Moonlight streamed through the stained glass windows of the royal hall. A late autumn chill had settled in the long hall, causing Cheese's breath to come out as vapor. But that did not bother him. The cold coming from the glass was welcome. It helped him think. Thinking was what he needed to do now. He curled up tighter, trying to decide whether to cry or scream.
A soft sound of hoof beats drew his attention. At first, he thought Pinkie had come to get him. That was the last thing he wanted. But these steps were unfamiliar. He did not care to look, hoping they would pass by.
A gentle voice spoke in his ears. "Cheese Sandwich? What are you doing up so late?"
Cheese looked up to see none other than Princess Luna. "Princess? I uh . . ." For some reason, he could not find the words.
"Enjoying my night?" She lay down next to him, smiling sweetly.
"Yes." Cheese looked down at the marble, embarrassed to be found cowering in the corner.
Luna looked up at the stained glass, admiring the picture. "They are quite beautiful, are they not?"
"Yeah! Really nice." Cheese chuckled weakly, jerking his head to the glass depicting the second defeat of Discord by the Elements. "But it's kinda weird to see my marefriend depicted in the architecture."
Luna's soft laugh was like hundreds of bells ringing together. "True enough." She watched him look back down at the marble once. "What troubles you?"
"Nothing . . ."
Luna lifted his chin, causing the young stallion to blush furiously. "That is not the truth. Is it your parent's trial?"
"Not the trial per say." Cheese would rather be anyplace else. He looked away from the alicorn. "The punishment, it feels harsh."
"Harsh?" Luna's eyes grew wide with surprise. If anything, she expected the stallion to chide her for going easy on them.
"I know it's stupid, and they deserve what they get. But I can't stand it! I never asked for this!" He pulled away her, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I shouldn’t care for them, but I do." A loud thud echoed down the hallway as he slammed a hoof to the floor. "What's wrong with me?"
Luna gave him a quick hug, "Nothing is wrong with you, Cheese. Your concern for them only shows your kindness."
"But they hate me! They wanted to kill me the day I was born!" The remembrance of his mother's words made him sick to his stomach. From the conversation with Prius, he thought mother might have loved him for a short time. But he had never been so wrong and it hurt worse than any kick to the gut. He curled up tighter, trying to fight away the memory. "I never should have been born."
The stallion's words wrenched Luna's heart. She had known, known since the time she met him in the dreamscape that he would be broken. Still, it was painful to see. "Do not say such things. You have an important place in this world."
Cheese rolled his eyes sarcastically, "Yeah right."
"You are every bit as important to Equestria as Pinkie and her friends."
"Huh?" The thought of him being on par with an Element of Harmony was comical. "How could I be?"
Luna gave another laugh, sending an echo down the long hall. "You are living proof that one does not have to let their past define them." Her eyes stared into his. "It would have been easy to grow bitter and cruel like your parents. Instead you turned your focus to all the good left in the world. That is not an easy feat to do."
It took a while to realize that Luna was not just talking about him. He chuckled a little, fidgeting with his bandages. "Pinkie said the same sort of thing."
"Pinkie knows you well." She stood gracefully. "Perhaps it is her you should be talking to."
"Yeah." Cheese cringed a little, embarrassment sweeping over him. The princess was right, and he knew it.
Luna began to walk away, pausing by a nearby pillar. "I believe it is your turn."
Soft hoof beats preceded a sheepish looking Pinkie Pie. Her hooves shuffled against the marble. "How'd you know?"
"Years of practice." Luna winked at her before walking down the hallway. Before she had gone too far, she called out, "Do not dwell on the past, Cheese! You have friends that need you in the present."
"Right." Cheese watched her leave, then turned to Pinkie. It was easy to tell that she was furious. "So, I guess you heard everything?"
"Yup." Pinkie huffed indigently, cuffing Cheese's head with a hoof. "Why are you so stupid?" A few tears trickled down her face and she fell to the floor beside him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Cheese."
Cheese? It was the first time she had called him that. It sounded so strange. "Cheese? What's that about?"
"What? I can't call you by your name?" Pinkie nudged him with her muzzle, snuggling close. "Since you picked this freezing place to talk, it's only fair."
"Hey." He chuckled, placing a hoof on her back. The sweet smell of her coat was intoxicating. "Comfortable?"
"Yup. Now I'm going to make you tell me what's wrong. And don't leave anything out." Pinkie glowered up at him for emphasis.
Cheese raised an eyebrow, "Or what?"
"Or I'll . . ." Pinkie paused, trying to think of something suitably horrible. "I'll start calling you Rory."
"Seriously?" Cheese stuck out his tongue. "Yuck, pass."
"Then talk mister."
"Okay, okay. You win." Cheese laughed a little before he started. Luna was right, it was much easier speaking with Pinkie. Every little thing about her set him at ease. It was clear that his feelings would not be resolved in a single night. But, he would always have somepony to listen to him.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"You sure you don't need us to come?" Twilight glanced nervously at Pinkie and Cheese. "We don't mind."
Cheese waved a hoof dismissively, "Naw. That's okay. You've got to get back to Ponyville."
"Yup. We'll be just fine." Pinkie pressed a little closer to Cheese. "Starlight's trial shouldn't take too long, and we'll be back in a jiffy."
"That's good." Twilight looked around the sunlit chamber, double checking that they had everything. Without Spike's help, it was more than likely she had. "Did we triple check, girls?"
"Urgh!" Rainbow slapped a hoof to her forehead. "For the millionth time, yes!"
"Oh yes, I made extra certain." Fluttershy patted her saddlebags for emphasis.
Cheese rolled his eyes, winking at Pinkie. "This might take a while."
"Cheesie." Pinkie giggled into a hoof. It was true.
There was a loud clanging of armor, and the door was unceremoniously flung open. In strode two guards and Princess Celestia. The alicorn turned her attention to Cheese. "There's been an incident. I need you to come with me at once."
"Uh . . ." Cheese tried not to let his knees knock together from the shock. "Okay."
The others started to follow, but Celestia stopped them. "Just Cheese for now, girls. You'll be informed shortly."
"Uh, okay." Pinkie looked close to panic, but backed away.
Seeing the concerned expression of Cheese's face, Celestia sighed. "Very well. Pinkie, you may come as well."
"Okay." Pinkie hopped over to Cheese, grateful for the Princess' lenience. From Cheese's conversation last night, she did not want to leave him to face whatever it was alone.
Their little walk was more like a death march. Cheese was quite keen to keep up despite the pain. Celestia looked almost frustrated about something. She turned her head to Cheese. "Your father owns a Pharmaceutical company, does he not?"
"Several. He was always going on about how profitable they were." What's pharmaceuticals got to do with anything?
Celestia turned back around, still speaking to Cheese. "I assume they test a lot of dangerous substances that do not make the marketplace?"
"Yeah. They're constantly stopping research on products." Cheese grimaced at the memory. "Always drove Father to fits when they did."
"Where do they keep the drugs that are stopped?" They were nearing another hallway, and Celestia's pace slowed a little.
"Well, they keep them in the company vaults just in case they need them again." Cheese could not fathom why Celestia was so interested in something like that.
Celestia paused at the entrance to a narrow hallway. She looked Cheese square in the eyes. "Would your mother have access to those vaults?"
"Well, she's not supposed to. But it's not like anypony would tell Mother no. They'd be too scared of Father coming after them." The confusion began to ebb, replaced instead by panic. "Why do you want to know?"
Celestia sighed, placing a hoof on his shoulders. "I fear that we've underestimated Starlight." She led the way down the narrow hallway. Shining Armor was standing guard by the door. Celestia nodded to him. "Any change?"
"None, Princess." He eyed Cheese nervously. "Have you told him?"
"I thought it best for him to see. Is that the vial?" Celestia glanced at a small box beside the door.
Cheese watched as Shining Armor opened it. Inside was a small medicine vial and syringe. The company label was familiar. "This is one of father's companies."
"As I suspected." Celestia turned to Cheese. "When the guards found her, she had injected this into her system. Do you know what it is?"
"I can take a look." Cheese carefully picked up the vial and read the complete label. "It's a discontinued drug. That's strange." He squinted, reading the bit again to double check. "No way. . ." His stomach lurched, and he nearly dropped the vial.
"It's what, Cheesie?" Pinkie glanced at Cheese, then back at the bottle. "Does it turn you orange or something?"
"No. It says it causes," He gulped, trying to level out his voice, "permanent psychosis." Cheese's emerald eyes were awash with panic. "How much did she take?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. I'd say it had to be a lot though." Shining Armor glanced to his guards who nodded in agreement.
Cheese voice faltered, "Why?"
"That is a question we may never know the answer to." Celestia looked at the door, then back at Cheese. "I fear trying her in this state is out of the question. We will transport her to Manehatten none the less, but she will need an attorney-in-fact. Somepony to take responsibility for her care."
"Wait a minute!" Pinkie stepped forward, puffing her chest out. "There's no way that he would–"
"Pinkie!" Cheese stamped a hoof, pinning his ears at her. "Don't jump to conclusions." He turned to Celestia. "May I see her first?"
Celestia gritted her teeth. "It is not pleasant. But, I would not stop you." She opened the door a crack, allowing Cheese inside.
The small room was completely strewn with bits of bedding, splintered furniture, and remnants of curtains. There, rocking herself in a corner was Starlight. She looked up at him, amber eyes flashing with an unsettling mania. Cheese carefully stepped towards her. "Hello, Mother. I see you've cut your mane."
Starlight's mane, once like spun silk was not matted and cut at jagged angles. Judging from the broken lamp beside her, that was what she used to do it. She cringed as he got closer, baring her teeth like some rabid dog.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Cheese reached out a hoof for her. "See? It's me, Rory." He ground his teeth together. "You don't like me much."
Starlight gave a strange barking laugh that set Cheese staggering backwards. "Rory? That's a stupid name!"
"Well, you came up with it, not me." The mare's jerky movements made his skin crawl. Again and again, she brought her head to the floor and back up again. "Why did you do this to yourself? You would've had a fair trial."
The head bobbing continued as though she had not heard him. Cheese found his confidence failing him as he watched. It scared him more than he wanted to admit. Slowly he backed out of the room and into the hallway again.
For a while, he simply stared at the floor, too shocked to speak. He looked up at Pinkie, then at Celestia. "Sorry, but I had to see." He bit his lip, knowing that he might live to regret his next decision. "I'll take responsibility for her. Nopony else will."
"Cheesie! Why? WHY?" Pinkie looked ready to slap him.
Chees's eyes met Pinkie's, "Because she's my mother. Because it's the right thing to do."
Pinkie's head sunk down in defeat. There was no arguing with him. "Okay."
"Do I need to fill out paperwork or something?" He had no idea what proceedings there were for this sort of thing.
"Yes, come with me." Celestia noted Pinkie's troubled expression. "Why don't you explain the situation to your friends, Pinkie? Cheese will be along shortly."
Pinkie could only nod as she watched them leave. It felt so wrong. Their conversation from last night kept replaying in her mind. Though she would rather see Cheese never speak to her again, she knew. Knew that, despite her qualms, it really was what he needed right now. So why did it hurt so much?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"They did it, Milo!" Quill trotted into the hospital room, a newspaper obscuring her face. She took her usual seat beside the comatose unicorn, laying out the paper on his blankets. The lines of Quill's face were stretched taunt in a broad grin. "That crazy kid really did it."
Quill patted Milo's forelock affectionately. "You'd better wake up soon so you can congratulate the kid. In the meantime," She flattened out the paper, "I'm going to read you today's headline story."
"'STORM SCRIBE CHILD ABUSER: THE SHOCKING TRUTH
Investigations into business tycoon Storm Scribe's disappearance have turned up a startling revelation. Our reporters have uncovered the horrifying truth. Storm Scribe was not taking a 'leave of absence,' but was in fact undergoing a Royal trial for child abuse! In a press conference yesterday afternoon, Princess Celestia announced that Storm Scribe was indeed tried and convicted on all accounts.' "
Quill paused, looking back at Milo. "Would you believe it, Milo? We couldn't have hoped for better if we had planned it ourselves." She cleared her throat, and adjusted her glasses. "Now where was I? Oh yes . . .
'The pony to testify against him was none other than his wife, renowned model Starlight Scribe. The Princess also revealed that Starlight had actively participated in the abuse alongside Storm. When asked, what the abuse entailed, the Princess gave a short list, but would not go into detail. Physical trauma, attempted murder, poisoning, neglect, starvation, and psychological damage were amongst them. Needless to say, our reporters were stunned.' "
The hospital room grew silent for a moment. Quill sighed, staring out the window at the brilliant morning beyond. "Why were they shocked, Milo? Anypony could have seen that Scribe was up to no good all they had to do was listen to you. Why did it take this long before somepony noticed?"
She swiped her forelock back and continued to read, "'The punishment given by the full Royal Council was lifetime imprisonment in the Canterlot dungeons and removal of Storm Scribe's horn. The Princes assured our reporters that this horrific punishment is reserved only for the most severe crimes.'"
Once again, Quill paused. The thought of that scum getting his horn removed was music to her ears. "Serves him right. Eh, Milo? I hope they found a particularly dark hole to shove him into. Anyway, where was I?
'As for Starlight, it was announced that she had a trial date in Manehattan. However, there was an unexpected development. During the night after the trial, she managed to inject a psychosis inducing drug into her system. As far as any of the doctors can confirm, the effects are permanent. Princess Celestia announced that she would be placed into an undisclosed psychiatric institution.'"
A small twitch of Milo's hoof drew Quill's attention. Though he had been doing it for days, the doctors were unsure if it meant anything. Quill kept up the hope that it did. She tried for a laugh, which sounded a little pained. "Funny isn't it, Milo? Who would have thought that she'd sink so low as to make herself crazy. It's poetic at the very least."
The article went on into revealing some of Storm Scribe's crimes that were now making the spotlight. Quotes upon quotes, stories, evidence, the whole nine yards. It was all old news to her. "The rest is what we already know, Milo. I don't want to depress you."
Quill began to fill out the crosswords as she did every morning. The routine had so engrossed her that she did not notice the stallion's eyes flicker open. An alarm from the breathing apparatus jerked her back to reality. Panicked, she turned to Milo only to see him pulling out the tube. "MILO!"
An expression of purest annoyance was plastered on the middle aged unicorn's face. "How am I supposed to gauge public opinion when you won't read it to me, Quill?"
Quill looked highly taken aback. "Huh? Oh, you mean the article?"
"Yes the article confound it!" Milo went into a coughing fit, wincing at the sudden sharp pain of it all.
Quill rushed to him, stroking his sides with a hoof. "Don't talk, idiot! Your lungs are really damaged. That tube's in there for a reason."
"Yeah, yeah." Milo looked over his friend with concern. The mare looked as though she had aged ten years since he had last seen her. "How long, Quill?"
"Not even a month." Quill's eyes were watering over now. Hastily, she wiped her face on a sleeve. "You heard me?"
"Hard not to with you rambling in my ear at all hours of the day." Milo glowered at her. "Seriously? Why do I want to know about your stupid cat?"
Quill giggled like a school yard filly. "I guess that was a little stupid. I wanted to make sure you didn't get lonely." Her hoof patted his forelock affectionately. "How'd I do?"
He looked away, face growing red. "Good, I guess."
"That's great. I'll just get the nurse." When she made to stand, his hoof reached out to stop her.
The memory of the fire began to crash over him like a flood. All he could remember was waking up to a room full of flames and smoke. Then, the timbers fell on him. If it had not been for that goofy kid, he would have died of that he was certain. His voice was quavering, "How's the kid? He's not hurt too bad is he? I couldn't live with myself if he was."
Quill sighed, "Milo, it's not your fault. Cheese wanted to help you and was willing to take the risk."
"Just tell me I didn't send him home to his mare wrapped in bandages." He noted Quill's avoiding stare. "Oh, Celestia I did." After another coughing fit, he spoke weakly, "How bad, Quill?"
"All four of his legs had serious burns. His front hooves were awful. They did their best, but he was in a lot of pain when he left." The expression of guilt washing over Milo was sickening. It was the stallion's greatest fault, and one not easily fixed. "Milo Coltfax! Don't you go wallowing in self-pity. You've got enough on your plate about without worrying about the kid." She stomped towards the door. "I'm getting the doctors! Don't die on me, you got it?"
Geeze, touchy today isn't she?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Spice glanced down at the newspaper, and spat out a mouthfull of coffee. "I don't believe it!"
A nervous looking pegasus standing by the maniquins took to the air. "Yikes! What, Miss Spice?" The mare did a sweep of the cluttered office as though expecting a thug to jump out from behind the walls of fabric.
Spice felt her peach face grow crimson. "Sorry, sorry, Lilly. This article surprised me a little." Her hoof jabbed the paper as she gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Didn't mean to scream. How's it going on your end?"
"This fabric's really hard to bunch up like the design says." Lilly scrunched up her muzzle, trying to figure out how best to pin the thing.
"Do your best, Lilly. That's all I can ask." Spice glanced outside at the busy streets of Fillydelphia, wondering. Sighing, she turned back to the paper. Her expression darkened with each sentence. You really can pick them, can't you Starlight? I knew you were scum, but this. This is just sick. Torturing your own foal? Who does that?
A pit formed in her stomach as she read the summary of her crimes. Undoubtedly this was going on when Milo had been unfaithful. Had he known then what kind of mother she was? What kind of mother sleeps around with married stallions when their child was being abused? It was sick. And, after everything comes out in the open she ran away just like always. Then again, insanity was always Starlight's specialty.
She made to toss the paper into the bin when a single name caught her attention. Drawing the paper to her muzzle, she read in stunned disbelief. "'During the trial, Storm Scribe admitted to attempted murder of his own son and ace prosecuting attorney Milo Coltfax. Both stallions were severely burned in the incident. Colfax is undergoing treatment at Manehattan General. He has been in a medically induced coma since the fire. No word has been released on his condition.'"
Spice stood so suddenly that she knocked her chair over. Her heart pounded uncontrollably fast in her chest. Milo was in trouble. Knowing the stubborn old goat, he probably had nopony to look out for him. Suddenly, it did not matter what the stallion had done. She had to go to him, and there was nothing that would stop her. "I'm leaving, Lilly. You're in charge."
"Leaving?" Lilly dropped the fabric on the floor, hooves shaking. "Leaving where, Miss Spice?"
Spice was already at the door. "Manehattan. Milo needs me!"
Lilly watched as Spice took off at a gallop. She snorted, returning to work. "Geeze louise. It's about time she came to her senses."
...................................................................................................................
Pinkie leaned against the outside of the brick building, humming a merry tune. It was an unusually warm day for late autumn, and would have been perfect if the setting had been better. Manehattan was far from the open fields of Ponyville. Today was the Running of the Leaves, and for the first time since living in Ponyville, she would miss it. It did not make her sad, but it did leave some kind of hole in her heart. Maybe she would ask Cheese to show her the local park so she could knock some leaves down Applejack style.
Just on cue, the stallion emerged from the small glass door marking the entrance of the institution. He beamed at her. "All done."
"Already? But it's only been like an hour." Pinkie's eyes darted back towards the massive brick building surrounded by an ageing stone and barbwire fence. "She's all set?"
"Yup. Not much to do with her now." Cheese started limping down the sidewalk, Pinkie following suit. "I'm just glad I won't have to see her for a long time."
"That's good." She gave one last glance at the scary looking structure before setting her attention onto Cheese again. Though she hoped Starlight would have a less than pleasant experience, she knew Cheese would not. "They're going to treat her okay there, aren't they?"
Cheese's emerald eyes flickered with surprise. It did not take a mind reader to tell that Pinkie despised his mother. Still, the fact that she would worry for his sake made him feel warm all over. "Yeah. They showed me around a bit. She'll be in good hooves."
She took a sudden interest in a nearby store front. "Oh, that's good."
"Pinkie." Cheese rolled his eyes, "You don't have to pretend. I know you don't like her."
"I know, I know. It's just . . ." She tried to think of the right words. "It's good for you is all I meant. You won't worry that way."
He pressed his muzzle to hers, sending a vivid blush up her cheeks. "Thanks." Even with Pinkie's support, he still felt terrible. "I know you think I'm crazy for still caring about her."
"Don't say that!" Pinkie stared at him in horror, as though he had just said a litany of choice swear words.
"Say what?" Cheese shrugged, still walking forward. "It's the truth after all."
"No it's not! You are the last pony in Equestria who's crazy, Cheesie." Despite her small frame, her voice carried across the sparsely populated street. "I'm sick and tired of ponies calling you and me crazy! I'm sick of it."
There was a defined look of dread in Cheese's eyes. Pinkie was blowing the whole thing out of proportion. "What's the big deal?"
"The big deal? Don't you see?" A sad, almost pleading look came over her face. "You don't understand. Crazy. Crazy. I hate that word, and you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because, ponies throw it around like candy without understanding a thing about it. Crazy isn't you and me." The next words came out in a crescendo. "It's trying to kill an innocent foal after he's born. It's leaving a scared colt to fend for himself in the park. It's calling their son stupid when he's so hungry he can barely stand! It's throwing your child in a dark box for days on end when you're mad! It's trying to burn two ponies to death so you don't have to face punishment! It's injecting yourself with psycho medicine so you don't have to admit you were wrong!"
Pinkie's hooves struck the ground so hard that sparks shot into the air. "Real crazy is your parents, Cheesie, not you! So don't you dare call yourself crazy again!"
Cheese stood in stunned silence, mouth hung open. Around them ponies shuffled past, muttering under their breaths. For a long while, he stood frozen in place. Then, he gave a slow nod. "Okay. I won't . . . I won't say that ever again. Sorry."
"Don't apologize, Cheesie." Pinkie gave him a long hug. "You've got nothing to be ashamed over. And no, for the hundredth time, you're not messed up for wanting to care for her." She nudged him gently in the sides, starting to walk down the road again. "I admire that about you, Cheesie, I just couldn't do it myself."
Cheese beamed back at her. In a matter of seconds she had staunched the fear that had been nagging him since the trial. A new, uncomfortable thought crossed his mind. "Do you think I'll ever forgive her?"
"Maybe. I dunno. My family's not the forgiving type." Seeing the stormy expression on his face, she tried for a more optimistic explanation. "Dad always says that forgiveness is the hardest thing a pony can do 'cause you can never forget the past no matter how hard you try." Her eyes darted back to the institution. "He'd say true forgiveness is loving them even when they don't deserve it and knowing full well they might turn around and hurt you again."
Cheese nodded agreement. "Grandma said that you can never really heal until you forgive."
"I guess. But you shouldn't rush it, Cheesie." Pinkie placed a comforting hoof on his back. "It'll come with time."
"You're right." Cheese sighed, "Guess I've got nothing more to worry about then." He turned on a side street, Pinkie following suit.
They continued down several more alleys and streets until Pinkie's head began to spin. "Hey, Cheesie?"
"Yes, dear?"
"This isn't the way to the hospital, is it?" Making Cheese walk more than necessary was the last thing she wanted.
"It's the long way." He chuckled at the stern expression on her face. "Don't worry. This detour is waaaay worth it."
"Okay." Curiosity got the better of her, and soon she was bouncing up and down in anticipation. Apparently Cheese knew where he was going. There was nothing she loved better than his surprises. They generally involved something so random and fun that she never would have thought of on her own.
"Here we are." Cheese stopped underneath a massive wrought iron gateway.
Pinkie looked up at the letters and beamed like a filly in a candy shop. "Central Park? This is that super big park you were telling me about, right?"
"You got it. Come on, I'll show you around." Cheese led the way inside, humming a cheery tune. Though it held a lot of unpleasant memories, he still felt excited. It was still a beautiful place, and one he knew Pinkie would enjoy. "I thought we'd come here for lunch since we're missing the Running of the Leaves and all."
Pinkie stared at him in amazement. "But I didn't tell you about the Running of the Leaves. How'd you know, Cheesie?"
Cheese stopped, staring at her as though she lost her marbles. "Pinkie, I'm one of the best party planners in Equestria and Ponyville's my home now in case you've forgotten. I've had all the local festivals and dates memorized for ages now."
"Wow! That's great, Cheesie." Pinkie watched him walk over to a stand and buy some food, though the brown sac gave little hint as to what it was. "What's that?"
Cheese spoke around the bag, "Guess."
"Uh, apple fritters? Popcorn? Cotton candy? Ooooh oooh, maybe some kinda cupcake." For a while, they walked down the sidewalk. She followed him into a nice grassy patch surrounded by trees. Laying down beside him, it was clear to see he was not going to tell. "Oh come on, Cheesie. What is it?"
"It's kind of a Manehattan fall tradition." Cheese opened the bag and drew out a large circular container and two long objects wrapped in paper. He gave an inviting wave of his hoof. "Open it."
With an enthusiastic flourish, she lifted the lid and stared in curiosity at the contents. "What is it?"
"You mean you don't know?" Cheese gave a mock disappointed expression. "And here I thought you knew just about everything there was to know about treats."
"This is a dessert?" The thought of the strange, creamy orange stuff being a treat never crossed her mind. "Cheese, it looks like the mush we feed to the twins."
Cheese started laughing, rolling on the grass and clutching his sides. After gasping for air, he flipped over and grinned back at Pinkie. "It's pumpkin spread."
Now she was curious. "Pumpkin spread? What do you spread it on?"
"All kinds of stuff. Crackers, bread, waffles, cupcakes, pretty much anything you want really." Cheese unwrapped the longer objects, revealing an assortment of just such objects. "I'd recommend the pumpkin bread." He clutched his sides with a dreamy expression. "It's so pumpkiny."
"Oooh! This sounds yummy." For the next half an hour or more, they took turns spreading the pumpkin paste on all the assorted culinary bases. It was a lot of fun, but extremely messy. By the time they were done, their mouths were covered in the stuff.
Cheese laughed loudly when he saw Pinkie's entire cheek coated in the spread. "It's kinda messy." He leaned in and licked her cheek. "That's better."
"Cheesie!" Pinkie giggled a bit, doing the same to him. His soft laugh sent a happy shiver up her spine. It had been weeks since she heard Cheese laugh like that. The sudden sensation of his weight pressing her to the ground surprised her. "Cheese, you're heavy."
"There you go again." Cheese gave a low nicker, pressing his muzzle to hers. "Why'd you call me that?"
"Cause . . ." She flushed crimson, looking into his eyes with hers. The words came out in a rush. "Cause that's your name silly. Can't I at least call you that when we're . . ."
Cheese gave a sly grin, "Getting closer?"
Her voice was almost as quiet as Fluttershy's, "Yeah."
"Then I get to do it too," He nicked softer than he ever had before, nuzzling her cheek. "Pinkamena."
"Awwwe. No fair." Pinkie was about to nuzzle him back, when she remembered where they were. Ooops. She pushed him unceremoniously off of her. "Not here, Cheese."
"Oh, right." His face now matched her shade of red. It was getting harder and harder to control himself around her. "Sorry, sorry. I got a bit carried away."
"It's fine, dear. Just don't want ponies to get the wrong idea." Pinkie stood, brushing the leaves off her coat. She gave a nervous chuckle, "Welp, we'd better get going if we want to see Milo before the train leaves."
"Right." He looked to the direction of the hospital, just barely visible between the nearest skyscrapers. The building looked as dreary as ever. Hopefully their visit would be a little less so.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Quill was tapping her hooves to her own nervous tempo again. Once more she found herself wondering how anypony got away being as cantankerous as Milo. The stallion was glaring at a cup full of pills as though they were about to bite him. Quill snorted in frustration. "Just take the medicine, Milo."
"Shut up." Milo swallowed the pills quickly, glowering at her, "There, happy?"
"Quite." She beamed at Milo, patting his forelock like a little colt. "Good boy."
Milo looked mutinous, but sighed, rolling on his side. His whole body ached despite the incredible amount of medicine they had him on. To compound the searing agony of the burns, he had a constant cough. Unfortunately, the doctors said he would have to live with it the rest of his life. "It's ironic."
"What?" The mare resumed her seat beside him, paging through another paper.
"Everpony used to tell me not to mess with Scribe. That one day I'd be burned. Well," He gestured to his bandages, "they were right."
Quill snorted, flipping the page with her magic. "I could have told you that."
"You did." The midday sun sent tantalizing rays of warmth into the hospital room. Milo wished he could stretch his legs, but that was impossible for the moment. There was nothing he hated quite as much as having nothing to do. His focus turned on the stack of envelopes under Quill's chair. "Angry letters?"
"What?" Quill chuckled when she saw what he was looking at. "Not hardly. Take a look." The basket levitated to Milo's bed.
Milo tore open one and then another. His eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Clients? CLIENTS? How in Equestria did we manage that, Quill?"
"After that article this morning, ponies finally caught on to the fact that you were right all along. You're turning into quite the hero, Milo." Quill sighed theatrically. "A pity, really. You'll just be your usual self and they'll hit the door running."
"Shut up. I can be nice. I AM nice. I just don't go flouncing around like the kid." Milo's heart sank a little when he thought of Cheese. Despite Quill's determined assurances that it was not his fault, he could not help but feel responsible. And then there was Starlight. A shiver ran down his spine at the very thought of her. Why could he never escape her? And to think that she would rather go insane than accept her punishment.
"Milo, MILO!"
Milo jerked away from his daydream. "Sorry, Quill. I was," He had a long coughing fit that made his sides ache. "lost in thought."
"Aren't you always?" Quill snorted, turning back to her paper. "Well, don't let me stop you."
A few minutes past with Milo sorting through the requests and Quill reading away. Though neither of them would admit it, the routine was oddly comforting. They never needed words to communicate. It had been that way as long as either of them could remember, and would likely remain that way for years to come.
They were so engrossed that they did not notice the nurse walk through the door. "Hello, sorry to bother you, but Milo has some visitors. Is this a good time?"
Quill gave her a questioning glance through her glasses. "We weren’t expecting anypony. Milo?"
Milo could not fathom who would want to see him. An improbable thought crossed his mind. "Is there a mare? Goes by the name of Spice."
"No."
His heart sunk like a ton of bricks. Of course it was a long shot. She swore to never speak with him again. Still, he would have traded all the gold in Equestria to see her again. His gravelly voice was irritated, "Well, who is it?"
The plump mare pulled out a clipboard, squinting to read the names. "A Mr. Sandwich and Miss Pie. The stallion says he's a friend of yours."
"The kid!" Milo looked as though Heartswarming Eve had come early. His exuberance sent him into another coughing fit.
Quill shook her head disapprovingly at Milo. She turned back to the nurse. "He wants to see them."
"All right. I'll send them in." With a nod to Milo, the nurse backed out of the room.
In a few minutes, the door swung open and two ponies strode in. The pink mare literally bounced over to Quill. "Heya! I'm so super duper excited to meet you."
"I uh . . ." Quill tried not to be intimidated by the mare's face nearly pressing into hers.
Cheese rolled his eyes, sighing in exasperation. "Pinkie, personal space."
"Ooopsies. Sorry." Pinkie backed off a few inches and took a good long look at the mare. "Wow, you're really pretty."
Quill felt her face grow red. It had been years since anypony complemented her looks. "Thanks." Her eyes were drawn to the large, ugly scar on the mare's side. Thankfully, she was distracted by Cheese's limp. "What happened, Cheese? Your legs shouldn't be hurting that much, should they?"
"They shouldn't. But he didn't clean them well enough and they got infected." Pinkie giggled at Cheese, patting him on the back. "But he's loads better now. Right, Cheesie?"
"Right." Milo's coughing drew Cheese's attention to the bed. "Hey, Milo. They said you just woke up this morning. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been dropped down an elevator shaft." Milo took in the young stallion's appearance. The sight of all four of Cheese's hooves being bandaged made him nauseous. "That's got to hurt. Glad my burns weren't on the legs."
"Yeah. It's pretty awful. I can't work, I can't run, and I can't play the accordion. But," He grinned at Pinkie. "I'm doing all right." His voice lowered an octave, eyes fixing on Milo's bandages. "How bad is it?"
"Well, I'm not going to be running any races. Lungs are shot." Milo's rasping cough echoed around the room. "But the burns are going to heal up." For the first time since they came in, he took a good long look at Pinkie. She really was a pretty little mare and it was amusing to see the resemblance. "And who's this little beauty you've brought along?"
Pinkie flushed crimson, pressing a little closer to Cheese. Cheese chuckled, "Oh yeah. I forgot to introduce you. Milo, Quill, this is Pinkie Pie my marefriend."
Quill smiled brightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Pinkie."
Milo gave a curt nod. Then, he turned back to Cheese. "I need to know what happened, and don't skimp on the details kid."
"Right." He gave a nervous chuckle, and lay down on the floor. "Guess I'll get started then."
For the next hour, he told the pair all that had transpired since the fire. Pinkie had to take over on the retelling of the trial, but they managed to give them an honest account. When they finished, Milo and Quill's expressions had turned dark. Quill gave Cheese a horrified look. "You mean you volunteered to take responsibility for Starlight?"
"Yeah." Cheese pawed nervously at the linoleum. He looked into Milo's eyes. "Milo, why'd she do it?"
Milo gritted his teeth, looking out the window. "Your mother's always been that way, Cheese. Ever since we were kids in school together. She'll do anything to stay on top, and she never takes responsibility for her actions." After another coughing fit, he continued, "When she's backed into a corner and made to face what she did, she falls to pieces." The thought of what happened made him sick. "In her messed up mind, that was the only way to escape. There's no way she'd kill herself, she's too arrogant for that. So she chose an easy out. Simple as that really."
Cheese nodded in agreement. It was the truth, however much it hurt to admit. There really was nothing for it. "So, what are you two going to do now?"
"Me?" Milo gave a wicked grin. "What I do best. There's no prosecuting attorney in Manehattan that can match my skills." He gestured to the basket of letters. "I've got ponies begging me to take their cases."
Quill snorted, rolling her eyes. "I guess I'm stuck with him. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll find himself in next."
"Right." Cheese made to speak again, but noticed the clock on the wall. "Yikes! Is that the right time?"
Quill nodded, "Yes, I set it myself."
Pinkie sighed, "Sorry, but we've kinda got a train to catch."
"We understand." Quill smiled sweetly at Pinkie. "I hope we can chat some more soon. I'd love to hear more about you and your friends."
Pinkie giggled, giving Quill a big hug. "You too. You've probably got a million cool stories to tell."
Quill felt her face grow warm. "Well now, maybe not a million."
Cheese walked over to Milo. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now."
"Yeah." Milo ruffled Cheese's forelock affectionately. "Grow it out, it looks terrible."
"I'm trying." Cheese made to leave, but Milo held out a hoof. "Yeah?"
The older stallion pulled Cheese to him, hissing in his ear. "Be true to her, Cheese. I mean it. Because, once you've slipped up, there's no going back to the way things were."
"Right. I'll remember that." Cheese stared at Milo for a few seconds more, then strode out of the room beside Pinkie.
Quill watched them until they left. "Well now, that was a surprise. Eh, Milo?"
"What surprise?" He shrugged casually. "I knew he'd come."
A loud snort from Quill indicated her frustration. "Admit it, Milo. You were shocked." Quill sat back down on her chair, levitating the paper once more. "You'd better be ready."
"For what?"
Her eyes darted across the paper as she spoke, "The wedding. He'll expect us to show up you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Quit your griping. I'll go." Milo rolled over on his side. For once in his life, he was glad to be bothered. Whatever came now, at least he had ponies who cared. This was a new beginning for him, and he was not going to blow it. Not this time.