As One

“Why is fitting in so hard?”

He awoke to the dimly lit with a spasm of his own limbs. 'Night terrors, again'.Sitting up and wiping the cold sweat from his brow, the colt looked around the tiny room. Next to him, above the floor mattress, was a small window with tattered rags for drapes. On the far side of the room was a three drawer dresser and a five foot body mirror on the wall. He rolled to the side and placed his hoofs gently on the wood floor.

“Need to get ready..” He muttered. Softly walking, the colt to the dresser. The bottom drawer was opened with little effort on his part. Inside was a peculiarly odd strapped brush, it was clearly hoof made. Even though he was an earth pony the colt had poor dexterity with his hoofs. Slipping his leg through the loop he tightened the strap and moved to the mirror. The image of a cream colored colt appeared. Short tail, frazzled mid length ochre mane, small scar on the lower left lip, and hollow teal eyes. Slowly he tamed his mane with businesslike strokes of the coarse brush. He did not have a particular style but there was a parting of the hairline to keep his bangs out of his eyes. After finishing and putting the brush back the cream colt put an ere to his door. Snoring could be heard from the adjacent room. 'Better sneak out. Noise would be bad for my health' Creeping back to the window the colt picked up his worn saddle bags and put them on. They were a grayish color. In a matter of moments he was out the window with cat like grace, a talent acquired from practice. Onyx Ally, the familiar gloomy pathway had been used as an escape route many a time by this young colt. Trotting out of the dead end alleyway he was halted by two fillies who had stopped mid-conversation to confront him.

“If it isn't Wisp, Hiding in alleys again?” Voiced the steel-gray filly with her platinum mane done in pigtails. She wore blue rimmed glasses as a silver spoon adorned her flanks.

“well not ex-” before he could finish his reply the other cut in.

“No no, cant you see he lives in there? That is the only place a loser blank flank like him belongs.” she said with a smirk. Her mane and tail resonated a light lavender with a white stripe running through, both were rather nicely styled. Her coat a shade of pink with a cutie mark of a tiara. That same tiara she wore on her head with pride. Her blue eyes seemed to lock onto Wisp's for a moment, almost challenging, before he downcast his gaze. With a sneer Diamond Tiara spoke

“Lets go, the stench of this loser is getting to me.” With small snickers Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara trotted off in the direction of the Ponyville Schoolhouse. 'Why do those two always pick on me?' Lifting his gaze, Wisp decided that he was going to go the long route to school. Trotting along Wisp took notice of fillies and colts being sent off by loving parents.

“If only things had been different...”

With a ring of the school bell all the students took there respective seats. The single classroom building was a pleasant yellow with a wood floor finish. The desk rows were five long and five deep, Wisp sat in the back of the classroom as usual. Taking papers and pencils out of his bag the colt got ready for the lesson. Strangely enough Silver spoon and Diamond Tiara were stilling on ether side of him 'now why in the hey wou-' before he could finish his thought Miss Cheerilee entered the room. Her magenta coat thoroughly brushed and her pink/white mane maintained with curls at the end, he tail mimicked the likeness of her main. She motioned a hoof the chalkboard and began to speak. Wisp took up his writing utensil and began taking notes.

“PSST!” The sound broke Wisp's concentration as if it was a twig. Seeming to come from nowhere the noise broke his concentration once more.   “PSSSST!” With a quick assessment of the area he discovered Silver Spoon leaning towards him, a note in her mouth. Looking to the other side Wisp seen Diamond Tiara motion to herself with a wave of the hoof.

“Silver Spoon! Are you passing a note in my class!?” Boomed the authoritative voice of Miss Cheerilee.

“I-Um...well the thing is...” Silver Spoon Stammered and flushed.

“I asked her if we could compare notes, I am sorry for disrupting the class” All eyes were on Wisp now. His heart seemed to find it's way into his throat, his hoofs began to shake. Panic seemed to flood and drown out all other senses. One of the few things Wisp could not handle was attention and this was most certainly counted as attention. The students waited with bated breath for what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few moments. The magenta mare blinked

“Oh, ok then. Could you two wait until after class next time?” She asked with a kind smile. Silver Spoon responded first

“Yes Miss Cheerilee.” Wisp simply gave a shaky nod. With that the teacher started class again. Learning had gone out the window, so to speak, for Wisp. He spent the rest of the lecture trying his best to keep his breathing steady, the last thing he wanted was to pass out in the middle of class.

The lunch bell rang with a hollow enthusiasm.

“Have a good lunch my little ponies! See you all in an hour.” Miss Cheerilee said with glee. Most of the fillies and clots rushed out of the room with hollers and cheers while some, like Wisp, took there time to pack there things before leaving the schoolhouse. The teacher wished Wisp well as he trotted out the door, he did not even look back. A familiar face was waiting for him

“Silver Spoon?” Confusion began to overtake the poor colt.

“That was like, really cool of you. Not telling on me I mean.” the filly said with a smile, adjusting her glasses.

“Tiara is having lunch with her dad. Do you want to, like, hang out?” She asked with a little flush. Wisp seemed to consider the offer for a moment before responding.

“I would really like that. I mean, we have known each other sense we were foals. It is just that I had plans today...sorry spoon” His answer seemed to crush her in a single foul swoop. Her smile turned as tears started to form.

“I am really sorry. If you like we could have lunch tomorrow?” Her face seemed to light up at the suggestion.

“You like, Promise right?” Silver Spoon asked with a hopeful glimmer in her eye.

“Yes, I promise spoon” She seemed to blush a little before she nodded and trotted off. 'What was that all about?' he wondered to himself, setting off in the opposite direction of Ponyville. After a few minutes of trotting he came upon a hill. It took a little work but Wisp was able to make it to the top. Peering over the edge he was struck by vertigo, Wisp pulled his head back and composed himself.

“Bout a thirty foot drop, that should do it” He whispered. With his breaths becoming more and more shallow, Wisp worked up the nerve to put one hoof in front of the other. Eyes still clenched he took another step. Then another. Then all was black.

Wisp woke to throbbing pain in his head, chest, and right foreleg yet he was strangely comfortable. Feeling groggy, Wisp struggled to open his eyes and take in his new environment. To the right was a window that let the fading light of day in. It's olive curtains imitated in color the patient's gown that hung from one of the IV stands. His saddle bags lay on a chair next to the window, a note taped to the buckle. Wisp slowly rose to a sitting posture, pushing the white sheets away from his battered body. 'Guess it was not high enough' He thought to himself. The hospital bed was higher than what he was used to but, with enough effort, he was able to get his hoofs on the floor. Wisp flinched when he put weight on his right foreleg.

“Why dose my leg hurt like crazy?” Closer inspection of the limb revealed mostly healed lacerations and the heavy discoloration of bruising. His interest in the note tipped the scale from his better judgment in the end. Wisp limped over to his bags, pain shooting through leg with the intent to cripple him. After what seemed like an eternity, the cream colt had successfully hobbled over to his bags.

“I think we will do a rain check on that lunch. Get better soon Wisp. -Silver Spoon” She had dotted the 'I' in her name name with a heart, Wisp found this very strange. He slipped the note into his saddle bag and turned around to a wide eyed mare. She was a bit on the heavy side, her coat a deep shade of pink. Her lavender mane was done up in a neat little bun as was her tail. The nurse's copper eyes stared into Wisp's for a moment before the colt looked away.

“Oh my. You are not suppose to be out of bed yet young colt. You should be resting” Her voice soft but with a firmness of a mother.

“W-what happened?” Wisp asked as the nurse assisted him back into bed.

“Well from what your friend said you slipped and fell off a cliff” She said rather bluntly.

“You were in very bad condition when they brought you in” The nurse affirmed, tucking the injured colt back into bed. The white sheets drew up the majority of his injured body.

“It is a good thing that Dr. Swabone is good with what he does. The magic spell he used to mend your bones was quite impressive.” She said pointing a hoof to his leg.

“Your forelimb was actually broken in several places.” 'Well that explains a bit' The nurse gave Wisp a warm smile as she lowered her hoof

“Your mother should be along shortly. How about I get you something to eat?”  Before he could answer he could answer the pink mare closed the privacy drapes around Wisp's bed and trotted off. Slumping down the colt's internal fears began to come to fruition. 'My mother is coming here? Here!?Oh Celestia, how could you let me survive? Luna why do you punish me so?' His mental rantings went on for some time. The heavy trotting of the nurse caught Wisp's attention.

“I am not even hungry, why did she -” Rumble rumble. “Quiet you.” With the draw of the curtains Wisp's privacy was to the left side of the bed. The larger mare had his meal on some form of tray that was balanced on her back. In a pink flash the nurse had taken the tray and placed it on the bed. Its long concave design was specifically made to brace against the safety rails of the bed.

“Enjoy your dinner sweetie, I will how your mother is holding up and be back for your dishes.” With a smile she trotted out of the door leaving Wisp to eat

“I know the hay loaf but what is this?” He poked the gelatinous cube on his tray using his good hoof. It simply jiggled in response. With a frown he poked it again and once more it shimmered with movement. With a shrug of his shoulders Wisp took the jello cube and shoved it into his mouth. It took little effort to chew the awful mass. When he tried to swallow his throat threatened to heave his insides out, luckily there was a glass of water on the tray. Wisp picked it up and drank it as fast as he could. The mixture of water and goop hit his stomach like a lead weight, this was caused for a few sour faces. Wisp began to get lost in thought as he began to pick at the hay loaf that was left in front of him. Before too long the pudgy nurse trotted in wearing a small sad smile

“I'm sorry dearie but you will have to stay overnight, your mother never showed up. Good news is that you will be able to check out tomorrow. If you need anything you will let us know right?”

Wisp gave a nod and responded “Yes Ma'am.”

She gave him another smile, took his tray, and trotted out of the room. Wisp slumped back down 'Well, least that gives me a day to recover. It would also be nice to spend some time away from mother.' Just like that, Wisp began to drift off into a deep sleep.

Surprisingly Wisp woke up refreshed though he still ached from head to hoof.

“No night terrors, that is nice” He said with a small smile. Clearly his face was not used to this expression. As for the normality of the hospital the cream colt received breakfast in bed.

“I could have gotten my own food” Wisp said with a bashful smile. “Think of it as a gift of goodwill” The nurse said with a smile. 'Does she live here or something?' Wisp gave a diminutive nod

“Thank you ma'am”

“Cross” She said levelly.

“Um...oh. Sorry Miss Cross.” Wisp said with a coy smile.

“No apologies needed my little friend. Now eat up, you have a big day ahead of you.” Miss cross turned and headed out the door. 'Fore dots? That dose not make any sense'  he thought and he caught a glimpse of her cutie mark. After he finished his meal the nurse came back in to gather his tray and dishes.

“How did you get your cutie mark?” He blurted out. He averted his gaze from hers. She gave a caring smile 'I know you do not get something like that from helping ponys...who are you really?' he pondered.

“Still after your cutie mark I take it?” Wisp flushed a little

“I-I was just curious...” She wore that same smile she seemed to always have

“How about this, see me in a week and I will give you my cutie mark story.” With that said she trotted off with the dishes in tow. After a few hours of waiting the doctor made his appearance This orange had a styled brown mane with a hacksaw as a cutie mark. He wore a lab-coat and a stethoscope

“So how is are lucky colt feeling today?” he asked looking up from a clipboard with a big smile. The clipboard was held in a silver-lined magic that resonated from the unicorn's horn.

“I am doing well mister, thank you for helping me.” Wisp said with a teeny smile. Dr. Sawbone put a hoof to his chest and gave a wide grin.

“Me!? Oh, no, no, I should be thanking you.” Wisp's look became one of confusion. “I learned that bone-mending ages ago in the academy. This was the first time I was able to save a life with it, a colt's life no less.” He said with an exasperated glee.

Wisp smiled cautiously “Glad I could...help?” The Doctor but his clipboard away and fixed Wisp with a serious look.

“I have a few tests that need to be ran before I can release you, they may be painful. Are you ready?” Wisp swallowed hard and nodded. In reality Sawbone make the tests sound more cynical that they really were.

“Stand here”

“Walk over there”

“Trot here”

“hold your breath”

The test were clearly manufactured for Wisp's type of situation. The colt was able to complete the objectives with little to no pain what-so-ever.

“Good good! Looks like you will make a full recovery. I think you are ready to be sent home, what do you think?”

“That would be...nice” was all the response he could muster.

“Good, let me go finalize some things. I will be back in a moment. How about you gather your things while I am gone?” With that said Sawbone trotted away, a spring in his step. 'Never thought I could anypony that happy.' Picking up his saddlebags, Wisp remembered the note that had been written to him. Again and again he read the note and came to the same conclusion. 'Dose she care about?' the thought of somepony caring about him was a strange notion. After taking up his saddle bags Wisp turned. Dr. Sawbone entered the room wearing a pained expression.

“I am sorry but your mother reported a family emergency. I am afraid you are going to need to stay another day.” The idea was actually quite pleasing to him but Wisp had things to day. As well as a lunch with a certain filly.

“I can walk myself home. I feel well enough, honest.”

As Sawbone pondered Wisp unleashed his ultimate weapon, Puppy eyes.

“Ok ok, but you get help if you are not feeling well.” The doctor said firmly.

“I promise.” Dr. Sawbone smiled and led Wisp out of his room.

Wisp's arrival home was as he had expected. The simple wood floor was spotless as usual, the walls lacking even a smudge.

“I am home mother.” A heap of flesh separated itself from the burgundy couch and ascended to it's hoofs. Wisp's mother towered over him by two feet.

“Oh. You were gone?”

The colt let out a sigh “Yes mother, I got hurt. Remember?” His mother was rather large and muscular for a Pegasus. Her coat was cream like his but her mane was scarlet red. Her purple eyes were bloodshot and were carrying luggage. Wisp looked at the floor to avoid her gaze. 'Wisp...your a loudmouth' With a few easy flaps of her wings Wisp's mother was hovering a few inches from the floor.

“Come over here Wisp, I want to show you something.” Cautiously the colt followed her lead.

“What is wrong with this picture Wisp?” She motioned to the side table next to the couch. A lamp was the center piece of the table, littered about was what looked like empty vitamin bottles.

“Your table is messy?” He whispered.

She gave the colt a discerning look “Are you brain damaged? Look again, there empty. Every single one is fucking empty!” She yelled, wrapping Wisp in a headlock and dragging him closer to the table. He struggled to break free but her grip was quite powerful.

“M-mamma I can't *gasp* breath!” At this point there was no reasoning with the crazed mare. The only think that would please her was the sound of her own voice.

“Empty, just like you Wisp. Everything always has to be about you!” At that moment Wisp began to lose consciousness.

“He left because of you!” With a mighty swing of her foreleg she sent he flying towards the table, luckily he was able to catch himself. Before he could recover and move away a hoof caught the side of his head and smashed it through the lamp. Wisp was reduced to a whimpering pile on the floor. He held his bleeding face and cried softly. His mother fixed him with a discussed look.

“You broke my lamp you little shit” she pointed to his room “Go to your room. I do not want to see you until you learn to behave.”

Wisp got to his hoof, his right forelimb covered his bleeding face. “Y-yes mamma”

He limped to his room as his mother continued to rant and rave.