Crippled, Beaten and Broken.

The train compartment was silent, save for the sounds of the wheels on the tracks and the muffled chatter of the other riders.

Fluttershy watched Zap from across the compartment, noting his hunched posture and statue-like stillness with sadness and interest. Occasionally one of her friends would try to strike up a conversation with the odd creature, but he never responded.

Fluttershy could tell that he was both frightened and exhausted; the dreary look in his gray eyes unnerved her greatly.

What happened to him in those two years? she thought, looking deeper into his eyes It’s like he has a raincloud behind his eyes. What could’ve made him look so...so defeated? Why is he so thin? What in Celestia’s name happened to his teeth?

As each question joined the ever-growing mound Fluttershy felt the need for relief grow inside her like tinder being placed atop a fire; she had to know what had happened.

She opened her mouth to ask, but Zap beat her to the punch.

“Where is the bathroom?”

Twilight perked up and said, in a cool tone, “Down the hall and to the left, just after the last compartment, you can’t miss it.”

Zap nodded and left the compartment, one of the two guards stationed outside their door following him.

Once the sound of his footsteps faded, Fluttershy turned to Twilight and said, “Something’s wrong with him.”

“I’ll say.” said Rainbow Dash, “Didja hear how his voice sounded? It’s like he got his soul sucked out or somethin’” She shuddered to drive her point home. Although she made it seem like an exaggeration, Fluttershy saw the hairs on the back of her friend’s neck stand up and she knew that she was masking a real shiver of unease.

“Maybe the Elements turned him into a zombie?” suggested Pinkie, the perceived ridiculousness of her theory making Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow snort.

“I really don’t care what happened to him to make him like that.” said Rarity with a shrug, “As long as he isn’t trying to electrocute us to death, or blowing things up, then I’m fine with him as he is now, thank you very much.”

“Oh, don’t say that, Rarity.” pleaded Fluttershy.

“And why not?” asked Rarity in a huff, “We cannot forget how cruel he was when we first met him. He almost killed you for Celestia’s sake!”

“Yes he did.” admitted Fluttershy, “But have you really looked at him now? He looks so….I don’t really know any word except defeated.”

“He does look sad.” interject Pinkie, a concerned look on her face, “I wanna throw him a party or something like that, but I’m pretty sure that he wouldn’t like that.”

“Excuse me? Did I just hear the world’s most persistent party pony say that she doesn’t want to throw someone a party?” asked Rarity in mock horror, “Good heavens, Pinkie, what has Zap done to you?”

Pinky shrugged, “I dunno: it just seems like he has a kind of sad that I’ve never seen before, so I’m not sure if being all ‘in-his -face’ about it would be a good thing.”

“Maybe he needs a good prank to cheer him up?” asked Rainbow.

Pinkie shook her head, “Don’t be silly, Dashie, I mean, if you pranked him now, he’d probably get even more sad!”

Dash furrowed her brow, then nodded, “Okay, no pranking Zap….for now.” she added slyly, making Pinkie smile and giggle.

Their conversation was cut off when Zap re-entered the room, his hands and face damp. He seemed to notice the sudden, awkward silence, because he waved a hand, “Don’t mind me, you can go back to your conversation, I’m not that interesting and I can be quiet, so you won’t even know that I’m here.”

He gave them a smile that showed no teeth and sat down, returning almost immediately to his hunched posture, even though Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had given him some extra space, and allowed his long hair to shroud his face once again.

That’s it. thought Fluttershy, determination steeling her nerves, I’m going to ask him what happened. I can’t stand to see him like this, even if he WAS mean and evil.

Just then the door opened and a scrawny griffon brought in their food. The Bearers dug in eagerly, having been deprived of an actual meal in the wake of Twilight’s sandwich sacrifice. Out of all of them, the only ones who actually chewed their food were Fluttershy, Rarity and Zap, who chewed at such a slow rate that it was almost obscene.

Fluttershy noticed his face go through several startling transitions as he chewed: he started chewing sedately, then his eyes widened slightly and he paused, moving the food from one cheek to the other with a look of confusion on his face, then the confusion became a look of horror, before his face went slack and his eyes filled up with a sudden and profound sadness.

All of this happened in less than two minutes, and it disturbed Fluttershy greatly.

“What’s wrong?” asked Pinkie, suddenly, causing Zap and Fluttershy to both start.

“Excuse me?” asked Zap, looking worried.

“I saw you get all shocked, then all sad when you ate.” explained Pinkie, “Is something wrong with the food?”

Zap shook his head, “No, I just… bit my cheek. A bit painful, considering how sharp my teeth are.”

Fluttershy saw Applejack’s eyes narrow.

“Oh...okay.” said Pinkie, looking a bit disappointed, something which Zap noticed, because he said, “You don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine, really I am.”

Fluttershy saw Applejack cock her head and pin her ears back.

“Alright.” said Pinkie, reverting back to her usual peppy self, something which brought a full smile to Zap’s lips, though he hid his jagged teeth behind his hand.

Applejack raised a brow.

Then the train stopped and the conductor called out, “Alright, Everypony, we’ve arrived in Canterlot!”

They exited the train and were immediately set upon by a horde of reporters and angry ponies, all shouting with red faces and tears in their eyes.

“You destroyed my house!” snarled an old unicorn.

“Me and my foal had to live on the streets for a year after you came!” shouted a pegasus mare, who was holding her crying foal close to her person.

“My business is gone because of you!” bellowed a burly earth pony, hurling a chunk or masonry, that caught Zap in the temple.

Fluttershy gasped at the sight of the red blood trickling out of the newly-made gash at a steady pace. The earth pony was tacked by a guard and dragged away from the crowd, howling in anger until he faded from sight.

The barrage of hateful words and debris continued as they made their slow trek to the palace of the Princesses and, although Twilight put up a shield that blocked the flying stones and the harsh words, the damage was done, and Zap’s eyes were filled with tears.

But he didn’t cry, didn’t make a sound; he just stared ahead with a look that made it clear that his guilt was deep.

Fluttershy had to fight to keep herself from weeping too.

But they kept walking anyway, making their way to the palace as the sun began to set and the moon took its place high in the darkening sky.