the lone crusader

by Submariner

starting over

'Why.' That was all he could think about. He didn't know what to do, what are you supposed to do when you lose everything. He wasn't sure, if everypony he ever cared for is gone, who is he supposed to go to.
Nurse redheart said he should sleep, but he couldn't, he had so many things in his mind he just couldn't figure out.
'Why, why me, I haven't done anything.' He hadn't done anything wrong, he was the kind of pony who tried to stay away from trouble. He just didn't know what to think. Eventually his thoughts drifted him off to sleep.

He woke up sometime after noon, nurse redheart had said that just because he had been in a coma for two and a half years doesn't mean he wouldn't be tired. Apparently she was right.
He sat up just as he heard hoofsteps coming towards his room.

"Good, your awake." She came in with a tray of oatmeal. "You should eat, a feeding tube doesn't exactly taste as good as real food. Were gonna give you a full checkup and some tests and you should be out of here by this evening."

"Where do I go." He asked looking down at the blankets.

Her face softened a bit.

"That's right, your dad bought a new house before he...." she trailed off not wanting to stir up emotions. "I'll get somepony from ponyville to show you where you live, I need to stay here since I have an appointment with a patient."

"Nurse redheart! Your needed In room 5!"

"Sorry I gotta run." She said running towards the door and calling back. "I'll have it all figured out by tonight!"

Phlux sighed and stared at his oatmeal, he wasn't really hungry right now.

---

The rest of the day was boring, he didn't mind though, it gave him some time to think.
He wondered why there was a train on the same track as theirs, or maybe they were on the wrong track.
Why didn't his friends jump with him, he couldn't stop feeling completely alone, even when nurse redheart was in there with him.
He wasn't sure what he should do when he gets out either, he didn't really want to go back to his "home".
When the tests were finally finished he sat in the hospital bed waiting for his results.
Nurse redheart finally swung through the doors.

"Well, from all the tests we ran, you should be fine to leave. Applejack should be here soon to show you to your house." She said, a smile on her face. "C'mon, lets go out to the waiting room and wait for her."

Phlux swung his legs over the side of the bed and jumped down from the bed, collapsing almost as soon as he touched the floor.

"Oops, sorry, let me help you up. I forgot you haven't walked for two and a half years." She said helping him up.

His legs wobbled slightly as he made his way down the hall towards the waiting room, his legs gradually stopped wobbling.
The waiting room was populated by only two ponies, the receptionist behind the counter and an orange pony wearing a fairly worn down stetson hat.

"Well howdy nurse redheart." Applejack said tipping her hat in the nurses direction. "An I reckon this must be phlux."

"Yes." Nurse redheart replied

"Wait a minute..." applejack looked him over. "Do I know you."
She was staring at him, looking him up and down. "You look very familiar..."

Phlux was thinking the same thing, he just coouldnt put his hoof on it.

"That's it!" Applejack said, a bit loud. "Yer the one that scared me during the running of the leaves a coupla years ago. Your the one who moved into that house?"

"Uh...well, yeah?" Phlux said a bit surprised.

"Huh, small world, ain't it. Well I guess we should go find that house a' yers."

Phlux nodded and followed her out the double doors.
It was nice and sunny outside, I light breeze ruffling the leaves in the trees on either side of them.
Phlux was quiet, he hadn't realized how much he missed being outside. Apple jack seemed to notice.

"Seems like yer enjoyin yerself a lot there." She said with a grin.

Phlux blushed a bit and looked down at the dirt trail.
There was a little bit of awkward silence before applejack broke it.

"So, I gotta say, I'm a bit puzzled." She said looking at him. "Why do I hafta walk ya to yer house, ah mean, haven't ya been there before?"

"Well, no I haven't actually." He said looking down at the dirt before looking back up.

Applejack looked surprised. "How? Didn't you move in like, a year ago?"

"Well...I guess you could say that, but if its all the same to you I'd. Rather not get into it right now. It's been a rather long day and its a rather long story."

"Well a'right then." She said, a thoughtful look on her face. Probably trying to figure out what possible reason he could have for never being home for a year.

The sun was starting to dip down over the horizen by the time they arrived at his house.
He stared at it, it was nothing special just a two story house, maybe 6 or 7 rooms including the bathrooms. It looked just like all the other houses in ponyville.

Applejack looked at him. "Well ain't ya gonna go in? Ya look mighty tired."

Phlux looked up at the darkening sky, a faint breeze wafting through. He looked back at the house.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here for a bit, its a nice night."

Applejack looked at him funny. "Well a'right then, ah better be heading back, its getting late. But we gotta meet up again soon, I'd. Kinda like to know what you've been up to, its not every day a new neighbor shows up."

Phlux thought about it, he didn't really know anyone, he could definatly use a friend right now.

"Well g'night then." She said tipping her hat towards him before trotting away into the night.

He looked up at the house again. He knew he should go inside and get some rest, but he couldn't, it just didn't feel right.
He sat outside the small wooden fence that sat in the front yard. The house felt abandoned, like nopony had lived in it for a while. It felt lonely just sitting outside looking at it.
He sat thee for a few more minutes before trotting off towards his old hut on the outskirts of ponyville hidden in the everfree forest.

He made his way down the paths of ponyville, he wasn't quite sure where he was going, but if he could find the everfree forest then he could find his old hut.
He stared ahead of him down the path illuminated with the soft glow of a few street lamps. He had no idea where he was heading, it was to late at night for him to ask directions from somepony.
As he rounded another corner he saw a rather large tree house with a library sign above the door, he saw that there were a few lights on still, he decided to go ask directions. He made his way up to the door and knocked on the door a couple times. He heard some shuffling upstairs, after about a minute a fairly tired looking purple pony opened the door. She stared at him for a couple seconds looking completely out of it before shaking it off.

"Ugh, sorry, ive been up reading, I wasn't expecting anypony, is there something you need?" She asked, slightly slurring her speech.

She didn't sound irratated, just tired.

"Um..yeah, sorry, I don't mean to bother you but I don't really know my way around here and I was wondering if you knew which way the everfree forest is..." he trailed off, she looked like she had completely zoned out. "Um...hello?"

"Wah...oh, um, I'm sorry what was that, I uh, kinda zoned out."

He chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I kinda noticed. Everfree forest? Do you know which way it is?"

"Its uh.. that way." She pointed down one of the paths leading away from the library. "Wait wait, no, its that way." She said pointing down a different path shaking her head. "Sorry, I should probably go to bed, I'm gonna faint right here if I don't."

He didn't get to say thank you before the door shut. He realized his spirits had lightened a little bit after talking to the rather out of it purple unicorn. He sighed as his world crashed down on him again and everything that had happened came right back into his head. He didn't know how long he would be able to take on life knowing everything was gone, his old life was now only existant in his head, but completely gone in the real world. He could feel it all, the pain was just to real, it was almost as if it was trapped inside him, he just couldn't get it out.
The faint smile he had worn on his face was now gone, he lowered his head and made his way down the path the unicorn had pointed out.
He trotted down the path trying not to think, as it started getting darker he realized thee were no more lamps.
He looked up to see the everfree forest looming in front of him, then started trotting along the tree line in search of the path that lead to his hut.

He stood there staring at his real home, a small thatch hut with three rooms, his, his dads and a kitchen/living area.
He stared at his worn down home, it looked run down and forgotten, the steps leading up to the front door were leaning one way and not the roof was gone, probably torn off by a storm.
It made him even more deppressed than he already was, this was his home, his life started here, all his foalhood memories, were here. Playing in the little creek that ran behind it, building forts out of all the sticks he could scrounge up, all those memories were here. He sighed and walked through the little stick fence he made when he was a foal.
He realized he was really tired, he walked through the front door and up to the loft where he saw his cot sitting next to a small wooden table that served as a night stand. He layed down on his cot and stared at the stars.
He sighed and rolled over to fall asleep, he felt better knowing he was in his real home.

---

Sorry this chapter is a bit short, I decided to move some of it to the next chapter so I could get this one out a bit sooner.
And just on a side note, I like criticism, good or bad. See a spelling error, go ahead and point it out. Think some parts just don't fit right, let me know, I will do better on the next chapter. Thanks

Comments

[DRAGONfluffy]

281938 no in two of the episodes the pony were hangliding just for a fue secs at a time and to think that you didn't notes is a shame so blam (just watched s1 & s2)