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Please click on the story below, I spent days on this and deviant art says "Oh Sorry Celly! This story is too big! So we are just going to delete it as a whole! HA!" So I divided it into two parts...
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"Who... who..."
Owls are such clever birds. They have many qualities that assist them when hunting for mice, smaller birds, and anything else they can catch in their talons. Large eyes for looking for the slightest movement within darkness, good hearing to hear anything in the bushes or trees besides the wind blowing, and they are excellent flyers when catching their prey.
"Who... who..." The Owl said looking to it's left. It's feather have gathered together by it's chest, fighting against the cold wind. It shook it's head then it's whole body, warming it's muscles. Mr. Owl pivoted it's head to look into the forest, it's chest rising and falling due to it's immense and quick breathing. It closed it's eyes, not because it was tired, but because the owl was at peace.
A flash of light pink magic was the only given light in the realm of darkness known only as the Everfree Forest. It startled the owl so much it flew away in search for darkness and more peace.
"Well this is fantastic!" a voice echoed through the whole forest, alarming more than an owl in the distance.
"You teleported us to the middle of nowhere! And on top of that, I lost my juice box!" The very upset yellow earth horse who shouted such words searched the grassy ground. He was looking, for in case somehow during the teleportation, he dropped it, or the unicorn who transported them, teleported the box somewhere close by.
"Relax, I'll buy you a new one... You like pineapple?" the unicorn asked, turning to face his friend. He smirked when he saw the earth pony stop and ponder. The box WAS almost empty, and he DID like pineapple... to an extent.
"Make it two..." the earth pony said, looking past the trees as if he was trying to see something.
The purple unicorn smiled, victoriously. "Anything to keep you sober, Boozey."
Boozedrinker, or Boozey, might have had a huge slight problem when it came to drinking alcoholic beverages. The unicorn, who goes by Illiterate, has tried his darned best to help Boozey break his bad habit. Of course, he couldn't always be there to watch his friend, which really got him worried. He was his best friend, afterall, and he would do anything for him. Boozedrinker, though, tries his hardest to let go of his addiction, even when Illy isn't there. He promised himself and his friends he would try. He does things such as drink lemonade and juice to quench his thirst. His other friends, like Berry Punch, also keep him company. Of course, that doesn't mean he stays away from cider forever. One way or another, once in a blood moon, he finds himself drinking something not 100% Alcohol Free.
As much as Illiterate tries to help, the unicorn had his own problems, sadly. A problem which he's reminded whenever he looks in a mirror. He's reminded whenever a young filly or colt asks their parents about him. (Though, he can't blame them and their innocence, they were just curious) He's reminded whenever an unsuspecting pony walks to him, and ends up running in fear from him. He's reminded whenever he remembers the day that one spell when horribly wrong... And how they affected his eyes...
But he has gotten used to them. To the eyes and the unwanted attention... He gotten his cutie-mark the same day though, so the day wasn't all too bad when he really thought about it.
"Hey, maybe if you read more books.... you could have been more prepared for that spell..." Illiterate remembers Stendhal Syndrome saying to him, after showing his friend what happened. He didn't like his sarcasm, but he was glad Stendhal still saw him as a friend, instead of a monster or demon.
"Ya still teleported us to the middle of nowhere..." Boozey said, climbing a tree to get a better view of the area, still looking for his juice box. When he got to the middle of the tree, he saw that they were at the edge of a forest, but beyond that was a large, abandoned field that went on for miles in the darkness. No sign of civilization anywhere, which mean no juice. "I hope you can teleport us back..."
The unicorn froze. He... didn't really think that far. Unlike levitation, teleportation was a difficult spell to master, even for adult unicorns. It required a lot of concentration, proper coordination on the destination the unicorn wants to be at, and the ability to break space and time without breaking reality or their bones. Most unicorns can teleport themselves and certain things in short distances or to familiar locations, but to teleport themselves (and a usually drunk friend) a long distance and to an unknown place... returning would be more than difficult.
"Well... what's the fun in teleporting when we can walk!" Illiterate said, forcing a smile on his face, looking up at his friend.
Boozey managed to get himself stuck, unable to climb down the tree he climbed up from. Still, despite his sudden fear of falling, the yellow pony managed to say, "It was YOUR idea to teleport... I suggested walking!"
Illiterate looked away, and up at his horn, cursing at it with the only words he knew. He didn't know many words, or rather, complicated words. He did have a dictionary... well it wasn't his, it was his bud's, Stendhal's. Illiterate promised the white earth horse that he would use the book whenever he had the chance. He placed it on his counter and thanked his friend. The dictionary Stendhal let him borrow still rests on his counter, doing nothing but collecting dust. He only cleans it and studies one or two words when Stendhal comes to visit, making sure to use the words in their conversation. (And then never using it again.)
"I FOUND IT- Oh never mind... it was a bat..." Boozey said, mistaking a clearly doesn't-look-anything-like-a-juice-box bat and hugging the tree trunk, trying to climb back down the over sized twig. He only got down 2 inches before climbing back another 3 feet, getting higher off the ground. Who's idea was it to climb up a tree, anyway? It definitely wasn't Boozey's. Illiterate was supposed to be there for him. How DARE Illy not stop Boozey from entering a fate worse than death!
"Yo... Illy? Can ya... I don't know, help me get down from here?" the yellow earth horse called out, waving his hoof up, trying to signal him. Illiterate was too concentrated on finding a way to get them home, and finding a new word to call his horn. "Illy? Velvet? Illiterate!?" The more he called out to his friend, the tighter his grip to the branch on the verge of breaking got. "ILLITERATE!!!" Still nothing... what could get through to this guy? Illiterate was always there for Boozey. "This is how I die... I always thought I'd die getting wasted but no... I die by the foot of a tree... looking for an almost empty juice box..." Boozey thought, praying to Celestia his death would be quick.
Suddenly, the yellow earth pony was surrounded in a dark red magical aura. He was levitated off the branch, which took a while, and to the ground where he was safe. Relieved, he turned to his friend to thank him, hug him, and scold him before realizing something that he should have noticed earlier. Illiterate had light pink magic... The aura that surrounded Boozey was a sickening red... Now call him crazy (call him drunk if you wanted) but he was pretty sure light pink was NOT the same as dark red. And on top of that, the red magic felt both unsafe and unstable. Unstable magic was powerful, yet used unwisely could result in permanent damage to the horn. Usually, unstable magic is the result of Broken Magic. Broken Magic was something more dangerous than any form of magic. It was the result of King Sombra trying to go deeper into darkness. (You'll learn more about that another time)
"Illiterate?" Boozey called out to him again.
"Yeah?" he responded, turning around. Oh NOW he answers.
Boozedrinker got closer to his friend, and mumbled to him, "I don't think we're alone... and who ever is here with us... has a horn... and maybe stole my juice box..."
The unicorn froze again. The thought of someone not only stealing his best friend's beverage but someone being here in the middle of no where was horrifying. That son of a donkey is going to return that juice box AND he is going to tell them how to get out of here. Of course, he would say it kindly though... if he cooperates.
There was a snap of a twig and the unicorn looked into the forest with a stern look on his face. "Who goes there?" he asked, trying to stand tall. Nothing seemed to move in the darkness, but he kept an eye on any bit of movement.
"Sorry, that was me..." Boozey said, removing twigs from his tail. "Knocked over a bird's nest..."
"Well were there any eggs in it?" the purple pony asked, looking suddenly concerned.
"There was, but I placed them in this abandoned nest, which will be their temporary home until the mother bird builds a nest more suitable for the offspring when they hatch."
Boozey and Illiterate turned completely around too see two red irises almost glowing within the darkness of the night. They were small and slitted, almost equivalent to those of a cat. Looking into them, was almost like touching fire: it burned... Besides the eyes, there was also a red aura. Magical aura. The same red aura that helped Boozey down the tree. It was holding two things, but both items were engulfed by the shadows, as was the pony. The light from the aura made it clear that the pony had a long horn, and part of the mane was visible by the given light. For one item, the magic died down and a small clink was made. It sounded similar to glass hitting a table of some sort. Or rather, rock or some hard surface. A table being in the middle of nowhere didn't seem logical.
Illiterate's ears fell when he took to notice how tall the pony must have been, or how powerful they could be with a horn that long. He also took to notice that this pony was feminine. Boozey wondered if this mare was holding his juice box. (He REALLY wanted his juice box back) But even he admits he was a bit nervous. Especially since the voice was somewhat cold, calm, and... broken? Can a voice break?
That's when the pony began to shift. Both stallions moved a side and backed up to look at the pony in the moonlight. The mare walked to the tree Boozey was stuck in and placed her front hooves on the trunk, her hind legs and thick tail holding her in place. She stood as high as she could and gently placed the nest full of eggs on a secure branch. She stared at the nest, making sure it wouldn't fall off or get blown away from the wind before dropping back to all four, and turning around.
She was... different, to say the least. A bat pony with a horn. Her massive bat wings folded over to the sides of her body. Her fangs looked terrifying, due to their massive size. Who knew how much venom could be injected, or how how much blood could be taken away. She had some chest plate similar to what a Princess would wear; she even had shoes where her hooves should be. But... she had no crown... Unusual. She was unusual. But her eyes... Illiterate, personally, wasn't so sure if he saw them right. Were they...? He blinked hard and looked back at them. They were...
When the earth pony saw his friend lost the ability to speak, he stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Um.... Hey-oh! Miss.... I am Boozedrinker and this here is my best bud Illiterate Supremacy! He has a voice, trust me... uh... Do ya...? Do ya have a map or something 'cause, Marco Polo here got us lost," he said with a smile. "We would also appreciate if you didn't kill us both. You look like you could easily drain the blood from us both before we could say 'PINEAPPLE'! We both very much like to live... I'm still redeeming...AND IF YOU STOLE MY JUICE BOX, I WANT IT BACK MISSY-MISS!" he also wanted to say, but decided it was best to keep out.
The mare stepped back into the shadow, as if she didn't want to be seen, but her eyes locked onto Boozey's. They didn't burn badly this time, but they were still dead, almost.
"Hyde..."
"Hide? Hide from what?! From you!? OH GOSH! We're done for, Illy!" the earth pony hugged his friend, on the edge of tears, "If I die, Illiterate, I wanted to tell you I hid a stash of cider under the floorboards in my kitchen!"
The mare's eyes expanded and she waved her hoof and shaking her head, quickly. "No... jeez.... Don't hide.... My name is Hyde... H-Y-D-E," the baticorn said, rolling her red eyes.
"Oh..." The earth pony pursed his lips and let go of the unicorn. He brushed Illiterate's white tuft of fur as a sign of peace. "Hehe.... About that stash of cider... t'was a joke, mate. I never had any secret stash... You believe me, right Illiterate?" The unicorn didn't respond. "Illy?" Great, he was dead again. Boozey knew his friend wasn't the smartest in Equestria (though sometimes, during true acts of friendship, he seemed like a true genius) but he knew Illiterate wasn't brain dead.
That's when he followed his gaze to see the unicorn was staring at the eyes of the baticorn, who oddly, was now staring at Illiterate. Boozey looked back and forth at the two ponies before pushing Illiterate away, dragging him to a clearing. "Give us a moment Ms. Hyde..." he said, with a smile.
"Take as long as you need..." she said, levitating something again. For a millisecond, Boozey could see a champagne glass filled with something he knew wasn't champagne.
As soon as they were far enough away, Boozey stared at his friend, waving a hoof in front of his black eyes. "Illiterate? Illiterate!!!" Nothing but a blank stare, like as if he was a statue. Did this "Hyde" do something to Illiterate? Was she like Mare-dusa? Turning ponies to stone by looking at them in the eye? Well... Illiterate wasn't really stone... and Boozey wasn't in a statue like pose. BUT STILL! She did something to his friend and he was going to find out what! But first things first: he had to bring Illy back.
"Let's see... what would Illy do if I was stuck in suspended animation...?" As he pondered, he leaned against his friend, rubbing his head with his hoof. Illiterate would do anything for his friend, heck, he even changed his name for Boozey. Gosh, whenever that memory came across his mind, he had to smile to himself.
He, once known as Instant Karma, was at one of his lowest moments in life. He saw himself as hopeless, worthless even. He was nothing more than a drunk, stallion. Nothing more, nothing less. He changed his name to something he found more suitable to his standards, and he refused to be called anything else. Thankfully, like he always had, he wasn't alone. Illiterate, who was Velvet Justice, changed his name no more than 2 minutes after Boozey did. As much as he tried to say what he was doing was stupid, Illy said he wouldn't change his name back until Boozey did the same. Not everypony would do that for an alcoholic. But to Illy, Boozedrinker was more than an alcoholic: He was a friend. Illiterate was loyal to the core, well at least to the yellow earth pony. The alcoholic stallion was thankful to have him as a friend.
And now here was his friend. His brave friend that changed his name and promised to take care of the yellow pony and help him break his bad habit of drinking. Here he was... Maybe he should say something that would tick him off? Nah.... Boozey was too kindhearted for that, even if it was a joke. (CAUSE BOOZEY IS AN ANGEL) Hmm.... maybe...
"I'm changing my name back to Instant Karma..."
Illy blinked. "Really?!" he said, smiling, hope in his eyes.
"No... but if I would, I would have a drink to celebrate."
The unicorn's ears dropped and he glared at the earth pony, before shaking his head and smiling. "You know who's paying for those juice boxes, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Boozedrinker said, waving his hoof up and down, returning the smile. He looked past the trees and tried to see if the bat pony was still there, like he asked her to be. He grabbed the purple stallion's hoof. "Lets go get some directions from that Hyde lassie, now. I don't feel secure without juice in my hooves."
"Hide? Hide from what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh right... you were dead for like a minute there..." he thought, chuckling to himself, "H-Y-D-E. The name of that mare back there."
"Wait, her name is Hyde? And... we moved?" Illiterate frantically looked around his surroundings but saw nothing but trees. Not much of a change in scenery, really. Nevertheless, he followed the yellow earth pony's lead.
"Lady Hyde!" Boozey exclaimed with a smile. Normally, without alcohol, Boozedrinker was shy, but it was clear to him that this mare didn't have much to say to him, directly. She could easily DO things, like blast them with Celestia knows what spell, but she didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Hyde turned and looked at the two stallions. Boozey greeted her with warm, golden eyes, and she was slightly disappointed to see Illiterate was looking down. Nevertheless, the mare decided to return the kind gesture and looked back into Boozey's eyes.
"Yes?" she said, levitating her champagne glass to her side, making it visible.
Boozey's eyes broke away from Hyde's and they landed on the liquid in the glass. He felt his stomach turn at the deep crimson color that held within the container. It wasn't champagne. Champagne was never that dark of a color.
"Well um... my friend Illiterate and I wish to know directions to the nearest city... or pony, other than.... you..." Boozedrinker said, getting quieter with his sentence until he looked down with the unicorn.
Hyde laughed, as sweetly as she could. "Oh dearies, there is no need to look down like you disrespected me." She walked a bit closer to Illiterate and lifted his chin. Boozey prayed that he wouldn't have to conduct funeral plans. "You need help, and I'll gladly help you..."
"R-really?" Illiterate said, now having no choice but to look at Hyde.
She nodded, and let go of his chin. Hyde turned towards the earth pony and noticed he was staring at her glass. After glancing at the liquid Hyde was recently consuming, she smiled and looked at Boozey once again. "Oh you wouldn't like this. Far too strong.... and, it has quite a bit of an odd.... aftertaste. You are welcome to have some, if you wish." The baticorn motioned the glass to Boozedrinker, specifically up to his mouth.
"Uh.... I'm good. I just had juice and I'm trying to quit these kinds of beverages... Besides.... not a big fan of... red wine..." he said, parting the glass and pushing it away, hie eye never breaking contact with it.
Hyde snickered, "Fair enough..." She took a sip of her drink.
Boozey leaned to his friend and mumbled in his ear, "Illiterate, maybe we should be careful with this one... She is definitely a drinker and something tells me that ain't red wine..."
The unicorn turned to the yellow stallion before focusing his eyes on the liquid, only to see that the glass was now empty. There was a tiny bit of crimson on the bottom, but barely enough for the bat pony to drink.
Hyde examined her cup and sighed, disappointed that she had finished her refreshment. She was still very thirsty though, she hasn't had a decent drink in quite some time, and it took a while to get her drink as well. She turned to the unicorn and earth pony, trying hard not to look too downhearted. It was easy though, since she had no heart...
"I hope you don't mind, but can any of you help me refill?" she toyed with them, a mischievously deadly look in her eyes. She stared at Illiterate with hungry and death-like eyes.
"Uh... well... M-Madame, I would-WE would but..."
"With most absolute pleasure!" Boozey said with a smile.
The earth pony moved past the purple stallion with a bottle of whiskey in his hoof. Where in Celestia's name did he get that from? He didn't have a saddle bag or anything. He had no way to hide that large bottle from his friend. As he passed Illiterate, who had a displeased look on his face, Boozey simply smiled, and gave him a "What? I wasn't drinking it" look of his own. He poured the whiskey into her glass until it was full. As soon as the earth pony parted the bottle from the cup, Hyde took a sip.
She didn't show it in her face, but she was taken aback but the absolute DISGUST of the whiskey! If she was so weak, she would have probably spit it out on the pretty little unicorn with pretty little eyes. Luckily, she didn't. She had to choke it down, being careful choke down any vomit that may come up if her stomach refused the uninvited liquid. Did ponies really drink this stuff? She pitied them. Her beverage was much better... And replacing it wouldn't be that hard. But she would dare hurt such a charming earth pony and just as charming unicorn.
He was still staring at her though...
"I'm sorry, if there something in fangs? You seem to be staring at something, Mr. Illiterate," Hyde stated, pushing her glass away. Boozey nudged the unicorn which snapped him out of his trance.
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking. That was rude of me... I'm not very smart I just... I'm sorry. I never met a pony with..." What was the right word...? He read it in the dictionary... "...alluring... eyes?"
Hyde's spine stiffened and she nearly dropped her drink. Boozey put on a really face.
"Oh shoot... what did I say?" he thought, looking at his friend for reassurance. He simply rose an eyebrow. Boozey warned Illiterate not to use words when talking, if he didn't know what it meant. The unicorn was pretty sure it meant nice. He was 100% sure it meant nice. He remember using the word when Stendhal came over one time.
"You think my eyes are mysteriously attractive?" she said with a sly smile.
Now Illiterate remembered when he used that word, and promised he would never use it again. He called Fresca alluring, but even then, he was sure it meant nice. In Illiterate's defense, he didn't know what "attractive" meant either. When he called Fresca that word, Stendhal got all up on him and promptly stated for all of Ponyville to hear, "THAT'S MY COUSIN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU UNGRATEFUL- but very clever- HORSE!!!" Illy was quick to respond with him meaning to call Fresca admirable and he had no intentions to do anything with Ms. Lemonade. Especially since they talked about Fresca's failed date with Mr. Jambalaya. Talking to him about it, he could tell he was pissed at the horse, and kept a mental note to stay far away from any Jambalayas. It made sense that Stendhal was protective of his cousin afterwards, and hearing one of his best friends call Fresca such a phrase, well... Luckily, he was able to convince him that the word just slipped out.
"I meant.... admirable..." the purple stallion said, hoping he could use the same excuse.
"Your eyes are quite... endearing... It's been a while since I saw a pony with eyes like yours. There was this one pony but... he... he decided to do the unforgivable to me and I had no choice but to teach him a lesson he would never forget..." Hyde growled under her breath.
"And.... what was this... heinous. Heinous? Is heinous the right word?" Boozey nodded. "Heinous crime?"
"He.... he HUGGED me...."
Boozey held back laughter and Illiterate's ears fell back... Memories came back to him like last night's dinner. Memories of meeting this mare. Meeting this baticorn and having to... He couldn't control himself so he... And she punched him. So THAT'S why he had amnesia! That's why he couldn't remember what happened that day! That's why he thought it was still Tuesday! But why didn't Hyde remember him? Wasn't Hyde his friend?
"Of course, I thought it was sweet what he said to me..."
"What did he say?" Boozey asked, now very curious in this mare's story.
She smiled. "He wanted to be friends," she looked at Illiterate then back at Boozey.
"Who was this 'friend' of yours?" the unicorn asked.
Hyde looked at Illiterate and winked. "Oh wouldn't you like to know..."
Boozey saw her wink and his best friend and the smile that spread across the purple stallion's face. He grabbed Illy's hoof. "If ya don't mind Miss Hyde... Excuse us!"
"Boozey, what are you d-" The earth pony began dragging the unicorn to the same spot they were at before. He made sure Hyde stayed there and Illy stayed here. Then, when he made sure everything was perfect, he glared at his friend.
"How do you know her?"
Illiterate was taken aback from the question. "Know her? Know who? Hyde?" The earth pony nodded. "Well um... Remember the day where I was going to get us some carrot cupcakes for our 15-Year Best-Friendiversary?" The earth pony nodded, again. "I was making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I-"
"Illiterate!"
"I was making my way to Sugarcube Corner when I saw a little unicorn filly walk up to me with a clipboard and pen. She asked me if I could sign a petition to save the Clock-tower in Ponyville. I picked up the pen and wrote my name down on the slip of paper. She was a sweet thing, didn't even point out my eyes. Kids are so innocent these days..." He stopped, remembering the little unicorn with big blue eyes. "Then I saw her go ask one of those snobby Canterlot ponies-"
"Ug...." Boozey interrupted with a groan. He wasn't too fond of the aristocrats from those big, fancy cities. They come to smaller towns only to criticize and taunt other ponies who live "low-class" lives. They complain about everything from the food to the clothes to the very road they walk down. "Sorry... continue."
"She asked the stallion and I could see his eyes roll in disgust. Then he said, and I quote," Illy did his best to both mimic and mock that one pony, "'Save that pathetic excuse of a clock in this pathetic excuse of a town? Pa-LEASE! Why would I ever want this disgusting city to keep growing in filth? I hope they tear it down! Ponies don't deserve nice things! Demon ponies like him dont even deserve things'-"
"He called you a demon pony?!" Boozey asked, his eyes twitching.
Illiterate nodded. It was nothing new but... It still hurt. "Then he grabbed the petition and began to tear it in pieces."
"He WHAT?!" Okay, some ponies were snobs, some ponies were flat out spoiled brats and jerks!
"I know! I wanted to teach that pony a lesson, especially when I heard the filly gasp and begin to sob. Then, the next thing I knew, I saw red magic surround the whole pony. He was mighty confused and then, I saw her."
"Hyde?" Boozey wanted to be sure.
"Yes, well not her eyes at first. Her saddle bag. It was full of swaddle blankets for newborn foals, bars of soap, and I think knives. That lead me to her wings, and so did the stallion. Large and not a typical pegasus pair. Then we saw her horn. It was SPARKING with magic. It was as if it was going to explode. She was a baticorn. But I could tell he never seen one before. Neither have I. I mean, there is the Vampony Princess in the Enderverse, but I never met her. Anyhoo, she was facing the Canterlot Pony so I couldn't see her face, but by the tone of her voice, I knew she was unhappy. I think she said, 'Don't you EVER yell at a filly or colt ever again! Don't ever tear their happiness and innocence away from them! Hear me? Don't EVER yell at an orphan! Don't EVER go around yelling and calling ponies demons! Don't EVER call somepony something they are not!'"
"The filly was an orphan?" Boozey asked rhetorically, completely ignoring the last part. Now he really felt bad for the filly. But, why did Hyde care so much about orphans?
"Yeah... I don't know why she got all touchy about it. I guess she was a caretaker or something. Either way, the stallion got all scared and I wasn't too sure why. He nodded in fear I guess and grabbed all the torn pieces of the flyer and tried to put them back together. Hyde took the strips of paper and gave them to the filly. Afterward, she took off the little monocle that was over his left eye and broke it, then tossed him into the dirt. Her magic was dying down. I was surprised really, I thought she was going to snap his neck or something."
"I would have done worse if I was Hyde," the yellow earth pony chuckled.
"She looked down at the filly and embraced the child-" Illiterate pondered. If she didn't do hugs, why is it that she hugs children? "-and told her to go back with the other orphans and tell them what happened. She was going to teach Mr. Walking Shredder another important lesson."
"So she wasn't done yet..." (THATS MY HYDE!)
Illiterate smiled, "Nope. In fact she said she would haunt him in every reflection if he would do something like that again. I approached her and she stuck a bar of soap in his mouth. She said something along the lines of 'best wash that dirty mouth of yours you swine!' Whatever swine means. He ran away afterward."
"HA! Serves that coward right!"
"I was interested in who this heroic mare was, so I crept up behind her in the most non-stalkish way possible. But right when I right behind her, I realized how stupid this idea was and was about to turn around and get those cupcakes. Then, she turned around." Illiterate had to stop and remember how terrified he was when she turned 180 degrees just to face him. It was at lightning speed too, like she knew he was behind her. "Our eyes met and I saw how unnaturally dark they were. They were, black. Like mine." He remembered how happy he was to finally meet another pony who had similar unnatural features. "She looked at me and smiled, and nodded politely."
"You sure it wasn't because you, like, freaked her out?" the yellow stallion joked.
"Ha... HA! Anyway I... I lost control and, I maybe hugged her while asking to be her friend."
"And?" Boozey said, leaning in on his friend, waiting for the next part.
"She... She bonked me in the muzzle..."
Boozey couldn't hold back a laughter this time. Normally, he would get upset if someone hurt his friend, but something about Illiterate getting falcon-booped for such a kind and welcoming gesture such as a hug? It cracked him up. "And you lecture me for hugging mares, if I get hurt!"
"There's a difference!" Illy argued.
"Yeah! When I hug a pony, I'm drunk! What was your excuse? She had such mysteriously attractive eyes?"
The unicorn flushed a slight shade of pink. "It was an accident.... and either way she said yes..."
Boozey stopped laughing and his eyes expanded, glinting in the moon and star light. "She said yes?"
Illy scratched the back on his head, "Well... she said it was sweet that I wanted to be friends... so maybe that's a yes...?" He stared and his muzzle, still feeling the sudden contact that nearly knocked him out cold. "Then I got amnesia and forgot what just happened until today..." he wanted to add but figured it wasn't for the best.
"Illiterate Supremacy! You crafty siren you!" Boozey said squeezing his friend's face.
"Boozey? What are you talking abou-"
"Illy! My best friend is finally growing up! My best friend finally found love in his life!" Tears began to form in the earth pony's eyes.
"WOAH!" the purple stallion pushed Boozedrinker away. "I think you heard me wrong... I said FRIEND!"
"Illiterate, I think it's about time we had The Talk." Boozey getting serious was both terrifying and hilarious. He also ignored what Illy said.
"Boozedrinker! You are acting insa-"
"When a stallion and mare love each other very much, they sometimes want... more in a relationship then just hugs and cuddles."
"INSTANT KARMA!"
"Yeah you're right... I should get BloodMoon to explain this to you..." What would any pony do when they won't listen to a word you're saying?
"I'm changing my name back to Velvet Justice..."
"REALLY?!" he said, hope filled in Boozey's eyes.
Illiterate was strangely quite calm, suddenly. "No... Now tell me... WHAT THE HAY MAN?! What are you talking about?!" There we go...
"Illiterate, don't you see? Fate has brought you two souls together to be bounded into one!" he said, trying his best to sound very spiritual and wise.
"Huh?" Now Illy was really a confused bean.
"Hyde, she is a mysterious mare with a special fondness for children, almost like a mother. Yet, she is angered easily. Her anger issues must be calmed down by the power of love. What she shares to kids is not enough. She needs a pony to plug the hole in her soul. She needs a pony to heal the crack in her heart. She needs her other half. You could be that other half. YOU! You are a unicorn who believes he is no smarter than a donkey. A unicorn who feels insecure by his eyes. A unicorn who needs more friends than a drunk pony, a book horse, and a berry good mare. (Celestia Bless that Berry Punch) She could be that horse. You two, you two misunderstood ponies were meant to be. It makes sense too. You both are insecure. You both are secret sweethearts. You both are purple!!!"
"You sure you weren't drinking some of that whiskey?" the unicorn asked.
"No... Why?"
"CAUSE YOU SOUND DRUNK AS HAY RIGHT NOW!!!"The owl from before flew even farther away from them. A few bats decided to follow the bird's lead.
"Nonsense! But you should try to talk to her! Like, heart to heart talk."
Illiterate rose an eyebrow in doubt. "And why should I do that?"
Boozey waved his hoof in disbelief, "Because! When will be the next time you meet a mare that won't judge you for being who you are! She even defended you from that Canterlot stallion! Saying he shouldn't call ponies something they aren't! And! Don't forget, she said your eyes were endearing! Endearing is adorable, for the record. She thinks your adorable! She is TOTALLY into you!"
Illiterate stopped and actually thought... Then immediately pushed those thoughts away. "No!"
"Okay, then I will! Hey if things work out between us, then maybe she'll even crown me king after the wedding. King Boozedrinker! Nice ring to it!"
The unicorn's pupils shrank. "Y-You're what?"
The yellow stallion laughed and nudged his friend. "I'm messing with you mate. But no seriously, just try. There is no harm in trying. And do you expect the mare to make the first move?" Boozey began dragging them back to Hyde without warning.
"Well-W-what do I say?" the unicorn questioned.
"I don't know! Say stuff that wont get you hospitalized for blood loss!" Illy's eyes shrank. "Just... don't be like Stendhal!" Boozey finished with a smile.
"That should be easy..."
"Impress her! Compliment her!"
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To Be Continued...?
Click here for Part Two

Compassion Part 2
As they turned the large birch tree, Hyde was surprised and quickly tucked something away under her wing. It was small and golden, but neither did the unicorn nor the earth pony see it. She did her best to look as calm as possible, despite the anger that grew during their absence. She couldn't help but stare into Illy's eyes.
"Um... hi?" the unicorn said, waving a bit. "Nice... uh... fangs?"
Hyde did her best to look at her fangs, but struggled a bit. "Thank you?"
The yellow earth pony shook his head and shoved Illy to the side. "Ahem, Madame Hyde. My buddy and I agreed that instead of you showing us a way out, maybe we could spend some time to get to know this place. We then could find our own way out and back home! We both fancy this mysterious and abnormal land, maybe you can tell us where we are? Starting with this forest! What is this place? And that meadow out there?" Boozey said, smiling, pointing to the empty field.&
Illiterate and Boozedrinker belong to my companion LennyStendhal13
Update: Spelling mistake XP

Description
Please click on the story below, I spent days on this and deviant art says "Oh Sorry Celly! This story is too big! So we are just going to delete it as a whole! HA!" So I divided it into two parts...
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"Who... who..."
Owls are such clever birds. They have many qualities that assist them when hunting for mice, smaller birds, and anything else they can catch in their talons. Large eyes for looking for the slightest movement within darkness, good hearing to hear anything in the bushes or trees besides the wind blowing, and they are excellent flyers when catching their prey.
"Who... who..." The Owl said looking to it's left. It's feather have gathered together by it's chest, fighting against the cold wind. It shook it's head then it's whole body, warming it's muscles. Mr. Owl pivoted it's head to look into the forest, it's chest rising and falling due to it's immense and quick breathing. It closed it's eyes, not because it was tired, but because the owl was at peace.
A flash of light pink magic was the only given light in the realm of darkness known only as the Everfree Forest. It startled the owl so much it flew away in search for darkness and more peace.
"Well this is fantastic!" a voice echoed through the whole forest, alarming more than an owl in the distance.
"You teleported us to the middle of nowhere! And on top of that, I lost my juice box!" The very upset yellow earth horse who shouted such words searched the grassy ground. He was looking, for in case somehow during the teleportation, he dropped it, or the unicorn who transported them, teleported the box somewhere close by.
"Relax, I'll buy you a new one... You like pineapple?" the unicorn asked, turning to face his friend. He smirked when he saw the earth pony stop and ponder. The box WAS almost empty, and he DID like pineapple... to an extent.
"Make it two..." the earth pony said, looking past the trees as if he was trying to see something.
The purple unicorn smiled, victoriously. "Anything to keep you sober, Boozey."
Boozedrinker, or Boozey, might have had a huge slight problem when it came to drinking alcoholic beverages. The unicorn, who goes by Illiterate, has tried his darned best to help Boozey break his bad habit. Of course, he couldn't always be there to watch his friend, which really got him worried. He was his best friend, afterall, and he would do anything for him. Boozedrinker, though, tries his hardest to let go of his addiction, even when Illy isn't there. He promised himself and his friends he would try. He does things such as drink lemonade and juice to quench his thirst. His other friends, like Berry Punch, also keep him company. Of course, that doesn't mean he stays away from cider forever. One way or another, once in a blood moon, he finds himself drinking something not 100% Alcohol Free.
As much as Illiterate tries to help, the unicorn had his own problems, sadly. A problem which he's reminded whenever he looks in a mirror. He's reminded whenever a young filly or colt asks their parents about him. (Though, he can't blame them and their innocence, they were just curious) He's reminded whenever an unsuspecting pony walks to him, and ends up running in fear from him. He's reminded whenever he remembers the day that one spell when horribly wrong... And how they affected his eyes...
But he has gotten used to them. To the eyes and the unwanted attention... He gotten his cutie-mark the same day though, so the day wasn't all too bad when he really thought about it.
"Hey, maybe if you read more books.... you could have been more prepared for that spell..." Illiterate remembers Stendhal Syndrome saying to him, after showing his friend what happened. He didn't like his sarcasm, but he was glad Stendhal still saw him as a friend, instead of a monster or demon.
"Ya still teleported us to the middle of nowhere..." Boozey said, climbing a tree to get a better view of the area, still looking for his juice box. When he got to the middle of the tree, he saw that they were at the edge of a forest, but beyond that was a large, abandoned field that went on for miles in the darkness. No sign of civilization anywhere, which mean no juice. "I hope you can teleport us back..."
The unicorn froze. He... didn't really think that far. Unlike levitation, teleportation was a difficult spell to master, even for adult unicorns. It required a lot of concentration, proper coordination on the destination the unicorn wants to be at, and the ability to break space and time without breaking reality or their bones. Most unicorns can teleport themselves and certain things in short distances or to familiar locations, but to teleport themselves (and a usually drunk friend) a long distance and to an unknown place... returning would be more than difficult.
"Well... what's the fun in teleporting when we can walk!" Illiterate said, forcing a smile on his face, looking up at his friend.
Boozey managed to get himself stuck, unable to climb down the tree he climbed up from. Still, despite his sudden fear of falling, the yellow pony managed to say, "It was YOUR idea to teleport... I suggested walking!"
Illiterate looked away, and up at his horn, cursing at it with the only words he knew. He didn't know many words, or rather, complicated words. He did have a dictionary... well it wasn't his, it was his bud's, Stendhal's. Illiterate promised the white earth horse that he would use the book whenever he had the chance. He placed it on his counter and thanked his friend. The dictionary Stendhal let him borrow still rests on his counter, doing nothing but collecting dust. He only cleans it and studies one or two words when Stendhal comes to visit, making sure to use the words in their conversation. (And then never using it again.)
"I FOUND IT- Oh never mind... it was a bat..." Boozey said, mistaking a clearly doesn't-look-anything-like-a-juice-box bat and hugging the tree trunk, trying to climb back down the over sized twig. He only got down 2 inches before climbing back another 3 feet, getting higher off the ground. Who's idea was it to climb up a tree, anyway? It definitely wasn't Boozey's. Illiterate was supposed to be there for him. How DARE Illy not stop Boozey from entering a fate worse than death!
"Yo... Illy? Can ya... I don't know, help me get down from here?" the yellow earth horse called out, waving his hoof up, trying to signal him. Illiterate was too concentrated on finding a way to get them home, and finding a new word to call his horn. "Illy? Velvet? Illiterate!?" The more he called out to his friend, the tighter his grip to the branch on the verge of breaking got. "ILLITERATE!!!" Still nothing... what could get through to this guy? Illiterate was always there for Boozey. "This is how I die... I always thought I'd die getting wasted but no... I die by the foot of a tree... looking for an almost empty juice box..." Boozey thought, praying to Celestia his death would be quick.
Suddenly, the yellow earth pony was surrounded in a dark red magical aura. He was levitated off the branch, which took a while, and to the ground where he was safe. Relieved, he turned to his friend to thank him, hug him, and scold him before realizing something that he should have noticed earlier. Illiterate had light pink magic... The aura that surrounded Boozey was a sickening red... Now call him crazy (call him drunk if you wanted) but he was pretty sure light pink was NOT the same as dark red. And on top of that, the red magic felt both unsafe and unstable. Unstable magic was powerful, yet used unwisely could result in permanent damage to the horn. Usually, unstable magic is the result of Broken Magic. Broken Magic was something more dangerous than any form of magic. It was the result of King Sombra trying to go deeper into darkness. (You'll learn more about that another time)
"Illiterate?" Boozey called out to him again.
"Yeah?" he responded, turning around. Oh NOW he answers.
Boozedrinker got closer to his friend, and mumbled to him, "I don't think we're alone... and who ever is here with us... has a horn... and maybe stole my juice box..."
The unicorn froze again. The thought of someone not only stealing his best friend's beverage but someone being here in the middle of no where was horrifying. That son of a donkey is going to return that juice box AND he is going to tell them how to get out of here. Of course, he would say it kindly though... if he cooperates.
There was a snap of a twig and the unicorn looked into the forest with a stern look on his face. "Who goes there?" he asked, trying to stand tall. Nothing seemed to move in the darkness, but he kept an eye on any bit of movement.
"Sorry, that was me..." Boozey said, removing twigs from his tail. "Knocked over a bird's nest..."
"Well were there any eggs in it?" the purple pony asked, looking suddenly concerned.
"There was, but I placed them in this abandoned nest, which will be their temporary home until the mother bird builds a nest more suitable for the offspring when they hatch."
Boozey and Illiterate turned completely around too see two red irises almost glowing within the darkness of the night. They were small and slitted, almost equivalent to those of a cat. Looking into them, was almost like touching fire: it burned... Besides the eyes, there was also a red aura. Magical aura. The same red aura that helped Boozey down the tree. It was holding two things, but both items were engulfed by the shadows, as was the pony. The light from the aura made it clear that the pony had a long horn, and part of the mane was visible by the given light. For one item, the magic died down and a small clink was made. It sounded similar to glass hitting a table of some sort. Or rather, rock or some hard surface. A table being in the middle of nowhere didn't seem logical.
Illiterate's ears fell when he took to notice how tall the pony must have been, or how powerful they could be with a horn that long. He also took to notice that this pony was feminine. Boozey wondered if this mare was holding his juice box. (He REALLY wanted his juice box back) But even he admits he was a bit nervous. Especially since the voice was somewhat cold, calm, and... broken? Can a voice break?
That's when the pony began to shift. Both stallions moved a side and backed up to look at the pony in the moonlight. The mare walked to the tree Boozey was stuck in and placed her front hooves on the trunk, her hind legs and thick tail holding her in place. She stood as high as she could and gently placed the nest full of eggs on a secure branch. She stared at the nest, making sure it wouldn't fall off or get blown away from the wind before dropping back to all four, and turning around.
She was... different, to say the least. A bat pony with a horn. Her massive bat wings folded over to the sides of her body. Her fangs looked terrifying, due to their massive size. Who knew how much venom could be injected, or how how much blood could be taken away. She had some chest plate similar to what a Princess would wear; she even had shoes where her hooves should be. But... she had no crown... Unusual. She was unusual. But her eyes... Illiterate, personally, wasn't so sure if he saw them right. Were they...? He blinked hard and looked back at them. They were...
When the earth pony saw his friend lost the ability to speak, he stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Um.... Hey-oh! Miss.... I am Boozedrinker and this here is my best bud Illiterate Supremacy! He has a voice, trust me... uh... Do ya...? Do ya have a map or something 'cause, Marco Polo here got us lost," he said with a smile. "We would also appreciate if you didn't kill us both. You look like you could easily drain the blood from us both before we could say 'PINEAPPLE'! We both very much like to live... I'm still redeeming...AND IF YOU STOLE MY JUICE BOX, I WANT IT BACK MISSY-MISS!" he also wanted to say, but decided it was best to keep out.
The mare stepped back into the shadow, as if she didn't want to be seen, but her eyes locked onto Boozey's. They didn't burn badly this time, but they were still dead, almost.
"Hyde..."
"Hide? Hide from what?! From you!? OH GOSH! We're done for, Illy!" the earth pony hugged his friend, on the edge of tears, "If I die, Illiterate, I wanted to tell you I hid a stash of cider under the floorboards in my kitchen!"
The mare's eyes expanded and she waved her hoof and shaking her head, quickly. "No... jeez.... Don't hide.... My name is Hyde... H-Y-D-E," the baticorn said, rolling her red eyes.
"Oh..." The earth pony pursed his lips and let go of the unicorn. He brushed Illiterate's white tuft of fur as a sign of peace. "Hehe.... About that stash of cider... t'was a joke, mate. I never had any secret stash... You believe me, right Illiterate?" The unicorn didn't respond. "Illy?" Great, he was dead again. Boozey knew his friend wasn't the smartest in Equestria (though sometimes, during true acts of friendship, he seemed like a true genius) but he knew Illiterate wasn't brain dead.
That's when he followed his gaze to see the unicorn was staring at the eyes of the baticorn, who oddly, was now staring at Illiterate. Boozey looked back and forth at the two ponies before pushing Illiterate away, dragging him to a clearing. "Give us a moment Ms. Hyde..." he said, with a smile.
"Take as long as you need..." she said, levitating something again. For a millisecond, Boozey could see a champagne glass filled with something he knew wasn't champagne.
As soon as they were far enough away, Boozey stared at his friend, waving a hoof in front of his black eyes. "Illiterate? Illiterate!!!" Nothing but a blank stare, like as if he was a statue. Did this "Hyde" do something to Illiterate? Was she like Mare-dusa? Turning ponies to stone by looking at them in the eye? Well... Illiterate wasn't really stone... and Boozey wasn't in a statue like pose. BUT STILL! She did something to his friend and he was going to find out what! But first things first: he had to bring Illy back.
"Let's see... what would Illy do if I was stuck in suspended animation...?" As he pondered, he leaned against his friend, rubbing his head with his hoof. Illiterate would do anything for his friend, heck, he even changed his name for Boozey. Gosh, whenever that memory came across his mind, he had to smile to himself.
He, once known as Instant Karma, was at one of his lowest moments in life. He saw himself as hopeless, worthless even. He was nothing more than a drunk, stallion. Nothing more, nothing less. He changed his name to something he found more suitable to his standards, and he refused to be called anything else. Thankfully, like he always had, he wasn't alone. Illiterate, who was Velvet Justice, changed his name no more than 2 minutes after Boozey did. As much as he tried to say what he was doing was stupid, Illy said he wouldn't change his name back until Boozey did the same. Not everypony would do that for an alcoholic. But to Illy, Boozedrinker was more than an alcoholic: He was a friend. Illiterate was loyal to the core, well at least to the yellow earth pony. The alcoholic stallion was thankful to have him as a friend.
And now here was his friend. His brave friend that changed his name and promised to take care of the yellow pony and help him break his bad habit of drinking. Here he was... Maybe he should say something that would tick him off? Nah.... Boozey was too kindhearted for that, even if it was a joke. (CAUSE BOOZEY IS AN ANGEL) Hmm.... maybe...
"I'm changing my name back to Instant Karma..."
Illy blinked. "Really?!" he said, smiling, hope in his eyes.
"No... but if I would, I would have a drink to celebrate."
The unicorn's ears dropped and he glared at the earth pony, before shaking his head and smiling. "You know who's paying for those juice boxes, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Boozedrinker said, waving his hoof up and down, returning the smile. He looked past the trees and tried to see if the bat pony was still there, like he asked her to be. He grabbed the purple stallion's hoof. "Lets go get some directions from that Hyde lassie, now. I don't feel secure without juice in my hooves."
"Hide? Hide from what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh right... you were dead for like a minute there..." he thought, chuckling to himself, "H-Y-D-E. The name of that mare back there."
"Wait, her name is Hyde? And... we moved?" Illiterate frantically looked around his surroundings but saw nothing but trees. Not much of a change in scenery, really. Nevertheless, he followed the yellow earth pony's lead.
"Lady Hyde!" Boozey exclaimed with a smile. Normally, without alcohol, Boozedrinker was shy, but it was clear to him that this mare didn't have much to say to him, directly. She could easily DO things, like blast them with Celestia knows what spell, but she didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Hyde turned and looked at the two stallions. Boozey greeted her with warm, golden eyes, and she was slightly disappointed to see Illiterate was looking down. Nevertheless, the mare decided to return the kind gesture and looked back into Boozey's eyes.
"Yes?" she said, levitating her champagne glass to her side, making it visible.
Boozey's eyes broke away from Hyde's and they landed on the liquid in the glass. He felt his stomach turn at the deep crimson color that held within the container. It wasn't champagne. Champagne was never that dark of a color.
"Well um... my friend Illiterate and I wish to know directions to the nearest city... or pony, other than.... you..." Boozedrinker said, getting quieter with his sentence until he looked down with the unicorn.
Hyde laughed, as sweetly as she could. "Oh dearies, there is no need to look down like you disrespected me." She walked a bit closer to Illiterate and lifted his chin. Boozey prayed that he wouldn't have to conduct funeral plans. "You need help, and I'll gladly help you..."
"R-really?" Illiterate said, now having no choice but to look at Hyde.
She nodded, and let go of his chin. Hyde turned towards the earth pony and noticed he was staring at her glass. After glancing at the liquid Hyde was recently consuming, she smiled and looked at Boozey once again. "Oh you wouldn't like this. Far too strong.... and, it has quite a bit of an odd.... aftertaste. You are welcome to have some, if you wish." The baticorn motioned the glass to Boozedrinker, specifically up to his mouth.
"Uh.... I'm good. I just had juice and I'm trying to quit these kinds of beverages... Besides.... not a big fan of... red wine..." he said, parting the glass and pushing it away, hie eye never breaking contact with it.
Hyde snickered, "Fair enough..." She took a sip of her drink.
Boozey leaned to his friend and mumbled in his ear, "Illiterate, maybe we should be careful with this one... She is definitely a drinker and something tells me that ain't red wine..."
The unicorn turned to the yellow stallion before focusing his eyes on the liquid, only to see that the glass was now empty. There was a tiny bit of crimson on the bottom, but barely enough for the bat pony to drink.
Hyde examined her cup and sighed, disappointed that she had finished her refreshment. She was still very thirsty though, she hasn't had a decent drink in quite some time, and it took a while to get her drink as well. She turned to the unicorn and earth pony, trying hard not to look too downhearted. It was easy though, since she had no heart...
"I hope you don't mind, but can any of you help me refill?" she toyed with them, a mischievously deadly look in her eyes. She stared at Illiterate with hungry and death-like eyes.
"Uh... well... M-Madame, I would-WE would but..."
"With most absolute pleasure!" Boozey said with a smile.
The earth pony moved past the purple stallion with a bottle of whiskey in his hoof. Where in Celestia's name did he get that from? He didn't have a saddle bag or anything. He had no way to hide that large bottle from his friend. As he passed Illiterate, who had a displeased look on his face, Boozey simply smiled, and gave him a "What? I wasn't drinking it" look of his own. He poured the whiskey into her glass until it was full. As soon as the earth pony parted the bottle from the cup, Hyde took a sip.
She didn't show it in her face, but she was taken aback but the absolute DISGUST of the whiskey! If she was so weak, she would have probably spit it out on the pretty little unicorn with pretty little eyes. Luckily, she didn't. She had to choke it down, being careful choke down any vomit that may come up if her stomach refused the uninvited liquid. Did ponies really drink this stuff? She pitied them. Her beverage was much better... And replacing it wouldn't be that hard. But she would dare hurt such a charming earth pony and just as charming unicorn.
He was still staring at her though...
"I'm sorry, if there something in fangs? You seem to be staring at something, Mr. Illiterate," Hyde stated, pushing her glass away. Boozey nudged the unicorn which snapped him out of his trance.
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking. That was rude of me... I'm not very smart I just... I'm sorry. I never met a pony with..." What was the right word...? He read it in the dictionary... "...alluring... eyes?"
Hyde's spine stiffened and she nearly dropped her drink. Boozey put on a really face.
"Oh shoot... what did I say?" he thought, looking at his friend for reassurance. He simply rose an eyebrow. Boozey warned Illiterate not to use words when talking, if he didn't know what it meant. The unicorn was pretty sure it meant nice. He was 100% sure it meant nice. He remember using the word when Stendhal came over one time.
"You think my eyes are mysteriously attractive?" she said with a sly smile.
Now Illiterate remembered when he used that word, and promised he would never use it again. He called Fresca alluring, but even then, he was sure it meant nice. In Illiterate's defense, he didn't know what "attractive" meant either. When he called Fresca that word, Stendhal got all up on him and promptly stated for all of Ponyville to hear, "THAT'S MY COUSIN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU UNGRATEFUL- but very clever- HORSE!!!" Illy was quick to respond with him meaning to call Fresca admirable and he had no intentions to do anything with Ms. Lemonade. Especially since they talked about Fresca's failed date with Mr. Jambalaya. Talking to him about it, he could tell he was pissed at the horse, and kept a mental note to stay far away from any Jambalayas. It made sense that Stendhal was protective of his cousin afterwards, and hearing one of his best friends call Fresca such a phrase, well... Luckily, he was able to convince him that the word just slipped out.
"I meant.... admirable..." the purple stallion said, hoping he could use the same excuse.
"Your eyes are quite... endearing... It's been a while since I saw a pony with eyes like yours. There was this one pony but... he... he decided to do the unforgivable to me and I had no choice but to teach him a lesson he would never forget..." Hyde growled under her breath.
"And.... what was this... heinous. Heinous? Is heinous the right word?" Boozey nodded. "Heinous crime?"
"He.... he HUGGED me...."
Boozey held back laughter and Illiterate's ears fell back... Memories came back to him like last night's dinner. Memories of meeting this mare. Meeting this baticorn and having to... He couldn't control himself so he... And she punched him. So THAT'S why he had amnesia! That's why he couldn't remember what happened that day! That's why he thought it was still Tuesday! But why didn't Hyde remember him? Wasn't Hyde his friend?
"Of course, I thought it was sweet what he said to me..."
"What did he say?" Boozey asked, now very curious in this mare's story.
She smiled. "He wanted to be friends," she looked at Illiterate then back at Boozey.
"Who was this 'friend' of yours?" the unicorn asked.
Hyde looked at Illiterate and winked. "Oh wouldn't you like to know..."
Boozey saw her wink and his best friend and the smile that spread across the purple stallion's face. He grabbed Illy's hoof. "If ya don't mind Miss Hyde... Excuse us!"
"Boozey, what are you d-" The earth pony began dragging the unicorn to the same spot they were at before. He made sure Hyde stayed there and Illy stayed here. Then, when he made sure everything was perfect, he glared at his friend.
"How do you know her?"
Illiterate was taken aback from the question. "Know her? Know who? Hyde?" The earth pony nodded. "Well um... Remember the day where I was going to get us some carrot cupcakes for our 15-Year Best-Friendiversary?" The earth pony nodded, again. "I was making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I-"
"Illiterate!"
"I was making my way to Sugarcube Corner when I saw a little unicorn filly walk up to me with a clipboard and pen. She asked me if I could sign a petition to save the Clock-tower in Ponyville. I picked up the pen and wrote my name down on the slip of paper. She was a sweet thing, didn't even point out my eyes. Kids are so innocent these days..." He stopped, remembering the little unicorn with big blue eyes. "Then I saw her go ask one of those snobby Canterlot ponies-"
"Ug...." Boozey interrupted with a groan. He wasn't too fond of the aristocrats from those big, fancy cities. They come to smaller towns only to criticize and taunt other ponies who live "low-class" lives. They complain about everything from the food to the clothes to the very road they walk down. "Sorry... continue."
"She asked the stallion and I could see his eyes roll in disgust. Then he said, and I quote," Illy did his best to both mimic and mock that one pony, "'Save that pathetic excuse of a clock in this pathetic excuse of a town? Pa-LEASE! Why would I ever want this disgusting city to keep growing in filth? I hope they tear it down! Ponies don't deserve nice things! Demon ponies like him dont even deserve things'-"
"He called you a demon pony?!" Boozey asked, his eyes twitching.
Illiterate nodded. It was nothing new but... It still hurt. "Then he grabbed the petition and began to tear it in pieces."
"He WHAT?!" Okay, some ponies were snobs, some ponies were flat out spoiled brats and jerks!
"I know! I wanted to teach that pony a lesson, especially when I heard the filly gasp and begin to sob. Then, the next thing I knew, I saw red magic surround the whole pony. He was mighty confused and then, I saw her."
"Hyde?" Boozey wanted to be sure.
"Yes, well not her eyes at first. Her saddle bag. It was full of swaddle blankets for newborn foals, bars of soap, and I think knives. That lead me to her wings, and so did the stallion. Large and not a typical pegasus pair. Then we saw her horn. It was SPARKING with magic. It was as if it was going to explode. She was a baticorn. But I could tell he never seen one before. Neither have I. I mean, there is the Vampony Princess in the Enderverse, but I never met her. Anyhoo, she was facing the Canterlot Pony so I couldn't see her face, but by the tone of her voice, I knew she was unhappy. I think she said, 'Don't you EVER yell at a filly or colt ever again! Don't ever tear their happiness and innocence away from them! Hear me? Don't EVER yell at an orphan! Don't EVER go around yelling and calling ponies demons! Don't EVER call somepony something they are not!'"
"The filly was an orphan?" Boozey asked rhetorically, completely ignoring the last part. Now he really felt bad for the filly. But, why did Hyde care so much about orphans?
"Yeah... I don't know why she got all touchy about it. I guess she was a caretaker or something. Either way, the stallion got all scared and I wasn't too sure why. He nodded in fear I guess and grabbed all the torn pieces of the flyer and tried to put them back together. Hyde took the strips of paper and gave them to the filly. Afterward, she took off the little monocle that was over his left eye and broke it, then tossed him into the dirt. Her magic was dying down. I was surprised really, I thought she was going to snap his neck or something."
"I would have done worse if I was Hyde," the yellow earth pony chuckled.
"She looked down at the filly and embraced the child-" Illiterate pondered. If she didn't do hugs, why is it that she hugs children? "-and told her to go back with the other orphans and tell them what happened. She was going to teach Mr. Walking Shredder another important lesson."
"So she wasn't done yet..." (THATS MY HYDE!)
Illiterate smiled, "Nope. In fact she said she would haunt him in every reflection if he would do something like that again. I approached her and she stuck a bar of soap in his mouth. She said something along the lines of 'best wash that dirty mouth of yours you swine!' Whatever swine means. He ran away afterward."
"HA! Serves that coward right!"
"I was interested in who this heroic mare was, so I crept up behind her in the most non-stalkish way possible. But right when I right behind her, I realized how stupid this idea was and was about to turn around and get those cupcakes. Then, she turned around." Illiterate had to stop and remember how terrified he was when she turned 180 degrees just to face him. It was at lightning speed too, like she knew he was behind her. "Our eyes met and I saw how unnaturally dark they were. They were, black. Like mine." He remembered how happy he was to finally meet another pony who had similar unnatural features. "She looked at me and smiled, and nodded politely."
"You sure it wasn't because you, like, freaked her out?" the yellow stallion joked.
"Ha... HA! Anyway I... I lost control and, I maybe hugged her while asking to be her friend."
"And?" Boozey said, leaning in on his friend, waiting for the next part.
"She... She bonked me in the muzzle..."
Boozey couldn't hold back a laughter this time. Normally, he would get upset if someone hurt his friend, but something about Illiterate getting falcon-booped for such a kind and welcoming gesture such as a hug? It cracked him up. "And you lecture me for hugging mares, if I get hurt!"
"There's a difference!" Illy argued.
"Yeah! When I hug a pony, I'm drunk! What was your excuse? She had such mysteriously attractive eyes?"
The unicorn flushed a slight shade of pink. "It was an accident.... and either way she said yes..."
Boozey stopped laughing and his eyes expanded, glinting in the moon and star light. "She said yes?"
Illy scratched the back on his head, "Well... she said it was sweet that I wanted to be friends... so maybe that's a yes...?" He stared and his muzzle, still feeling the sudden contact that nearly knocked him out cold. "Then I got amnesia and forgot what just happened until today..." he wanted to add but figured it wasn't for the best.
"Illiterate Supremacy! You crafty siren you!" Boozey said squeezing his friend's face.
"Boozey? What are you talking abou-"
"Illy! My best friend is finally growing up! My best friend finally found love in his life!" Tears began to form in the earth pony's eyes.
"WOAH!" the purple stallion pushed Boozedrinker away. "I think you heard me wrong... I said FRIEND!"
"Illiterate, I think it's about time we had The Talk." Boozey getting serious was both terrifying and hilarious. He also ignored what Illy said.
"Boozedrinker! You are acting insa-"
"When a stallion and mare love each other very much, they sometimes want... more in a relationship then just hugs and cuddles."
"INSTANT KARMA!"
"Yeah you're right... I should get BloodMoon to explain this to you..." What would any pony do when they won't listen to a word you're saying?
"I'm changing my name back to Velvet Justice..."
"REALLY?!" he said, hope filled in Boozey's eyes.
Illiterate was strangely quite calm, suddenly. "No... Now tell me... WHAT THE HAY MAN?! What are you talking about?!" There we go...
"Illiterate, don't you see? Fate has brought you two souls together to be bounded into one!" he said, trying his best to sound very spiritual and wise.
"Huh?" Now Illy was really a confused bean.
"Hyde, she is a mysterious mare with a special fondness for children, almost like a mother. Yet, she is angered easily. Her anger issues must be calmed down by the power of love. What she shares to kids is not enough. She needs a pony to plug the hole in her soul. She needs a pony to heal the crack in her heart. She needs her other half. You could be that other half. YOU! You are a unicorn who believes he is no smarter than a donkey. A unicorn who feels insecure by his eyes. A unicorn who needs more friends than a drunk pony, a book horse, and a berry good mare. (Celestia Bless that Berry Punch) She could be that horse. You two, you two misunderstood ponies were meant to be. It makes sense too. You both are insecure. You both are secret sweethearts. You both are purple!!!"
"You sure you weren't drinking some of that whiskey?" the unicorn asked.
"No... Why?"
"CAUSE YOU SOUND DRUNK AS HAY RIGHT NOW!!!"The owl from before flew even farther away from them. A few bats decided to follow the bird's lead.
"Nonsense! But you should try to talk to her! Like, heart to heart talk."
Illiterate rose an eyebrow in doubt. "And why should I do that?"
Boozey waved his hoof in disbelief, "Because! When will be the next time you meet a mare that won't judge you for being who you are! She even defended you from that Canterlot stallion! Saying he shouldn't call ponies something they aren't! And! Don't forget, she said your eyes were endearing! Endearing is adorable, for the record. She thinks your adorable! She is TOTALLY into you!"
Illiterate stopped and actually thought... Then immediately pushed those thoughts away. "No!"
"Okay, then I will! Hey if things work out between us, then maybe she'll even crown me king after the wedding. King Boozedrinker! Nice ring to it!"
The unicorn's pupils shrank. "Y-You're what?"
The yellow stallion laughed and nudged his friend. "I'm messing with you mate. But no seriously, just try. There is no harm in trying. And do you expect the mare to make the first move?" Boozey began dragging them back to Hyde without warning.
"Well-W-what do I say?" the unicorn questioned.
"I don't know! Say stuff that wont get you hospitalized for blood loss!" Illy's eyes shrank. "Just... don't be like Stendhal!" Boozey finished with a smile.
"That should be easy..."
"Impress her! Compliment her!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued...?
Click here for Part Two

Compassion Part 2
As they turned the large birch tree, Hyde was surprised and quickly tucked something away under her wing. It was small and golden, but neither did the unicorn nor the earth pony see it. She did her best to look as calm as possible, despite the anger that grew during their absence. She couldn't help but stare into Illy's eyes.
"Um... hi?" the unicorn said, waving a bit. "Nice... uh... fangs?"
Hyde did her best to look at her fangs, but struggled a bit. "Thank you?"
The yellow earth pony shook his head and shoved Illy to the side. "Ahem, Madame Hyde. My buddy and I agreed that instead of you showing us a way out, maybe we could spend some time to get to know this place. We then could find our own way out and back home! We both fancy this mysterious and abnormal land, maybe you can tell us where we are? Starting with this forest! What is this place? And that meadow out there?" Boozey said, smiling, pointing to the empty field.&
Illiterate and Boozedrinker belong to my companion LennyStendhal13
Update: Spelling mistake XP