Rejuvenate

Chapters

Chapter One: Collapse
Chapter Two: Awaken
Chapter Three: Greetings
Chapter Four: Confrontations
Chapter Five: Regret
Chapter Six: Memory
Prologue
Epilogue

Chapter One: Collapse

"C'mon dude, pick up the pace!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Don't rush me!"

You called out to your friend as you made your way through the thicket of the Everfree Forest. He had made some headway, while you struggled with a rather pesky vine. Of course, that didn't seem to faze your friend, as he continued to pester you.

"Dude, you're slower than my grandma! We're burning daylight, get your flank moving!"

"Would you shut up already!? Kinda got my hooves full here!" You yelled back, attempting to free your hind leg from a rather uncomfortable knot.

You couldn't help but think back, trying to figure out just how you got into this mess...

***************

It had been a rather uneventful day down in the mines. As a miner, you were used to the feel of caves, and the sight of stone walls grew rather monotonous to you. After having had been yelled at by your boss for "misuse of equipment" or whatever (you tended to tone him out after the first twelve seconds), you headed home to, surprise, nothing of interest.

While attempting to take a nap, you were interrupted by an unwelcome, and excessively loud, knocking on your door. Seriously, you think to yourself, I just got home like, twenty minutes ago!

You open the door and were greeted by the familiar, if not obnoxious, face of a dark blue colt with an even darker mane.

"Dude, what took you? I've been standing out here forever!"

It was none other than your old friend, Russ. You had known Russ since your days in high school. He had always been a sort of hothead, seldom thinking about the consequences of his actions before diving headlong into them, but he had always had a way of making you laugh. He became your friend after a certain incident you'd like to forget.

But right now, you only want to forget about him interrupting your sleep.

"Ugh, what do you want Russ," you said, very heavily lacing your words with annoyance, "I was trying to sleep!"

"Seriously? Wow, dude, it's like, in the middle of the day. Why are you sleeping?"

"Does that really matter? Why are you here?" You snap back, heavily implying you aren't pleased with his visit. You don't know why you tried, as you knew he was never fazed by thing like that.

"Well, I was at the library, and-"

"You were checking out that purple mare that works there, I've heard it a thousand times." This wasn't the first time he talked about that mare, and it had grown quite annoying to you.

"No!...Well, yes, and she's lavender, by the way. But that's not the point!" You couldn't help snicker at his little defendant stance he took.

"Okay, well, if that's not it, what is it then? Surely YOU, of all colts, weren't actually reading for once!"

"Aha!" he exclaimed in that prideful way of his, "That is where you are wrong! I actually was reading today!"

"Oh, really?" You said back, with a layer of sarcasm laid over your words. Not that he seemed to notice, or care.

"Yes, and I found something amazing! Deep in the Everfree Forest, there's supposed to be this incredible, underground temple, filled with insurmountable treasure!"

Insurmountable? Look at you, using big words! You think to yourself. "Okay, and what does that have to do with interrupting my nap?" You ask, though you already had a good idea of where this was going.

"I'm gonna need a pal to go with me! It's dangerous, maybe even deadly out there, and I'd like to have some backup....not that I would need it, or anything." You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his pride.

Way to think about the safety of your friends there, mate, you think to yourself. Of course, this didn't surprise you. Russ was always coming up with some ridiculous, over-the-top, "get rich quick" scheme. His hotheaded nature even carried over to his bank account, making all sorts of deals and whatnot attempting to make a quick buck.

"So, you want me to go with you, into the Everfree, to try and find some ancient pile of rock, so you can get some cash?"

Russ taps his chin for a second before replying. "Sounds about right! What do you say?"

"Ugh, fine." You reply back. Your mind screamed at you. You knew this was stupid, and you knew it wouldn't end well. But you also knew how stubborn Russ could be, and that he absolutely refused to take "no" as an answer.

That, and you loved archaeology. The talk of temples, or possible ancient ponies, never failed to catch your attention. It was a reason you became a miner in the first place.

"Alright!" Russ exclaimed, "Let's get moving!"

"W-wait, what!?" You staggered backwards, unable to believe what you were hearing. "You want us to go, like, now!?"

"Well, yeah." Russ said, seemingly oblivious to the implications of such a brash decision. "If we don't go now, someone else might get to it first! Then there'll be no treasure left for m- us!"

"Are you crazy!? It'd be a wonder if this temple even existed! And who's to say it hasn't already been discovered yet!" You yell back.

"Exactly! Which is why we gotta get moving now!" He says back. You couldn't help but feel dumbfounded by his logic.

And you also knew it was pointless to argue. Why were you his friend again? You weren't sure, but you went ahead and played along with his game.

After much, fruitless arguing, you finally convinced him to give you an hour to prepare. He was anxious to allow any more time than that, afraid his temple would be under someone else's claim if you took too long.

The two of you met just outside the Everfree, not too far from the cottage of that yellow pegasus. It was a little later in the day, around seven you guessed. While you had saddlebags full of supplies, Russ had nothing but the jacket on his back.

"Packed a little light, don't you think?" You sarcastically say to him.

"Packed a little heavy, don't you think?" He sarcastically says back.

"...Let's just get moving."

***************

After much trekking, fighting your way through flora, and suffering from several small cuts from plants you hoped weren't poisonous, you ended up in the situation you are in now. A strange, multi-hued vine wrapped tight around your hind leg.

"Don't help or anything, Russ! I totally got this!" You yell to your friend, sarcasm dripping from your words, as he continues off in the other direction.

"Okay!" He yells back, totally oblivious.

You couldn't help but facehoof. You knew he was hardheaded, but not to the point where common sense rebounded off his skull.

With one last tug, you managed to free your ensnared leg, and quickly made a dash to rejoin your travel "companion."

***************

"....Well I'll be damned..."

After much more exhausting hiking, you had made it to your destination. You'd managed to fall into a river and lose most of the supplies you were carrying (how you managed to do that was beyond you), only left with a few apples afterward, but you finally made it. The temple Russ had told you about had been no mere myth, as it was standing right before your eyes.

Russ interrupted you awe-filled gaze with some useful information for once.

"The book said that most of the temple is underground," he said, "and what we're seeing here is merely a sample of what's inside."

"Are you sure we should do this?" You couldn't help but ask. "I mean, yeah, this temple is cool and all, but how do we know it's, you know, stable?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. All we have to do is go in, grab what I- we're looking for, and get out. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy!"

You immediately knew this was a bad idea. Anytime Russ said that phrase, things never turned out well.

"I don't know man, this looks dangerous.."

"Well of course it is!" Russ said, apparently unsure of how to comfort somepony else. "You got to be willing to take some risks to get the best!"

"Well...alright, let's get going. But no messing around, okay? I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Alright dude, let's do this!"

You and Russ made your way into the temple. The main room had nothing of particular interest. Stone walls and stone pillars. It wasn't unlike your "workplace," just more refined. What appeared to be shattered mosaics lined the walls. Whatever images they once held were completely unrecognizable now. Almost immediately, a stairwell led deeper into the temple. Cautiously, and a little bit regretfully, you made your way deeper into the abyss with your pal.

At this point, you were incredibly frustrated with yourself that you fell into that river. Among the supplies you lost was a flashlight, which would have been incredibly useful by now. While you could make out shapes and objects in the room, all details were impossible to make out due to the darkness. If there were any hints of ancient ponies in this room, whether it be drawings or artifacts, you would never know. Right now, you were feeling this journey wasn't leading you to any form of fulfillment.

Russ, on the other hoof, wouldn't shut up. Everything he saw, he had to stop and ogle at. Apparently, he had forgotten your request to make this quick.

Eventually, your eyes had adjusted to the growing darkness. The details of the room became more clear. There had been more pillars holding up the roof, and at the end of the room was a pedestal of sorts. Though it almost looked like some sort of shrine, whatever it was supposed to honor was very much absent.

You look over to Russ, who wore a completely blank expression.

"Um....Russ?" You ask, unsure of what was going on.

"....This temple was supposed to hold a great treasure." He said, in a completely flat tone. "...and from what I read, it was supposed to be on that pedestal..."

"Russ, are you saying...?"

"This whole trip...was for NOTHING. Somebody beat us to the damn treasure!" Russ was beside himself with anger.

"Dude, calm down, it's not like-"

"NO! I WON'T calm down! I'm sick and tired of this happening to me!" You'd seen Russ get frustrated with his own schemes failing before, but this was unlike anything you'd ever seen.

"Dude, it's okay, I mean, it's still cool that we-"

"That we what!? Wasted our time coming out here so we could look at some stupid rocks? I've had it with this happening! No matter how well I think something is going to go, it always turns to shit!"

"Russ!"

"Nothing ever goes well for me, I just, I....ARRGH!"

Russ, in his blind fury, started to deliver powerful kicks to a nearby pillar between each word he spoke.

"I...am...tired...of...this...happening!"

You could only stand in fear, watching your friend vent his anger onto the temple.

"I've...had...IT!"

*CRACK*

You both immediately freeze. Russ steps to your side and looks at the pillar that suffered his onslaught of kicks. You begin to worry as-

*CRACK*

You begin to sweat as-

*CRACK*

You begin to panic as the damage of the pillar began to build. Suddenly, the entire temple starts to shake.

Your experience as a miner has taught you how to deal with cave-in situations. Some instances call for using boards to provide stability to the roof. Other instances called for shoveling out certain parts of a cave and relocating the material. No matter what there was always a technical way to deal with any disastrous situation that arose.

But of course, there was always the Golden Rule that any miner could use.

"RUN!"

You and Russ begin a mad dash for the stairwell. As dangerous as it was, it was the only way to the exit of the temple. At this point, the walls and ceiling begin to cave in on you. Large portions of the roof begin collapsing around you.

You try to keep a cool head as your multitasking skills are put to the test. Watch the roof to avoid being crushed, look forward to not trip or run into anything, keep an eye on Russ so he doesn't get in your way.

You'd finally made it to the stairs. Luckily, they hadn't broken down beyond the use of escape. With Russ in the lead, you took the flight of stairs back into the main room of the temple.

There it was, your exit. You had never been happier to see a door in all your life. Chunks of the temple still falling around you, you continue your mad dash. This is a day you would tell your grandfoals about, a day you would look back on and-

*CRUSH*

You scream out in pain. It took a second to register what had just happened, but when you look back, you get a pretty good idea.

You had been crushed. Your hind legs were pinned underneath a boulder, and you couldn't move.

Words couldn't describe how terrified you were at that moment. You feebly push against the boulder, but due to it's shape, size, and the angle of your push, the boulder didn't even budge. Your only hope was Russ.

You look forward, and see him, standing there in pure terror about twenty feet away.

"Russ! Help me!" You scream at him.

Russ didn't move, even with the temple still falling around him. "I...I..."

"Russ, please!"

"I...I just..."

It was at that moment, your world was shattered.

Russ turned, and ran out the entrance of the temple.

"Russ!? Russ!" You scream his name in vain. Even though you knew he was still within earshot of you, he didn't return.

"Russ! Russ...."

Please...don't let this happen to me....not again...

You decide it would simply be best to close your eyes, and accept your fate, buried in this temple, forever.

Chapter Two: Awaken

Anger. Depression. Sorrow. Heartache. Pain.

These were only a few of the words to describe how you felt as you lay in....

Wait, what were you laying in? You tried to recall what had just happened.

You and your former-friend Russ had gone into some temple, everything collapsed and...he left you for dead...

Oh yeah, you thought to yourself, that's what happened.

But the last time you checked, your hind legs were pinned beneath a Celestia-knows-how-heavy boulder. But here you are in a...bed? Underneath a white-tiled ceiling? How did this happen?

You attempt to sit up, which you quickly find to be a big mistake. A searing pain shoots through your legs and back, making you wince in agony, along with letting out a surprisingly loud yelp.

At this, a nurse pony runs into the room. The accident must have damaged your head too, as you couldn't remember her name for some reason.

"Oh my, please sir, you must not attempt to move!" She says, concern in her voice. A quick glance at her nametag reminds you of her name; Nurse Redheart.

"Ugh..." you manage to groan. "What happened?"

"Oh," Redheart exclaims, suddenly looking a little more nervous, "Er, well, perhaps I should let your doctor explain...I'll be right back, don't try to move again!"

She quickly shuffled out the door. You duly note her advice, and you decided to take some inventory on the situation.

After your little....incident, you must have passed out. You've been taken by....someone, to a hospital, where you are being treated. How exactly you got here was beyond you.

After a few moments, your thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of a large, white, unicorn stallion. He was adorned with a white coat that almost blended into his natural colors, and his Cutie Mark was obscured. He flashed a cheesy grin as he entered.

"Well hello there! I see you've taken quite a bit of abuse!" He says, almost sounding like he's trying to be funny.

"Well, I suppose your right..." You reply. You couldn't be bothered with trying to be friendly, considering your condition.

"So I understand you're a little confused as to what has happened to you...?" You simply nod your head, only wanting the details. "Well, I'll explain all that I've been informed of. You were found with your hind legs being crushed beneath a large boulder. Now, we've taken some x-rays, and as it turns out, your left hind leg was spared of most damage, only having taken some of the impact from the boulder. Some physical therapy should be enough for it to recover fully!" You breath a sigh of relief.

"However, your right leg, was not as lucky..." He said, with a bit of despair in his voice.

He levitated a slide onto a nearby light, and the site you saw horrified you. What appeared to be the bones of your leg were in pieces. It looked as though some sick, sadistic toddler had taken your leg and made it into a jigsaw puzzle, with no rhyme or reason guiding it. It was a painful sight, to say the least.

"Now, you've suffered extensive damage to the bone. We've rebuilt it as well as we could, but even then, there is no guarantee that your leg will be fully functional after all of this. The muscles and tissues were also severely damaged, due to the constricted blood flow."

"I..." You couldn't believe what you were hearing. All of this, merely because of one of...his, plans...

"I'm sorry, but we've done all we could. There's no way of knowing for sure if you will be able to use that leg..."

You couldn't believe this. All you had to say was "no." That's all it would have taken. Well, knowing...him, it may have taken more then that. Either way, you could have avoided this. You could have been napping at home, peacefully, not having a care in the world. But no, instead, you may have just lost a leg. Even a professional couldn't tell you.

But, you decided against wallowing in the past. You wanted to know more about what's happening right now.

"Well...I suppose it can't be helped." You say, somewhat crestfallen. "But, I have a few questions. First of all, and I'm sorry for this, but who are you?"

The doctor gives a hearty laugh at this, which you were unsure of whether or not that was a good sign.

"Oh, it's quite alright. In fact, this is the fourth time you've asked me!" You couldn't help but feel a little dumbfounded at that statement. "My name is Dr. Coachen."

"Okay, Dr. Coachen. I'll remember that. But what did you mean this is the fourth time I've asked?"

"Well," Coachen starts, sounding slightly amused, "you seem to have been suffering from some memory loss. You've asked me for my name once a day, at least. It's a common symptom after such a traumatic experience."

Something in your mind clicked. "Wait, once a day? How long have I been here?"

"Well, for about four days now. Today is your fifth day, actually!"

You were stunned. Five days? How could this have happened...

"Okay, cool...five days..." You reply back. "Do you have any idea as to how long I was trapped under that boulder?"

"Well, we had to go off of what she told us, but I would estimate, oh, about four hours."

Wow, you think to yourself, no wonder my leg is so torn up...wait...what did he just say?

"Um doctor," you ask, somewhat cautiously, "what do you mean 'she?'"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said you had to go off of what 'she' told you. Who did you mean by that?"

"...Oh!" Coachen exclaims, apparently having to have needed to take a moment to process what you were asking. "Well, it was an adorable little pegasus that brought you in! She told us everything she knew about what had happened!"

Adorable little...pegasus? You pondered. I don't know any pegasi... "What was her name?"

"Her name? She called herself Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy...

"...Do you, not know her?" The doctor inquired, with some slight surprise in his voice.

"No, actually, I don't. I mean, I think I may have seen her around before, but, no, not personally."

"Hm. That's interesting." Coachen explained, "She seemed extremely concerned about your safety."

"Wait, really?" You couldn't help but feel confused.

"Yes, in fact, she has been coming back everyday to check in on you!"

You felt an odd mixture of confusion, happiness, and concern. You were glad someone was looking out for you, but someone you don't know? You felt suspicious, but you knew you might owe that mare.

"Wow...I guess I owe her a thanks..."

"You may owe her more than that, my boy!" Coachen said, apparently unaware that that may not have been what you wanted to hear.

"Uh, well, I..."

"Look," Coachen says, with a much more serious expression adorned on his face, "had it not been for that mare, there is no telling how long you could have been trapped. You may very well owe your life to her."

It's not often somepony can say "I owe you my life!" But right now, that's exactly how you felt. Dr. Coachen was right, you know you may never have gotten where you are now had it not been for her.

Yet you can't help but feel suspicious. Why would this mare you barely, if at all, knew go out of her way to help you? On top of that, why was she, a pegasus you didn't know, so concerned about you, a simple earth pony she didn't know? The more you thought about it, the more it puzzled you.

Even then, you knew you owed her a 'thank you,' at the very least.

"Alright Doc, I'll let her know. Thank you!"

"Yes, quite good." The good doctor says, his mood having improved. "Now then, I would like you to know that you are ready to be discharged at any time!" Your face lights up at this, knowing that, even though you were unconscious or couldn't recall most of your time here, you were free to go.

"However, and this is merely my personal recommendation, I would like you to stay here for a few more days. Just so we can monitor your progress for just a little bit longer." Says Coachen.

Aaaaand there it is. You think to yourself. There can never be good news without the bad. But hey, it beats the news of "possibly losing a leg," I suppose.

"Well...alright Doc, you know what's best, I'll stick around for a few more days." You reply. As much as you'd like to get out of this place as quick as possible, you knew it would be for the best. And perhaps it could give you a little more time to contemplate your next move once you do get out.

"Very well then! Don't worry, I will only need you here for a few more days. You'll be out in no time!" Coachen takes his leave, leaving you alone in your room.

Your mind was rolling, trying to process all you had learned today. You still had questions, and were pining for the answers. Who is this Fluttershy? Why does she care so much? Is it just out of her heart, or does she have some ulterior motive? And, most importantly, can you trust her?

These were all questions you wanted answers to. But right now, all you cared about was getting some more rest. These next few days were more likely than not going to drain you of all your spare energy.

Chapter Three: Greetings

Three long days had passed since you first spoke with Dr. Coachen. Or, rather, the first time you could remember speaking with him, that is. While you purposefully opted to not immediately leave the hospital, you were still itching to get out of there as soon as possible. It was only when you had been a patient in a hospital for several days that you realized just how boring it could be. You made a mental note to never end up in one again.

After having filled out all the paperwork, scheduling some checkups with Coachen at later dates, and saying your goodbyes, you trotted- no, scratch that, wheeled out the front doors of the hospital at what you figured to be about noon. In your condition, you were required, or rather, forced to stay in a wheelchair, and to put as little strain on your legs as you could. It wasn't the most comfortable, being all cold steel, and the seat was really hard on your bum. At least your position as a miner made the wheelchair a little easier to deal with, given your extra upper-body strength.

Outside the entrance of the hospital, you felt awash with relief. The crisp, clean, outside air was a lovely change of pace from the stuffy hospital atmosphere. The rays of Celestia's sun never felt better on your skin, and you wanted to soak up all you could to make up for the last week or so. Taking a deep whiff, you notice a delicious fragrance in the air that reminded you of cookies. Perhaps the local confectionery had just delivered a batch.

You fumbled with some papers in your hooves. Scanning the documents, you find that your first checkup will only be three days from now. On top of that, you found some instructions as to the physical therapy you would need to begin with on your good leg, or rather, your "not-as-bad" leg. Taking note of that, you put the papers aside, and continue wheeling forward. However, you stop dead in your tracks at the sight before you.

Approaching the front doors at a leisurely pace were two pegasi. The one on your right had a blue coat and a mane consisting of a plethora of colors. She held her head high, and she appeared to be listening to the mumbling of the pegasus to your left. This one had her head drooped low. Her long, pink mane obscured her face from your view, but you had a pretty good idea as to who this mare was.

The rainbow-maned one spotted you, and gave her friend a nudge, nodding her head forward while wearing a sly smirk. The other pegasus quickly shifted her head forward to meet the object of her gaze. What she found was another gaze. Your gaze.

The two of you lock eyes for what felt like forever. Everything around you seemed to vanish. Those aqua eyes seemed bottomless, and she wore a completely shocked, if not somewhat adorable, expression.

Before you could get lost any farther in those eyes, her colorful friend gave her another nudge, catching her attention. With a simple, yet knowing, nod she flew off, leaving you and your apparent savior alone. The two of you slowly advance toward one another.

You didn't exactly prepare for this moment, and even if you did, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. It isn't exactly easy to come up with the words to tell to the pony that saved your life. You weren't even certain this was her anyway!

There was only one way to know for sure, though...

"Um...hi..." You start, rather unsure of yourself.

"Um...h-hello..." She said at a near-inaudible volume.

"Um...are you, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, um...yes...I guess that, um, Dr. Coachen told you about me?"

"Yes, and, well, I don't even know what to say..." And it was true. You had no idea how to put this into words. You mentally scold yourself for not having prepared for this moment. You had three days to think, yet you never gave the moment of confrontation a single thought.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." She says, catching you slightly off guard.

"Wait, you're sorry? For what?"

"Oh, well, I mean for, um..." She says, her voice becoming more and more difficult to hear.

"Fluttershy, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." You say, in an attempt to relieve her of some of her nervousness. "You just saved my life! In fact, I should be sorry for making you go through the trouble of bringing me here!"

"Oh, no, I'm sure you would have been..." Her voice trails off again.

"That I would have been okay? No one would have ever found me out there had it not been for you!" With that statement, something clicked in your mind. Something you had been wondering since you found out how you got to the hospital.

"Fluttershy, if you don't mind, could you answer a few questions for me?"

"Um...of course..." She sounded rather unsure of herself, not that it came as a surprise at this point. You supposed that this was how she always acted, and being around you, the colt whose life she saved, probably wasn't helping.

"Okay...first of all, how did you find me out in the forest?" You asked.

"Well...I saw you and that other colt from my cottage." Must be Russ she's talking about, you think to yourself. "I live pretty close to the Everfree Forest... it was around seven when I saw you, I think..."

"And a few hours later, I saw that same colt come running out of the forest, but you weren't with him, so, um...I got a little worried..." Must be when he abandoned me...

"So I went outside, and I found a little map on the ground at the entrance to the forest...I think your friend may have dropped it...I followed the directions on the map to this big temple..."

"And is that when you found me?" You ask.

You can see her begin to visibly shake as she continues. "Um...y-yes...your legs were under a really b-big rock...I couldn't just leave you there, so I tried really hard to move it, but I just couldn't do it alone...So I went to find some help..."

"Wait, what ponies would be crazy enough to be in the middle of the forest that late at night?" You know, other than me, you, and that....one, that won't be named.

"Oh, well, there weren't any ponies..." She replies.

"So...who helped you then?"

"Um..." She begins, sounding very unsure of herself. "...A...m-Manticore..."

It took your brain several seconds to register what she said. A Manticore? Wow, that's some crazy sh- "Wait, a Manticore!? Like, the pony-eating monster Manticore!?" She brought a Manticore to my unconscious, helpless body!?

"Well, yes...it was the only help I could get...I'm sorry...He was really cooperative though! He managed to move that boulder off of you in a matter of minutes!"

A Manticore, cooperative!? What is with this crazy mare?? "How did you manage to get a MANTICORE, of all creatures, to help you?"

"Well, you see, I'm really good with animals, and I've helped this particular Manticore before..."

Okay, if you can get a Manticore to help you on a whim, saying that you're 'good with animals' is a severe understatement! "Well, um...that's...wow. I-is that how you brought me here?"

"Oh! Um..." She sounded unsure of herself before, but now you could have sworn you heard her voice cracking now. "Um, no...i-it didn't want to leave the forest, so, um...I had to c-carry you..."

You were at a complete loss for words. Not only did this mare risk her life in the forest, manage to track you down, tame a WILD BEAST to do her bidding, but she stuck it out and actually carried you back to town on her own back. You could only imagine how difficult that must have been for her. You weren't exactly the lightest pony, and she didn't seem like the type of mare who works out on a regular basis.

"I...I can't even...but, why?" Your question appeared to have surprised her.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Why would you go through so much trouble? Bringing me here, coming everyday to see my progress, why? You didn't even know me!" Surely there's no way she could have known I was still alive when she found me, why would she do all of this?

"Oh! Um..." For a split second, you thought you saw a slight blush on her face. "W-well, um...it was the right thing to do..."

Something about that statement rubbed you the wrong way. The right thing to do? If anything, the 'right thing to do' was something most ponies couldn't grasp the concept of. You learned that all too well over the years. There was no way anypony was naturally this kind. Some nagging suspicion in your mind told you to keep an eye on this mare, as crazy and clearly dangerous as she was.

"Um...are you okay?" You were snapped out of your thoughts by her concerned voice.

"Oh! Um, yeah...I'm just, uh, feeling a bit tired." It was partially a lie. While physically you didn't have much energy, you weren't exactly ready for sleep.

"Oh, well, if you'd like, I could help you, um...get home..." She offered, her voice faltering a bit at the last words.

"Whoa, no no no! I mean, you've already done so much for me, I couldn't make you do that!" You attempted to decline her offer, both out of humility and a bit of fear.

"Oh, that's okay, it's no trouble at all!" And with that, she hovered behind your chair and began pushing you away from the prison you had spent the last week or so in.

You opened your mouth to object, but something in you prevented you from speaking. You couldn't put your hoof on it, but you had some strange feeling. Something you hadn't genuinely felt since...high school...

You snapped your mind away from those thoughts, and focused on directing the mare toward your house.

***************

The trip to your house was dreadful. You couldn't help but feel all the stares and shocked expressions rain down on you as you and Fluttershy made your way through town. Normally you weren't concerned with what others thought of you, but the sight of you in such a sad, pathetic state was bound to leave impressions. Impressions you weren't particularly fond of.

You attempted a conversation with Fluttershy, but it mostly consisted of her drilling you with questions about your condition. You had to constantly reassure her that you were fine, she wasn't pushing your chair too fast, your leg wasn't in too much pain, and so on. After awhile, you did manage to learn a bit more about her. She explained that her special talent was in dealing with animals, and that her home was full of small critters. Even with that, you were still unable to wrap your mind around the idea that she enlisted a Manticore to help her save you. Though you didn't want to call her a liar right away, your belief in that story was still tentative.

Along the way, you stopped by that local apple vendor upon your own request, which Fluttershy was more than happy to oblige with. After stocking up on some produce (which your chauffeur graciously offered to pay for, much to your chagrin) you continued to lead her to your home. The sweet, tangy scent of the apples was unique to that vendors products, and you couldn't prevent your mouth from watering as you made your way back. It was certainly a more tantalizing aroma than that of the hospital food you had been eating. You weren't even sure if you would go so far as to call it "food," rather than "mush."

At long last, you arrived. It felt like ages since you had last seen the place, and you were eager to get inside. Fluttershy opened the door, and wheeled you inside. Everything was just as you left it, albeit a little bit dustier, and with a bit of a musky smell in the air, but it was home, sweet home. You felt completely relieved to finally be back after so long.

But there was something nagging at the back of your mind, something telling you that you were forgetting something.

"Um..."

Oh yeah, I have a guest.

"Well, I suppose you want me to leave you now..." Fluttershy says, sounding somewhat dejected.

"Well, um..." As crazy as you thought this mare was, you couldn't help but feel guilty for just sending her off. However, there was something you did need help with, but you absolutely did not want to press her any further, considering all she had done so far.

"Um...I suppose I should be going now..." At this point, she turned around, and began trotting out the door, head hung slightly low. You managed to wheel yourself around to see her in this state, and something began tugging at your heart. This mare, who put you, a complete stranger, before herself was now walking out your-

"WAIT!"

Fluttershy stops dead in her tracks and looks back at you, bewildered expression adorned on her face. You're not exactly sure what made you scream out, but seeing her look so pitiful just tore you to pieces. Whatever made you stop her vanished, as you're suddenly, and very frantically, searching for words to follow up with.

"Uh...er, uh, you don't have to leave so soon..." you start off rather uncertainly with. "Er, actually, I kinda...need your help." You idiot, isn't this what you were avoiding!?

"Oh, well, of course! What did you need?" You felt like Fluttershy sounded just a bit too eager to help.

"Well...you see, the thing is, um..." You weren't exactly sure how to put it, and you were even more unsure as to how she would react. You decided the best approach would be to just be straight-forward with it. "Well, I have to do this, uh, physical therapy. It's just a bunch of stretches and stuff. But, uh, I might need some help with them..."

"Oh! Um..." Her face turns beet-red, and you wonder if you should have just let it go. Eventually, she managed to speak up. "Um, of course, I mean, i-if you r-really need it...."

"I don't want to force you into this..."

"Oh, if you really do need help, I-I don't mind at all!"

Fluttershy made her way back to you, and pushed you over to the couch at your request. Taking out the papers from the side pouches on your wheelchair, you sift through them to find the instructions you had been given earlier by Dr. Coachen. You begin to scan over them, searching for the exercises to be performed for the first session. Taking a glance at Fluttershy, you notice her shuffling her hooves rather awkwardly.

"Okay, um....are you sure you're up for this?" You ask your assistant, not wanting to put pressure on her. This was already weird enough, you didn't want to add on to the awkward air.

"If it will help you, I'm certain." Fluttershy suddenly seems much more confident, and looks like she is raring to get started.

"Well, alright then." You say, still feeling strange about the whole situation. "For the first few sessions, I'll need to just do some simple stretches. It says I may need an assistant to move my leg for me if I can't manage to do it myself. As long as the muscles are being stretched, that's all that matters."

You had participated in a few of these sessions during your time in the hospital at Coachen's request, but you had yet to try them yourself. The nurses at the hospital simply moved your leg for you, working out some the damage without your input. The exercises seemed simple enough, to the point where virtually anypony with his head on his shoulders could try them.

With you lying down on your back, you begin to gracefully move your leg. Due to your leg having been pressed under the stone in a rather awkward position, the muscles were somewhat stiff and difficult to move. Coachen explained that the goal of the stretches was to reset the muscles to their natural position, rather than the form they had molded to from being constricted for so long.

The first motion was a simple bending of the knee. While the movement wasn't agonizing, it wasn't particularly pleasant either. As you lift your hoof to the ceiling, you begin to notice just how severe the damage was. Every muscle in your leg fought against you. It felt as though they were attempting to curl up like a party blower. At first, the sensation wasn't one of pain, but of extreme tension. Each fiber in the appendage was very stiff and uncooperative, but you continued moving.

After having been able to extend your leg to it's fullest about three times, the pain really started to kick in. Where the muscles were tight before, now they screamed out in agony. Every little movement made you wince in pain, and it only grew worse and worse. Closing your eyes, you tried to force your leg to the ceiling once more, but you just couldn't manage to do it again. Feeling defeated, you begin to slowly lower your leg with a sigh.

At that moment, you feel two soft, warm hooves grasp your leg. Surprised, you open your eyes and find Fluttershy staring at you, looking as though she was expecting some sort of response.

"Um...I'm sorry, but, the paper said you needed to stretch your leg all the way at least ten times...I hope you don't mind..."

You were somewhat surprised at her forwardness, considering how she had been so nervous and jittery all the rest of the day. Then again, she did say she did make it a hobby dealing with animals. You figured she just had been used to dealing with injuries, so she was capable of helping you.

With a nod, you allow her to begin moving your leg for you. With you no longer putting strain on the muscles yourself, the pain had very much been subdued. The fibers had still been somewhat reluctant to budge, but not anywhere near as bad as you attempting to use them yourself.

However, you chalked up some of the relief you were feeling to the mare holding your leg. Her gentle hooves gracefully wrapped around your leg, gently moving the appendage to and fro. It almost felt like a sort of pseudo-massage. Had it not been for the tightness of your leg, this would have been heaven.

But why did you enjoy this so much? You barely knew this mare, and you weren't certain if you could trust her. Yet when you looked into those deep, beautiful eyes, a part of you couldn't help but melt. Looking at her, you can slowly feel a heat coming to your face. After losing yourself in her features, you quickly snap your gaze away to try and hide your inevitable blush. Luckily, it seemed Fluttershy didn't notice your reddening cheeks.

After a few moments, the pegasus let go of your leg, and retrieves the instructions she left on the ground. She begins to read over the next procedure.

"Okay, now that that's taken care of...it looks like the next step is rotating the hoof. First clockwise, then counter-clockwise."

Hearing this, you give her a nod, and begin rotating. At first, there is very little resistance from your hoof. The muscles in that area hadn't been particularly painful. You felt a little silly, as it didn't feel so much like you were revitalizing your leg as you were just preparing for a race or something. But you knew that if you were to have any chance at getting better, it would need to be done.

After several full rounds of twisting, the muscles in your ankle began to ache. No part of your leg had been spared by that boulder, and the tendons of your hoof began to fight against you. The pain gradually began to spread into the already-sore regions of your leg, further piling on to the pain. You clench your eyes shut, attempting to force another spin. Once again, the muscles begin to give out. Even as simple a motion as this was beginning to take its toll.

And once again, the gentle warmth you had began to grow fond of caressed your hoof. You open your eyes to find Fluttershy had taken your hoof into hers, and began rotating it in the other direction. Though it was such a simple movement, to you it felt like heaven. Her hooves were notably soft, and she held your hoof with such a gentle grasp. The itchy, stinging pain of your muscles melted away as the pegasus twisted your hoof. You hoped this didn't have to end anytime soon.

After several rotations, Fluttershy let go of your hoof. Glancing down at the instructions again, she suddenly looked somewhat surprised.

"Oh! It looks like that's all we need to do for the first session!"

You had mixed feelings at this statement. On the one hoof, you were glad you were done torturing your leg muscles for one day. On the other hoof, however, you were somewhat disappointed that you wouldn't get to feel Fluttershy's gentle caress again. At least, not until next session, you reminded yourself.

But wait, would she be open and willing to help you again? You were afraid to ask. On top of that, how should you go about asking without sounding awkward? If your word choice was wrong in the slightest way, she might refuse, be repulsed, or downright creeped out.

As you were battling out in your mind over what to say next, Fluttershy spoke up.

"Um...I'm sorry, but, I know you will need to do this for the next several weeks, and, um, I was wondering if, um...." Her voice began to falter again.

"...Well, what is it?" You inquire. You felt like you may have put a little too much force into your voice when asking that, but the thought is dispelled from your mind when she speaks again.

"Well...I was wondering if you would, um, like some help with your sessions later...."

You were relieved. Not only because you were going to be getting help with your sessions, but that she was completely okay with helping you. She had also taken care of your having to ask her for help as well!

"Well...if you are completely okay with it, I would love for you to help."

Her face lit up at this statement. With a smile, she helped you make your way back into your wheelchair. The two of you made your way to your front door.

"Well..." Fluttershy started, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course." You reply. "And Fluttershy?"

"Um, yes?"

You quickly draw her in for a hug, eliciting a surprised squeak from the pegasus. "Thank you. For everything."

"Um...d-don't worry about it. It was just, um, the r-right thing to do..."

Eventually, she returned the embrace. You had never been happier to have received a hug in your life.

After a few seconds, the two of you broke the hug, and she began to trot away.

"Well....I guess this is goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Fluttershy."

After you saw her off, you closed you door and reflected on the events of the day. But no matter what you thought of, your mind always jumped back to that crazy, yellow-coated mare. It had been a long time since you felt this way toward anyone, let alone someone you barely knew as her. Was this feeling one of genuine trust? You weren't certain, but glance out the window towards the pegasus flying away confirmed your thoughts.

"Perhaps there is someone in this world I can trust after all..."

Chapter Four: Confrontations

This was it. Today was the day.

It had been three months since you checked out of the hospital. Your regular check-ins with Dr. Coachen had passed more and more smoothly with each one. The progress on your leg was phenomenal, and Coachen couldn't help but comment on how you had barreled through this incident so well every time the two of you met for checkups. You chalked it up to the expert treatment you must have been receiving, both in and out of the office.

It had been three months since you began physical therapy. As you progressed, the exercises became more difficult, more strenuous, and more unpleasant. That didn't stop you. You trudged on through the pain, with some help along the way. However, there was one session involving a certain trio of fillies you would like to forget. The Cutie Mark Crusaders Physical Therapists had offered to help you during one session. While at first you were less than ecstatic to accept, you decided to humor them, which you found to be a big mistake. Their plan for therapy included a chalkboard, two jars of Zap Apple Jam, and a startlingly ravenous badger. You never thought jam could sting so badly in wounds.

It had been three months since you had met her. The mare you were so apprehensive of at first had grown to become one of your closest friends. The two of you shared secrets, told each other stories of your foalhoods, and so forth. You had actually grown to be able to....trust, her. And, quite frankly, that was fine with you.

But you wondered if there was something more. Every compliment from her, no matter how simple or silly, never failed to summon a blush to your cheeks. You had grown to cherish each moment you shared with her, and too long a time away tore at your heart.

However, these aching feelings of separation were somewhat staved off when Fluttershy offered to let you move in with her. She claimed it to be so she could "better monitor your health." You were a little afraid at first, considering if her story about the Manticore had been true, she might have other beasts around her home as well. But you eventually discovered the only "beast" was a demonic, little bunny named Angel who seemed to despise your very presence.

This didn't stop you from accepting her offer. After all, she may very well be the mare of your dreams. All the help she had given you had been straight from her heart, and she was gracious enough to offer even more help.

Help, that led to today. As this was the day.

The day you could finally lose the wheelchair.

You convinced yourself that the wheelchair came from Hell. You had never felt so constricted, so limited in all your life than when you were in that chair. Simple, everyday tasks became gut-wrenching toils of unnecessary labor. Half of the time you simply gave up on that jar of peanut butter because the chair simply wouldn't allow you to access it. Neither your home nor Fluttershy's were designed around you being in a wheelchair, so it was difficult to do most of anything.

But now, you were free. Walking was a pleasure you had been robbed of for too long, and you wanted to enjoy every moment of it. However, you felt like a complete foal at first. It was almost like you had to relearn how to walk.

It was made a little more difficult without the use of one of your hind legs, which was still in a cast. This leg would eventually need to go through the procedures your other had, but you were specifically instructed to not try anything until it was fully healed. You were happy to oblige, as any attempt at movement stung like a knife.

At this moment, you were staring out a window in the living room of Fluttershy's cottage. Your time here had increased your appreciation for the beauty of the world, both in the forms of flora and fauna. You had grown fond of all the little woodland creatures of the abode. While they were reluctant to make friends with you right away, they had grown to accept you as part of the household over time. Well, most of them. Angel Bunny still kept a rather spiteful eye on you.

While you were gazing out at the world, Fluttershy had been in the kitchen, preparing the daily meals for all of her animal friends. She had insisted you wait for her in the living room, as she did not want you to strain yourself helping her. How she kept track of every animal was beyond you, but you admired her diligence. As she worked, she hummed a simple tune. You loved hearing her sing, hum, or any other musical projection of the voice. The beautiful, harmonious sound graced your ears, and you compared it to that of an Angel.

*BONK*

Speaking of Angels...

You turn around to find a rather angry-looking Angel Bunny. You quickly deduced the strike on your head had been a result of him tossing a carrot at your skull. It had been his way of telling you "I don't like you" ever since you moved in.

Angel had started making gestures. This was his way of communicating with you without the use of projectile foods. You had grown to be able to interpret these more reliably as time passed.

He started by pointing to you, then pointing to the general direction of Fluttershy. He ended it by tapping his two paws together, a questioning look on his face.

"Are you asking if me and Fluttershy are...together?" You inquired.

He rapidly nodded his head, and looked to you for an answer.

"Well..." you started. You weren't exactly sure how to answer. "I don't think we are...she probably wouldn't want it to be that way between us anyway."

At that moment, Fluttershy entered the room, adorned in an apron. Angel simply rolled his eyes and bounded off to his little hut on the other side of the room.

"What's his deal?" You ask.

"Oh, he's always little grumpy." Fluttershy responded. "Anyway, how are you feeling today?"

"Well, why don't I demonstrate?" You begin to stand up on your three good legs. At first, it took you a little bit to get you bearings, but you're finally able to find your balance. Fluttershy's face lit up, and she was ecstatic, to say the least.

"Oh my goodness! This is simply wonderful!" She starts, surprising you with the volume of her voice. "So, it doesn't hurt or anything? Can you balance well?"

"Well, to be honest, it isn't exactly the most comfortable thing, but I can manage. It's not too hard to balance." You reassure her.

"This is great! We need to celebrate!"

"Celebrate? What do you mean?"

"Why don't we go over to Sugarcube Corner? I'm sure we can pick up a cake or something!"

You weren't too big on sweets, but the look in Fluttershy's eyes always could control your responses. "That sounds great! When should we head out?"

"Let me just finish up with the animals, then we can get going!"

"Cool!" Fluttershy turned and walked back into the kitchen. Your eyes drifted down to her flank as she walked, swaying to and fro. An extreme blush on your cheeks, you attempted to tear your gaze away with little avail. Luckily, a projectile carrot brought your attention back down to a little, less-than-amused rabbit.

"Yeah, I guess I deserved that..."

***************

Once Fluttershy had finished up her duties, the two of you went into town. Normally the sight of you hobbling along on three legs would have been embarrassing, but you didn't care. The mare at your side was all the reassurance you needed.

Fluttershy asked if the two of you could stop by the library before heading over to Sugarcube Corner, which you were more than happy to oblige with. It felt like forever since you had last spoken to Twilight, and you were eager to catch up with her. With you having moved in with Fluttershy, you had met all of her closest friends, from the elegant Rarity to the ever-hyper Pinkie Pie.

Walking through town had been nowhere near as bad as you anticipated it to be. In fact, you felt kind of proud. With you having been in a wheelchair for the last few months, you felt stronger than ever to finally be on your legs. A few ponies threw surprised expressions your way, having grown used to the sight of you in a wheelchair, and you reveled in the attention. Fluttershy seemed to take note of this, giggling at your triumphant stance.

Your leg didn't exactly hurt, but rather just felt very tight. It felt as though your muscles were wound up, and desperately needed to be released. As you walked, they gradually loosened to the point where they would at least cooperate.

You had finally made your way to the library. It never failed to impress you upon seeing it. You couldn't help but wonder how exactly they could make a tree into a viable home, let alone a full-blown library. But then again, Fluttershy's home is partially a tree, so what did you know?

Fluttershy knocked on the door. After a few moments, and hearing what sounded like a stack of books collapsing to the floor, Twilight answered with a smile.

"Oh, hello Fluttershy! And hello..." Twilight's words trailed off as she saw you. "...Oh my gosh! You're walking!"

"Yup. It's been three months, but I'm finally back on my game!" You proudly exclaim. "But, it is a little awkward. I'm not entirely used to it yet myself." You quickly added.

"Oh, well, please come in! You must be tired after walking for the first time in months!"

You and your companion trotted inside, only to find a bit of a disastrous scene. Books were scattered all over the floor, with no clear pattern or organization to them. You and Fluttershy cast a glance to a very sheepish Twilight.

"Ah, heh heh...I forgot to mention today is Re-shelving Day for me."

While you were still lost, Fluttershy's wore a 'that explains it' expression on her face. You figured this must be some sort of regular thing for Twilight. Twilight was about to continue when a muffled voice from behind her beat her to it.

"I still don't get why we have to do this so often, Twilight." The voice started. "It seems kinda pointless!"

"Because Spike," Twilight retorted, "if we don't do this every few weeks or so, the books will be so badly organized I would never be able to reorganize them again!"

You had forgotten that Twilight had a dragon companion. He hadn't spoken to you very often, but then again, you didn't see him around much. From what you gathered, he was always either in the library working, or over at Rarity's place helping her. Briefly popping his head out of the mound of books, he cast a glance towards the three of you, with a rather bored look adorned on his face.

"So you're finally walking again, huh?" He asked.

"Yep!" You happily reply.

"Glad to see you're finally getting better!" Spike quickly re-submerged into the pile, leaving you and Fluttershy slightly confused.

Twilight led the two of you around the mass of books to a nearby couch. Using her magic, she started pouring tea for the three of you. You absolutely loved tea, and though you would never tell Fluttershy, Twilight's tea was always your favorite.

"So, what were you two up to today?"

"Well," Fluttershy started, "we were just heading over to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate!"

"Celebrate? Oh! You mean about not needing a wheelchair anymore?"

"Yes! We were going to see if we could get a cake from Pinkie or something."

"Ohhh, I getchya!" Twilight wore a rather sly look on her face before taking a sip of her tea. Before you could question, she continued. "Anyway, what brings you two here today?"

"Well, I was actually coming by to pick up a few books, but..." she glanced over at the mountain of books behind Twilight. "I'm guessing now isn't a good time?"

"Heh heh, yeah....sorry about that Fluttershy. If I'd known you would be coming by, I would have held onto anything you were looking for."

"Oh, that's okay, I can always come back later." You loved how Fluttershy was always so agreeable with everything. You always found it cute.

"Alright then...unless you want to take a crack at it and find what your looking for in THAT!" Twilight points toward the mound, and Fluttershy visibly cringes.

"Um...no, no thank you, I'm good...." You couldn't help but snicker along with Twilight at Fluttershy's response. Setting down her glass, she continued, "Well, I would love to stay and chat Twilight, but we need to be going before the, um, rush."

"Oh! Of course, I know how busy Sugarcube Corner can be at this time of day! You two run along and enjoy yourselves! And as for you!" She exclaims, poking your chest with her hoof. "Congratulations on such great progress!"

"Thanks Twilight, but I couldn't have gotten to where I am had it not been for Fluttershy here." You say, eliciting a blush from Fluttershy.

"Oh, it was nothing, really..." You loved that humility she always carried.

"Well," Twilight began, "I don't want to hold you two, now run along before-"

At that moment, the door of the library burst open, and a loud, familiar voice filled the air.

"Hey, Twilight babe!...Sweet Celestia, it's a disaster in here! What have you been doing in he-"

The ranting from this new guest immediately stopped when he spotted you. The two of you locked eyes in silence for several minutes. You couldn't believe what you were seeing. You weren't certain if he was still in town after what had happened, but you didn't plan for the moment of you seeing him again, if you ever did, that is.

The same dark blue coat and even darker mane as the day he abandoned you.

Standing before you was Russ.

"...R...Russ?" You begin.

He didn't respond, only being able to stare back at you, mouth agape. Fluttershy was giving you an incredulous look from your left, and Twilight had quietly slipped away, avoiding confrontation altogether. You stared in silence for the better part of a minute.

"...Russ..." You say again, with more force in your voice.

"...D-dude? You're....you're alive!" Russ replied, with disbelief in his voice and a very, very nervous smile on his face..

"...Yes, Russ...Yes I am. I'm alive."

"Oh my g- I thought you were dead!"

"No. No, I didn't die. No thanks to you." Your words grew angrier as you spoke.

"Wha...Dude, c'mon! I didn't have a choice!"

"You've had plenty of choices Russ, but you always seem to be drawn to the worst of them."

"Dude, please, if I didn't run, I could've died!"

"Way to think about your friends, huh, Russ!?"

"Yeah, well...I-if it weren't for me, you might not have had any friends, right??" He replied, sounding unsure of himself.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have spent the last three months in a damn wheelchair!" At this point, you were yelling.

"H-hey, buddy, c-c'mon!"

"No, no, I'm not your 'buddy,' I never was!"

"Oh, is that how it's gonna be then!?" Russ began to take a more offensive stance. "Well, what about all those years ago?"

"Don't you go there..."

"After your little incident at Manehattan High School?"

"Russ, shut up!"

"I was the only one who helped you, the only one who cared! And now your gonna toss me aside, like he did, all those years ago?"

"Like how you did to me, three months ago!?"

"Well, that's different-"

"Yeah, you're right. It is different. I could have DIED, remember!?"

"Well, maybe you should-"

"Russ."

"What!?"

"...Get the fuck out of my sight, before I do something I'll regret." Your blood was boiling from rage, and you knew that if Russ didn't leave now, you wouldn't hesitate to hurt him. Badly. Even in your injured state, you knew you were still much stronger than he was.

Luckily for the both of you, he got the message. With a look of genuine fear on his face, he slowly began to back up towards the door. As soon as he was within the frame, he bolted out.

You let out a long, depressed sigh. With your former best friend no longer at your side, you had to fight back tears. Just when you think you're about to burst, a gentle hoof comes to rest on your shoulder.

You look up to see the comforting smile of Fluttershy. Even in a situation as bad as this, her gaze never failed to bring a smile to your face.

"Um..." she started, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah....yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"I'm so sorry this had to happen..." You realized Fluttershy was on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, you have nothing to be sorry for. You couldn't have known we would run into...him, today." You said, trying to comfort her.

"Okay then...but, are you sure you're okay?" She looks up to you again with that pleading gaze of hers.

"Yeah, I'm fine...don't worry, I've been through worse..." Your words trail off as you remembered that day.

At that moment, Twilight steps back in from wherever she had ran off to, with a somewhat anxious look on her face.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, him?" You start, "He's just an old friend of mine...or he was, anyway."

"Ugh, that guy really gets on my nerves!" Twilight exclaims, frustration dripping from her voice.

"You know him?"

"He comes in here every now and then just to bug me. Asking me for a night on the town and whatnot. It gets really irritating. With his attitude, it doesn't surprise me that you hate him too..." She suddenly looked ponderous. "How did you know him?"
Fluttershy cringed when she asked, but you answered anyway.

"I'd known him since High School, and well, long story short, it's his fault this happened to me."

"Oh my! I-I had no idea, I'm so sorry for asking!"

"It's alright, really, you don't need to worry!" You reassured her.

A long silence passed as though everyone had to collect their thoughts. This was nothing short of 'awkward,' and you yourself couldn't believe that this had just happened. You never planned on speaking to Russ again, and this certainly was a wrench in your plans.

After a few minutes, Fluttershy spoke.

"Um...do you, still want to go to Sugarcube Corner? I mean, I can understand if you don't..."

"Fluttershy, I would love to go. It's just the thing I need to get my mind off of this whole thing." This elicited a small smile on the pegasus' face.

"Alright," Twilight started, "Again, I'm sorry about all of this. I hope you two enjoy yourselves!"

"No sweat Twilight." You say, "We'll get out of your hair now. After all, it looks like you have some unfinished business to take care of!" You gestured towards the books, causing a blush to arise on Twilight's face.

"Ah ha, yeah...I'll see you two later!"

And with that, you and Fluttershy headed out for the confectionery of Ponyville.

***************

The trip to Sugarcube Corner had been a long one. You ran into a few familiar faces along the way, including Big Macintosh, who had become a good friend since you met his sister, Applejack. He never talked much, but he was just 'cool,' as you put it.

Regardless of all the kind attention you were receiving, you couldn't take your mind off the events that just played out. Russ abandoning you was a knife in your back, but him bringing up that incident was equivalent to him twisting the knife. You never thought one of your oldest friends could turn out to be so cold-hearted, especially after what he did for you.

"Um...is something bothering you?" You hear from your side. You look over to Fluttershy to find a genuinely concerned look on her face. She must have sensed your anxiety.

"No, no, I'm fine. Trust me." You reassure her.

"Well, alright...um..." She begins. "If you don't mind me asking, what was Russ talking about?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he said something about Manehattan High School...what was he talking about?"

You cringed. You knew that you would need to explain this sometime, but you weren't quite ready to do it. Not yet, anyway.

"Um...It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time, okay?"

"Okay then...Oh! We're here!"

You look up to find the candy coated building directly in front of you. All of the craftsmanship, from the frosting-coated roof to the peppermint stick pillars surrounding the door, never ceased to amaze you. It almost looked as though the building was edible, but an embarrassing taste test one day proved otherwise.

Despite what Twilight had said about this being rush hour for Sugarcube Corner, there weren't many ponies around. A nagging suspicion in your mind told you something was up, but you kept it to yourself.

"After you!" Fluttershy says. Now you're certain something is up, but you went along with it. As to why, you weren't certain.

Slowly pushing on the door, you find all the lights are off, and there appears to be no one inside. Cautiously making your way in, you begin to notice the layout had changed since the last time you had been inside. There had been more tables than before, and decorations were strung about. Just as you were about to turn and leave...

"SURPRIIIISE!"

Your heart jumped into your throat as you let out a somewhat high-pitched yelp. The lights came on and dozens of ponies had suddenly appeared out from behind tables, the counter, and various other locations. Confetti rained down from seemingly nowhere, and music began blaring.

Needless to say, you were surprised.

Once you had regained some control on your heart rate, Pinkie Pie bounded up to you, party hat adorned on her head.

"Hi! Were ya surprised? Were ya? Were ya?" She fired off questions at rapid pace.

"Y-yes!" You reply, still struggling to breath. "I was! What's all this for?"

"Well, duh silly! Look!"

She pointed a hoof to a banner hanging above that you hadn't noticed before. On it read the words 'Back on your Hooves, buddy!'

"You were in that wheel chair for soooo long! So we threw you a super-duper, spectacular party to celebrate you walking again!"

"Wow, I..." You were about to thank her, when something in your mind clicked. "...Wait, 'we?' Who else helped with this?"

"All of our bestest friends helped set everything up! But it was Flutters here who came up with the idea for the party!" Pinkie responded, never stopping her bouncing.

You look over to Fluttershy, who was bearing a small blush on her cheeks.

"Um...I hope it's alright...I just figured you would be happy about finally walking again, so I thought we should celebrate!" She explained.

"Wow...I, I don't even know what to say..." You reply.

"Oh, I'm sorry, if you don't like this, we can always-"

"No, Fluttershy, I mean to say this is incredible!"

"Y-you really like it?" The pegasus' smile slowly grew as you spoke.

"Yes! I can't thank you enough for all this!"

"Oh, well..." She paused a bit, before pulling you into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're happy..."

Her sudden forwardness had caught you off-guard, but you soon returned the embrace, placing your hooves on her back and taking in the scent of her mane. It reminded you of oak, but had a sweet hint of honey. Her hooves gently wrapped around you, and the warmth of her embrace was otherworldly. You hoped it didn't have to end.

"Thank you so much Fluttershy..."

The two of you held the embrace for several moments, until Pinkie Pie pitched in to break the silence that had settled in the room.

"Well? What's everypony waiting for? Let's party!!"

And with that, the party began. Ponies began mingling, helping themselves to the snacks, and so on. Several came to you asking questions about your condition. Some were a bit hesitant, worried about how you would react. You didn't mind though, and had actually been expecting this.

"How does it feel to walk again?" A yellow mare with an orange mane asked.

"It was a bit awkward at first, but it's not too tough once you've gotten used to it again. Even when you're only using three legs!" You reply, invoking a few laughs around you.

Up next was a sea-foam colored unicorn. "What was it like not being able to walk for so long?"

"Terrible," you reply rather bluntly, "and I hope I never end up in a wheelchair again."

"Is your other leg going to be okay?" A blue colt asked.

"Well, to tell the truth, we're not sure." You respond, somewhat sullenly. "But hey, gotta keep my hopes up! I'm sure it'll turn out fine." You add, hoping to dispel any negative vibes.

The questions kept coming, spanning all sorts of topics. After you answered more than enough questions to make a test out of, you hobbled toward the punch table. Helping yourself to a glass, you look back at the party unfolding. Ponies went about their own, talking with others, drinking and eating, and a few were participating in some games, including the old-time favorite 'pin the tail on the pony.'

Taking a sip of your punch, you realize there's something different about it. It didn't taste like it did normally did. It took your brain a second to register, but you realized Pinkie must have spiked it.

Almost as if she could read your thoughts, Pinkie suddenly appeared next to you.

"Wellllllll? What do you think?" She asked, slightly singing her words as she said them.

"I think the punch may be a bit strong for my tastes." You never were much of a drinker, and when you did, you only drank in small quantities.

"No, I didn't mean that! But wait, really? I thought I should make it super strong, since this IS a party about a guy with broken legs! I said to myself 'what if ponies think it's in bad tastes throwing a party for this?' But then I thought 'that's silly, it's a party! Everypony will love it!' But then I worried 'but what if they aren't happy about it?' So I thought 'hey, maybe this will help keep the mood light and happy!' So I added my own Pinkie Pie Zing to the punch!"

Your head was reeling trying to process all the information Pinkie fed you at light speed. Shaking your head in an attempt to regain your senses after her rant, you continue.

"Er, yeah...but what did you mean then?"

Pinkie tapped her hoof to her chin, as though she didn't know what you meant, before exclaiming. "Oh! I meant what do you think of the party!"

"...I think you did an awesome job with it, Pinkie."

***************

The festivities continued late into the night. Ponies began saying their goodbyes, congratulations, and other friendly messages to you as they shuffled out the door. Several apparently had a little much to drink, and needed some escort from a friend. A certain, purple mare had to be carried out on the back of another pony. A few ponies were still hanging around at this point, talking among themselves.

To say the place was an absolute mess was a severe understatement. The streamers and confetti from your arrival had still been about, but added to it was the remnants of the party-goers. Cups, plates, various silverware and food items, along with an assortment of other objects were strewn about the floor. Many drinks had been spilled, as many sections of the floor were uncomfortably sticky. Snacks, including cakes, candy and other morsels, lay across the ground all over the place as well.

The antics some of the ponies had gotten into were downright hilarious. Rainbow Dash had been covered in chocolate sauce after losing a bet with Applejack, and Rarity was no better off. After a freak accident in the kitchen, she was going to be scraping the soda and lemon chunks out of her hair for weeks.

All in all, you had very much enjoyed yourself. At this point, you were feeling quite tired, and wanted to retreat to Fluttershy's abode. You had lost track of her shortly after the party began, and were now searching the building for her.

Asking around, you got a tip that she was in the kitchen with Pinkie. Trotting to the entrance of the kitchen, being careful not to step in any stray puddles of punch or other liquids you weren't sure of the identity of, you stop short when you start hearing a conversation.

"C'mon, when are you gonna tell him?"

It was Pinkie's voice, and she sounded very prodding. You kept listening.

"Oh, I don't know, I'm just not sure if I should. Not quite yet..."

This one unmistakably belonged to Fluttershy. She was going to tell you something?

"Well you can't wait forever, otherwise it might be too late!"

"I know, I know...I just think I should hold off a bit."

"Alrighty, then! And if he tries to say no, I'll make him pay!"

She'll make you....pay? You think to yourself. What does she mean by that?

And slowly it dawned on you. Your eyes widened as you realized just what was happening.

This whole caring for you, helping you recover, everything, it had all been part of her plan. No one, mare or stallion, was this kind naturally. You cursed to yourself. Why didn't you see this coming? You got a feeling in your gut when you first met her, and now you were bashing yourself for not having listened to it.

Unable to simply harbor your anger, you walk into the kitchen to confront her.

With a sullen look on your face, you silently approach the mares. Fluttershy spotted you, and Pinkie whirled around to meet your gaze. You never take your eyes off of the pegasus.

"Pinkie, I would like to speak with Fluttershy. Alone." You try to keep all emotion out of your voice, with only a sliver of anger slipping through.

"Okie dokie loki! I hope you absolutely loved your super-duper party!" She said, as she bounded towards the door.

"Yes, I did. And thank you again." You replied, still holding your gaze on Fluttershy.

"So, did you have fun?" Fluttershy asked, as if she didn't notice your new behavior.

"Well..." You waited until Pinkie had closed the door and was out of earshot before continuing. "Yeah, it was fun. I had a few laughs, met a few ponies..."

".....learned a few secrets." You added through gritted teeth.

"O-oh? W-what do you mean?" She asked, slightly stepping back.

"I heard you and Pinkie talking." As you said that, Fluttershy takes a small gasp, and a light blush rises to her face. "And I don't know how I didn't see this coming...I mean, the care, the food, letting me stay with you, it was all so clear..."

"Oh, um...." At this point, Fluttershy was trembling, and her blush had grown quite a bit. While this would have been cute to you before, it was nothing but a facade to you now. "W-well, um....w-what do you th-think?"

What do I think? You mused at the question. This mare, who had the nerve to do this to you, was treating it like some sort of game? A prank? It's not like you haven't been tricked before. You knew better than anyone the pain of being betrayed by someone you care about, and she knew that. Now she had the nerve, the gall, to play it off like a joke?

You weren't about to have it.

"I'm downright pissed off is what I am."

"Wh-what!?" She looked at you with fear and anguish in her eyes. You weren't about to let that fool you.

"I thought I could trust you, I thought you really cared about me...But now I see you for what you really are."

"What...what do you mean?" She had begun to slowly recede towards the floor.

"Don't act like you don't know!" At this point, you were shouting. "All the care, the food, everything, it's not because you cared about me! You were simply using me! The moment I was better, the moment I was out of the cast and walking home, you were gonna slap a bill in my hooves and expect me to pay!"

"What!?" She looked incredulous, as if she had no clue what you were talking about. You were disgusted by her attempt to play this off like nothing.

"I've been used and fooled before. I'm not about to let it happen again." And with that, you made your way toward the exit.

"B-but, but I...!" Fluttershy sounded as though she was trying to plead something, but her words trailed off. You didn't care, and were too busy navigating your way out of the building.

Exiting the kitchen, you began to trot toward the front door. A few of the remaining ponies cast you wide-eyed stares as you left. Whether or not they had heard your conversation didn't faze you. All you wanted was to go home. To YOUR home, not the home of...her.

Walking out the exit of the building, you hear faint sounds resembling that of crying.

To think, you might have actually l....lo....

To think, you might have actually trusted her.

A/N: If you happen to be in a wheelchair and were offended by this chapter, I would like to apologize. And for those who think this is unnecessary, I've accidentally offended people with the smallest things before, so I'm kinda touchy with this sort of thing.

Also, for some reason, I feel like I'm getting worse.

Chapter Five: Regret

Dreadful. That's a pretty accurate word to describe how you felt this morning.

It was the morning after Pinkie's party. You had trotted home alone after your little confrontation with...her. To say you weren't feeling the best was an understatement.

Groggily opening your eyes, you glance over at the clock to find it was about nine. Strangely, there was a lack of sunlight in your bedroom. Looking out the window near your bed, you find a layer of thick, grey clouds stretching across the sky. You hadn't heard of a storm being planned for today.

Gently rubbing your temples, you attempt to stave off a slight headache. Since you were never much of a drinker, alcohol had some rather undesirable effects on you. The dull pain in your skull and the repugnant taste in your mouth testified to this.

Slipping off the mattress, you shuffle toward the door. Your left hind leg feels somewhat tight today, and your right was aching more than usual. You chalk it up to the somewhat stressful events of late.

You stop by the mirror on your wardrobe and take a glance at yourself. Disheveled mane, sagging eyes, and somewhat in need of a shave. You couldn't care less, and begin to make your way to the kitchen, as a roar from your stomach informed you of just how hungry you were.

Waltzing in to the kitchen, you shook your head to relieve yourself of some of your fatigue. Not in the mood to practice your culinary skills, you settle on some oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Gathering the necessary ingredients, you set about the preparation of your meal.

In only a few minutes, you had a piping hot bowl of oatmeal and mug of coffee resting in front of you. Taking the cup in your hooves, you take a swig of the drink. Though it stung a bit at first, you savored the bitter taste of the fluid as it flowed down your throat. You were glad to be relieved of that repulsive taste that had been gracing your tongue since you awoke.

As you were just about to set the mug back down, a sudden knocking at your door made you jump slightly, spilling the beverage on your lap. Cursing to yourself as the liquid burned your skin slightly, you reluctantly walked over to the door, attempting to clean yourself as best as you can.

Who would be visiting me? I'm not expecting anyone. You think to yourself, slightly confused. You had made no arrangements to meet with anyone, and a sudden visitor came as a bit of a surprise.

Opening the door, you find a pegasus with a pair of off-set eyes staring back at you.

"Can I help you?" You start, not hiding the annoyance in your voice.

"Mornin' sir! I have a memo for you!" She replied, not taking notice of your impatience. She grabbed an envelope out of her saddlebag and handed to you with gusto.

"Oh, well, thank you." Upon handing you the envelope, she gave a sheepish salute, and proceeded on her way.

Walking back inside, you wondered what this could be about. The mailmare never brought you your mail personally, so you figured it must be urgent. But who would send you an urgent message and why?

Trotting back into the kitchen, you sat down and began to peel open the envelope. After a few minutes of prying (you always hated the things, and preferred papers be brought to you as is), you unfold the contents to find a hastily scribbled note.

You and I need to talk.
Come down to Sweet Apple Acres around six o'clock. Come alone.

Applejack

Applejack? You wondered why she would want to talk with you. Even though you hung out with her brother every now and then, you never really spoke with her much outside of getting apples from her.

Judging from the print, it looked as though it had either been written in a hurry, or she had a lack of control with a pencil. You wouldn't put the second possibility past her. She doesn't exactly seem like the kind of pony who would have patience with writing.

But now you had two questions. First, why does she want to talk? You never really spoke to her on a casual basis, and you hadn't given her a reason to want to speak with you, other than...

Oh no... You thought. That was it. The party, and how you upset Fluttershy. That was no doubt what she wanted to talk about. No, that was what she wanted to "talk" about. She probably wanted to beat you up for upsetting her friend. In fact, she wants you to come alone. Of course! She probably has some Apple Family posse just waiting to jump you as soon as you were in range!

No, no, that wouldn't happen.You're just getting paranoid. You thought to yourself. She probably just wants to hear what you have to say. And hey, maybe if you told her just what Fluttershy had been planning, she would agree with you!

Now that's where the second question came in. Should you go talk with her? Well, from what Big Mac has told you, his sis can be quite stubborn sometimes, refusing to take "no" for an answer. If you didn't show up, who's to say she wouldn't come knocking on your door, angry for you missing your appointment?

Swallowing the small lump in your throat, you decide it would be best to simply take it like a stallion and face Applejack. Regardless of what she had to say to you, you figured you at least owe her this, especially for the free apples she provided during your treatment.

With the plans for your day pretty much set, you let out a sigh and trot back into the kitchen to a cold bowl of oatmeal.

***************

The time to face Applejack had come.

You had opted to stay at home until the moment came. The pain in your leg has since subsided, and you were ready to begin the trek to Sweet Apple Acres.

You had taken a few minutes before leaving to clean up a bit, including what was left of the coffee on your lap. Combing your mane, brushing your teeth, and throwing on a jacket, you were ready to go.

Stepping out your door, you notice the clouds have since become darker. They blotted out all sunlight, casting an eerie, dark shadow over all of Ponyville, seemingly full of sorrow and hate. A pretty good reflection of how you felt.

You began trotting through town to your destination. The generally happy atmosphere of the town was strangely absent. It almost seemed like the houses around you were in limbo, oddly still, almost haunted even. You precariously make your way to the town center.

Looking around, you notice some ponies giving you an odd mixture of looks. Some looked confused, perhaps at the absence of your usual chauffeur. Others look concerned, and you figured they were probably worried as to why Fluttershy was not with you. A select few threw you looks of extreme scorn. You could almost feel the daggers of their glares driving into you. Of course, they probably got some false story Fluttershy told them. Had they known the truth, they would be on your side.

You spoke to no one as you approached the farm. The solemn air surrounding the town seemed to cause ponies to repel from you. You didn't care, and were only concerned with how to deal with the farmer pony you were going to speak with.

After about ten minutes, you had arrived at the entrance to the Acres. Taking a look at the note she sent you, you realized that Applejack gave you no specific location on the farm to meet here. Not wanting to let your appointment go missed, you start to look around.

Eventually, you found Big MacIntosh on the outskirts of the Acres. He was simply looking off into the distance, with no particular object in focus that you could find. Cautiously approaching him, you decide the only way you would find his sister would be through him.

"Hey, Big Mac?" You start, slightly unsure of yourself.

Big Mac slowly turns around and looks at you with an expressionless face. Looking you up and down, he takes a deep breath before responding.

"Ya ain't exactly the smartest pony, are ya?" He says with no emotion in his voice. The question caught you slightly off-guard.

"W-what?" You respond, unsure of what brought about such a statement.

"I thought you were better 'n that." He drops his gaze to the ground at your hooves.

"H-hey, I'm not about to be tricked like that! I'm not gonna be used again!"

Big Mac merely sighed and shook his head. "You're lookin' fer mah sister, right?"

"Uh, yea...you know where she is?"

Big Mac simply pointed to a clearing on the other side of the farm. With his duty done, he trotted off without another word.

At this point, you were getting nervous. Now Big Mac was against you, too? If anyone, you figured he would stay loyal to you at least. But then again, with all you've been through, how can you trust anyone anymore?

Taking a deep breath, you begin walking the direction you were pointed.

***************

After what felt like forever, you finally made it to the area Big Mac had suggested. With trees on all sides of you, you were surprised you actually managed to find this place. The entire farm looks the same, and you wondered how any of the ponies living here didn't manage to get lost on the fields.

Scanning the area, your eyes are brought to the one, colorful object in the vicinity.

Applejack.

Precariously, you begin to walk toward her. She had her back turned to you, and it seemed as though she hadn't notice you yet

You stop moving when you were about ten feet from her. The silence was unbearable. There was not a noise to be heard but the gentle rustling of the leaves. Applejack's mane and tail simply flowed in the wind as she stood, facing the other direction. You decide to break the silence.

"Um...Applejack?"

At last, she turned, with a strangely well timed strike of lightning accompanying her action. The look she gave you struck fear all throughout your body. Her eyes were filled to the brim with anger, and she wore a powerful scowl on her face. You knew you were in serious trouble.

"So," she started. "You actually decided to show up, huh? Ah figured you'd be to much of a coward to leave yer house!"

"Hey! Just because I'm not in the best condition, doesn't mean I'm afraid of you!" You retort, matching her volume.

Letting out a haggard sigh, Applejack looks away before continuing. "Ugh, Ah don't even know why Ah'm doin' this...you of all ponies don't deserve it."

"What are you talking about?"

Looking back up, she continued. "Why did ya do it? Goin' and crushin' poor lil' Fluttershy like that?"

"Because," you begin. "I've been tricked one too many times, I'm not about to let it happen again!"

"Tricks!? What in the hay are you talkin' about?"

"I know exactly what Fluttershy was doing!" You start, certain in every word you said. "She never cared about me, she was using me to make a quick buck! All the care, the food, the housing, everything makes sense! She was taking care of me because she was going to make me pay up! The moment I was out of this cast and back to my normal, healthy self, she was going to slap a bill in my hooves and expect me to pay for her services!"

Lifting your chin in confidence, eyes closed, you were certain that your reasoning was sound. Opening an eye to take a look at Applejack, you find that her face wore an expression of shock, bewilderment, and confusion all in one. You must have convinced her your logic was completely reasonable after all.

"You...you are such an idiot!"

Or not...

"Ya really think Fluttershy was just tryin' ta turn a profit by usin' you!? You have gotta be the dumbest colt Ah ever met!"

"Well, yeah! It makes perfect sense!"

At this, the orange mare let out a loud groan and planted a hoof on her face before continuing. "Now jus' how do ya think she could've made a profit with all she spent!?"

"She could have just charged for all the food and the housing and whatnot!" You retort, certain that your logic was sound.

"Oh my Celestia," she started, never taking the hoof from her face. "And just how do you think she could have made up for all the fees?"

"She could have...wait, what?"

Finally removing the hoof from her face, Applejack looked right at you. "Y'know, the fees?"

"Er, what are you talking about, what fees?" You had no idea what she meant by that.

"Ah'm talkin' 'bout the...wait, did she not tell you?" She bore an incredulous look on her face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Oh my stars," facehoofing once again, she continued. "She told me she would tell you about it, but Ah didn't think she'd take so long!"

"Tell me about what!?" You were getting a bit tired of this game of Twenty Questions, and wanted the details now.

"Lemme ask ya this...how much did all yer hospital fees cost ya?"

"Hospital fees? They...er..." You couldn't answer. You just now realized that you hadn't paid a single bit to that hospital since your injury. "I....I don't know..."

"Now lemme ask ya this; Did anyone at that hospital ever come up to ya and hand you a bill?"

"I..." You were dumbstruck. Hospital fees weren't exactly cheap, but you realized you never paid any, and had never even seen any. "But...how is that..."

"Ah'll answer that, because yer too stupid ta see it yerself. Fluttershy paid for all of your expenses!"

"Wha...But why did I never-"

"Fluttershy specifically asked yer Doc to send all the bills to her without tellin' you, so you wouldn't have ta worry 'bout 'em!"

You were dumbfounded, to say the least. "But...how could she afford all that?"

"That ain't important. What matters is that she took care of you entirely out of the kindness of her heart. All you could do was spit in her face for all she had done."

This could not be happening. She had paid for your hospital bills? On top of that, were the physical therapy sessions and checkups after you were discharged added on to that? Just how much did she pay for you? You had no idea, or anyway of knowing. But, for some reason, you still had your suspicions.

"Wait..." You say. "Why should I believe you?"

"Even if ya don't take mah word for it, would ya deny it if ya saw all the bills?"

She had a point. Even if you didn't believe her, Fluttershy probably kept the bills somewhere in her home where you wouldn't find them.

"But...why? Why would she do all of this for me?"

"Well," she retorted, "if ya had asked me that before ya went 'n' crushed her little heart, I coulda told ya that she cared about ya, but now she probably don't give a rat's ass about ya."

"She cared about me?"

"Yes, ya dunderhead! Ah know yer stupid, but ya can't be blind too!" With a sigh, Applejack seemed to deflate a bit. "Do you know how much she talked about you? When you weren't around?"

"Er, no, I..."

"Really now, you were all she ever talked about! Ah never heard the end of how nice you were, handsome, so on..."

"She...she really said all that?"

With an incredibly serious look on her face, Applejack came right up to your snout. "Yes, she really did. You meant that much to her."

"I...I..." You collapse to the ground, burying your face in your hooves. "Oh dear Celestia, what have I done..."

The ramifications of your accusation had finally sunk in. The pegasus who had given so much, toiled so hard to help you recover, did everything solely out of her heart. Her heart, the same one you ever-so-mistakenly destroyed.

When you first accused her, you didn't want to believe it. A powerful force in your mind made you think that it was true. Some deeply engraved memory, perhaps. Whatever force it was, you wished it to be smitten by the Goddesses above for it driving you to make such a terrible mistake. The mare of your dreams probably hated you now, and it was all your fault.

The voice of a rustic earth pony brought you out of your wallowing.

"Ya dun goofed, is what you did!" She barked, not caring about how bad you felt right now. "And I have half a mind to beat the hay outta you right now!"

Without looking up, you respond. "You may as well...I probably deserve it..."

"Yer darn right ya do!" Her words cut into you like a knife. "But....I can't."

"Wh-what?" This time you look up to a rather sullen look from Applejack.

"I can't beat you down, because..." The farmer pony looks away into the distance. "...Because she told me not to."

"Wait, she told you-"

"Yeah, that's right. Ah told her you and Ah were gonna have a chat, but she made me promise not to hit you over what you did to her."

"But...if anything, I figured she'd want me dead..." Why would Fluttershy not want you hurt? Your accusation was dumb enough to warrant a beating, but she refused to let it happen.

"Ah don't know. Perhaps she still cares about ya. Fluttershy isn't one to hold grudges, but it ain't easy to win back her trust. Maybe she wanted to give you another chance..." She snaps her hate-filled glare back to you. "Not that you deserve another chance!"

"She...really?" Had she really wanted to believe you weren't a complete screw-up? She really was offering another chance?

"Yes, really. But lemme tell ya this..." Suddenly, Applejack pulled you uncomfortably close, until your snouts were touching and her eyes were right in yours. "If you ever, and I mean EVER, hurt that pegasus' like that again, I swear I will beat you down into fertilizer, is that clear?"

"I..." You knew this promise would be the most important one you would ever keep in your life. "I swear, I will fix this."

Applejack's bright, green eyes peered straight into yours for what felt like an eternity. It was as though Applejack was searching your soul, attempting to find truth and sincerity in your statement. After some time, she finally backed off, seeming satisfied with your answer.

With a deep sigh, she started. "...She's probably at her house, if ya wanna find her. Don't mess up this time."

"I won't, I promise."

You begin to conjure up plans. How should you go about this? Should you go for the blunt approach with an "I'm sorry," or should you pour your heart out in an attempt to regain her trust? You mulled over all possibilities, trying to come up with the best solution.

"Oh, and one more thing?"

The orange mare's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. Whirling back around, you-

*BAM*

-find her hoof meeting your face with a high velocity.

"Ow! What the heck, I thought she told you not to hit me!" You yell, picking yourself up from the ground.

"Nah, she told me not to hit you because of what you did to her. She nevah said Ah couldn't hit you 'cause I felt like it."

Feeling like you may have ever-so-slightly deserved that, you turn around and begin walking toward the cottage of the pegasus for another confrontation with Fluttershy.

Only this time, things would play out much differently.

Chapter Six: Memory

The longest trek of your life was coming to a close.

After having spoke with Applejack, you made your way to Fluttershy's treehouse. Much like the walk to Sweet Apple Acres, nopony had spoke to you on your way.

Your face still ached from the strike from Applejack, but this didn't concern you. You had more troubling things to think about.

The ominous air surrounding the home was incredibly unnerving. The clouds filling the sky had only grown darker as time passed. Though they had yet to drop their inevitable loads of rain, they had the courtesy to give off a few strikes of lightning. Perhaps a sort of metaphor for the upcoming situation, you thought.

Approaching the house, you immediately notice something is off. Generally, the outside of the house is swarming with critters of all kinds. However, the area around was devoid of any animal. You could usually pick out creatures from select locations among the trees, bushes, and tunnels, but where you would normally find them, absolutely no life was present.

An eerie silence loomed. The flapping of wings and the growls of woodland creatures normally filled the air. All of that was gone now, and the only sound to ever break the quiet was the occasional boom of thunder.

Stepping up to the front door, you notice the inside of the house was strangely still. Even the inside seemed to harbor no life. You knock on the door.

"Fluttershy? You in there?" You call out, only to be answered with silence.

Taking a peek into the window, you notice none of the lights are on. In the time you spent with Fluttershy, you knew this could only mean she was not home. She never left all the lights off when she was home. Even at night, she would always leave a lamp on downstairs, just in case she needed to go get something from the kitchen.

Where could she be then? You think to yourself. Applejack had told you she should be home. Did she lie to you? No, no, Applejack would have no reason to lie to you. Sure, you hurt one of her closest friends, but Applejack would have respected Fluttershy's wishes towards you, right?

You decide to take a look around, figuring Fluttershy must be somewhere around. Stepping back from the door, you begin to walk around to the backside of her home, taking care not to damage her flora.

Rounding the corner, you're met with a familiar, small face. A certain rabbit, who looked very displeased with your presence.

"Angel!" You start. "Do you know where Fluttershy is?"

The bunny gave no reply, and continued to glare daggers into you.

"Angel, please, I really need to talk with her."

He simply folds his arms and turns away, refusing to even look at you anymore.

Sighing, you continue pleading. "Look, I know you hate me, as do a lot of ponies right now, but I need to set this right. At least give me a chance to fix this, please?"

After a long period of silence, Angel finally gave you another glance. Rolling his eyes, he began hopping away. Just when you think he wasn't going to be of any help, he turns around and gives you a gesture to follow.

Breathing a sigh of relief, you begin to follow your tiny guide. He led you around behind the house, to a large field of rolling hills. Angel never glanced back to see if you were following. Traversing up and down several small hills, you arrived at a bit of a dip in the landscape.

Looking down from the cress of the hill, you find all the animals that had supposedly gone missing. Birds, rabbits, ferrets, squirrels, and many other critters were all centered around something. You couldn't see what it was through the mass of bodies.

Looking down to the bunny at your side, he simply looks up to you and nods toward the mass of animals. Giving him your thanks, he simply nods and waits where he stood.

You begin to walk down the slope toward the swarm. Some of the animals took note of your approach, and they all started to give you looks. Some gave pleading stares, some looked surprise, but the majority gave you horrid glares. You ignored them, determined to find the pegasus you were looking for.

As you got closer, the creatures began to part, making a pathway to the object of their attention. As the mass of bodies began to peel away, you find both what they had been interested in, and what you were looking for.

Fluttershy, sitting in the middle of the crowd.

Her back was turned toward you, and her head was hanging low. You merely stood there in silence, taking in the sight of the poor, dejected pegasus.

The animals around began to disperse, leaving you alone with her. Once again, the eerie silence had returned, only to be broken with another bolt of lightning. While you flinched, you were amazed to find Fluttershy hadn't budged. Normally, she would be seeking shelter in a bush or something, cowering in fear.

This must be way worse than I thought... You think to yourself. You sat down on your haunches several feet behind her.

"Fluttershy...?" You begin.

She gives no response.

"Fluttershy..."

Again, no response.

"Fluttershy..." At this point, you decided you might as well lay your cards out on the table. "I, I'm sorry, okay?"

You notice her head perk up ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry, for everything. I was an idiot, I should never have accused you of anything...It was a stupid, stupid thing to do! I wasn't thinking, I jumped to some ridiculous conclusion, and I'm sorry! I know I'll never be able to make up for what I did, but..."

At last she turned around. You cringed at the sight you saw. Her eyes swollen and red, tear-stains on her face, and her mane unkempt, she looked downright pitiful. The worst part was that you knew you were responsible for this.

"Fluttershy, I'm so, so sorry..." You lower your head, knowing that you were at her mercy.

"...Why..." At last, she finally spoke.

"Huh?" You respond, looking back up to her.

"Why did you think I would ever do that to you...?" She pleaded. Her lower lip started to quiver.

"Because I'm a downright foal, okay!? I wasn't thinking clearly, and I just, I..." Lowering your voice, you continue. "I got some stupid idea in my head that you were using me...I realize it was a very stupid conclusion...I should have known better than to think you would do something like that, I should have thought better of you...I should have trusted you."

"I...I would never do that to anypony.." She replies somewhat sullenly.

"Yes, I know you wouldn't...And it was wrong of me to think you would..."

"I just don't understand...why you think I would use you like that..." She turns her head away, no longer looking at you.

"It's because I..."

It's only fair...

"Well, I..."

Isn't it...

"I..."

Cousin?

"Oh Celestia, I'm so sorry! It's just that I've been used and tricked before! I...I got into this mindset that everypony was that way, that everypony was like him, but I should have known better than to think that..." Your eyes began to tear up as you poured your heart out for the mare in front of you. "It doesn't matter...that doesn't excuse my behavior..."

"...You really hurt me..." She responds, turning to look at you again.

"I know...and I'm so, so sorry..." A single tear began rolling down your cheek. "...And if you can't forgive me, if you never want to see me again, I promise, I will get up and walk away right now and I will ensure that you never do..."

The two of you simply sat in silence. The longest and most painful silence you had ever known. This was the moment. She could make or break you right now. All it would take is one sentence, no, one word, and your whole future would be decided.

But no words came as you sat there, tears rolling down your cheeks. You figure she must hate you to the point where she won't even grace you with a response. You begin to contemplate walking away. Surely she never wants to see you again. Not that you deserve it. Your foalishness cost you the friendship of the kindest, most beautiful creature in Equestria and beyond. Had you not stormed away that night, this might have all been avoided. You lost the greatest friend you had ever known, and it was all your fault.

Just when you think it's over, you are surrounded by an incredible warmth. The most delightful warmth you've ever known.

Fluttershy was actually hugging you.

"F-Fluttershy?" You asked, slightly startled.

"Shh...it's okay..." She whispered into your ear, her hoof gently stroking your mane. "It's okay..."

"Fluttershy...I'm so sorry." You whisper back, still crying.

"It's okay...I believe you."

"Do you...Can you forgive me?"

"Well...I don't know if I can...not yet, at least..."

"I understand...thank you..."

"For what?" She asked.

"For not completely hating me, even after what I did..."

"I...I could never hate anypony...including you..."

Very, very cautiously, you begin to move your hooves to return the hug. Upon making contact, you feel her tighten her grip. You take this as a sign of approval, and move your hooves onto her back, putting your whole heart into the embrace.

The silence once again returned, but this time, it was much more welcome. You and the canary pegasus sat in silence, wrapped up in each other's arms. There are times when a pony may ask for something to never end, merely because of the initial excitement of the moment. But right now, you truly never wanted to leave her embrace. Her soft hooves gently wrapped around your back, pulling you ever closer. Her head gently rested on your shoulder, letting her long, beautiful mane slightly wrap around you. The warmness of her body pressed against yours was unfathomable. It was a moment where you truly felt at peace.

However, all good things must come to an end. After what felt like forever, you finally, and regrettably, parted from Fluttershy's arms. Fluttershy decided to break the silence.

"I...I want to know..."

"Want to know what?" You ask.

"Who is he?" She looks at you with pleading eyes.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You said you thought everypony was like 'him.' Who were you talking about?"

You froze. Did you really let that slip out? It didn't matter. You knew that at some point, if she forgave you that is, you would have to explain.

"Oh, uh, well...Do you remember yesterday when Russ said something about Manehattan High School?"

"Yes..." She replied, sounding slightly confused.

"This what he meant. It started then, years ago..."

You begin to recall that event. The years of High School. The day you met Russ.

The day your sense of trust was crushed.

***************

You hated winter. Cold, dreary, and none too forgiving on your health.

The clouded, gloomy skies above your home blotted out the sun and bathed the land in a bone-chilling cold. You hated days like this. You didn’t mind winter as long as there was snow around and school was cancelled, but with the ground as dry as ever, you couldn’t help but loathe this day. Being as sick as a dog didn’t help much either.

Having been home sick for the last two days, you began to wonder just how much make-up work you were accumulating. The teachers had been forgiving for the first few weeks of you being here, having moved to Manehattan during the middle of the semester, but had grown to trust that you had a grasp on the workings of the school as the year progressed. You'd probably be working late into the night finishing up all the homework you would have when you got back.

Generally a friend would bring you the assignments you had whilst you were out to you. With the temperature steadily dropping and the air becoming more and more frigid, however, students were reluctant to make the trip to their own houses, much less to your home on the outskirts of the city. It didn't surprise or bother you. It DID feel like a refrigerator out there, after all.

At least you had friends. Having a connection with one of the most popular students in the school, you were able to make friends rather quickly. Back in your hometown, you weren’t exactly the most popular or extroverted colt, so friends were a hard thing to come by for you.

Lying in bed, you rubbed your temples to fight off a somewhat pesky headache that never seemed to go away. The skies outside the window were the same they had been since you had gotten sick; dark, filled with clouds, and none too exciting. Even with that, you had been dying to go outside. Having been cooped up inside for three days, you were getting restless. Your bed had become insufferably itchy, and the air around was getting stale. Of course, with your nostrils having been backed up with phlegm, this was more of an annoyance than a prevalent issue.

Finally deciding you needed to get out of your room, you stand up somewhat unsteadily, and begin to shuffle to the door. You seldom left your room during your period of illness, as you generally couldn't move very well on account of your light-headedness, but you had recovered to the point where it wasn't much of an issue.

You were incredibly parched, and immediately set course for the kitchen. Being sick was thirsty work, after all. Making your way through the halls and living room, you find yourself stepping on the tiled floor of your destination. Without second thought, you went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass out.

Walking over to the fridge to begin to fill up the glass, you notice a small note on the door. Taking it down with a hoof, you scan over the note.

Hi Sweetie! Dad and I ran out to get a few things from the store. We'll be back in an hour or two by the time you read this!

Make sure to take some aspirin, I left the bottle on the counter. Make sure you get right back to bed too!

Love, Mom

Yeah, you thought to yourself. That's just like her. Always worrying.

Filling up your glass, you trot over to the counter to find the aspirin bottle resting on the edge. Leave it to Mom to not trust your observational skills.

Just as you were about to open the container, a knock comes to your door. Were your parents back already? No, your mother knows you too well, she wouldn't have incorrectly predicted your sleep pattern. It must have been a student bringing you your work. Odd, considering no one had stopped by over the last few days.

Setting your glass onto the counter, you trot over to the door. You didn't know who exactly to expect. When you reached the door, you took a second to check your mane and breath. Y'know, just in case it was one of them mares from math class.

But when you open the door, it most certainly was not a mare from math class.

Standing before you were two rather heavy-set stallions, one brown and one blue, adorned in a uniforms. The kind of uniforms police officers wear.

"Uh, h-hello officers..." You begin shakily. "W-what can I do for you?"

"Do you attend Manehattan High School, son?" The blue officer replies. Oh great, he's one of those cops, the kind who waste no time prying for details.

"Uh, yes...why do you ask?"

"Well son," The other steps in. "I'm afraid we're going to have to take you down to the station for some questions."

"W-w-why is that!?" You ask incredulously. "I mean, surely we could have some questions here...?"

"This isn't a game son. You were in possession of illegal substances."

"W-what!?" Illegal substances? Did he mean.... "You mean like, drugs!?"

"Yes, there was a random search conducted at your school today. And certain substances were found in YOUR locker." The brown one replies. "Several bags worth, at that."

"N-no, that's impossible!" You had never done a single dose of ANY drug in your life. Hell, you had never even smoked a cigarette.

"Look son, we-"

"You have to believe me, I swear they aren't mine!" How could you afford drugs anyway? From what you knew, they weren't exactly cheap, and you didn't have a job to pay for them.

"They were found in your locker, son, now-"

"That isn't true, there's no way..." How could this happen? You seldom used your locker at the school, and when you did, it certainly wasn't for THIS purpose.

"On top of that, your hoofmarks were on them."

"...Wh....What!?" Now you were getting scared. How could some drugs, which you had never done in your life, somehow have traces on them that led to you? "How, I mean, I've never even-"

"I'm sorry, son, but you are under arrest." The brown stallion pulls out a pair of hoofcuffs, preparing to lock you in their embrace.

"What!? No! Please, you have to believe me, I never-"

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you."

This is...impossible... How could this be happening, to you, of all colts? You were a good pony, you stayed out of trouble. You hated confrontations, why would you want to start trouble? You didn't like to hang out with "that crowd," so you tried to avoid associating yourself with them. Surely this is some kind of mistake, right? Perhaps they got the wrong guy...But then again, they looked pretty sure of themselves as your hooves were locked up. Perhaps this was a prank? No, no one would have any reason to do something this harsh to you as a joke. You couldn't think of a reason for someone to do this. For all intents and purposes, this was a real arrest. How could this even...

There's no way this was really happening. You were being arrested for the possession of illegal substances, which were found in YOUR locker, with YOUR hoofmarks no less. This is some sick, twisted joke. You wanted to tell yourself that, but you knew it wasn't true. By some twisted manipulation, this was really occurring.

You had so many questions and so many things to think about. And where you were going, there would be plenty of time to think.

***************

The trial proceeded slowly.

It had been three days since your arrest. Prison was easily the most dreary and boring place you had ever been. Okay, so it wasn't really prison, it was the Manehattan Detention Center, but it felt like prison nonetheless. You spent the last several days contemplating the case, being drilled with questions from investigators, and the like. You consistently told the officers you had nothing to do with this. Your efforts were somewhat in vain. You knew they wouldn't believe anything you would say, and you knew they didn't believe anything you had said.

Your parents had come to visit you virtually any chance they had. Your mother believed every word you said. She knew her son would never do something like this. That's how she had raised you, to be a good little colt who followed the rules. Her natural reaction is to disregard what all others said. Your father, however, was another story. While he didn't want to believe you had anything to do with this, he couldn't help but doubt. That's how it had always been. He had a way of making you feel like you were nothing but a disappointment to him.

A few of your classmates came to visit as well. None of them believed you, however. You were nothing but a petty drug-dealer to them. Even if you were announced innocent, it wouldn't matter. The stigmas these ponies had of you were too powerful to be overturned, it seemed.

When not getting drilled by investigators, officers, or your parents, you spent all your time locked up in a small cell. There was very little in the way of entertainment. Other than a bunk bed and a lot of dust, there was nothing to see. You mulled over every detail during this downtime. What drugs were found? Why were they in your locker? How did they get there? Did someone put them there? If so, who? These were all questions you couldn't get answers to.

At least, not until today.

All it took was one testimony. The testimony of a dark blue colt with an even darker mane to render all the other information that had been stated invalid. This was easily the testimony that saved you.

"So you saw what had happened on that day?" Your defense attorney asked. Your parents had hired the best one they could find. He had spoke with you several times before the trial had started, but even then, you couldn't remember his name. Mr. Write, or something like that.

"Yes sir." The colt on the stand replied. You had seen this colt around school before, and you remembered him as Russ. He didn't speak to you often, and you only thought of him as an acquaintance.

"Could you describe what you saw that led to the substances in question to be in my client's locker?" He spoke calmly and confidently.

"Yes sir." Russ had remained calm, unlike many of the other witnesses that had been called in up to this point. "It was around 10:30 AM that day. There was a random search that was going to be conducted at around 11:00 AM from what I had heard."

"Where exactly did you hear this information?"

"It's really not that hard. When one teacher let's it slip, the entire school knows about it within minutes."

"Can't argue with that." This elicited a few laughs among the room. "Please, continue."

"I was heading to the bathroom, when I saw a colt messing with a locker. There was something odd about him. He had gloves on, and was pretty frantically messing with the lock on it. After a few minutes, he managed to get it open. When he did, he started taking these plastic bags of...something, looked like some kinda powder, and started tossing them inside."

"So this colt," your attorney inquired, "what did he look like?"

"To tell you the truth?" Russ leaned forward in his chair. "I know exactly who it was."

"Do you now?" It seems Mr. Blight or whatever his name was wasn't expecting this. "Who was it?"

"His name is Cole." Wait...did he really just say...?

"Cole? And who is this Cole?"

"He's one of the most popular students in school." No...this had to be some mistake....

"And are you sure the colt you saw was him?"

"I'm certain. I know his black mane and cold, grey eyes anywhere."

No...No, it couldn't be true. He was perfectly describing Cole. THE Cole. The same Cole who had came to you when you first moved here. The same Cole who had brought you to your status in the school. The same Cole who you thought of as a best friend.

The same Cole who was your cousin.

"That, and, I can prove it!" Wait, what did he just say?

"And how is that?"

"I'm in the photography class, you see." Now you remember. You always did see him with a camera around his neck. "So when I caught sight of this guy breakin' into that locker, I knew he was up to no good. So I snapped a pic!" With that, he pulled out a photograph from his jacket. He proceeded to hand it to the judge, who scanned over it.

"Hmm...Yes, this is a very clear photo. The time stamp is accurate, the colt in question is clear as day, everything is exactly as has been described." His honor commented. "You have a knack for photography, it seems."

"Why thank ya, Your Honor." Russ replied, looking boastful about his work.

"Thank you, Mr. Russ." Your attorney stepped back a bit. "Your Honor, I think it would be best if we spoke with this Cole."

You were afraid of what you what this would lead to.

***************

The time had come for Cole to take the stand.

The judge had called for a recess so that Cole could be prepared for his testimony. During that time, you silently mulled over what was happening.

Cole...did he really do this? Had he really planted drugs in your locker? There's no way this was true. He cared about you, right? When you first moved to Manehattan, he immediately took you under his care. He taught you the workings of the school, introduced you to his crew, and brought you up to a popularity status that nearly rivaled his. He was your closest friend. Would he really use you like this...?

The recess had ended faster than you expected. Soon enough, everyone filed back into the room. Once everyone was seated, Cole was called to the stand. An eerie silence accompanied his entrance. Looking around, you saw some glaring daggers into him. Some gave looks of sympathy. Some gave looks of disbelief. A few mares, however, gave rather suggestive looks.

He slowly, silently approached the stand, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. He had always been an odd colt. He generally kept to himself during gatherings like the Hearth's Warming celebration your family held every year. It wasn't that he was shy, he just never was one to talk with the family, much less those he was resentful towards. However, he seemed to have a soft spot for you. Of all those at such gatherings, you were the one he seemed to talk to the most. Perhaps being the only male teenager other than him, you had some connection with him. He always had an air of calm around him. He never spoke excessively loud, and his voice seemed to have only one volume, as if the switch was broken.

You look right at Cole. His dark black mane hung low over his shoulders. Cole felt it was rude to cover one's face, so he made it a point to always make sure his mane never obscured his features. His grey coat lacked any sort of unique hue. But his most striking feature was his eyes. Though they were only a shade of grey sightly darker than his coat, they had an odd feel about them. They seemed hollow, devoid of any feeling or emotion. It almost seemed like they didn't even reflect light either, giving them a sort of haunted feel. They were seldom more than half open at any time. It felt as though they could see right into the soul.

Without any form of gusto, he calmly takes his place in the witness' chair. Mr. Trite (you still couldn't remember his name) immediately began questioning.

"You attend Manehattan High School, correct?"

"That would be correct, sir." Cole answers, his voice as calm as ever. You always found it weird how he talked with such sophistication. It was very unlike any teenager you knew.

"And do you understand the situation at hoof?"

"Yes, I've been informed of all that has happened in this case up to this point."

"So you understand that you are being accused of planting illegal substances in my client's locker, with photographic evidence to prove it?"

"Yes, good sir. I believe that Russ fellow claimed to have seen me."

"And how do you respond to that?"

"..." Cole simply sat in silence, looking towards nothing in particular. You could only wonder what was going through his mind. Was he coming up with some elaborate tale to prove his innocence? Perhaps he was battling with himself on what to say, going through his options. He was very difficult to predict. At last, he spoke in his regular, monotone voice. "I would say...I must be getting sloppy."

"I'm sorry?"

"I hadn't planned that day out very well at all, to be honest. It merely slipped my mind a random search was to be conducted."

"Wait, so are you saying...?

"That I did plant the substances in question in the locker?" You were praying the answer that was about to come out of his mouth wouldn't be the one you thought it would be. You had so much faith and trust in this colt, after all he had done for you. You didn't want to believe he had done this.

"Yes. Yes I did. I admit it."

"W...What!?" You could remain silent no longer. This wasn't happening, there was no way.

"Yes, cousin, I did. Seeing as I have no other options here, I might as well come clean." His monotone voice had begun to sound almost teasing to you.

"But....How? How could you even get into my locker!? I never told you the code!"

"Oh, please. Those lockers are so cheap a butterfly could break them open with a flap of its wings. On top of that, you don't cover your lock so well when you open it. It wasn't that difficult, really." Was he serious? He was basically calling you stupid.

"Why my locker!? There are hundreds of others in the school!"

"Well, you see, your locker is quite strategically placed." He refused to get flustered in the slightest, which only added on to your frustration. "It just so happens that your locker is one of the few that is not in view of a security camera. Of all the ones in the school like this, yours was the closest one that I could open at that moment. Of course, I didn't count on a certain colt to find me with a camera in tow."

"What about my hoofprints, explain those!"

"That would be the disadvantage of bringing your lunch from home." Before you could question, he continued. "Those little, plastic baggies you bring your sandwiches in are quite convenient, I must say. Why do you think I offered to throw your trash away for you all the time? I was merely borrowing your prints. You know, just in case I needed a scapegoat."

"But...why!? Why would you do this to me!?"

"Oh please, calm down-"

"No! I won't calm down! This is unforgivable!" Your blood was boiling and your voice continued to grow louder. You had never been this angry in your life.

"You're so worked up over this, you need to loosen up."

"How can I!? Everyone is going to think of me as some kinda drug dealer! You ruined my life!" Even with a 'not guilty' verdict, this whole ordeal still wouldn't have helped your image.

"Did I really?"

"W-what!?"

"Please, you wouldn't be where you are had it not been for me."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be labeled a criminal if not for you, you traitor!"

"I brought you to your status, your popularity, and now I'm the traitor?"

"What are you talking about!?"

"Face it. I helped you, and you owed me a favor. I merely took the chance when I had it." What he said rang true to some degree. You would be nowhere without him, and you knew it. He created the image you had amongst your peers, and he was the one who helped you gain all that you had.

"But, you..."

"It's only fair...isn't it...cousin?"

You wanted to say so many things to him right then. So many different obscenities that would make a sailor cringe, yet you couldn't. You were so dumbstruck that you simply couldn't find the words.

Your closest friend, your greatest ally, your own cousin, had betrayed you. You knew he was manipulative, it's how he got to his status among the school, but you wouldn't think he would attempt to jeopardize the well-being of his own family to keep himself safe.

You collapsed back into your chair. You couldn't process what had just happened. Your cousin openly admitted to pinning his crime on you to save his own back. His voice never faltered, and his being showed no regret in his actions. You were nothing but a pawn to him in this game he was playing. All it took was one slip-up on his part for him to throw the wheels in motion.

The room was in an uproar. Family members shouting at Cole, classmates bickering with one another, the judge attempting to regain control of the room, and so on. Yet you couldn't hear any of it. Your mind was in its own little world.

You had been used as a young colt before, back in your elementary days, but those times were child's play. This was something else entirely. You couldn't trust your acquaintances, you couldn't trust your closest friends, and now, you couldn't even trust your own family. Was this entire world out to get you? Who could you put any faith into?

As your mind battled with itself over what you believed in, you didn't even notice when the judge handed down your verdict.

"Not Guilty."

***************

Silence. It seemed to be a common theme today. The only thing that broke the silence was the pitter-patter of rain.

Oh, wait, it was raining? You hadn't even noticed when you were recalling your tale. When did this happen?

It didn't matter. You had poured your heart out to the pegasus in front of you, and now it was her choice as to how to respond.

Lifting your head, you look right to her face. Her hooves were clamped to her mouth, her eyes were wide open, and her face was wet. Whether it was from tears or rain, you couldn't tell.

"O-oh my goodness..." She starts, seeming as oblivious to the rain as you were. "I had n-no idea...I'm so sorry!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for..." You reply sullenly.

"W...What about Russ?"

"After the trial was over, Russ and I became friends. I kinda felt like I owed it to him after his help exposing Cole. I figured I could trust him...but we know how that turned out..."

"Oh..."

"After we graduated, I moved to Ponyville in an attempt to get away from all my classmates. A lot of 'em were still apprehensive about the whole thing, even after a year had passed." You explained. "Russ followed soon after, but for his own reasons."

"I'm so sorry...if I had known I would have..."

"You would have what? Forgiven me for what I did?" You sigh, and avert your eyes from hers again. "I know this will never excuse my behavior. It was stupid for me to have thought that of you, and I'm sorry."

Once again, the unsettling silence filled the air. The droplets of rain on your head and body only added to the gloomy feel.

It had been years since that day. Though you wanted to forget it, it never failed to creep into your subconscious on a regular basis. It was the reason behind your apprehensive nature towards others. You promised yourself you would try to repress the memory, forget all about it. Your attempts were in vain, however, and it never failed to come back to haunt you. And right now, it was doing a pretty good job at that.

"...Fluttershy..." You start.

"Y-yes?"

"I...Where does this leave us?"

"Oh, um..." She suddenly looked very nervous. "I, I'm not sure..."

"I'm right there with you." You reply, managing to elicit a slight giggle. There was a long pause before she started again.

"Maybe..." She started, unsure of herself, "Maybe we should start over?"

"I...Do you think we could? Could we...put all this behind us?" You knew this wouldn't be easy. All it takes is one screw-up for a relationship of any kind to be broken. Your mistake had been a serious one, and forging a new friendship out of it would be no easy task.

Your train of thought crashed and burned when Fluttershy suddenly lurched forward, planting her lips firmly on yours. Your eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. Fluttershy had never been an assertive one, so this was something you were definitely not expecting.

But you didn't object. Losing yourself in a state of bliss as you moved your hooves onto her back, you gradually pushed back into the kiss with as much passion as she had. The moment your hooves made contact, she lifted her arms around your neck, pulling you slightly closer. Her warm lips never left yours, and her tongue prodded slightly, asking for entry. You gladly accepted, and her tongue began to explore the crevices of your mouth. She tasted sweet, almost like cookies. Jolts of pleasure surged throughout your body, and you were completely lost in the moment.

Eventually, the need for oxygen overpowered your state of pleasure, and both of you pulled away, gasping for breath. After a few moments of heavy breathing, she looked into your eyes.

"I...I'm willing to try if you are."

Prologue

"N-no, that's impossible!"

"Look, son, we-"

"You have to believe me, I swear they aren't mine!"

"They were found in your locker, son, now-"

"That isn't true, there's no way..."

"On top of that, your hoofmarks were on them."

"...wh...What!? How, I mean, I've never even-"

"I'm sorry, son, but you are under arrest."

"What!? No! Please, you have to believe me, I never-"

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you."

This is...impossible...how could this even...

Cole...

Epilogue

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Yes, we do. It's like Pinkie always says. You need to learn to face your fears!"

"Wait, I thought it was her Granny Pie that always said that?"

"Oh, well...whatever."

"I still don't see why this is necessary."

"You told me you didn't believe me when I told you about it."

"That was, what, seven months ago? I take your word for it now, honest!"

"How am I supposed to believe you?"

"What? You don't trust me?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"...I hate it when you do that."

"Oh, don't be so grumpy. I promise nothing bad will happen."

"Ugh, I just hope that- Oh sweet Celestia, there it is!"

"Ah! Hello, little guy!"

"L-little? Are you serious!?"

"What? He's just big kitty, aren't you?"

"I-i-it's licking your face!"

"Oh, don't be so scared. Look, I think he likes you!"

"GAH! S-stay away from me!"

"Don't be like that, he only wants to be friends!"

"I, uh...ugh, fine...H-hey, big fella! D-Don't eat my face, okay?"

"He would never do that!"

"How am I supposed to know! I mean, look at him!"

"You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover."

"Ugh, yeah, I know, I know. I learned that lesson awhile ag-"

"..."

"Do you trust me now?"

"...Of course I do. I always will."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Make sure you hit up my Finishing Notes for answers to questions the readers may have. Leave feedback for the story here, ask questions about the story there. Thanks!