Every demon had their own ‘domain’ an aspect of magic or physical enhancement that made them specifically suited to their task. Some demons were great at seeing long distances, many could fly fast, breathe underwater and shape shift. Some could manipulate their own special brand of magic, or if they were particularly powerful, the forces of Nature itself. Me? Well, I’m not particularly special in any way. I’m a weak shape shifter, I can’t breathe underwater very long, and I can’t control magic. But most demons love me. Why? Because my domain was demon-hunting.

Twilight was beside herself with unbridled happiness. She laughed and grinned in a way I hadn’t seen since she began school.

“I did it!” she exclaimed to me. “I made a spell in front of everypony! I was nervous at first, but when the spell got going, I didn’t care! This is the best!”

“Don’t set that bar too low,” I warned her, “otherwise you have to reevaluate what is the best later when you’re eating ice cream.”

I licked my lips. Gratuitously.

Twilight chuckled nervously at my gesture, sending me a briefly worried look, but nothing could repress her. “There’s so much I could do! I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“You mean performing in front of others? Well, keep in mind, a little anxiety is good for anyone, no one likes a show off, and being overconfident can be dangerous.”

Twilight skipped a couple of steps, but her restless hooves hitched slightly when my words sunk in. “Oh, uhm, yes, I-I mean just because I did a little spell, doesn’t mean I could perform in front of everypony at the Examination.” Twitching ears flattened against her skull as she peered at the ground.

“Oh will you stop it?” I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m talking about fighting interdimensional horrors [1] or Stratos’ Final Treasure [2] or in a battle between magi. Big stuff like that should be discounted. Don’t be put off by something as small as the Examination.”

Twilight bit her lip. “B-But if I fail the Examination, I could get kicked out of school!”

I snorted. This pony sure liked to flip-flop. “Like that’s going to happen with your skills. I’ve said this before, but I'll say it again: how many students here could summon a demon?”

“I-I guess, just me, but—”

“And how many of those could make a demon their friend?”

“T-The sample size is too small to make assumptions—”

I smacked her on the shoulder. Lightly, I’m not a brute, you know. “Wrong, Twilight, there’s one, in the history of all demons, there has probably been only one.” Not counting Selena, of course...

“I guess you’re right,” Twilight mumbled with a slow nod. Her nod firmed with a sharp jerk and she was grinning once again. “Thanks, Morpheus, you’re a good friend.”

“You’re… welcome.” I hid my expression behind a not-so-discreet leg as I failed to keep my ears from reddening. Luckily Twilight didn't notice. Maybe I should learn to stop being surprised by every abrupt thing that she does?

————————

When class ended, so did school, and we were walking back towards home. Twilight wanted to get right back into her room and study more complex magic, but I told her maybe that could wait as doing a spell on that scale would have been exhausting for any magus. She didn’t seem to be bothered by that kind of power expenditure which made me wonder how deep her reserve of magic truly was. The kind of implications I came up with made me glad she wasn’t hostile to me.

Inexperienced? Twilight was for sure. Powerless? Not even close.

When we got home, Velvet was all over her daughter. Another stallion with a blue coat and a star within a moon on his flank greeted us with a warm smile.

“Twilight, what happened at school?” Velvet practically squealed. “You look positively radiant!”

“I cast a spell!” Twilight puffed out her chest with pride. “In front of everypony!”

Both parents shared a look and then immediately yelled and cheered, whilst hugging the living daylights out of their daughter. Standing off to the side, I found other interesting things to look at while Twilight was being squeezed affectionately between her parents. She didn’t seem to mind being crushed, if anything, judging by her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, Twilight was more than happy to be sharing her achievement.

After celebrating long enough to make me partially doze off in a trance, Velvet and Twilight’s father, I presumed, broke away and finally turned to me.

“Morpheus, right?” the stallion said, reaching out with a hoof. I took it carefully in my own and shook it up and down a few times. I made to pull away, but the stallion kept my hoof in his ‘grip’. Though I don’t know how that was possible with no talons or claws. Passive magic?

“I’m Night Light,” he continued, “Twilight’s father.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Night Light.” Being polite made him relax a little, but he still held my hoof in his own. I wasn’t an expert on social etiquette, but this was starting to become a little awkward.

“It seems like you’ve been a great friend for my daughter and I want to give you my regards.” The grip increased in pressure…somehow. I was now convinced it was magic. Was this supposed to hurt with this pressure? I wondered what the threshold should be to feeling pain?

Night Light leaned in with a razor-sharp grin. “Please continue to be just a friend to Twilight.”

“Dear.”

That one word made the stallion stiffen up and turn around. Velvet was staring him down with an expression not amiss from the Glaring Golem’s own [3].

“Nighty, dear, what did I say about today?”

Night Light gave me an awkward smile. “Sorry about that, kiddo, it’s a bit early, but you know a father’s feelings, right?”

“Trust me, Mr. Night Light, sir, I only want to be your daughter’s friend.”

Night Light stared at me for a moment before jolting forward. “What does that mean?” He leaned in dangerously close. “Is my daughter not good enough for you?!”

“W-Well, it’s not a question about whether or not she’s good enough—”

“WHAT?! Not good enough? That’s it! Marry her! Marry her right now!”

“D-Dad?!” Twilight who had been silent until now, was rapidly growing flustered at the mounting exchange.

I felt the situation growing steadily out of control. I sent Velvet a pleading expression, hoping to defuse the situation, and to my relief, she was a calm bastion in the rough seas.

“Come now, Night Light, I’m sure Morpheus is too young to be doing that.” She gave me an equally intense look. “But maybe he should be thinking about it. Aren’t you, Morpheus?”

Instead of curtailing the situation, Velvet joined in…! I take it back. I take it all back. She’s just as crazy.

Twilight whipped around. “M-Mom! It’s not like that, Morpheus is…” She stopped herself just in time. She was probably going to say I was a demon. Nice try to save me… but not helping!

“H-Hang on, both of you.” My pleas were ignored in the hurricane of parental ardour.

Velvet pinned me down with a look that made me feel like cake on storefront display. “Morpheus, what do you think of Twilight?”

With that I felt my shoulders roughly gripped by two firm hooves. Velvet on one side, Night Light on the other.

“Yes, son, tell us what you think,” Night Light pressed.

I sighed, bringing myself down to earth. What was I getting worked up about? These were mortals. I didn’t have to act like a fledgling in front of them.

“I think Twilight is a powerful spell caster. She’s probably the best one in the school, if not the town, barring Princess Celestia herself. Even that, I have doubts. So when I say I respect her, that’s an understatement.” From there, I stared at both shocked parents in turn. “But her limitless potential isn’t what I like about her. What I like about Twilight is how different she is from every other magical user I’ve come across. She’s kind, thoughtful and earnest, and that’s something that can’t be taken for granted.”

Velvet and Night Light slowly withdrew their hooves and shared a look.

“Well, I guess, there’s nothing more to be said when you say it like that…” Night light trailed off with blazing cheeks and an embarrassed hoof scratching the back of his head. “I guess my daughter’s really lucky to have you as a friend.”

Velvet beamed at me with a gleeful grin. “Morpheus, thank you so much!” The mare coughed lightly and found something interesting to look at on the floor. “And, erm, sorry, we, uhm, just got carried away.” The way she scuffed her hoof on the tiled floor reminded me so much of Twilight, I couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

“I hope you can forgive us for that behaviour,” Night Light continued. “We’ll make it up to you. I suppose we can be a little overprotective of our daughter.”

“Of course,” I said, smoothly moving the conversation away from this awkward mortal touchy-feely session. “Let’s, uhh, move on. What’s next?”

Night Light’s lips twitched in displeasure. “I have to go out to help with the Board again.”

“Again? This is the third time this week.”

The blue-coated unicorn rubbed a frustrated hoof through his hair. “Sorry, dear, there’s been more incidents.”

Velvet caught his look and then glanced at us. Interesting. It was quickly suppressed, but Night Light had seen a death. Twilight didn’t seem to notice and was caught up in seeing her father leave.

“No dinner?” she asked with a shaking voice.

“Sorry, honey, not tonight.”

Twilight didn’t reply, but nodded her head solemnly. I could see her hold back tears. Seeing her old man do the same slightly revised my opinion about the crazy fella, but I still wanted to lock my room at night, just in case. That stallion could flip on a dime.

Velvet met my eyes, and tilted her head curiously. “Morpheus, you’ll take good care of Twilight, won’t you? She’s been hurt before.”

“Mom!” Twilight puled, but Velvet ignored her completely.

I nodded, not knowing what to expect, but it seemed like that was all Velvet wanted to communicate across.

“Okay, let me show you to where you’ll be sleeping,” Velvet segued smoothly. Giving me one last searching look, she led me, with Twilight, to a room. I glanced at the purple door and pursed my lips. Isn’t this Twilight’s room? I’m no expert, but I probably shouldn’t be sleeping int he same room as Twilight.

“I’m sorry, but right now the guest room is, erm, a temporary study for Twilight.”

Twilight blushed deeply. “Sorry, we don’t have any other space.”

I blinked at the nervous foal. You know I don’t sleep, right? I don’t have to have a bed. I couldn’t really say this to Velvet, but Twilight knew this. I did go into a trance the last time she studied all night. Come to think about it, this foal should be dead on her hooves. Where does all that energy come from?

Velvet pushed open the door and, in a few moments, had a spot cleared for a bed. Though meticulously organised, the room still felt more like a study and less like a bedroom. If it wasn’t for the bed, I would have sworn I’d stepped into a library. Twilight helped her mother clear away some of the books and scrolls that littered the floor.

“We’ll pull a mattress from… somewhere,” Velvet continued after we’ve finished clearing the area. “You can take Twilight’s bed in the meantime while Twilight sleeps with me.”

“M-Mom!”

“No, that’s okay,” I said quickly, “ I can sleep anywhere, Twilight can use her own bed.”

Velvet smiled sweetly. “My… how gallant!” She patted her daughter on the head. “Well, if anything, we could make a bed of books and let Twilight nap on that. She’s more at home with paper and ink than spreads and sheets.”

“Mom!”

“You’re right, Twilight, I suppose there’s cooking to do!” With that she whisked away, leaving us two alone in the bedroom.

“She’s… like a whirlwind,” I muttered to myself.

Twilight’s ear twitched. “You’ve got that right.” She glared at the door for a few seconds before rolling her eyes. Then her attitude changed completely as she grinned. With a grunt, she pulled out the summoning book. “Time to study!”

Glancing towards the door where her mother had left, I cocked my head. “Don’t you have homework or something?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve been excused from most homework because of my project. Princess Celestia told me so.”

When did Celestia have the time to tell her all this? I was with her most of the time! She’s more diabolical than a demon.

I leaned against her desk. “Yeah, you’re definitely ahead of most students in the school by a huge margin.”

“Well, no, I still have a long way to go.”

“In a world I’ve been to, they used to say: ‘modesty is a virtue, but bashfulness is a vice’. It really isn’t for you. Just admit it, you’re better than the other students in the class.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment. Then she gave me a small smile. “Well, I guess I have been getting slightly better grades.”

“Good.”

“And I have been trying super hard to practice magic, in fact, I’ve done some pretty good magic…”

“Excellent.”

“Yeah! I summoned a demon, didn’t I?”

“Awesome. Wait, no. Bad Twilight, that’s exactly what you shouldn’t have been doing!”

Twilight balked at that. “Erm, haha, sorry, I got a little carried away.”

I morphed back into my demon form and raked a claw across my skull. Oooooh, that’s a nice sensation.

“That’s alright, but just remember that although you’re a powerful magus, the best part about you is the way you’ve treated me.” I waggled a talon in admonishment. “Don’t turn out like the masters and mistresses before me. Don’t be like Amethyst.”

The last bit hit home particularly hard for Twilight, who swallowed and nodded seriously.

Satisfied I’d made a point and hopefully reduced the amount of magi summoning demons without resorting to killing them for once, I broke out into a smile and patted her head.

“Alright, let’s get back to sending me back. How’re we going to do it without a higher level of access?”

Twilight thought about for a moment and then shrugged rather innocently. “Maybe… we should sneak into the library anyway?”

————————

[1] The horror mainly lies in cleaning up afterwards. They stink.
[2] Stratos made a little bauble that told time. It was apparently his greatest work, but the hourglass wasn't accurate, and no one knew exactly what it told the time of. He died before anyone could get it out of him. The hourglass was lost as well. I don't even know why I mentioned it. Maybe I want to know what it does too?
[3] The Glaring Golem was made famous due to its sullen glare. It was so powerful and compelling, that anyone exposed to it, would immediately babble all their secrets, no matter how deep or buried it was. The glare, some would say, was reminiscent of sitting on a bed of pine needles for no less than the length it takes for a snail to circumnavigate the world. Some would bet on whether the revealed secrets would be worse than the Golem's glare. So far no one has won. As a side note, I actually met the Glaring Golem once, she was a nice automaton. I think I was being rude when I didn't make eye contact, but you understand, right? A demon's got his secrets and it would be impolite to spill them to a lady one just met.

————————

I felt like my jaw was trying to unhinge itself.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a dang minute, what do you mean sneak in?”

Twilight tossed her head confidently. “The Princess didn’t specifically forbid us from doing so.”

“W-Well—” Well I’ll be damned. This kid was as crafty as a demon! “I’ve definitely rubbed off on you.”

“We’re definitely going to look and not do anything else, though!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t set fire to any books or steal any national treasures, happy?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You weren’t going to do that anyway… right?”

I simply grinned at her.

“Don’t do that,” she grumbled. “You remind me too much of my Mom when she gets an idea that involves me.”

“That reminds me, what the heck does your mother do?”

Twilight opened her mouth and then slowly closed it. She tilted her head ponderously.

“You know… I’ve never asked, but I have been asked to dress in strange clothes before, so maybe she’s an actor?”

“How… do you not know what your parents do for a living?”

Twilight didn’t look all that concerned. “I’ve never asked.”

I threw up my claws. “This whole family is crazy.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “We’re not! We’re just… different.”

Don’t I know it…

————————

Dinner was surprisingly good. I loved sweets, but the savoury texture of whatever the heck they put in hay pâté was a delight. It tasted familiar, with the alluring taste of umami, although I’m pretty sure these ponies didn’t put meat in it. I think. I considered raising that question, but I didn’t want to spoil the good mood that was spread around the dinner table. Twilight, especially, was notably embarrassed by the burgeoning questions her mother had for us both. Well, her questions were mainly centred around me; Twilight’s reactions, I think, were a pleasant bonus for her.

“So, Morpheus, how long have you two been going out?”

“Mom! We’re not even close to that age, ewww!”

Velvet laughed away her daughter’s awkward sentiments. “Nonsense, you can never get started too early!” She eyed me with keen interest. “And…?”

“And nothing,” I told her carefully. “We’re not in that kind of thing.”

“My, my, my…” Velvet peered at me with a discomforting leer. “You do talk quite mature for your age.”

I didn’t make the rookie mistake of panicking, but darn it, my mortal container did shake the slightest bit. “Would you rather foal-speak?”

Velvet’s lips twitched into a broad smile. “I guess it’s good that Twilight got somepony that can talk her speed. Goodness knows my daughter is more than a hooful. I’m so proud of her, but sometimes, she worries me.”

Twilight had that frustrated look all children had when adults started talking as if they weren’t right there.

I tried to bring her back into the conversation. “Twilight didn’t choose me, specifically, right Twilight?”

Instead of saving herself, Twilight threw herself off the frying pan and into the sun.

“W-Well, that’s not true,” she stammered, “I-I did specifically choose you.”

I knew she meant the summoning, but this wasn’t really helping with the—oh sweet Other, her eyes are sparkling! Twilight, do something before I get eaten alive! Are feelings infectious? Can you die from them? Do you contract crazy?

Velvet wiped a bit of drool that was coming off her mouth. “Well, that’s enough for today!”

What’s enough for today?!

“Time for bed!”

Twilight and I shared a look.

“Okay, we’re not super-duper normal, but it’s harmless right? Right? Right? Morpheus, say something.”

Twilight would have to learn to accept my stone-cold look of resignation. Gees, it runs in the family, doesn’t it?

————————

Turns out sneaking into the Canterlot Library of Forbidden and Unusual Magic wasn’t as hard as I thought. There were guards, of course, but it was ridiculously easy to slip past them whilst invisible. Twilight tagged along, of course, but she kept to the shadows sneaking from point to point when I gave her a suitable signal. She didn’t have to do that, but Twilight thought it ‘gave it a level of authenticity’.

Justifiably nervous in what was probably the only time Twilight had ever considered going against the arch-overlord of all that is pony, the diminutive unicorn was spending more time looking back than forwards. I would have found the image amusing, had my neck not been on the same line she was.

“Twilight,” I growled. “Looking back to check if anypony is there is good practice, but every two seconds is just going to give you a crick in the neck!”

Twilight nodded morosely. “I know, I know, it’s just that… this is probably the first time I’ve broken a rule.”

“There’s a rule that prevents you from accessing restricted areas? I never would have guessed.”

“You don’t have to be so sarcastic about it, Morpheus! I’m just… scared.”

“Alright, alright, if it will assuage your guilt, you’re doing this for a good cause. Just repeat that to yourself. You’re doing this because it’s right.”

“I’m doing it because it’s right…?”

“Yep.”

“Is this right?”

“How should I know? Does breaking a law to prevent catastrophic destruction and mayhem actually justify what you’re doing? Isn’t ethics a mortal thing? Decide for yourself.”

Twilight drew silent, but I didn’t pay it heed, as a guard rounded the corner and I withdrew into the shadows. Even though they couldn’t see me during the day, that didn’t rule out whether these guards were special, or if they had tools that could detect demons. Princess Celestia was no fool and I had the feeling that getting caught right now would result in very dire consequences than a stern talking to.

As the guard drew past, I heaved a sigh of relief. I rounded the corner and climbed up to the window. Using my senses, I detected a faint filigree of magic entangled around the glass, but the window next to it was broken slightly, so the magic around it was surprisingly absent.

“Do you detect any magic around this window?”

Twilight was silent in reply.

“Oh, by the Other, you’re not actually having a moral crisis right now, are you?”

Twilight bit her lip and then slowly shook her head. “I think… I think it may be wrong to break into the Library—”

“Oh now you say—”

“But it’s even more wrong to enslave a thinking, feeling being too!” Twilight scuffed her hoof on the grass. “I want to make things right again… even if it means you have to leave.”

“Hey,” I said, looking at her, “even if I’m not around, I’m sure you’ll find somepony to be your friend. How about after this, I help you find a friend?”

“Really?”

I swallowed thickly. “I promise.”

Twilight caught my look and smiled brightly in return. Meanwhile, cold sweat broke out down my back. Promises are really binding for demons, you know?

I really hope that this doesn’t come back and bite me in the behind.

————————

Inside the library, the quiet was so pervasive that the only sounds I could hear were our own. We were in the top floor and most of the danger was passed in terms of the guards, so we relaxed slightly to accommodate Twilight’s panicked breathing.

“Alright, we’re past most of it now,” I said with a smile. “We just need to go down the hall and enter that door, right?”

Twilight’s gasping slowed down a couple of notches. She caught her breath and weakly smiled at me. “All we have to do now is—”

I stopped her with an outstretched hoof. My ears perked as I heard slight sounds coming from the end of the hallway. Familiar pins and needles prickled my skin as I strained to hear in the darkness. “There’s someone ahead.”

“Somepony ahead—?”

“I didn’t say a pony.”

At that, Twilight swallowed thickly. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s louder than us when it’s breathing,” I whispered back. “Stay here.”

Twilight made to argue but I shot her a quelling look and put a clawed finger to my lips after I morphed back into my favourite form. Creeping slowly, I came to the door frame and peeked inside.

Oh no.

“Is there another way in?” I shot to her softly.

Twilight peered at me with quizzical brows drawn together. “No? This is the only way through to the lower floors.” She gulped. “I-Is there something there?”

“Well… yes… but…”

“Is it a monster?”

“It could be argued that it’s worse than that.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “What is it?”

“It’s… Amethyst.”

There, sleeping peacefully on a tabletop was Amethyst Star, alone.

—————————

Twilight rounded on me. “What is she doing here?!”

Our voices were barely above a whisper, but I gestured for silence as I carefully pulled the door closed. Luckily the door was well-oiled and barely made a sound as I shut it.

However…

“Buh? Sparkle!”

I swallowed down a rising lump in my throat as we both cowered back into the shadows. Did she see us? Peering through the crack, I saw Amethyst look around guiltily before shaking her head.

“Huh, I must have fallen asleep,” she mumbled with a weary slur. “Got to keep going.”

Amethyst drew a book to herself and began reading, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Huh, she’s studying.” I glanced at Twilight. “Looks like we’re not the only ones sneaking into the library.”

“What do we do?” Twilight pressed. She wrung her hooves together. “We’re going to get caught!”

“Oh will you calm down?” I shot back. “We’re not going to get caught, you’re overreacting. There are plenty of ways around this.”

“Like what?”

“I could knock her out—”

“No!”

“Okay, fine. I make a distraction as something else, Amethyst goes and investigates, and then I turn invisible and sneak back in, how’s that one?”

“That’s… actually surprisingly okay.”

“Honestly, I think knocking her out is the easiest option. After all, she wasn’t supposed to be here, so she can’t tell anyone and it just looks like she’s sleeping.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “We can’t do that.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Yeah, alright, fine.”

“No matter how much she deserves it.”

“Sorry,” I said with a grin, “what was that?”

Twilight huffed. “Nothing, let’s try out your thing.”

Morphing into a likeness of a guard, I smiled. “Glad to.”

—————————

“Who’s there?!” I bellowed in a loud voice.

“Eeek!”

“There, I heard a sound!” Bursting into the room, I saw Amethyst pathetically trying to hide herself behind a curtain. “I can see you behind the curtain, come out now.”

Amethyst reluctantly emerged from her cover with eyes and ears drooping.

“Oh, it’s just a kid. How many of you foals sneak into this place at night anyhow? If I were one of you, I’d be more interested in sleeping, or at least playing.”

“Uhm… you won’t tell the Princess I was here, right?”

“…”

“Please, I will do anything!”

That… was a tempting offer, but it would be a bit on the nose to suggest she stop bullying Twilight, right? I cleared my throat. “Alright, alright, keep your coat on, I won’t do that.”

“Thank Celestia!”

Don't thank that demon, thank me!

“Well,” I drawled, “what are you kids doing at here at night? Are you actually studying?”

“You don’t understand…” Amethyst replied wearily. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

“And getting caught is the way to maintain it?” I saw Twilight slowly creep in whilst Amethyst was distracted.

Amethyst sighed. “It’s really complicated. There’s this other pony at school, her name is Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight froze at the sound of her name. I gestured with my eyebrows.

Move, come on!

But the silly foal wanted to listen to Amethyst’s sob story. I quickly gave Amethyst a neutral expression as her head came up.

“I used to be first at everything before she came along! First in magical theory, first in mathematics, writing, reading, science, you name it! Then, then, then she came along! She ruined everything!” Silence stretched on as she glared hatefully out the window, narrowly missing Twilight in the process. Good thing she was standing stock still in mute shock. Amethyst folded her arms. “Mother was not happy.”

“Look kid, I don’t know what you’re doing telling a random guard your entire backstory, but, erm, here’s some advice: Things get a lot easier if you just let things go. You’re second? Alright. Try a little harder. You’ve got family issues? Try to work them out with them. Get captured and forced to do your master’s bidding—”

“What?”

“—don’t blame it all on some…pony else, yeah?” I finished quickly. Phew, almost dragged my personal problems in there. When Amethyst looked doubtful at my so-called advice, I sighed. “Take me, for example. I could make your life complicated and turn you in, telling the Princess in the process…”

Amethyst stiffened at that.

“Or I could just let you go, and not fill out any paperwork, because you’re just a kid.”

Amethyst relaxed slightly and nodded somewhat sullenly. “…Okay.”

Suddenly, I felt two hooves wrap around me in a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispered bashfully before gathering her things. Twilight had hidden behind the same curtain Amethyst did, in the meantime. It was a good thing the little filly didn’t notice, but that was really a poor hiding place, I could see her purple legs, for flip’s sake.

Amethyst headed towards the door with faltering hoof steps. She turned back around slowly.

“…What is it, kid?”

“My name’s Amethyst… will you be around here sometime later?”

“No… I’m going to be… rotated out soon.” Nice one!

Her ears drooped.

“Hey, well, you shouldn’t be here all alone at night anyway, go study in the library during daylight hours.”

Amethyst hesitated, then nodded in agreement. “I just thought, maybe… we could be friends?”

I couldn’t say anything for a full ten seconds just from sheer astonishment. What was with these ponies and wanting to be my friend? What the heck about me was so attractive to them? Are they naturally attracted to death? Are they part-lemming?

“Okay, well, a guard probably isn’t the best friend to have when you’re doing something wrong,” I told her. “It’s probably not possible for us to meet.”

“You know, guards around here only get rotated around the castle. You can come visit me after school.”

“Two things: One, that’s not really a good idea. Two, why?”

Amethyst shuffled her hooves. “You remind me of this new colt at school. He seems so free. I wish I had that kind of freedom…” She glanced at me. “You know how that feels, right?”

I have to admit it, that did strike a chord with me. Taking advantage of my silence, Amethyst pushed on.

“Meet me after school!” Amethyst called back with a grin. “Promise?”

“Okay…” I said weakly.

Then she darted out the door.

Hey, don’t get me wrong, it’s an infiltration mission, alright? I just… it’s not… it’s definitely not what it looks like.

“This is one of your plans to make friends with them to let their guard down, just like when you were at school, right?” Twilight said suspiciously, as she emerged from the worst hiding place in the world.

“…Absolutely.”

“You’re a bad liar, Morpheus.” Twilight rolled her eyes at me. “Pushover.”

I bristled at that. “You’re a bad hider, so we’re even.”

“You’re becoming a nicer pony, Morpheus.”

“I’m not a pony.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not becoming one.”

“How do you know I’m not planning to break her neck when her guard is down?”

“Because you can’t~!” Twilight ended in a sing-song voice. She wore a smug grin that was infuriating to no end, but I couldn’t work up proper indignation because I was worried.

If I had lingering attachments here, it might not be possible to leave at all. No wait, I didn’t have any attachments at all. I was just caught up in the moment, that’s all. I could just blow off the meeting! Yes! Amethyst would be temporarily depressed and I’d go back to being the same old me. That’s good.

A familiar tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach stopped me from continuing.

Oh, wait, I promised didn’t I?

Twilight was waiting for the realisation to dawn on me, it seemed. She watched with laughter-filled eyes.

I brought a hoof to my face and and held it there.

“…Damn.”

Author's Notes:

Short warning: Like most stuff I only self-edit my stories, so if I make grammar mistakes due to Author-eyes, please let me know and I can fix them!

I know I probably thank you a lot in these notes, but your support through comments and well-wishes and simply enjoying the story is a real pick-me-up these last few days. Thanks once again for being here to support this and sorry I haven't been updating this regularly.

Next Chapter: Erm, Morpheus, you forgot to morph back into a pony.

As always, my radiant readers, thanks for reading!

P.S. Thanks for pointing out my stupid mistakes. So embarrassing!