Equestria; UNDEAD

by runningtoastgirl77

Chapter Twenty Nine: Gotta Be Fair

"Hey, you two decent in ther-"

Jacks opened the door early the next morning. I had unlocked the door to go downstairs to cook a bowl of oatmeal, which I had snagged on my journey out the day before. He looked at surprise as a stood there, readied with a newly improved 'stick', now with a couple nails hammered into it. Rose was up, too, casually sitting down with an apple. I sighed and set the stick down, rolling my eyes as Jacks carefully snuck in. "Morning, Jacks." Rose said, waving casually.

"Knock next time, will ya'?" I glared with a deep sigh, returning to my reading, casually jotting notes in the blank notebook.

"Um... what ya' doing?"

"I'm studying, what does it look like?" I glared at the unicorn, not forgetting his comments two nights before.

Jacks gave a curious glance to Rose, who chomped on her apple and shrugged. "The girl wants to learn magic, what can I say?"

"Well, what are you doing here anyway?" Jacks smirked.

"It there a reason your here?" I felt like an ass after how much salt I was giving it, but I was on edge, feeling like eyes were always staring at me.

He frowned. "I was looking for Rose, Willow said that the bar was half off, and Chalk Diamond and I were wondering if you wanted to come with us, relax a bit after... what happened. The dog and the bat are gonna stay here, so we got plenty of opportunity to check out the 'local color', or whatever ya' say about that."

She frowned. "O-oh... um... maybe later. I'm helping Autumn right now."

"Jeesh, ever since we left Stone Whooves, it's just been 'Autumn, Autumn, Autumn', you know, you have other friends, too!" He grumbled and left the room with a smack of the door, and a feeling like a rusty needle entered my mind.

"I'm sorry." I said softly.

Rose glared at the door, then she snapped to a more natural saddened look. "Oh, no no no!" She said, getting up and trotting over to me. "Jacks is... he's just..."

"He's right you know. It's not fair. Go have fun with your friends, not just me." I sighed, knowing it was true. "You deserve it, after Celestia know's what happened to ya'."

She frowned. "No, he's just being rude. He's been an ass lately. But... look, just don't hold it against the kid, alright?" Kid?

"I feel awful, you know. You've been spending to much time with me. I forgive you, you know." My words dripped out with little thought.

"I know that, Autumn Darling. You think you's still want to see me if you didn't?" She sighed. "The others are just... so overwhelming. It's nice to spend sometime with you, for a change." She glanced away. "Okay. Alright. Your right, I have been unfair."

I frowned. "I'm sorry."

"You know, you haven't let your muzzle out of those books since you got them." she said, desperate to try to change the subject, a smile across her face. "I know you want to help Zian in Canterlot, or at least feel like you can do something. But that's fine, but just know... your not useless. You've never been." She offered a very short hug. "Also, you should wear this hood. At least for appearance sake. "

I took the grey hooded cape she levitated over to me. "I'll consider it." I sighed, putting it on with hesitation, but still keeping on my blue sweatshirt. I had to admit, it was soft, and felt nice.

"I'm going to go to the Night Bite, the bar in the shop district. It's were I went yesterday with the others..." She trailed off with mumbles.

"Are you really going to ask me if I want to go with you?"

"Er, um... well, maybe. Just a little." She gave a little smile.

"Fine, but I'm going to be doing my own thing." I grabbed my shoulder bag. "But... by Celestia, stop me if I look like I'm about to pass out, will ya?"

She gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah... sorry about that, too."

"Jeese, they're right, we apologize to much."

The Night bite was as vintage looking as the rest of the town, a small sign at the door with the establishment's name on it. I felt the uneasiness double, as most of the passer-buyers slowed their pace, looking at me, then went on. Seriously, what was so special about me?

Rose floated over a baggy of coins before we entered. "Here, considering ya' probably don't have any money... sorry again. For, you know, not stopping Champagne sooner before you got kidnapped..." her voice trailed off.

She opened the door, and before we could even walk in we were greeted with an angry "Dammit!"

I peaked from behind Rose, and once I saw who the angry yell came from, I smiled and ran in joyfully, leaving the voice's owner and Rose speechless at my sudden forwardness. "Grella!" I hugged my feathered friend with little restraint, a smile stretched across my muzzle.

"Hey, what are ya-" Grella paused after looking like she was about ready to throw me across the room off of her. "Autumn? What the hell happened? Why are you here?" I let her go, and blew my nose with a napkin. She looked me over. "And what in the name of Tartarus are you wearing?"

"Grella! I thought I... I thought I'd never see you again."

"You didn't answer my question, but yeah, not as much as a relief to see you here. Why are you not in ponyville?" She softened her demeanor.

I sat down next to her in the booth, then realized that everypony in the bar had kept their distance, with the exception of me. Even Rose was resistant to go over to me. "You could say I didn't really have a choice."

"Well, are the others at least with you? Whirlwind, Zian, even Cherry would work."

"None of them, but I do have a group. I was kinda forced into this situation. We're just heading to..." I paused. "The... next town..."

"Oh, well, that explains everything, doesn't it?" She sighed, rolling her eyes, then smirked. "Say, you... didn't run into Glory on your way here by any chance... have ya?"

I frowned. "No."

"Dammit." she took a drink. "I lost her, you see. I need to find out where she went."

"I know." I looked down, not wanting to think of the things I said to our changeling.

"Who's this?" Rose said, trotting over to us finally.

"Grella." she put up her claw for her coveted "claw-hoof" bump.

"Tea Rose." She said softly, hoof bumping reluctantly.

"Oh... so your Tea Rose."

"Y...yeah..."

"I see." she lifted her fisted claw and punched Tea rose in the face, flinging her back onto the ground, then returned to drinking her beverage.

"Grella!" I scolded the griffon, helping up Rose. "You don't just go around punching ponies!"

"She was a bitch to a friend of mine. That seems justified to me, right?"

"Excuse me, miss Griffon, mam..." Said the bartender. "Your just gonna need to calm down..."

She frowned. "Ugh, I've got places to go, and I have a fucking name, jerks." She swayed a bit as she got up. I assumed she had been sitting here drinking for a while this morning. "Nice seeing you, Autumn."

She quickly left out the door, and I fallowed her. I didn't want her to leave again, I just got her back. I ran outside in time to see her fly away. She didn't fly to long until she hit the "invisible fence" in the sky and got shocked, then fell to the ground.

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[runningtoastgirl77]

7344126 Glad you liked it? XD