You step over to the creature. It was a bright green, the same color as the oak leaf that had blow across the sky two years ago.
You'd tried in vain to catch it. Ran far from your work place as the leaf darted swiftly between your scrambling hooves, just above your reach. You came back a while later, after chasing the leaf all around the farm, wanting the color to meet your hoofs. It never did. Limestone took you behind the silo that night and yelled at you, even louder than other times, for slacking off. For the money you'd lost for your family. For being a failure. Then she struck you until you went unconscious, blood, dirt, and tears coating your fur. You still had to work the next day, even though at least one of your ribs was most likely broken.
She'd probably beat you again tonight if you didn't head back soon.
But again your heart tells you to stay where you were.
The animals's body was covered in scales, and it had a small, bumpy tail. The creature, now realizing that you weren't going to hurt it, looks at you directly, then shifts it gaze from your face to your neck. You felt like it was talking to you. But it was different than before. It seemed more . . . real. You felt the urge to respond.
"That's not important, just ignore it." The creature continues to stare. You partially cover the spot where you'd cut yourself with a hoof. You could feel the cut. It was still warm, as was your neck. "Well, um, I was . . . I was about to . . ."
The thing, what ever it was, seems like it can understand what you were trying to say as well. It looks back at your face with a concerned look. It was a beautiful feeling, looking at someone who had clear empathy for you. But the feeling doesn't last, as an image of Limestone flickers in your mind. You had to head back. Now.
"Well, I have to . . . I have to get back to work. Stay here until I come back. Promise me you'll stay here?" The green animal flicked it's tail in acknowledgement, but worry still worked at you. Promises were strong, but could still break.
"Um . . . we should do a special promise. A promise for me? A . . . a Pinkie Promise?" The animal blinked. "And you've got to cross your heart . . . er . . . hope to fly . . . and stick your promise in your eye. So it can't go away."
The creature brought a claw to its chest, swatted a few times, and then placed it just below its eye before scampering off.
You make it back to where you were originally working. No one looked at you except Maud, who quickly resumed cracking rocks. Her job was to split rocks that were too large to move into smaller pieces using her pickaxe. Marble pulled her cart and wheeled them to new places as needed. Limestone put rocks into the cart. She also pushed them into piles, like you. But even your work of stacking rocks was much more bearable after your run in with the creature. You are filled with a new kind of energy, and you make a lot more progress than usual, even though you haven't been working for a fair amount of the day. Before you know it, your dad comes out to ring the dinner bell. It was also beginning to look like Limestone wasn't going to punish you after all because you did your day's worth of work.
After eating, you plan on taking the remaining rock soup you haven't eaten to the creature. You quickly consume about half of your meal, and, once you finish, open the door. It squeaks on its hinges, and the unsettling noise makes you flinch and clench your teeth hard against the bowl in your mouth. You step out of the house. No one asked where you were going, of course.
It was just nice not going straight to your room for once.
"Hello? I'm back!" It doesn't appear to be there. You peak behind rocks, but no pony was there. Did the creature leave you? Your heart starts to race. It had to be here somewhere, right?
"Please come out! Where are you?" No pony responded. Why was the creature gone, why didn't it stay for you? Why couldn't anything go right?
You collapse to the ground and start crying. Your body shakes violently. You sob harder than any other time in your life. This was nothing like the other times you were sad. You'd expected to be sad then. You had never experienced hope before, and when your one dream turned out not to come true, you were heartbroken. Was your encounter with the creature even real? Were you going to be alone after all?
"W-why?"
As each tear fell, your body began to feel weak and heavy. Your vision blurs from the water coating your eyes, but you are able to make out your coat. It was slowly becoming less and less colorful. A dull gray replaces the pinks that had once been found on you. Unable to calm down, your entire body drains completely of color. You should be surprised by all of this, but you aren't. You don't know why.
Gasping for air, you become dizzy. The world around you wobbles. Once the landscape comes into focus again, you notice the sharp rock from before. Now nothing was holding you back. Picking up the rock once again, you held it to your throat.
"I want this." You pulled your foreleg back, ready to strike. Your hoof was steady. There was no hesitation. You swung.
Your ears twitch as they pick up a small noise.
The rock digs into your chin. In pain, the rock drops from your control and onto the ground. The same noise was made again. It was the sound that the creature made when it walked.
The small, rough face from before popped out from behind your family's silo in the distance. It looked at you, then ran over, confused. Your coat gushed with color at the sight of him, and your chin no longer hurt. In fact, your body looked the opposite of bland. But, glancing back at the gloomy landscape around you, you though back to all those days before, and the ones to come. You see your body return to its original color of dull pink, which was considerably drab compared to the full pink from moments ago. Then you notice something. Maybe your eyes were messing with you, but it still looked like your body was a brighter pink than before.
The creature licks one of its eyes. In reply, you wipe the tears from yours. You hug it, then remembered the gift you had brought for it. You pick up the bowl you had dropped.
"Here, these are for you." You put the rocks from the soup on the ground. "You eat them." It just looks at you. "Do you . . . do you just want the broth? Why?" The green thing opens its mouth. It had no teeth. "Oh. Well . . . that's okay! It doesn't matter. Just drink the broth then." The creature happily slurped it up.
"What should I call you?"
The green thing opens its mouth again. "Do your gums hurt?" You gasp. "Oh! Do you want to be called Gummy?" Closing its mouth, the creature continued drinking the soup.
"Thanks for being my . . . um . . . are we friends?" Your heart beats nervously, but the animal quickly nods in agreement.
"Thank you for being my friend, Gummy."
Friend. You liked the sound of that word.
Tears appear in your eyes again, and you aren't sure why. You aren't sad. Or scared. Or in pain. So why are you crying?Looking at Gummy, you realize it was because you were joyful for once. You take Gummy into your arms for another hug.
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you! My very own friend. My first friend! Friends!"
And for the first time in your life, you smile.