Ryder will soon realize that not every pony in the town lives without conflict. He finds this out by one small filly. He'll also find out that it's okay to be different.
Ryder will soon realize that not every pony in the town lives without conflict. He finds this out by one small filly. He'll also find out that it's okay to be different.
The next day as promised, I visited the library to continue Twilight's and I's discussion. Knocking on the hollow, oak door, Spike soon opened the door and greeted me inside. It wasn't too long until, I was immediately greeted by the Twilight. "Ah Ryder, right on schedule, please sit down." The purple unicorn gestured towards two wooden chairs in the center of the library. I then did what she asked, and I sat up on the chair, as she did the same. "Okay, you've got questions, and I've got the answers." She said with an attentive look in her eyes. "Now shoot!"
Twenty minutes of questions being asked, and answered soon passed. Every question I asked, she would immediately answer without any hesitation. It was as if she knew what I was going to say every time I asked. Although she was ready for every question, I wasn't ready to keep up with her answers. Her answers just kept going, and going as if they were rapid firing. Eventually all my questions were answered, to the point where I almost felt out of breath. As if all those quick answers took so much out of me, and Twilight could easily my fatigue. "So, did my answers meet the specific level of satisfactory?" She said with a smug look on her face.
"Yeah, they did." I chuckled trying to regain my composure. "You sure know your history, I like that." She definitely knew what she was doing, not one to stall when answering some pony's questions.
"Good." She said, still keeping that smug look intact. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions." I simply nodded, waiting for her to begin the onslaught of constant questions. "First of all, why do you always where that old brown cloak where ever you go?" I then looked at the tattered cloak, as she continued. "I mean, I know it's not my place to be nosy, but I'm just curious."
"There's no real reason, just something I wear, nothing else." I responded rather quickly, trying to dodge the subject. Sweat was then starting to form on my face, I was truly trying to move on from the subject matter. She then gave me a confused look, as if she didn't expect my answer to be so...flat. I then realized that she was examining my face, seeing that I had a nervous look on my face.
"Really? I would think there's some real reason why you would wear something so, beat down." She said, still trying to figure out the answer.
"Yep, simple as that." I said, putting on a false smile, hoping it would throw her off, but it didn't. She just kept staring at me, still studying my facial expressions.
Silence then fell onto the room, with her studying my face, and me trying my hardest not to make eye contact. After what felt like an eternity, she then broke the silence. "You know, if there's something that's bothering you, you can tell me. I won't make you feel like a complete idiot for telling me." She then proceeded to put her hoof on mine, which caught me off guard, as she continued. "Listen, I know you've been here for only a few days, and I know we may not know each other too well. But, if we really want to be comfortable with each other, and be friends, then we need to really open up to each other. Not too open, but open enough that we can truly understand the both of us." She was right, I needed to be honest with her, there was no reason for me not to.
I then looked up to her, seeing complete sincerity in her eyes, so I then spoke up. "Well... I-"
Before I could finish, a orange pony in a stetson hat, burst through the library door. "Twilight!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, hi Applejack." She responded in a calm tone, and then gestures towards me. "I'd like you to meet-"
"No time for introductions!" She interrupted. "Have you seen Applebloom? She didn't come home from school, and I would really appreciate if you could help me look for her."
"I would be more than happy to help you look for her." She offered, and then she turned towards me. "Ryder, I know this seems like a really huge favor to ask, but could you help us look for her?"
"I don't mind at all." I responded.
"Great, we'll look through the town, and you can scan the outskirts of town for her
"You can count on me." I said, standing tall.
"Great!" Applejack exclaimed "She's about yeah high, yellow coat, red mane, with a big pink bow, you can't miss it. Come on let's go!"
Well, I've circled most of the outside of this town, and I still couldn't find this filly. My legs were starting to ache from the immense walking, I was practically sweating from all this exercise. The way I was sweating reminded, of how I was sweating earlier in Twilight's library. I can't remember being that nervous, but as nervous as I was, she gave me no reason to be. Even if we didn't know each other for that long, she still wanted make sure I was okay. That's more than I can say for most ponies I knew in Manehatten, never caring about any pony else, but themselves. Before I could finish my thought however, I noticed that I was coming across an unknown forest. Although upon further inspection, I realized that this was the fabled Everfree Forest. I stepped back in fear, knowing al the dangers that lurk in this place, though I only heard about this place in the form of myths, back up in Manehatten. Then I got a sudden thought that popped into my head, "Is this where that filly ran off to" The mere thought of that made my skin crawl, if this filly was in there did she even know about the dangers in that forest? My thoughts were soon interrupted again, but this time, by the sound of...sobbing? These sobs did sound like they were coming from the forest, and maybe that filly was in there. Could she be hurt, lost, or something like that? I couldn't just stand here, and guess what was wrong, I had to go in there or myself. I then took a big gulp, breathed in deep, and made my way into the forest.
As I walked into the forest, the sobbing seem to grow louder, and louder, giving proof that some pony was in here. Yet it didn't take long for me to find the source of the noise, and before I got any closer to it, I inspected what is was. With upon further inspection, it was indeed a filly, and as I looked closer, I could see a big bow on top of her head. She did fit the description, that Twilight's friend Applejack gave me, if the giant bow didn't give it away. Also, when I was inspecting the filly, I could see that her body was covered in patches of dirt, and her mane was a wreck. I then walked closer to the filly, carefully though, as I didn't want to startle her, and also the fact that I was a complete stranger to her. Then I softly spoke to her, "Hello there" Her ears perked up, and then she turned her head towards me. Her eyes were red, as if she was crying, in which she was, though the sight of me did startle her, but not enough for her to run away. She then turned her head back around, and buried her face into her forelegs. As I walked closer to her, I spoke softly to her again, "What are you doing out here by yourself?" There was still no answer, the only sound she made were muffled sniffs. I decided to sit next to her, but not too close since I was still a stranger to her. Though I tried to speak to her once again, still in a soft tone. "If there's something bothering you, you can-" Before I could finish, she immediately latched onto me. Burying her face into my cloak, as I felt the wetness of her tears on me. Her quiet sniffs, had once again become louder sobs, muffled by the cloak. Though I was shocked from the sudden trust she had given me, I then started to stroke her mane with my hoof, as I cooed to her. "Shh. Shh. It's okay."
After a few minutes of her sobbing, she seemed to finally calm down, and pulled away from, but still sticking close to me. "Now tell me what's wrong, and are you out here?" I asked, putting a hoof onto her shoulder. She was silent for a few seconds, but then she spoke up.
"Bullies" She simply stated. "Ah was walking home from school, when two bullies from my class cut me off." She then proceeded to look at her flank, which was bare with no cutie mark. She the continued, "They started calling me a blank flank as usual, and kept on getting in my face. Though my sister Applejack always told me to ignore them and walk away, but they wouldn't let me go." I sat there attentively listening to her story, not intending on interrupting her. "They kept on pushing me around, until one of them decided to straight up shove me to the ground. They started laughing at me, and Ah was so embarrassed, that I ran away into the forest." I still kept on listening to her, hurt by the fact that foals could be this cruel. Once again, she looked back at her flank, and tears began welling up in her eyes. "It's not fair, all I want is to finally get my cutie mark, so they can stop teasing me, but it feels like that never will happen." She then buried her face in her forelegs again, as I finally decided to speak.
"Hey, hey, don't let them get to you. It may not seem fair that you don't have your cutie mark, but that doesn't mean you should feel worthless." It seemed like I got her attention, as she lifted up her head to look at me. "Listen, I've got a secret that I have never told any pony until now. Do want to know what it is?" She only nodded in response. I then stood up, and I proceeded to take off the cloak I was wearing. When I did, I pointed towards my flank, which was just as bare as hers. "I don't have a cutie mark either." I said, as she looked up at me in astonishment.
"You don't?" She asked
"Nope" I replied, "Just like you I was teased for it, but as I grew up, I learned, that you never let what others say get to you. Your anger will just fuel their fire. Understand what I'm saying?" She then nodded once again, this time she had a small smile on her face. "Good, now I think it's time that we get you home." Before I could take one step, I felt her squeezing my leg, as she was giving me a hug.
"Thank you Mister." She said.
"Hey, kid please, call me Ryder" I said as I was roughing up her mane. We than started our way back to her home, which she led the way.
As we made it back to her home, Sweet Apple Acres, I noticed Twilight, and her friend Applejack on the front porch of a farmhouse. I then called out to them trying to get their attention, in which it did. When they saw us, both mares ran over to us, and they reached us, Applejack immediately ran over to her sister, picking her up in a hug. The looks on both their faces, was something that certainly warmed my heart. "Oh Applebloom!" Applejack said to her little sister. "Ah'm so glad you're home!" As she put her sister down, Applebloom looked down, her ears were flattened.
"Ah'm sorry I ran off sis, that was completely stupid of me, can you forgive me?" With that Applejack nuzzled her sister, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Of course Ah can Applebloom." She then gave her sister a thorough inspection, and gave out a hearty laugh. "Now go inside, and Ah'll start up a bath for you." She nodded, and ran off inside the farmhouse. Applejack than looked towards me, giving me a small smile. "I am eternally grateful for you bringing my little Applebloom safe and sound. Thank you..." She then paused, giving me a look of deep thought. "Ah'm sorry, Ah never got your name."
"Ryder" I answered. She then nodded.
"Thank you Ryder, you're always welcome around our farm." With that she turned, and walked back home. Twilight then turned to me, giving me a look of surprise.
"Ryder, you're not wearing your cloak." Her eyes then proceeded to search my body, until she saw my flank, her eyes then widened, but she remained silent. I then gave a smile, knowing that she saw my bare flank. "So that's why you always wore that cloak?" I simply nodded. Her eyes then began to fill up with guilt, as she then spoke "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that's why... I'm so sorry."
"It's okay Twi, you didn't know, it's not your fault. In fact, I should've been honest in the first place, and not have made it a big secret." I then looked back at the farmhouse, as I gave a gentle smile. "I should really thank that filly, she made me realize that I shouldn't be ashamed to hide my... should I say, flaws." I then turned to her again, "It's amazing how our youth can teach us things we have never cared to learn. Anyway, I think it's time, for us to go home as well."
Twilight nodded, as we then left Sweet Apple Acres, today, was a good day, and I have Applebloom to thank for that. She wasn't afraid of what would bullies say to her, as she didn't care what they thought, and neither should I.
