Another day, another shift, another bit.

"I really need to find another job..."

I was trotting along to the library, ready to just go to bed. I was thinking about all of the mares I had met the other day, but the one in particular that was on my mind, was Fluttershy.

"Huh... She's pretty nice. Maybe we should hang out sometime..." No, not hang out like you think, guys. I mean as friends. Sheesh...

Then, something unexpected happened. I saw a streak of cyan whoosh by me, then land not two feet in front of me.

"WOAH!" I jumped back instinctively. It was Rainbow Dash, and she had scared the living hay out of me.

"Hey, what's up, Shadow? You look like you had a rough day." She gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder, which made me cringe.

"Please don't touch me..."

"Why not? You like me or something?" She put on a seductive face, and started walking circles around me, rubbing her tail down the side of my face a few times. I eventually shoved her away, horrible memories resurfacing.

"GET OFF OF ME!" I shuddered, and I could feel tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"Woah, chill dude... What's wrong?" She dropped her act, a look of concern shot across her face.

"Oh NO, there's NOTHING wrong. What makes you think there could POSSIBLY be anything WRONG!?!?" I was flushed from yelling, and I was trembling as well. Dash took a few steps back.

"Wait, just calm down... Do you wanna talk about it?"

I slowly simmered down, taking a few deep breaths. Then, I gave her a very piercing stare, anger still evident within it. "No. It's a really bad memory..." I took a deep, shaky breath, sadness beginning to take over. "I-I don't t-think I could talk about i-it if I w-w-wanted to..." Tears were streaming down my face, a held my hooves in front of my eyes, staring at them in disgust. I fell onto my haunches, the shaking growing so violent that I couldn't stand up.

"Oh man... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you feel like this... Is there anything I can do to help?" She went to put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder. She quickly withdrew when she remembered why I was breaking down in the middle of the road.

After a minute or so of me crying, with Dash just watching me with sympathy in her eyes, I stopped. I stood up, and wiped my tears away. I was still a little shaken up, but I felt a bit better after that.

"Are you alright now...?" She tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah... I'm j-just gonna go now... Bye Rainbow Dash..."

"Later... I'm sorry I did that to you."

I waved my hoof in the air. "No, no... It's not your fault. You were just having some fun at my expense. Think nothing of it."

She smiled, and nodded. After she flew off, I looked at myself in a shop window. My eyes were red, and there were wet marks along the sides of my face, some dried snot above my upper lip.

"I'm gonna have to wash up when I get home..."

The memories kept playing in my head, the horror still washing through me. I managed to ignore it...

But I didn't think I could hold it back for much longer.

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After getting back to the library, I said nothing to Twilight or Spike, and instead just took a shower, and went to bed. I just couldn't sleep. The memories still fresh in my mind, as I remembered the pain I felt.

I had a bunch of scars on my underside, and a few on the inward sides of my legs. They were all from being tied down and beaten, mainly for making the wrong people angry, and once or twice for falling behind on my debts. I also walked a little funny after having one of my legs broken in five different places. The one memory in particular was quite gruesome... I won't go into any detail on that one. Trust me, you don't want to know. No, seriously, you don't. It involves a crowbar, a baseball bat, a hammer, and serious pain. that's all the further I'm going.

"Shadow, are you up?" Twilight opened my door slightly. I crawled out of bed, and opened the door the rest of the way. I saw a very distraught Twilight. Her mane and tail were disheveled, she had bags under her eyes, which were bloodshot.

"Yeesh... You look like you haven't slept in a few days."

"I haven't. I've been trying out a spell that makes ponies grow a horn! But I don't have anypony to test it on..."

My mouth hung open, and I just stared at her with dilated pupils. "A spell that can turn anypony into a unicorn?"

"Well... I could be your test subject..." There was a hint of fear in my voice, but I wanted to help.

"That's actually what I was going to ask. Alright then! Come downstairs please."

I followed her downstairs, and I stood in the center of the room, the furniture of which had been scooted up next to the bookshelves. I readied myself, and stood as still as possible. "Ready, Twilight."

"Alright... Just need to concentrate..."

Her horn started to glow, and then an arc of magic shot towards me. When it hit, I felt a sharp pain on my forehead, which was quickly replaced by a strange pulling sensation. After a few seconds, Twilight stopped her magic, and I felt a strange pulsation through my body. Twilight gave me a large, beaming smile.

"I did it! Here, look!" She levitated a mirror in front of me, and I couldn't believe what I saw. I had a black horn sticking out of my head. I tapped my hoof on the edge of it, and I felt a tingle in my hoof.

"Cool! Now, how do I use magic?" I was excited to use my new power.

"Well, it's going to wear off in a few minutes, but try to concentrate as hard as you can, and think about what you want."

I closed my eyes, and thought of just being alone, unseen by any and all ponies. I felt a jolt, and then I opened my eyes. Nothing had changed, but Twilight was looking around her, confusion apparent in her expression.

"Shadow? Where are you?"

"Er... I'm right here."

"EEP!" She jumped and turned around to look in my general direction. I walked up to her and poked her in the side. She reached her hoof out, and started touching my face.

"You're... Invisible?" A look of both bewilderment and amazement replaced the confusion.

"It would appear so. I guess that's my specialty. I was always good at staying hidden."

"That would make sense. Well, the spell should wear off soon, and your horn should disappear. Thanks for helping, Shadow."

"No problem, Twilight."

I waited a moment, and then I felt the tugging, and then tingling again. Afterwards, I looked at my hooves. Jet black, and visible. I felt around my forehead. As blank as my flank. I was back to normal.

"That was cool."

"Yeah! It was!" I heard a familiar happy voice.

"Ah!" I jumped, and looked to my side to see Pinkie looking at me. "Pinkie, don't do that! You scared the heck out of me!"

"Sorry! But that was AWESOME! I mean, your horn glowed black, and then POOF! You're gone!" She kept bouncing up and down as she spoke.

"Yeah... Shame I can't do it now. that skill would come in handy..." I rubbed my chin with my hoof, something I always do when I'm thinking.

"Why?"

"In case I need to escape from anypony who would want to hurt me."

"Why would anypony want to hurt you?" She raised an eyebrow at me. I had said too much.

"It's nothing. I don't want to get you involved... It would be bad for you." I looked away from her, ashamed.

"But I'm your friend! I want to help." Pinkie gave me a big hug, which made my skin crawl, but it felt... Nice.

"Pinkie, you can't help. You would get yourself hurt..."

"So?"

"I don't want to be the reason behind that. Don't worry, I can take care of myself. Just don't worry about it."

Pinkie released her grip, ending the hug. "OK, but be careful. I would feel awful if you got hurt! That would cause all sorts of frownzy-wownzies!"

I chuckled at her made up word. Pinkie was nice, but I didn't want her to be there when my past caught up to me, if it did.

She's too nice of a mare for that.