Farmhand

The next time he bumped into Tainted was a few days later. He was sitting in a small coffee shop, a half empty cup on the table in front of him. He hasn't noticed her walk in, but she slid smoothly into the seat across from him in the booth, a coffee mug glittering on her bright blue magic. For a long moment, silence reigned between them. It wasn't much longer than that, though, that Tainted broke the silence.

"I thought you ran again." Worry momentarily creased her brow before her face cleared. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer whilst she nursed her drink.

"I almost did. But I couldn't leave."

"Why not? You had no problem running away back in Appleoosa." Her face showed annoyance, and maybe hurt, before her face once again relaxed.

"Well, I have a friend here. Apple Bloom." Tainted smiled knowingly, her smile lifting her eyes.

"I saw her. She was with her marshmallow friend. Don't know her name, though." Quill bit his lip to softly disperse the laugh rising in his throat.

"Her name is Sweetie Belle. And she is best marshmallow, so lay off." He made his voice teasing, playful. It wore away some of the tension between them.

"Well, Rarity is a pretty good marshmallow too. But Sweetie is probably tastier." Tainted said this seriously, and they both shared a laugh.

"So why was it you didn't run? I was going to set out in a day or two to keep looking."

"I told you, I have a friend now. I didn't want to leave her." He blushed ever so slightly as he said this. Memories of that night with the whipped cream came pulsing through his mind, sending a rosy blush to his face and neck. Ever since that night, they hadn't done anything else, hadn't kissed not even hugged, though they had spent more time with each other. In the four days between then and now, they had grown almost inseparable. Big Macintosh's dislike for Quill seemed to increase tremendously, and Applejack had been keeping a closer eye on the two, though she tried not to be to obvious.

"Simply a friend? Your blushing quite terribly~" Despite the lack of intimacy, as he said, they'd gotten closer. Whenever he was away from her, he found he wanted to be in her company again. He finally had a best friend, and he loved it.

"Yes, Tainted, just a friend." He chuckled softly and nodded. Tainted didn't look totally sure she believed him, but she let the matter drop for now.

"Whatever the reason, I'm glad you didn't run." She smiled at him good naturedly. To his surprise he answered with;

"I am too. I figured you deserved answers, but that doesn't really mean I'm ready to give them..." He shook his head, drawing a breath.

"You know something? I'm hungry." He called over the waitress, gesturing for Tainted Diamond to wait. Once he had taken a bite of a very well baked coffee cake, he returned his attention to Tainted.

"This is what I can say." He told her softly. "After I ran away from you and Rubyshade, I went to Appleoosa, since it was fairly out of the way, since it was only a few miles from Everfree." Tainted nodded for him to continue.

"When you found me there, as you know, I left. I wasn't ready to face you. I was...I'm still..." He looked down at the table before he continued. "—still ashamed of what happened. I honestly wish I'd never told you two."

"Quill, I promise, we aren't judging you. It happened because of what they did, to your sis-"

"Do not mention her." Quill narrowed his eyes. Tainted raised her hooves in mock surrender.

"Sorry, Quill." His voice was shaky, and he was heated with a flush.

"Talk about an over reaction! I bu-!" Her hoof slid over his mouth as she put her other hoof to her lips. His voice had been rising, and a few ponies were curiously turning their heads in his direction.

"Sorry, Tainted. Anyway, when I ran, I got here within a few days, at the price of going through the Everfree forest. I was ambushed by wolves just before I reached Sweet Apple Acres. That's all there is to say." Wasn't true. He knew it. She knew it. But she knew more than she had last night, so she was okay. For now.

"And you're staying in Ponyville now?" She asked him, voice still soft.

"Yes, indefinitely." He nodded, the flush fading and his shaky voice slowly returning to normal. The conversation devolved into silence as Quill finished the cake, quickly regaining control over himself.

"So," Quill eventually spoke again, "—where is Rubyshade, anyway? Is she searching somewhere else?" Tainted shook her head, a lock of her brown mane falling in front of her eyes. Snorting in contempt, she brushed it back.

"No, she isn't looking for you. She hung on to the hope that you'd return at one point. She wants us both to come back, Quill. I know you won't but...if you're staying in Ponyville then I am too, I don't want to lose you again. Can't we go and get her? It'll just be a short trip to Manehattan and back..." She looked at him pleadingly, "—the poor filly is probably still in that house. Deep down, I don't think she was ready to leave home." Quill looked down in uncertainty, not at all sure what to say to that.

"Well...it has been an awfully long time, so it would be nice to see her again. When do you want to go?" Tainted Diamond's face split into a grin at this, and she had to restrain herself from leaping across the table to hug him.

"I want to leave...well as soon as possible. I already have travel bags because I was going to come look for you."  Quill nodded and laughed.

"I'll head back to the farm and explain what's going on. I'll meet you at the station, and we can catch the nine o' clock train?" Tainted nodded, still beaming.

"Thanks so much, Quill!" She stood, blue eyes flashing, and left. Quill sat there in that booth for a long while, contemplating. He still wasn't completely ready to face them, but she had said they weren't judging him for it...it really was his fault in the end though...

Shaking his head, he stood and started to head back for the farm.