Time felt blurry, the constant waking and sleeping felt endless. I could barely discener the days from one another, each one marked by either rest, abuse, or a chat with Feros.

I stared at Feros as she pulled the Equestrian flag off our wall. "Clark, sure?"

"Oh I'm sure. I doubt anyone will get the symbolism, but nineteen-fifty-six was a hard fought year!" I took the flag from her, quickly pulling it over our floor, the twin alicorns linked in a circle on the front were about to get a littler altercation. "Feros...the knife."

Feros turned to her bed, scurrying over and pulling a sword from under her mattress. "Here, sharp."

I looked at the sword, a strange hilt fit for a pony's mouth. "Uh...honestly, this is a bit overkill."

Feros shrugged. "Is...how you say, what I have."

I frowned hard. "Your English is coming along.... How long have I been here again?"

Feros rubbed her head. "I arrive in summer, leaves are fall--"

"Okay...I get it." I had to stop her quick, my gut was already churning from the thought of my lost time. "Now...you know what to do when she gets here?"

Feros turned to the door. "I go...I find the sun goddess."

I nodded, slowly sinking the sword through the thin flag. "She didn't listen to Cadance, and she's stonewalling any investigation. Talking didn't work-" I held my head, "-god, I can't even remember what I tried to say. I think...it helped. Less violent that night. Crying, someone was crying."

Feros looked me up and down. "Clark...where will you go?"

I was half way done slicing out Luna's half of the Equestrian crest. "What?"

Feros paced around me as I slashed and ripped the Equestrian crest in half. The sun remained half stiched into the tattered mess, but the moon was torn roughly from the center. "Where will you go when freed?"

I finished up with the sword and set it down. "I don't know. I won't stay here I can tell you that much." I looked down at my pale hands. "I can't go back north.... I don't even know if they kept up with what was happening. Cold's family never liked her dating a human anyways." I rubbed my eyes. "I guess that's for the best. But I really don't know. Maybe I'll travel."

"To?" Feros asked, slowly walking along the edge of the flag. "I have never seen much of Equestria myself. The mountains only, but nothing more."

I stared at the blue headed mare. "...Are--"

"I suggest we go to the east. Someplace warm." She smiled, a warm, praising smile. "Should hurry, cold will come and take the warm away if you're not quick."

I frowned hard, slowly turning to the flag. "I was thinking of going home. Back to Earth, permanently."

"Oh!" Feros yanked her head away. "I see.... Foolish I suppose."

I rubbed my hands together, eventually giving my face a quick wipe. "It'd take a lot to keep me here. After Cold, and this. I just don't know." I wiped across my mouth hard, dragging my lips slightly. "Sorry."

Feros took a deep breath. "Is fine. Spent time with you, would like more. More not locked away. More friend, less ally." She looked towards the door, her scruffy blue mane hanging gently behind her. "Few friends, as I said. Transylmania is not a place for friends."

"We're not in Transylmania." I stated calmly. "...I might be here, locked up in some luxury dungeon, but we're still in Canterlot." I reached out, rubbing her back up to her neck. "Feros, I think I'd like to be friends, even after this. I mean, especially after this. You've been one of the few people actively helping me through this." I scooted over to her. "I just don't know if I could--"

"Could I keep you here?" She asked, refusing to turn around. "I will not beg--"

I didn't answer in voice. I plucked the mare up, pulling her flailing body back against me. I pulled her tight against my chest, leaving her back legs flailing as she tucked her forelegs up against my arms. She yelped softly as she fumbled back, trying to get her hooves under her. I kept her back straight, forcing her back legs out from under her. I buried my face in the back of her mane. "We'll find out I guess." I carefully stood up, still hugging the pony back against me. I swung her around the dull room, feeling that familiar warmth settle into my stomach once again.

I took her over to the bed, letting go of her and watching as she spun around and nearly fell off the opposite side. "Clark, why?!"

I took a deep breath. "Because you know what, I feel alright. I've got a plan, I've got help. And...maybe not the best with direct advice, she's still giving me an idea." I turned back to the flag. "Now, help me hang this up. I think it gets my point across alright."

Feros shook her head, that peculiarly equine shake side to side that also shook her neck. "Yes...I think...perhaps a little blunt." She flew over, taking the left side and flying it back onto the hooks. "No...very blunt." She finished pushing the flag back onto our wall and swooped down towards the cut out section of cloth. "A shame."

"A statement," I clarified. "Now, when she gets here, you gotta go. You gotta run! Because I'm not going next time. If this is how I have to die, or how I have to kill, then this is it. But I'm not going again."

Feros nodded, a bit of fire in her eyes. "Yes. I- ...I still believe violence is a bad answer. But you will do as you will."

I looked towards the flag, feeling a bit of stubborn pride landing in my chest. "I have to. I'm not sick anymore. I can focus, and maybe my memory isn't so great right now, but I know what's going to happen if I let this keep going any longer."

Feros nodded. "Just please, do not hurt yourself, or others. Is my job, as they say."

I turned to the grey mare. "...You're violent? I'm having trouble imagining a mare with such a beautiful voice being violent."

"There is much you don't know of- wait...beau--" She stopped dead, eyes growing wide as her wings flung out and slapped my knee. "...I'm not beautiful." She shook her head hard, quickly standing up and turning away from me. "I fight. I wear armor. I spit and swear and am mean!"

"Doesn't change the fact you've got a beautiful voice--"

"Shut up!" She shouted, her soft rasp carrying her accent hard. "Not beautiful!"

"I--" I could feel a soft thud on the ground. "It's time."

Feros snapped her head towards the door. "Is her?"

I held still, sure of the vibrations through the hard wood floor. "It's her."

Feros swung herself to the door. "Then I should go--"

"One last thing." I grabbed her by the mane, quickly ducking down to one knee and pulling her around. "Incase this is where I die." I pulled the mare up, tucking her into a heavy hug. "Alright...and in the likely event that I will die." I pulled her back again, planting a strong kiss on her lips. Feros let out a sharp yelp.

She pushed herself back, clocking me lightly over the jaw with her free hoof. "Oh, you think death is a fair reason to- to- to do that?!"

"I do." I stood up, dusting myself off and leaving Feros standing alone. "Now...if you don't mind saving my life...I'd appreciate it if you could find Celestia before I embed a piece of ceramic in someone's soft tissue."

Feros stared at me, her cheeks puffed out wide. "Make it another's flesh!" she shouted, flinging herself out of the room. "I will not tolerate your own!"

I could feel my heart beat like mad as the door hung open. "Sure...." I reached into my back pocket, the clothe wrapped Ceramic tucked under my belt. "I'll do my best." I felt my skin grow cold as the navy blue mare peeked around the corner. A smile, a sickening, stomach tossing smile.

"Clark! We are happy you're awake!"

I felt my hand tighten up around the outline of the shank. "Yeah...so am I."