A little over four months had passed since the jet-man brought Koto back to safety. They weren't exactly...pleasant.
"Is Koto alright?" Rarity asked, concerned. Koto's sobbing could be heard from outside the boutique, and it was rather worrisome.
"I don't know. She certainly doesn't sound alright," Twilight replied, ears folded back.
"I'll see if she needs something. She could use company," Rekka said, trotting his way upstairs.
"This isn't good," Yuuki murmured, trying not to panic.
"Do you know what's wrong with Koto?" Applejack asked, looking at the purple earth pony.
"Not exactly. She's been getting sick lately," Yuuki answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "I can only guess."
"Well, shoot. Ah hope she gets ta feelin' better soon," Applejack stated, her head hanging low.
----
"Koto?" Rekka called as he entered the hall. The blue mare was nowhere in sight, but her sobbing did not die down. If anything, it only grew louder.
Rekka reluctantly walked to the bathroom. He leaned his head on the door with an ear perked. She was....coughing? No... she was gagging.
Rekka pounded on the door. It was locked. "Koto!" He cried frantically. He pounded once more. It would not budge.
"What do you want?!" Koto cried from within. For now, her gagging ceased.
"Let me in! I want to talk to you!" Rekka replied, growing increasingly worried.
"Go away!" Koto cried. She sounded afraid.
"Let me in!" Rekka repeated, banging his hoof on the door once more.
"I said no!" Koto yelled. More gagging could be heard.
"I'm sorry, Rarity, but this must be done..." Rekka murmured to himself. He turned around and kicked the door. It cracked. He kicked again. It bulged inward. One more kick... it flew off the hinges.
"Stay away! Stay away from me!" Koto shrieked desperately.
Rekka turned around and walked inside the bathroom. What little fragments that remained broke under his hooves as though they were mere twigs. He looked at Koto, who was huddled against a wall. Her light-blue coat was now coated in vomit, blood, and a few splinters from the door, though mostly on her muzzle, stomach, and chest. Her mane was an absolute mess, hanging heavy with filth. Just above her hooves were patches of bare, bloodied skin. Her eyes were dilated in horror. Tears kept streaming down her face.
"What the hell happened, Koto?! Did someone harm you?!" Rekka cried, realizing the severity of the situation at hoof.
"Just leave me alone!" Koto cried, her boomerang once more in her grasp.
"What...... what has gotten into you?" Rekka whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. He approached the mare cautiously. Whatever had happened, he need not be reckless. She had her boomerang in hoof and she was not afraid to use it, despite her appearance saying otherwise.
"Just go away...." Koto murmured. Her body was shaking violently.
Rekka sat in front of her. He raised a hoof and stroked her muzzle gently, getting some of the grime on her pelt in the process. "Just tell me what went wrong. I'll try to fix it," He whispered softly.
"You can't fix it...." Koto whispered, shaking her head. "Y-You would not understand...."
"Of course I would. I might be shocked, but I'd still try to do right. Now, tell me what's wrong," Rekka repeated, a false smile on his face.
"No.... you wouldn't...." Koto murmured, still shaking her head.
"Would you tell me what's wrong.... if I said I truly loved you more than the world?" Rekka asked, frowning in worry.
"Do....do you mean it?" Koto replied, ears perked and eyes wide in shock.
"More than anything," Rekka answered, still stroking her face. He wiped a tear or two away.
"I....I.....I.....Nurse....Nurse Redheart.....told me..." Koto stuttered, shaking violently.
"She told you what?" Rekka asked, ready for whatever she was going to say.
"I......I'll.....I won't be able to fight for the next four months....." Koto answered, gulping hard.
"Why not?" Rekka asked again, raising an eyebrow.
Koto was silent for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity before she spoke again. "I'm gonna be a parent."
"Now I understand.... Now I understand why you hid from everyone. You're afraid, aren't you?" Rekka said, hiding his shock quite well as he continued to stroke the mare's face gently.
Koto nodded. "I'm afraid they wouldn't care enough about me......to help me through this. Now I understand....why everyone else.....waited," She whispered, her voice hinting another mental breakdown.
Rekka wrapped his forelegs around Koto, stroking her mangy mane as she wept on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. It might not look that way now, but it's gonna work out somehow."
----
"WHAT?!" Everyone else shouted in unison.
"Yeah. It's been a real bummer for her. So if any hostile hybrids show up, expect me and Koto to stay put. Someone has to be there for her, and I can't stand it seeing her have a breakdown like that. It's.... also why I broke the door," Rekka explained, sitting on his haunches and rubbing the back of his head with a hoof.
"How will she get through this with the Quartet running around doing whatever it is they do?!" Rarity asked, holding her hooves before her in shock.
"I don't know. But like I said, I have to be there for her. It's a responsibility I did not plan on taking this early, but it's something I have to do," Rekka answered, shrugging. "Besides, wouldn't the other stallions in this room do the same? And what of Spike? I'm sure he'd help somehow too!"
"He has a point," 01 said, nodding slowly.
"Good call," Tenmei chimed, crossing his forelegs.
"I rest my case," Nagare said as if he knew of this before it even started. A cocky grin was on his face.
"Smartypants," Yuuki sneered with a giggle.
"Excuse me, Miss Purple?" Nagare snarled, turning to the purple pony with a glare full of murderous intent.
"Alright, alright! Calm the damn fightin'! It won't get us anywhere except to our downfall!" Applejack said, now standing between the two. "Besides, Rekka here made a solid point. He's gonna be a daddy. Why are we standing here with a red flag for the Quartet to see?! We're just giving ourselves away if this arguin' keeps up!"
"Applejack made another solid point. If anything, we need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. And I do mean ANYTHING." Misaki said, moving her robotic leg to make sure it worked properly.
"Including hybrids trying to foal-nap and such?" Tenmei asked, raising a brow. Misaki merely nodded as she put her foreleg down.
"Then Ah will stay here with the Crusaders, Miki, and the parents-to-be. At any rate, less shenanigans will happen," Big Mac said with a nod.
"But I wanna help!" Sweetie Belle cried, a frown on her face.
"Me too!" called Scootaloo, her eyes wide.
"Why do we have to stay here and be bored?!" Applebloom whined, stomping her hoof like a whiny brat.
"You don't know what yer up against, little sis. Besides, them things are dangerous. You saw that fridge-thing freeze a whole tree by himself. What if he did that to you and there was no bringin' ya back?" Big Mac stated with a nod.
"B-But...!" Applebloom started, ears folded back.
"No 'buts'. Your big brother has a point. He knows what he's doing, and he wants to ensure you live long enough to at least earn the cutie mark you've been craving," Rekka said, getting up and walking to the fillies. "You really want to earn that mark, don't ya? Then don't get into a reckless situation you are ill-prepared for. Trust me, I've been through enough to know about these things. Same goes for Sweetie and Scoots here. Isn't that right, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac answered. "Sounds 'bout right," And with that statement, the Crusaders all whined together.