Some Days...

Ash's eyes narrowed. "You," he snarled. There was more than a hint of malice in his voice.

Ash smiled in return. "You," he said, reaching down with his free hand, the other already enclosed around Ash's arm.

Ash glared at the extended hand as if it was part of a dangerous snake. He looked down below him, where the abyss threatened to shallow him up like the debris that fell next and beyond him. He looked back up at the grinning youth above and the abyss suddenly looked rather welcoming. Another tremor jolted him out of his thoughts, convincing him to put his pride aside, and with evident reluctance he grabbed hold of the outstretched arm. With a mighty heave and a groan, Ash pulled Ash up.

"Getting a little heavy, aren't we?" he said as he rested his hands on his knees.

"If you don't stopping grinning like an idiot I will rip your head off," Ash growled, stretching rubbing his sore arms. "With a spoon."

"No you won't."

"Don't test me. I'll find a spoon somewhere, somehow." He had already begun to move, pushing past the large sanctuary doors. He sighed; it had been a long time since he had last visited and every time he was filled with mixed feelings of awe, peace, and disgust.

He ran a finger against a nearby tapestry. The dust that had settle was blown away as if by a sudden gust of wind. Behind the coat of dust was the image of a young boy sitting in the lap of a young woman wearing a blank headdress and and modest white gown. The side's of Ash's mouth twitched at the sides. They fell back down as Ash had approached his side.

"What...what did you show her?" he asked.

"Hmm? Nothing but the truth of course. Why? Was there something you didn't want her to see?" Ash chuckled. "Still, she's quite the remarkable creature. We underestimated her."

"You underestimated her," Ash corrected.

"Oh, and you had your entire faith in her? Did you truly believed she would still bare the sight of you after looking into your soul, after seeing me?" He laughed. "Don't lie to yourself. Even now you fear the next time the two of you meet. Misguided fool." Ash crossed his arms and shook his head. "She truly is a remarkable creature, that Twilight Sparkle."

Ash was silent. He said nothing to defend himself or to refute. As Ash turned and began to walk away, the other chuckled, shaking his head.

"You know, she's pretty cute, for a pony," he called out to the retreating Mage.

"She's also not here right now." A small flame ignited in Ash's right hand. In the other he held a rust-coated spoon.

"Peace peace," Ash said cheerfully lifting his hands over his head. "I think the time for fighting has passed, don't you?"

The fire lingered a moment longer before extinguishing. The rusty spoon, however, remained. "Don't test me," Ash said again, turning his back on him as he walked away.

"But of course, isn't it time for you to wake up?"

Ash paused. He sighed and hung his head in resignation just as an arm plunged into his back and burst through the other side out of his chest.

The white-robed Ash pulled his arm out and watched the white-haired Ash dissolved. "Peace," he muttered as he too began to fade. "Isn't time...we moved on?"

Twilight's nose twitched. Something was tickling it and her annoyance was growing. Her attempts to ignore whatever was touching her proved futile and she mentally cried out in displeasure as sleep slip from her clumsy fingerless figurative hooves.

The Unicorn's eyes sprung open. "What are you doing?" she asked the rainbow-maned Pegasus. Rainbow Dash held a feather pen between her teeth, the tip still wet. Behind her stood a grinning Pinkie Pie holding an inkwell.

Rainbow snickered. "Nothing in particular," she sang. "Pinkie on the other hoof..."

At this the pink Earth pony snorted. "Best. Idea. Ever."

"...I'm going to regret looking in a mirror, aren't I?" Twilight groaned. "Real original guys. Where's Rarity? She'll fix this." The Unicorn looked around, pleasantly surprised that the library was completely organized. "Where's Spike? Did he clean up? I don't remember if the library was this clean before..."

Twilight's eyes widened. Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise as she and Pinkie were dragged into a crushing embrace.

"T-Twi?" Rainbow began uncertainly.

"I'm so, so sorry," the Unicorn cried into Rainbow Dash's chest. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I...I'm so sorry..."

Rainbow Dash glanced over to Pinkie Pie who responded with a shrug. "Hey, Twilight," the Pegasus said, struggling to free herself. "I get it. We get it. You weren't yourself so stop blaming yourself. We sure ain't."

"Yeah," Pinkie piped in. "We know you're not a super violent meany McMeaner pants. Ash told us how that part of him that was inside you that made you all Human and not you and stuff was making you go all coo-coo. Wait!" Pinkie gasped. "Does that mean Ash is the real super violent meany McMeaner pants? Am I really friends with a super violent meany McMeaner pants? Does that make me a super violent meany McMeaner pants? Is my entire life a lie?" Pinkie screamed to the heavens. The Earth pony's breathing grew erratic and her eyes widened in panic before calmly stating, "Nah."

"Yeah, anyways," Rainbow Dash continued as she tried pushing Twilight off, "Rarity went home after Ash started spewing blood over her." She shuddered. "I honestly have no idea how she's gonna get those stains out."

Twilight released her friends, who fell unceremoniously in a tangled heap. "And...and Spike?"

"Don't worry your pretty purple head," answered Pinkie. "Our little dragon slept through the entire fight. He woke up a few minutes after you fell asleep."

"The little guy was kinda torn between going to help Rarity and staying here with you," Rainbow explained. "So he took neutral ground and went back to sleep, at least until you became a pony again."

Twilight blinked. She lifted her legs in front of her and grinned at the sight of her hooves. Fingers were nice, she supposed, but weren't worth the trouble; too unnecessarily complicated Twilight had concluded. Her smile grew larger as she ran her hoof through her hair and felt the familiar tip of her horn. Already she could feel its warmth and power and its magical connection.

"...so now he's cooking breakfast."

"What was that?" Twilight asked absentmindedly, still distracted by the return of her horn, her glorious magical horn. There are many like it but this one was hers and she had mastered it as she would have mastered her-

"Wait..." Twilight sniffed the air. "Is that...I think I smell..."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Like I said, the minute you turned back into a pony Spike ran around the room cheering and stacking books, then put on his apron and walked into the kitchen."

"I wanna apron like that," Pinkie chirped. "Do you think Spike would trade it for a gem or two."

Twilight's mouth watered. Spike was making her favorite, she could smell it. It was a dish her mother would make that would send a filly Twilight into an adorable feeding frenzy and would leave a big fat smile on the little Unicorn's face for the entire day. It was the same dish her mother would always make when she and Spike would visited. Spike must have gotten the recipe Twilight thought as liquid pride leaked from her eyes. She quickly rubbed them with her leg.

"Hey, no need to get all sappy on us now," Rainbow snarked.

"I'm fine. Y-you got ink in my eye...or something..." Twilight groaned. "Let's get this over with; hand me a mirror, please."

Rainbow grinned evilly. "Are you sure you want to see?"

Twilight sighed. "No, but might as well..."

"You absolutely sure?"

"...yes."

"Absolutely positively, one hundred percent, without a drop of doubt..."

"Rainbow..."

"Okay then." Rainbow Dash's menacing smile grew as she slowly produced a small mirror from behind her.

"Wait," Pinkie interjected, stopping her accomplice. "Twilight, are you absolutely positively, one hundred percent, without a drop of doubt sure that you're absolutely positively, one hundred percent-"

"Give me my mirror!" Twilight screeched, snatching it out of Rainbow's hooves. She held it away at a good length, fearing the worst. She had seen herself with a mustache before and it hadn't looked good, no matter what Spike insisted.

Twilight opened her eyes, prepared to scowl at what ever caricature stared back. To her utter confusion, all she saw was a purple Unicorn with a dire need for a hairbrush.

"I don't...what?"

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had fallen on the floor in a giant fit of laughter. Twilight looked at the two pranksters in wonder until she noticed the inkwell Pinkie had been holding. She brought it closer, levitating it to eye level.

It wasn't one of her own wells, Twilight realized. While hers were of a shiny coat of black, the same color as their contents, this one was oddly blue. Even stranger was the chalky-white outline of an inkwell on the side.

"You two drew on my face...with invisible ink."

The laughter grew as Twilight set her face onto her hoof.

"I...I don't even...okay then." Twilight shook her head. "I don't get it. You do know I won't be able to see what ever masterpiece you've made, right?"

"That...that's the idea," Rainbow gasped. "You'll never know!"

"And we're not gonna tell you," Pinkie sang. "Nope nope nope! Not even the giant pen island..." The rest was drowned beneath her giggles and snorts, at which Twilight rolled her eyes.

"You should see what Rarity did with Ash!" Rainbow added. "She ended up going through six bottles of trick ink! Oh wait, you can't."

"Wait...where's Ash?" Twilight gasped. "Hold on, didn't you say he was bleeding?"

"Geez you're slow this morning. Don't worry," Rainbow assured. "He wasn't bleeding, just vomiting blood everywhere. Luckily Rarity was nearby to catch it all."

"Vomiting blood?" Twilight said, panic creeping into her voice. "W-where..."

Rainbow shrugged. "He woke up after he turned into a pony too. Went straight to the balcony and been there since."

"He looked really grumpy," Pinkie Pie added. "Like how Mr. Cake looks sometimes before his coffee after a long night out. Or when Berry Punch runs out of juice."

"Is...is he okay?"

The cyan Pegasus shrugged. "Why wouldn't he be? He looked a little tired and, like Pinkie said, kinda angry, like he lost a bet or something."

Twilight struggled to her feet. "Did you ask him what was wrong?"

Rainbow shook her head. "He said everything was fine and to keep an eye on you." The Pegasus yawned. "Hey Twilight? Nice to see you up and all but I kinda need to head off. I've got some z's I've gotta catch up on."

"And I need to get ready for your party. This is gonna be the best 'Congrats on Being a Pony Again' party ever!"

Twilight smiled. "Can't wait, Pinkie. I think I'm going to check on Ash, see how he's doing, then see if Spike needs any help. You two sure you don't want any breakfast before you go?"

"Nah, we're good," Rainbow said. "We got Spike to whip something for us earlier."

Pinkie belched in agreement. "You might wanna go grocery shopping today. We emptied your fridge."

Twilight groaned. "Alright then. See you two..."

Twilight stared as her hoof made a soft clicking sound against the wooden floor. She lifted her leg and let fall.

Click. Clop.

"Uh, Twilight?"

The Unicorn giggled. "I never noticed that!"

Click clop click clop.

"I can't believe I've never noticed that before! Wow!"

Click clop click clop.

"We're leaving now, Twilight," Rainbow said uncertainly as she nudged Pinkie toward the door, least the pink pony join in the improv tap dance.

"Bye!" Twilight said cheerfully, tapping away. "Wait, was I..."

Ash sighed, leaning against the balcony railing. He shut his eyes and massaged his forehead with a hoof. It was a poor substitute for fingers.

The grey stallion groaned. He ran his hoof through his mane, hissing in pain. Apparently, even in this body Ash still felt the side effects of the spell.

Ash watched silently as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie left the library. Guilt seeped in like frost in the winter. The two, as well as Rarity, had spent their entire morning taking care of the two. He wished he had been in a better condition to thank the ponies correctly or at least say good-bye but with his head pounding harder than a certain orange filly Pegasus with bongo drums, Ash was in no mood to deal with their antics. He made no attempt to discover why his face felt so stiff or why he tasted soup and, for the time being, nor did he care.

I need to do something for those three Ash mentally noted. He sighed. Another day, another debt...

"How are you feeling?"

Ash winced at the sudden voice. "Please don't shout."

"Um, sorry?" Twilight apologized quietly. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

"Head hurts. Just sleepy," Ash grumbled.

"Oh. Well, Spike's almost done with breakfast so..."

"I just want sleep. Sorry," he added. "Got a short fuse right now."

"Okay," Twilight said, nodding in understanding. "We'll save something for you for later." She turned to leave.

"Hold on."

Twilight turned. Ash beckoned her next to him.

"Is there something you need?" she asked, making her way to his side.

"It's..." Ash sighed. "It's a beautiful morning isn't it."

Twilight nodded. "That it is."

"Nice view up here."

"I guess. It's a nice place to read, when Rainbow Dash isn't around anyways."

Ash sighed again. "I...thanks," he finally muttered.

Twilight tilted her head. "For stopping you? You've already thanked me." She smiled. "Don't worry about it. I couldn't let one of my friends hurt themselves."

"Not that. For earlier, for believing in me."

Twilight frowned. "What are you..."

"After I told you...after you saw my past and everything, you were given the chance to erase the pain. You didn't."

"I..."

"I know why you didn't. And I honestly can't tell you if you made the right decision because I honestly don't know." Ash turned away. "It would have definitely been easier just to forget everything, just start anew."

"It wouldn't be you though," Twilight argued.

"Maybe. But meeting myself again after so long made me wonder, would that be so horrible? Part of me still thinks it would've been better just to forget Ramth and everything." Ash shook his head and gave Twilight a sad smile. "And that part reminds me that I'm just a big an idiot now as I was so many years ago. You were right; giving that all up, taking the easy route...that's not what I really want, not what I need." Ash cleared his throat before continuing: "I was just too big an idiot to realize it."

Twilight stared at the grey Unicorn for a full minute before doing something unexpected: swatting him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" Ash rubbed the afflicted area. The blow hasn't meant to hurt but with Ash's head as sore as it currently was, the pain grew exponentially.

"That's for calling yourself an idiot," Twilight grumbled. "You're not an idiot. You made a few bad decisions, a few mistakes but you're not an idiot. No friend of mine goes around putting themselves down like that."

"Even if it's true? Ow!"

"It's not. If it were, I probably would've already called you out, if Rainbow Dash or Applejack hadn't already. You really need to change that attitude of yours though," Twilight lectured. "Look, even after seeing your past I don't think I'll truly understand what you're going through but I want to help you. We all want to help you, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Spike...we're all here for you, so don't try to bury everything down in there." Twilight tapped her hoof on Ash's chest. "Let us help. We're friends, aren't we?"

The image of a smirking blond boy leaked uninvited into Ash's mind.

We're f

r

i

The End

s

after all...

Author's Notes:

Finished? Hardly! See next season/week!