The Refugee

Chapter 7

Sulk

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

• Samuel Clemens

Excerpt from "The Key, The Gate, and Infinite Exploration":

"However well your translated form is physically camouflaged, the true nature of blending within a world and it's denizens is, for better or worse, dictated greatly by one's knowledge of the world and the individual's ability to blend into social situations that regularly occur within it. There can be no salvation for those that choose again and again to blame the world itself for their sociological woes, in or out of their original world."

*****

"Thank you, Zebra." Seraf said facing the female zebra in front of him.

"Please," she said smiling, "Call me Zecora."

Seraf stared at her confused. "Thank you," the young colt finally uttered, "Zecora." He waited silently as she walked past him pulling an empty wagon laid with soft bedding.

As Zecora took the straightforward path into what looked like the heart of Ponyville to him, Seraf tactfully took a round about way through the grassy knolls. He thought he could make out a small cottage in the distance.

His mind began to ask him where he was going, but he answered it with the usual arrogant silence he often did when he had no answers. His heart asked him if he was angry about something, and he swatted its cries of concern away like a noisy pack of flies.

"She didn't want anything." He muttered to himself.

The Zebra had disinfected and closed several wounds that could have been fatal to him. She asked for nothing.

She had pulled his wounded body to the outside of the dangerous forest. She would have taken him into town had he not stopped her, but then she would have known that not a single person there was actually his kin, and he would be exposed. She asked for nothing.

Before all this, she had saved him from a dragon attack. He was twice indebted to her for his life. She asked for nothing.

What was she waiting for? For him to be at his weakest, when he'd have no other choice?

"No." he whispered knowingly. She had seen him at his weakest already.

Seraf began to ponder as he wobbled aimlessly across the soft grass beneath his hooves. "Hooves..." he said. He was still not used to them.

Zecora had seen him at his weakest. Zecora had every opportunity to make any demand she wanted. Yet Zecora demanded nothing. Zecora asked for nothing.

Did she simply realize he had nothing to give? If that was the case why would she help him? The world was based on a system of exchanges, after all.

"The foundation of happiness is the suffering of the weak." He said with conviction as he continued to waver about the meadow with his eyes focused on the ground.

"Oh my goodness!" cried a soft voice from somewhere in front of him.

Seraf lifted his head in surprise to see a cream colored pony with long pink hair flying towards him slowly. He noticed it never really came far off the ground, for whatever reason.

"You poor thing!" it cried, "What happened!?"

Seraf froze in place as the pony examined the stump where his wing used to be with its hoof. He assumed from it's long hair, soft voice, and emotionally swelled eyes that it must be female.

"I..." he started. I what?

"Let's get you in the Cabin." she said nervously, "Dr. Fluttershy will fix you right up...I hope..."

He felt the winged pony push and pull on him until he finally started wobbling over towards the cabin. Was it the one he saw from the distance. Had he walked towards it the whole time?

As he was partially coerced against his will and partially just moving out of dismay, he noticed a countless amount of what appeared to be more animated versions of woodland creatures scatter to clear a path. They stared at him as he walked zombified towards the door of the cabin.

"C'mon, now." she said, "Just a few more steps."

"Where are we going?" he asked nervously, though it was clear.

"Stay with me, now." she replied as she picked him up, "We're going into the cabin to get you all fixed up."

"But I'm...fine." he said trying to stop her. Oh what he wouldn't have done to resist her and gain a moment's time to gather himself. Somehow his legs would not push him away from her no matter how hard his mind screamed for them to.

"It's ok." she said with as she opened the door, "We're just going to give you a check-up. Ok?"

Her voice was like velvet now that he had really listened. It was paralyzing him.

"I'm ok." he muttered, "Really."

Her eyes darted around the room as she laid him on a table in what appeared to be a living room of some sort.

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" she said excitedly zipping through the air all around the room gathering medical supplies.

"What?" he said, trying to follow her frantic movements with his eyes. "What is wrong with you?"

"You're missing your!" she exclaimed, "You! Did you hurt your!?"

Seraf cocked his eyebrow in frustration. "What!? Spit it out already!"

The pony dropped her medical supplies and cowered behind one foreleg. She pointed her other hoof at his wing.

Seraf breathed a sigh of relief. "It's missing." He groaned. "I'm aware."

"Oh...my." she squeaked, "I...I..."

Seraf looked at her in aggravated confusion.

"I didn't mean to...offend you." She whispered.

"Offend me?" he said with a smirk. "You've drug me into a strange house against my better judgment. And you're worried about my disposition towards you?"

"Um..." she said finally landing on the floor gently.

"You really should've just minded your own - grrrurrr." His stomach grumbled loud enough to interrupt him.

The pony stared at him. She seemed afraid of him for some reason. Was it something he said, or was she just a pushover?

"Are you...hungry?" she said sheepishly.

He really couldn't argue. "I suppose." he said burying his face in his hoof.

*****