A Simple Soul

"Arcsin, you can't be asking me for money, I divorced you remember?"

I heard Raven speak as I leaned against the wall, listening into both her and her ex husband who I presume to be the stallion known as Arcsin. When we were talking about her life and how she had a divorced husband, Arcsin she never mentioned how they got divorced which caught me off guard when I heard her ex being in there with him as I listened in. Hearing Arsin repeating that he needed a bit more money and he had no one else to turn to, then he pulled the most overused line that most girls, even some guys would use to gain sympathy from their ex's.

"You know, I remember a mare who would do anything to help her love one out."

After hearing this I balled my hands into a fist, I hated when guys or girl used that line just to get what they want. Especially since they know that the other wanted nothing to do with him or her, luckily I wasn't the only one who was pissed as I heard the wall being hit with something followed up with hearing Raven yell out of shure anger.

"I used to love you! I used to want to help you out! It's not my fault that you wanted to this smuggling bullshit!"

As I heard her yell, I could tell that she was about to start breaking down in tears judging by how her voice starting to sound like a mix of both anger and sadness. I could tell she really did love this stallion, and when she found out about his secret side job she knew she had made the wrong discussion. How do I know it's a side job? Well the word smuggling is something I've learned over the years of having two parents with a drug and alcohol addiction. Although the smuggling was mostly with their drugs, I know I'm not supposed to know these kinds of things but when you have two parents that are always doing said activity, that can't be erased from your memory. I would lean my ear against the wall as I continued to hear Raven yell in the most angry yet passionate voice I've ever heard from a woman.

"I married you because I thought I was marrying a happy and worry free mail stallion, but after finding out what you did on the side I knew I was in for a load of trouble. I left you because I knew if somepony found out that my husband, somepony who I thought was such a happy colt it would tarnish my chances in getting out of the kitchen and into an office working for the princess. I didn't want to but you-."

"Of course, of course you always think about yourself. You never think about me, or even what we had."

"Because you pushed me into no longer caring about what we had!"

"You don't talk to me that way!"

He yelled back at her as I then heard a loud slap followed by a thud on the floor. I covered my mouth, to prevent making any voice. I knew what those two sounds meant, and my assumptions were confirmed when I would hear the soft sobs of Raven on the floor as Arsin groans in annoyance.

"And here comes the tears, God you're so fucken petty."

"Get out of here Arcsin!"

"Not until you-!"

Arcsin was interrupted when he heard a knock on the office door, as I was the one doing the knocking. Hoping that I could do something before he could hurt her, I had no plan as to how I was going to do it but I knew if didn't do anything I couldn't live with myself if anything bad happened to Raven. Sure I've only met her not to long ago, but from the few minutes of talking to her appearing to be really innocent and sweet. If hurts me when it comes to males abusing women because they have the right to, I wait to see what happens as I hoped Raven would answer the door. Rubbing my hands together as I could hear quiet whispers as I then heard the door knob unlocking and moving around, the door opening. My reassurance came true as Raven opened the door, just slightly having mascara tears falling down her cheeks the bun on her hair barely staying up while not having her glasses as she looked up at me. With a fake and frightened smile Raven would act as if I didn't know what I was doing here as she asked me.

"H-hey Zach, w-what brings you to my office?"

Raven said smiling at me as she would stare at me with those eyes of 'he's holding a knife towards my neck, please help me', I looked at her, at first I ignored the question as I inspected her seeing her shadow not looking right as I notice somepony else was standing next to her. So to ensure she wasn't going to get hurt I would play along as I answered her question.

"You know, I just wanted to have a chit chat- is everything okay in there?"

"Everything is fine sweetie, just ya know I just read a really old letter from an old friend, but no everything is fine."

"You sure? Should I uhh come back...LATER!"

I said as I would use my leg to kick open the door, managing to pin the stallion against the wall just enough for me to tackle the mare and launch the both of us over her desk before hearing what appeared to be the blade being thrown behind me as it stuck to the wall. While behind the desk I would hold Raven in my arms for a moment as I felt her quivering. I knew she was scared, I mean who wouldn't be she was suffering with an ex threatening her with a knife in order to get what he wanted. Not only that but he also lashed out and physically abused the mare, looking down at her I could see the scar on the corner of her forehead, judging how it hasn't built a shell of blood over it as it looked pretty fresh. Meaning she must have it the corner of her desk, which could have caused some serious damage or I could have caused it from simply trying to dodge the blade from stabbing any of us. Carefully I push Raven underneath her desk as she would sit on her flanks, looking at me with concern before I ordered her.

"Listen, keep yourself cover underneath the desk and don't pop out for anything, got it."

I said as I would look at her, she didn't know me well but she could tell when someone's voice sounds like it was about to become a life or death situation. She nodded as he would scoot back more, holding her tail as she didn't want it to pop out from the front of the desk as I took a deep breath. Moving quickly I stood up and jumped over the desk, Arsin already having his blade swung his hooves from side to side in order to hit me. Dodging each swing, after about the fifth swing I managed to grab his hoof, twisting it as I threw a punch towards his muzzle as I heard a grunt. Before he could look back up I threw some more punches as I jabbed at his torso as he stood on his two back hooves. Finally pushing him against the wall as I took a step back, my fists up getting ready for more as I looked at him. Seeing him look back at me, questioning who the hell I was I he would use his fore hoof to swipe his nose realizing he was bleeding. Looking back at me, now having the face that he was ready to cause some serious damage. Not being fast enough he charged at me at me with his blade as he once again swung his blade in every which direction. He tried his best to cut me out of rage. And while I tried my best to dodge each and every swing, he managed to land a swing, creating an angular cut on my right eye. Grunting as I fell to the floor, ending the fight with a scar on my eye. While holding my face I would hear Arsin taunting me.

"Yeah tough guy, you want to keep going huh?!? Huh?!? You want to keep go….ing."

He said as he would stop his taunting for some reason as I looked over at him. Now seeing his facial expression was scared and would look at me. I looked at him as he would take a step back, and before I could say anything he yelped running out over me and out of the office. Hearing his hooves hitting against the floor as I looked over making sure he left the office. Thinking to myself, 'Well that was easy', as I stood up and off the floor, placing my hand over my right eye as I tried to stop the blood flow to the best of my ability.

"I-is he gone?"

I heard Raven asking as I turned around seeing her come out of the spot where I told her to keep out while I took care of Arcsin, chuckling a bit.

"Honestly, I have no idea how I did it but yeah he's gone."

He said as I chuckled a bit, was it insensitive of me to do so, yeah but if I've learned anything coming from really shitty parents. Is that you always approach the most serious things with a smile in order to process things a bit better, that why someone else could give a smile back even if you have a cute across your eye that could possibly make you go blind in one eye. Raven on the other hand couldn't see it that way as she saw me covering my eye, approaching me as she would stand on her hind hooves, keeping her front hooves against my belly as she used one hoof to move my hand away from my face as she gasped.

"Oh my gosh…"

She said as he covered her mouth with one hoof, although I tried to laugh it off as I smile the whole way through. Raven looked at me and wondered why I was smiling and laughing over something this serious as she asked me.

"How can you be laughing, you have a scar across your eye?"

"Yeah...but like, did you see how quick that was and how he just ran away without me having to do anything?"

I said as I laughed it off, Raven couldn't see why I was laughing as she would grab my hand pulling me inside her office. Sitting me down as she would wait at the door frame of her office, seeing if she could spot a royal guard pass by to see if they could get some medical help. While I had a smile on my face, my hand over my eye as I did think about it. Which was, why did Arsin run out of the office like that? Even after what he did, and how he paused mid taunt why did he run out like that?

Arsin ran out of the royal castle, not looking back for a moment as he was panting hard, running harder. Crossing the bridge and managing to head into town before ending his trail in an alleyway as he tried to hide from whatever he was running away from as he peeked out of the alleyway where he was hiding. Trying to find the spot whatever was following him as he saw no pony before sighing as he would keep himself hiding in the alleyway. Arsin breathes heavily as he wiped the sweat off his face with both of his hooves sighing, as he leaned back against the wall taking a breath finally getting rid of whatever he was running from. Until he would hear a very demonic and malicious voice coming from beside him.

"Why did you run ...if the fun has just begun."

Arsin stood still after he heard this maniacal voice, his eyes shot wide open. Slowly he looked toward the right before being snatched deeper into the alley, thrown against the floor grunting hard once his body was hit against the contreet as he would look up. Staring at whatever was attacking him as he crawled back, panting hard and terrified at what was about to overcome as the shadow of someone raising what appeared to be an axe in the air as Arsin's pupils would shrink before the axe would drop. A loud scream can be heard as it echoed out of the alleyway only for no pony to hear it as there was too much noise over the busy streets of Canterlot.

"Here baby, hold still."

The nurse mare said as she would gently press her hooves against my lap. While I sat on a chair the mare would gently try and patch the scar on my eye, wiping it gently with an alcohol wipe, her horn glowing an amber rose color aura as she used her magic to levitate an alcohol wipe up towards the scar that was on my right eye. While she was cleaning it up, her hooves gently pressing harder against my lap as I looked over seeing Raven talking to two royal guards about what happened between her ex husband and me. One of them looking over at me, seeing me getting my scar being cleaned off as the guard gave me a gentle smile overhearing how I defended her as I smiled back. The nurse then used her magic to pull out two bandages from her first aid kit, unwrapping both out of the wrapper as she would place them over each scar. After covering each scar, she would smile at me as she would lean up and gently kissed each scar as a form of 'fast healing' as she explained after patching me up. I smile, chuckling gently as I would look at the nurse before returning the kiss back on her cheek as a form of thank you. Getting a small yelp, from the mare followed by a blush and a cute giggle before taking her hooves off my lap.

"Thanks again Nurse."

"Hehe, no problem sweetheart. Let me know when you need something else patched up, maybe I'll give you a 'physical' next time."

She said in a very flirtatious tone as she giggled very seductively as I smiled at her. You may be wondering 'just fuck her already, I mean you banged that nurse back at the hospital, why not her?' hey I have class, sure it may seem like I play some guy who can take any mare I please. But I have feelings too you know, look, I never got this kind of attention from anyone so I'm not sure how to act when it comes to getting flirted on by some girl. That nurse in the hospital? Yeah she practically did all the work, so you can imagine my virgin ass just sitting there while she rode me to town. But I'll leave that kind of imagination to the perverts who want to picture that, which is to say everyone if I'll be honest. As the nurse left, I leaned back into the chair as I winced a bit. The band-aid moving a bit against the scar as the alcohol from the wipes was still fresh as I sighed. Ya know, now that I think about it, what did that guy get scared of when he left the room like that? I mean I couldn't have caused so much damage towards the stallion, hell my body type isn't even that muscular if I'll be honest. So what the hell made him run? As I thought about it for a moment, I heard the sound of hooves walking into the office as I sat up. Seeing both guards and Raven trotting into the office as one of the guards trotted up to me saying.

"It takes some serious balls to fight an Earth pony like him. Especially since an Earth pony has the strength of about five of you humans…"

He said as he looked at me, getting ready with a life lesson in why I shouldn't be getting into business that has nothing to do with me. I sighed in disappointment as I spread my legs, my elbows on my knees as I placed my head in between my hands. Getting ready to hear he has already heard from both his father and his mother, but instead of hearing the 'sometimes you gotta let others handle their own shit', I felt the soft bump of a muzzle against my head as I looked up seeing the stallion up close, having a smile on his face as he continues.

"...but knowing your kind, you have the balls to do anything. And for that you have our respect."

"And mine."

Raven said as she placed her hooves on my shoulder, her muzzle touching my cheek as she gave me a champions kiss. I smiled and chuckled a bit, blushing hard over the admiration between the guard and the princess's secretary.

"Oh come on...it's just my natural instinct to care about someone else, even if I don't know them very well."

"Well, enough of the chit chat. It's already nine in the morning and you have got a breakfast planned with the princess herself."

She said as she would move both of her hooves towards my hand, helping me up and off the chair as I stood up. Letting go she got back on all fours as she walked me out of the office and towards the hall. Both guards staying there to inspect the damage and how it all went down for some reason. While Raven walked me towards the dinner hall, the mare looking up at me occasionally. Giving me that bright smile as her glasses would sit on the bridge of her muzzle, I looked down when I noticed her smiling up at me. I gave a smile back as I gently bumped into her playfully, she jolted and giggled as she would bump her hips back against me. Chuckling back as we walked down the halls, reaching the dining hall, behind the huge doors both Raven and I could slightly hear the princess discussing with her bulters. Talking about how her guest is utmost important to her and that what is important to her is important to the butlers and chefs. I listened in to what she was saying as I would look back at Raven, she giggled over how the princess was acting as she looked back up at me. Sitting on her flanks as she would say.

"Yeah, I've never seen the princess act this way with anypony."

"I must be that special huh?"

I said chuckling over how much of a perfectionist the princess must be, Raven giggling along with me as we both looked at eachother. She would smile up at me as I smiled back, getting on one knee so I could be at eye level with her before she asked.

"I hope you enjoyed your time in Canterlot Castle ...I know I've enjoyed being your guide."

"Oh trust me.."

I said chuckling as I pointed to the banged underneath and above my right eye.

"..if it means having these battles scars as a memento. I would love to come back for a second tour…..if that means I get you as a tour guide again."

I said smiling as I looked back at her, Raven cheeks turned a bright red to contrast with her white fur giggling over being flattered to be my guide and how embarrassed she was that her mane wasn't fixed from the hassle she had with her ex back in her office. Raven trotted closer as she would stand on her hind legs wrapping her hooves around my neck as I would lean into the hug, wrapping my arms around her torso as I hugged her back. Enjoying the sweet hug we exchanged between each other as I heard her gently sighing happily while in the hug. But soon Raven pulled back as she stood back on all four of her hooves, I did the same as I stood back up all my two feet before she would graciously open the two huge doors. Allowing me to see the inside of the dining hall, Raven had to leave back to her office in order to get the room fixed so she could continue her work. Which left me alone with the princess, finally after being asleep for over two weeks, recovering for one, traveled from Ponyville to Canterlot in two hours and being dressed by the princess's stylist it was finally time to have the infamous brunch with Princess Celestia. I took a deep breath in and exhaled out slowly taking in the scenery of the dinning hall as I walked in, saying to myself.

"What could possibly go wrong?"