My Little Argonian: Family is Sacred

by Warren Peace

To Forgive a Fiend (Pt1|Ch6)

Chapter Six: To Forgive a Fiend

For better or for worse, the rest of the night went on without incident.

Despite being in a foreign language, the books I had at my disposal kept me occupied for what I hoped was a few hours. Upon finishing the last one, merely skimming over the pages, I got up and limped to the window. Looking out revealed that darkness still lay across the land, and I was forced to find something else to do.

Sitting upon the bed, I drew my knives and inspected them. The twin blades were as flawless as the day I’d finished forging them and would remain that way long after I’d joined the void. I drew a ghost of a smile upon my face, wondering at what would become of the weapons after I was gone. Who might come across them and for what purposes would the weapons be used?

My ebony bow may have held a couple of small nicks from when I’d been forced to use it to block an attack from a far stronger opponent. However, the string was taut and the limbs as sturdy as ever. Ebony wasn’t on par when compared to weapons forged with the hearts of daedra, but it wasn’t far from it.

I spat a quiet curse as I found out that I still couldn’t bring the string back to my ear on account of my injured arm. For my own sake, I hoped I wouldn’t be forced into combat any time soon.

The arrows at my disposal, I scowled over. The river had wiped them clean of poisons and with my pack the mess it was, I had no more at my disposal. Seeing as my list of what plants made the best poisons was kept with them, I’d need to start from scratch.

It wasn’t to say that the ebony arrows weren’t deadly within their own right, nor was I a novice when it came to archery, just that I enjoyed making sure that a target stayed dead. Poisons provided that insurance.

Speaking of my pack, I checked the pockets again, nothing was out of place and I busied myself with counting the coins I had. In the end, I came up with fifty septims, meaning that none had been stolen.

I considered drinking down some of the mead I still had with me, though ultimately decided against it until I could make sure that this land had a sufficient substitute. Inspecting the bottle proved that my luck was holding, the glass was unscathed and the cork secure, the whole thing heavy with the alcoholic treat.

Done with this, I went over my armor again, finding it brand new thanks to the creature known as Rarity. The right legging and boot still didn’t fit for obvious reasons and seeing as the armor was a one-piece suit, a few released strings at the back allowing someone to step into the armor, I wouldn’t be using it for some time.

Well it’s not as if the locals are that fond of clothing anyways, I grumbled to myself.

By now the candles I had lit were dull or dead and, though it was still dark, the single moon had moved a great deal through the sky.

How odd it is for there to be only one moon, my mind remarked as I gazed at the single white, pockmarked orb.

It will take some getting used to, I admitted, hoping that it would be as easy to track and tell time with as Secunda and Masser were. I’d hopefully be able to learn soon if I was to serve Sithis here.

The moon had moved a sliver more towards the horizon when I finally stopped gazing at it. I turned back to the bed and went over my gear once more, finding everything to be just as it had been prior.

Trying to salvage the situation just a bit, I took ten of my arrows and dipped the black tips into the mess in my pack. All ten caused my ring to glow, telling me that they were poisoned, though with what toxins, I had no idea.

Seeing that I had about as many healing potions as I did poisonous ones, the arrows could be coated with a mixture of both good and bad, potentially negating some of their poisonous effects.

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see just how well these work soon, I thought with a ghost smile, looking over one of the glistening, black tips. Careful not to be too forceful around my injured ribs, I strapped the quiver to my bare back, taking my bow and pulling it over my head, letting it rest like a bandolier across my body. Sure, I couldn’t use it without much pain to my arm, but the familiar feel was comforting to me, empowering.

No longer having anything better to do, I took a seat on the soft bed and closed my eyes, calming myself as I let everything around me fade from existence...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Fluttershy’s cottage, downstairs...

Beams of light, courtesy of the rising sun, shone through one of the windows in Fluttershy’s cottage. The golden rays landed on the sleeping face of the cottage’s owner, prodding her from her sleep on the couch.

“Morning already?” Fluttershy asked no one in particular. Blinking the sleep from her eyes and blessing the world with a long yawn, Fluttershy hopped down from the couch, stretching her legs and wings as she surveyed the main room of her cottage.

Trotting to the kitchen for a nice hot cup of tea, Fluttershy spared the stairs leading to her bedroom a glance and a thought. Could argonians drink tea? She knew that they liked apples and mead, whatever that was, but was tea a valid part of their diet?

Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to offer him a cup, she procured two small teacups from a drawer, setting them out. That settled, she brought out her teapot, filling it with water and setting it on a small magical stove, poking a button and watching as a flame flickered into life below the pot, tickling at its underbelly.

Humming a happy tune, she browsed her collection of herbs used for tea with a hoof, trying to find something that she thought that her argonian patient would enjoy. She quickly selected a sweeter-flavored one. Seeing as he enjoyed apples, perhaps he had a sweet tooth?

Closing the cupboard, Fluttershy turned around and nearly dropped the ingredients she was carrying as she jerked back in fright, the argonian standing a few feet away from her. She hadn’t heard him approach, obviously.

He spared her a neutral look with his black-on-gold eyes before plucking an apple from a fruit bowl on the counter. Fluttershy took note that he wore his black bow like a bandolier, the body around his front with the string at his back.

Once recovered, Fluttershy remembered the reason that there were two cups out today instead of just one.

“I was wondering if I could interest you in a nice, hot cup of tea?” Fluttershy inquired, pointing with a hoof towards the heating teapot, “I mean, if argonians drink tea..?”

Her most recent patient looked to where she was pointing and sized up the teapot, assessing it with his eyes before turning back to Fluttershy, “I...thank you...yes,” he said, appearing to struggle a bit with the words. He bit into the apple, a bit of tension leaving him as he did so.

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy replied, happy that argonians could drink tea, “Though, um, do you like a certain type of tea?” she turned towards her cupboard, “I’ve got plenty of ingredients to choose from if you’ve got a favorite.”

He spared the cupboard a glance, there was a moment of barely noticeable struggle. His jaw tightened a bit, his eyes losing focus for a split second.

“I...haven’t had tea before,” he finally admitted, taking another crunchy, succulent bite from the apple.

“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, “Well this is, um, one of my personal favorites,” she continued, holding up the two tea packets in her hooves, trotting over to the counter with the two teacups, “If you don’t like it, I can make you a different one,” she offered.

The teapot spoke up, trying to get some attention as it let off a whistle. The argonian snapped his head in its direction, body tensing slightly and lowering just a bit.

“The, uh, the water’s boiling,” Fluttershy explained, giving an awkward smile when he looked at her. Turning to the teapot, she poured the hot water into the two cups and added the twin bags after.

Grabbing one cup with her teeth and the other with a hoof. She turned and placed both on a small wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, the one in her hoof getting pushed closer to the argonian.

Wisps of hot steam curled up off the surfaces of the two cups as the packets, doing their thing, began to color the water as it absorbed the ingredients within.

“Oh, don’t drink it just yet,” Fluttershy warned as the argonian reached for his own cup, “It’s still very hot.” more out of habit than emphasis, she gave her own cup a gentle blow, disrupting the snakes of steam as they curled up off the liquid.

The argonian picked up his cup and turned to go, revealing a full quiver of arrows on his back.

“Um...where are you going?” Fluttershy inquired, cringing as he froze and quickly adding, “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to...”

“Outside,” he replied, glancing back at her as he spoke.

Stumbling to the kitchen doorway, he made his way for the door.

“Oh, wait!” Fluttershy called out, rushing around the table and to the doorway before the argonian could leave...

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Same place, different point of view...

I stopped at Fluttershy’s call, looking back at her again as she followed me into the living room.

“What?” I asked.

Fluttershy moved past me, stopping off to the side of the door and grabbing an oddly shaped stick. Stick in hoof, she turned back to me, offering it.

“I made you a crutch,” she explained, my eyes flicked to the crutch, lingering there a moment, “...to, uh, help you walk,” she continued as it grew apparent that I wasn’t taking the offering, “You really shouldn’t be putting much pressure on your leg if you want it to get better. It should also make it easier to walk with the cast.”

“I’m fine,” I replied, “...but the gesture is appreciated.”

Getting the hang of it, I see, my mind commented.

That taken care of, I turned to the door, reaching out to open...

“But...but you’re not okay...or fine,” Fluttershy protested, “Your femur bone is broken. You really shouldn’t be going around like this so much, you might injure it more!”

I stared into those two care-ridden eyes again, breaking eye contact first as another flash of memory threatened to come forward.

“I’ve had worse,” I lied, coming up with a better excuse as I did so, “You never treated an argonian before, I know more than you do about my species.”

Aram, just take the crutch. She’s trying to help you. Humor her, you ungrateful...

Be quiet, I replied, cutting off my mind.

“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, looking away and shrinking down a bit again, “W-well I guess that makes sense. But if you do need it, I’ll leave it by the door, okay?”

“Hm,” I grunted, opening the door and stepping out into the chilly morning’s light. The low sun sparkled off the drops of dew that coated almost everything. The bright blue sky was almost completely barren of the white wisps of clouds. I enjoyed the beautiful view for a moment before a weight in my right hand reminded me of the tea Fluttershy had given me.

I looked down at the darkly colored liquid as it let off more swirls of steam. The khajiit caravans that traveled Skyrim, stopping at all the major cities, sold tea, but I’d never sampled the stuff.

Though I knew someone who had. The man loved tea about as much as I loved mead, Ave...

0 . o . 0

...A tightness in my right arm and fingers reminded me that my bow was still drawn, the knocked arrow ready to sink its teeth into warm flesh. Yet I couldn’t find the will to release it, horror and uncertainty ruling my mind with unbreakable reins, my heart pounding in my throat.

“Aram! Help me! Shoot him!” a voice of a brother, still familiar over the years, called from my left, reminding me of my dilemma.

Yet despite this, my gaze drifted to the right, right to my prize. A prize that was escaping. My aim shifted right as I lined up the shot...

...and the tightness in my right arm was no more as the voice of a brother let out a cry of pain...

0 . o . 0

“Damnit!” I growled through clenched teeth, letting go of the cup of tea and clutching my skull, trying to banish the fleeing memory as it left a wake of head-splitting pain, “Get out of my head! It wasn’t my fault!”

Yes it was Aram! my mind snapped back with venom, You could have saved him, but you didn’t!

“He should have been able to save himself!” I snarled back, not caring that I was speaking aloud, hands squeezing into my skull, “Now get out of my head!”

That’s a pathetic excuse if ever I heard one, you worm! my mind retorted, You went and let him die! And for what? A few filthy septims, coated with his own blood, spilled by you!

The door to Fluttershy’s cottage shot open behind me, the cottage’s worried owner being the instigator.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, a bit frantic as she tried to find the source of some problem, “What were you yelling about?”

“Nothing!” I snapped, anger fueling my words, “Nothing.”

She recoiled at my tone, “I’m...I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to pry, I was just worried that...”

“No!” I snapped, rage still coursing through my veins, needing release and locking onto the first sentient creature I could find, “By Sithis, you are intolerable! Apologizing for every little damned thing that you do and worrying over me like you’re my mother...” Flames. Cold. Fear. I gripped my head, turning and growling as I banished the memory from my thoughts, cursing myself for making the connection, “You’re not!” I yelled, unleashing all the pent up rage in my system, “I’m not some child, I can take care of myself without you! I don’t need your fornicating help, you...freak!”

I snapped my head around, eyes boring into Fluttershy, lip raised in a snarl of anger. She stared back, mortified, mouth open just slightly.

“You wouldn’t last a day in Skyrim!” I shouted.

I searched for more words, but found none. I oriented my head forwards and hobbled down to the woods, not looking back as rage coursed through my body.

Halfway to the forest, I threw an angry look behind me, finding the door to Fluttershy’s cottage closed. It looked like most of the animals had disappeared, those that remained almost looked as if they were, of all things, glaring at me.

“Wouldn’t last a day in Tamriel,” I grumbled to myself.

This isn’t Tamriel, my mind replied, Nice going back there. Better hope that you can find bed and board elsewhere now.

Shut-up, I growled back, Someone needed to talk sense into that yellow buffoon. Now either be quiet or help me find ingredients, hopefully the ones here aren’t too different from Skyrim.

Okay, you ungrateful idiot. Just remember, jarrin root has very beneficial alchemical properties, especially when you eat it!

I glowered back at my mind, not deeming a reply necessary as I made my way into the forest. The light around me died down as the trees strangled it off, the accusing eyes of animals glaring at my back the whole way.

0 . o . 0

It didn’t take long to find a plant, seeing as I was in a forest.

The small, darkly-colored mushroom lay in a moist patch at the base of a tree. I glared warily around, scanning for any sign of danger in the foreboding forest.

Unable to bend my right knee, I slowly took a seat on the ground, right leg outstretched with the mushrooms to the right. When settled, I Leaned forwards and waved my left hand over the top of one of the mushrooms. Another ghost of a smile lit my face as the gem inset in my ring glowed, the mushroom was poisonous.

Were I a novice, the examination would have ended there. I’d take the mushroom and try to see exactly what type of poison it was by either testing it on myself or mixing it with other poisons. However, I was far from a novice and I knew a few things when it came to mushrooms.

I plucked the mushroom from the earth, examining it. Like any other mushroom, it had small gills on the underbelly of the cap, these would hopefully contain spores. The stalk was a lighter shade than the deathly black cap.

Holding it by the stalk, I transferred it from my right to my left hand. With deftness acquired by experience, I ran my thumb along the gills, tickling a few spores onto the back of my finger.

I set the mushroom aside and waved my left hand over my right, the ring staying as it was. The spores were not poisonous, then. An interesting fact that was shared by quite a few of Skyrim’s more deadly flora.

I licked the spores off my finger, finding them tasteless and swallowing, waiting for an effect. In a few seconds, a blast of energy rushed through me. I felt rejuvenated, like I could run a few miles if I hadn’t had a broken leg. The spores might be useful in a stamina potion, then.

Next, I snapped the cap from the stalk, finding this to also be non-poisonous.

Well at least the cap is poisonous, so there’s a start, I thought a tad bitterly.

Eating the stalk gave me the not-so-familiar feeling of my mind being let open. I could feel a humming, magical energy in the air as it swirled around me, a tingling sensation in my fingers and spine, though it was incredibly weak. So much that I almost didn’t feel any of it at all.

So a weak magical enhancing effect, not useful at all, I frowned.

Unless you need to light another candle, my mind said, Or you could just try harder in the future and actually cast that spark spell right.

To Oblivion with you, I replied, discarding the half-eaten stem and picking up the cap again.

I eyed the cap warily, considering whether or not to see what type of poison it actually was. I’d learned the hard way that finding alchemical effects by eating plants was as rewarding as it was dangerous. Pop something like a nirnroot in your mouth and you’d be puking with a belly full of pain for a few hours.

I took a whiff of the cap, closing my eyes and finding that it gave off no smell. A lick also proved rather ineffective. Surprising, as most poisons were bitter or sour-tasting. This did, however, mean that the cap could be slipped into any soup and the eater would be none the wiser if they drank the soup.

Or broth, kinda like the stuff Fluttershy gave you before you bit her head off, my mind said.

I scowled, She had it coming. Someone needed to tell her that she was weak, needed to stand up for her damn self and stop apologizing for every Sithis damned little thing! I snapped back.

Again enforcing your own beliefs onto others, Aram? That worked so well with the Listener, didn’t it?

It did! Now I’m going to be more than just a pawn in Sithis’ plan. I am to head the new Dark Brotherhood here in Equestria! I replied smartly, happy with the silence that followed.

Looking over the cap again, I decided to just sample it, a small bite to see if I could detect what form of poison the cap held.

The cap had a thick texture, that much I could instantly tell from the small nibble. Again, the cap was tasteless and I swallowed the small bite, preparing for the worst.

And then the worst came...

My vision darkened, shadows creeping forth and hiding monsters as my heart rate quickened, my breath growing short. I dropped the rest of the cap, fear forcing itself upon me like an ocean on a small boat.

My eyes darted around, finding stalking creatures in every little shadow, just waiting to attack me at the slightest provocation.

“Aram Falíe!” A voice growled, my gaze snapping around to the sound of the voice.

A demon stood a ways away, smoke pouring off its sickly-purple flesh, thick horns protruding every which way from its body. Its hellish eyes glared down at me, twin fires of pure wrath as the demon approached.

“No!” I wheezed, heart rate increasing again as fear encompassed my entire being. I scooted backwards as the demon approached, no doubt intent on wiping me off the face of Equestria, lifting me from the ground and ripping me limb from limb or disemboweling me with one of its many horns.

“I thought I would find you here,” the demon grumbled again, still approaching. Thick ichor oozed from its mouth, hissing as it splattered onto the ground. A darkly purple tail swung behind the demon, the strands made of serpents that hissed at me with sharp fangs and red eyes.

“No!” I wheezed again, short of breath as the rapidity of my breathing increased once more, “Stay away from me! Go away!”

The demon paused, contemplating my demise, “What?” it asked, the tail going limp, the creature shrinking as the shadows of my vision dropped away. My heart rate and breathing slowed, my horrified expression turning a bit confused as the demon’s horns, all but one at least, disappeared into its purple body. Twilight Sparkle continued to give me an odd look, “No, I’m not going away, not until I get some answers!”

I shook my head to clear it, the remaining vestiges of fear finally dying.

Well that was a rather potent fear-inductor, my mind commented.

I know, I replied, focusing on Twilight, affixing her with a glare.

The unicorn stood a few feet away, glaring at me as if I were a criminal...which I technically was, considering murder was illegal.

Wait a moment, did she just say your name?

“First off...” Twilight began, freezing as she took note of the discarded cap of the black mushroom. That odd, purplish aura engulfed the mushroom as it was brought to her face, the glare that she held faded with a look of confusion and worry, “Wait, did you just eat this!?”

My gaze flicked to the cap for a second, “Yes,” I replied.

“What? Why? This is a very potent hallucinogenic fungus! Why in the wide world of Equestria would you eat a plant that you find just lying around?” Twilight inquired, incredulous, “It could have been poisonous! It could have killed you!”

“That’s not your concern,” I replied, getting to my feet with a bit of effort. My eyes met her’s again as I stood, the incredulous look on her face changing back to the one of anger.

“Maybe not, but do you know what is my concern?” she growled.

I remained silent, returning the glare that she gave me.

“When I go to Fluttershy’s cottage and find her crying!” Twilight answered her own question. Her stance grew hostile, her center of mass lowering, horn pointed at me in a threatening manner, “What did you do to her!?”

I drew my knives at the suddenly hostile unicorn, growling as I took a defensive stance, knives held before me and ready should she try anything.

“What do you do to her!” Twilight repeated through clenched teeth, her horn taking on a glow.

There was a familiar tingle in the air around me, the feel of the magic being drawn to a source to be discharged in the form of a spell. In an effort to dodge the imminent attack, I leapt to my left, tucking my body into a roll and crying out in pain as my injured ribs protested, sending me falling to the ground, belly up and jaw clenched as I felt the now-familiar feel of pain coursing through my body again.

“Fornication!” I spat, squeezing my eyes shut.

There was a tingling in the air again, but the pain held me in place as Twilight no doubt readied to finish me off.

Yet instead of a lightning bolt or fireball, a grip encased my body, firm, but not in such a way that it amplified my pain. My guts churned and a sense of vertigo gripped me as I felt gravity reverse and opened my eyes. Two purple ones glared back at me through a purple haze.

I glared back and tried to slash at Twilight’s face, gouge out an eye or score a lucky hit to the jugular, but something held my arm back, kept me from my goal.

“What did you do to Fluttershy!” Twilight yelled in my face, her warm breath tickling at my nose, “You tell me or...or I’ll report you to the royal guard and have you banished! Or locked up! Or...banished and then locked up in the place that you get banished to! You got that, mister?” she growled, nose poking mine.

I think that she actually means it, my mind pointed out, adding, It might be hard to enforce Sithis’ will if you’re locked up in a place far away from here. I say you just suck it up and start talking.

Since when were you my forniating conscience? I growled back.

Since I killed him because his beliefs didn’t correlate with my own, my mind replied, Just do as she says, get it over with.

“Well!?” Twilight asked in my silence.

“Fine!” I snapped, “I yelled at her.”

“Why?” Twilight asked, “What’d she ever do to you?”

Yeah, besides give you a room and some pretty good medicinal treatment.

Quiet, I snapped back, “Someone needed to get her to stop apologizing over every little Sithis-damned thing! So I took the liberty of doing so.”

Twilight glared back at me, eyes searching mine and mine hers. After a few seconds, she gave a nod, “You’re going to apologize to her,” Twilight stated, “Got that?”

I glared back, silently wishing to wring her neck.

“Fine,” I spat, But I won’t mean it, the yellow little bitch deserved it!

So say that to her face.

Twilight gave a quick nod, “Good,” she said, turning and trotting off back towards the cottage. My stomach gave another lurch as I floated after her, flailing my arms as my body threatened to spin around in mid-flight.

0 . o . 0 . o . 0

Just outside Fluttershy’s cottage...

Twilight held onto a steely silence as she ascended the hill to the cottage, having bore a lack of speech ever since we started off. I glared at her as I was guided behind her, the purple haze still filtering my gaze.

Twilight paused before the door, shooting me a glare before turning back and knocking.

“Who is it?” a quiet, shaky voice asked from inside, muffled into a nigh-inaudible state by the door.

“It’s me,” Twilight replied, “I’ve brought someone who has something he’d like to say to you.”

I don’t think that ‘like’ is the best word to describe how our friend here feels, my mind commented.

I gave a mental growl in reply, continuing to glare at Twilight as she opened the door and both of us went inside, only one of us going by free will.

Fluttershy looked up as the two of us entered, eyes red with shed tears as she rested on the lone couch in the room, a group of animals had gathered around her, the group glared at me as I was brought in. Fluttershy bit her lip as our eyes met, uncertainty and worry staring back at me through the twin, teal orbs.

Twilight accelerated me forwards, my stomach dropping into the rest of my guts before she righted me and set me on the couch next to Fluttershy, my sense of gravity being warped again with a sickening lurch.

I spat Twilight a glare as she stood a few feet from the couch, glaring back at me and jerking her head towards Fluttershy. I gave a sigh and looked over at the pegasus, our eyes met again and locked there for a few seconds. Black-on-gold looking into teal-on-white, an annoyed glare staring into an innocent gaze.

“I...” I began, searching for words grew hard now that I actually needed to say them. My eyes broke contact as I considered what to say. Then again, I didn’t mean a word of it. What did it matter what I said? I set my jaw, locking my eyes back onto Fluttershy’s as she waited patiently, “I was...a bit too quick in...when I yelled at you. I was angry and I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry,” I grumbled, glaring over at Twilight once I was finished.

From the look of it, neither she nor the animals around the couch didn’t buy it. I scowled as she opened her mouth and...

...two furry hooves wrapped around me, a warm body pulling itself closer, infinitely gentle against my injured sides. My gaze was peeled from Twilight and given to Fluttershy as she embraced me, her muzzle nuzzled gently into my right side as her forelegs wrapped around my stomach and back, not able to connect on the opposite side, but not trying to in the first place. I swore it was just my imagination, but the dull ache from my earlier fall drained away as she wrapped me in a warm, loving embrace.

“I forgive you,” she said, sincerity ruling her voice.

Author's Note:

Meh, what do you guys think?

Comments

[Srake]

I take it you didn't particularly like this chapter then?
I liked it as much as the other chapters.

[Zarord]

It was nice

[Warren Peace]

2215641 I thought you had to pay Nazir money if you broke one of them? Something like "Honor Thy Family" (I don't know since I've never broken any of them).

Either way, you gotta see who he kills in the first place.

EDIT: Also, this takes place a while after the dragon crisis, so some changes in rules and stuff have changed.

[KingOfDreams]

i played skyrim not 7 hours ago and argonians are magic resistance...soo wtf man

[Blitz the Dragon]

3841602 Magic RESISTANT, not immune.

I love this story and the overall concept, as a huge fan of Skyrim. I just have a couple of nitpicks. First, mushrooms don't have seeds, I don't think. They have spores.

The second one is a matter of preference, I think. It seems you use "a ghost of a smile" a little too often.

Other than that, this story is excellent.

[Warren Peace]

3841602 Last I checked they're resistant to disease. In the lore they're also immune to poison, but I like giving my characters weaknesses as it makes things much more interesting. Plus I forgot about all my time playing Oblivion.

3842450

First, mushrooms don't have seeds, I don't think.

You're right, I'll make a note to go change that. Thanks for pointing it out.

It seems you use "a ghost of a smile" a little too often.

Because aside from two other instances in the story so far, Aram has never had a true smile. It's either been a ghost of a smile as he sees something he likes, or an attempt (and failure, resulting in a grimace) of a smile when he tries smile at a character like Fluttershy. It will all come full circle in the end.

Thanks for commenting.