Hex

Breeze awoke with a start. Applejack was back in his room with a bucket resting beside her. Breeze sat up, ready to question the purpose of the bucket, when he noticed that his entire bed, as well as the floor around it, was soaked.

"Rise and shine! We got work to do!" Applejack shouted with a grin on her face. Breeze frowned.

"Yo, was the water bucket really necessary?" he asked.

"Course it was! I tried plenty of other ways to wake you up, and ain't none of them worked!" Applejack laughed, leaving his room. He slowly rose from the bed and slipped in the giant puddle around him. "Try not to hurt yourself!" she called to him. Groaning to himself, he picked himself off the floor and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him. Breeze stumbled into the bathroom. After drying himself off, he turned and walked outside to find Applejack.

"What time is it anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know. I didn't check. I reckon we only got a little bit of daylight left, though. You must've been real worn out last night; you slept through the whole day!" she answered.

"Ah... So, what are we doing?"

"Just makin' some pies. I need a hoof buckin' these here apples. I reckon you could just fly on up there and toss 'em on down. Shouldn't take too long." Breeze gave a salute and dove into a nearby apple tree while Applejack walked to the kitchen. Shortly after, a loud gasp was heard. "Dang it!" she exclaimed, walking back outside. "Breeze!" His head popped out of the top of the tree, an apple balanced on it with intense precision.

"What's good?" he asked, smiling. Gliding down from the tree, he landed in front of her.

"We ain't got enough flour. Come on, we're gonna go get some more." Breeze stood, watching her leave. Upon looking back and noticing that he wasn't following, she stopped. "You know, we have to go into town to buy some. We can't just make flour out of thin air! You comin' or what?" Breeze kept looking at her, slowly shaking his head.

"Nope. Not going. Can't afford being seen by anypony. I'll just wait for you to get back." He spoke quickly, so quickly that Applejack could hardly understand him.

"Come again?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

"I can't be seen. Go on, I'll be here when you return." Applejack cocked her head to the side. Upon realizing his motive, she sighed.

"Breeze, it'll be fine. Come on..." He shook his head faster.

"You don't need my help. I can stay here." Applejack was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Didn't you say that you came here to find Twilight because Ponyville wasn't like Canterlot?" she questioned, catching him off-guard.

"...Y-Yeah?" he stuttered, stepping forward.

"So you shouldn't worry about ponies seeing you!" Breeze turned away. Slowly coming closer, she placed a hoof on his shoulder, causing him to turn back to her. "Everything will be okay, sugarcube. Come on."

"Huh... Alright... I'm coming." Dragging his back hooves behind him, he followed closely behind Applejack as they went into town. Upon setting hoof in the area, Breeze saw a pegasus fly by. He readied himself to dive into the shadows, but caught Applejack's gaze. "I..." he began.

"I told you, it'll be fine. You don't gotta go jumpin' into no shadows, now." She smiled and continued walking. His eyes kept shifting back and forth as he followed before running into Rarity, who jumped upon seeing him.

"Goodness! Are you feeling alright, sir?" she asked, concerned. Breeze's face twisted into a look of confusion. He stepped back.

"I'm fine... It's just a curse. Princess Twilight is looking for a counter spell," he hesitated to explain, unsure if he should or not.

"That's strange... Twilight never told us about you... Oh well, I'm sure she just got caught up in her research on this curse of yours. I do hope she finds a spell soon, darling!" She levitated half of a daffodil and daisy sandwich from a nearby table and brought it over to her, then looked at it strangely. "Oh dear, I'm not really hungry anymore, but I'd hate to waste this... Would you like the rest?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You... You'd just give this to me?" he asked. Rarity nodded her head. "... And you're not worried about me... stealing this?"

"Why, of course not. I have no reason to be!" she answered. Breeze took a step forward.

"I look like... like this. You still trust me?" he questioned. Rarity giggled.

"Don't be silly! You told me that you were cursed! Your appearance is not your fault at all, darling." She suddenly gasped, eyes shooting open. "In fact, I have a wonderful idea for a new line of dresses!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Breeze started.

"Oh, don't you worry. I can make it work!" Before he could respond, he heard Applejack calling to him.

"Breeze! Hurry up, now! I can't be sittin' here all day waitin' for ya!" she shouted to him. He rushed to Rarity's back, taking the sandwich.

"Thanks, miss," he said.

"My name is Rarity, darling. I presume you are this 'Breeze' that Applejack is referring to. And it's no problem at all. Farewell!" He nodded his head before he and Rarity went off in different directions. He quickly caught up to Applejack, who had already purchased the flour needed. She was tapping her hoof impatiently.

"Took ya long enough. Looks like you and Rarity hit it off pretty well..." She paused, smiling and taking a couple steps closer to him. "... I didn't know you had a thing for unicorns, sugarcube," she teased. Breeze winced at the statement.

"N-Nah, no. Nothing like that. Let's just get back."

As they left, Breeze stopped and looked back. "Ah... Wait a minute."

"What now, Breeze?" Applejack sighed.

"I'm gonna go and see if Princess Twilight's found that spell yet..." he responded.

"What? A little while ago, you were dreadin' going into town; now you don't wanna leave?" Applejack groaned.

"I'll be back soon!" Breeze was already flying off. Applejack rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Alrighty then..." As he flew around looking for Twilight, he contemplated whether he should stay out in the open or keep to the shadows.

It can't hurt... he thought. Wait a minute... Yeah, it can. It definitely can. I shouldn't risk it. He landed next to an alley. As he approached the shadows, however, he stopped and looked into them. If that mare, Rarity, could trust me despite this curse... Maybe... Maybe the others can, too. He turned and walked away, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the alley. Was this a good idea? he pondered.

"Mister..." a small voice said. Breeze looked around for the source, then looked down to see a small filly standing by his side, looking up at him. "Are you okay?" she asked innocently. He stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm alright... It's just a curse..." he replied. He looked around and noticed that everypony was looking at him, concerned. Trying to control himself, he stepped away from the filly. "Little one, you... should go back to your mother," he struggled to say. "I have to go."

"We can help, sir," a stallion told him. He looked around, suddenly unable to determine where the voice came from.

"No! I'm fine!" he shouted, quickly rising to the sky. A couple of ponies jumped in shock from this outburst. "I mean... I can handle this. Right now, I really have to go." Before anypony could protest, he dashed off towards Sweet Apple Acres as fast as he could. The sun was just beginning to set when he arrived at the farm. Landing in front of the barn, he leaned on the side, breathing heavily and eyes wide.

"Breeze? You feelin' alright?" Applejack asked, approaching from behind. "Did you do something?"

"Nah, nah... It's cool, everything's cool... I'm fine..." he said. Applejack raised an eyebrow, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"I don't think I believe you, sugarcube. Now, why don't you tell me what's troublin' you." She and Breeze sat down against the barn, facing the sunset. "Go on, you can tell me." He looked into her eyes, then at the sunset.

"Earlier, I said that the ponies here weren't like those in Canterlot. Well, I was right, but... I... I-I'd rather keep to the shadows. It's for the best." Applejack looked confused. "I can't handle confronting crowds of ponies. I... I can't..." he continued, looking down.

"Because of your lifestyle, right? ... Wait, what of your charm? You told me that all thieves need a bit of charm. I thought you'd be able to handle ponies cause of that..."

"I don't know... During my stealing sprees, yeah, b-but..." He lifted his hooves to his face. "I just... P-Ponies in this town... I want to stay in the shadows. I want to stay hidden... I..." He quickly turned away.

"Breeze, sugarcube, I'm positi-" Applejack began, but suddenly stopped when she noticed a single tear falling to the ground. "... I, uh..." Any words she thought of to console the pegasus were now gone. A while later, Breeze turned back around.

"Let me be alone for a while. Let me sit in silence."

"No," Applejack said firmly. "I'm stickin' right by you." He became slightly angry.

"Go back inside," he demanded. "I want to be alone." Applejack simply shook her head.

"I can't do that." Breeze was now visibly enraged, and rose to the air.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, taking off. Before he could get far, a rope wrapped around him and pulled him back to the ground. "No!" He tried his hardest to break free from the rope, but couldn't. Applejack stepped in front of him. "... Why do you even care?" he asked, furious. Without answering, she walked towards him. "Hey! Answer me!" She stopped in front of him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Yo, you had better give me an ans-" Breeze was cut off by a tight embrace. He stopped resisting and sat still, eyes wide in surprise. Another tear fell from his eye.

"You ain't alone."