Another piece of hard, rotten fruit hit the back of your head, adding to the mess already present. You just sighed and carried on trotting towards the city gates, all of the possessions that you wanted to take in your saddlebags and two suitcases you were dragging with your wings. It was the only thing your parents had given you, besides a verbal lashing, before they gave you an hour to get out of their house.

It was going to be a long walk from Manehatten to Canterlot like this, but as the gates slammed shut behind you, you accepted your fate. You prepared to step off when a whistle to the side startled you. Looking over you saw that the train you were due to catch was moving slower than you were, the driver waving you over with a hoof.

At first you were wary, expecting him to attack or something. Instead he hopped down, took your suitcases and threw them on board, before leaping back up and offering a hoof. You reached and took it tentatively, but no bodily harm came. You opened your eyes to find the stallion giving you a soft smile and pointing towards the first carriage, and you realised then that he was talking to you. “Hey, you ok? There's a spare bed through there, you can use that one. Not all of us are idiots, she should be getting punished, and you should be getting apologies from everypony that thinks otherwise. Why don't you go get some sleep, you certainly look like you need it?”

With a slow nod of your head, you pulled your case inside and flopped onto the unmade bed. The hay stuffing was a little coarse without a sheet, but right now you'd settle for the floor. The past few day's events caught up and you began to cry yourself to sleep.

“Now how did a handsome young colt such as yourself get into such a state?” You said nothing, avoiding the caring gaze of the mare that the guards had retrieved. You were sure she must know about you, but that didn't keep her from doing her job. She gently dabbed a cotton compress over your swollen eye, the cool liquid soothing the pain. She placed a dressing over it and wrapped a bandage around your head.

Two days was all it took. Yes, you were living off scraps from the garbage and sleeping in alleys, but you didn't have any money to use. You steered clear of other ponies as best as you could, but news about the trial caught up and you began to feel every other pony on the street looking for you. And then this afternoon, a group of young stallions surrounded you.

You tried to explain, but they weren't having any of it. You just lie there and took the beating, not crying as the arrival of the guard made them scamper off. You refused to press charges, due to the fact you didn't really get a good look at them. Which is why the Royal Guard that found you had brought you back to their guard tower, and fetched the nurse. “How about eating something, hmm?”

You felt sick being treated like a foal, but with a broken right fore hoof and a very nearly broken left fore hoof, you let the mare feed you, before she set you down on the bed and blew the candle out. Luckily the group were scared off before they went to work on your wings in earnest, and they felt just sprained.

The nurse rose to leave, but you quickly shot out your semi good hoof, catching her shoulder. Her eyes go wide for a moment before she turns to you with a smile. “T-t-thank you,” you say timidly, then felt your cheeks start to blush as she leant down and kissed your forehead. You may have been seventeen, but you hardly spent any time around mares, and a slightly older one treating you like a prince may have been one of your fantasies. Colts.

“Get some rest, and I'll check on you in the morning.” She ruffled your mane a little, then left and gently closed the door, the noise from the streets of the capital being shut out for the night. When you awoke the next morning, there was a guard standing over you. Of course, you spooked, and fell out of bed in your haste to get away, but the nurse from last night was back and gently shifted you back to bed. “Easy now, easy. He's not going to hurt you.”

“Ahem...” The mare and stallion pulled apart to reveal a well dressed mare, not one bit of hair on her immaculately styled mane out of place. “... due to recent... developments, it has been decided that you can not stay in Canterlot.” The nurse placed a hoof over yours as your ears drooped, hearing the news that you didn't want. You thought that the capital, home of the princesses, would be more tolerant, but it was just the same. “However...”

“YES?” That was the first sign of real life you had shown since your arrival, and the trio gave you ample time to calm down. With a nod to the mare, she continued.

“However, We would like you to travel to a nearby town of Ponyville, where we believe you can live peacefully.”

“This is some kind of joke, right?” The mare just stared at you confused, not understanding what you were saying. “You must have heard the news by now! Why would anypony want to help me?”

“I don't know, you'd have to ask the princesses yourself. But they would like you in Ponyville as soon as possible.” She passed over a scrolled up bit of parchment, which the nurse opened and lay in your lap for you. You couldn't believe your eyes... you had seen the writing of the twin alicorns before, and upon that standard size bit of paper showing the two royal seals...

Go to Ponyville, there are some very nice ponies there,

and they will help you through these troubled times.

Princess Celestia,

Princess Luna.

“The good sergeant here will escort you, ensuring you arrive safely, your train leaves in an hour.” With that the mare turned and left. Struggling to your hooves, you thanked the nurse once more and went to grab your stuff, but found it missing. You began to panic, franticly looking from corner to corner, until a firm but surprisingly gentle hoof was placed on your shoulder.

“Relax, it's okay.” You turned your head to see the guard stood next to you, a soft smile on his face. “Your stuff has been sent ahead of us, and will be waiting in Ponyville for you. Come on, let's get going.” It took around forty minutes to get there, a lot of angry looks being thrown your way, but not one pony tried anything with your escort about.

The train ride was about six hours long, in the opposite direction to which you arrived in Canterlot. You guessed you were getting near the terminus of the journey, due to the fact the train seemed to get quieter after each stop. You had noticed the butter yellow pegasus mare peering over at you a few times from the other end of the carriage, but every time your gazes met she would hide her luminous pools of cyan behind her long pink mane.

You were snapped out of you reverie when the train one more lurched to a stop. The guard helped you to you hooves and guided you off the train. One quick glance showed that the mare had also left the train. Your hypothesis about the journey proved correct when the station master announced that the next and last stop was somewhere called Appleloosa. You were guided out of the station and into the main street of Ponyville.

You began shaking as nearly everypony started to look at you, a hushed whisper going through the crowd. And just like it started, it stopped, the other ponies going about their business. “Wait right here, I'm going to find our contact to get you settled.” With that the guard left you sitting in the street. The crowds moving past paid you no heed, but over the past few days your paranoia had gotten worse.

Spying a alley to the side, you spread your wings and managed to get in there, finding a nice dark hole under a set of back door steps. It only had one way in, so you turned around and pressed your flank in as far as possible, watching the alleyway. “So... where is he?” You tried to see the owner of the mare's voice, but you were round a slight corner, and could only see one side of the street.

“I... don't know, I told to him wait right here!” That was your guard, and he called your name a few times, but you didn't have the courage to call out lest it bring unwanted attention.. “We've got to find him... or Celestia's gonna roast my flank.” Content to just spend the next few hours hiding, you took a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart.

“Celestia? You should be worried about even getting back!”

“Of course, Princess Sparkle, my apologies.” You heard hoofsteps moving off and began to relax further. It was all undone a moment later as a yellow hoof moved past the corner of the wall, and you could see the end of a pink mane. The mare from the train followed, looking around for something, and then she started smiling. She trotted over and mirrored your own position, looking right into your good eye.

“Um... why are you, um... hiding, if you don't mind me asking?” You averted your gaze, worried that there was going to be a repeat of Manehatten, and shifted back as she crawled closer. Out of you peripheral vision you saw a yellow hoof move closer, and you began to shake. The hoof withdrew a little, but then came closer still, coming to a gentle rest on your shoulder. “It's okay... nopony is going to hurt you. Come on out, and we'll see if you've made your injuries any worse.”

You wanted to stay there, in your safe little hovel, but the mare's kind words and gentle, timid voice fought against you, and before you knew it, she was pulling you back out. She didn't remove her hoof from yours as she led you out into the street once more, but much against your luck, into two more ponies. One was your guard, the other... “And where the hay have you been, mister? You're in big trouble for throwing off my schedule. Fluttershy, thank you for finding him. I'll see you and the girls later?”

“Okay, Twilight.” The pegasus mare, now named, turned and gave you a warm smile. “It was nice meeting you. I hope I can see you again sometime?” Not waiting for an answer, she turned and spread her wings, taking off ever so softly. You watched her for a moment until your sights suddenly changed, the ground trading places with the sky and moving away from you. Looking 'up', you found yourself to be in a lavender aura, the same a coming from the alicorn's horn.

You could see your destination, a large tree in the middle of a square. There was a house built into it, and the fact that it didn't seem to phase and other pony made you worried as it got closer.

Author's Note

See, I told you it wan't Luna!!! Don't know why I chose Flutters, but for how I want to take this story... I feel that she is the best fit.

So... yay or nay?

Also: Any one want to speculate on the crime that wasn't commtited?