//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Food For Thought 
// Story: "Sprout's Sentence" 
// by SonicandMLPFan 
//------------------------------//

The streets of Maretime Bay never felt this lively, until now.

Ever since magic was restored across Equestria, Maretime Bay had become a hot spot for unicorn and pegasi tourists alike to get to know each other better after years of unjustified hate. 

Shops and businesses were bustling with new customers every day, several unicorn and pegasi traps were removed thanks to the help of Hitch Trailblazer and a couple of other ponies willing to help, and for the first time after more than fifty moons, everything was at peace. No fear, no prejudices, no hate, just ponies getting along. 

It was especially a refreshing sight for Izzy Moonbow. Her first visit to Maretime Bay was filled with fear and paranoia, but now, her second visit was full of love, peace, friendship, and acceptance. And she couldn't be more glad.

Izzy cheerfully trotted down the streets, waving to almost everybody along the way, all the while humming a tune, with one goal in mind: making it up to Sprout.

Ever since she inadvertently sent him to the hospital the week before, she had felt nothing but remorse over what had happened. Sprout was her responsibility and she blew it. She wanted nothing more to do than to make it up to him. 

Izzy decided that wandering the streets of Maretime Bay, Sprout's hometown, would help her think of ways to make it up to him.

The bay's calm and welcoming atmosphere gave Izzy a sense of peace as she continued to roam Mane Street. So many of the sights, sounds, shops and locales jumpstarted Izzy into brainstorming on how to make it up to Sprout.

Maybe she could give him a new mane-cut, but he was in a hospital bed with a cast that wraps around his body, and it would be hard to style his mane in a condition like that. So that's off the list.

Maybe she could give him a decent book to read, the Maretime Library has several decent reads, but then again, he was still stuck in a hospital bed with a cast, with no physical way to hold the book.  And hoofness knows that Sprout won't stand her reading it to him, from what she saw of him, Sprout is a stubborn pony.

Or maybe she could give him one of her friendship bracelets as a sign of peace, she was sure she had some leftovers back at Bridlewood.

Or maybe- 

Sniff 

Izzy stopped in her tracks, her brainstorming screeching to a halt. 

Something caught her attention. She smelled something, something so invigorating, something so lovely, something so divine, that she had to know where it came from.

So, she smelled the warm air of Maretime Bay again. The smell intoxicated her nose with an aroma of ecstacy, sending waves of dopamine into her brain, this time though, she followed the smell.

Izzy pranced throughout the streets, savoring each sniff as she followed the trail, unaware of the world around her. 

So unaware in fact, that she wasn't even looking where she was going. 

SLAM

Izzy groaned as she hit the lamp post in front of her, falling to the ground in the process.

After a few seconds, she slowly opened her eyes. On top of her was a giant sign with a cardboard pizza on it with the words Pizza Hoof: Good to the Last Slice engraved on the sign.

Izzy's eyes widened as she saw the sign. She now knew what can make Sprout feel better: food. She was completely flabbergasted as to why she didn't think of that earlier, Sprout was practically starving at the hospital.

So, with a skip in her step, bits in hoof (which came from Sunny as a welcome gift), and a determined grin on her face, she trotted into Pizza Hoof.





Room #113 at the Maretime Bay Hospital never felt so quiet, the only noises that came from the room were small grumbles or groans, mostly due to the pony inhabiting the room, Sprout Cloverleaf.

After a rude awakening from a week-long coma, the former emperor of Maretime Bay has been sulking at his current situation for the past hour.

In Sprout's mind, everything up to this point has gone wrong all because of one mare. One mare that singlehandedly ruined his entire life: Izzy Moonbow. 

Not only was she still annoying as Tartarus, almost never leaving his side, but she was also the reason he's now stuck in a body cast in the hospital. If she didn't intervene in his community service, if she wasn't even chosen as his supervisor, things would've been different, and Sprout desperately wanted that.

Sprout hated her before, but after what she did to him, his hatred for her grew by the hour.

His sulking was cut short however, by the knock on the door. Sprout groaned, "Whoever this is, it better worth my time." he thought.

The door slowly opened to reveal a lilac unicorn on the other end with a dark blue wavy mane, a headband around her mane, multiple friendship bracelets adorning her hooves, and an optimistic smile gracing her face.

Sprout sighed, "Of course, it had to be her."

Izzy smiled, "Hi, Sprout. I thought I'd just come by to see how you were doing. You are my responsibility after all."

Sprout forced a smile, "I'm doing great!" he mumbled sarcastically.

"I know for the past few hours here you feel a bit...uncomfortable to say the least, so I decided to get something for you. A get well soon gift if you will. It's right outside the room, I'll get it right no-"

"Would you just stop, Izzy?"

Izzy stopped in her tracks. She turned around to see Sprout, frowning at her. She awkwardly chuckles, "W-what do you mean, Sprout? Stop what?"

"You know, you being you! Why do you have to be so annoying!"

Izzy was taken aback by Sprout's words, "A-annoying?" No pony had ever called her that before.

Sprout groaned, "Ugh, do I seriously have to spell, it out for you! For the past few days, you have been ruining my life, Izzy!"

"R-Ruining your life?"

"Yes, wasn't it obvious?! Ever since you first step hoof into Maretime Bay, you have made my life into a living nightmare!" Sprout's anger was practically just as red as the coat of his fur, "You invade my personal space without my consent most of the time, you're oblivious to the world around you, your hugs nearly kill me, your voice is annoying, your incessant ramblings are annoying, everything about you is annoying!"

Izzy was left speechless. To the point where if she tried to say something, she would,d either stutter, or say incomprehensible gibberish.

"And the worst part is, you are the reason I'm here right now. If you didn't step in and make me tumble down the hill to my mom's factory, I wouldn't be stuck in this wretched hospital room, in a full body hoof cast drinking through a straw!"

Small tears started to form in Izzy's eyes, "I d-didn't mean it, S-Sprout. I didn't mean for any of this to happen to you."

"Well if you had actually thought for once in your life, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"

Izzy was now on the brink of crying, with small streams of tears flowing through her face, and an occasional sniffle being heard.

"I never ever want to see you again, Izzy! Do you hear me! Now do me a favor and get out of this hospital and never come back!" 

The room went silent after that. The only sounds that can be heard were Sprout's tired and raspy panting.

The silence was broken however, by Izzy sniffling. It was a relatively small sound, but it was noticeable enough for Sprout to stop panting. 

Soon, the sniffling grew into quiet whimpers, her voice becoming a bit more louder. Izzy squeezed her eyes shut as more tears fell from her face.

Finally, Izzy's quiet whimpers transitioned into full on sobbing, with each sob being louder than the last. Her small river of tears now a giant waterfall streaming down her face.

As Sprout watched it unfold, he didn't know what to say. From what little time he spent with her, she seemed like a pony who wont let negativity take over her, and will stay positive no matter what. But here she is now, on the floor crying like a newborn foal desperately looking for her mother.

Sprout winced as he continued to watch Izzy cry, "Izzy?" he asked. Despite hating her to bits, Sprout somehow deep down didn't want to see her cry. He didn't know why he felt that way, but it was a feeling inside of him he can't ignore.

Izzy looked up at Sprout, eyes now bloodshot, "I-I'm so s-sorry, Sprout. I never w-wanted any of t-this this to happen to y-you, never in a million moons!" Izzy said through her tears, "W-When I saw you on that hospital bed, I-I felt like I failed you, Sprout. I f-felt like I failed my duties as your supervisor. You're here because of me, and I-I was too stupid to prevent that." She turns away from Sprout, "Ever since that day, I wanted to make it up to you, Sprout. I-I spent half of the bits S-Sunny gave to me as a welcome gift to get you food and-"

"Waitwaitwaitwait...you got me food?"

Izzy silently nodded.

Sprout sat there in silence, barely saying a word. This mare took time out of her day, spent her own money, just for him? No one has ever done that for him, except her. It was only minutes before he could muster a single word, "Why?"

Izzy sniffed, "B-Because you don't deserve this, Sprout."

Sprout was taken aback. He never saw Izzy this honest, this open, or emotional before. He always saw her as this overly zealous maniac, optimistic to a fault, to the point of ignoring social cues just to get what she wanted. That was how he saw her until now.

"I know what it's like to feel alone, Sprout." Izzy closed her eyes, "Nopony wanting to talk to you, nopony acknowledging you, nopony being there for you through everything, good and bad, no matter what. If ponies did want to be near you, it'd probably be for bullying. It was almost as if you didn't matter, almost as if you..."

"Never existed?" Sprout said.

Izzy silently nodded once more. "I don't want you to feel the same way I did all those years ago back in Bridlewood."

Something had changed in Sprout after seeing Izzy this dejected, so lacking of the manic energy she'd usually have. Sure she was still annoying at times, but he realized now that she never did it out of malice. She just wanted to help him. Her actions can be questionable at times, but he could tell that her heart was in the right place.

Izzy stood up. "I-I think I should go. I-I'm not welcome here." She then slowly walked towards the door.

A wave of guilt washed over Sprout. Not only did he take Izzy's kindness for granted, but he also broke her to the point of breaking down into tears. Sure, she might need some lessons in social boundaries, but she wasn't a bad pony, she was never a bad pony to begin with.

As he saw Izzy somberly walk out the hospital door, Sprout knew that he had to make things right.

"Wait!"

Izzy stopped trotting before she could fully exit the room. She turns around to see Sprout, who looked at her with remorse. 

Sprout sighs. "You...you don't have to leave, Izzy."

Izzy was surprised, moments before Sprout was yelling at her to leave, but now, he's quietly wanting her to stay. "I don't ?"

Sprout simply nodded. "I maybe kinda need you right now?" he said awkwardly, "You are my supervisor after all."

Izzy said nothing, only giving Sprout a small sad smile.

After that, things went silent for a while, as the two ponies just stood there looking at each other, not knowing what to say to each other after both of them had an entire emotional outburst.

"So...you said you brought food?" Sprout asked, trying to liven the mood.

Izzy's face gave a small smile. "Y-Yeah. It's just some Pizza, I hope you don't mind. The restaurant I got it from is really good."

This caught Sprout's attention. "Wait a minute! You brought Pizza?"

Izzy rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, do you like them?"

"Like them? I love them! They're one of my favorite foods!" 

Izzy's face instantly lit up. "Really?! Mine too! Pizza is strangely the only food I liked back home, Maretime Bay and Zephyr Heights had way better food than Bridlewood in my opinion. Hold on! Let me get it for you!" Izzy then used her horn to grab the pizza box from outside the room.

Sprout watched as the pizza box float in the air towards the room, its scintillating smell gracing his nose. Izzy gracefully opens the box to reveal the pizza inside. 

Sprout gasped as he saw the pizza, and more specifically, the toppings on it. It was mushrooms and artichoke, his favorite type of pizza. He practically drooled at the sight of it.

Eventually, after much staring, a question popped into Sprout's head that broke the entire mood of the moment. How was he gonna eat it?

"Um, Izzy?"

Izzy continued to smile, eyes closed and grin wide. "Yes, Sprout?"

"Don't mean to be rude here but...how am I supposed to eat this."

Izzy's eyes shot open. "Uh...I never actually thought of that when I bought the pizza." She awkwardly laughs.

Sprout groans, slightly slumping into his bed. The only thing that can keep him sane, even for a little moment, was lractically impossible to reach by his own strength. It was so close yet so far.

Izzy's eyes softened as she saw Sprout sulk in bed. She never likes seeing anypony she knows or cares about sad. She has literally been around sad ponies for almost her entire life and she never enjoyed their over-exaggerated misery one bit.

And even though Sprout became a cruel, merciless dictator that had singlehandedly destroyed her best friend's home, Izzy had a firm belief that everypony deserves a second chance, even if they don't deserve it, and Sprout was no exception. 

Suddenly, an idea popped into Izzy's head, an idea so obvious that she wished she would time travel a few minutes before so she could slap her past self in the face for her ignorance. 

Although she had no clue if Sprout would even approve of the idea, she was willing to give it a try. After everything that happened to him, she wanted him to be happy. "Uh, Sprout. Um, I see you're having trouble getting the pizza, right?"

"Isn't it obvious."

Izzy sighed. "Well, I was wondering...I h-have an idea, and I'm not sure if you'd approve..."

"Anything could work. I just want my pizza."

Izzy gulped. "W-Well...d-do you mind if I...feed you?"

Sprout simply stared at Izzy, dead silent with his face having the most dumbfounded expression Izzy saw. "What?"

Small drops of sweat started to fall from Izzy's head. "Well, since you're in bed, and can't possibly get the pizza on your own. Why don't I feed you?" She awkwardly chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

Sprout still looked at Izzy with utter confusion plastered onto his face.

"If you think this is some unicorn trick to embarrass you in front of everypony, it's not. I really want to help, Sprout. And right now, this is probably the only way. Please don't be mad." She finished with an awkward smile.

It only takes two minutes for Sprout to respond, and he responded with a hefty sigh. "Ok, fine. If this is the only way, then so be it. Just, don't try to feed me like a foal. It's embarrassing."

Izzy sighs in relief. "Ok, Sprouty Wouty! I'll do my best!"

"Please don't call me that." He quietly mumbles under his breath.

Izzy levitated one of the pizza slices in the box, and moves it toward Sprout's head. At first he was a bit hesitant, he hasn't done anything remotely like this since he was a foal, but if this was the only way to eat pizza at the moment, then he's not gonna take this chance for granted.

Sprout takes a small bite of the triangular tip, and when the pizza entered his mouth, he moans in contentment. "Just like before."

Izzy smiles as she watches Sprout, little by little, enjoy his meal, as she gently moves the slice so Sprout can eat better. Soon enough, Sprout was done with the first slice. "Do you want another one, Sprout?" She asks, lifting another one in the air.

Sprout gave Izzy a smile, the first one she saw him do in ages. "You know the answer, Izzy."

Izzy quickly obliged as she was about to give the second slice, until someone barged into the room.

"Hey, Sprout. Just came here to check up on you. Izzy told me you're out of your coma no-"

Both Sprout and Izzy turned their heads to see Hitch Trailblazer standing at the doorway of the hospital room, simply looking in shock at what he was witnessing.

"Hitch, i-it's not what it looks like!" Sprout hastily shouted. Izzy quickly nodded in response, accidentally dropping the slice onto Sprout's bed.

Hitch could only stare. It took minutes before he could say another word. "I think I'll pick a better day to visit." He slowly, and awkwardly walked out of the room. "Have fun you two with...whatever you're doing, but don't have too much fun."

Sprout angrily sighs. "Hitch! We're not dating!"