Chasing Sunshineby UltraComboChaptersSolsticeWhispers's SaviorAwakeningWhen Skies Are GreySolstice"So, wait, y'all are sayin' yah've NEVER been to the Winter Solstice?" "Nope. Never really saw the point." Ultra, Applejack, Joystick, and Applebloom were on their way to the Winter Soltice Festival in the town square. In all his years that he had spent living in Ponyville, he had only ever watched the other residents participate in the games and events, and it was very nice to be able to go with friends. The company was all bundled up for the cold, as it was more chilly than usual, seeing as the sun was already setting. Ultra was never a fan of winter. He much preferred the summer. But, Joystick seemed to enjoy it, so he had to at least pretend to. Applejack and Ultra kept chatting while Joy and Apple Bloom chased each other around playfully. "Well," Applejack said, "Y'all're in fer a good time! Lots of games and events, and even a visit from Princess Luna herself!" "Sounds like a great time!" Ultra replied as they entered the town square, where there were indeed many events set up. Almost instantaneously, Joystick and Apple Bloom bolted towards the commotion. "Hey! You two be careful, okay?!" "We willlll!" Joystick called back before disappearing into the crowd. Ultra and Applejack proceeded to look around. Ultra was deep in thought, however, thinking about what he had done since adopting Joy. After working for almost a year on Sweet Apple Acres, Ultra had finally aquired the resources to open an arcade in Ponyville, getting into contact with High Score, the owner of the old arcade he used to hang out at when he was a colt, and purchasing most of his cabinets. Now that he was living his foalhood dream, and he had his little sister, his best friend living with him, it couldn't get any better, right?...Right? Yes, even though he had seemingly cleared up every loose end in his life, there was still something missing. Even though Ultra was surrounded by some of the best friends he could ever have, he felt almost...lonely? No, that couldn't be right. That would make no sense. Unless... "Applejack?" Ultra said, breaking his own train of thought. "Yes, sugarcube?" Applejack replied. "Have you ever...thought about looking for your special somepony? You know, somepony you...love?" he asked her. Applejack was taken offguard by his question. "Why're ya askin' 'bout that now, Ultra?" "I dunno..." Ultra said, "Just...been thinking, y'know? I've just...I...I really don't know...I feel...incomplete. And I know that sounds selfish. I mean, I have so many wonderful friends willing to do anything for me, and a beautiful sister that I love so much. I have a stable, well-paying career, and my life, by all means, should be considered PERFECT...but..." Ultra peetered out, unable to find words for how he was feeling. Applejack sighed and put a hoof around his shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Life has it's mysteries, and yer very special somepony is one of 'em. I believe everypony has one and everypony will meet their's sometime in their life." Applejack turned and pointed at two mares walking side by side, one mint-colored and the other cream-colored. "Just look at Lyra and Bon Bon. Look how happy they are. That's how you will be when you meet yers. Happy as can be, sugarcube. All you need is patience." She shot him a friendly smile, and he returned with another one. "Thanks AJ. You always know just what to say." he thanked. Just as AJ was about to respond, Joy and Apple Bloom bounded into view. "Hey! Princess Luna is about to arrive!" Joy cried, and as quickly as you could see them, they were gone. "Good heavens! Wouldn't wanna miss that, now would we?" And with that, they galloped after the girls. She's right. Ultra thought, My special somepony could be right around the corner. The lavender colored unicorn gazed out her one window, dust particles shone through the dull light, and she sighed. Everypony was walking to the winter solstice festival while she still debated whether or not to attend. She shifted her gaze to her unfinished painting and wondered if it would just be another dusty canvas up against the wall, inspiration lost, dead and dull, like the rest of them. She sighed and set her front hooves on the creaky wooden floors, looking over her small apartment. She had just paid the rent, so she had some extra bits to attend the festival if she pleased. The unicorn shifted her weight from hoof to hoof, should she go? It would be dark... she wouldn't be noticed. A soft white glow emitted from her horn, it enveloped her bit bag and she carefully slid it over her neck. The bag was white, and had her name embroidered on the inside hem: Whispers. White fluffy earmuffs flew from her closet, as well as a white saddle to keep her back warm. They weren't the utmost top quality of clothing; the color had faded to an off white. She adjusted them to fit just right, constantly checking herself from every angle. She sure cared a lot about appearance when she would rather hide from other ponies. She removed a scarf from atop a cage and flung it over her shoulders. Two black rodents stood up, their small claws on the cage bars, tiny noses twitching. She smiled at her guinea pigs, leaning in to see them. They were sleek and black, the smaller one, Nicholas had a white diamond on his forehead. The fatter of the two, Prince, had fur that covered his eyes. "Goodbye my piggies, I'll see you later tonight." She kissed the bars and headed out the door. She walked down the flights of stairs to the lobby of the apartment building. The owner, Livin Quarters, stood leaned over the counter, flirting with the receptionist. That stallion made her sick, he was such a dirty little swine. She went to leave through the front doors but he spotted her and called her name, "Whisper-baby!" Her gut wretched and she stopped moving. She could smell the vile alcohol off his very presence, "Where are you going sho late shweetheart?" His speech was slurred. "The winter sol-" "The SOLSTICE!" He laughed, his breath was nauseating. "Have fun." He winked. She left as fast as she could. Oh, how she hated that pony. The cold air hit her face, nipping at her nose. It was colder then the past couple nights, and her breath fogged infront of her. Whispers watched the ponies parade in crowds in front of her, heading to the square for festivities. She slipped in easily and walked with them, magic stilling her bit bang to cease the noise of jingling bits. If she was silent, she wouldn't stand out, and if she didn't stand out, no one would look at her. Ponies bothered her, certain ponies more then other. Her first impression of ponies often stuck hard and fast, unmoving. She was shy, extremely shy. A nervous kind of shy. She didn't like to speak, she didn't like to disagree, she just wanted to either be liked or unnoticed. A head full of secrets, and a mouth that almost never opens. She questioned her actually being at the festival. If she didn't like crowds, why would she go? She has managed to slip into most events silently and unnoticed in her two years in Ponyville. She left home at age 16, lived with an aunt for a year, then set out for Ponyville. Whispers lied about her age to get an apartment at that shifty old building, and had been there since. She was 19 now. She strolled about the square, the sun had set, and the lights had turned on. They cast their glows of many colors onto the plaza below. She considered buying something once the ponies had gathered to hear their Lunar Princess speak. As the crowd gathered she shrunk back to the many surrounding vendors. A friendly stallion at a hot chocolate stand smiled at her as she walked up. "Can I interest you in a hot cocoa to warm you up Miss?" Whispers voice ceased up, her eyes wide, she could never mentally prepare herself enough to talk to strangers. A simple nod was her reply. He poured the hot chocolatey smooth liquid into a mug, handing it to her. She took it with her magic, setting 5 bits infront of her. "Thank you, enjoy!" She nodded and sipped her mug, letting it warm her up a bit. Something caught her eye and she turned her head sharply, her bit bag jingling. She looked around, but nothing was found. Her heart raced, she hated the feeling of thinking something, or somepony was around her, and she didn't know it. She shook out her brown curls and found a spot to watch the Princess where she would not have to deal with so many ponies. She stood by a building wall along the outside of the square. She heard a rush of movement behind her. Her ears perked, and she turned again. Whisper's heart raced, she was sure there was something there now. Her hooves shifted uncomfortably. She didn't know what to do, if somepony was following her would moving be her best option? Staying surely wasn't! She moved to take a couple steps forward, the crowd cheered as Luna finished her speech. Something grabbed her tail and she felt herself being forcefully tugged backwards. She screamed, but a feathered wing stuffed her mouth, muffling it halfway through. The being brought her back into an alley, snow crunched beneath their feet. She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes. She saw talons. A griffon? The winged creature violently turned her around, slamming her head up against the cold bricks. Another muffled scream. A pony emerged from the dark, flanked by another griffon. His eyes were dark and cold. She shook in terror. WHUMP! Ultra didn't know what the sound was. All he knew was that nopony else had heard it but him. As Applejack and company cheered on Luna as she exited the stage. His curiosity got the better of him, and he approached the source of the sound. As he got closer, he could swear he heard the sound of a muffled voice. He followed the voice until it led him to an abandoned alley. Cautiously, Ultra peeked into the alley. His eyes widened and his heart started beating rapidly as his eyes gazed upon a large pony and two griffons mugging an innocent, lavender unicorn. The griffons had her overpowered against a wall as the pony was attempting to steal away the bits in a pouch around her neck. Ultra turned to get help, but stopped. He knew it would be too late if he went to get help. He needed to act, and he needed to act now. Ultra readied himself for attack. 3... He beat his wings, trying to stop shaking. ...2... All fear was gone. He was ready. ...1! With one magnificent burst of energy, he rounded the corner and dashed towards the unicorn's assailants, never looking back. Whispers's Savior"Why, helloooooooo missy." The large pony sneered at Whispers as she trembled under the gryphon's grasp. "Claws. Take her bits." The gryphon named Claws stepped forward and yanked on bag around her neck. Whispers struggled against the gryphon's powerful tug, grabbing trying to grab the bag from him. "N-No!" she yelled at the gryphon, who was laughing at her efforts. Frantically, she scanned the alley for weapons she could use against her attackers, and her eyes locked onto the mug of hot cocoa laying in the snow, the cocoa safely preserved inside the cup. On instinct, she grasped the mug with her magic and, in one swift motion, flung the hot cocoa from the mug in into the faces of the pony and the other gryphon. The two cried out, causing Claws to spin around. Acting quickly and on impulse, she shattered the empty mug against his skull, knocking him to the ground. Whispers immediately turned to run, but was tripped by the other gryphon. She hit hard, her nose impacting with the hard ground. She slowly looked up to see a brown earth pony, just staring into the alley. "Please...help me..." she barely got out. The earth pony responded by turning and walking away. Tears streamed down her face as she felt another pull on her tail. However, this time, she was tossed into the side of a nearby dumpster. The pain was terrible, because of the raw power of the half-lion, half-eagle. Looking back up, she saw him wake up Claws. But that's not all she saw. WHACK!!! A hoof. The impact was unspeakably painful. She managed the open her tear-filled eyes to see the large pony staring down at her, his eyes full of rage and disdain. "Ooooooh...ooooh you are REALLY gonna regret doing that little lady, if my name ain't Brass Knuckles." He struck again, this time square in the gut, taking away her breath. Panic was setting in, be it from the mugging or the fact that she couldn't breathe. "Jackle." Brass called to the other gryphon, "Get her bits. Obviously Claws can't handle ONE useless little filly." "Right away, boss." Jackle walked up to Whispers and pulled on the bag, breaking the string around her neck. Whispers didn't try to get it back. She was defeated. Jackle opened the bag and emptied the contents into his hand. "'Bout 60 bits here, boss." "Well, that's a pretty good haul..." he said, slowly leaning down to a beaten and broken Whispers who was sobbing profusely. "However...its not gonna pay for what you did to us." And with that, a hoof struck her in the head, and her world went dark. The three still mercilessly beat on her unconscious body, until, all of a sudden, a voice called out from down the alley. "Hey! Buckheads! Get your hooves and talons OFF OF HER!" The three turned around to see a blue pegasus glaring at them, wings outstretched. "Well, well, well...seems we got a vigilante on our hands, boys." They laughed as they approached him. "Let her go. And leave her bits." Ultra said, trying his best to be intimidating. "Why?" asked Brass, chuckling to himself, "Who is gonna make us? You? This is none of your dang business, kid." "Yes it is." With that, Ultra spun around quickly and bucked Brass Knuckles in the jaw, causing him to cry out and fall to the ground. Instantly, the Claws lunged forward and tackled Ultra to the ground, raining blows on him over and over. Ultra overcame him however throwing him off and getting back up. Brass dashed away, grabbing the bit bag and flapping his wings to gain altitude. "Boss! Where are you going?!" Jackle called after him. "You guys are on your own. I'm outta here!" Ultra shot his gaze towards Brass and instinctively rocketed into the sky after him. Brass's large size slowed him down, and allowed Ultra to catch up to him easily, tackling him to the ground below. However, as they hit the ground, Ultra was shifted underneath Brass, and the pegasus's weight and the speed of the fall managed the hit Ultra hard, dislocating his right wing. Ultra screamed out in pain, but shook it off. Now wasn't the time to hurt. It was the time to make THEM hurt. With his one bad wing dangling limply at his side, he continued his assault, wildly lashing out at the muggers. No matter how much pain they dealt him, he kept fighting back determined to help the mare. Eventually, they backed off, and Ultra knelt by Whispers and extended his one good wing in defense. The wing bared the bit bag, which he had managed the steal back from Brass. "Now...BACK OFF!!!" Ultra screamed at her attackers through deep breaths. "Boss...this guy is serious." Jackle whispered to Brass. "Yeah..." Brass responded. "FINE. We'll leave. But hear this, bucko! We'll be back for you! AND for her!" And with that, Brass and his goons took off into the shadows. Ultra relaxed his body, which probably wasn't the best idea, since all of the built up pain suddenly rocked his nerves as he grunted and cringed. He turned back to the unicorn. "Hey...hey, are you okay?" There was no response. Oh no...am I too late? "Ultra? Oh, ponyfeathers. What happened to y'all?" Applejack's familiar voice was unmistakable. She dashed to Ultra's side. "Mah stars, you look like you just got in one heck of a fight!" "I did." Ultra gestured over to Whispers. "Could you do me a favour...and check her into Ponyville General?" "What about you?" "I'll...be fine. It's not too far from here...After you do, come back...and tell Joy I'm alright...okay?" "Sure thing, sugarcube. She can stay at the farm tonight." "Thanks Applejack." Ultra helped Applejack lift Whispers onto her back, and then she took off for Ponyville General. Ultra started towards there too, but at a much slower pace. Why did he get involved? He could have just walked away and his life would be unchanged. But...maybe that's WHY he did it. Or maybe it was the desperate look in the unicorn's beautiful eyes. Either way, he knew it wasn't the last he would see of her. Not by a longshot. AwakeningWhispers slowly began to regain consciousness. She had been fading in and out for a good while now, as foreign sounds ran through her mind. However, this time, she finally seemed to be coming around, and light poured into her retina as shapes and objects began to form. And, eventually, Whispers realized she was in a comfortable hospital bed. Just as she awoke, a doctor wearing a name tag which read "Nurse Redheart" came to her side. "Aaaah, Miss Whispers. Glad to see you're awake." "Where...am I?" Whispers asked, still in a bit of a stupor and in quite a state of terror. "You're in Ponyville General, dear. Seems you were roughed up quite a bit, Celestia knows why, but at least we got you here in time." Nurse Redheart replied. Memories flooded Whispers's head of the brutal attack the night before. She tried to move, but stopped when she felt a sharp pain run through her entire body. "Oh, I would suggest not doing that. You're still in pretty bad shape. If it wasn't for your friend, I'm not sure if you would have made it." "Oh, my...wait, who?" "The stallion who saved your life, miss. You don't know him?" Saved my life? Whispers thought. "Is he here?" "Why, yes." answered Nurse Redheart, gesturing towards the curtain on the other side of Whispers's bed. "He's right behind that curtain. The doctor is setting his wing. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you after he's done, though." Whispers's heart beat rapidly and uncontrollably, and suddenly, she didn't want to be in her bed anymore. She just wanted to get out of there by any means necessary. Feeling the pain of each movement, she kicked off the covers and sat up, turning so her legs dangled over the side of the bed. Nurse Redheart rushed to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Dear, you need to lay down. You are in no condition to be-" "No!" Whispers yelped, shrugging her hoof off her shoulder. "Get off me! I need to go home!" She hopped off the bed and tried make a break for it. However, the immense pain was too much for her, and her legs gave out as she tumbled to the ground. "Sweet Celestia...Someone, I need help over here!" Nurse Redheart called out. Several doctors rushed to the collapsed Whispers and tried to help her back to her bed. However, this proved to only put her into a deeper state of panic, crying and hyperventilating as she thrashed all the doctors off of her, still in unbelievable pain. This state of panic was like a wide awake nightmare to Whispers, until she heard one voice that stood out in her mind. She turned towards the source of the voice to see a blue pegasus smiling down at her. "Hey. You okay?" he said as gently as he could. He gestured towards to doctors as if to tell them to step back. So, all the surrounding doctors slowly backed up as the pegasus approached her. "You're in pretty bad shape. I know you're scared, but you need to let the doctors, help you, okay? I promise, there's nothing to be afraid of." The pegasus's voice swiftly calmed her down, and her heart rate returned to normal. Glancing over, she saw that the pegasus's wing hung limply to his side. Slowly, he reached down to her with one hoof. "Here. I'll help you back into bed." he said, smiling at her. She returned a timid smile and reached out, grasping his hoof as he pulled her up and slowly helped her back to her bed. Once Whispers was back into bed, the pegasus looked at her and said, "Now, you have to promise me to be brave, okay? Don't be scared. Everyone here is here to help you get better." Whispers was exhausted, but she nodded back. The pegasus gave her a big smile back and turned to leave, but Whispers stopped him. "Wait!" she said, beginning to drift off. The pegasus turned back around to face her. "Yes?" "Were...you the pony who saved me?" The pegasus smiled again. "Yes, that was me." "Did...did they do that to you?" she asked, pointing at his paralysed wing. "Yeah." he responded. "I...I'm so sorry..." "Hey, don't be. The doctors say it'll be fine once it's set. I'll just need to stay off it for a few days. Never really used them THAT much anyway." His look was not one of contempt for the pony that caused him to dislocate his wing, but rather of someone who was more than happy to sacrifice his wing for her. This baffled Whispers. Who would be willing to give up something like that for her? "...What's your name?" he asked. Whispers froze up. She never usually gave out her name. Giving out that sort of information gave her an identity, something people would know about her. However, she looked into the pegasus's deep, blue eyes and felt a sense of comfort that she never really felt in another pony. She felt...safe. "...Whispers." she responded, reluctantly. "Whispers...what a pretty name." he said. Whisp blushed...pretty? She'd never had anyone tell her that her name was pretty. "Anyway, I've gotta go get the doc to fix me up. Maybe I'll...see you later?" Whispers stayed silent. "...Okay. So I'll see you some other time, okay?" She nodded, and with that, he and one of the doctors left the room, leaving Whispers deep in thought about the the blue pegasus. Whispers had known his name. Even if she hadn't moved into an apartment right across from Ultra's house, everyone eventually learned the name of the owner of Ponyville's only arcade. Occasionally, she would glance out the window and notice him talking to arcade-dwellers or tending to his house, but she had never actually exchanged words with the stallion, though they had made eye contact a few brief times as she passed the arcade. "One...two...THREE!!" The doctor yanked on Ultra's wing, setting it back into place. Ultra cried out in pain as the wing locked back into its joint. "Ugh...Sweet Celestia, that hurt..." Ultra moaned. "Well, just let me put it in a wing sling, and I'll give you a couple painkillers for it." The doctor set to work, preparing everything he needed to set up the sling. "You know...that was a fine thing you did, Mr. Combo, saving that girl. Never seen anypony pull off a stunt like that." "Heh, thanks." Ultra responded. "So," the doctor continued, "why did you do it?" "Huh?" "You didn't HAVE to save her. Your life could have stayed just the way it was if you didn't save her. So why do it in the first place?" Ultra hesitated. "I...I don't really know...Maybe that's just it. Maybe I did it because I was tired of being in the same old rut every single day. But...I'm not even sure myself. I might be completely off." "Heh. I guess the world will never know." joked the doctor as he finished up his work on the sling. "Well, you should be all good to go. You're free to check out anytime you want, Mr. Combo." And with that, the doctor left the room. Ultra decided to not check out, however. He had other plans for before he left. He left his room and set off back towards Whispers's room. When Skies Are GreyWhispers laid in bed, alone in her room. All of the doctors had cleared out to give her time to rest, but she simply couldn't. Her mind couldn't get off Ultra. She felt awful, knowing that she caused Ultra such pain. She no longer felt as much pain from her own bruises, only the aching pain that she had caused him pain. She sat up, wincing from the pain, and looked at the button to call the nurse. She reached over tentitively, her hoof hovering over it. She bit her lip, pressed it, and waited. A nurse entered the room shortly after. "What can I do for you, Miss Whispers?" she asked with a smile. She jumped a little. "Uhm...I...uhm...I was...uh...I was...was wondering...if...if..." She stammered and stuttered uncontrollably. She watched as the nurse stood in the doorway, waiting patiently. She swallowed, making a gulping noise. She just wanted to see Ultra, talk to him now that she was calmed down. "Some...water...maybe..." "Certainly. Be back in a moment." the nurse said, exiting room. Whisp sighed and sat back. If only she could muster up the courage...if only- All of a sudden there was a knocking at her door. Hmm? That was quick. "Uhm...c-come in?" The door slowly opened, and standing in the doorway to her room was Ultra Combo. "Umm...hi." Ultra said nervously. Whispers's eyes went wide. "U-Ultra?" "Yeah...Hey, Whisp...Can I come in?" Ultra asked. Whispers stared, eyes wide. Nopony ever called her Whisp. Her heart started to race, as it was shown on the monitor. "A-Are you okay?" Ultra asked, concerned. She nodded quickly. "A-are you?" "Umm...yeah. Now that I know that you're okay, I mean." Ultra said, stepping into the room and sitting down next to her bed. Whisp froze and her back stiffened. A long moment passed until she said, "Why...?" Ultra looked confused, but said, "Well...because...if I had just left you out there, you might have died..." He hesitated. "...And Equestria would have lost a really beautiful girl. I couldn't allow that." Instantly, Whispers's heart moniter began to slow, a blush spreading across her face. "Oh...uhm...really?" "Yeah. I especially like your mane." He smiled at her, happy that she was warming up to him. However, in Whispers's head, she was beginning to have doubts. Nopony cares about you like this. He's just some random stranger. Her eyes flickered and expression went blank. He's lying... "Whispers...are you okay?" Ultra asked, noticing her sudden mood swing. Tears dripped down her cheek. She said nothing and turned her head away, her emotions confused and jumbled. "Just..." She choked back a sob. "Are...are you crying?" The sight of the unicorn's tears broke Ultra's heart. Suddenly, his body betrayed his mind for a moment and he gently gave Whispers a hug as to not hurt her. "I'm sorry if I said something. I'll...I'll go if you want me to." Whispers's body tensed. He didn't like it when anypony touched her. Her shoulders trembled and shook. Ultra felt her body tense so he backed off, confused. "I'm...I'm sorry..." he said, turning to leave, wondering what he did to upset her. White magic engulfed the door and it swung open. "Get out!!! Get out!!!!" Ultra trudged out of the room. He was distraught, not knowing what he had done to cause such an outburst. However, before he could formulate any thoughts, he heard a loud CRASH from Whispers's room and dashed back. When he got back to the room, he saw Whispers on the floor, panicking. Her IV had been ripped out and blood spurted from the entry point. He saw that her heartbeat monitor had been bucked in. She locked eyes with him as tears poured from her eyes, collapsed on the floor, crying and hyperventilating. "Whispers!!!" Ultra bolted to her side and put a hoof on the bleeding to stop it. "Oh my Celestia...Somepony help!!" At first no doctors responded. Panicking, Ultra's mind began to wander, until suddenly a memory resurfaced from his childhood as he looked into the mare's terrified eyes. 10 years ago CRACKA-BOOOOOM!!! "AAAAAAAH!!" Ultra cowered under his blankets as the storm raged on outside his window, lightning striking constantly and thunder shaking the house. Ultra's door opened, and his mother entered the room. "Honey, everything his okay..." she said, petting the lump in Ultra's sheets. "N-n-n-no it's not!" Ultra stammered. Blueprint lifted the covers over Ultra's head and looked him in the eye. "Now, Ultra Combo. I heard someone tell me you where the bravest colt to ever live. You wouldn't want to prove them wrong would you?" Ultra reluctantly shook his head. "Well, stay brave, little Ultra. Everything will be fine." She hugged Ultra close, and Ultra closed his eyes, trying to block out the thunder. She knew there was only one way to calm her little boy down. She started to sing... You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So, please don't take, my sunshine away... Ultra sat there, contemplating that night, and knew it was the best course of action he could think of. So, he propped up Whisper's head and began to sing. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So, please don't take, my sunshine away... As doctors began entering the room, she looked up at him, confused by this care he was taking over her. Why was he doing this? Why did he care? A doctor rushed up to Ultra. "You! Get out of here!" He turned to another doctor. "Yes, bring it..." The doctor rushed out and returned with a needle and sedatives. Oh no...No... "No!!!" Whispers screamed, curling up on the floor, mind going back into panic. Ultra stood in defiance of the nurses. "Back off for one minute!" he cried to them. A doctor shoved passed Ultra and approached Whispers, needle in hoof. "Boy, you know nothing. Now get out of here!" The doctor stuck the needle into Whispers's arm and pressed down on the plunger. Instantly, Whispers became fuzzy, losing consciousness. The last thing she saw before completely blacking out was Ultra's face, staring down at her in concern. About an hour later, Whispers awoke. Upon opening her eyes, she noticed she was in a new room. This room seemed much more isolated and quiet. Her mind was foggy, and her vision was cloudy. She tried to move, but couldn't. The pain was too great. Just before she decided to go back to sleep, she heard a sound coming from the side of the bed. Carefully, she turned and looked at the floor beside her bed. There, curled up on the floor, was Ultra. "Ultra?" she said weakly. Whispers's voice woke Ultra from his slumber, and he turned to face her. "Huh...Whispers?" "Y-your...still here?" He sat up and yawned. "Yeah...I couldn't leave a friend like that, could I?" She blinked. "F...Friend?" "Yeah. Or...do you not want to be my friend?" "You...you shouldn't be friends with me..." "What? Why?" She looked out the window, her eyes sad, "It never works out..." "Well, worth a shot, right?" he said, smiling to her. "You almost died out there for me...Why try?" "Because...I dunno. I was drawn to you. I...I really have no idea why. I've never done anything like that for anypony...you...you're special." he said, emphasizing the word "special". She was a sad, shy, negative pony. Her mind thought differently, and she had experienced what nopony should ever have to experience. She was secretive, and didn't trust others easily. "Ultra...you...you live close to me...I've seen you before." "Oh, really? Where do you live?" "Quarters Apartments..." She said the name quietly. "Oh wow, that is close!" He smiled at her, happy he could talk to her now. "I'm sorry for whatever I did last night..." She said nothing. After a long silence, Ultra said, "Hey, Whispers?...Maybe...after you're all healed up...would you like to...I dunno...go do something with me?" Ultra's heart pounded. She lowered her head, quietly responding, "M-maybe..." "Really? Aw, that's awesome!" Ultra smiled at her, hoping maybe he could get one out of her. "Well...you look really tired. You'd better get some shuteye." he said. "O-Okay..." she said, curling back up in her blanket. Quietly, she said, "Goodnight, Ultra." Ultra smiled. "Goodnight...Whisp." Ultra fell asleep with a smile on his face, hoping he could one day make her smile as well.
Solstice"So, wait, y'all are sayin' yah've NEVER been to the Winter Solstice?" "Nope. Never really saw the point." Ultra, Applejack, Joystick, and Applebloom were on their way to the Winter Soltice Festival in the town square. In all his years that he had spent living in Ponyville, he had only ever watched the other residents participate in the games and events, and it was very nice to be able to go with friends. The company was all bundled up for the cold, as it was more chilly than usual, seeing as the sun was already setting. Ultra was never a fan of winter. He much preferred the summer. But, Joystick seemed to enjoy it, so he had to at least pretend to. Applejack and Ultra kept chatting while Joy and Apple Bloom chased each other around playfully. "Well," Applejack said, "Y'all're in fer a good time! Lots of games and events, and even a visit from Princess Luna herself!" "Sounds like a great time!" Ultra replied as they entered the town square, where there were indeed many events set up. Almost instantaneously, Joystick and Apple Bloom bolted towards the commotion. "Hey! You two be careful, okay?!" "We willlll!" Joystick called back before disappearing into the crowd. Ultra and Applejack proceeded to look around. Ultra was deep in thought, however, thinking about what he had done since adopting Joy. After working for almost a year on Sweet Apple Acres, Ultra had finally aquired the resources to open an arcade in Ponyville, getting into contact with High Score, the owner of the old arcade he used to hang out at when he was a colt, and purchasing most of his cabinets. Now that he was living his foalhood dream, and he had his little sister, his best friend living with him, it couldn't get any better, right?...Right? Yes, even though he had seemingly cleared up every loose end in his life, there was still something missing. Even though Ultra was surrounded by some of the best friends he could ever have, he felt almost...lonely? No, that couldn't be right. That would make no sense. Unless... "Applejack?" Ultra said, breaking his own train of thought. "Yes, sugarcube?" Applejack replied. "Have you ever...thought about looking for your special somepony? You know, somepony you...love?" he asked her. Applejack was taken offguard by his question. "Why're ya askin' 'bout that now, Ultra?" "I dunno..." Ultra said, "Just...been thinking, y'know? I've just...I...I really don't know...I feel...incomplete. And I know that sounds selfish. I mean, I have so many wonderful friends willing to do anything for me, and a beautiful sister that I love so much. I have a stable, well-paying career, and my life, by all means, should be considered PERFECT...but..." Ultra peetered out, unable to find words for how he was feeling. Applejack sighed and put a hoof around his shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Life has it's mysteries, and yer very special somepony is one of 'em. I believe everypony has one and everypony will meet their's sometime in their life." Applejack turned and pointed at two mares walking side by side, one mint-colored and the other cream-colored. "Just look at Lyra and Bon Bon. Look how happy they are. That's how you will be when you meet yers. Happy as can be, sugarcube. All you need is patience." She shot him a friendly smile, and he returned with another one. "Thanks AJ. You always know just what to say." he thanked. Just as AJ was about to respond, Joy and Apple Bloom bounded into view. "Hey! Princess Luna is about to arrive!" Joy cried, and as quickly as you could see them, they were gone. "Good heavens! Wouldn't wanna miss that, now would we?" And with that, they galloped after the girls. She's right. Ultra thought, My special somepony could be right around the corner. The lavender colored unicorn gazed out her one window, dust particles shone through the dull light, and she sighed. Everypony was walking to the winter solstice festival while she still debated whether or not to attend. She shifted her gaze to her unfinished painting and wondered if it would just be another dusty canvas up against the wall, inspiration lost, dead and dull, like the rest of them. She sighed and set her front hooves on the creaky wooden floors, looking over her small apartment. She had just paid the rent, so she had some extra bits to attend the festival if she pleased. The unicorn shifted her weight from hoof to hoof, should she go? It would be dark... she wouldn't be noticed. A soft white glow emitted from her horn, it enveloped her bit bag and she carefully slid it over her neck. The bag was white, and had her name embroidered on the inside hem: Whispers. White fluffy earmuffs flew from her closet, as well as a white saddle to keep her back warm. They weren't the utmost top quality of clothing; the color had faded to an off white. She adjusted them to fit just right, constantly checking herself from every angle. She sure cared a lot about appearance when she would rather hide from other ponies. She removed a scarf from atop a cage and flung it over her shoulders. Two black rodents stood up, their small claws on the cage bars, tiny noses twitching. She smiled at her guinea pigs, leaning in to see them. They were sleek and black, the smaller one, Nicholas had a white diamond on his forehead. The fatter of the two, Prince, had fur that covered his eyes. "Goodbye my piggies, I'll see you later tonight." She kissed the bars and headed out the door. She walked down the flights of stairs to the lobby of the apartment building. The owner, Livin Quarters, stood leaned over the counter, flirting with the receptionist. That stallion made her sick, he was such a dirty little swine. She went to leave through the front doors but he spotted her and called her name, "Whisper-baby!" Her gut wretched and she stopped moving. She could smell the vile alcohol off his very presence, "Where are you going sho late shweetheart?" His speech was slurred. "The winter sol-" "The SOLSTICE!" He laughed, his breath was nauseating. "Have fun." He winked. She left as fast as she could. Oh, how she hated that pony. The cold air hit her face, nipping at her nose. It was colder then the past couple nights, and her breath fogged infront of her. Whispers watched the ponies parade in crowds in front of her, heading to the square for festivities. She slipped in easily and walked with them, magic stilling her bit bang to cease the noise of jingling bits. If she was silent, she wouldn't stand out, and if she didn't stand out, no one would look at her. Ponies bothered her, certain ponies more then other. Her first impression of ponies often stuck hard and fast, unmoving. She was shy, extremely shy. A nervous kind of shy. She didn't like to speak, she didn't like to disagree, she just wanted to either be liked or unnoticed. A head full of secrets, and a mouth that almost never opens. She questioned her actually being at the festival. If she didn't like crowds, why would she go? She has managed to slip into most events silently and unnoticed in her two years in Ponyville. She left home at age 16, lived with an aunt for a year, then set out for Ponyville. Whispers lied about her age to get an apartment at that shifty old building, and had been there since. She was 19 now. She strolled about the square, the sun had set, and the lights had turned on. They cast their glows of many colors onto the plaza below. She considered buying something once the ponies had gathered to hear their Lunar Princess speak. As the crowd gathered she shrunk back to the many surrounding vendors. A friendly stallion at a hot chocolate stand smiled at her as she walked up. "Can I interest you in a hot cocoa to warm you up Miss?" Whispers voice ceased up, her eyes wide, she could never mentally prepare herself enough to talk to strangers. A simple nod was her reply. He poured the hot chocolatey smooth liquid into a mug, handing it to her. She took it with her magic, setting 5 bits infront of her. "Thank you, enjoy!" She nodded and sipped her mug, letting it warm her up a bit. Something caught her eye and she turned her head sharply, her bit bag jingling. She looked around, but nothing was found. Her heart raced, she hated the feeling of thinking something, or somepony was around her, and she didn't know it. She shook out her brown curls and found a spot to watch the Princess where she would not have to deal with so many ponies. She stood by a building wall along the outside of the square. She heard a rush of movement behind her. Her ears perked, and she turned again. Whisper's heart raced, she was sure there was something there now. Her hooves shifted uncomfortably. She didn't know what to do, if somepony was following her would moving be her best option? Staying surely wasn't! She moved to take a couple steps forward, the crowd cheered as Luna finished her speech. Something grabbed her tail and she felt herself being forcefully tugged backwards. She screamed, but a feathered wing stuffed her mouth, muffling it halfway through. The being brought her back into an alley, snow crunched beneath their feet. She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes. She saw talons. A griffon? The winged creature violently turned her around, slamming her head up against the cold bricks. Another muffled scream. A pony emerged from the dark, flanked by another griffon. His eyes were dark and cold. She shook in terror. WHUMP! Ultra didn't know what the sound was. All he knew was that nopony else had heard it but him. As Applejack and company cheered on Luna as she exited the stage. His curiosity got the better of him, and he approached the source of the sound. As he got closer, he could swear he heard the sound of a muffled voice. He followed the voice until it led him to an abandoned alley. Cautiously, Ultra peeked into the alley. His eyes widened and his heart started beating rapidly as his eyes gazed upon a large pony and two griffons mugging an innocent, lavender unicorn. The griffons had her overpowered against a wall as the pony was attempting to steal away the bits in a pouch around her neck. Ultra turned to get help, but stopped. He knew it would be too late if he went to get help. He needed to act, and he needed to act now. Ultra readied himself for attack. 3... He beat his wings, trying to stop shaking. ...2... All fear was gone. He was ready. ...1! With one magnificent burst of energy, he rounded the corner and dashed towards the unicorn's assailants, never looking back.
Whispers's Savior"Why, helloooooooo missy." The large pony sneered at Whispers as she trembled under the gryphon's grasp. "Claws. Take her bits." The gryphon named Claws stepped forward and yanked on bag around her neck. Whispers struggled against the gryphon's powerful tug, grabbing trying to grab the bag from him. "N-No!" she yelled at the gryphon, who was laughing at her efforts. Frantically, she scanned the alley for weapons she could use against her attackers, and her eyes locked onto the mug of hot cocoa laying in the snow, the cocoa safely preserved inside the cup. On instinct, she grasped the mug with her magic and, in one swift motion, flung the hot cocoa from the mug in into the faces of the pony and the other gryphon. The two cried out, causing Claws to spin around. Acting quickly and on impulse, she shattered the empty mug against his skull, knocking him to the ground. Whispers immediately turned to run, but was tripped by the other gryphon. She hit hard, her nose impacting with the hard ground. She slowly looked up to see a brown earth pony, just staring into the alley. "Please...help me..." she barely got out. The earth pony responded by turning and walking away. Tears streamed down her face as she felt another pull on her tail. However, this time, she was tossed into the side of a nearby dumpster. The pain was terrible, because of the raw power of the half-lion, half-eagle. Looking back up, she saw him wake up Claws. But that's not all she saw. WHACK!!! A hoof. The impact was unspeakably painful. She managed the open her tear-filled eyes to see the large pony staring down at her, his eyes full of rage and disdain. "Ooooooh...ooooh you are REALLY gonna regret doing that little lady, if my name ain't Brass Knuckles." He struck again, this time square in the gut, taking away her breath. Panic was setting in, be it from the mugging or the fact that she couldn't breathe. "Jackle." Brass called to the other gryphon, "Get her bits. Obviously Claws can't handle ONE useless little filly." "Right away, boss." Jackle walked up to Whispers and pulled on the bag, breaking the string around her neck. Whispers didn't try to get it back. She was defeated. Jackle opened the bag and emptied the contents into his hand. "'Bout 60 bits here, boss." "Well, that's a pretty good haul..." he said, slowly leaning down to a beaten and broken Whispers who was sobbing profusely. "However...its not gonna pay for what you did to us." And with that, a hoof struck her in the head, and her world went dark. The three still mercilessly beat on her unconscious body, until, all of a sudden, a voice called out from down the alley. "Hey! Buckheads! Get your hooves and talons OFF OF HER!" The three turned around to see a blue pegasus glaring at them, wings outstretched. "Well, well, well...seems we got a vigilante on our hands, boys." They laughed as they approached him. "Let her go. And leave her bits." Ultra said, trying his best to be intimidating. "Why?" asked Brass, chuckling to himself, "Who is gonna make us? You? This is none of your dang business, kid." "Yes it is." With that, Ultra spun around quickly and bucked Brass Knuckles in the jaw, causing him to cry out and fall to the ground. Instantly, the Claws lunged forward and tackled Ultra to the ground, raining blows on him over and over. Ultra overcame him however throwing him off and getting back up. Brass dashed away, grabbing the bit bag and flapping his wings to gain altitude. "Boss! Where are you going?!" Jackle called after him. "You guys are on your own. I'm outta here!" Ultra shot his gaze towards Brass and instinctively rocketed into the sky after him. Brass's large size slowed him down, and allowed Ultra to catch up to him easily, tackling him to the ground below. However, as they hit the ground, Ultra was shifted underneath Brass, and the pegasus's weight and the speed of the fall managed the hit Ultra hard, dislocating his right wing. Ultra screamed out in pain, but shook it off. Now wasn't the time to hurt. It was the time to make THEM hurt. With his one bad wing dangling limply at his side, he continued his assault, wildly lashing out at the muggers. No matter how much pain they dealt him, he kept fighting back determined to help the mare. Eventually, they backed off, and Ultra knelt by Whispers and extended his one good wing in defense. The wing bared the bit bag, which he had managed the steal back from Brass. "Now...BACK OFF!!!" Ultra screamed at her attackers through deep breaths. "Boss...this guy is serious." Jackle whispered to Brass. "Yeah..." Brass responded. "FINE. We'll leave. But hear this, bucko! We'll be back for you! AND for her!" And with that, Brass and his goons took off into the shadows. Ultra relaxed his body, which probably wasn't the best idea, since all of the built up pain suddenly rocked his nerves as he grunted and cringed. He turned back to the unicorn. "Hey...hey, are you okay?" There was no response. Oh no...am I too late? "Ultra? Oh, ponyfeathers. What happened to y'all?" Applejack's familiar voice was unmistakable. She dashed to Ultra's side. "Mah stars, you look like you just got in one heck of a fight!" "I did." Ultra gestured over to Whispers. "Could you do me a favour...and check her into Ponyville General?" "What about you?" "I'll...be fine. It's not too far from here...After you do, come back...and tell Joy I'm alright...okay?" "Sure thing, sugarcube. She can stay at the farm tonight." "Thanks Applejack." Ultra helped Applejack lift Whispers onto her back, and then she took off for Ponyville General. Ultra started towards there too, but at a much slower pace. Why did he get involved? He could have just walked away and his life would be unchanged. But...maybe that's WHY he did it. Or maybe it was the desperate look in the unicorn's beautiful eyes. Either way, he knew it wasn't the last he would see of her. Not by a longshot.
AwakeningWhispers slowly began to regain consciousness. She had been fading in and out for a good while now, as foreign sounds ran through her mind. However, this time, she finally seemed to be coming around, and light poured into her retina as shapes and objects began to form. And, eventually, Whispers realized she was in a comfortable hospital bed. Just as she awoke, a doctor wearing a name tag which read "Nurse Redheart" came to her side. "Aaaah, Miss Whispers. Glad to see you're awake." "Where...am I?" Whispers asked, still in a bit of a stupor and in quite a state of terror. "You're in Ponyville General, dear. Seems you were roughed up quite a bit, Celestia knows why, but at least we got you here in time." Nurse Redheart replied. Memories flooded Whispers's head of the brutal attack the night before. She tried to move, but stopped when she felt a sharp pain run through her entire body. "Oh, I would suggest not doing that. You're still in pretty bad shape. If it wasn't for your friend, I'm not sure if you would have made it." "Oh, my...wait, who?" "The stallion who saved your life, miss. You don't know him?" Saved my life? Whispers thought. "Is he here?" "Why, yes." answered Nurse Redheart, gesturing towards the curtain on the other side of Whispers's bed. "He's right behind that curtain. The doctor is setting his wing. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you after he's done, though." Whispers's heart beat rapidly and uncontrollably, and suddenly, she didn't want to be in her bed anymore. She just wanted to get out of there by any means necessary. Feeling the pain of each movement, she kicked off the covers and sat up, turning so her legs dangled over the side of the bed. Nurse Redheart rushed to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Dear, you need to lay down. You are in no condition to be-" "No!" Whispers yelped, shrugging her hoof off her shoulder. "Get off me! I need to go home!" She hopped off the bed and tried make a break for it. However, the immense pain was too much for her, and her legs gave out as she tumbled to the ground. "Sweet Celestia...Someone, I need help over here!" Nurse Redheart called out. Several doctors rushed to the collapsed Whispers and tried to help her back to her bed. However, this proved to only put her into a deeper state of panic, crying and hyperventilating as she thrashed all the doctors off of her, still in unbelievable pain. This state of panic was like a wide awake nightmare to Whispers, until she heard one voice that stood out in her mind. She turned towards the source of the voice to see a blue pegasus smiling down at her. "Hey. You okay?" he said as gently as he could. He gestured towards to doctors as if to tell them to step back. So, all the surrounding doctors slowly backed up as the pegasus approached her. "You're in pretty bad shape. I know you're scared, but you need to let the doctors, help you, okay? I promise, there's nothing to be afraid of." The pegasus's voice swiftly calmed her down, and her heart rate returned to normal. Glancing over, she saw that the pegasus's wing hung limply to his side. Slowly, he reached down to her with one hoof. "Here. I'll help you back into bed." he said, smiling at her. She returned a timid smile and reached out, grasping his hoof as he pulled her up and slowly helped her back to her bed. Once Whispers was back into bed, the pegasus looked at her and said, "Now, you have to promise me to be brave, okay? Don't be scared. Everyone here is here to help you get better." Whispers was exhausted, but she nodded back. The pegasus gave her a big smile back and turned to leave, but Whispers stopped him. "Wait!" she said, beginning to drift off. The pegasus turned back around to face her. "Yes?" "Were...you the pony who saved me?" The pegasus smiled again. "Yes, that was me." "Did...did they do that to you?" she asked, pointing at his paralysed wing. "Yeah." he responded. "I...I'm so sorry..." "Hey, don't be. The doctors say it'll be fine once it's set. I'll just need to stay off it for a few days. Never really used them THAT much anyway." His look was not one of contempt for the pony that caused him to dislocate his wing, but rather of someone who was more than happy to sacrifice his wing for her. This baffled Whispers. Who would be willing to give up something like that for her? "...What's your name?" he asked. Whispers froze up. She never usually gave out her name. Giving out that sort of information gave her an identity, something people would know about her. However, she looked into the pegasus's deep, blue eyes and felt a sense of comfort that she never really felt in another pony. She felt...safe. "...Whispers." she responded, reluctantly. "Whispers...what a pretty name." he said. Whisp blushed...pretty? She'd never had anyone tell her that her name was pretty. "Anyway, I've gotta go get the doc to fix me up. Maybe I'll...see you later?" Whispers stayed silent. "...Okay. So I'll see you some other time, okay?" She nodded, and with that, he and one of the doctors left the room, leaving Whispers deep in thought about the the blue pegasus. Whispers had known his name. Even if she hadn't moved into an apartment right across from Ultra's house, everyone eventually learned the name of the owner of Ponyville's only arcade. Occasionally, she would glance out the window and notice him talking to arcade-dwellers or tending to his house, but she had never actually exchanged words with the stallion, though they had made eye contact a few brief times as she passed the arcade. "One...two...THREE!!" The doctor yanked on Ultra's wing, setting it back into place. Ultra cried out in pain as the wing locked back into its joint. "Ugh...Sweet Celestia, that hurt..." Ultra moaned. "Well, just let me put it in a wing sling, and I'll give you a couple painkillers for it." The doctor set to work, preparing everything he needed to set up the sling. "You know...that was a fine thing you did, Mr. Combo, saving that girl. Never seen anypony pull off a stunt like that." "Heh, thanks." Ultra responded. "So," the doctor continued, "why did you do it?" "Huh?" "You didn't HAVE to save her. Your life could have stayed just the way it was if you didn't save her. So why do it in the first place?" Ultra hesitated. "I...I don't really know...Maybe that's just it. Maybe I did it because I was tired of being in the same old rut every single day. But...I'm not even sure myself. I might be completely off." "Heh. I guess the world will never know." joked the doctor as he finished up his work on the sling. "Well, you should be all good to go. You're free to check out anytime you want, Mr. Combo." And with that, the doctor left the room. Ultra decided to not check out, however. He had other plans for before he left. He left his room and set off back towards Whispers's room.
When Skies Are GreyWhispers laid in bed, alone in her room. All of the doctors had cleared out to give her time to rest, but she simply couldn't. Her mind couldn't get off Ultra. She felt awful, knowing that she caused Ultra such pain. She no longer felt as much pain from her own bruises, only the aching pain that she had caused him pain. She sat up, wincing from the pain, and looked at the button to call the nurse. She reached over tentitively, her hoof hovering over it. She bit her lip, pressed it, and waited. A nurse entered the room shortly after. "What can I do for you, Miss Whispers?" she asked with a smile. She jumped a little. "Uhm...I...uhm...I was...uh...I was...was wondering...if...if..." She stammered and stuttered uncontrollably. She watched as the nurse stood in the doorway, waiting patiently. She swallowed, making a gulping noise. She just wanted to see Ultra, talk to him now that she was calmed down. "Some...water...maybe..." "Certainly. Be back in a moment." the nurse said, exiting room. Whisp sighed and sat back. If only she could muster up the courage...if only- All of a sudden there was a knocking at her door. Hmm? That was quick. "Uhm...c-come in?" The door slowly opened, and standing in the doorway to her room was Ultra Combo. "Umm...hi." Ultra said nervously. Whispers's eyes went wide. "U-Ultra?" "Yeah...Hey, Whisp...Can I come in?" Ultra asked. Whispers stared, eyes wide. Nopony ever called her Whisp. Her heart started to race, as it was shown on the monitor. "A-Are you okay?" Ultra asked, concerned. She nodded quickly. "A-are you?" "Umm...yeah. Now that I know that you're okay, I mean." Ultra said, stepping into the room and sitting down next to her bed. Whisp froze and her back stiffened. A long moment passed until she said, "Why...?" Ultra looked confused, but said, "Well...because...if I had just left you out there, you might have died..." He hesitated. "...And Equestria would have lost a really beautiful girl. I couldn't allow that." Instantly, Whispers's heart moniter began to slow, a blush spreading across her face. "Oh...uhm...really?" "Yeah. I especially like your mane." He smiled at her, happy that she was warming up to him. However, in Whispers's head, she was beginning to have doubts. Nopony cares about you like this. He's just some random stranger. Her eyes flickered and expression went blank. He's lying... "Whispers...are you okay?" Ultra asked, noticing her sudden mood swing. Tears dripped down her cheek. She said nothing and turned her head away, her emotions confused and jumbled. "Just..." She choked back a sob. "Are...are you crying?" The sight of the unicorn's tears broke Ultra's heart. Suddenly, his body betrayed his mind for a moment and he gently gave Whispers a hug as to not hurt her. "I'm sorry if I said something. I'll...I'll go if you want me to." Whispers's body tensed. He didn't like it when anypony touched her. Her shoulders trembled and shook. Ultra felt her body tense so he backed off, confused. "I'm...I'm sorry..." he said, turning to leave, wondering what he did to upset her. White magic engulfed the door and it swung open. "Get out!!! Get out!!!!" Ultra trudged out of the room. He was distraught, not knowing what he had done to cause such an outburst. However, before he could formulate any thoughts, he heard a loud CRASH from Whispers's room and dashed back. When he got back to the room, he saw Whispers on the floor, panicking. Her IV had been ripped out and blood spurted from the entry point. He saw that her heartbeat monitor had been bucked in. She locked eyes with him as tears poured from her eyes, collapsed on the floor, crying and hyperventilating. "Whispers!!!" Ultra bolted to her side and put a hoof on the bleeding to stop it. "Oh my Celestia...Somepony help!!" At first no doctors responded. Panicking, Ultra's mind began to wander, until suddenly a memory resurfaced from his childhood as he looked into the mare's terrified eyes. 10 years ago CRACKA-BOOOOOM!!! "AAAAAAAH!!" Ultra cowered under his blankets as the storm raged on outside his window, lightning striking constantly and thunder shaking the house. Ultra's door opened, and his mother entered the room. "Honey, everything his okay..." she said, petting the lump in Ultra's sheets. "N-n-n-no it's not!" Ultra stammered. Blueprint lifted the covers over Ultra's head and looked him in the eye. "Now, Ultra Combo. I heard someone tell me you where the bravest colt to ever live. You wouldn't want to prove them wrong would you?" Ultra reluctantly shook his head. "Well, stay brave, little Ultra. Everything will be fine." She hugged Ultra close, and Ultra closed his eyes, trying to block out the thunder. She knew there was only one way to calm her little boy down. She started to sing... You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So, please don't take, my sunshine away... Ultra sat there, contemplating that night, and knew it was the best course of action he could think of. So, he propped up Whisper's head and began to sing. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So, please don't take, my sunshine away... As doctors began entering the room, she looked up at him, confused by this care he was taking over her. Why was he doing this? Why did he care? A doctor rushed up to Ultra. "You! Get out of here!" He turned to another doctor. "Yes, bring it..." The doctor rushed out and returned with a needle and sedatives. Oh no...No... "No!!!" Whispers screamed, curling up on the floor, mind going back into panic. Ultra stood in defiance of the nurses. "Back off for one minute!" he cried to them. A doctor shoved passed Ultra and approached Whispers, needle in hoof. "Boy, you know nothing. Now get out of here!" The doctor stuck the needle into Whispers's arm and pressed down on the plunger. Instantly, Whispers became fuzzy, losing consciousness. The last thing she saw before completely blacking out was Ultra's face, staring down at her in concern. About an hour later, Whispers awoke. Upon opening her eyes, she noticed she was in a new room. This room seemed much more isolated and quiet. Her mind was foggy, and her vision was cloudy. She tried to move, but couldn't. The pain was too great. Just before she decided to go back to sleep, she heard a sound coming from the side of the bed. Carefully, she turned and looked at the floor beside her bed. There, curled up on the floor, was Ultra. "Ultra?" she said weakly. Whispers's voice woke Ultra from his slumber, and he turned to face her. "Huh...Whispers?" "Y-your...still here?" He sat up and yawned. "Yeah...I couldn't leave a friend like that, could I?" She blinked. "F...Friend?" "Yeah. Or...do you not want to be my friend?" "You...you shouldn't be friends with me..." "What? Why?" She looked out the window, her eyes sad, "It never works out..." "Well, worth a shot, right?" he said, smiling to her. "You almost died out there for me...Why try?" "Because...I dunno. I was drawn to you. I...I really have no idea why. I've never done anything like that for anypony...you...you're special." he said, emphasizing the word "special". She was a sad, shy, negative pony. Her mind thought differently, and she had experienced what nopony should ever have to experience. She was secretive, and didn't trust others easily. "Ultra...you...you live close to me...I've seen you before." "Oh, really? Where do you live?" "Quarters Apartments..." She said the name quietly. "Oh wow, that is close!" He smiled at her, happy he could talk to her now. "I'm sorry for whatever I did last night..." She said nothing. After a long silence, Ultra said, "Hey, Whispers?...Maybe...after you're all healed up...would you like to...I dunno...go do something with me?" Ultra's heart pounded. She lowered her head, quietly responding, "M-maybe..." "Really? Aw, that's awesome!" Ultra smiled at her, hoping maybe he could get one out of her. "Well...you look really tired. You'd better get some shuteye." he said. "O-Okay..." she said, curling back up in her blanket. Quietly, she said, "Goodnight, Ultra." Ultra smiled. "Goodnight...Whisp." Ultra fell asleep with a smile on his face, hoping he could one day make her smile as well.
