Heart Souls: The Loss of Harmony

Eternal night is set upon the realms inside the Everfree forest as the trees grow thick and the sky is forever clouded by storm.

The wandering ponies, now drenched and tired, as the rain and mud hinder their advance.

"The weather worsens. Do we soldier on or bunker down?" Quilt asked the rest.

The others seem to be fine, but Apple was fatigued.

Treasure's worry grew as he saw her trying to keep up.

He offered his hoof to her, but she took it differently.

She began to cry and shake.

"Forgive me, for I am weak. If you must, leave me." She bows down, with hooves shaken.

Treasure would quickly lift her and place her at his back.

"Enough with your nonsense, Apple. Why do you treat me like I abuse you?"

She too would wonder. This stallion has treated her so well, yet fear grasps her, not wanting to disappoint. And with that, she feels ashamed to be rescued once more and never contributed for the others.

"I'm sorry," she timidly replied.

She clenched tightly at Treasure as he carried her through the muddy landscapes of the forest.

Tapper, on the other hand, would have this weird idea and ask Quilt if she too wanted to be carried.

"You know... I can carry you if—" splash!
Tapper was interrupted by mud on the face and stopped him from his tracks.

"Sorry, I slipped," he said monotonously.

"It's okay. Mistakes happen," he sadly replied.

Mean while Cross has been carrying Bluebell for a while and is pretty much out of shape as well; this would be pointed out by Quilt and end up scolding the ditzy mare.

"Hey! Stop messing around Bluebell; can't you see Cross is limping already from your fat ass, digging from his back?"

"H-Hey! My ass is not fat!" She quickly went down from his back, ashamed and bashful.

Cross could only give a sigh in relief and smile at Bluebell, which she took badly.

It struck her that Cross did have a hard time because of her and is now regretting her free-willed attitude with their relationship.

She hurriedly placed herself beneath him and began carrying him.

Cross didn't have the time to react and got carried by her.

He blushed heavily and questioned her actions, as he was on top of her.

"W-What are you doing!?"

"It's my turn to carry you," she answered as if it wasn't obvious what she was doing to him.

"Chivalry is not only for stallions, you know; us mares have that too! Especially being a knight and all," she proudly announced.

"Not like this, Bluebell!"

He hurriedly tried to go down from her, but she'd try to insist, ending them both in the mud.

"Hey, why won't you let me carry you?" She genuinely asked in disappointment.

She'd soon feel something hard hit her sensitive part and soon realized how much Cross tried to control himself.

She quickly stood up and hurriedly gallop forward, ending up ahead of the others, while Cross is still in the mud, covering his face with his muddy hooves.

"Stop messing around and get a move on; we got more walking to do," Treasure pointed out.

"Im not messing around!"

____________

"Bubbles... is everything alright?" He popped the question.

The two had been walking through the forest for some time now, and both have been quiet and distant.

The mare remained silent and deep in thought.

"It was the foreplay, wasn't it?" Bright asked in defeat.

This bubble heard and left her confused.

"What? Foreplay?"

"I knew it. I was weird when you asked me to be rough. You even laughed at me and gave that awkward smile at me! I told you I wasn't good at it. Now..." He couldn't continue as the stallion has broken. He felt ashamed and embarrassed that, because of his actions, his relationship with Bubbles had turned into this.

Bubbles could not remember what Bright is talking about since she already experienced more than a century before coming back, and it was a horrendous one at that.

"Um, no. No! It's not that. How should I put this?" She wanted to tell him what happened, but Starlight Glimmer warned her that it might not be for the best. She didn't elaborate, which pissed off Bubbles. Why wouldn't she tell? She wondered.

Is she messing with me? No, she couldn't; I've messed up already, and because of my stubbornness... No... That—that never happened. Thanks to her... Her thoughts once more run in circles on what's to come.

And with her falling silent again and ignoring Bright, she neglected him, which caused him to doubt himself once more.

And because of her spacing out, she got near him and began to flinch and back away from him.

"... Seriously. What's going on?" The frustrated stallion asked.

This would not help, as it triggered something inside of her head and began seeing Gallus and the abuse she had.

Even though she was a hardened royal knight, the terror she experienced would break anyone.

"It's nothing, please! Let me be!" She yelled.

Bright sighed in defeat, not knowing what to do.

"I'm sorry. It's just... Something changed. Something happened that I wasn't aware of." He'd smile at her, trying to reassure her.

She could only look away, feeling guilty about how she treats him. "It's okay really. Just... Just give me sometime. I promise you its going to be alright. I love you; never doubt that. Now lets get going, shall we?"

Bright did not move. He sulked where he stood.

The two would awkwardly stand still.

"Um Bright?"

The stallion still slumped would turn around and continue to lead the way.

"Oh, yes.. where are we heading again?" he asked.

"Were trying to look for the others, probably heading to Canterlot, remember?" Bubble replied.

"Ah yeah, sorry. Must've slipped my mind."

They continued to walk through the forest, both distant and quiet. They've become strangers to one another.

Their distance grew as Bubbles began to tire.

"Hey... Bright? You don't mind we rest for a bit, right?"

"Hm?... Sure," he replied.

He found a spot that was dry and sat beside a tree, facing her. He stares at her, eyes focused, unwavering.

Bubbles would sit beside a different tree as well.

Bright seems to be more silent now and isn't bothering Bubbles with questions and insecurities. Has he perhaps given up on me? Questions running through her head.