Sweetie Belle sighed, slapping her hoof onto her face. I smiled sheepishly, "It wasn't that bad...?"

"Oh trust me. It was that bad" Gabby chirped in. She turned around to look at Twilight and her friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders for agreement. Receiving none, she shrugged, "Honesty's the best policy"

I groaned, burying my face in my hooves. I never should have thought I could do this. I don't have any kind of talent. There's a reason why the Kirin got rid of me; because I was useless.

"I'm going to go home" I muttered, turning around to leave, slowly trudging away from the gathering of ponies and a griffin. I heard a few whispered and hushed talk until I was a good distance away, and I finally heard a call behind me.

"Autumn! You have to keep trying! Look at us, it took us so long, but we kept on trying" Scootaloo said, trying to reassure me.

I didn't turn around and simply shook my head, "No, you wouldn't get it. I'm just not destined to get a Cutie Mark. Like, at all"

"Well, look at Gabbie. She got her Cutie Mark about helping people"

"That's not like, a proper thing, you know!" I said, fully turning around this time, frustration rising into my voice.

No one said anything, as I walked away towards the Everfree forest, tired and exhausted. The dark forest loomed above me, the branched and vines thickening and closing in on me, it felt like. Eventually, I found a tree that seemed to branch out in a form which seemed more comfortable than sleeping on a bed or a rock.

Taking my chances, I lay in the bed, squirming around a little before finding a position that didn't poke my back quite so harshly, and slowly closed my eyes. After just a few minutes, my paranoid self heard a noise. And the tree shook lightly. By now, I was trembling, so deciding to make my way back to Ponyville seemed like the logical thing to do.

A seed-like object hit my head, cracking below my hooves and I stumbled backwards. Something white was poking out of the cracked shards. Knowing that touching an object that could possibly kill me, (given that it landed so suspiciously and this is the Everfree forest), I still picked up the...note, it seemed to be.

Dear Autumn Blaze,

Has it been so long? I have to see you
And we have to talk as well
You must be confused, but don't panic or anything
Stay low and meet me soon
Everfree forest, 11 pm
Explaining will happen later
Don't worry

Well. That was cryptic. Strangely, some of the wording sounded...extremely familiar. Then it struck me. Oh my gosh...could it be? I re-read the sentence saying, 'don't panic or anything'. The exact words Hayseed would say to me when I was worried. I still remembered him rolling his eyes, and sarcastically muttering it everywhere we went. That kind of banter had become a code language with us.

Wait...code language. Code language! I knew there was something odd with the phrasing of that note, and sure enough, reading down the first letter of each line, it spelt out, 'Hayseed' Impossible that it would mean he was still out there. I knew I shouldn't. It could be a murderer, thief, anyone- but something told me to go for it. After all, how many opportunities like this was I going to get?

And so I decided to do what was the most stupid and irrational thing- return back at 11. It was dark in Ponyville, as I crept back to where I was staying- a small cottage for hire. As I snuck into the covers, sinking deeper, I sighed in content. Maybe it was real? Hayseed was out there. And as my eyes stayed wide in excitement, I eventually noticed the clock had struck 11, and I barely got any rest.

Once again, I sped out into the Everfree Forest, 'staying low' as the note suggested. Arriving back at the same tree, I stopped to catch my breath. But something moved in the cold icy wind. A shadowy figure. I braced myself for impact as the rustling from the bush grew nearer and nearer. I closed my eyes, careful.

"Such a wimp, as usual"

I slowly opened my eyes to notice him. Nothing had changed in the way the wind carried his golden mane, and the cocky smile printed onto his tan face. As soon as I saw Hayseed, I tackled him in a massive hug, threatening to not let go. He felt warm yet cold. I couldn't quite place my hoof on it.

As he frowned, getting up from the dusty soil, he swept dust off his flank, showing me something I could only ever dream of. A dainty emerald green leaf sat on his flank, with a light blub hidden behind it. A cutie mark.

"I have so many questions" I mumbled, my eyes not leaving the sight of his cutie mark.

Hayseed let out a chuckle I had missed so much, "Long story. To shorten it- I came here. Got lost. Found Zecora. Got a cutie mark"

"Zecora?" The slightly dodgy zebra who rhymed 24/7?

"And no, she isn't dodgy. She's really nice" Hayseed interrupted my thoughts.

I nodded slowly, "So...cutie mark? She...gave you one?"

Hayseed rolled his eyes, "Duh. Still not very bright, huh Autumn?"

I didn't respond. Something felt...off about Hayseed, "So you wanted to meet me because...?"

Hayseed fake clutched his heart in 'pain', "So you didn't want to meet your brother?"

"Of course I did!"

"Exactly. You just answered your own question"

This wasn't Hayseed. It couldn't be Hayseed. He was sarcastic, sure. But never like this. He understood me, we made jokes together, and it always sounded like we cared. Now he's acting like it's just his obligation to meet me after so long. Feeling tired of the confusing banter, I pursed my lips, "I guess I'll leave"

"Say sky if you wanna meet again" Hayseed waved. And he pulled a vine, propelling himself up into the trees. That's definitely not right. But he mentioned Zecora. Hopefully, she had some sort of clue to what was up.

But what I knew so far: Hayseed was alive, but acting strange. Not like he ever was. I understand he could change, but he was someone else right now! I knew getting a cutie mark was possible. And I knew that maybe now, I had a chance. After all, it probably carries out in our genetics, right?

Author's Note

I'm trying to get this story finished, though it's going to be a little longer than I expected
Please comment, I'd appreciate every helpful or just positivity so I know where to go with this story kind of...hopefully I'll be able to push the next chapter out by two weeks, because I've already started it, and I don't have any exams for a while

~Tranquil Stone