Brothers

writer: tomer3392
proofreader:rhinotaz

-------------Operation room-week 2, day 4----------

Twilight and Spike couldn't believe it. After 3 days of fighting for his life, he finally started to awaken, when he opened his eyes the first thing he saw was the pony and dragon that took him in and treated him as their own.

"W-where am I?" Rafael asked as the purple dragon jumped to his lap and hugged him, and so did the pony princess.

"You are in Ponyville’s hospital" Twilight told him and just began sobbing into his chest as he resisted giving an adorable moan.

Rafael wanted to return the hug to his close friends that stayed by his side, he wanted to stand and walk back to the library and start everything fresh.

But there was one problem that stopped him from doing all that, his left leg wasn't responding and his right one brought him massive pain when he tried to move it.

Rafael started to freak out, every time he started to crane his neck to see the damage his vision got blocked off by Twilight with the help of Spike, "Twilight, why is my right hand hurting so much, and what happened to my leg? I can't move it!!"

Twilight feared that moment, the moment she had to tell the truth, the moment everything would change, "Rafael, I am so sorry, It’s a miracle by itself that you are alive, but…"

"No, Twilight, please don’t say what I think you’re going to say", Spike still holding his body down in an attempt to block his vision.

"When the wolves bit you, their jaws punctured your bones and relished a powerful venom that makes the bones fragile and as time pass on they will eventually become useless , I'm sorry" Twilight only could imagine what was running in Rafael's head.

After Rafael heard Twilight's explanation, he felt the same as when he got to Equestria, he felt that all his world was coming down in flames, only this time he couldn't hide it like last time.

Pretty soon he started to tear up, and as much as he wanted to hide that, he couldn't "Twilight, Spike, please leave me some space, I want to be alone right now" Rafael said with a raspy voice, as he felt his throat ache.

"Rafael please don't …" Spike didn't get his chance to finish as Twilight and him teleported back to the library.

Rafael broke down completely after his friends left, it was too much for him.

Everything was going too fast, first there was the possibility that his good friends were hurt or worse, he was stuck in a strange land that looked and felt like a children cartoon, he looked like he got out from the show "Attack On Titan" (his eyes took about 20% of his face, his hair resembled a coconut hair cut and his forehead took more space on his face) he was almost killed by a savage mutant wolf. And now he lost the ability to walk.

-----------------Golden oaks-------------------

"Twilight, what was that for? Right now Rafael need us more than ever!!" Spike yelled at Twilight, angry at her for leaving Rafael at that state, "Hay, are you listening to me?".

Twilight wasn't listening to Spike, she was too busy writing seven letters, "Spike! I want you to send this to all the Elements of Harmony to look after Rafael".

"And the last one?" Spike stopped yelling at Twilight, after he understood that Twilight had a plan.

"For the princess of course, pack your things Spike, we’re going to find a cure for Rafael's body!" Twilight said as she put her saddlebag on, and Spike started to fill up a suitcase with Twilight's unfinished book and also a "Naughty book" in a secret compartment for his "me time".

And so, Twilight and her number one assistant went on a quest to save their new friend.

------------Ponyville’s hospital - week 3, day 5-------------

It had been eight days since Rafael's break down, and with the help of the best doctors Ponyville had to offer, he was on his way to discharge from the hospital in a wheelchair.

Rafael didn't speak to anypony, his face didn't show pain or sadness, to a stranger it would have seemed that Rafael accepted his predicament and looked normal but to somepony that knew him a little, what he showed was the opposite.

As Rafael moved the wheelchairs with its magic crystal controller to the library. On his way he saw how the ponies of Ponyville all looked at him with pity and sadness he started to feel angry but most of all he felt worthless.

As he came closer to the library, Confidence was already crushed, and he felt as fragile as a newborn on his first day.

When he got to the library he lifted his left hand to knock on the door so Twilight would open the door for him, but before he got the chance to the door opened for him, and the last pony he wanted to see at that moment was standing before him.

"What's up?" Rainbow asked Rafael with a look he never thought he would see from her: gratitude.

Rafael didn't answer her, he just rolled in without even giving her a glance.

"So I heard what you did for the CMC, it…was…awesome, I…"

"Why are you here?" Rafael didn't have patience for anyone, especially not her.

"Well, Twilight is off to do something concerning the princess, and she asked me to watch over the house until she gets back, and also I'm sorry for how I treated you”.

"So when will she get back?"

"I don't know" Rainbow could still hear the venom in his voice, even after she apologized.

"I said I'm sorry, didn't you hear that?" Rainbow asked Rafael, as he started to roll out of the house.

"Yes" was all Rafael said as he still was getting out of the house.

"So, we're cool?" Rainbow asked and Rafael turned around to answer her.

"No Rainbow were not cool" Rafael said in a cold voice without hesitation.

"But why not?" Rainbow was hurt, and she wanted an explanation from him.

"Why should I? Give one good reason to forgive you, because until now, you did nothing except accuse me, and beat me up" Rafael said to her, as he started to heat up.

Rainbow was in shock, she didn't have a comeback for his answer, and without noticing Rafael was already out of the house.

As he rolled down the street his mind was riddled with thoughts about his situation, not noticing the little pink perky pony walking beside him with a wide smile.

"Hi! So, why the long face?" Pinkie surprised Rafael and started to bounce around him asking questions about some sort of welcome party, and as she went on her voice only Irritated Rafael more and more.

"Pinkie, I would appreciate it if you didn’t make me a party, now it's not the time for that" Rafael said to her, trying his best to not show her or the town people that he was suffering physically and emotionally.

"Ha, you’re right, it's too late for a party right now, but I know what is appropriate right now" Pinkie with her happy voice said as she started to gallop towards Sugar Cube Corner.

Rafael continued to roll without a distention throughout Ponyville, he just wanted to go back to the days when his friends and him would hang out, when he could trust them to help him in his time of need, he wanted to go back home to his family but most of all he wanted to stop being alone.

------------Sugar Cube Corner---------------

Pinkie started to bounce in excitement all over the bakery hanging decorations and making snacks and beverages all over the place 'he must like surprise parties, I mean there’s no way that somepony doesn’t want a Pinkie party' Pinkie thought to herself as Rainbow sat depressed in the corner with a milkshake.

"Rainbow why so blue?" Pinkie asked Rainbow.

Rainbow tried to remain calm but it was all for naught, Pinkies infectious smile and her bubbly voice and on top of all that her question couldn't stop her from snickering a little.

"Ok Pinkie I will tell you, me and Rafael had a fight in the morning, and he won't forgive me even after I apologize" Rainbow said with a sad voice.

“Oh silly Rainbow, of course he will forgive, he forgave me didn't he?" Pinkie told Rainbow eight days after she met him of how she and Rafael started on the wrong hoof, how Rafael accused her of giving him a rape drug and after she explained that was for his own good so he wouldn't damage his body any further.

"Anyway, why did you have that cupcake from the first place?" Rainbow asked and suddenly she started to shiver and she saw the most disturbing smile in front of her.

"Why is every pony always asking that? Anyway I will ask you what I ask the others, do you really want to know?"

"N-no" Rainbow stammered in fear. For some reason she felt like she just was saved from a fate worse from death "Anyway my situation is different. Unlike you Pinkie I hurt him accused him, and ruined every chance I got to make amends, and now I fear that it is too late to fix the damage that I did" Rainbow said as tears started to fall from her and Pinkie.

"Rainbow, it's true that you hurt him but I think that Rafael will forgive you. I mean you did apologize and never in Equestria history somepony held a grudge, because there is always a happy ending, maybe today he is angry, but some day, if you give him more time I'm sure he will forgive you, now if you excuse me I have a party to plan.

---------------Carousel Boutique---------------

Rarity was working in her work room trying to make the next big thing in fashion but no matter how many times she tried the clothes always came out in a form that only was useable to a diamond dog, a minotaur or a human.

After what happened to her sister and her friends Rarity didn't know what to think, on one side Rafael was the same brute that culled her precious home a dump and was rude from the beginning.

And on another side he saved her only sister. She was confused, as a mare it was her job to apologize to the stallion, and she wanted to start over but she still felt that he held resentment towards her.

She wanted to take her mind off of him, even when he wasn't beside her making her go over the deep end he still found a way to disturb her rotting.

She started to look out the window, looking at the crowd below walking between the many stalls of products Ponyville had to offer, and as luck would have it she saw him in his dreaded hospital dress rolling aimlessly between the crowd and she had an idea.

'If I give him all the clothes I made he will forgive me, I mean those are the kind of things that always worked on Spike, then we will be friends, and I won't need to feel bad for how I acted, and I could go back to make the clothes I was destined to make, Rarity you're a genius!' Rarity thought to herself not knowing that right now was the worst time to try to make amends.

As she approach him she started to regret coming to him at that moment but her pride as a mare didn't let her return because it's the mare's reasonability to protect the stallion and she still needed to apologize to him.

When she got to him she wanted to start apologizing but the moment he looked at her she wanted to go back to her bed and hide under the covers, his stare was enough to kill a lesser mare.

"What do you want?" Rafael asked in a static voice, not showing his true emotions.

"I want to apologize and to thank you for saving my little sister" It took every ounce of courage just to make that sentence and she didn’t know how she would took her plan into action if she was too afraid to speak to him like another pony.

"Take a number" Rafael said and again started to go without direction.

"No, wait!" Rarity spoke, she knew the moment he disappeared from her sight she would never have the courage to speak with him again.

"What?!" Rafael screamed back, for a moment showing his true feelings.

"Look, Rafael. I know that we got off on the wrong hoof –"

"Foot"

"Foot… We got off on the wrong foot, but all I want to do is start over and become friends." Rarities simply said and showed him the clothes she make for him.

"Just drop them in the library" he returned to his static voice "and… I will think about it" he said as he again started to go in a random direction.

That wasn't the answer she was expecting, usually when a pony apologized they get forgiveness and forget that the incident ever happened, but this? This was something else she never encountered, but deep down she know that Rafael had something else on his mind, and it would not be wise to pursue him any further.

So she went back to her boutique to get the rest of the clothes for Rafael.

-----------Applejack Apple stand------------

As Applejack was selling Apples she tried to find in the crowd a special pony, or more exactly a special human, she knew that today Rafael would be discharged from the hospital.
As much as she wanted to visit him and thank him for what he did it was apple bucking season and she couldn't just leave the farm no matter what she felt.

As her hopes to see him that day disappeared and left big guilt in her heart, suddenly between the crowds she saw him, but she never imagined him in that condition.

It only took her one glance towards his eyes to see his real feelings, and all she wanted to say to him at that time was gone, there wasn't anything to say, his eyes said it all, and as he passed her without even giving her a glance, tears came to her eyes, and now she felt guilt for another reason completely.

-----------Fluttershy cottage---------

Rafael drove through the streets of Ponyville for hours in the dark, without a destination. Alone with only his thoughts of better times, as he stopped in front of the same forest that took everything from him.

He felt his emptiness and rage inside his heart turn into great sadness, and no matter how much he fought it he started weeping again.

"R-Rafael is that you?" a gentle and kind voice spoke to Rafael instantly making him look at the direction of the voice only to find Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, why are you so close to this forest, it's dangerous here" Rafael said, acting like he didn't just cry.

It would have worked if the fresh streaks of tears were wiped from his face and his voice sounded like he didn’t had a drink in days.

Fluttershy quickly without warning started to hug Rafael and whisper to him like a mother would for her child.

At first he wanted to push her away, but for some reason he felt safe, he felt like it would all be okay in the end. He was confused, it was like she could talk to him in a language he never heard before but somehow he knew that language was universal, that it didn't matter if you never in your life listened or heard of it.

As he returned the hug back the only words he could make were "thank you".

"So, now that you are feeling better do you want to talk to me? What's bothering you?" Fluttershy asked, already knowing from looking at him that it was a big part of his distress.

"What’s there to say? I was thrown to a strange different world and possibly another dimension altogether, not knowing if the guys that I would call brothers are okay, or not, getting into a life threatening situation one after the next, my body is broken, and I feel more alone then I ever felt in my life!"

Rafael lost himself as he for some reason told that to Fluttershy, a pony that to him was just like all the others - complete strangers. Yet he felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders too, it didn't change his situation but he felt a lot better.

"You are not alone" Fluttershy said in the same kind and gentle voice as before.

"Wh- What do you mean I'm not alone?" Rafael was confused and it didn't help him with his mental state.

"You are not alone Rafael, we are your friends, for better and for worse, and before you talk hear me out. I don't know how it is in your world but here we trust one another. Even if we know each other for less than a day we can already call ourselves friends, and even if you don’t see that, you already did what many won't, you protected us and the ones important to us, you helped us work and you know almost everything about us. And if that means we are not friends I don't know what it does"

After Fluttershy finished her speech Rafael was lost for words, he did protect the kids when they were in trouble, he did help Applejack with her farm, and he knew about the adventures of all of them.

And that's not all, they helped him regain his strength, when he was broken they picked up the pieces, and even now they tried to help him.

He was not alone from the start, the ponies helped him and stood by his side when he needed them most.

"Thank you. You're right, I'm not alone" Rafael said as he broke the hug "Fluttershy, I'm going back and I would appreciate it if you helped me, you see I'm too tired to go back to the library and the Crystal moves on solar energy"

"Of course I will help you" Fluttershy said as she and Rafael started to come back to town.

----------Golden oaks------------

As Rafael and Fluttershy went throughout Ponyville they talked about themselves, well mostly Fluttershy when he touched the subject of animals.

As they got closer to the library, Fluttershy saw that the library was dark and she knew what was coming next, she wanted to tell Rafael but she didn't want to ruin the surprise.

As she opened the door for Rafael she heard and saw exactly what she expected, it was a "SURPRISE!!!"

Rafael almost jumped from his wheelchair, he wanted to strangle the pink menace, until he saw what happened to the library.

The place was decorated with balloons and streamers, where once stood the living room table with the wired horse head was now a giant snack bar, filled with pastries, and in the background was a happy party music, finally when he looked up he saw a giant colorful banner that said "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE/HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER PART"

His eyes started to sting and for the first time in weeks he felt truly happy.

"What's the matter with the banner? I know it isn't complete but they ran out of room to write it" Pinkie’s hair deflated and all the five ponies' ears fell down flat against their heads.

When Rafael noticed that he started to chuckle "No Pinkie, nothing is wrong, in fact I don’t remember when I ever cried from joy" Rafael said and in an instant, everypony in the room smiled again.

'Seems like I'm really not alone. Guys I know it will take a while, but I promise I will return, and don’t worry, it’s not so bad here' Rafael thought to himself as he and the rest started to enjoy the party.