Second Chances II: Love and Courage

Second Chances II: Love and Courage
By Hero541
Chapter 13: Boiling Over

Josh sat in the living room of he and Vinyl’s house along with Rarity, Fluttershy, Vinyl, and Octavia. After Filthy had finished his speech, Josh and the others had left city hall as quickly as possible, wanting to simply avoid everypony there. Thankfully, they’d managed to get out without being spotted and made for the house. They were relatively safe for now, though everypony knew it would only be a matter of time till the storm hit them all.

“What’re you going to do?” asked Octavia, looking to Josh and Vinyl, both of whom were situated on the couch, “I hardly think you can stay here for long now!”

“Perhaps you ought to come and stay with me.” suggested Rarity, “I could keep you both safe till you’re able to formulate what you’re going to do next.”

Neither Josh or Vinyl said anything to that, unable to find any words to say that seemed even remotely appropriate for the situation. Vinyl had been crying the whole way back to their house, and was continuing to do so. She couldn’t believe what Filthy had just done, how he’d so quickly managed to turn the entirety of Ponyville against the love of her life. The one thing she feared more than anything was losing Josh again. How could somepony be so hateful? she thought, leaning against Josh and sobbing into his chest I can’t lose him over something like this…

Josh simply stroked his marefriend’s mane, trying his absolute best to comfort her while his own mind raced. In one single day, Filthy Rich had managed to turn the town that had once accepted and loved the human so much against him. Josh never thought that such hatred and bigotry could even exist in a place like this, where love and tolerance was put above all else. The only thing that permeated his thoughts now was what he was going to do. He couldn’t just leave behind the life he had here, but it was quickly seeming like he didn’t have much of a choice in that matter if he wanted any sort of peace.

“Thanks, Rares.” he finally said, looking towards the white unicorn, “We’ll keep that in mind.”

“You d-don’t think he’ll send those ponies here, d-do you?” asked Fluttershy, shaking as she thought about an angry mob heading towards the house.

“I doubt it, Shy.” said Josh, turning his gaze towards the timid pegasus and trying to sound comforting, “Filthy may hate me, but I severely doubt he’d be willing to start any sort of violence against me.”

“He is determined to force you out of Ponyville though.” said Octavia, “How else could he achieve something like that without the use of force?”

“He’ll find a way.” said Josh, his words dripping with venom as he thought about the stallion.

They all sat in silence once again, everypony simply listening to Vinyl sniffle and cry into Josh’s chest. None of them could comprehend what had just happened today. The one thing they all thought about was what could possibly happen to Josh and Vinyl now that the human was one of the most hated beings in all of Ponyville. Like Vinyl, they had all been unbelievably sad when he’d left the first time, and the last thing they wanted was to lose him again. He was a best friend to all of them, and they loved him almost as much as Vinyl did.

“I just want you to know,” said Octavia, causing both Josh and Vinyl to peer at her, “that when things take a turn for the worse, we’re more than willing to go down with you as well.”

Rarity and Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Josh simply gave Octavia a stunned look.

“Tavi,” he said, unable to hide the shock in his voice at her words, “you can’t do that. It’s me he hates, not you guys! You all have lives here of your own and responsibilities here to attend to!”

“That may be true, darling.” said Rarity, standing and approaching the human on the couch, “However, you mean more to us all than we can ever say. Even if all of this town abandons you, you can count on us to never leave you behind. That includes taking the fall with you as well if we have to.”

Josh felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at the smiling unicorn mare who had tears forming in her own eyes. He couldn’t believe how loyal his friends all were to him. They were willing to abandon their own lives here to help he and Vinyl if things went too far south. A smile came across his face as he looked to them all.

“Th-thank you, guys.” he said, warmly smiling at all of them, his voice shaking,“That means a lot. It really does.”

Octavia, Fluttershy, and Rarity all embraced the now crying human and his marefriend on the couch, tears falling from their own eyes as they did so. Josh felt a warmth spread through his body as they all held him. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door and they all looked towards it.

“Oh dear…” said Octavia, “Let’s hope that’s not something bad…”

The mares all broke away from Josh, allowing him to rise and make for the door. As much as he didn’t want to answer it, he knew there was no way around it. He couldn’t just sit and hide forever from his problems. He turned to face the ponies behind him.

“We’re right here if you need us, darling.” said Rarity, taking a step forwards.

Josh nodded and turned back to the door. Slowly, he reached out for the handle, mentally preparing himself for whatever would be behind its wooden exterior. He threw it open and looked down to see Filthy Rich standing there, a smug smile on his face.

“What the fuck are you doing here, you piece of shit?!” yelled Vinyl from inside, jumping down from the couch and rushing towards the stallion.

“Vinyl, no!” said Octavia, tackling her friend to the ground and holding her as she struggled to get free of the gray cellist's weight.

“If I get my hooves on you…” screamed the unicorn, fresh tears of anger flowing from her crimson-magenta eyes as she squirmed and struggled under the weight of Octavia.

“You’ll do what?” asked Filthy, smirking at the unicorn before turning back to Josh and giving him a glare full of malice.

The two simply stared at one another for awhile, not saying anything, simply trying to intimidate one another. Josh felt a heated rage build up in his chest as he stared down at Filthy Rich. This was the stallion who had ruined him, who had turned an entire town against him.

“What’re you doing standing on my doorstep?” asked Josh finally, not taking his glare off the stallion, “You here to gloat?”

“I believe that’s in order.” said Filthy, “I assume you’ve heard about my little speech earlier then?”

“We were there!” called Vinyl, still struggling under Octavia, “We heard every single word you said! H-how can you be s-so hateful?”

“How can you be so blind?” asked Filthy, looking past Josh and into the house to the gathered ponies all around, “You all accept him as if he were one of us, as if he’s just like the rest of us. Well, now you know the truth of what he was, of all the others he hurt in his own world.”

“We always knew!” said Rarity, struggling to hold herself back from Filthy as well, “He told us long ago!”

“And you still stand by him?”

“We’ll always stand by him.” said Fluttershy, rather boldly, her body crouched as if she was going to pounce on Filthy.

“Then you’re no better than him.”

Josh felt the sudden urge to reach out and choke the stallion, to take him down and hurt him. He held back, however, knowing that the only thing violence would do was make him look worse. Filthy looked back at Josh, his usual smirk returning.

“I’ve made it my mission to get you out of this town.” he said, “I’ll be damned if you’ll be allowed to stay here and pollute us with the cynicism and impurities of your world.”

Josh continued to glare at Filthy, getting closer and closer to attacking the pony.

“Get off my doorstep.” he finally said, turning and beginning to walk away.

“It may be yours now,” called Filthy after him, “but soon, you’ll be gone from here. Maybe, if I can manage it, I’ll get your little slut of a marefriend thrown out along with your sorry ass.”

What happened next was so fast, nopony had any time to process it. Josh turned and grabbed Filthy by the throat, lifting him up off the ground and slamming him into the nearby wall.

“YOU COCKSUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” he screamed, watching as the stallion reached his hooves up to try and break Josh’s grip, “HOW DARE YOU! I OUGHT TO BREAK YOU LIKE A FUCKING TWIG!”

“Josh!” yelled Octavia and Rarity in unison, forgetting about Vinyl and rushing to the human.

“Put him down!” called Octavia, reaching Josh’s side and attempting to get him to drop Filthy.

Josh didn’t hear her. In his rage, his ears became deaf to the world all around. All he could see and hear was the struggling gasps of Filthy Rich as he held the stallion against the wall by his throat. Just as Filthy began to turn a nasty shade of blue, Josh’s angry trance was broken by Vinyl’s voice.

“Baby!” she called, running in front of him and looking into his blue eyes, her own filled with tears, “Put him down. Please…”

Josh’s resolve broke at the sight of his marefriend‘s sad face. In a flash, his grip loosened around Filthy’s neck, and he fell to the ground, unable to believe what he had just done. Vinyl looked at him, fear filling her eyes.

“I… I…” stammered Josh, unable to look away from Vinyl’s tear stained face.

Rarity and Octavia looked to Josh, the same expression of fear in their own eyes at the human’s sudden act of violence. Fluttershy had hidden behind the couch and was crying heavily. Vinyl walked forward and wrapped her forelegs around Josh, holding him close as he began to cry into her fur. Nopony moved an inch now, except for Filthy Rich, who slowly stood and rubbed his throat, still gasping for air.

“Y-you just m-made the biggest mistake of your l-life.” he stammered, his eyes shining with malice.

“GET OUT NOW!” shouted Octavia, standing in between Filthy and Josh and Vinyl, “Otherwise, Josh choking you will be the last thing you’ll have to worry about!”

“If you thought you were in deep shit before, it’s gonna get a whole lot worse for you.” said the stallion, turning and quickly making his way out the door, “I’ll see to it that you pay for this in the worst way possible!”

Filthy rushed off, leaving Vinyl holding the shuddering and crying form of her coltfriend, rubbing his back and crying heavily herself. Rarity, Octavia, and Fluttershy all stood around the somber couple. They all wondered what would happen now, knowing that whatever came next, it wouldn’t be good. Filthy Rich would make sure of that.