What Matters Most

Hm, cute. Was how Darius could describe the now blushing filly. Unfortunately, the filly would only keep the adorable look for only a couple seconds before looking down at the ground again. Darius took this time to look her over, she had a dark blue curly mane, a light blue coat, and blue eyes with a green tint to them. Her cutie mark was a light-green heart with a fading, melancholy pony in the center of it. That's peculiar. Darius thought, he looked at his cutie mark that had a book with a speech bubble on the cover. Probably even for me. He then saw her face and noticed the bags under those red, bloodshot eyes with the occasional sniffle. And finally something all too familiar streaking down her muzzle like clear stripes. Tear strains.

The signs were all there. Darius immediately felt sympathy for the poor filly, and now made it his life-long goal to get to the bottom of her despair. Only thing was, he had no idea were to start. So he started with something simple.

"Is something wrong? You don't seem too happy." He said, hoping to get something out of the filly. She failed to hold back a sniffle and wiped her muzzle with her forehoof, trying to look like the half-hour of sobbing never happened.

"N-no. I fine."

Mares and gentlecolts,  the world's greatest liar He sarcastically thought to himself. It was all to clear that something or someone did this. Banal questions weren't gonna work so he came from a different angle. "Are you sure you're alright", he said while cracking a smirk, "Because, no offense, but I don't think the mane and tear strains are in fashion right now." He winced at that last comment, fearing that he made the situation worse. "Wait no, I'm sorry!" He was preparing to say, "I was just trying to be funny. I'm not really good at it though."

Instead he got an unexpected response. The little blue filly giggled and finally cracked a smile. "Yea, I'm s-sure" that stutter thought otherwise, she was a tough nut to crack. But then again, so was he when he was her age. Darius then moved to his last resort.

He walked up to her, put a hoof on her shoulder and put on another caring smile. "I don't think so. C'mon you can tell me, I wont tell anyone, pinkie promise."

                                                                                                                    * * *

Hope looked up from the ground to see the same, loving,  smile she saw only minutes before. Ugh, what's his aim?, she thought, Why would he care so much on how I feel? Why would he waste his time with this? With me especially. Hope couldn't wrap her head around it. Why would a colt, especially one that's considerably older, be concerned over something so mundane and unimportant as her? It just wasn't right. He's obviously up to something, and she would get to the bottom of it. She brushed the hoof her shoulder. "W-who put you up to this?"  She asked loudly.

"What?" Said the colt, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

Hope began marching to him and grilled the lime-green colt some more, "Some pony must've put you up to this. Why? Who? Or were you just doing this to make fun of me?" She pushed her small hoof into the seemingly giant's chest.

But the colt stood his ground, not backing an inch. "Why on Celestia's green earth would I do that." He asked, with a concerned, nearly heartbroken face. "I'd never hurt fillies. Ever, in my life." His persuading smile returned as he once again put the same hoof and the same shoulder. The hoof made her shoulder feel warm and relaxed. "Please, I only want to know what's hurting you, so I can help you feel better."

It was that smile, that stupid smile combined with those stupid green eyes that made her clam up. Her tears were returning with a vengeance, she knew he had her. The two stayed silent with only an occasional sniffles from Hope.

The colt's infectious smile never wavered. "Please,", he begged, "I only want to help you."

Hope couldn't take it anymore. The  eyes, the reassuring expression, the warm soothing feeling of his hoof, it was too welcoming for her. If this was all a trick, then he sure was committed to the act. But the look on his face was too much for her to resist any longer. Hope silently prayed to Celestia that she wouldn't regret what she was about to say.

The colt removed his hoof so Hope could wipe the tears from her eyes before she began, she already missed the warmth on her shoulder. Hope returned to the tree and sat against it, the colt followed suit and sat across from her. "*sniff* W-well, when I t-ry, to talk to other ponies, they always turn me down in mean ways or just ignore me. Some even make fun of me for my sad cutie mark."  Hope Chaser rubbed her nose again, not even thinking of mentioning what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would say to her when she would walk in and out of class every single day. That's when it dawned on her that he probably didn't even know about her cutie mark, if he saw it then he would surely ridicule her. Hope immediately used her nearby saddlebags to cover her flanks.

The lime colt clearly wasn't blind and saw her try to conceal them, but he seemed to push it aside. "Why?"

"Why, w-hat?" Hope asked confused.

The colt quickly shook his head as if he has getting his thoughts together. "I-I mean, uh, like why would they treat you like that. Surely there must be a reason." Hope was shaking again. "It's okay, I won't judge you"

'Judge' was the trigger word. Hope Chaser went back to sobbing "Y-yes you will!", she curled back in a ball,  "Just go away! You'll judge me just like everypony else does!" She continued sobbing for what seemed like an eternity. When the weeping returned to just sniffles, she still was curled and assumed the colt already left. Just like anypony else would do.

A sigh from nowhere scared her out of her stupor, causing her to immediately to sit up straight. She quickly looked around, nearly hyperventilating in the process, and saw a familiar pony was still sitting across from her. Why is he still here?

The tall colt stood up, his face bearing a more somber look then before. "Listen", he said, "Even though ponies may assume and judge things about who you were, doesn't mean that there is nothing you can do about it. Convince them that you're trying to be a new pony, that you need their help. You seem nice and I'm sure that many ponies will accept who you are if you just show them." Hope sat there stunned, but listening intently all the same. "And besides, if you can't convince them", He said while offering his hoof. Hope, taking a while to process this, reluctantly reached for his hoof and pulled herself up. As soon as she stood, the smile she once hated returned. "actions speak louder than words." He ruffled her mane once more, and trotted away.

Only one thought was going through Hope Chaser's head. How did he know? It was a simple question, but one she couldn't answer. "W-wait!" She exclaimed. Hope looked around for the colt, but he was already gone. She looked at the ground disappointed. "Thanks" She whispered to no pony in particular. Hope looked up at the sky and saw the sun was just on the tip of the highest tower on Princess Twilight's castle. Signalling her that it was time to go home.

When she arrived home, she did nothing but do her assigned chores, eat dinner, and scowl at her brothers' mischief. When she went to bed, she pondered about the mysterious pony she met. Hope doubted she'll ever see him again, but something told her to heed his advice anyway. Tomorrow is gonna be a new day she thought. She soon fell asleep with her heart a little lighter than before.