Handle with Careby gcsmithChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1You awoke to a world to a world of harsh light which scorched your cornea, surrounded by white you noticed the scenery was no different that it had been for the last three days. In fact, the room you were in had barely changed in the last three months, a fact you should no well, due to events out of your control you spent much of that time here, probably more than you had spent out in the world. You were of course in Ponyville Hospital, which you had gotten to see a lot of recently. It wasn't that you were accident prone, that was far from the truth. In fact, you were often the only pony left without injuries when accidents had happened at school and home when growing up. It just so happened that recently, you had started to be near ponies that had seem to attract a lot of hazardous events. It had all started when that violet pony had turned up for the summer sun festival, what was her name? Ahh yes Twilight Sparkle, or something similar. She seemed to be a right cause for trouble, and since you loved reading, you and her library were often caught in the middle of it. You looked down at your right fore hoof, tracing a line that snaked across it with your eyes. It was a scar, approximately a year old, and you remembered quite clearly how you acquired it. It had been a quiet day in Ponyville, Pinkie was stuck behind the counter at Sugarcube Corner and therefore the town was free from her musical outbursts and sanity destroying feats. You ventured that morning to the towns library, which happened to be run by that strange violet pony that had arrived mere months before, these trips to the library were one of the few luxuries you could still manage to give yourself. You had been short of cash since you had left home after finishing school, but at least you had until recently had your writing job, it wasn't much but the cash you got from writing information pamphlets for various companies around Equestria kept food on your plate, at least it had until the Nightmare Moon incident. In the chaos you had been trampled and of course fallen behind in your writing as you recovered in hospital. Unfortunately the large companies who hired you cared little for the cause of delays, and you soon found yourself untouchable. From then it was only the smaller companies, ones who didn't have the luxury of choice, that hired you. The pay was even worse than before, and soon the only entertainment you got were from the books from the Library. It wasn't something you minded all that much, you were a writer after all, reading was something you regularly enjoyed doing. However, with no bits to your name beyond those that put the food on your table, you found your social circle had shrunk down to only the Librarian and her assistant. And given her regular studies, they were always busy, often too busy to be much company. That particular day, they were as usual both up to their necks in books. The dragon, Spike you had heard Twilight call him, was busy tidying books away. Whereas, Twilight was bringing books down from the shelves and dumping them across the room at a quicker than he could put them away. Obviously this was leading to less and less room to navigate the mess safely. You entered the library, welcoming the shade and smell of books, causing a bell to jingle as the door closed behind you. Twilight quickly glanced up from her books, recognizing you she gave a nod. "It's good to see you again," she said, accompanied with a tired smile. "Sorry I can't be of much help right now, I trust I can leave you to sign your book out yourself?" You answered her with a curt nod, already lost in searching through the books left on the shelf, trying to find something to read. Obviously this was enough for her, and she quickly returned to her task. As you wondered over to the shelves, Spike noticed you and gave you a quick wave. You had never really exchanged words, but you had both seen each other enough to greet each other on sight. Sadly the wave meant he removed one hand from the stack of books he was carrying, and it seemed his other hand wasn't enough to carry the pile on its own. He staggered quickly across the room, almost cartoon like as he tried to maintain balance and avoid the books tumbling to the ground. It looked like his attempt was all for naught until you quickly placed your hooves either side of the stack and steadied it, allowing Spike to place them carefully on the ground. "Thanks," the dragon said, breathing profusely as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Thought I was a goner there." He held out a claw to shake which you took without a moments pause. "Name's Spike, sorry I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet. I know you've been in a lot recently, but as you can see, we've been kept rather busy." Shaking your head, you responded "It's ok, I guess the Princesses student must spend a lot of time studying, and I guess that requires a lot of tidying up." Spike nodded his agreement, "My name is Quill by the way." "Quill?" Spike looked confused, "Isn't that name kind of short for a pony. I can't imagine your parents simply naming you after a quill." A nervous blush rose to your cheeks as he mentioned this, something everyone did when you introduced yourself was question your name, sadly this meant you would have to give your full name. Something you really hated doing. "Well, my full name is Papyrus Parchment Golden Quillbert the Fourth." "Wow..." he stood there open mouthed, "That definitely is a longer name." You chuckled nervously, that was the second response you usually got when introducing yourself. "Yeah, I agree it's a bit long. It's a stupid family name thing, my dad named me after himself, and he was named after his dad. That's why I simply ask people to call me Quill. It can cause some confusion, but I think it suits me." You quickly pointed to your cutie mark as you said this, it was a large golden quill. Spike opened his mouth to give a response, probably something witty and clever, probably. Unfortunately, he was interrupted as one of the Library's windows was smashed and you were knocked quickly off your hooves by a speeding projectile. You briefly had time to process it was actually a speeding pony that had hit you before you collided with the wall and fell unconscious. This as it happens, was rather lucky, as a few seconds later a book case fell onto one of your hooves, creating a rather ugly looking gash. Something that would of been rather painful had you still been awake. Chapter 2You trace the scar on your one hoof with your other as you come out of your daydream, that was only the scar that was most clearly visible, since then you had gained a large amount of scars, mostly on your back or back legs. Taking a large breath of the processed hospital air, you twist your body side ways to glance at your back. Now clearly visible are large chunks of missing fur, areas which have been involved in various accidents and the fur seems like it will never grow back. It was a sight that made you cringe whenever you saw it, you couldn't escape the feeling that you looked hideous with all these scars and bald patches. Still, you could console yourself in the fact that it wasn't your fault, and that you noticed that whenever you had been in the library recently, Twilight always seemed to shoot you a look of sympathy. It wasn't the best of looks, not even a heart warming smile, but it was better than the horrified expression you expected everypony to have when looking at you. You will still looking at the scars, trying to remember what caused each of them, when you heard a door open and a pony walk into the room. "Looks like you've been through the wars, Quill, how you feeling today?" It was the doctor You replied in a gravelly tone, "Ok I guess, doc, though my throat's a little horse and I still can't remember much about the accident." "Which one?" he joked, receiving 'we are not amused' look for his efforts. "Sorry about that, just my way of dealing with things, I'll just get you a cup of water." With that looked down to the end of the room where a large jug of water and a series of cups were situated, with a quick focus of attention he magically poured a glass of water and placed it within your grasp. 'Being a unicorn seems to be far more fun than being a plain old earth pony," you thought to yourself. As you gulped down the water he shone a little light into your eyes, it made them water but otherwise was harmless. "Hmm, you say you still don't remember much about the accident? I guess our hope it was just a concussion seems to have proven fruitless, it leaves only amnesia as the only alternative. Do you remember anything about the day of the accident?" Downing the last of the water, you started to recount what you could remember. "I can remember waking up, preparing breakfast and a knock on the door..." Beyond that your memory was dark and fuzzy. You clutched your head trying to remember something, anything else about that day. The doctor smiled as you drew your hoofs away, clearly unable to remember anything else. "Do you remember being brought into the hospital?" A shake of the head was all you could give his question. "Well, at least it seems to be only a small bit of memory loss. That's a good sign, hopefully it will come back, either with time or if you have a prompt." You joined him in a smile, at least the news seemed good. "When will I be able to leave? I mean, I love staying here as much as the next guy, but I there is only so much white anypony can take." "All of your vitals seem good, none of your previous injures seemed to of been aggravated by the event. Overall apart from amnesia and the dust from your lung which we cleared, you seem to be in good health. I think we will be able to discharge you within the hour." With that he rang a bell situated by your bed causing a nurse, the particularly attractive one who you often saw around the place, to come into the room. "Yes doctor?" "Could you get me the discharge papers for, Mr Quill, please?" "Right away." As she turned away you spared a short glance at her swaying flank. You weren't particularly interested in her, but, boy could she move. Your watched her through the open door until she turned round a corner, as you turned your attention back to the doctor you noticed he was watching you with a small smile on his face. Obviously he had noticed you check the nurse's flank out. All of a sudden a your face became hot, you weren't usually self-conscious, but being caught like that made you feel like a little colt. After your blush had died down, and he had managed to stop his laughing, the doctor's face became serious. "Quill, I have to tell you something about your accident." His tone was deep, not his usually joyful self, "It's about your house. I'm afraid it was destroyed in the accident." For a moment you can't believe what you're hearing, you smile at the doctor as if it's a hoax, he must be joking. Sadly he just frowns as you smile, and you realise it's the truth, your home for the last two years has been destroyed. What's worse, with your small funds it was going to be hard to get anywhere else to stay. "Do you have any friends you could stay with?" the doctor asked. You contemplated to yourself for a minute. 'There's Twilight, but we barely know each other beyond what our favourite books are,' it seemed you didn't have anyone to stay with. 'If only I didn't spend so much time reading,' you cursed yourself, 'I might have made more friends. Some that could look after me in a time like this.' "Not really Doc," you replied, "But I'll do something." He just smiled and nodded at your reply, there was nothing more for him to say. For the next few minutes you went into auto drive, barely registering the nurse as she entered the room. Hastily, you scribbled your name on the discharge forms and before you knew it, you were standing outside the hospital. As you shakily stood there on your weakened legs, wind blowing through your mane and your fur, you realised that the suitcase next to you may now contain all that you owned. It was a sobering thought. With tears stinging your eyes, you quickly decided to head back to your house, what was left of it. Intending to survey the damage, hoping there would be some stuff to salvage, and there was always the possibility of jogging your memory. "Well, no point just standing here," you muttered quietly to yourself. "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Considering the situation, it seemed an appropriate phrase. Chapter 3You reach corner of 'the street', as you've been thinking of it for the last ten minutes, it would of been five minutes as the pegasus flies but as an earth pony you've got to walk around everything. Still there was the benefit that the time might prepare you for what you're about to see. Standing at the corner, you resist the temptation to peek around it, the street your house was located was shaped a bit like a ponies back leg, the building hidden from view of the corner by the crooked section. You could however see the telltale signs of what the doctor had told you, wooden barriers painted yellow and black poking out from where houses blocked your line of sight, a stark warning to ponies that what lay beyond was dangerous. A thought struck you, 'If they still haven't cleared the rubble after three days, it must be bad.' You realised as soon as thought about it, you probably shouldn't of. Everything you owned, apart from the case of clothes you had beside you, was inside the building. It would probably all be gone. Fresh tears begin to flood your eyes and you begin to hyperventilate, the sudden rush of oxygen making you dizzy and causing you to dry heave. Bile slowly receding from your throat, you notice that you have fallen over, your legs weren't yet ready to deal with such an assault on your senses. Slowly and carefully rising from the ground, you make your way over to the barriers, preparing yourself to face the worst even though you know you are defiantly not ready for it. As you round the corner, a terrible sight comes into view that causes the tears you had held back to flow freely. your house is nothing more than a pile of rocks with the remains of the room sticking out. Another thought crosses your mind, with your house being literally nothing more than wreckage, it makes it impossible for you to search for any possessions, and that's only if any actually survived. Overall, your situation seemed totally hopeless. Standing there, your legs give way again, you had been through far to much and you finally break down. Crying openly, you moan loudly at life. You were bitless, homeless and all alone. So very alone. For what seemed like an age you lay there, crying into the ground, the tears mixing with the dirt plastering your face with mud. Eventually you are brought out of your self pity by a thump of something landing next to you. For a moment it's silent, causing you to assume it's just something dropped by a clumsy pegasus, that is until you feel a hoof in your side. "You alright?" it's the tomboyish tones of Rainbow Dash. You lift your face to look at her, "Ahh, ok, bad question," she says as she notices the mud around your eyes. Shifting nervously on her hooves, she opens her mouth several times to say something, but each time stops herself short. You're glad she does, somehow Rainbow was never the best words of wisdom, besides you barely knew each other. She continues to stand there doing a rather good impression of a fish as you turn away, she hadn't done much to endear herself to you in the past and her standing their like that only served to annoy you. 'Why did she come all the way from her cloud just to act like that?' you thought to yourself, 'Not as if she has shown any concern about me before.' That was true, in all of your trips to hospital before, even the times when she put you in, you never once received so much as a card from her. The only reason she could have to be hear was to tease you. As you're thinking the worst of the element of loyalty, you feel a pair of hooves grip you, it is a firm grip but gentle. Not too strong or too weak either. You're confused by the contact for a minute, before you feel your body begin to lift off the ground, she is flying you somewhere. You think about resisting but decide against it, you're already high off the ground, high enough to injure yourself again and besides, anywhere is better than where you were before. So, like a sheep being led to the water, you let Rainbow Dash carry you off into the early evening. Maybe you weren't as alone as you thought. [Authors note: Sorry if this chapter is kind of short, I just wanted to end it with the image of Rainbow Dash carrying you off somewhere. It leaves a bit of mystery and a kind of awww moment.] Chapter 4Rainbow knocked on the door of the Library, you were lying on her back fast asleep. She had flown you across town, where even that short space of time you had dozed off due to the gentle heat of her body and the softness of her fur. It seemed even without pampering herself like some ponies, flying at speeds through clouds did wonders for the fur. Something Rainbow was glad Rarity had yet to learn, or she may never avoid endless requests to be flown around by the most fashionable pony in town. Rainbow checked that you were safe on her back while she waited for Twilight to open her door, after making sure you were still on snugly she just stared for a second, looking at you with a mixture of pity and respect. You had suffered so much, sometimes at her own hoof, and she respected the way that each time you had pulled yourself back up. Not that she told it to your face. Because of this, she had known something terrible must of happened to of made you break down like that. She is brought to attention by the creaking of a door and and a rush of light on the library's porch. "Rainbow, what are you doing here at this time of night." Twilight stands in the entrance, her eyes bleary from what was clearly a mammoth reading session. "You're not here for the new Daring Do novel are you? That's not in until next week." Rainbow suddenly became really red, and tore her gaze away from you to glare at Twilight, "I know that." "Then what can I do for you, Rainbow? I mean it's nice to chat and all, but I was in the middle of studying invisibility spells." "Wow, you can make things invisible?" asked Rainbow, distracted for a second. She shook her head to get herself to focus, "I mean, I think I have somepony here who might need your help." As Rainbow begins to take your sleeping body of her back, Twilight begins to speak. "Rainbow who on earth...? Quill! Rainbow, don't tell me you injured him again." "Hey! it wasn't me this time, I Pinkie promise." She mimes the actions as she speaks. "I was just laying on a cloud for an afternoon nap when I suddenly heard this crying..." "Wait you're saying it was this afternoon, then how come you waited to now to bring him here?" "Well, I was trying to sleep, so for a while I tried to tune it out. It could of been anyone crying, besides not as if it's my duty to help everypony around here, not after a full morning of weather duty anyway." "I guess," Twilight loved helping her friends around Ponyville, after all that was why she was here. But, she had learned it wasn't her duty to help everyone, they did have other friends besides her. "So, do you have any idea why he was crying?" "Not sure, Twilight, and I did ask but I don't think he wanted to speak to me." "That's understandable, after all you have put in the hospital a few times." Rainbow put her hooves up defensively. "Hey, when someone gets in the way of a failed Rainboom attempt I can't be held responsible, and I did say I was sorry." "Blurting out sorry while he is passed out and when, Applejack, is biting your tail does not count!" "Calm down, Twilight, you'll wake him. And I know I've not been the best of friends to him, that's why I brought him here. I thought you would be better suited to help" Her face softening, Twilight bathed you in a violet glow, picking you up off Rainbows back and holding you in the air beside herself. "I'm sure there is something I can do, but I don't know him much more than you." "Thanks Twi, your the best, besides me of course. Don't worry about not knowing him, you eggheads always get along well together." With that Rainbow took off into the sky, most likely heading back to her house to sleep. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, with her friend gone she could finally get back to reading, but first she had to tend to something. She studied you for a second, and noticing the dirt, cast a second spell. Immediately your face was clean, a lock of mane falling over your face, your brow moved, as if in response to some dream you were having. Smiling, she took you inside and closed the door. "Lets see if we can find you somewhere to sleep." Chapter 5Slowly you stir, the familiar sound of birdsong greeting you to the world of the awake and living. For a moment you are caught in their sweet melody, the comforting sound keeping at bay all the pain from the day before. It doesn't last long, and soon the memories come flooding back. Your leaving the hospital. The travel across town. And... Your house. Your beautiful house. In a rush you open your eyes, the realization dawning that you must have fallen asleep beside the ruins. What you see instead is entirely unexpected. Instead of the ruins of your house before you there was a very much intact wooden wall, it's face dominated by a mantle piece laden with trophies and ribbons. And instead of the rough feeling of dirt beneath you there is the comforting feeling of rather soft and springy mattress. A chill runs down your spine. You've just found yourself in somepony's bed with no recollection of the night before. You definitely remember feeling really depressed. It's possible that you went drinking to forget your troubles and ended up doing something rather stupid. You take a deep breath and slowly turn your head to the right, hoping to Celestia that the bed would be empty. It's not. Or there is no need for it to be. Turning your head to the right you notice the bed ends. You were in a single bed, large, but single all the same. At least it meant the chances you did the nasty last night were somewhat slim. Relieved, you turn yourself to a new task. Working out where you are. Sadly there weren't many clues, at least nothing that would give you information from your bed. Wooden walls weren't the best identifier, almost all the houses in Ponyville were made of wood. There was a bookshelf at one side of the room, but not knowing many ponies made it hard to judge based on the taste in literature. A small window provided the light to the room, unfortunately only some tree branches could be seen through it. Given the terrain in Ponyville, yet again it could be anywhere. That left the trophies as the immediate source of identifying the location. Unfortunately, the bed was so inviting. It's warm and soft sheets were so unlike the ones at the hospital. You really didn't want to get up and expose yourself to the environment in the room. Groaning, you prepared to haul yourself out of the bed. The covers were in your grip but a twitch of your left ear made you pause. You were wandering what made your ear twitch when it happened again. For a second you got even more confused before you could make out a faint hummer and the light patter of hooves. The noise was quiet, barely above a whisper but it was getting louder, the source of the noise getting closer. You listened intently to the tune that was being hummed. As you did, a small smile came to your face. Whoever it was, they were humming Bethooven. Classical music? Well there was a surprise. Not many ponies around here listened to classical music, that was more of a Canterlot taste. Wait, Canterlot? A small idea of who it could be filled your head. The seconds passed and you lost yourself in the sounds of the Fifth Symphony. The closer the source of the humming got, the clearly you could hear it. The pitch was high and the pony, if indeed it was a pony, was definitely female. Your confidence in your guess of who it could be was only strengthened. The sound of hoofsteps stopped, you could tell that who ever it was was standing directly outside the door. Automatically, you closed your eyes. You didn't know why, but it felt right to pretend to be asleep as they entered the room. "Just like being a colt again," you thought. You heard the door open and close as the pony entered the room. And you held your breath and screwed your eyes tight. There wasn't really a reason to, but you figured you would let whoever owned this house make the first move until you knew who they were. Whoever it was gave an exasperated sigh. "You don't think I know you're awake? I can tell when somepony is pretending to be asleep. I have raised a baby dragon after all." You easily recognize the voice and could tell who it was even without the mention of a baby dragon. You open your eyes giving a slight chuckle as you do so. "Morning Twilight." Ten minutes later, you're sitting on a sofa, a cup of coffee in your hoof and a frown on your face. With the shock of pleasure at seeing Twilight having worn off, a great sense of depression had settled on you. You probably would be crying if it wasn't for Twilight making you 'Pinkie' promise not to as you had walked down the stairs to the living room. You turn your head to the kitchen as Twilight enters the living space, her own mug of coffee and a large plate of cookies in her telekinetic grip. She settles in a seat beside you and places the plate directly in front of you, her eyes and a shake of her head indicate they are for you. As she sits there silently, intently studying you with her eyes you plunge your head towards the plate. The aroma is overwhelming and you let the scent of melting chocolate fill your sinuses. The cookies must be freshly baked. Without further hesitation you pluck a cookie from the plate, wolfing it down in seconds. Two more cookies quickly follow before you stop and turn towards Twilight. She's still looking at you, but it was different. She was no longer looking at you like some sort of book she was studying, but instead a look of concern. Similar to how your mother used to look at you after you banged your hoof or cut your flank. She barely knew you, yet, Twilight really seemed concerned. "How are you doing, Quill?" You just gaze at her, answering her with stony silence as cogs whir inside your head to come up with a suitable reply. "Quill?" You feel one of her hooves touch your shoulder, it's contact a symbol of her presence. It's meaning all to clear. She as here to help. Your gaze shifts to her hoof, the fact that someone cares about you beyond their job moves you and a single tear falls down you muzzle. It lands inaudibly on her hoof, yet she makes no sign of pulling back. Soon you are crying openly for the second time in as many days. Forgetting yourself you thrust yourself towards her, and despite the suddenness she receives you into a deep hug. A small blush forms across her features, the only sign of embarrassment of the situation. It helped that her assistant, Spike, wasn't around to make fun of you and her. As you bawled your eyes out into her coat, Twilight just hugged you close, her presence a pleasant warmth against you. She made no effort to speak or interrupt you, instead she smiled as you let out the pain. She knew, not from books but first hand experience that you needed to cry out all the hurt and pain you had suffered over recent months. Eventually, your tears run out and your crying recedes to just dry, noisy sobs. You feel a hoof leave it's grip from the hug to raise your face to look at hers. Her eyes glisten, it seems like she has shared some of your tears. Despite this, a small grin is present on her face. "Feel better?" You nod, your head brushing against her chest as you do so. This must have tickled her as it elicits a giggle from her. She's quick to cover her mouth with her hooves, obviously not wanting you to think she's making light of the situation. Released from her grip you begin to slide off the sofa. Flailing your hooves you fail to grab onto anything and fall onto the floor, landing on your back in a somewhat comical fashion. Looking at you, Twilight's attempt to halt her laughter fails and she's soon roaring away making you blush. The laughter soon proves contagious and you end up laughing away with her. After a few minutes laughter, you lean up from the floor and look at Twilight. "Now I feel better." "Good, so do you feel up to asking a couple of questions?" "Huh?" You're surprised, why would she want to ask you questions? Still you didn't think it could hurt, not more than recent events had. "Sure, go ahead." Her smile widened to the widest you had ever seen her achieve. "Are your sure? I don't want to hurt you." You placed a hoof on one of her hind legs, hoping it's presence would convey the meaning you wanted it to. "Twilight, after all the support you've given me since I left home you couldn't hurt me with a couple of questions." "Ok then." Twilight gulped hard. "First, I wanted to ask, where have you been recently? I missed you around the Library recently." "Well, I was in the hospital again. Another injury, damn my luck." The features on Twilight's face softened as she heard the news. "Oh, not again. At this rate they might as well set up a private bed for you. What was it this time?" Your eyes twitched slightly as she asked this question. You still couldn't remember and it bothered you. "I can't remember, whatever it was gave me amnesia. All I know is it involved my house." Twilight's head was nodding slightly as you gave your answer. It looked like she was trying to store the information in some particular part of her brain. "Hmm, might be something I can do to help with that." She muttered, she seemed to be thinking out loud and not really talking to you. "So why were you crying outside of that ruin yesterday when Rainbow found you? You usually come here or go straight home from the hospital." She asked, turning her attention back to you. "T-that was my h-house." You stutter, it was painful but you wanted to answer. She freezes in shock as you give that answer. Her mouth hangs open and her eyes give a nervous twitch. "Wait a minute," she eventually manages to say. "That was your house?" You nod. Twilight shoots bolt upright, leaping from the sofa to the floor in a haphazard and clumsy motion, narrowly avoiding injuring herself in the process. "Oh my goodness, she said she recognised the pony but I didn't put the pieces together." She was looking at the wall as she said this, not speaking at you. She mutters a few things inaudibly under her breath before turning to address you. "Look, I need to go. Don't worry I won't be long." She speaks rapidly and clearly distressed. She turns to leave but you placed strong hoof on her to hold her back, carefully so as to not hurt her. "Do you know something about what happened to me?" She shakes her head. "I can't answer that right now, I really need to go. Stay here, I'll be right back." She ducks under your hoof and heads towards the door. "But..." "Stay here. I promise I'll be right back." With poof she disappears in a flash of magic, leaving you all alone in the Library. Slowly you make your way back to the sofa and plonk yourself down in no particular place. "Sometimes, I hate magic." You say as you contemplate her teleporting away. Looking around the Library, you try to think of something to do as you wait. Reading doesn't grip you right now, and being a library there isn't much more for you to do. Heaving a large sigh, you lean back against the sofa and stare blankly out of a window hoping Twilight would return soon.
Chapter 1You awoke to a world to a world of harsh light which scorched your cornea, surrounded by white you noticed the scenery was no different that it had been for the last three days. In fact, the room you were in had barely changed in the last three months, a fact you should no well, due to events out of your control you spent much of that time here, probably more than you had spent out in the world. You were of course in Ponyville Hospital, which you had gotten to see a lot of recently. It wasn't that you were accident prone, that was far from the truth. In fact, you were often the only pony left without injuries when accidents had happened at school and home when growing up. It just so happened that recently, you had started to be near ponies that had seem to attract a lot of hazardous events. It had all started when that violet pony had turned up for the summer sun festival, what was her name? Ahh yes Twilight Sparkle, or something similar. She seemed to be a right cause for trouble, and since you loved reading, you and her library were often caught in the middle of it. You looked down at your right fore hoof, tracing a line that snaked across it with your eyes. It was a scar, approximately a year old, and you remembered quite clearly how you acquired it. It had been a quiet day in Ponyville, Pinkie was stuck behind the counter at Sugarcube Corner and therefore the town was free from her musical outbursts and sanity destroying feats. You ventured that morning to the towns library, which happened to be run by that strange violet pony that had arrived mere months before, these trips to the library were one of the few luxuries you could still manage to give yourself. You had been short of cash since you had left home after finishing school, but at least you had until recently had your writing job, it wasn't much but the cash you got from writing information pamphlets for various companies around Equestria kept food on your plate, at least it had until the Nightmare Moon incident. In the chaos you had been trampled and of course fallen behind in your writing as you recovered in hospital. Unfortunately the large companies who hired you cared little for the cause of delays, and you soon found yourself untouchable. From then it was only the smaller companies, ones who didn't have the luxury of choice, that hired you. The pay was even worse than before, and soon the only entertainment you got were from the books from the Library. It wasn't something you minded all that much, you were a writer after all, reading was something you regularly enjoyed doing. However, with no bits to your name beyond those that put the food on your table, you found your social circle had shrunk down to only the Librarian and her assistant. And given her regular studies, they were always busy, often too busy to be much company. That particular day, they were as usual both up to their necks in books. The dragon, Spike you had heard Twilight call him, was busy tidying books away. Whereas, Twilight was bringing books down from the shelves and dumping them across the room at a quicker than he could put them away. Obviously this was leading to less and less room to navigate the mess safely. You entered the library, welcoming the shade and smell of books, causing a bell to jingle as the door closed behind you. Twilight quickly glanced up from her books, recognizing you she gave a nod. "It's good to see you again," she said, accompanied with a tired smile. "Sorry I can't be of much help right now, I trust I can leave you to sign your book out yourself?" You answered her with a curt nod, already lost in searching through the books left on the shelf, trying to find something to read. Obviously this was enough for her, and she quickly returned to her task. As you wondered over to the shelves, Spike noticed you and gave you a quick wave. You had never really exchanged words, but you had both seen each other enough to greet each other on sight. Sadly the wave meant he removed one hand from the stack of books he was carrying, and it seemed his other hand wasn't enough to carry the pile on its own. He staggered quickly across the room, almost cartoon like as he tried to maintain balance and avoid the books tumbling to the ground. It looked like his attempt was all for naught until you quickly placed your hooves either side of the stack and steadied it, allowing Spike to place them carefully on the ground. "Thanks," the dragon said, breathing profusely as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Thought I was a goner there." He held out a claw to shake which you took without a moments pause. "Name's Spike, sorry I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet. I know you've been in a lot recently, but as you can see, we've been kept rather busy." Shaking your head, you responded "It's ok, I guess the Princesses student must spend a lot of time studying, and I guess that requires a lot of tidying up." Spike nodded his agreement, "My name is Quill by the way." "Quill?" Spike looked confused, "Isn't that name kind of short for a pony. I can't imagine your parents simply naming you after a quill." A nervous blush rose to your cheeks as he mentioned this, something everyone did when you introduced yourself was question your name, sadly this meant you would have to give your full name. Something you really hated doing. "Well, my full name is Papyrus Parchment Golden Quillbert the Fourth." "Wow..." he stood there open mouthed, "That definitely is a longer name." You chuckled nervously, that was the second response you usually got when introducing yourself. "Yeah, I agree it's a bit long. It's a stupid family name thing, my dad named me after himself, and he was named after his dad. That's why I simply ask people to call me Quill. It can cause some confusion, but I think it suits me." You quickly pointed to your cutie mark as you said this, it was a large golden quill. Spike opened his mouth to give a response, probably something witty and clever, probably. Unfortunately, he was interrupted as one of the Library's windows was smashed and you were knocked quickly off your hooves by a speeding projectile. You briefly had time to process it was actually a speeding pony that had hit you before you collided with the wall and fell unconscious. This as it happens, was rather lucky, as a few seconds later a book case fell onto one of your hooves, creating a rather ugly looking gash. Something that would of been rather painful had you still been awake.
Chapter 2You trace the scar on your one hoof with your other as you come out of your daydream, that was only the scar that was most clearly visible, since then you had gained a large amount of scars, mostly on your back or back legs. Taking a large breath of the processed hospital air, you twist your body side ways to glance at your back. Now clearly visible are large chunks of missing fur, areas which have been involved in various accidents and the fur seems like it will never grow back. It was a sight that made you cringe whenever you saw it, you couldn't escape the feeling that you looked hideous with all these scars and bald patches. Still, you could console yourself in the fact that it wasn't your fault, and that you noticed that whenever you had been in the library recently, Twilight always seemed to shoot you a look of sympathy. It wasn't the best of looks, not even a heart warming smile, but it was better than the horrified expression you expected everypony to have when looking at you. You will still looking at the scars, trying to remember what caused each of them, when you heard a door open and a pony walk into the room. "Looks like you've been through the wars, Quill, how you feeling today?" It was the doctor You replied in a gravelly tone, "Ok I guess, doc, though my throat's a little horse and I still can't remember much about the accident." "Which one?" he joked, receiving 'we are not amused' look for his efforts. "Sorry about that, just my way of dealing with things, I'll just get you a cup of water." With that looked down to the end of the room where a large jug of water and a series of cups were situated, with a quick focus of attention he magically poured a glass of water and placed it within your grasp. 'Being a unicorn seems to be far more fun than being a plain old earth pony," you thought to yourself. As you gulped down the water he shone a little light into your eyes, it made them water but otherwise was harmless. "Hmm, you say you still don't remember much about the accident? I guess our hope it was just a concussion seems to have proven fruitless, it leaves only amnesia as the only alternative. Do you remember anything about the day of the accident?" Downing the last of the water, you started to recount what you could remember. "I can remember waking up, preparing breakfast and a knock on the door..." Beyond that your memory was dark and fuzzy. You clutched your head trying to remember something, anything else about that day. The doctor smiled as you drew your hoofs away, clearly unable to remember anything else. "Do you remember being brought into the hospital?" A shake of the head was all you could give his question. "Well, at least it seems to be only a small bit of memory loss. That's a good sign, hopefully it will come back, either with time or if you have a prompt." You joined him in a smile, at least the news seemed good. "When will I be able to leave? I mean, I love staying here as much as the next guy, but I there is only so much white anypony can take." "All of your vitals seem good, none of your previous injures seemed to of been aggravated by the event. Overall apart from amnesia and the dust from your lung which we cleared, you seem to be in good health. I think we will be able to discharge you within the hour." With that he rang a bell situated by your bed causing a nurse, the particularly attractive one who you often saw around the place, to come into the room. "Yes doctor?" "Could you get me the discharge papers for, Mr Quill, please?" "Right away." As she turned away you spared a short glance at her swaying flank. You weren't particularly interested in her, but, boy could she move. Your watched her through the open door until she turned round a corner, as you turned your attention back to the doctor you noticed he was watching you with a small smile on his face. Obviously he had noticed you check the nurse's flank out. All of a sudden a your face became hot, you weren't usually self-conscious, but being caught like that made you feel like a little colt. After your blush had died down, and he had managed to stop his laughing, the doctor's face became serious. "Quill, I have to tell you something about your accident." His tone was deep, not his usually joyful self, "It's about your house. I'm afraid it was destroyed in the accident." For a moment you can't believe what you're hearing, you smile at the doctor as if it's a hoax, he must be joking. Sadly he just frowns as you smile, and you realise it's the truth, your home for the last two years has been destroyed. What's worse, with your small funds it was going to be hard to get anywhere else to stay. "Do you have any friends you could stay with?" the doctor asked. You contemplated to yourself for a minute. 'There's Twilight, but we barely know each other beyond what our favourite books are,' it seemed you didn't have anyone to stay with. 'If only I didn't spend so much time reading,' you cursed yourself, 'I might have made more friends. Some that could look after me in a time like this.' "Not really Doc," you replied, "But I'll do something." He just smiled and nodded at your reply, there was nothing more for him to say. For the next few minutes you went into auto drive, barely registering the nurse as she entered the room. Hastily, you scribbled your name on the discharge forms and before you knew it, you were standing outside the hospital. As you shakily stood there on your weakened legs, wind blowing through your mane and your fur, you realised that the suitcase next to you may now contain all that you owned. It was a sobering thought. With tears stinging your eyes, you quickly decided to head back to your house, what was left of it. Intending to survey the damage, hoping there would be some stuff to salvage, and there was always the possibility of jogging your memory. "Well, no point just standing here," you muttered quietly to yourself. "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Considering the situation, it seemed an appropriate phrase.
Chapter 3You reach corner of 'the street', as you've been thinking of it for the last ten minutes, it would of been five minutes as the pegasus flies but as an earth pony you've got to walk around everything. Still there was the benefit that the time might prepare you for what you're about to see. Standing at the corner, you resist the temptation to peek around it, the street your house was located was shaped a bit like a ponies back leg, the building hidden from view of the corner by the crooked section. You could however see the telltale signs of what the doctor had told you, wooden barriers painted yellow and black poking out from where houses blocked your line of sight, a stark warning to ponies that what lay beyond was dangerous. A thought struck you, 'If they still haven't cleared the rubble after three days, it must be bad.' You realised as soon as thought about it, you probably shouldn't of. Everything you owned, apart from the case of clothes you had beside you, was inside the building. It would probably all be gone. Fresh tears begin to flood your eyes and you begin to hyperventilate, the sudden rush of oxygen making you dizzy and causing you to dry heave. Bile slowly receding from your throat, you notice that you have fallen over, your legs weren't yet ready to deal with such an assault on your senses. Slowly and carefully rising from the ground, you make your way over to the barriers, preparing yourself to face the worst even though you know you are defiantly not ready for it. As you round the corner, a terrible sight comes into view that causes the tears you had held back to flow freely. your house is nothing more than a pile of rocks with the remains of the room sticking out. Another thought crosses your mind, with your house being literally nothing more than wreckage, it makes it impossible for you to search for any possessions, and that's only if any actually survived. Overall, your situation seemed totally hopeless. Standing there, your legs give way again, you had been through far to much and you finally break down. Crying openly, you moan loudly at life. You were bitless, homeless and all alone. So very alone. For what seemed like an age you lay there, crying into the ground, the tears mixing with the dirt plastering your face with mud. Eventually you are brought out of your self pity by a thump of something landing next to you. For a moment it's silent, causing you to assume it's just something dropped by a clumsy pegasus, that is until you feel a hoof in your side. "You alright?" it's the tomboyish tones of Rainbow Dash. You lift your face to look at her, "Ahh, ok, bad question," she says as she notices the mud around your eyes. Shifting nervously on her hooves, she opens her mouth several times to say something, but each time stops herself short. You're glad she does, somehow Rainbow was never the best words of wisdom, besides you barely knew each other. She continues to stand there doing a rather good impression of a fish as you turn away, she hadn't done much to endear herself to you in the past and her standing their like that only served to annoy you. 'Why did she come all the way from her cloud just to act like that?' you thought to yourself, 'Not as if she has shown any concern about me before.' That was true, in all of your trips to hospital before, even the times when she put you in, you never once received so much as a card from her. The only reason she could have to be hear was to tease you. As you're thinking the worst of the element of loyalty, you feel a pair of hooves grip you, it is a firm grip but gentle. Not too strong or too weak either. You're confused by the contact for a minute, before you feel your body begin to lift off the ground, she is flying you somewhere. You think about resisting but decide against it, you're already high off the ground, high enough to injure yourself again and besides, anywhere is better than where you were before. So, like a sheep being led to the water, you let Rainbow Dash carry you off into the early evening. Maybe you weren't as alone as you thought. [Authors note: Sorry if this chapter is kind of short, I just wanted to end it with the image of Rainbow Dash carrying you off somewhere. It leaves a bit of mystery and a kind of awww moment.]
Chapter 4Rainbow knocked on the door of the Library, you were lying on her back fast asleep. She had flown you across town, where even that short space of time you had dozed off due to the gentle heat of her body and the softness of her fur. It seemed even without pampering herself like some ponies, flying at speeds through clouds did wonders for the fur. Something Rainbow was glad Rarity had yet to learn, or she may never avoid endless requests to be flown around by the most fashionable pony in town. Rainbow checked that you were safe on her back while she waited for Twilight to open her door, after making sure you were still on snugly she just stared for a second, looking at you with a mixture of pity and respect. You had suffered so much, sometimes at her own hoof, and she respected the way that each time you had pulled yourself back up. Not that she told it to your face. Because of this, she had known something terrible must of happened to of made you break down like that. She is brought to attention by the creaking of a door and and a rush of light on the library's porch. "Rainbow, what are you doing here at this time of night." Twilight stands in the entrance, her eyes bleary from what was clearly a mammoth reading session. "You're not here for the new Daring Do novel are you? That's not in until next week." Rainbow suddenly became really red, and tore her gaze away from you to glare at Twilight, "I know that." "Then what can I do for you, Rainbow? I mean it's nice to chat and all, but I was in the middle of studying invisibility spells." "Wow, you can make things invisible?" asked Rainbow, distracted for a second. She shook her head to get herself to focus, "I mean, I think I have somepony here who might need your help." As Rainbow begins to take your sleeping body of her back, Twilight begins to speak. "Rainbow who on earth...? Quill! Rainbow, don't tell me you injured him again." "Hey! it wasn't me this time, I Pinkie promise." She mimes the actions as she speaks. "I was just laying on a cloud for an afternoon nap when I suddenly heard this crying..." "Wait you're saying it was this afternoon, then how come you waited to now to bring him here?" "Well, I was trying to sleep, so for a while I tried to tune it out. It could of been anyone crying, besides not as if it's my duty to help everypony around here, not after a full morning of weather duty anyway." "I guess," Twilight loved helping her friends around Ponyville, after all that was why she was here. But, she had learned it wasn't her duty to help everyone, they did have other friends besides her. "So, do you have any idea why he was crying?" "Not sure, Twilight, and I did ask but I don't think he wanted to speak to me." "That's understandable, after all you have put in the hospital a few times." Rainbow put her hooves up defensively. "Hey, when someone gets in the way of a failed Rainboom attempt I can't be held responsible, and I did say I was sorry." "Blurting out sorry while he is passed out and when, Applejack, is biting your tail does not count!" "Calm down, Twilight, you'll wake him. And I know I've not been the best of friends to him, that's why I brought him here. I thought you would be better suited to help" Her face softening, Twilight bathed you in a violet glow, picking you up off Rainbows back and holding you in the air beside herself. "I'm sure there is something I can do, but I don't know him much more than you." "Thanks Twi, your the best, besides me of course. Don't worry about not knowing him, you eggheads always get along well together." With that Rainbow took off into the sky, most likely heading back to her house to sleep. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, with her friend gone she could finally get back to reading, but first she had to tend to something. She studied you for a second, and noticing the dirt, cast a second spell. Immediately your face was clean, a lock of mane falling over your face, your brow moved, as if in response to some dream you were having. Smiling, she took you inside and closed the door. "Lets see if we can find you somewhere to sleep."
Chapter 5Slowly you stir, the familiar sound of birdsong greeting you to the world of the awake and living. For a moment you are caught in their sweet melody, the comforting sound keeping at bay all the pain from the day before. It doesn't last long, and soon the memories come flooding back. Your leaving the hospital. The travel across town. And... Your house. Your beautiful house. In a rush you open your eyes, the realization dawning that you must have fallen asleep beside the ruins. What you see instead is entirely unexpected. Instead of the ruins of your house before you there was a very much intact wooden wall, it's face dominated by a mantle piece laden with trophies and ribbons. And instead of the rough feeling of dirt beneath you there is the comforting feeling of rather soft and springy mattress. A chill runs down your spine. You've just found yourself in somepony's bed with no recollection of the night before. You definitely remember feeling really depressed. It's possible that you went drinking to forget your troubles and ended up doing something rather stupid. You take a deep breath and slowly turn your head to the right, hoping to Celestia that the bed would be empty. It's not. Or there is no need for it to be. Turning your head to the right you notice the bed ends. You were in a single bed, large, but single all the same. At least it meant the chances you did the nasty last night were somewhat slim. Relieved, you turn yourself to a new task. Working out where you are. Sadly there weren't many clues, at least nothing that would give you information from your bed. Wooden walls weren't the best identifier, almost all the houses in Ponyville were made of wood. There was a bookshelf at one side of the room, but not knowing many ponies made it hard to judge based on the taste in literature. A small window provided the light to the room, unfortunately only some tree branches could be seen through it. Given the terrain in Ponyville, yet again it could be anywhere. That left the trophies as the immediate source of identifying the location. Unfortunately, the bed was so inviting. It's warm and soft sheets were so unlike the ones at the hospital. You really didn't want to get up and expose yourself to the environment in the room. Groaning, you prepared to haul yourself out of the bed. The covers were in your grip but a twitch of your left ear made you pause. You were wandering what made your ear twitch when it happened again. For a second you got even more confused before you could make out a faint hummer and the light patter of hooves. The noise was quiet, barely above a whisper but it was getting louder, the source of the noise getting closer. You listened intently to the tune that was being hummed. As you did, a small smile came to your face. Whoever it was, they were humming Bethooven. Classical music? Well there was a surprise. Not many ponies around here listened to classical music, that was more of a Canterlot taste. Wait, Canterlot? A small idea of who it could be filled your head. The seconds passed and you lost yourself in the sounds of the Fifth Symphony. The closer the source of the humming got, the clearly you could hear it. The pitch was high and the pony, if indeed it was a pony, was definitely female. Your confidence in your guess of who it could be was only strengthened. The sound of hoofsteps stopped, you could tell that who ever it was was standing directly outside the door. Automatically, you closed your eyes. You didn't know why, but it felt right to pretend to be asleep as they entered the room. "Just like being a colt again," you thought. You heard the door open and close as the pony entered the room. And you held your breath and screwed your eyes tight. There wasn't really a reason to, but you figured you would let whoever owned this house make the first move until you knew who they were. Whoever it was gave an exasperated sigh. "You don't think I know you're awake? I can tell when somepony is pretending to be asleep. I have raised a baby dragon after all." You easily recognize the voice and could tell who it was even without the mention of a baby dragon. You open your eyes giving a slight chuckle as you do so. "Morning Twilight." Ten minutes later, you're sitting on a sofa, a cup of coffee in your hoof and a frown on your face. With the shock of pleasure at seeing Twilight having worn off, a great sense of depression had settled on you. You probably would be crying if it wasn't for Twilight making you 'Pinkie' promise not to as you had walked down the stairs to the living room. You turn your head to the kitchen as Twilight enters the living space, her own mug of coffee and a large plate of cookies in her telekinetic grip. She settles in a seat beside you and places the plate directly in front of you, her eyes and a shake of her head indicate they are for you. As she sits there silently, intently studying you with her eyes you plunge your head towards the plate. The aroma is overwhelming and you let the scent of melting chocolate fill your sinuses. The cookies must be freshly baked. Without further hesitation you pluck a cookie from the plate, wolfing it down in seconds. Two more cookies quickly follow before you stop and turn towards Twilight. She's still looking at you, but it was different. She was no longer looking at you like some sort of book she was studying, but instead a look of concern. Similar to how your mother used to look at you after you banged your hoof or cut your flank. She barely knew you, yet, Twilight really seemed concerned. "How are you doing, Quill?" You just gaze at her, answering her with stony silence as cogs whir inside your head to come up with a suitable reply. "Quill?" You feel one of her hooves touch your shoulder, it's contact a symbol of her presence. It's meaning all to clear. She as here to help. Your gaze shifts to her hoof, the fact that someone cares about you beyond their job moves you and a single tear falls down you muzzle. It lands inaudibly on her hoof, yet she makes no sign of pulling back. Soon you are crying openly for the second time in as many days. Forgetting yourself you thrust yourself towards her, and despite the suddenness she receives you into a deep hug. A small blush forms across her features, the only sign of embarrassment of the situation. It helped that her assistant, Spike, wasn't around to make fun of you and her. As you bawled your eyes out into her coat, Twilight just hugged you close, her presence a pleasant warmth against you. She made no effort to speak or interrupt you, instead she smiled as you let out the pain. She knew, not from books but first hand experience that you needed to cry out all the hurt and pain you had suffered over recent months. Eventually, your tears run out and your crying recedes to just dry, noisy sobs. You feel a hoof leave it's grip from the hug to raise your face to look at hers. Her eyes glisten, it seems like she has shared some of your tears. Despite this, a small grin is present on her face. "Feel better?" You nod, your head brushing against her chest as you do so. This must have tickled her as it elicits a giggle from her. She's quick to cover her mouth with her hooves, obviously not wanting you to think she's making light of the situation. Released from her grip you begin to slide off the sofa. Flailing your hooves you fail to grab onto anything and fall onto the floor, landing on your back in a somewhat comical fashion. Looking at you, Twilight's attempt to halt her laughter fails and she's soon roaring away making you blush. The laughter soon proves contagious and you end up laughing away with her. After a few minutes laughter, you lean up from the floor and look at Twilight. "Now I feel better." "Good, so do you feel up to asking a couple of questions?" "Huh?" You're surprised, why would she want to ask you questions? Still you didn't think it could hurt, not more than recent events had. "Sure, go ahead." Her smile widened to the widest you had ever seen her achieve. "Are your sure? I don't want to hurt you." You placed a hoof on one of her hind legs, hoping it's presence would convey the meaning you wanted it to. "Twilight, after all the support you've given me since I left home you couldn't hurt me with a couple of questions." "Ok then." Twilight gulped hard. "First, I wanted to ask, where have you been recently? I missed you around the Library recently." "Well, I was in the hospital again. Another injury, damn my luck." The features on Twilight's face softened as she heard the news. "Oh, not again. At this rate they might as well set up a private bed for you. What was it this time?" Your eyes twitched slightly as she asked this question. You still couldn't remember and it bothered you. "I can't remember, whatever it was gave me amnesia. All I know is it involved my house." Twilight's head was nodding slightly as you gave your answer. It looked like she was trying to store the information in some particular part of her brain. "Hmm, might be something I can do to help with that." She muttered, she seemed to be thinking out loud and not really talking to you. "So why were you crying outside of that ruin yesterday when Rainbow found you? You usually come here or go straight home from the hospital." She asked, turning her attention back to you. "T-that was my h-house." You stutter, it was painful but you wanted to answer. She freezes in shock as you give that answer. Her mouth hangs open and her eyes give a nervous twitch. "Wait a minute," she eventually manages to say. "That was your house?" You nod. Twilight shoots bolt upright, leaping from the sofa to the floor in a haphazard and clumsy motion, narrowly avoiding injuring herself in the process. "Oh my goodness, she said she recognised the pony but I didn't put the pieces together." She was looking at the wall as she said this, not speaking at you. She mutters a few things inaudibly under her breath before turning to address you. "Look, I need to go. Don't worry I won't be long." She speaks rapidly and clearly distressed. She turns to leave but you placed strong hoof on her to hold her back, carefully so as to not hurt her. "Do you know something about what happened to me?" She shakes her head. "I can't answer that right now, I really need to go. Stay here, I'll be right back." She ducks under your hoof and heads towards the door. "But..." "Stay here. I promise I'll be right back." With poof she disappears in a flash of magic, leaving you all alone in the Library. Slowly you make your way back to the sofa and plonk yourself down in no particular place. "Sometimes, I hate magic." You say as you contemplate her teleporting away. Looking around the Library, you try to think of something to do as you wait. Reading doesn't grip you right now, and being a library there isn't much more for you to do. Heaving a large sigh, you lean back against the sofa and stare blankly out of a window hoping Twilight would return soon.
