The rain pounded down hard on the paved streets of Manehatten. The street lights barely did anything to help in the darkness of night. But Peach had walked this path so many times, she could pretty much do it with her eyes closed. She put more concentration into keeping her hooves out of the deeper puddles.
She smiled as she approached her front door, unlocking it with her key and pushing it open. She almost wanted to yell something to announce her presence to Sea Salt, but knew better than to draw attention to themselves given the situation.
She closed the door shut behind her with her rear hooves and pulled the hood down from her black cloak. “Hi Sea,” She quietly greeted in a normal voice as she removed the soaked garment from her body and hung it up over a hanger, hearing the water droplets bead off and drip onto the floor below.
“Oh, hey Peach,” Sea Salt called from the living room.
Peach set the sack she was carrying down against the wall and trotted into the living room where she saw Sea Salt standing in the middle and practising various exercises with his wings fully spread. “You’re getting better? How long has it been now?”
Sea Salt nodded, “Two weeks today,” He answered with a smile. “I can almost put all my weight on it,” He explained, gently lowering his left foreleg down and gingerly putting weight onto it until he reached a threshold of pain he could tolerate.
“Still a way to go, don’t injure yourself,” Peach said with genuine concern.
“I know, I know,” Sea Salt replied, flicking his head and limping over closer to her. “But the call to action is gonna be any day now. I need to be ready for this,” He said, continuing to practice some exercises.
Peach raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. She couldn’t help but think that her concerns maybe fell on deaf ears, but she couldn’t deny that his energy motivated her.
Although she did notice that some of Sea Salt’s stretches he was doing seemed to be less focused on his problem areas. “Are you feeling okay?” She asked.
“Yeah, I-I’m fine,” Sea Salt halfheartedly replied, standing up as straight as he could before sighing a little.
“What’s wrong? Let me help,” Peach reasoned.
Sea Salt chuffed, “It’s nothing,” he went to bat a hoof at her, only to wince when his weight shifted onto his bad leg. “It’s just… Well, sleeping on a couch for over two weeks ain’t exactly been kind to my body. I’m getting cramps and sores everywhere. Doesn’t help that I’m cooped up here either…”
“Oh…” Peach replied. Her ears folded flat as she thought of something but instantly dismissed it. “Well, sorry I’m a little late, but we had to disperse a trade when it was discovered. I don’t think I was followed, but I took a few detours to try and throw them off,” She explained, turning towards the doorway. She trotted forwards towards the kitchen, grabbing the bag she had bought in on the way through. “I hope you like carrots and hay…”
“Anything you’ve got, I’m starving,” Sea Salt followed her through the hallway into the kitchen, still sporting a slight limp.
They both sat down at the aged wooden dining table. Peach poured out some carrots and some neatly stacked piles of hay. “I hope you don’t mind it raw. It’s late, I’m kinda tired, and don’t feel like cooking.”
“It’s fine,” Sea Salt replied, picking up a carrot.
The two sat there in silence for a moment before Peach swallowed and decided to break the silence. “So… you’re really still gonna go ahead with the resistance?”
Sea Salt looked back at Peach flatly. “...Yes, I am,” He started his answer, then glanced away. “It’s something we’ve been working towards ever since those damn bugs took power. I can’t give up on it.” He looked back at Peach, “Don’t you also dream of a free Equestria?”
Peach nodded. “It’s just…” She sighed, looking away, “I just want you to be safe…”
Sea Salt half-smiled. “Then come with me, then you can be there to catch me when I fall next time,” He joked.
Peach couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure I will…” Her expression turned a little more serious. “But… Ugh, how do I say it,” She racked her brain, scratching her left temple with her forehoof for a moment. “This may be a little uncalled for Sea, but… Well, ever since I lost my family… you’re the only pony I’ve had to talk to…” she looked back at him, “You’re my only friend,” she spoke sincerely.
“Ah, well,” Sea Salt scratched the back of his neck, his ears flattening. “What can I say? I’m honoured. If anypony should be grateful it’s me, you probably saved my life. Celestia knows if I’d ever get out of a Changeling prison alive…”
It didn’t take them long to finish their quick meal. “Well Peach, I think you’re a very caring pony with a big heart. I’m honoured to be your friend,” Sea Salt spoke in the most honest tone he could muster.
“I’m glad,” Peach answered with an awkward smile before releasing a sigh. “Well it’s late and I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed…” She stood from her seat, stretching slightly.
“Yeah, I probably should too…” Sea Salt agreed, slowly bringing himself to his hooves.
Peach trotted out of the kitchen into the main hallway, turning right to head up the stairs. She stepped onto the first step before pausing halfway up, contemplating something as she heard Sea Salt push open the door to the living room. No doubt heading for the couch. “Sea?” She twisted around to look at him.
“Hm?” He looked back at her, partway through the doorway.
“I was just wondering…” Her eyes glanced away and she awkwardly chuckled. “If you’re getting muscle aches from the couch… Well, you don’t have to, but…” She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, “My bed is plenty big… If you think it’ll help, you can take the other side of it…”
Sea Salt blinked. “I, uh…” his ears flattened, “Well… I don’t want to ruin your sleep.”
“I don’t sleep well these days anyway,” Peach batted a hoof. “I just want you to get better.”
Sea Salt met Peach’s glistening amber eyes. Only then did she realise that she was asking as much for herself as she was for him. How could he deny such an offer? “Alright…” he turned to follow her up the stairs. “I’ve been told that I snore badly though.”
Peach giggled as she trotted gently up the stairs onto the landing, pushing open one of the doors to reveal the bedroom. A square-shaped room with a dark purple carpet and plain white walls. The colour was obviously brighter in certain places on the wall and carpet. Sea Salt presumed that Peach was forced to sell or trade some of her possessions to survive. A story that unfortunately was not uncommon in Changeling occupied Equestria.
The two of them took it in turns getting ready for bed. Peach made sure that Sea Salt was comfortable, insisting on helping him into bed beside the fact he was perfectly capable even with only three fully functional hooves.
Peach trotted over to the wall to flick the light off, plunging the room into total darkness. Her muscle memory she had developed over time led her perfectly to the edge of her bed. She was almost ready to throw herself on it like she normally did before she remembered that she might land on Sea Salt if she did that. She sat herself down on the edge and slowly slid herself in under the covers, feeling the hairs on her mane tingle against Sea Salt’s back. She took that as an indication that she was as far in as she could.
“Good night, Sea,” Peach spoke in a hushed tone.
“Good night, Peach,” Sea Salt replied, sinking his head further into the pillow.
Sea Salt couldn’t deny that this was the comfiest he had been in over two weeks, even considering his wound. But although he was comfortable, he could tell somepony was not. Peach seemed to have trouble drifting off. She wasn’t tossing or turning, but Sea could feel a type of tension in the air radiating from her. He wanted to do something, but he had no idea what to do or what to say.
“So, you said you don’t normally sleep well?” He whispered over to her, still with his back facing her.
“I’ve hardly slept well since the start of the war,” Peach replied, then sighed. “The nightmares are in my head and in the real world. I have no escape… Princess Luna never answers my cries for help…”
“Pfft, you don’t really believe that Princess Luna still cares do you?” Sea Salt lifted his head slightly. “Her and the rest of the princesses turned tail and ran to New Mareland the moment all hope was lost. They abandoned us. Do you really think they’d help?”
“They didn’t abandon us,” Peach protested, but kept her voice down. “Princess Twilight gave her life in the war. Celestia, Luna and Cadence are just waiting for the right time to return.”
“Sounds like waiting for us to do the dirty work while they come in and reap the reward if you ask me,” Sea Salt replied bitterly. This wasn’t the conversation he was expecting at all.
“Well, love it or hate it, all we can do is hope…” Peach sighed, “I don’t even know what I want… I’ve lost my whole family… I just feel so hopeless…”
Sea Salt shuffled to turn around in bed to face her, although she still had her back to him. “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much, Peach. I really am…” He began to extend his left wing. “I hope that whatever I can do at least makes you feel a little better…” He extended his wing down over her body.
Peach felt his embrace wash over her like a warm blanket on top of the duvet. She felt his limbs snake over hers and rest gently on her, the weight of them a very soothing sensation as they were draped over her body. “It does...thank you…” She whispered, flopping her head deeper into her pillow.
Sea Salt remained calm, simply holding the embrace from behind her. He was sort of expecting her to say something more… but to his surprise, he began feeling a rhythmic rise and fall of Peach’s chest under his hoof and wing, along with the corresponding inhales and exhales that matched with the motion.
He couldn’t help but smile at the sensation. “Sometimes all we need is a hug...” He whispered quietly to himself before tightening his embrace of her and laying his own head down to rest...