face. “What are you-?” she began to ask.

 

    “I'm not about to let a friend of mine walk out in the rain, not at your speed, and especially not without cover. Your also depressed, and I don't want you alone out here.” I explained. Her eyes lit up ever so slightly. This would be the first time I'd see her use magic. Her horns grooves filled with ocean blue light, which quickly expanded and enveloped her whole horn. It was a dim glow, but all the same it was there. I saw the magic wrap itself around the handle of the umbrella, and open it. She smiled weakly at me.

 

    “Thank you...” She said. I nodded, pulling my hood up.

 

    “Not a problem. Come on... Let's get you home.”

<^><^><^><^>

    We walked in silence almost the entire way. I tried to stay under the umbrella while giving Swallow her space. She wasn't in a talking mood, so I chose to not speak at all. We eventually passed the street I lived on and continued. Eventually, we hit another street. It was somewhat better off than where my house was. And by that, I simply mean that the houses were somewhat bigger, and more fancy. Not to an extreme, not by a long shot, but it was noticeable.

 

    She eventually lead me to one house in particular and stopped in front of it. She turned her eyes to me, and slowly drifted the umbrella over to me. “Here,” she said. “I'm home. Thank you.”

 

    “You're welcome, Swallow.” I replied, taking the umbrella under my foreleg as it drifted over. “Just take it easy for a few days, okay?”

 

    “Yeah.”

 

    There were no further words between us. She simply stood there, looking at me, and I at her. It only lasted a few moments before she turned and headed up the cobblestone stairs to her door. She paused in front of them, and looked over her shoulder at me one last time. Something was in her eyes that I couldn't identify. She didn't give me enough time to properly take it in through the rain as she turned away, opened the door, and stepped through it. I stood there in silence for a minute, with the only noise being that of the rain battering everything around me.

 

    I eventually turned away myself, put away my umbrella, made sure my coat was zipped up all the way, and then began the semi-short trek back to the schoolhouse.

 

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Chapter 3

 

   The next week was pretty quiet between Swallow and I. We got in our conversations, but they were short and clipped. She was getting better, slowly but surely. However, it was easy to tell she wouldn't get over Longbow very easily. I didn't know what had killed him, but I did know that Swallow’s constant dives into her dream world were enough to keep his death on the forefront of her mind. I did what I could to keep her cheered up, and it was working, even if ridiculously slowly. Either way, I was glad I could be of help.

 

    Diamond Tiara began to distance herself from me quite considerably, much to my pleasure. The only problem is that rumors were starting to spread like wildfire. Everypony knew I could be rude, cynical, and harsh if I didn't like the individual trying to talk to me, but the rumors took it a bit farther. I heard whisperings as I passed other foals, and I caught what some of them were saying. The most prominent rumor was that Diamond Tiara had joked around, and I smacked her down. Bogus, obviously, though I began to wish that had actually happened.

 

    No rumors that way, only facts. I never had a particularly great reputation, and now it was getting worse. I didn't care all that much, but I did recognize that making new friends would be a giant pain now. Whatever the case, the next collaborative writing session was just around the corner.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    It was a shame that Brimstone was not able to make it today. Being grounded sucked. The rest of us had made it no problem. By the time we had finished the day’s worth of writing, it struck 6 o’clock. Another hour or two and we'd have to wrap up. The void was in turmoil as the bonds holding the whole thing together were beginning to be erased by the resurrection of a long-forgotten deity. The Avatars of the Elements had all been captured, and the two warriors were now rapidly approaching their final confrontation.

 

    I manipulated the quill in my mouth as I detailed the scene before the heroes. Swirling energies, floating rocks as big as a mansion, odd liquids flowing in streams that defied gravity. The heroes readied themselves as the final adversary dropped to their level, his red eyes glaring at them with cocky arrogance. They spread their stances, and attacked. And with that, I ran out of paper. “OK, Waltz. I didn't have any dialogue, but I had you're character join in a frontal charge on the enemy,” I explained as I shifted my three sheets to the front of the table where Heartfelt Waltz was seated.

 

    She nodded, and read the pages out loud to everyone. Given that Brimstone was missing, the rotation of who went next was different today. After Waltz finished reading off my pages, she passed three pages over to Swallow. She looked at her sheets, and her face scrunched up in thought. It took her a little bit, then she grabbed the quill in a magic aura, dipped it in the ink, and began to write away. She did a good job using her forelegs to keep the work hidden; apparently, she didn't want anypony peeking.

 

    I maintained my manners and decided instead to think over the story so far. It was turning out to be a

pretty good one, the way I saw it. Of course, being one of its creators, that opinion could easily be considered biased. I was still proud of my contributions, whatever the case. It took several minutes, and some light whispering began to go around the table. Idle conversation to pass the time. I didn't take part, and instead glanced at Swallow. She was focused intently on her paper. The quill scribbled away quickly but carefully.

 

    Whatever she was jotting down must have been pretty intense or she just really liked this part and had been planning it for a while. Whatever the case, Swallow finally sent her three pages up to the front. Waltz took them up and began to read. The battle raged on, and both warriors became horribly injured. The Deity laughed at their defeat, and readied himself for the killing blow. The warrior I had made suddenly felt a calm sense of peace. In what looked to be the end of everything, he summoned his remaining willpower, and called out to the spirits of friends long gone.

 

    They swarmed the Deity, rendered his attack useless, and began to drag him down. In the last moment, the two heroes fused their souls, ripping them free from themselves, and imprisoned the deity forever in a stone prison. I wish I could remember exactly how it was worded; it is a horrible feeling for me to realize that I forgot. All I know is that the way it was worded touched me deeply. A beautiful speech was the entirety of the last page, and when Waltz finished reading, nopony spoke for a moment. Finally, Waltz smiled.

 

    “I knew you had talent, Swallow, but...Dang, that was amazing,” Waltz said. Swallow nodded, smiling happily.

 

    “Thank you. I saw an opportunity to emphasize that sometimes sacrifices need to be made,” Swallow explained. The others nodded in agreement.

 

    “You did a fine job,” Buckler said.

 

    “It was well said, I added. The group began to adjourn, with us deciding to take next week to let our creative sides reboot a little bit. We'd meet on Friday the week after. With all that decided, I excused myself from the now casual hangout. I stepped out into what was now winter air. The snows were scheduled to start pretty soon, as was Winter break. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do come winter break. I mean, I only ever got to hang out with my friends when I was at school, or at these meet-ups. Eventually, I heard the front door to Waltz's house pop open.

 

    “Hey, Nettle?” I heard Buckler ask. I grunted my awareness of his presence. “You've been a little distant today. You alright?” he asked.

 

    “Heh. Ever the perceptive one, aren't you?” I asked with an amused smile. Buckler shrugged as he sat down next to me.

 

    “I just don't want you putting yourself away from us. If you're having any problems, we want to help.” Buckler explained, looking at me. I hesitated. Was I having any problems? I couldn't think of any. I mean, at this time, I was happier than I'd felt in a long time. So why did I appear or seem distant, as Buckler put it?

 

    “I feel great, actually. I'm not having any big problems,” I answered, wracking my brain for anything substantial. I drew a blank.

 

    “Small problems can add up, ya know,” Buckler said. True as that was, the only small problem I was having was the matter of those idiotic rumors. And even then, I really didn't care. Was there anything else? I thought it over a bit longer, and gave Buckler my answer.

 

    “I'm not sure why I seem distant to you. I've got maybe one little issue, and that's the problem of rumors. But those aren't really bothering me, either,” I said, running over the day in my head.

 

    “Rumors?” Buckler asked simply. I nodded.

 

    “Yeah, I'm sure you heard them. That I attacked Diamond Tiara over a little joke.” I chuckled a little bit at the sheer absurdity of it all.

 

    “And did you?” Buckler pressed.

 

    “Someone will sooner or later, but it will not be me,” I replied. We were silent for a second. “Say, what am I doing to make me seem 'distant'?”

 

    “You've been speaking in short answers, rather than your usual in-depth self. Further, you keep zoning

out. Didn't you notice that you had to ask us to repeat ourselves?” Buckler explained.

 

    “No, I didn't notice that,” I muttered, thinking it over. I did zone out a few times, now that he mentioned it. I followed my mental train track back to the last zone out to see if I could remember what I was thinking about. Oddly, I found myself remembering the sad expression that Swallow wore when we were at her doorstep. How she smiled at me with the expression I couldn't read or even see in the rain before she went inside.

 

    It was odd to me. What was it about that face that mesmerized me so much? I mean, I usually kept my eyes to myself, and if I saw something that I deemed unimportant, I forget the mental image rapidly. But this? I was there, almost. At the foot of the cobblestone steps, in my coat and in the rain, Swallow in front of me, tilting her head over her shoulder to look at me. There was something in those eyes that I couldn't see. It was frustrating for me to see her through the haze of the rain, and not be able to identify the emotion through it all.

 

    I could tell this much; It wasn't a positive emotion. It was something sad, something distracted. Like she was looking at something far away and wished she could get closer. I have no idea what she could be looking at. Her eyes simply reflected the haze shower of rain. Her eyes blinked slowly, and she began to turn away. I wanted to follow her, but something forbade me. Some invisible force held my legs still. The door began to close. The box through which I could see her got smaller, and smaller. She turned her eyes to me one last time, before the door closed.

 

    “...Nettle!” Buckler said, somewhat loudly, and snapping me back to reality.

 

    “Huh, what?” I asked, glancing around.

 

    “You just did it again,” Buckler pointed out. “You got this really distant look about you, and you stared off into the distance, not even paying any attention to what I was saying.” He looked at me carefully, as though looking for any sign I wasn't being honest. “Stinging Nettle, are you sure you're OK?” I nodded.

 

    “I think so. I just... something keeps distracting my thoughts,” I explained, rubbing the back of my neck.

 

    “Care to elaborate?” Buckler pressed on diligently. He usually didn't let a matter go until he was satisfied with the received answer.

 

    “Well... Do you remember on Monday, Swallow was really sad about something, so Cherilee let me guide her home so she could take it easy?” I asked, wanting to make sure we were on the same page before I began rambling. A slow nod was my reply. I took a moment before continuing. “Well, before she vanished from my sight through her front door... she looked at me. I saw something in her eyes, that I couldn't identify through the rain. Just... something about the look she gave me in that moment has me stumped,” I detailed before looking back over at Buckler.

 

    He held his silence for a moment, pondering my words. “Maybe you're over thinking it?” he suggested.

 

    “I already admit that I am over thinking it. I dunno why my mind keeps wandering back to that expression,” I said, growing quieter as I talked. The sun was beginning to set. I looked at the sun a moment. I asked something, then. Something that I'm not sure why I asked. It just kind of hit me, and came out of my mouth before I could really process what it was I was saying. “Why is she called Swallow?”

 

    “What?” Buckler asked, tilting his head at me.

 

    “Her name is Twinkling Swallow. Now, I get the twinkling part. Magic shimmers, shines, sparkles, twinkles, you name it. But... why Swallow? Don't get me wrong, it's a very pretty name, and I'm perfectly fine with it, but It's just not a name I'd expect be on a Unicorn, you know? A swallow is a bird, which says to me that the name Swallow would reflect being able to fly. It would make more sense to name her Swallow if she were a Pegasus.” I cleared my throat when I was done, then looked over at Buckler. He had this thoughtful look about him.

 

    “I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask her?” Buckler suggested, to which I couldn't help but laugh.

 

    “No. I'd feel like I was asking for her age, and that's rude,” I said between chuckles.

 

    “And since when do you care about being rude or polite? You've always been pretty callous in my eyes,” he replied, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

 

    “Oh, gee thanks!” I said, playfully swatting his shoulder. We shared a laugh.

 

    “But seriously, why do you suddenly care about being polite?” he pushed on. I hesitated when I realized he wasn't dropping this one.

 

    “Huh... I'm not actually sure. Maybe because she hasn't pried into my stuff, so I won't pry into hers? I mean yeah, I can be rude and calloused, but only if I dislike somepony. If I won’t know you, I simply keep my distance, and if I'm youur friend, then I don't dig my nose into your business unless I have permission.” I mulled over the words as I said them. Most of that was true. I occasionally forgot to ask if it was any of my business if my friends appeared sad.

 

    “I guess that makes sense,” Buckler agreed. We sat there in silence for a moment.

 

    “I've never really had a chat like this with my family,” I muttered.

 

    “Oh?” was all that I heard from the teal pony sitting next to me.

 

    “Yeah. They love me, don't get me wrong. I love them right back, but...” I sighed. “I don't always feel like I'm getting the sort of love and care a usual family’s foal would. I see at the end of each school day parents coming to take their young home, kissing their cheeks. I also see them saying “I love you” when dropping off their foals or when parting ways.” I looked down as I suddenly realized how depressing this was getting. “Do you know how long it's been since my parents said 'I love you'?” I asked.

 

    “No,” was Bucklers only reply. I bit my lip.

 

    “I haven't heard those words said to me by anypony for... a year or two? Something like that,” I said, my voice getting quieter as I went. How could I only just now realize this? I shook my head, but said nothing more. Buckler opened his mouth to say something, but a voice from behind cut him off.

 

    “I'm so sorry to hear that...” Swallow said. I jumped in surprise and whirled around to see her walking up to us from Waltz's door. I opened my mouth to say something, likely to complain that she shouldn't sneak up on ponies, but my tongue held its place.

 

    Buckler spoke instead, “Oh! Swallow. We didn't see you there.” Swallow nodded to him but didn't reply. Instead she walked up to me.

 

    “Do you know why?” she asked me.

 

    “Why what?” I requested.

 

    “Why they haven’t said they love you in so long?”.

 

    “Well... I guess because I already know they love me, and they know I love them back?” I cracked a guess and hoped it would be satisfactory. It wasn't.

 

    “No, that's not good. If a family truly loves each other, they should remind each other every chance they get,” Swallow said, shaking her head rapidly at me. I frowned.

 

    “Is there some kind of consequence for not saying so?” I asked.

 

    “Of course. That love shared in the family could easily break if it isn't reinforced. Acting on that love is always a good thing, but suppose the one you're acting for doesn't see it that way? The proper response is to say thank you, but what if you say it not because you're actually grateful, but because the actions they took furthered you're own desires? A father could act for his son, make some sacrifice so that his son would be happy, and his son, if that love wasn't enforced right, may just bask in the benefits, without even a heartfelt thank you.” I paused. I wasn't really sure how much I agreed with her assessment.

 

    “Nettle...” Swallow said in response to my silence. I looked up at her. “Promise me that when you get home, you'll give your family a nice big group hug, and tell each of them that you love them. Can you do that?” she whispered. I stalled for a second. “I don't want to see your family drift apart...”

 

    “I...”

 

    “Promise me,” she said firmly. I looked at her. I wasn't really the type to say 'I love you' to anypony, even my own family. Just came with them never saying it, I guess.

 

    “Alright. I promise.” I said. Swallow beamed at me, and gave me a hug.

 

    “Alright. I'll hold you to it. I gotta get going, sadly. I have somewhere I need to be in the morning, and gotta get some early sleep.” She said apologetically, and turned to go.

 

    “I'll be seeing you,” I said. Swallow turned to look at me, her smile bright and cheerful. I felt my chest heat up a bit at the sight. Her smile was so adorable. She waved and galloped away.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    About an hour later, I entered my house. My mother and father were nowhere in sight. My older brother, Obsidian Night (we just call him Noctis), was standing not far away, looking over his uniform which was hanging in the closet. He was a midnight blue color, with a dark brown mane and tale. He had recently gotten hired, and worked full time as a delivery boy. He was hoping to move out by the end of next year. He noticed me, but didn’t say anything. Noctis had always been kinda quiet when occupied. I figured I'd give him his space for now. Then, my promise to Swallow came back into my mind.

 

    I promised a group hug, and my mom and dad were nowhere to be seen at the moment. “Noctis? Have you seen mom and dad?” I asked.

 

    “Dad’s upstairs, Mom’s out picking up some dessert from sugarcube corner,” Noctis replied.

 

    “Ah, we ran out again?”

 

    “Yup.” A pause in our discussion.

 

    “Do you have work today?” I asked.

 

    “No, I got the day off today,” he said. Good, that would mean my whole family would be present. I smiled slightly. I hoped to Celestia this didn't get awkward. I put away the stuff in my saddlebags, and started up the stairs. My house wasn't very big, but eh. I took a left at the top, and moments later found myself in my dads 'office'. He worked as assistant manager at Quills and Sofas. My dad was a fiery orange earth pony with a red mane. He glanced up to me, and a smile spread across his face.

 

    “Hey, Nettle,” he said happily.

 

    “Hi. You gonna be busy tonight?” I asked.

 

    “Not really. Why? What's up?” he asked.

 

    “I was, uh, hoping to talk to you, mom and Noctis after dinner,” I said, suddenly feeling nervous.

 

    “Of course. What about?” he asked.

 

    “That's for after dinner,” I said with a smile. My dad chuckled merrily.

 

    “Alright, mister secrecy, we'll do this your way,” he said. I nodded happily to him before heading back out. I headed back down the stairs and looked to Noctis. He was a unicorn, which was really helpful for his line of work. Still, it made him more flexible than me, and it was kind of  saddening occasionally. I always felt inferior around him. It also doesn't help that he has such a cool name. I mean come on, Obsidian Night? That's awesome if you ask me. We also use Noctis as his nickname because it seemed to fit him.

 

    When he was younger, he always called himself 'Lord Noctis', just for giggles. I averted my gaze. He had so much more potential then I did, now that I thought about it. He had magic, for one. Further, he was much more coordinated; he was stronger, faster, more level-headed. Heck, his ability to tell a good story far surpassed my own. I was a little jealous every now and then. I still love him like a brother should, don't get me wrong. I just don't always appreciate being the lowest one in terms of capability.

 

    I sat down in a chair and grabbed a book from the nearby book-case. I'd read this one before. A good story, but a little slow paced. Still, I settled in to pass the time until dinner.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    My mother, a light blue unicorn with a mane of  rose red, came home after a little while. She had brought a dozen cupcakes to serve as desert for the next few days. She and I didn't say much, other than a simple greeting. Soon, dinner was served. I don't remember what we were having that night; I barely touched it. My mind was busy psyching up for what I was going to do once everypony else finished eating. They talked about various things occasionally, including a congratulations on Noctis' new job. I didn't say anything as I tried to figure out how to best go about this.

 

    I was over thinking the heck out of it, now that I look back on it. I was snapped out of my thinking by my mother commenting on my silence. “Nettle, dear, are you okay? You haven't been saying anything.”

 

    “Uh, yeah. Just... thinking...” I muttered. I got some concerned looks from my family. I sighed. “Okay, I guess it's about what I want to talk to you all about.”

 

    “Well, let's hear it,” Noctis urged. I nodded slowly, standing from my seat.

 

    “I guess I shouldn't put this off,” I said. My family looked somewhat concerned after I said that. “Come on, everypony up,” I said, giving an 'up' motion with my hoof. Noctis rose slowly, Mom was up rather quickly, as was dad. I walked a little ways to the side, to a somewhat more open area. “Over here,” I urged softly. Noctis, my mother, and my father slowly approached wordlessly. Soon, we had a small circle.

 

    I smiled softly as I realized something. A family is like a shape. For it to be whole, you need all of the points, and all of the points need to be connected. I looked to each of my family members. Noctis had a sort of calm concern about him. Mom and dad each looked a little confused, but mainly worried. I swallowed the lump in my throat. It was now or never. I lifted my right foreleg first, draping it over my dad's shoulders. I did the same to Noctis. I looked to mom expectantly. She edged forward, seeming to get the gesture now. Within moments, the four of us were in an embrace.

 

    Here we go.

 

    “I love you...” I said. I didn't receive an immediate response. “We don't say that nearly enough...” I continued quietly. The silence began to get to me. Finally, though, My father spoke.

 

    “We love you, too,” he said. I smiled, but just had to ask.

 

    “And everyone else, right?”

 

    “Huh?” My mother asked quietly.

 

    “Every member of this hug loves every other one. We're a family. We can't let that fact slip away from

us,” I said. I heard my mother sniffle slightly. We just sat there for a long time, I don't know for how long. I committed this memory to heart. I will never forget that moment. Noctis remained oddly silent, but was just as sincere in the hug as everypony else. And so there we sat as a full family. For the first time in about two years, I realized, I felt loved. I knew it was there, but I had forgotten what it was like to simply express it.

 

    We eventually separated. I don't really remember what happened next, but I do know the house was respectfully quiet. Eventually, I found myself in my bed, lying there, slowly drifting off to sleep. I remembered what Swallow had said, and connected it to my analogy from earlier. The love of a family could easily break. The points not being placed, or a line not being drawn. And the whole picture is incomplete If you are missing even one line or point. A point is worse to be without.

 

    You see, the points are the ponies in the family. The lines represent their bonds. It is more desired to simply have family members lose contact or bonds, then to remove one completely from the picture. The shape would be forever broken in an irreplaceable way. Even if somehow you managed to find a substitute dot... It just won't be the same.

 

    I'm happy that Swallow opened my eyes to that.

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This story is very touching,

To be honest, sometimes the best story's are sad ones because they can play your heart strings and make you feel things others can't.

 

You are a GREAT story writer!  :lol:

 

Keep up the great work!

 

~Camsterman101

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This story is very touching,

To be honest, sometimes the best story's are sad ones because they can play your heart strings and make you feel things others can't.

 

You are a GREAT story writer!  :lol:

 

Keep up the great work!

 

~Camsterman101

Heh, Not very often I get called a great writer. :D Thanks.

Chapter 4

 

    Things were rather cheerful in my house the next day. I didn’t have any plans on what to do, so I just slouched about for a long while, reading a book. I knew where it was that Swallow lived, and wanted to let her know that I had fulfilled my promise, and that it went well. The big problem with that is I didn’t know her parents, and she had told me they were kind of over-protective. Apparently, her father was worried that every colt that came knocking at their door was only into one thing, and I won’t really go any further on what that may be. Based on that, I’m sure you can guess. Whatever the case, I didn’t feel like having to go through those steps, and simply decided to wait until Monday.

 

    I began to develop an odd nervous energy that day, though. I couldn’t help but pace all over the house, or shift in place. I just couldn’t hold still. My parents began to complain about the movement ‘Making them nervous’ or something. I never really got why, but oh well. Eventually, I stepped outside and went for a walk. I wasn’t really one for walking; I didn’t see much of a point at the time other than exercise, which I could always play-wrestle with my brother for. Either way, my mind wandered, as did my hooves…

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    “Good afternoon!” a yellow colored mare with a blue and pink mane greeted. I nodded with a smile and continued my brisk movement. I wasn’t in a hurry by any means, but my normal walking speed was always kind of fast. The town was pretty chipper today, I realized. I saw many foals running around, playing. I saw adults talking to each other and going about their business. I soon found myself walking through the market stalls. Not all of them were open, obviously, but the ones that were open were fairly relaxed instead of their usual business like self. I wasn’t paying attention, sadly, and bumped into a foal that was running in front of me as I walked.

 

    We both let out an “oof” at the force of the impact, and we both collapsed onto the ground. I glanced up to see who I bumped into. It was Brimstone, actually. She was rubbing her temple, no doubt trying to dispel her likely newfound headache. “Sorry about that,” I groaned as I stood up. She looked up at me with a forgiving smile, and the smile widened as I held out a hoof to help her to her own.

 

    “No worries. Sorry I couldn’t make it to the session yesterday,” Brimstone said as she got up.

 

    “You are forgiven,” I replied, earning a snicker from my overly dramatic way of saying it.

 

    “You can be very amusing, did you know that?” she asked.

 

    “Yes, I know. I aim to be amusing,” I began my walk again, and Brimstone fell into step next to me. I looked over at her. “So, what’s on your agenda for today?” I asked curiously.

 

    “Well, I just got some apples for my mom. I should actually head home. We’re planning on going to a performance in town hall later,” she answered, looking towards the street her house rested on. I knew Brimstone lived fairly close to the markets, so I nodded.

 

    “Alright, go ahead.” She nodded and trotted off, waving as she went. I began down a random street and started to roll some things over in my mind. My little scene with my family came back to the forefront of my mind, and I felt that familiar warmth drift into my chest. As I walked, my mind wandered from memory to memory. And yet, these memories began to drift rapidly into sad memories. Painful memories. Memories I wish I could have forgotten. The day my grandfather passed away came up the hardest. I’d stopped crying about that a long time ago, but it was still unpleasant to think about. My mind flicked to the last time I saw him. All of his fur having grayed out, going dull and monochrome. His eyes closed as he slept, his chest rising and falling raggedly. It pained me to see all those years ago. I remember my mother trying to convince me that he wasn’t going to make it. She wasn’t going to lie to me, but she told me as carefully as she could.

 

    There was no “He’s gone away for a long time” or anything like that. I wasn’t a stupid colt (though I had my moments). I knew he was dying, but I denied it with every fiber of my being. I swore he would survive, and deluded myself with visions of playing games with him again. I envisioned him walking into the front door of my house for a visit, and giving me his warm hug. I believed that he would live.

Oh how I was wrong.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

I remembered being allowed to sleep in rather late one day. I didn’t really give my grandfather a whole lot of thought the night before. When I finally awoke the following afternoon, the house was quiet. Coldly quiet. I could feel it in my bones that something wasn’t right. Dad found me in the hall between my bedroom and the family room, and guided me to the latter. I remember that he only said one word. “Come”. It was softly spoken. My mother was not in the house since she had been at my grandparents house.

 

I saw Noctis sitting on the couch. The furniture had been rearranged slightly. The couch was directly opposed by one of the chairs. I slowly sat down in the chair as my Dad sat down next to Noctis. He looked down between his hooves and sighed. His mouth opened and closed a few times, before he finally spoke.

 

“Son, I… I know this won’t be easy for you…” At those words, I could feel that familiar feeling. Where you know what’s about to be said, and you’re already feeling the emotional reaction behind your senses.

 

“What happened?” I asked. Dad shuddered slightly and looked to Noctis for support. Noctis urged him on silently.

 

“It’s… it’s about your Grandfather,” Dad continued. I swallowed painfully and went to speak, but he continued before I could. “This morning your mother sent word that… Your grandpa has passed away.” There was almost no delay in my reaction. It was the worst feeling I thought I would ever feel. It felt as though my heart was ripped out of my chest. At first, there was simply a cold numbness that passed through me. That lasted for less than a second. It took altogether only one second after my father told me that my grandfather had passed away until I was on my hooves, and galloping away towards my room.

 

“Nettle!” I heard Noctis call. I didn’t hear him call after me again or follow. I assume Dad had silenced him. I burst into my room, turned around, and slammed the door closed with all of the strength I could. I just stood there for a moment, hoof resting on the doorknob, trembling violently and breath coming in gasps of despair. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. I tried to dry them, and I also tried to keep my sobs choked down. I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to acknowledge that one of my family was gone forever. I wanted to forbid the mere thought.

 

    But it kept hitting me, over and over, and over again. It was like a jeering raven resting on the shoulder of Death himself, laughing at my pitiful pleas to get my grandfather back. Shrieking at me, “He’s dead! He’s Dead! He’s DEAD!” And there was nothing I could do. It was in that moment that all of my denial on the premise of mortality was shattered. My Grandfather was dead.

I gave up. I don’t know how I was able to do it, but I got myself to my bed. My face buried into my pillow, and for I don’t know how long, I did the only thing I possibly could.

I cried and screamed in defeat, misery, and sorrow.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    I suddenly snapped back to reality, my head and face colliding rather solidly with a tree, and causing me to topple backwards down the hill. I came to rest at the bottom, my head smacking against a rock. Groaning, I slowly sat up and began rubbing my head. Yikes, my memories had been getting pretty vivid recently. I glanced about to see where I was. Still in Ponyville, but just barely. I'd wandered quite a distance, I realized, given that the markets were only slightly off the center of town. I looked forwards, and planted my hoof rubbing my temple down. I was directly in front of the Everfree forest. How did I not notice I was wandering in the direction of what can only be safely described as a nightmare? Shaking my head, I began to head back towards the center of town.

 

    The sky was clear for the most part. I looked off to the north; and saw dark clouds on the horizon. The snow was coming and quickly. Give it another day, I mused, and we'd have our first snowfall. I soon found myself passing by a pond. I looked down into it, and into my reflection. At first, I thought that it was just murky water or something because my reflection was blurred to Tartarus. But then I brushed back my messy mane with a hoof and looked at my eyes.

 

    I could barely tell corneas from the irises. I looked up and saw that there was a tree next to me, its last

leaf dangling by almost nothing, no more than the last sliver of the stem.. A gentle breeze came by, and wouldn't you know it, the leaf fell, drifting down through the air. It landed in the pond and sent a gentle ripple through the image. Even with how subtle the ripple was, it was hard to tell the details anymore after the disruption. I knew I had bad eyesight, but this was new. I focused for several moments, but the image remained blurred.

 

    Okay, this was getting odd. Glancing up, I noticed that everything around me was a little blurry. Not very much so, but noticeable. I slowly held a hoof up in front of my eyes. It too, was blurry. My eyes had never really posed a problem; I mean, I could still read, write, and see things. Why were my eyes suddenly faltering like this? I had no idea, but I figured now would be a good time to run on home and tell my parents and brother I could barely see. And that I did. I turned on my hooves, and galloped as quickly as possible.

 

    As I entered back into town, I noticed I was getting looks. I imagine my face wasn't what one expected to see on a pony my age. I am going to be honest, I was actually a little scared. For my eyes to suddenly just falter like that, I was worried. Now, I was young. Again, this was like, five years ago, so my mind was going a little ballistic. My biggest worry was that I might have gotten some sort of disease or condition that affected the eyes. Naturally, if it were a disease, I'd be displaying symptoms.

 

    Either way, as I ran, I almost collided with a number of ponies. My depth perception was even worse than usual. Ponies were closer than they appeared. I soon reached my street and glanced around, trying to find my house. With my vision now effectively shot, I couldn't make out any identifying landmarks. I squinted, but that did nothing. I slowed down and took a deep breath. OK, calm down. Think rationally, Nettle. How many houses in and on what side? Eight houses down on the left.

 

    I backed up to the streets entrance, and began to count the houses on the left as I went. When I reached eight I looked for the house address number. Spotting it, I recognized it as mine, breathed a sigh of relief, and went inside. “Mom, Dad!” I called out. I looked left and right, but the dim lighting of the house proved very inadequate for me to make out much.

 

    “Nettle, what's wrong?” I heard Mom say off to my left. Glancing over, I saw the blurry blob moving towards me.

 

    “I don't know! While walking I fell and hit my head against a rock, and now I can't see anything. You're a blurry blob to me at the moment,” I explained rapidly, slightly panicked.

 

    “Nettle, calm down. How long has your vision been blurry? When did you hit your head?”

 

    “A few minutes ago.”

 

    “You might just be dazed,” Noctis pointed out. I sneered in the direction the noise came from.

 

    “No, he'd be dizzy and disoriented if that were the case,” Mom said, earning a rapid nod from me.

 

    “Yeah. What makes it weird is that I wasn't immediately like this after the impact. It just kind of started while I was distracted by my reflection in a pond,” I explained. Mom nodded, I think.

 

    “Alright. Find the couch and lay down. Let me know if it gets any better, okay? If It doesn't get better soon, we'll talk to somepony at the clinic.” She had Noctis guide me to the couch, where I lay down. I mumbled at myself for being such an unbalanced moron. How did I not see that darn tree? Oh well. Hopefully this would clear up soon.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    It was a dumbass move to hope for that. I was terrible with jinxing stuff. As it is, I found that my vision didn't get better. It didn't get worse, either, much to my relief, but I could still just barely get around. We made arrangements at the clinic for my eyes to be examined the following day. I barely slept that night, anxiety taking over. I found my naive mind worried I'd go blind. Either way, the following day Noctis had work due to his ever-shifting schedule, and so did dad. Thus, Mom took me to the clinic personally.

 

    Mom led me into the clinic, and guided me to the receptionists desk. I didn't look at the receptionist as Mom spoke to her. Instead, I glanced around the room, straining my eyes to pick up anything they could. Just blurs and blobs without fine detail. I followed almost without thinking as Mom led me by the hoof to a seat. It was a sort of lounge couch, and Mom had me sit next to her, her foreleg draped over my back. I looked down at my hooves, trying to bring them into focus. It was no use since my hooves stayed blurry. Time seemed to slow almost to a halt as I sat there, mind abuzz with questions.

 

    Eventually, I heard a door open, and a female voice call, “Stinging Nettle?”

 

    “That's us” my mother answered, guiding me towards the new voice. “I'm his mother. I assume you're Dr. Mane Goodall?”

 

    “Actually, I'm Nurse Redheart,” the mare, answered.

 

    “Oh, my apologies.”

 

    “Don't worry about it. How's he doing?” I heard Redheart ask as we started down a hallway away from the lobby. “Any changes?”

 

    “No. He says his eyesight is roughly the same as it was when this started,” Mom said.

 

    “Okay. Do you have any idea what's wrong? Any hints as to the cause? Symptoms, history of similar things, anything?” Redheart inquired.

 

    “Well, my eyes have never been very good. They were still plenty functional, but this is new. I can't even see your faces,” I said after a moment of silence had passed. We made a left turn.

 

    “When did this start?” Redheart pressed.

 

    “Yesterday. I fell down a hill and smacked my head against a rock my mistake. It started a few minutes after that,” I explained.

 

    “Alright. Just in here,” Redheart urged, guiding us into a room I couldn't make out. I was really starting to hate not being able to tell what the flying heck I was looking at. From there, it all just sort of blurs together. Questions, a few tests on blood pressure and pulse, and then Redheart left to go and tell the good doctor I was ready for a more in depth examination. I was scared, honestly. I was worried that I would be given bad news after the examination.

 

    I began to try and take my mind off of the current situation. I closed my eyes and focused on happier things. All of them lead right back around to my current predicament. Eventually my mind wandered to an image of Swallow talking to me. I wasn't sure what she was saying, just talking. I couldn't tell what the background was. All was focused on her. I felt myself relax slightly as a realization hit me. Even if I couldn't see properly, she would help me. She would aid me in my hours of need.

 

    She already was, technically. Just by being in my mind, she was making me feel better. I was so blind back then. Not in the eyes...

 

    But in the heart.

 

    The doctor eventually showed up, and we talked it over. She got an idea of what might have been wrong, and began to do some tests. She shined some outrageously bright lights into my eye, which left spots hanging around for several minutes. She did other stuff, but given that this was five years ago, I don't really remember all of it. The eye-light thing is the only part of the testing I actually remember clearly. There was some kind of scan in there somewhere, but oh well.

 

<^><^><^><^>

 

    Some time later and we were sent home with the promise of a conclusion arriving in the morning mail. Sadly, I had school the morning of the delivery. I had a pretty rough time getting through that day. Swallow was absent, much to my disappointment. She had come down with a cold over the weekend. The rest of my friends were still very supportive, and did what they could to help me along. When I got home that day, the house was empty.

 

    Nopony was there. Noctis and Dad at their works, but what about Mom? I glanced over at the table and saw a white smudge on it. Drawing closer, I realized it was a letter. The text was written in marker, and was so large I could make it out.

 

    “Will be home soon. Getting you glasses.

 

        ~Mom”

 

    And so it was. My mother returned home a few minutes later, and gave me a pair of glasses. I wear them even as I type at this page. Those glasses took away the blurs, and I could see clearer than ever before. Naturally, the first thing I did was give my mom a hug, and say “Thank you.”

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