//------------------------------// // It's the Little Things // Story: Trust Once Lost // by Greenhorne //------------------------------// I lay in the hospital bed, my broken leg propped up on a pillow. The ponies around me bustled about, tending to their tasks, but I couldn't help feeling alone. I hadn't told anyone the truth, and I knew what they all thought about me; Why I always got those looks of sympathy that I didn’t truly deserve. As I stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, the door to my room opened and a small bat pony walked in. I had never seen him before, and I wondered if he was another patient, or a child they had sent here for some sort of playdate. I really hoped that wasn’t the case. "Hello little colt," Amethyst greeted, "Are you here to see Green?" The bat pony looked taken aback. "I'm not a colt," he said, a hint of insecurity in his voice. Amethyst looked confused. The bat pony, looked offended. "I am an adult bat pony," he said sternly. "And I am here on behalf of Princess Luna to speak with the filly." Amethyst's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, blushing. "I didn't mean to make assumptions." I couldn't help but chuckle to myself at the irony of the situation. "Of course," I said, "As someone who has never been mistaken for a child, I can only imagine what it must be like." The bat pony sighed and tried to compose himself. "It's fine," he said. "I'm Corporal Mango, one of Princess Luna's guards. May I speak with the filly?" “O-of course sir.” Amethyst replied. Mango gave me a small smile, clearly trying to move past the awkward introduction. "Nice to meet you too," he said. "Now, let's get down to business. Princess Luna has asked me to speak with the filly about her situation." "Are you a doctor now too, corporal?" I asked. Mango looked at me with a mix of confusion and amusement. "Not exactly the situation I meant, filly." he said. I felt a twinge of guilt for being so snarky. It wasn't Mango's fault that I was in this situation. "I'm Green," I said, offering him a small smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mango." "What's a pretty filly like you doing with the name of a dead pony?" Mango mused. He was bad at this. I knew that he was supposed to be comforting me, but he clearly wasn't used to speaking to children. The stern look Amethyst was giving him clued him in to what he had done wrong. "What's wrong with my name?" I asked, genuinely confused. "Nothing," Mango replied quickly, "it's just... coat color names is how we refer ponies we can't identify, and that usually means that they're, err, not alive." Oh. I was a Jane Doe. I guess that made sense. "I can't remember my real name." I said softly. "I just wake up every morning and ponies call me Green. So that's what I'm going to keep calling myself." Seemed like as good an excuse as any. "That's a shame," Mango said. "Why are you here?" I asked. "I was originally here to bring you back to the palace," Mango explained, "but it seems the Princess has had a change of heart." "A change of heart?" I repeated, confused. "She believes that you will be more comfortable here than you would be in Canterlot." Mango replied. "But if you require anything from her please don't hesitate to ask." I felt like there was some context I was missing here. "That's very kind of her." I said. "Thank you." Mango nodded once then turned to leave. "If you need anything at all ." He added. "Her majesty is just a letter away.” And with that he left. I looked over at Amethyst. “That was weird right?” I asked, “It’s not just me?” “Yeah,” He agreed, “I’ve never seen a guard on duty without their armor.” Not exactly what I meant. I was laying in my hospital bed, staring at the ceiling as the social worker, Dayglow, talked about the possibility of foster care. I wasn’t really listening to what she was saying. I didn't want to leave the hospital. It was the only place I felt safe. But then Dayglow mentioned the name that made my heart race. Applejack. The last time I saw her, I was so nervous that I threw up on her hooves. I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts out of my mind. I couldn't take advantage of their sympathy like this. I was a grown adult, not a child. But as I thought about it more, the idea of staying with Applejack on a temporary basis started to seem less scary. At least she would be honest with me. At least with her, I knew where I stood. I sighed and looked over at Dayglow. "Okay," I said quietly. "I'll stay with Applejack for now, if she’ll have me." I just hoped I wouldn't make a complete mess of things this time; for her carpet’s sake if nothing else.