A Fallen Star

CHAPTER THREE: STORIES

“My story?” She looked confused. I definitely didn’t want to have to clarify things for her, but relented knowing I would have to.

“Any water?” I asked, psyching myself up for the conversation. The pony filled a small mug up at the sink and gave a smile as she handed it back to me. I took a large gulp. “How did you find me?” I decided to pick the most important question.

“Um…” She hesitated which didn’t help to qualm my suspicions, “I was going for a walk in the forest and… you were just there, panting on the ground and making horrible sounds. You were bleeding and bruised, so um…” She trailed off again. I was partially glad a conversationalist hadn’t taken me in.

“So, where am I? City wise?”

“Um…” Damn all those ums annoyed me, “Outside of Ponyville…”

“Ponyville!” I yelled in recognition, but again, my voice gave out and faded into a series of coughs and splutters.

“It’s alright,” Fluttershy started patting me on the back. By then I had figured out why I didn’t like her abundance of kindness. It wasn’t that so much as the pity. Celestia I hate pity. Pity doesn’t help anything. Raw sentimentality is all it is. I shrugged her off, still coughing. I regretted it though, because when I looked up at her after my small fit, she looked not only worried, but also sad as if she had done something wrong. I felt for her. I really did. Looking away I only managed,

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re the injured one.”

She really knows how to make a pony feel guilty, for such a small action to. I felt for her. Today she still thinks that she did something wrong, regardless of what I say. “So?” My though process was interrupted by her quiet voice.

“So?” I responded taking another swig of water.

“What’s your story?”

“Mine?” My still sore throat elicited another cough from the conversation.

“Hold on.” The worried look returned to her face as she turned around and flew up to some particularly high cabinets. She returned with a slightly smaller glass and a bottle of light brown liquid.

“Is that…”

“Liquor. I know, but its good for a cough.” She poured some into the glass and handed it to me, still on the floor. I put the apple and mug of water down to cup it in both hooves.

“My story huh? Okay then.” Taking a sip of the liquor first, it soothed my throat on the way down, a warm tingling sensation. It was much dryer than the champagne had been at the gala. “The gala!” The liquor clicked something in my brain eliciting yet another scream.

“Hm?” That confused look killed me.

“That’s where, um, the blue one, what’s her name is from!” I said it excitedly, but not loudly. The alcohol had helped, but it hadn’t cured.

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Yes!” My wings flapped a bit, lifting me few feet off the floor before giving out and dropping me with a loud thud.

“Um… are you okay?”

“Yea. Just got… excited.” I took another sip of the intoxicant I held in my hooves, a little of which had spilled since my little spaz attack over the blue pony. “So… my story?”

“Yep.” She let out a small sigh for some reason.

“Okay then. Start from when I crashed?” She nodded. “I was flying. And I was late for a training session the Soarin’ had set up in the forest. Vague place. All he said was it was in a clearing. Anyways, I was looking for it when my whole body was suddenly racked with pain, I lost control and I fell.” I coughed and took another sip of liquor. Something tells me she wouldn’t believe my story, but the truth is what I told.

“Well? What hit you?”

“That’s the thing I don’t remember.” I rubbed my head; a small pain had emerged behind my eyes.

“Hm…” She looked thoughtful. There was something about this mare. Something that annoyed and astounded me at the same time. All her concerns were those of others. I don’t, and didn’t, understand as I am a naturally prideful pony, but she’s taught me something about kindness. Anyways the conversation pretty much ended on that note.

“Little help?” I looked up at her. She looked back, the familiar hesitation returning before another sigh was let out and I was helped off the floor.

“Where to?” I honestly didn’t know, all I did know was that the hard kitchen floor was hurting my flanks.

“Um…” She was growing on me, “The bed?” In other words, the first thing that pops into my head.

“Okay…” She helped me up. I am going to tell you right now, I still feel like I have a score to settle with those stairs. The trip up them is much harder than the trip down. Of course, on my first way down, I kind of used more unconventional methods to transverse the steps.

Now back in bed I felt tired. Not just “Oh I’m so bored and depressed there’s nothing else to do” tired but genuinely “Eyelid-drooping big yawn” tired. Fluttershy must’ve noticed, because before I knew it, all that I had left downstairs on the kitchen floor was right on the bed stand beside me. I took one last sip of liquor before snuggling deep into the covers and falling asleep.

Something startled me awake. There was yelling downstairs mixed in with a faint choking whimper. The blue pony had come back. Rainbow Dash had come back, and she wasn’t happy. Something like glass banged against the floor. It sounded like it broke but I wasn’t sure. I got out of bed. My legs were wobbly bt the earlier practice made it easier for me to stand. Looking out the window I could tell it was still nighttime, either that or very early morning. Anyways I tried to take a step, but yet again, almost collapsed under my weight. Using a combination of both my wings and legs I was able to clumsily make my ways to the stairs once again and once again, fall down them.

At the bottom I was paralyzed with fear. A raving Rainbow Dash had shattered the only vase in the living room and Fluttershy was cowering in the corner behind the couch, her hooves were scratched and some bleeding because of the glass on the floor. Rainbow stopped directing her anger at pony in the corner and immediately turned to me. “Why do you hate me!” I have to admit, she caught me off guard.