//------------------------------// // Chapter Ten: Consequence // Story: Equestria; UNDEAD // by runningtoastgirl77 //------------------------------// We walked back up to the block when I found myself in a stripped hug. "Autumn, where have you been?!" "Oh... I got a little drunk last night and decided to stay with this mare I used to know that I... I met up with last night. " I tumbled into a tangent. Zian looked a bit disappointed. "Oh... I should have went with you..." "It's fine." "No, it isn't! You could have been hurt or... something!" Zian looked concerned. Maybe even a little hurt. That stuck the deepest blow into my rib cage. "Hey, Whirlwind! Let's leave them to talk, hm?" Grella interjected pulling him and the others away I fallowed Zian inside of the cottage, and as I locked the door I saw her forelegs wrap me in a hug. "I'm sorry." I said. "About what?" Zian said, optimistically. "For... spending the night with her?" I blushed. She took in my words. "Well... did you 'sleep' with her?" "I... I don't know... my memory is pretty fuzzy..." She let go of me and turned me around to face her. "Swear to Celestia?" "C-Cross my heart..." She glared. "Do you... like this mare? You know the way I mean, be honest." "No! I mean... no..." I glanced away. "I guess... she used to be a friend..." "Used to?" "She... also like to tease me..." My words were rolling out like linguistic vomit. "She's also a prostitute, and she's kinda racist to earth ponies and basically anyone who isn't a unicorn, and she also kinda made me cry right before the plague of undead, and..." "Shh, Autumn, I think I get it." She paused with a smirk. "Ya' want me to beat her ass for you?" I was about to make a snyde comment when a knock came to the door, which I opened without thinking about it. Tea Rose stood in the door way. "Autumn? Who's this?" Zian said. Tea Rose barged in. "Why did you get me fired?" I frowned. "I thought..." "I'm good as dead! I have no money, no food, why did you do this to me?! I had a good thing going!" Tea Rose's horn lit up and before I knew it I was half way across the room on my back with a ringing in my ears. Zian ran forward and smashed her to the ground. "Are you serious, you frick'n... shit sponge!? Autumn saved you! Or did you WANT to be a slut!?" "I...!" Tea Rose squirmed and kicked, practically spitting and screaming, but Zian stayed still as a statue. "Get off of me, you... back water trash!" "No, your going to stop running your trap and listen! Autumn was, whether your puny pampered skank mind can conceive it, only thinking of your best interest, and you have the nerve to get pissy over that? Sorry you can't have your daily dose of dick for breakfast, honey now maybe you can learn to cook! What right do you have to say anything? After what you did to her?" Zian was a container of concentrated fury with a paper cover. "I bet you even took advantage of her last night, didn't you? Oh, wait! First she would have to pay for it, wouldn't she?" Tea Rose was at the opposite side of the spectrum of constrained anger, a kicking squirming, and screaming mess. "WHAT?! You think I slept with her? Are you insane? As if I would taint myself on a mare, let alone a mud- pony mutt!" At the time, despite what she had done to me in the past, I had still considered Tea Rose a close friend, one I had known for several years since we were fillies... her words tore through me like a trident. Did she really all this time think this low of me? Zian stepped off of her. "Please, I will only say this once. Get out. Don't find us again, because we don't want to see you. For the love of sweet Celestia, please use the advantage Autumn has given you and have a nice life." Tea Rose stared at us for a second, then grumbled and left. Zian ran over to me. "Did she hurt you?" I stared at Zian, and then I felt the warm tears trickle down my face as I broke out into sobs and hugged her. Zian patted my back as I cried on her shoulder, memories of the night in the library rushing back only reversed. I could feel my tears and snot staining Zian's sweater, but she didn't care. " Are you bleeding?" She said, noticing the blood on her hooves from my back. I couldn't even feel the gash on my back that ripped through my sweatshirt, most likely from being cut on a nail sticking out of the table when I was flung across the room with magic. As Zian rushed to get a med kit, I continued sobbing, but not in pain. "Zian..." I said under heavy breathing and sobs. "Shh..." Zian said, turning me around and taking my sweatshirt off, then started cleaning off the blood. "Now, this isn't that bad. Just a little blood, nothing I can't patch up." I continued crying as I felt Zian's hooves wrap bandages over my back, a process I only vaguely remember. "Zian...", my eyes strained with tears, "... your the best friend I've ever had... in my life..." Zian stopped what she was doing momentarily, then finished up. "Surely that's not true... nice mare like you, probably has had alot of friends." "My best friend was Tea Rose, and you saw how that turned out! All of my other friends don't even bother to remember my name!" Before I could continue crying and ranting about my fillyhood, something happened. Zian kissed me. Only lasting a few mere seconds, I was silent stareing at her long after it actually happened. "It's okay now," Zian said, smiling. "After all, you got me, don't you?" "Z-Zian?" I finnaly managed. "I love you, Autumn," Zian hugged me. "I smiled," I love you, too."