“This is a bad idea,” Selena muttered to herself, pulling her tattered cloak tighter around her body. Even though the sun was shining and it was a warm summer day, she still felt a slight chill run down her spine.

Friday had come too soon for Selena. She had barely gotten any sleep for the past three days, fretting over what was about to happen. So caught up in her inner turmoil was she, that she had forgotten to look for food. Something her stomach was not pleased with. Unfortunately, that made Twilight’s offer even more tempting—even though it was too good to be true—and so here she was, currently standing outside of the library, debating whether or not she should knock upon the door.

There was no way that it was as simple as Twilight had made it out to be. Show up at the library and get free food? There was a catch. There was always a catch. In Selena’s experience, nothing got you nothing; everything—even food—had a price you needed to pay in the end. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened to her. Nearly a year ago, a mare had approached her when she had been relaxing in her cardboard box one afternoon. The mare had expressed concern that Selena was sleeping out in the alleyway, and had offered to give her a room for the night. Naively, Selena had accepted. The mare had been true to her word, and Selena had been given a bed for the night.

What the mare hadn’t mentioned was the fact that Selena was going to be sharing the bed. With a stallion.

Needless to say, upon feeling the stallion start to grope her, Selena had made a run for it, breaking the stallion’s muzzle in the process. She had moved her cardboard box to the location she was at now, and hadn’t left it for four days. Even then, she scavenged only at night and didn’t stray far from box for the next couple of months.

Now, another mare was offering her help again, and here she was, falling for it... again.

First she catches me trying to steal some food. Then she forces me to follow her home and asks me a bunch of random questions. Once that’s was over, she then invites me to come with her and her friends on a picnic, Selena mused, shifting back and forth on her hooves. It doesn’t make any sense! What’s she planning? She has to be planning something!

Her instincts—the same ones that had kept her alive for the past ten years—were now screaming at her to run, to get away from the library and the mare inside. To get away from her false promises and offers. There was something about the situation that felt wrong; the whole thing stunk of deception, and her gut was telling her that she shouldn’t go through with it. It was too good to be true.

However, despite how much she wanted to run away, her hooves wouldn’t budge. No matter how much she urged them to move, or how much she willed herself to turn and run, she remained rooted to the spot right outside of the library. A tight feeling in her chest—the same feeling that had kept her up for several nights—caused her to feel lightheaded, and she took a shaky breath. It had taken Selena awhile to finally work out what the feeling was. She faintly remembered it from her time in the orphanage. It had been the feeling of longing. A longing for a friend, for somepony to want her, and to care for her. A longing to matter to somepony.

A longing to not be alone any more.

Slowly, as soft as a spring breeze, a small ember of hope flickered to life deep within her chest: hope that Twilight’s offer had been truly been genuine. A friend… an actual friend.

Swallowing thickly, Selena raised a shaky hoof and knocked weakly upon the door. The faint sound on the other side ceased instantly, and Selena felt a momentary spike of panic before pushing it down. She had come this far, might as well go a little further. If worse came to worse, she’d just make a run for it. She had done it before, she could do it again. Her ear twitched once as the muffled ‘clop’ of hoof grew steadily louder before the door handle turned with a soft ‘click’, and the door swung open.

Selena braced herself for whatever was about to happen.

“Selena, you came!” Twilight cried, and even though Selena couldn’t see her face, the smile was clearly audible in Twilight’s voice. The response hadn’t been one that Selena had been expecting, and she blinked before scrunching up her face in confusion. She’s… happy to see me?

“I was hoping you’d join us,” Twilight continued, oblivious to Selena’s bewilderment, “and here you are! You’re a little early, though.”

“S-sorry,” Selena stuttered, her ears folding back beneath her hood. She had no way to tell what time it was, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind that Twilight might not have wanted her to show up before the designated time. Had she screwed up already? “I… I didn’t know the—” she paused, biting her lip before quickly correcting “—I lost track of the time.”

“That’s fine. It happens to me too, on occasion,” Twilight said, waving her hoof nonchalantly.

“I can leave and come back later if you want,” Selena offered, taking a tentative step back.

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” Twilight chirped. Moving to one side, she motioned for Selena to enter. “You can just wait inside until everypony else shows up. They should be arriving shortly, and then we’ll head off to the picnic.”

Moving carefully, Selena was able to maneuver herself through the library door without bumping or tripping over anything. As she passed by Twilight, she caught a whiff of the faint fragrance of lilacs. For some reason, the scent calmed her nerves slightly.

“I… I didn’t bring any food with me, sorry,” Selena muttered as she walked further into the library. Subconsciously, she began to map out the layout of the room, her horn glowing softly beneath the hood. In the well-lit room, it was almost impossible to see that she was casting.

“That’s alright,” Twilight chirped happily, closing the door behind her with a ‘click’. She gave Selena a warm smile that went unnoticed by the blind mare. “You didn’t have to bring anything. I did kind of spring this on you at the last minute.”

When Selena didn’t return the smile, Twilight trailed off, her ears splaying off to the side. An awkward silence fell over the library after that as Selena moved her head back and forth, taking in the sounds of the library. She noted dimly that there was some faint vibrations coming from somewhere beneath her hooves. Probably from a basement of some sort, she figured, glancing blindly at the floor.

The sound of hoofsteps beside her drew Selena out of her observation, and she turned her head to listen as Twilight walked past.

“You can take your cloak off, if you’d like,” Twilight said. “It’s supposed to be a nice day, and you might get a little warm with it on.”

“I’d rather not,” Selena said stiffly, subconsciously pulling it tighter around herself.

Twilight paused before shrugging her shoulders. “Suit yourself.” She moved towards the coffee table, on which she was partway through assembling a picnic basket. Various sandwiches wrapped in paper were laid out on the table, and Twilight began to carefully pick them up and place them neatly in the basket, organizing them by size.

“I hope I have something you’ll like,” Twilight said to Selena as she continued to work on filling the basket. “I completely forgot to ask you what you liked during our last meeting, so I made sure to make a wide variety of sandwiches.”

“Are they all edible?” Selena asked, her head turned to the side as she listened to Twilight work.

Twilight paused, giving her a confused look over her shoulder.

“Yes?” she said, the word sounding more like a question. “I mean, my cooking skills aren’t that bad. I’m pretty sure I can make edible sandwiches.”

“Then they’re good enough for me,” Selena muttered.

This earned her another confused look from Twilight, but right as she opened her mouth to ask what Selena meant, there came a knock at the door.

“Hey, Twilight. You in there, sugarcube?” a voice called from the other side.

Selena’s ears twitched, and her brow furrowed slightly. The voice sounded slightly stuffed, as if the owner was getting over a cold. Still, there was no mistake that familiar twang. There was only one family that spoke like that around here.

“Yeah, egghead. You in there or what?” A second voice spoke up, this one raspy sounding. Selena’s ear flicked again. Like the first voice, the second one was familiar, but she couldn’t identify the owner.

Twilight, however, recognized the speakers immediately and perked up, a smile spreading across her face.

“Yes, I am. I’m just finishing up getting ready,” she called out to the ponies on the other side of the door. “You girls can come in, if you want. The door’s unlocked.”

There was a ‘click’, and Selena’s ear twitched as the door swung open. One pair of hooves entered the building, confusing her slightly until she heard the soft sound of wingbeats; one of the new arrivals was a pegasus.

“Hello, Rainbow. Applejack, are you feeling better?” Twilight asked as she walked past Selena to greet her friends.

“Better than Ah was,” the first visitor replied with a sniffle. “Wish mah dang nose would clear up, though.”

Not wanting to get in between Twilight and her guests, Selena turned her attention to the food Twilight had been packing. Tentatively, she leaned down and sniffed at one of the sandwiches. She could smell some daisies and green peppers, as well as what could be tomatoes. Her stomach growled at the scent as her mouth began to water. Fooooood…

Maybe, just maybe, this might work out for the best after all.

“Hey, Twilight...” the second, raspy voice said before suddenly trailing off. The pause that followed caused Selena to lift her head in confusion, tilting it slightly to face the direction the voice had come from. Silence filled the library for a brief moment before...

“YOU!”

The shout caused Selena to flinch, her sightless eyes widening in shock as she took a step back from the food-covered coffee table. Was I not supposed to—

The sound of flapping wings filled the air, and, before she had any time to react, something slammed into her side hard. The wind was knocked out of her in an instant, and she toppled sideways onto the floor. She struggled, only to squeal loudly when a hoof suddenly smashed into the side of her face with a loud ‘crack’.

“Rainbow!” she heard Twilight shriek from somewhere close by, but the ringing in her head was making it hard to pinpoint the exact direction. Another blow—this time to her muzzle—caused her head to whip back. Instantly, blood began to flow from her nostrils. A metallic taste filled her mouth, causing her to gag. Through the pain, the disorientation, and the ringing in her ears, Selena was barely able to think, let alone react.

I should have known! she thought as she lifted her hooves to defend herself. Twilight tricked me! She lured me here just for this! Berating herself for her own foolishness, Selena attempted to stave off the coming blows, shielding herself as best she could with her forehooves. However, before any more hits could land, her attacker was forcibly pulled off of her with a yelp.

Taking advantage of the lull, Selena scrambled dazedly to her hooves. Her horn sputtered before lighting up as she tried to map out the room for a quick escape. There were three ponies in the room with her: Twilight plus two others. One—the pegasus—was currently sprawled out on the floor a few feet away. The other one was an earth pony who was standing crouched by the door, guarding it. A nearby window was open, and that immediately became her escape route.

However, before she could move a muscle, the pegasus was back on her hooves and flying straight at her. Selena cried out, raising a hoof to protect herself from the incoming attack, but the blow never came. A magical barrier suddenly descended around her, trapping her within a dome of magic. The pegasus smashed into the barrier with an angry shout, and began to hammer away at it.

“Rainbow, what the hay!?” she heard Twilight cry, her voice shrill. Even muffled by the magical barrier, Selena could still hear the anger in it. “What’s the matter with you? Why did you attack her?”

“Why the hay are you defending her?” the raspy voice demanded as the pegasus stopped beating on the dome of magic. “She’s had this coming for a long time now! She deserves this!”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked with a snort, her anger giving away slightly to confusion.

As the pair argued, Selena pressed a hoof experimentally against the barrier, testing its strength. It flexed slightly, but other than that, it proved to be sturdy. There was no way she was getting through the barrier, but there was no way the pegasus was getting in. A gilded cage, really. Protected from the outside world, but trapped within.

Lowering her hoof, Selena coughed, only to grimace as the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Reluctantly, she spat it out on the floor, hoping that Twilight was too distracted to notice the action. Heart racing, the sound thumping away in her ears, she quickly turned her attention to figuring a way out of her current situation.

“Come on, Twilight, drop the barrier,” Rainbow snarled, kicking the magical dome. It flared as her hoof struck it, only to return to its rosy color. Rainbow huffed before kicking it again. “I’m gonna pound her into the ground.”

“I think not!” Twilight cried, glaring at her friend. “I am not lowering the barrier until somepony explains what is going on.” Her horn glowed brighter as she increased the barrier’s thickness another inch or so.

Rainbow blinked, before her brow furrowed. She aimed another kick at the barrier, only to think better of it and lower her leg instead.

“Ah’m with Rainbow on this,” Applejack grunted, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof. She sniffed before continuing. “This filly needs a good thumpin’. Ah’ve lost some bits because of her.”

“What do you mean? What did she do?” Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off of Rainbow, who was glaring at the trapped form of Selena with unbridled fury. The look scared Twilight slightly, although she wouldn’t admit it. In the short time she had come to know her friends, she had never seen Rainbow look this angry before. Whatever Selena had done, it must have been bad.

Twilight glanced sideways at Selena, eyeing the cloaked mare with a frown. She needed more evidence before she passed judgement on the mare.

The barrier remained strong.

Applejack sighed. “Twi, Ah know that you’re new tah Ponyville and all, but—”

“She’s the Shadow Thief!” Rainbow snarled, banging on the magical dome with her hooves. The sudden barrage caused Selena to jerk back, and she pressed herself against the far side of the shield with a whimper.

“‘S-Shadow Thief’? She… steals ponies’ shadows?” Twilight repeated, her annoyed look shift to one of confusion, and she glanced at Selena again. As she watched, blood dripped from the tip of Selena’s muzzle and landed on the floor, joining the growing number of bloody splotches on the wooden surface.

“No, she doesn’t,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “She’s just called that because tryin’ tah catch her is like tryin’ tah catch a shadow. She damn near impossible to catch.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow grunted, “she’s been stealing from the shops and stands around Ponyville for, like, years. Nopony has been able to catch her, because she just runs and disappears into the side streets.” Striking the barrier one last time before stopping, she floated backwards and crossed her forelegs over her chest, proceeding to glare at Selena.

Applejack moved to stand beside her, nodding grimly. She was glaring at Selena as well, although with less intensity as Rainbow.

“She’s been stealing for years?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing. When she had first caught Selena stealing, she had thought it was because she had fallen on hard times, but if what her friends were telling her was true, Selena had been stealing for far too long for it to be financial.

“She’s gotten a couple o’ apples off of me as well,” Applejack continued. “Also stole an entire bushel when Applebloom was runnin’ the stand. Ah was about ready to yell at her too, until Ah saw this varmint slinkin’ off with the basket on her back.”

“But now you’ve actually caught her,” Rainbow said, a large smirk spreading across her face. “We finally turn her over to the guards. This is awesome!”

“No!” Selena shouted suddenly, stumbling forward and placing her forehooves on the barrier.

“It’ll serve you right, thief!” Rainbow shouted back. “Shouldn’t have tried to sneak into the library and steal our food!”

“She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight said, giving Selena a calculating look.

Rainbow’s smirk vanished as her face went blank. “What?”

“She didn’t sneak in,” Twilight repeated. “I invited her. I met her in the marketplace several days ago and brought her back here. We talked for a couple of hours, and I invited her to come to our picnic.”

“Egghead,” Rainbow groaned, covering her eyes with her hooves. “I know you’re new to this whole “making friends” thing, but you don’t invite thieves to picnics. You call the guards on them!”

“Nopony is calling any guards until I—” Twilight began, only to be interrupted as the front door swung open again. In walked the rest of their friends, Rarity leading with Fluttershy trailing behind. Pinkie bounced along, a large smile on her face.

“Sorry for being late, darling,” Rarity said before rolling her eyes. “Pinkie Pie just had to stop for—” They never found out what Pinkie had to stop for, because at that exact moment Rarity froze, a look of horror on her face. A shrill gasp escaped her lips before she pointed at Selena and shrieked, “What is that horrid, wretched thing!?”

“Shady!” Pinkie gasped loudly before her smile grew. “I didn’t know you were going to be coming as well!”

“O-oh… oh my,” Fluttershy gasped as she stared wide-eyed at the blood stains on the floor beneath Selena.

The library immediately descended into chaos as everyone started talking over each other.

“Horrid! Disgusting! A crime against fashion!”

“Now I can figure out what your favorite cupcake is!”

“Oh, you poor dear!”

“Need to teach her a lesson about stealing!”

“It needs to be burned at once!”

“I’ve been guessing, trying to figure out based on how quickly it disappears—”

“I think there’s a first-aid kit around here somewhere.”

“—totally not cool!”

“The holes! The frayed edges! The color! Ugh!”

“—it’s really been hit or miss, though. But now I can ask you!”

“Um, e-excuse me, Twilight, but where do you keep the first-aid kit… i-if you don’t mind me asking?”

“—go get the guards!”

“Quiet!” screamed Twilight, her voice echoing around the room, causing everyone to wince. Trapped within the barrier, Selena clasped her hooves to her ears and gasped in pain as the shout was amplified by the magical dome.

Once the room had fallen silent, Twilight glared around at her friends. “Thank you. Now, if we could all be civilized for a few minutes, there are some things I want to get sorted out.” Pausing for a moment to take a breath, she then turned to look at Rainbow and Applejack. “Now, first things first. You two said that she’s a thief, and that she’s been stealing from the stalls around Ponyville for several years, correct?”

“More like a decade, but yes,” Applejack grunted, causing Rarity to gasp. Fluttershy just inched closer to the barrier, a piece of cloth held in her mouth.

“Yeah!” Rainbow added loudly, flaring her wings. “She’s nothing but a—”

Twilight’s horn glowed, and with a ‘click’, Rainbow’s mouth closed and was held shut by a rosy aura.

“A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will suffice, Dash,” Twilight chastised, causing the pegasus to glare at her. Ignoring the glare, Twilight turned to Pinkie next. The party pony was staring at Selena, bouncing on her hooves with a large smile on her face.

“And how do you know her, Pinkie?” she asked.

“That’s easy, silly,” Pinkie chirped. “Shady lives out behind Sugarcube Corner!”

“Wait, ya know where she lives?” Applejack asked as Rainbow’s eyes widened and she waved her hooves around in the air.

“Well, duh!” Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I know where everypony lives! I mean, if I didn’t, that wouldn’t be very good. I wouldn’t be able to continue leaving cupcakes around for her, would I?”

“Wait… that was you?” Selena asked softly, her voice muffled by the shield.

“Why didn’t ya tell the guards were she was then?” Applejack snorted, her eyes narrowing. “They have posters up all over town askin’ fer information about her!”

“B-but Shady’s not a bad pony,” Pinkie whimpered, her ears splaying back. “She just needs a friend.”

Applejack slapped a hoof to her forehead, groaning in annoyance. “Pinkie, she’s been stealin’ mah products—”

“We can discuss that more later,” Twilight interrupted loudly. Upon seeing Applejack glare at her, she sighed, her ears folding against her head. “Look, Applejack. I realize that it’s your livelihood we’re talking about, but I want to get all the information first, okay?”

Applejack snorted loudly, only to suddenly dissolve into a coughing fit. After a few seconds, she nodded her head and rasped, “Alright, Twi. Ah trust ya.”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said, giving her friend a soft smile. However, he smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with a serious look as she turned her attention to Selena. Eyeing her through the rosy barrier, she took several steps forward before beginning to talk.

“Selena?” she began, causing Selena to perk up and lift her head. When she glanced in Twilight’s general direction, she continued. “Is it true that you’ve been stealing food from the stands in the marketplace?”

Selena was silent for a while, fidgeting nervously with her hooves, before giving Twilight a shaky nod.

“Y-yes… yes I have,” she squeaked, her voice barely above a whisper, “but—”

“You see?!” Rainbow shouted, finally managing to pry her mouth open. “She admits it! She’s—” Another rosy cloud covered her mouth, silencing her again.

Twilight glared over her shoulder at Rainbow before returning her attention to Selena. “You were saying?” she asked, her voice gentle.

“I… I have been s-stealing,” Selena repeated, stumbling over the words. She paused, swallowing thickly as she tried to remain calm. However, her heart was threatening to burst from her chest. She was surrounded, capture by six ponies that she knew little about. Oh, I knew this was a bad idea. Selena, you stupid, stupid pony.

Taking a deep, rattling breath, she continued, “Yes, I’ve been stealing, but I-I only did it in order to eat.”

“Ya could try, I don’t know, payin’ fer ya food,” Applejack deadpanned, causing Selena to flinch.

“I don’t have any bits,” she whimpered, lowering her head until the hood covered all of her face.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, leaning forward with her ears perked.

“I… I don’t exactly have any bits,” Selena said, louder than before. Even so, Twilight could barely hear her through the barrier.

“Then ya get a job like the rest of us!” Applejack snorted, stomping her hoof.

“Doing what?” Selena asked, turning her head slightly in Applejack’s direction. “Nopony’s going to hire me.”

“Why’s that?” Twilight asked, trying to keep her tone as calm and gentle as possible, something she learned from watching Princess Celestia dealing with upset dignitaries. If she could make Selena feel as comfortable as possible, she was more likely to cooperate. Pinkie was being surprisingly well behaved, simply bouncing up and down on the spot with a smile on her muzzle. Rarity was eyeing Selena’s cloak with unconcealed contempt, and Fluttershy was practically pushed up against the barrier, the cloth still held lightly in her mouth. The only ponies she had to worry about was Rainbow and Applejack.

Hopefully she could keep their tempers in check long enough to get Selena feeling more comfortable.

However, despite Twilight’s gentle tone of voice, the question seemed to cause Selena to lower herself closer to the floor. She seemed to be trying to hide all her body beneath the ratty old cloak.

“I-I…. never went to school…” she groaned, trailing off towards the end.

“But, that’s impossible. Princess Celestia created the Compulsory Education Act nearly eight-hundred years ago, and it clearly states that all foals must attend primary school,” Twilight said, her brow furrowing as she frowned. “Failure of a parent or guardian to do so is punishable by law.”

“Yeah, well… I didn’t,” Selena huffed. Beneath her cloak, she wrapped her tail around her body in a protective manner.

“Well, what’s your cutie mark, then?” Applejack asked. “Surely that could tell ya what you’re good at?”

“No!” screamed Selena, her head whipping up. “Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark!” She scrambled backwards until her flank pressed up against the far wall of the barrier. Gathering her cloak in her hooves, she pulled it tight around her. In doing so, one of her forelegs was revealed for a brief moment before she managed to hide it back under her cloak.

However, she wasn’t quick enough for it to escape Twilight’s eyes.

“Whoa, easy girl,” Applejack said, taking a step back. “Ah didn’t mean anythin’ by it.”

“Nopony’s looking at my cutie mark,” Selena repeated, her entire body trembling.

With a pained grunt, Rainbow was finally able to pry her jaws open for a second time. Quickly fluttering over to the barrier, she sneered through the rosy aura at Selena. “Trying to hide your cutie mark, huh? Why? What are you trying to hide? Huh? Huh?! I bet it’s—”

“Selena, is there something you’re not telling us?” Twilight asked, interrupting Rainbow for the third time, to which Dash just threw her hooves in the air and let out a frustrated growl. Twilight ignored her, continuing to stare at Selena. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the trapped mare closely.

Selena stiffened before slowly turning her head in Twilight’s direction. She licked her lips before swallowing visibly.

“I… I don’t know what y-you’re talking about,” she squeaked out.

Twilight’s eyes just narrowed more.

“Can you show me your foreleg, then?” she asked. “In fact, could you just talk off your cloak so that we can get a proper look at you?”

“And so that we can burn that hideous thing,” Rarity hissed under her breath.

Twilight watched as a frown crossed Selena’s muzzle, and she somehow pulled the cloak tighter around herself.

“The cloak stays on,” she said. Her voice was surprisingly firm, none of the previous timidness present.

Blinking in surprise, a frown crossed Twilight’s muzzle. “Look, Selena. I’m trying to see both sides of the story here. What you’re doing is wrong, but I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here and say that you had a good reason for doing it. However, you have to help me out and meet me halfway.” When Selena didn’t budge, Twilight sighed. “How about this? If you take off the cloak, I’ll lower the barrier. Deal?”

Selena’s frown deepened, but her grip on the cloak loosened slightly, causing a small smile to flicker across Twilight’s muzzle; she could tell that Selena was giving it some thought.

Lowering her head, Selena fidgeted slightly, playing with the hem of the cloak. She continued this for a while in silence before glancing up.

“Why?” she whimpered.

“Pardon?” Twilight asked, blinking.

“Why?” Selena mewled. “Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?”

“Because that’s what ponies do?” Twilight replied uncertainly. “They help one another.”

“No, they don’t!” Selena cried loud enough to cause Fluttershy to jump back away from the barrier in fright. “They don’t help. They never help. Ponies just lie, and cheat, and hurt. They take from you even when you don’t have anything left to give, and then kick you while you’re down. The only time somepony helps somepony else is when they want something, so what do you want?!”

By the end of her tirade, tears were dripping down Selena’s face and falling to the bloodstained floor below. The room was silent as everyone stared at her. Pinkie was no longer bouncing, her smile faded. Fluttershy had backed off, moving to stand by Rarity, whose glare had softened into a look of confusion. Even Applejack looked unsure of herself, nervously shifting from hoof to hoof. The only pony that held their look of anger was Rainbow.

Twilight glanced over at her friends, but when all she received was a shrug from them, she returned her attention to Selena. Ears splayed back, she took a step forward, only to pause as she realized she didn’t know how to handle the situation. Licking her lips, Twilight sighed heavily. “Because, I’m your friend… and I want to help.”

Selena froze, the hem of the cloak falling from her grasp.

“F-friend?” she asked weakly, her voice cracking halfway through the word.

“Yes,” Twilight replied gently, a warm smile on her face. “A couple of days ago when we first met, I offered to be your friend. That offer still stands.”

“B-but why?” Selena choked, tears still falling from her face. “A-after everything you just heard…”

“Because you look like you need a friend,” Twilight said, “and that’s what Princess Celestia sent me here to do. Make friends. If I can help you out by doing so, that’s even better.”

Selena fell silent again, chewing on her bottom lip. Her indecisiveness was clear, and Twilight sighed heavily.

“Here,” she said softly, the magic around her horn fading. A moment later, the barrier around Selena winked out of existence. Rainbow’s wings twitched when the barrier fell, but a withering glare from Twilight kept her from pouncing. Fluttershy twitched as well, but kept her distance. She hid behind Rarity, a mixture of worry and nervousness crossing her face.

Having had her flank pushed up against the dome of magic, Selena staggered backwards when it vanished. She managed to get her hooves back under her in time, and stood there, her legs splayed apart slightly. A look of disbelief crossed her face, which made Twilight laugh softly.

“There, I’ve lowered the barrier,” she said, giving Selena a small smile. When Selena’s head moved to the side, Twilight glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw the open window that Selena was obviously eyeing.

“Please,” she said quickly, turning back to face Selena, “don’t run. I just want to help, I swear!”

Selena flinched at the loudness of Twilight’s voice before relaxing a miniscule amount. She licked her lips before speaking.

“So… I just need to take off my cloak?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“For the moment, yes,” Twilight replied trying to keep her tone as friendly as possible. She didn’t want Selena bolting, not after they had gotten this far. “I just want to see what you look like. After that, we can sit down and discuss this like civilized ponies.” She put extra emphasis on the last part, glaring over her shoulder at Rainbow.

Rainbow snorted and crossed her forelegs over her chest, retuning the glare. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like an insult, but Twilight couldn’t hear what she had said.

Selena swallowed again, steeling herself. She took a shaky breath before nodding her head weakly. “A-alright. I’ll… I’ll do it.” Trying to keep her breathing steady, she slowly lifted a hoof and unfastened the clasp of her cloak. She fumbled briefly with the clasp before managing to open it. Shrugging her shoulders, she allowed the cloak to slip off of her back and onto the floor.

As the cloak dropped from Selena’s withers, Twilight’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock and horror. Around her, similar reactions could be seen on her friends’ faces as well. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling a gasp. Pinkie’s mane immediately lost its usual volume, now hanging limply around her shoulders. Rainbow, forgetting to keep herself aloft, landed on her flank with a ‘thump’. Applejack looked horrified. Fluttershy looked close to being ill.

Unable to form any coherent thoughts at the moment, Twilight could only stare at Selena with horrified fascination, unable to look away.

Her coat—which looked like it could have been a lovely shade of dark blue—was covered in a thick layer of grime and dirt. She was caked with so much dust and debris that Twilight couldn’t even see her cutie mark. Her body was thin, horribly thin to the point that it could not, in any way, be healthy. Her ribs were clearly visible through her patchy coat, as were her spine and hip bones. There was barely any fat anywhere on her.

To Twilight, it was more than clear now that Selena hadn’t been exaggerating. She wasn’t stealing for pleasure: she was stealing to survive.

The horror didn’t end there. Cuts and scrapes covered her emaciated body, several of them obviously infected. Her long mane—a darker shade of blue than her coat—hung about her face in a tattered and disheveled mess. A horn poked from between her bangs, the appendage cracked and chipped. Her muzzle was slightly crooked, and looked like it had been broken in the past. Fresh bruises and cuts adorned the side of her face where Rainbow had attacked her earlier. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see said pegasus eyeing the injuries with an uneasy—almost guilty—expression.

And lastly, there was her eyes; Twin milky-blue orbs that stood out in stark contrast with the dark colors of her coat and mane. Twilight had only seen eyes like that once before in her life, and she knew instantly what it meant. Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, “You’re blind?!”

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Twilight mentally kicked herself. Of course Selena was blind. It was painfully obvious now that she thought about it. The way she had never looked directly at anypony when talking. How she seemed to always stumble along, unsure of where to put her hooves. Even those moments of silence where only her ears moved under the hood. Looking back now, Twilight couldn’t believe that she hadn’t noticed before. One of her grandparents was blind; she should have recognized the signs immediately.

At Twilight’s words, Selena blinked, and her ears swiveled around to point in Twilight’s direction. An uneasy look crossed her face, and Twilight could see her body tense slightly. Her tail tucked itself between her hind legs in a defensive manner.

“Um… y-yes,” she stuttered out, her voice cracking slightly.

Twilight’s eyes widened again. Missing teeth were clearly visible when Selena spoke. What has this poor mare been through?

Applejack grunted, the look of uneasiness leaving her face as her eyes narrowed.

“Wait, so you’re blind and still able tah steal from mah cart?” At Selena’s nod, Applejack chewed on the inside of her cheek for a few seconds before sighing. “As much as Ah don’t want tah admit it, that’s downright impressive right there.” This caused Rainbow to give her a disgruntled look. “What?” Applejack asked. “Look, Ah’m not saying that she’s forgiven. Ah’m just sayin’ that Ah’m impressed she can steal from mah cart and get away even though she can’t see!”

“You’re making me sound better than I am,” Selena muttered, wilting slightly as she felt everyone’s gazes land on her. “I… I don’t exactly have the best track record.”

“Ah’d say,” Applejack said, her hard look softening slightly. “Ya look like a small breeze would blow ya away. Ah can see why ya been stealin’. Might have tah have granny make ya up somethin’ to eat.”

“Applejack!” Rainbow finally cried, giving her friend an incredulous look. “She’s a thief! You don’t help ponies like that!”

“Rainbow, ya idjit, look at her!” Applejack snorted, pointing a hoof at Selena, who shifted uncomfortable at the attention. “Thief or not, that’s not healthy! Nopony would intentionally allow themselves tah starve like this. Ah’m not sayin’ that Ah forgive her, but Ah’m not going to condemn her! My pa didn’t raise me like that!”

Rainbow snorted, but lowered her head and backed down.

Twilight opened her mouth to agree with Applejack’s point, but before she could, Pinkie whimpered loudly.

“If I had known you were this hungry, I would have left more cupcakes and muffins lying around,” she said, giving Selena a sad look.

“Pinkie, I know you meant well, but she doesn’t need sweets,” Twilight chided. “That could end up making her very sick in her present state.” When Pinkie lowered her head, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, Twilight sighed. Moving over, she gave her friend a hug. “Don’t be sad, Pinkie. I know you meant well.”

Shifting nervously from hoof to hoof, Selena swallowed thickly. “Um… w-what—”

However, before she could as her question, Rarity finally managed to find her voice.

“Oh my stars, darling!” she cried, causing Selena to jump. “Your coat! Your coiffure! It’s simply dreadful! It’s… it’s... I’ve never… seen… oh my…” Unable to express what she was thinking in words, Rarity could only stare at Selena, aghast. Lifting up a hoof, she began to fan herself.

“Her coat?” Fluttershy yelped. She looked at Rarity, her eyes beginning to water. “What about her body?” Opening her wings, she quickly fluttered over to Selena, causing the blind mare to flinch back in surprise. An alarmed look crossed her face but vanished into a look of confusion as Fluttershy began to tenderly exam several of her wounds.

“Oh dear, these don’t look good,” Fluttershy whimpered as she inspected a large scratch on the side of Selena’s barrel. “Several of these are heavily infected! They need to be cleaned and cared for. You need medical attention right away!” Turning her head, she called over her shoulder to Twilight. “Where do you keep the first-aid kit?”

Selena’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, flailing her hooves. “T-that’s quite alright! I’m fine—”

“I agree. She needs medical attention,” Twilight said quickly, cutting Selena off, “but the medical kit won’t do any good with how severe those wounds are.” A determined look flashed across Twilight’s eyes. Her horn lit up and she lifted Selena’s cloak, draping it over the blind mare’s body.

“What the—” Selena yelped as the hood fell over her head. She scrambled backwards, managing to get herself more tangled within the holes and tears of the material.

As Selena struggled to free herself from the confines of the cloak, Twilight moved beside her and began to gently, yet firmly, push her towards the door.

“We have to get you to the hospital,” Twilight grunted. When Selena didn’t budge, she used more force.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Selena protested, her voice muffled by the cloak. “I’m telling you, I’m fine!”

“Yeah, and Ah’m an alicorn princess,” Applejack snorted, moving to help Twilight nudge Selena along.

“T-this is unnecessary!” Selena cried. She tried to dig her chipped hooves into the floor, but she was unable to get any traction. In a last-ditch effort to escape, she shouted out, “I’ll call the guards!”

“No ya won’t,” Applejack grunted. “Come on, girl. We’re, oof… trying tah help ya.”

“This is getting ridiculous,” Twilight grumbled. Stopping her attempt to get Selena to the door, she stepped back and lit up her horn. A rosy glow surrounded Selena and, with a yelp, she was lifted off her hooves and into the air. Having the pony she was trying to shove suddenly gone, Applejack stumbled and face-planted on the ground.

Selena immediately began to freak out.

“Put me down, put me down, put me down!” she squealed, flailing her hooves around. “I can’t feel… I think I’m going to be sick… which way is down?!”

Ignoring Selena’s cries, Twilight trotted quickly to the door, Selena floating effortlessly behind her.

“There! Much more efficient,” Twilight said, nodding twice. Opening the door, she slipped outside, levitating Selena along with her. The others just gave each other bemused looks before following after Twilight.