>Lyra is out in the park late at night when nobody is awake
>She sits on the bench just watching the stars. All is silent except the wind and the crickets.
>Suddenly in the distance, she can hear something
>A song, coming closer and closer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v9OtinHt68 [Embed]
>That creature that she's heard of so much in the past few weeks is walking alone through the park. His black clothes and hat make it hard to see him in the darkness, but the bulky headphones he wears have silver on the frames which shine slightly from what little light reflects off them.
>Anonymous - that's his name, she remembers.
>She also remembers what Twilight had been saying a few days ago; that his species must be some kind of nocturnal one, since he sleeps all day long and only gets up at night.
>His path crosses hers, and she isn't too sure what to do.
>Does he speak her language? Twilight said he came from another land.
>The music is loud now. The fact that he's wearing headphones with music blaring that loud makes her wonder if he also can't hear very well.
>Not being one to shy away from people, Lyra decides to be friendly and greet him when he reaches her.
>It doesn't take long for him to get there.
>A S T H E H O U R S P A S S I W I L L L E T Y O U K N O W
>Guess he can speak our language, she thinks.
>Pretty nice song too. Sounds like something Vinyl would play on a slow day.
>He's close enough for her to get a really good look at him too, for the first time.
>He looks... not that out of this world, really. Looks kind of like a monkey. Only bald.
>No scratch that, there's some small strands of black hair sticking out from under his cap.
>He stops a few feet in front of her, regarding her with tired skepticism.
>Unsure of how to go about this, since he's still blasting music and probably won't hear her say anything, she gives him an awkward smile and wave.
>Raising a brow, he nods at her.
>Without missing a beat, he starts his walk again. Briskly, he walks past her without saying so much as a word.
>Her eyes are glued to his back as he vanishes into the distant darkness, the song fading away with him.
>She keeps looking into the dark for a moment, ruminating on what she saw.
>His eyes.
>Dark bags under them. (How was he tired? He sleeps all day, doesn't he? He's nocturnal?)
>His mouth.
>A morose frown. (Lonely? Did he actually know anyone outside of Twilight?)
>His walk.
>Heavy. His shoulders were slouched, and his back was too. She got the feeling that wasn't how whatever kind of creature he was usually walked. It seemed wrong in a way.
>His entire demeanor just struck her as...
>Sad.
>Deeply, profoundly sad. Like some of those ponies she used to see in Manehatten who thought they could take on the city and make it big. Only his sadness was worse in a way.
>Those ponies in Manehatten usually rebounded after a few days. Sadness just wasn't really a pony thing. It wasn't in their nature to be extremely sad. It was part of why Equestria was so peaceful.
>But with him...
>He looked like he had been sad for a very long time. Her lip quivered a little when she thought of the hopeless, distant look in his eyes. Glassy too. Like there was just a dam in front of them holding back an ocean.
>And then she wondered - had anypony else noticed this? Why hadn't Twilight done anything to help? Or maybe she already was trying?
>Or...
>Wait.
>Twilight said she thought his species was nocturnal, but... he looked exhausted. That can't be right. If he was nocturnal, he shouldn't have bags like that under his eyes. Even if he were sad.
>Could she... could she have also figured that his appearance was just the way his kind looked normally?
>Dear Celestia. If he's not nocturnal...
>Is he so sad that he can't even bear staying awake?
>How did he even get that way?
>She felt an extreme urge to go help him. Somehow, someway. Like any other pony would help somepony in need.
>What could she do though?
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