”More than you know, more than you know
Man of my heart, I love you so
Lately I find, you’re on my mind
More than you know”

Her voice held within it a sadness that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t sooth. Forever spilling out her sorrow, singing what she felt. Her voice was doomed to forever sing this song, only hushed when the last of the grooves in the record would signal the turntable to click to the next.

But for right now, I could feel the pain. I understood it, or at least, I thought I could. She was so convincing that I too shared her emotions, lost in my own head. Painful thoughts slow danced in my mind, as I watched from a table nearby, my surroundings morphed into what my mind pleased. They held each other close, not wanting to let go, their embrace locked tight. I held the key, and as much as I wanted to pull them apart, I could not. The song was still playing, their dance not yet finished.

Many things have gone on in my life. Many worth remembering, more not so. They freely danced in my mind, never looking at me, only to their partner. I couldn't interrupt their dance with a crowbar, let alone get up from my seat. I continued to sip at my glass, the bourbon no longer burning as it went down my throat. It was just normal now. Just like watching them dance, always the same song, always the same slow dance.

I couldn't find the strength to stand up, the will to break in and share such a personal moment with my own memories. I'm weak, a coward, shying away from every couple that looked at me with that sad, almost mournful look because I was alone. They continued to dance, their song not yet done. I continued to sit there, my fingers rubbing the sides of my glass as my eyes were glued to their embrace.

At long last, the song died with the tinkling of a piano, and was replaced with quiet. I blinked, staring at my record player as the last record had finished, the automated arm lifting and returning to its resting place. It shut off with a loud clunk, the speakers going dead and the light behind the plastic lens going dark.

“That was a lovely song.”

I blinked my eyes, looking to my left to see a purple winged and horned pony sitting beside me. She barely sunk into the worn cushion, her light frame and shape of her body reminded me of a sitting cat, watching and waiting. She happened to be staring at the now still record player.

Silence took over the mood for several long seconds.

“Yeah,” I said. “Helen Forrest had a beautiful voice.” I looked from the player back to the pony princess.

The pony continued to stare, although I sensed she wasn’t staring at the actual player, but lost in her own thoughts as I had been moments before. The song was still playing back in her head, she too was thinking, remembering.

“Would you like me to play it again?” I asked, setting down my glass.

I watched as the liquid inside stirred, what my mind had conjured to be my liquor of choice wasn’t so. The bubbles tickling my nose should have been a clear sign, but for a moment I was back there again, where what I drank didn’t matter so long as it burned.

Thankfully, tonic water doesn’t burn. The scars are only barely healed.

“I think I’d like that.”

I looked back to the pony, forgetting for a moment what I’d asked. It clicked back to me quickly, and I stood, my knees popping with sounds I shouldn’t have been hearing for another decade or two. Again, more of the previous abuse, but I digress.

With a click, I turn the player back on, and once it has a few seconds to warm up I place the arm onto the record once again, and the music began.

I sat back down, my weight causing the pony to bounce a little, but she’s content enough not to comment. A open can of Sprite Zero sits to her side, I can still hear the carbonation bubbles popping inside. It’s the only kind of pop, or soda to non-Michigan residents, that I’m able to tolerate, and by extension, offer my guest.

I took another sip of my tonic water. The pony closed her eyes, let out a deep sigh, and leaned back into the couch.

“Rough day?” I asked, trying to stir some conversation.

Her response was a single nod of her head.

I leaned back as well, rubbing my fingers along the side of my glass. I happened a chance look at one of my clocks. Quarter to midnight, it was getting late.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from retiring for the night,” she asked.

In truth, she wasn’t. It was a normal thing for me to be up well past midnight. One, two, sometimes even three in the morning and I’d still be up. Fighting back sleep with distractions on the computer, or doing this right now, listening to long dead musicians play their heart and soul.

“Nope. Sleep is overrated anyway.”

She chuckled at that. I smiled.

“I hope it wasn’t rude of me to just show up here, unannounced.” She finally opened her eyes, showing off her dark purple irises. “Or, actually introducing myself.”

I took a long sip of my drink, all the while casting my eyes around my heavily ladened walls, filled with posters of both fan and corporate made. Upon my shelves held my collectables, some of them being the small pony figurines. I knew who this pony was, this mare, this princess of friendship.

“Although,” she continued, “I’d suspect it would have been for naught.”

“More than you know.” I said.

“More than you know,” she said.

“More than you’ll eeeeeeveeeeer knooooooooow.”

The record finished it’s second play.

“Again?” I asked.

Twilight Sparkle looked to me, her eyes tired and heavy like my own.

“Aren’t you going to ask any questions?”

“I just did, didn’t I?”

“I mean about me.”

I shrugged. “What’s there to ask? You’re Twilight Sparkle, a character from a children’s cartoon. Would you like me to play it again?”

“Sure,” she said. As I stood again to replay the record, she continued on, “but aren’t you at all curious as to why I’m here?”

I had to think on that a moment. I gave the player extra time to warm up as I thought, but with no good answer coming to mind I set the arm down onto the shellac.

“I guess not.” I said, sitting.

“So… you don’t mind if I just sit here?”

Again, I shrugged. “You know where the fridge is if you need a drink. I sleep on my bed, so the couch is free if you need to crash. As long as you don’t break any of my records or shoot your hoof with one of my guns then I don’t care.”

At the mention of a drink, the mare used her magic to pick up the Sprite I’d provided her with and took a sip. I could tell she wasn’t used to the taste, and if I were to be truthful, I still wasn’t either.

“Sorry.”

She set the can down. “For what?”

“Not having anything better to drink.”

“Honestly, water would have been just fine. I wasn’t expecting a carbonated drink. I don’t drink them too often.”

“How do you function so long then, when you’re up for countless hours studying?”

Twilight gave me a look, and I pointed to the figure of her still in it’s box on my shelf.

“Oh, right. Yeah, well, usually I’m so engrossed in a book or spell, I just can’t go to sleep until I know more about it, and settle my mind.”

“Well, I do have some books.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why?” I asked.

She smiled. “There, that’s the question I was expecting.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Honestly? This is why.” She gestured around herself.

I looked to where she waved her hoof.

“You’re here for moldy old records and empty liquor bottles?”

“No, I’m not here for the things around here. I’m here for the relaxation, the escape.”

“There is no escape,” I said, frowning.

Twilight shook her head. “There is. You’ve found it, you just don’t realize it yet. But I see it. I see it around you, when you’re sitting there listening to your records.”

I looked to the record player, having momentarily forgotten it was even playing, and noticed it was almost done with the song.

“Everyone unwinds and calms down differently. I find the way you do it to be something unique and interesting. So, I wanted to experience it. See just for myself what it is that you do to relax after a long day.”

“Why me?” I had to ask.

She shrugged.

“That’s helpful,” I said.

“Not really, but it’s the best thing I could come up with on a whim.”

I shook my head.

“In all fairness, sometimes we as individuals get so focused on something, that we have to have an escape to stop thinking about it. To get away from what’s troubling us. And every once in awhile, it’s good for us to step out of that comfort zone and try something new.”

“And for you, that’s jumping dimensions and sitting on my couch listening to records?”

“For me, it’s finding somewhere calm with music. That’s all my goal was, and I ended up here.”

The record player clunked, signifying it was off. Silence took over our conversation for a couple of minutes as we both just stared at nothing in particular.

“So, what happens after tonight?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I may come back, I may not.”

I felt like saying something, unsure if it was the right mood to do so.

“Go ahead, say what’s on your mind.” Twilight said, pretty much reading my mind.

“I… I enjoyed having company tonight. Just sitting here, listening to my music. I’d… I’d like it if you did come back again.”

Twilight smiled. “Sure, I can see what I can do.”

For tonight, nothing was accomplished. All my work had been done the hours before, I’d had my shower, and I was ready to procrastinate going to bed. For tonight, I had a companion, someone who just wanted what I wanted, to sit for awhile and listen to music. I didn’t solve any problems, or fix any issues I was having. Tonight, it wasn’t about any of that. In fact, more nights should be like that, I’ve decided.

“Again?” I asked.

Twilight smiled. “More than you know.”