//------------------------------// // Calming // Story: Silence // by Soul Mare //------------------------------// It was a cool night in late winter, and the windows in Soul Mare’s room were open so she could smell the pastries being cooked in SugarCube Corner. Her bed had turned into a little shelter of pillows and blankets so that she didn’t have to look outside her bed at night and most nights were quiet. She sat in her little fortress with her head on her hooves, counting the stars. “Christmas is in a few days you know. And I’ve been a very good filly this year” I wouldn’t call it good. Look at yourself; do you think Santa Prongs is proud of you? Soul looked in the mirror and shook her head. She had scars on her legs, side and flanks, and one across her throat, but worse, her whole left ear was missing. She had been a bad filly. Would she not get gifts? “I didn’t mean to be bad.. I did what you told me to..” she hung her head and began to sob. Christmas had been the one thing she was looking forward to. “Darling, don’t you worry about getting presents. I’ll talk to Santa Prongs, alright?” Rapid Quills big strong arms were around her and he pulled her close to him, like he often did in the mornings. “And I have something to ask of you” he smiled as he spoke, and Soul raised her head to look at him. She nodded. “Well, may I sleep in here with you now? It gets cold on the couch downstairs” Soul smiled as he asked. She wanted him to stay up with her in her room but hadn’t known how to ask. “Yes… will you take me out today? To the Record Label to see my friends. I.. want to see them.” Her voice kept quiet, but was confident. The Record Label was the local club, where Vinyl Scratch usually played. It had been Soul’s favorite ever since she had moved to Ponyville, but she hadn’t gone in months… what felt like years. When they arrived the club hadn’t changed any, but ponies impressions of her had. Most ponies stood at the other end of the room and stared at her. Rapid Quill snorted at them occasionally, but Soul knew why they didn’t come near her: she looked a mess, cut up and bruised and unkempt. She had pulled her mane into a messy bun in an attempt to look less overgrown, but her tail dragged on the ground. Not even her friends came near her, though when she looked to the DJ she nodded and put on Mara’s favorite song. As she sat at the bar that day, she could hear the other ponies talking about her. She wished they wouldn’t talk loud enough for her to hear. “Did her coltfriend do that to her? Look at her face…” “She shouldn’t be outside her house..” “Is it safe to be near her? She might hurt someone.” Soul Mare sat quietly, sipped her cider and cried, listening to and remembering every word they spoke. “I thought my friends would want me back, Quill.” “Mara, my love, give them time. They haven’t seen you in months.” “I know you hear what they say” And they mean it.. Soul dropped her cider and everypony stared. Her head shot up to look at them and she ran out the door. Rapid Quill followed her as fast as he could but she was much faster than he was. “Mara stop!” he yelled, out of breath and beginning to trip over his own hooves. She didn’t listen and pressed on towards the forest. It was quiet there; no one to tease her or judge her. The all too familiar feeling of tears filled her eyes and she blinked to keep them from blurring her vision. When she opened her eyes again Quill was in front of her and she slammed into him, knocking them both over and landing her on his stomach. He laughed and held her by the hips. “I love you, my beautiful filly.” He whispered in her ear as he sat up and she slid off of him. “I love you, too.” Mara pressed her muzzle against his cheek and he licked her up between her eyes. She giggled, feeling him pull her back on top of him and pulling her face much closer to his. Their lips met for a brief moment before he picked her up and rolled her over so he could use his hooves for other things than just holding her in place. Soul giggled again and scrunched up her shoulders, crossing her arms across her chest and pulling her knees up to her stomach. Rapid Quill pulled them away gently and kissed each hoof as it passed by his lips. “Not so bad, is it?” She shook her head. “No, not when you do it.” And that moment was the definition of trust for the two of them for the rest of their lives. He was almost touched that she trusted him that much since all he’d done for her for months was bring her food and tuck her into bed at night, but he saw in her eyes then that all that had meant much more to her. “Whats the goofy look for?” she asked quietly, twirling his mane around her hoof playfully. “Huh? Oh.. Just glad to have my little filly back” he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers firmly. They stayed like that for a long time until he pulled away, gently gathering her up in his arms. “Its late, time to go home and sleep” Soul Mare slept soundly that night knowing Rapid Quill was right beside her, scaring away all the monsters.