//------------------------------// // Day 7: Fallen Angel // Story: The Problem With Magic // by deathtap //------------------------------// My eyes creaked open, they felt heavy for some reason. Where was I? Vaguely I recalled returning to the Clubhouse the previous night. This was my home now. Looking out the window I saw the stars above the leaves of the trees, it was still dark. How long had I been asleep? A watch would have been nice or something, it was like living in limbo. Pushing myself up from the sofa took a lot of effort, my legs felt horribly shaky as if they were made of jelly. As I stood up, the room suddenly decided to spin around. This disorientation felt familiar, It was the same as that night when I drank Granny's special hootch. Had I drank some yesterday without realizing it? When? What was wrong with me? Everything felt and looked so surreal. Suddenly I saw a flamingo. I kid you not. It did a tap-dance in front of me, and then tried to kick my face! Where had that creature come from? What was it doing in my house? Then the flamingo's face changed and I saw Pinkie's face there, "Hello, hello, hello, I say hello to you!" She sang, before turning around and flying away. The fuck? Then something grabbed my leg, and I saw that my hind-leg had turned itself into an arm! My arm, I think, and tripped me up causing me to fall on my face. Upon impact against the wooden floor the walls of my house suddenly started singing in chorus. Something about how night and darkness being all evil. Didn't really catch it considering that my face was in agony. Groaning, I placed each front-leg by either side of my head and pushed myself up from off the ground. Then a small Rarity, the size of a mouse, ran right up to me. "What did you do to Pinkie!" She screamed in a very, very, very deep voice. Then she turned around and kicked my hoof out from under me. Once again I fell and the force made me bounce of my jaw. My limbs ached, especially my joints, and my bones felt sore as if they were burning. As if on cue, the muscles in my legs spread open and I could see past my nerves, my muscles, and right to the bone where three little Twilights were dancing around a fire, each one had a different color glow around them. They all stopped and looked at me, and pointed. "Human!" Screamed one. "Human!" Screamed the second. "Human!" Roared the third. Then all three of their heads inflated and combined into one super-head, "Human!" The combined heads of Twilight shouted at the same time. Backing away from them, I slipped on something and again my head hit the floor. It was soaking wet. My eyes followed the moist trail to my sofa, where a dark stain loomed in front of my face. Did I urinate on myself? No, I don't think so. Had I fallen asleep wet? Was I soaking wet? My mind rewound itself, and I recalled lumbering in and literally fell asleep. It had been a tiring day, with the tryouts and... the hospital. But, what the hell was going on? "Forest?" A voice said behind me. The voice had come from the direction of the front door, but I saw nobody there, "Tutela? Is that you?" "N-no! It's me, Applejack. Are you okay?" Applejack? Was it morning already? "Applejack! Come on it! We're having a party?" She pushed the door open, "A party?" "Yeah!" Applejack's face suddenly turned into two apples. They looked terribly delicious, and I walked over to her, "You look tasty!" "A-are you alright? Yer actin' mighty funny," The two apples said to me, speaking in one voice. "I'm fine!" I was. I never felt better! "Forest, are you really okay? Big Mac said he heard you fall down." "I fell? Oh yeah! Mini-Rarity kicked my legs! She's a bully! A little bully. Where did she go?" Where did she go? She was there a second ago. "Forest, please, yer actin' scary now." "Booga-booga-boo!" I replied, and laughed, "I'm not scary, tasty apple face! I'm Forest!" "We were harvestin' apples and Big Mac thought he could ask you to help, when he heard you had fallen and hollered to me..." The two apples slowly faded away, and I saw Applejack standing there looking all serious. She was always serious. She needed to loosen up a bit, "Oh, hi Applejack, when did you get here?" "Are you sure yer okay? You don't look too good." "I'm all fine. All hunky-dory! Just a little sore from the running..." "Well, alright, if you say so," She turned to go. Again the world spun around, and I tried to steady myself by holding onto the floor, but I missed and again landed on my face. "Forest! Are you okay?" Applejack ran over to me, I felt her hooves on my back, "Goodness! You're burnin' up!" "That's 'cause I'm Forest Fire! Careful, you might get burnt!" I took her hoof and put it on my nose, "Tssssssss! Smokin'!" "Forest, this isn't a joke. You're really burnin' up! Big Mac, get in here!" Applejack shouted. I heard Big Mac's lumbering steps coming up the ramp. When he entered, he walked over to where I was lying down and picked me up and, with the help of Applejack, sat me on his back. They carried me out of the clubhouse, but at that point the world faded to black. I think I just passed out. Pain! A lot of it! Bolting upright, I smashed my head against something. The impact was completely unexpected, and I fell back into... water? Cold water. It was like I was in a tub of ice! My eyes opened staring straight up at a white ceiling. I glanced around confused as to where I was. If it hadn't been for Applejack's face looking down at me, I would have panicked. "Owie!" A voice yelped. "Where-where am I? Cold! I'm so c-cold." "Relax, Forest. Glad to see you're back to normal. Applebloom, you okay?" Applejack asked, she was holding me down inside a bathtub. With ice in it. So, yes, I was in a tub of ice. Is that ironic? I couldn't move my legs, and noticed Big Mac pinning the lower half of my body down without too much trouble. And I had thought the girls were strong. Applebloom was rubbing her forehead, "Yeah. Just a little bump is all." "S-s-sorry, A-A-Applebloom. D-d-didn't mean to headbutt you," I looked at Applejack, "T-t-that s-s-serious?" Her silence was my answer. Piecing together the obvious, I replayed what must have happened when I blanked out in my mind. They two older siblings must have brought me to their house, dumped me into their bathtub, filled it with ice and let the water run. The cool water was to bring down my temperature, but even I know you only do that in extreme cases. How high was my fever? I vaguely remember waking up earlier, and seeing weird things. What those things were, I had no idea. "What were you doin' out in the rain last night? And why didn't you dry yourself before you fell asleep?" Applejack shook her head, "We've got enough problems to worry about, Forest..." "S-s-sorry, I-I-I j-j-just..." There was nothing I could say. She was right.The least I could do was cooperate now. "I-I can stay here. I'll b-b-be g-g-good." Big Mac instantly let my legs go and true to my word and I did my best to stay under the freezing waters. He stood up and looked at me, "I'll get soup ready," And was gone before I could say thanks. "Y-y-you can let me go too, Applejack." Applejack didn't. She just held my chest down in the water. "Your hooves are going to freeze..." I tried to push her hooves off of me, but it was like trying to push a boulder, she pinned me down easily. "Forest. What were you doin' out in the rain?" She interrupted me. "H-h-how did you know?" I asked. "The sofa was soaked, and I know you weren't still wet from the race." How did she know that? "I c-c-came to see you all at the hospital," That was the truth. "How come we never saw you?" "D-d-didn't wanna be s-s-seen... got scared. Hid." "Scared? What'd you get scared of?" "You. T-T-Twilight..." She understood what I saw implying, "So you heard... us talkin'?" I nodded and shuddered at the same time, from both the cold and the disapproving look that Applejack gave me. "You overheard us? You spied on us?" I nodded again. I was not going to lie to her. "Didn't you think that was wrong?" I nodded. It was so cold! "A-a-a-as soon as I unders-s-stood who were talking a-a-about, I tried to go, but..." She looked into my eyes, searching to see if I spoke the truth. "Th-Thank you for believing in me. You and Pinkie Pie." We both kept looking at each other for a long moment, and Applejack sighed, "Although I don't like what you did, I appreciate you comin' clean." "P-p-p-please believe me when I say that once I knew that you were talking about me, I didn't want to be there." "You could have just shown yourself." Shaking my head, I laughed sarcastically, "You think that really would have been better?" "Guess not, considerin' it was a pretty heated topic about you." "Applejack, why?" "What d'ya mean 'why'?" "I mean, why help me so much? Going as far as protecting me against your best friend... I haven't done anything to deserve it. Why have you been so good to me?" She looked away and shrugged, "I guess I like helpin' you out." "But this much? First a job, then you give me a place to sleep by rebuilding the old Clubhouse, cooked me breakfast... everything! Even going as far as f-f-freezing me in a tub to bring down a fever. W-w-why?" "Because of that harvester you made, Forest," Applejack looked at me, "You've done a lot for me too." "Really?" It was so obvious she was hiding something, "You're a bad liar, Applejack." I grinned at her through the pain. I think my bones were starting to turn into ice. "You have!" She protested. "Okay, apart from the harvester I made, what have I really done?" My body had stopped hurting, and I think I was used to the water, because I had stopped stuttering, and my teeth stopped chattering, "Please, I want to know." "Forest, you're imaginin things, and you're not thinkin' straight... you don't know what you're sayin'!" My vision was getting blurry again and another wave of that dizziness from before started coming along. I closed my eyes to stop myself from falling out of the tub and willed myself to drift off to sleep. Then it occurred to me; sleeping in an ice-cold bathtub? Yeah, that's not a good sign. "Forest? Are you awake?" Applejack's voice sounded as if she was far, far away. Why was she far away? I didn't want her to go! I reached for her but I couldn't move a muscle. It felt like my body and my mind were detached, I couldn't feel anything. The only thing that was active was my brain. It felt numb. I felt something come closer to my ears. It was warm, comforting and made me feel safe. What was it? Then a voice, so kind and gentle, whispered something to me, "Forest? The reason why... I did those things is... well... because... it's because... I..." Forcing my eyes, I say up quickly. I was in a bed now, warm and cozy. A bowl of soup lay on my bedside with a spoon in it. My mouth tasted funny, and I realized that I had been eating. Wait, I wasn't here a moment ago? Where as I? Why couldn't I remember? I felt that something very important had happened, and that something was amiss. I looked at my hooves confused. Applebloom was sitting on a chair reading a book at the end of my bed, the same bed I ended up in when I passed out from Granny's challenge a few days ago. She saw me wake up, "Glad to see you're up, Sleepy-head." "What happened? Where am I?" "What d'ya mean 'what happened'? You don't remember being frozen alive? And yer in the guestroom, silly." "I... can't remember. What do you mean 'frozen alive'?" Honestly, I was shocked. "You really don't remember what happened to you this mornin'?" Applebloom looked at me funny, "Wow, you must have really been sick." "This morning... I fell on the floor, Big Mac carried me here. That's it." "That's it? That's it! Did all that ice freeze your brain too?" Applebloom shook her head, "Well, you had a high fever, so we dunked you in a bathtub of ice to bring your temperature down, which according to Doctor Stable, was pointless. Applejack was a little worried about you. A little too worried if you ask me," She muttered the last part to herself quietly, I could only barely make it out. "Oh yeah! I vaguely remember that," I groaned, how could I forget that? But only bits and pieces. I remembered Big Mac holding me down, and Applejack as well. Applebloom was in there too, did I hit her? The bathtub and ice I recalled, but apart from that... nothing, "How long have I been sleeping for?" "Just a few hours. You missed breakfast and lunch, apart from that nothing eventful has been happening today. According to Doctor Stables says you ought to be up and about tomorrow you just need to take that medicine there," Applebloom gestured with her head to the bedside table where there were two yellow or gold-looking pills. Reaching over I put the pills in my mouth and swallowed them with the help of a glass of water, "Where is Applejack?" "She's gone over to hospital to see the Dash's," Applebloom put the book away and walked over to me, and put a hoof on my head, "Yep, temperature's come down." "Applebloom, when I was in the bathtub, I think your sister was saying something to me. I can't remember what it was. You were there, right? Do you know what she said? I think it was something really important." "I... I have no idea," Applebloom stuttered, backing off a bit and rolling her eyes, "I didn't hear nothin'." "Applebloom, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but you and your sister are very bad liars," Oh wow, I got an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, like I had said those exact words really recently. "Please, Forest. I didn't hear nothin'. It's not my place to say." From her expression, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable with this inquiry, but what could have Applejack said? It sounded really important. And I really, really wanted to know! It was bugging the shit out of me. "Forest, I'm angry at you," Applebloom cut my train of thought. "What? Why?" "First you said that you'd help me get my Cutie Mark, you didn't. Then you promised you'd come with me to Sweetie Belle's opera, you didn't. You forgot about me both times!" She was right! I did forget. Summoning up my most apologetic face - I've been doing a lot of apologizing lately, I inhaled a deeply and said, "Sorry?" "Come on, Forest. I know you like my sister, but you can spare some time to hang out with me too!" "I know, I know. But with everything that's been going on, I'm surprised that I've remembered anything since I've been here. Yesterday I completely... why are you grinning like that?" "Oh nothin'." "That's a pretty massive grin for something that's nothin'," I looked at her suspiciously. She giggled at me. Did I make a funny face? "We all saw you race. Did you hear us cheerin' you on? It was more excitin' than the Runnin' of the Leaves we have every year!" "Running of the Leaves? That another race?" Applebloom nodded, "Applejack and Rainbow used to run it every year!" "Then what?" "Rainbow became a Wonderbolt, and on top of her weather-fixin' duties an' bein' a famous celebrity, she always so busy." "Well, she is very popular. Anyway, the only Pony I heard clearly was Pinkie on the speaker system." "Oh yeah! She totally got in trouble for that. The Mayor was so angry. Total Pinkie moment," Applebloom laughed and shook her head. "So, Forest. What do you like better? Cakes or pies?" Applebloom threw that question out from nowhere. "I dunno... I guess it depends on my mood." "No, no. Which one would you prefer to eat if you had to eat one and only one. Forever." "Forever is a long time." "Just choose!" Humoring her, I actually thought about it, "If I had to choose, I guess I'd go with pie. Why?" "Oh, nothin'," Again that mischievous grin, "What about apple pie?" "I love apple pie! Gladly take apple pie, please." Applebloom roared in laughter, "So cute!" "What's so cute?" I asked confused, "Are you making fun of me?" "Oh, nothin'. You really ain't that smart, are ya, Sleepy Head?" "I never claimed I was smart. So, 'Sleepyhead', huh? That your name for me?" "Yep." We shared a quick laugh before we heard a noise coming from the hall and Big Mac entered the room, "You okay?" He asked. "Yes, I am. Thank you for... everything. Did you carry me?" "Eeyup." "She also says that you helped drown me in a tub full of ice. Thanks for that." "Anytime." My eyes popped open at that comment, but Big Mac turned his attention to Applebloom, "Your sister's not comin' home tonight. She wants you to drop off her toothbrush at the hospital later." "'Kay!" "The doctors have agreed to let one Pony to stay there with Rainbow and Brian," Big Mac explained. "He's staying at the hospital?" I asked, confused. Didn't the doctor from yesterday say that he would be up and about in no time? "I don't know much. You'd best talk to Applejack," With that, he lumbered off. Not wanting to sit in bed anymore, I managed to stand up - much to Applebloom's horror. After a lot of fussing, I made my way down the stairs and out onto the porch where Granny was napping on her rocking chair. She was snoring quietly. A few minutes later Applebloom caught up with me with her book in her hooves. She opened it to the page she had earmarked and proceeded to read. Again, I took in the magnificent view of Sweet Apple Acres. This place was just simply amazing. If I ever make it back home - to Earth - I'd so get a farm. An apple farm, too. Thinking of that, my thoughts suddenly returned to last night's events. Pinkie's words returned to me, and despite trying to rationalize it, I felt the blood in my cheeks filling up. But why was Applejack so adamant in defending me? That was something that was really bothering me. The thought of asking her crossed my mind, but it did not seem all that original. As if I already ask her? Did I? "Ah! Forest! Yer awake! Wanna take on the champ again?" Granny suddenly blurted, making me jump slightly as I snapped back to the present. "I don't mind..." Applebloom gave me a look, "On second thought, maybe not. I just took some medicine." "And you're sick!" Applebloom emphasized, "You need to let yourself have time to recover before you start chuggin' down Granny's hootch. Your medicine needs time to help." "Mah hootch is medicine," Granny replied. That made me laugh, "It most certainly is." Applebloom gave the both of us a disapproving and we laughed a little harder at her expense. Being a good sport, she joined in on our giggling fit. As our laughter started to subside, I saw a purple bipedal creature coming down the path towards the house, he was walking with his hands behind his back with a serious expression on his face. When he finally got close enough to the porch, we all said hello to him. "Hiya, guys," Spike looked at each of us, "Forest, I heard you weren't feeling well." "News gets around fast," I muttered. "Applejack was visiting the hospital earlier and she told us." "Yes I was, but I'm feeling a lot better thanks to nurse Applebloom!" Through the corner of my eye I saw her checking out her flank, my guess she was expecting a nursing Cutie Mark. When nothing happened, she let out a quiet sigh, and returned her attention to the conversation. "Can I talk to you for a moment. Privately?" "Sure," Forcing myself to stand, and earning a very disapproving look from Applebloom, I walked down the porch and onto the large front lawn. We walked for a bit so that we gained some distance and not be overheard. Satisfied, I sat down heavily on the grass, "What's on your mind?" "I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, about how I've not told Rarity about how I feel," He sat down next to me. I had to look up at him slightly, "But also what you said about me being a Dragon, and she being a Pony. To be honest, I've been thinking about it for a long time. And... and..." "And?" "I was wondering... could you... help me?" "I tried, remember? You froze on me..." "No, no. Well, yes, but not that," He took a deep breath, "I need to tell you something serious, something that I've told a very few Ponies... or humans about." Alarm-bells rang in my head. "Well, 'human', is more accurate." Relief washed over me like a wave. At least Spike didn't suspect me. "Forest, I don't really know what it is like to be a Dragon," He paused. I realized he was waiting for me to react, "You are a Dragon. Right? You're a Dragon, right?" "Yes, but I don't know what it's like being one." "You're not making sense. You being a Dragon makes it impossible for you not to know what's it like being a Dragon." "But I've been with Ponies almost all my life. I've grown up with them. Mostly with Twilight. I've never really grown up or hung out with my own kind, and I have rarely ever interacted with them. Most Dragons don't really like Ponies, and avoid them when they can." "Really? Ponies and Dragons don't get along?" "Not really. They usually just stay away from each other." "I see," In reality, I didn't see. In a land of magical talking Ponies, could Dragons get along as well? But I let Spike continue anyway. "Remember when you asked me if I told Rarity how I felt? Remember I said that one time I almost did?" Nodding, I urged him to continue. "Well, it was on my birthday many years ago..." He began to explain to me how Dragons got bigger when they got greedier, and that some Dragons can accelerate their growth by hoarding things - or something to that effect. How he had become big and started destroying Ponyville, only to be reminded of the act of giving by Rarity, the Element of Generosity, which reversed the magic in his body. Afterwards he transformed back to his baby form. Still, even without greed, a Dragon has to grow, and as Spike was getting bigger and bigger, until eventually another question started bothering him, "What if I get too big?" "Ponyville will need a bigger library." Spike just gave me the 'I'm-trying-to-be-serious-here' look. "Okay, okay. Let's ask the obvious question then; what do Dragons eat?" "Gems. Usually." "Usually?" "I eat most other things, but lately... lately I've started having a strange craving for..." He turned green in the face, "Meat." "Well, those teeth are meant for something," I replied. Was I in danger? I hoped not. "Forest, I don't want to eat animals. I don't want to hurt anypony. But these urges... they come and go, and I can usually stop them, but..." "Do Dragons eat Ponies?" Spike looked at me for a long moment. Then he looked away, "Yes." "I see where you're coming from now." "Y-you're not afraid?" "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but I trust you don't see me as a tasty burger." "Burger?" "Never mind," Oops. "Anyway, that's the thing! I know that I would never harm nopony, but when I went on that rampage I wasn't myself. My mind was hazy and I couldn't remember certain things, important things. All I could think of was more. More, more, more, more, more! I wanted to take, and I took." "I think I know what you mean." "Doesn't it frighten you when you get like that?" "Well, I am a Pony, Spike," No I'm not. "I don't have to be afraid of hurting nopony badly. You're a Dragon. You've got pointy bits everywhere, and you're big. Those teeth are pointy, that tail is point, your things on the back are pointy and your claws are pointy. Get my point?" Yeesh, that was a terrible pun, "But I'm not afraid of you because you don't have a mean streak. If you did, this conversation would have ended ages ago." "I never used to have claws like these. As I've gotten bigger, they've gotten longer and sharper." "How big do Dragons get?" "Pretty big." "How big is 'pretty'?" "Twice the size of the barn..." Spike pointed to the barn with his thumb without looking at it. "That is pretty big." "Some are even bigger." "So, you're afraid that you'll lose control of your ability to reason," Gazing off into the distance, I understood a little of his predicament. Lashing out without thinking of the consequences, hurting the ones closest to you. It reminded me of what I had done over a week ago to Raj. The fight, me lashing out the way I did, the look he gave me. It took me a moment to understand that it was not pity in those eyes, it was betrayal. If I ever go back to Earth, I vowed to make it up to him somehow. "Exactly. I'm scared that I'm going to hurt somepony, Forest. Somepony I care for. What if I hurt Rarity, or Twilight? Or even you. There's nopony in town that can stop me, well maybe except Twilight, but I know she'll never hurt me." Suddenly I didn't like where this conversation was going. "Forest, can I ask you for a favor..." "No," I said and shook my head, "No way. I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is no." "Come on, Forest. You're the only Pony I know who I can talk to about this." "Not me. Another Pony perhaps more suited for the task. Not me. I'm not going to be the 'fallback' guy." "Please, Forest," Spike clasped his hands together. He was begging! "Isn't there another Pony that will be better? Why me?" "Because... because I know you're the only Pony willing to do this for me," Spike handed me a closed container, "Rarity gave this to me to remind me of my generous soul. This... this will remind me of my time here in Ponyville." Taking the box, I opened it. It was a snow-globe like thing, except instead of snow it had tiny bits of gold shaped like leaves in autumn. I picked it up out of the box and shook it, and as I did a song started playing. It was a nice gentle tune, "A music box?" "Rarity gave it to me when I turned thirteen. It's my most prized possession." "Then why give it to me?" "If I should... go berserk again, I might need something to wake me up. This music box has strong sentimental value to me. It should be enough." "You expecting to go berserk?" "No! But... just in case." "Oh good. I thought you were asking me kill you or something..." I said laughing out loud. As I did, I noticed the look on Spike's face. I kept laughing, hoping that he would join me. He didn't. God fucking damn it! "That is what you want, isn't it?" Spike did not give away any emotion, "This. Just in case." What he placed on the ground in front of me made me shudder. A dagger with the most ornate handle I had ever seen. The blade itself was split in the middle, with some sort of clear piece of glass on it, inside which had a dark blue liquid. Not daring to touch it, I stared at it on the grass. "No! No way!" "Forest... please. I'm begging you." Sighing, I looked at the beautiful knife, "What is it?" "It's a dagger." No shit! "I meant what makes it so special." "The blade is made from the same stuff that the Royal Guards armor's made from. It can cut through a Dragon's scale-armor. The liquid inside is blood from a Windigo." "A what?" "A Windigo. It's a winter spirit that feeds off of hatred and malice. The more hate there is, the colder it gets." "How do you know that?" "I help out in a Library. How could I not know all this stuff?" Spike shrugged, "Plus Twilight had acted in a play years ago that had Windigoes in it and she asked me to do some research about them while she rehearsed her lines. Apparently these 'spirits' have bodies that bleed, guess that explains the reason they need to feed." "Seriously, Spike, you can't expect me to do this. We're not even that close of friends... I mean, I think of you as a friend, but this is a job for someone who really is close to you and can make a decision like that." "Forest, that sounds stupid. I'm asking you because you're not such a close friend." At this point, I wished that I had fingers to massage the bridge of my nose because that was perhaps the dumbest thing I've heard. Doesn't he understand that to make a decision like that you need to know one another better than anybody else? Whatever, he was a typical teenager. They were usually all angsty and fatalistic. I've not known Spike for a long time, but I was already confident that he was not going to hurt anything. "Where do they sell that stuff?" I asked, pointing to the blood in the dagger. "Well, I managed to find somepony in Canterlot who sold some Windigo blood and the blade. It's usually used to cover something in ice. It's pretty expensive. I had to save up a while to get it." "How much?" "A hundred bits." "A hundred? That's... a lot of bits!" "You don't say..." Spike rolled his eyes, sarcastically. "Shouldn't you be bringing this up with Twilight?" "Twilight is the last Pony on Equestria that would... that I would..." "She's the last Pony you'd want to place this burden on." "Exactly. Twilight mothers me too much. I know she's not my real mother... well, I love her like my real mother. We've been together for so long and I know her too well now. She would never hurt me, even if I destroy Equestria. One day I know that I will have to go," He looked at me. "You planning on leaving?" I asked, bewildered. "It's not that I want to, but I have to start thinking about it before... before something bad happens. I need to be ready," Spike sighed heavily, tears forming in his eyes. Stop it! Don't cry! I hate it when... He started crying. Aw, damn it! Standing up, I walked over to him and patted him on his back. Spike gripped me in a tight embrace bawling his eyes out, "It'll be alright, big guy. Just relax. There's no rush. Just... and even if you do get big and massive, what's to stop you from visiting?" After a few minutes of this awkwardness, he subsided and let me go, "Feel better?" "Yeah. Thanks, Forest. You're a good a good guy. I'm glad you're my friend." Ouch. My heart skipped a beat when he said that. No-one's ever said that to me before. Ever. Shit, now I feel like crying... "So, how was it when you left your mother?" "What? Why do you wanna know that?" "I just wanna know." "Well, I never had a chance to leave my mother. My mother left me when I was really small," The words came out of my mouth before I could think. Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Did I just get fooled by a teenaged Dragon? I did, didn't I. "I knew you were faking your amnesia!" Spike said, pointing at me, "I knew it." "N-no! Of course not. You just... you just don't forget something like that. You can't forget something like that," And that was true. Holy shit was it true. All my life I've always tried to deny or hide it, but deep down, you never really forget. Something in my voice or on my face must have sated Spike because he sat down next to me quietly, "Sorry, Forest, for bringing up such memories." "Well, one thing I can say for sure, Spike, is that in all my life, I've never told anyone that. You're the first." "How would you know? You have amnesia," He replied with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure that it's true," I replied, and pushed him gently. "So? Will you do this for me?" He said gesturing to the dagger with his head. Sighing, I took the dagger from the grass. It was ice-cold to the touch. What was it with ice and me today? Spike, knowing fully the limits of his Pony companions, handed me a small saddle-bag. It fit perfectly and I slipped the dagger in one of the pockets. It was like a fanny-bag, but much cooler. It was a shade darker than my tan-color and had small red markings that looked like fire. Loved it. "Thank you, Forest. I owe you." "Forest! Forest!" I heard my name being called by Applejack. She galloped right up to me, "Forest! I'm sorry, but could you mind Applebloom tonight?" "I'm not a Filly anymore! I don't need nopony to watch me!" Applebloom shouted from the porch. "She is pretty big..." I swallowed my joke, the expression on Applejack's face told me that she was in no mood to be joking around, "What's wrong?" "It's Fluttershy. Angel just passed away, and Rarity says that she's gone..." "Crazy?" I suggested when she didn't reply. "Worse." "Spike, you go tell Twilight and Pinkie. Don't tell Rainbow or Brian. They already have enough troubles as it is." Spike saluted, and was off before I could get in a word edgewise, and Applejack was headed towards Fluttershy's house. About three seconds later, Applebloom came out holding a toothbrush by the handle in her mouth, "Applejack!" She mumbled. "I can give it to her if you want." She handed me the toothbrush, and I slipped into my new saddlebag and was off before she could say anything. Holy hell and the fire pits in between, I loved to run! Applejack was fast, but not as fast as me. Too bad I was sick and she had a large enough lead that by the time I reached Fluttershy's house Applejack was already inside. There was a large gathering of animals from all over the place here. They all looked sad. I walked up the path to the door, I noticed that next to it were boutiques. Thousands of them in all sort of sizes. Some were tiny, while others were massive. Knocking on the door gently, I had to wait a moment before it was answered by a squirrel. Or was it a chipmunk? I can never tell these things. Awkwardly I walked inside, and hung at the back of the crowd. Animals were all over the place. And although the place was overwhelmed with animals, there was no stench there. It was just... well, you couldn't notice anything with your nose. These were clean animals. Even the skunks didn't smell. All the animals were in a line leading into a room. A few would go in, then a few would come out. Unsure of what to do, I remained where I was. Eventually I spotted Applejack came out of the room. When she saw me and did a double-take before quietly trotting to where I was. "What are you doin' here?" She asked. "Applebloom asked me to give you your toothbrush," I pulled it out of my new saddlebag; it was just too useful not to have. "Come. Pay your respects," Applejack said, and then led the way. I followed and the other animals were kind enough to move out of our way. As I entered the little room I had seen before I saw Fluttershy in the corner with Rarity holding her and rocking her gently. Fluttershy's face was buried in Rarity's shoulder. In the middle of the room was a small bed with the rabbit, Angel. Applejack stood to one side, and I walked up to the deceased and bowed my head, then stepped away. I felt really out of place, and wondered if I had done it wrong. The other animals just continued doing whatever it was that they were doing. "How was that?" I asked when I returned to Applejack's side. "Good enough, I guess." "How's Fluttershy?" "Terrible. Why'd this have to happen now?" I didn't say anything. There was nothing I could say. "I was on my way to Fluttershy's house when I saw Sweetie Belle coming from there. She said that Angel had passed away last night while we were at the hospital." "It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I said looking at her. "I came rushin' over as soon as I heard. But... to leave Rainbow? And Brian? It's not good, Forest," Applejack said without looking at me. Her eyes began to water. "What do you mean?" "He ain't got long," She said in a whisper fighting her tears. "What?" I asked, genuinely shocked. Brian? Was he that sick? Emotions surged through me. Guilt, sadness, anger. Why? Why did it have to be so? "H-how long?" "Not long," This time Applejack didn't fight the tears flowing from her eyes, "Not long at all." Seeing her there, crying like that, I wanted to comfort her. But how? Putting an arm around her neck, I pulled her close and she buried her face in my neck, her body shaking. What had happened? A few days ago every single Pony seemed so happy. All I felt was sadness. Why Brian? He didn't deserve this. Yes, we were both human and he had adopted daughter who was an animated cartoon Pony. At first I had thought he was a freak, but after the unconditional love he earned and gained I understood that the only freak around was me. The one who didn't fit in here was me. Yet these Ponies have done nothing but welcome me into their lives. Me! It made so much sense now. Brian loved his daughter completely. It was because of his love for her that he automatically suspected me. He wasn't out to get me, he didn't mean any harm to me. He was just trying to protect his little girl. He abandoned his own world for her. He was a good father. Correction; he is a good father. I stayed. Fever be damned, I was not going to leave Applejack like this. Eventually she calmed down and pulled away from me, but for some reason she stayed close. Probably needed a Pony to lean on. It was late in the evening by the time the last of the animals paid their respects, then two rabbits who could have been relatives covered Angel's face behind a sheet. The old bunny looked so peaceful and content. He had a good life. Fluttershy let out a heart wrenching wail as she shoved Rarity aside, and dove for her rabbit. At this, Applejack intercepted her friend preventing her from reaching the bed. Poor Fluttershy. The other rabbits who had covered Angel's body continued to do what they needed to do despite Fluttershy's pleading that they leave him alone. Even Applejack was having difficulty holding Fluttershy back. She was screaming for him. It is hard to describe the anguish I heard in that voice. It was as if she had lost a son. "Forest, be a dear and do something!" Rarity said picking herself off from the floor and helping Applejack. Walking to Angel's body, I helped carry it out of the room and closed the door. Fluttershy screamed so loud, that I thought my eardrums were going to break. The other rabbits nodded to me in thanks, they then placed Angel's body into a little coffin - yes, a coffin. If it weren't for Fluttershy's despair, I might have found it amusing, but I couldn't. There was nothing amusing about this. Nothing at all. After a long while, the wailing had stopped, and the door opened slowly. Applejack exited the room first, followed by Fluttershy wore a black hat with a meshed veil across her face. Applejack waited for her friend before walking by her side. Rarity followed behind Fluttershy; she wore something similar to Fluttershy's veil. Not wanting to get in the way, I stood off to one side, I watched as they lead Fluttershy outside of the house. Once she had exited, the rabbits picked up Angel's coffin and led it out the door. A slow procession then went underway. Angel's coffin was being carried by what I could only guess were his relatives. Following them was Fluttershy, flanked by Applejack and Rarity. Behind them were the other animals. I watched them go from the front door for a long while. Whoever this Angel was, he had a lot of friends that had cared for him - and one pink-haired Pegasus Pony in particular that really loved him. The trip was not long, and at the bottom of a large tree the animals placed Angel's body into an already prepared grave. Silence. No-one said a thing, or perhaps I was too far away to hear. Then, Fluttershy took a hoofful of dirt, "Good bye, Angel-bunny," She tossed it on the grave. They stayed there. After Angel's burial, Fluttershy did not move. She remained gazing down at the grave. Applejack and Rarity waited patiently for their friend. Slowly, the animals started to return to leave until all who were left was the four of us. I remained where I was a little away from the three of them, I just wanted to be there - more for Applejack. It was the least I could do for everything she had done for me. My mind was numb, I did not want to think of anything. I did not want to imagine what Fluttershy felt. I did not want to have anything in my mind. I just wanted to be blank. It was very late at night before Fluttershy moved from her spot, and only because Rarity had coaxed her. They returned to the house, while I stayed outside. Applejack came out a moment later, "Forest... thank you, for being here." "You don't need to thank me, Applejack. Will she be okay?" "I hope so. Forest?" "Yes, Applejack?" "Can... can you stay a little longer?" "Of course. Anything for you." Applejack gave me a small smile. She stood aside as I walked through the door back into Fluttershy's house. "Do you want some tea?" Applejack asked me, "Rarity said I ought to make some for all of us." "Not for me, thanks." We made some small talk in the kitchen as she boiled the water and steeped the tea. We talked quietly, making sure not to disturb Rarity and Fluttershy in the other room. After the tea was ready, I watched as Applejack loaded it on a tray, then carried it with her mouth back to the room. She returned a few moments later, gave me a smile, and closed the door. Now all the three Ponies were inside Fluttershy's room together. After a while, with nothing to do, I got sleepy. Inevitably, I closed my eyes and drifted off.