Adventures Are No Fun.

Razzle looked around her room. Bookshelves stood stacked toys and trinkets. She picked up a snow globe containing a city she could not name even after reading the plaque on the front. She placed it back on the bookshelf. "Yes. I am sure I am done packing."

Screech shrugged. "Seems like a shame you are leaving all of this stuff behind."

"You can have it if you want."

"I sleep in a closet."

"Only for now. One day you will be a famous rodeo pony and live in a house like this one."

"I am not sure I want that."

"You like sleeping in a closet?"

"No. I am not sure I want to be a rodeo pony for the rest of my life. My special talent is fixing things."

"I thought you liked the rodeo."

"I do. I don't know. Do you want to dance for the rest of your life?"

Razzle shrugged. "I don't care as long as every pony knows my name."

Screech nodded. "I want to fix big things."

Razzle put her two bags of important things by her door. "Thanks for helping me pack. I know it is not the most fun way to spen our last day together."

"Are you kidding? I love just hanging out with you. Sometimes it can feel like my life is a string of chaotic moments. I can't tell you how many times Wild Hearts got ke attacked by birds or Scoops got me roped into a fight by cheating at a board game. A normal day doing normal things is perfect."

Razzle sighed. "I am glad you will be reunited with your friends."

"It will be bitter sweet," admitted Screech. "In a week I will miss you as much as I miss them now."

Razzle smiled a pretty smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I am going to miss you more than you miss me."

Screech flinched. "Razzle, no. You are a good friend I am going to miss you. You made Cloudsdale almost bearable. You are kind and supportive when you are willing to put in the effort. I will miss you just as much as you miss me."

"You will be reunited with your friends. I don't have any friends in Laspegasus."

"Your parents will be there. Ask you mama to take you on a hot-air balloon ride."

Razzle nodded. "That could be fun," she admitted.

"You will make new friends quickly," assured Screech. "You are one of the most special ponies in all of Equestria."

Razzle blushed. "I... Anyway. We should do something fun before I have to go. We only have a few hours left."

"I would not mind dancing."

Razzle's smile was not pretty. "I know a great place."

"Oh, is it the barber shop besdie the dress shop?" Screech asked as if she didn't already know. "Or is it the little hardware store inside the giant coffe shop? Or Is it here?"

Razzle turned on her radio. "It is here."

Screech watched Second closely. Her brother was fine. He gladly pushed a broken fence post back and forth as if rowing a boat with an oar. He laughed with his friends as the park bench they pretended was their pirate ship didn't move. She didn't understand how he could be fine.

"Are you watching me fly?" asked Success.

Screech looked to her youngest brother. "Yeah." She watched him try to do a backward arial loop and fail for the twentyith time. She missed doing arial loops.

"Did you see that? I almost got it that time."

Screech nodded. "I am sure you will get it by the end of the day," she lied. "You are getting really close."

Screech stood outside the post office. Her tummy hurt. She needed her letters. She tried to lift her head. She crawled in.

Tappy flinched at the sight of a sad filly. She grabbed a small stack of letters and nearly threw them at Screech. "I have all of your mail right here." She forced a big smile.

Screeche's ears were so flat against her head she could barely hear. "Thank you." She took her letters. "I am sorry. I should not have attacked you. I was angry and upset. I took my feeling out on you. That was wrong of me."

Tappy just stood there.

"I am not going to hurt you. I am leaving Cloudsdale in two days."

Tappy breathed a sigh of relief.

"I really am sorry. I want to make it up to you. Are you dating any pony?"

Tappy blushed. "Wh- what? You are way too young for me."

Screech would have laughed if her stomach didn't hurt so much. "I know a stalion in Ponyville."

"You want me to date a foreigner?"

Screech rolled her eyes. "Forget I said anything. I forgot ponies in Cloudsdale don't want to marry." She turned around.

"Wait! Wait. Uuumm. Is he a peagasus?"

"Unicorn. He works at a board game shop my friends and I like. He is really nice and good with kids."

"Why is he single?"

Screech shrugged. "Just is." She didn't see a point in mentioning the embezzlement. He would tell her if they hit it off. He liked to brag about how much he stole. He liked to joke his wife got twice as much in the divorce.

Tappy bit her bottom lip. "What is his adress?"

"No clue. I know the adress of the board game shop."

The Cloudsdale public library was nice. The shelves were low enough all of the books could be reached without flying. Tall equally spaced rectanguler windows covered most of the walls. Light filled every room without being blinding. The lybrarian smiled at Screech and offered to help her with anything she needed. The carpet was soft and warm enough to nap on.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Stitch Runner.

"Naps," said Screech. "I like it here."

Stitch smiled. "I spend a lot a time here."

"I wish I could spend a lot of time here. I am almost sad to be leaving. Not really. I hate it here more than I hate Celestia. Maybe the Monacolt library will be this nice."

Chaste popped out of Screeche's saddle bag and flew around the room. It landed in a bowl of little sheets of paper for taking notes and started making a nest.

"Wat the Ponyville library nice?"

"Nice? Yes. There is a six week wait to enter." Screech pulled a book titled 'how I became the perfect wife' off an oak shelf. "Why are we in the self help section?" She read the back of the book, hissed and slid it back onto the shelf.

Stitch looked up. "No reason."

Screech smiled. "You are looking for Simple."

Stitch blushed. "Not so loud."

A light gold pegasus poped up over the top of the book shelf. "Somepony say my name?"

Screech raised a hoof. "Do you have any drawing books?"

"Charcoal?"

"Crayons."

Simple chuckled. "Yeah. We have how to draw comics books. Those are simple enough for foals."

Screech huffed. "I don't like being talked down to."

Simple laughed. "Then stop drawing with crayons."

Screech bared her fangs, "Come down here and say that again."

"Yeah, come down," taunted Stitch. "Unless you are scared of a filly."

Simple hesitated. Her flew over the book shelf and landed beside Screech. "If you don't want me to treat you like a foal stop acting like one."

Screech lunged forward. She sighed when Simple didn't flinch. "You are no fun. I do want that book. I like comics. Because I am fun. Can you get it for me grandpa?"

Simple blinked twice. "Yeah." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Yeah. It is over here."

Stitch followed Simple closely. Their wings nearly touched.

Screech looked at a sunny spot under a big window. She reluctantly walked away.

"Bat pony," said Simple. "Have we met? You look familiar."

Screech rolled her eyes. "Yes. Many times. That is why you don't know my name."

"That is Screech," said Stitch. "The best rodeo pony in the world."

Simple scoffed. "I would be impressed if it was a real sport. I play water polo."

"He is team captain," boasted Stitch.

"Why is it called water polo?" asked Screech. "I don't know what a polo is, but I would have called it aqua soccer."

"You are wasting your pretty face by talking," stated Simple.

Screech had heard Wild and Ham say the same thing as Simple more than once. She knew how the sentence sounded as a joke. She turned around and walked toward the sunny spot.

"Where are you going?" asked Simple. "You can't take a joke?" He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Foreigners."

Stitch looked at Screech then he looked at Simple. "It is not your fault. You just got off on the wrong hoof. You get the book and I will talk to her."

Screech curled up into a ball in the middle of the floor. The sunlight felt soo good on her coat she almost immediately stretched out.

Stitch sat down beside Screech. "You should give Simple another chance. He is nice once you get to know him."

Screech opened her eyes half way. "I would trust your judgement more if you didn't want to date him. Mama and Glitter both overlooked Papa's flaws becuase they liked him, and he had a lot of flaws. I doubt Melodie would put up with me of she was not in love with me."

Stitch stared blankly. "That is a relly good point." He looked at the ceiling. After a minute he looked back to Screech. "Either way I think you were too quick to judge him. When he comes back with your book I want you to be nice to him."

"When he comes back with my book I want him to be nice to me."

"He will. I don't want Simple to be a casualty of one of your snap judgements."

Screech huffed. "I don't make snap judgements."

"You didn't talk to Pic for three years because he smelled funny."

"He didn't floss. His breath smelled like rotting garbage."

"Just try to get to know Simple for me."

Screech groaned. "Fine."

Simple trotted up to Screech and tossed the book on the floor.

Screech opened the book and flipped through the first few pages. "Stitch wants me to be nice to you."

"Yeah. He wants me to be nice to you too."

Screech looked back at her book.

"What is your comic going to be about?" asked Stitch.

Screech thought for a few seconds. "Dogs. I hurt a lot of animals in my life. I try to not think about them. I need to confront the horrible things I have done in a ..." She took a moment to remember the rest of Dr. Red's advice. "Possitive and constructive manner."

"Those loud things with the weird teeth?" asked Simple. "My cousin's wife had a bunch of them. He (the cousin) threw them off Cloudsdale into Canterlot. I wish I could have seen the stuck up jerks when those things splatted all over their fancy parties."

Screech took a deep breath. "I feel... angry I can't hurt you. I hope your cousin's wife divorced him."

"She did," assured Stitch.

"That was not his fault," stated Simple. "The police had it out for him."

"He was arrested for domestic abuse," said Simple. "Dapple divorced him a day after he was sentenced."

"She flew into the side of a building and he gets arrested."

Screech looked to Stitch. "Can I judge him yet?"

"Not yet. You have to see one of his good qualities first."

"I leave town in two days."

"You are not exactly putting you best hoof forward either."

Screech shrugged. She turned her attention back to her book.

Stitch and Simple started a conversation about which wonderbolt was the best. Screech contributed the occasional sarcastic remark and roll of her eyes.

Three colts at least the same age as Simple trotted up to Stitch.

"What are you doing here?" asked Simple in an agressive tone.

Spade smiled. "Just checking out some books."

"That is a nice pet you got there," said Mulch. He pointed at Screech. "Is it housebroken?"

Screech smiled. "It is not a pet. It just follows me around." She looked for Chaste and didn't see it. "Chaste can be shy. It will come back."

Rake laughed. "Foreigners."

Screech hissed. "I was having a good time so I forgot which town I was in. Thanks for reminding me how much everypony here sucks."

Spade walked up to Screech and patted her head.

Screech snapped her jaws at Spade's hoof. She fought the urge to bite his hoof off. "If you touch me again I will hog tie you."

Spade and his buddies laughed.

Simple stepped toward Rake. "Don't bother my friends."

Rake spit his bubble gum in Simple's face. His gum landed right beside his eye.

Stitch gritted his teeth.

"Good aim," complimented Mulch.

Simple took the gum off his face and stuck it to a table. "Lets go." He tried to fly away. Mulch and Rake launched into the air, grabbed him and shoved him to the floor. Simple landed with a thud. He groaned but didn't get up.

Screech bared her fangs. "Hey!" She jumped to her hooves. Her wing twitched. She took a deep breath. "Why are you being mean?"

"We have not done anything mean," said Spade. He spun on his front hooves. He bucked Stitch in the face. "Now we have done something mean."

Screech tackled Spade to the floor.

Spade flailed his front hooves. He battered Screech like Periwinkle.

"We can talk about this. Violence is bad." Screech fought back the urge to vomit. She stumbled back. "I was psycolagically abused by my parrents most of my life. Right up until my mother cut my wing off. Doing violent things made me feel powerful and in control. My behaviour immediatly got out of hoof and I got worse as time went on. I did horrible things I will regret until the day I die. When my guilt becomes over whelming I think killing something would make me feel better and that tought makes me feel worse.
"Why are you being mean?"

Stitch got up off the floor. Blood dripped out of his nose.

Mulch looked at Screech. He dove and grabbed Stitch. Rake grabbed Simple.

Spade got his legs under himself. "I think you and your friends should go now." His voice shook but he tried to sound tough.

Screech bared her fangs. "No. You are going to attack my friends again if I let you go."

"You let us go," scoffed Mulch. "We are letting you go. We don't want to hurt a pretty girl."

"Why are you being mean?" asked Screeck calmly.

Spade fidgeted. He dove forward and punched as hard as he could. His stumbled forward when his hoof sailed last Screeche's face.

Screech took a deep breath. She pulled a rope out of her saddlebag. In a moment the rope was tied around Spade's neck. She held him on a leash like a dog.

Spade pulled on the knot, but it did not budge. "Let me go!" he barked.

"Tell me why you are being mean."

Soade tried to fly away. He choked and kicked. His wings flapped frantically. All his struggling got him nowhere.

"Let him go or else!" yelled Rake. His voice cracked. He was on the verge of tears.

Screech shook her head. "Not until one of you tells me why you are being mean. I know it is hard and scary, but all of you will feel better once you are open and honest." She was certain her plan would work.

Spade kicked the floor and table. He pushed against Screeche's hoof making the rope tighter. He twisted until he could bite the rope.

Mulch pushed Stitch to the floor. He ran forward and bucked Screech with all of the momentum he could build. He hit her so hard he tumbled over his front hooves.

"Screech let him go!" yelled Stitch. "You are scaring everpony."

Screech shook her head.

Spade's gums bled. Blood flowed down his chin. He kept biting the rope.

Rake broke into tears. "I am sorry. I will be good from now on. Please let Spade go. We will never bother Stitch again."

Screech shook her head. Her confidence in her plan did not waver. She was certain she was being helpful. She was causing an acceptabe amount of pain.

Spade calmed down. He stopped biting the rope. He let his body go limp.

"I am mean to Stitch because my brother is always belittling me," admitted Rake. "He pushes me around and calls me names. He cuts me hair when I am sleeping. My dad tells me to stand up to him and I will never be a real stolion. He made me get a job at a lightning mill and takes all of my bits. I feel weak all the time. It feels nice making Stitch feel weak."

Screech untied the knot in her rope in one second flat.

Spade dropped to the floor. His breaths were long and slow.

Screech sat back in the sunny spot and resumed reading her book.

Rake and Mulch carried Spade far away.

Stitch almost flew away. He listed reasons Screech would never hurt him and took deep breaths.

"It must be nice being strong enough to defend yourself," said Simple.

"Strenth can not be used for defence," stated Screech. "I do have it better than some ponies."

Simple put a hoof around Stitche's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Stitch nodded. "I am fine. Did they hurt you?"

Simple shook his head. His wing was slightly bent. Screech could have fixed his wing with a bite.

"Are the tree of them good friends?" asked Screech. "Will they help each other?"

Stitch shrugged. "They have done everything together for the past ten years. They must have already known about Rake's family."

Screech flipped the page of her book. "You would be surprised what ponies can hide from their friends."

Screech sat on Glitter's bed and watched Gold swim around her bowl.

Glitter sat on the floor of her bedroom and sorted through hundreds of pillows. She picked up a little purple pillow. "This is one." She tossed the pillow to Screech.

"How is Success doing?"

Glitter sighed. "Still pouting. My son is the only pony in Equestria who actually likes living in Cloudsdale."

"To be fair you did spring the move on him."

"Could you please not do this. I am trying to be a good mother."

"Sorry. You made the right choice. Helping others is hard. I wish doing what is best was always as easy as doing what is right."

"Just do what you can sweetie. Not even Princess Luna can do more."

"What are your parents like?"

Glitter took a deep breath. "I don't know. Normal. Mom is..." She sighed. "We have our differences."

"But she wants us to live with her?"

"Want... is not the word I would use. She loves us."

"What is your papa like?"

"He was the kindest pony in the world. I am sorry you never got to know him."

"I get to know you."

Glitter jumped on the bed and gave Screech a tight hug.

"I want to take everything," whined Success. "It is not fair I have to leave all of my friends behind and all of my things." He sat in his room surrounded by a wall of toys.

"No it is not fair," agreed Screech. "You are not leaving your friends behind. True friendships are harder to break than you think. And your things can be replaced. You will get new toys."

"I don't want new toys," whimpered Success. "Dad bought me these toys."

"I am sorry, but keeping all of this stuff will not bring him back."

Success looked at his Calamity Mane doll. "I know."

"You have papa's smile. Every time I see you smile it reminds me of him. That is a part of him you will always have."

Success smiled.

Screech stared out the window of the sky bus. The smaller Cloudsdale became the easier it was for her to breathe. By the time she could not see Cloudsdale, Screech felt like she could fly; given the altitude she could.

Success sat beside Screech and pouted because he could not bring all of his things.

Second only brought a few items of his father's clothe. He didn't want to bring any of his own belongings.

Glitter had five pillows and two photo albums. She sighed.

"Are you excited to see your mom?" asked Screech.

"Yeah," said Glitter. "Of course." She sighed again. "I will be more grateful this time. She will be more interested."

The bus landed near the beach.

Screech picked up her box of letters and her Melodie plush. She stepped off the bus onto Monacolt's warm sandy ground.