Finally!

The final case has been closed, the sun is setting- with my help, of course- and my work here is officially done. At last I can stretch my legs before going to get some much needed rest. The cases coming through have been so asinine lately that I simply cannot fathom the idea of further interaction with other ponies. Rising from my seat, I am quick to trot out from behind the large desk and leave the courtroom. I'll admit to feeling a bit peckish, but my tired mind clouded over any thoughts of food I might have. With sleep picking away at me, I wasted no time making my way to my quarters. Oh, how relaxing it would be to collapse into my own bed, surrounded in the warmth and softness of my comforter.

I was just about to turn into the hallway that would that led to the very room I daydreamed over for the last several hours, but was forced to stop when I was met with a disheartening sight. Further down the hall I was currently standing in was the entrance to the Night Wing. Currently dragging her hooves down that hall was none other than my own sister. Her head was hung low, her posture slackened as if the life had been sucked out of her. I could not see the expression on her face, but I didn't need to. I could practically feel her heavy heart just from seeing her this way.

All thoughts of sleep were swept away as I changed course and made a B-line for my sister. "Luna!" I called out, easily earning her attention. She stopped moving as she looked up at me, her bloodshot eyes and matted fur telling me that she had been crying no too long ago. "Lulu, dear..." I halted my movements as I stood just inches from her, my own sad eyes staring back into hers. "What's wrong?"

Luna didn't answer. Her gaze simply fell back to the floor as she sniffled lightly. It didn't take wizard to start putting the pieces together. For a while now there has been only one thing causing her such heartache and distress, and it's starting to get on my nerves. "It's Ebah again, isn't it?"

Luna's eyes clenched shut, tears working their way through her closed lids. "I don't know what to do anymore, sister." She said in a defeated tone, pain riddled in every syllable that left her lips. "He hasn't spoken to me in days...He refuses to even look at me..." She finally looked up at her, her eyes shimmering to the brim with guilt and pain. "I thought I could help him, I really did. But now...I feel like I'm just causing more damage than anything else."

I stared at her in awe. Never had I heard her speak like this when it came to her adopted son. She had her trying moments with him, that goes without saying, but she would always rise above it more determined than ever. Not anymore though. All of the hope in her eyes had been snuffed out and left merely an empty pit in its place. "He won't even speak to Garnette!" She went on to say, "Throughout everything that has happened, she was always the one he turned to. Now he shuns her away just as he does to me!"

Luna placed a hoof to her head, an odd form of panic seeming to taking over her. "He just!...He...I don't...!"

I wrapped a hoof around my sister, pulling her into a the warmest hug I could provide. There was some hesitation on her part, but she soon returned the embrace in full. We stayed this way for what felt like hours before finally separating. I hold a hoof to her face, keeping her face level with my own. It hurt me deeply to see her so broken down and I would do anything in my power to make sure I never have to see this expression again; Even if I meant I had to face that troublesome colt once more.

"I've been putting it off for too long." I said aloud, lowering my gaze. "It's high time Ebah and I had a talk." I stepped away from my little sister, making to walk by her. I didn't make it far before I felt her weight on my back.

"No, Tia!" Luna pleaded, not seeming to care if anypony saw her in such a position. "Please, you must not! It could make things worse! So much worse!" Her pained expression from earlier was gone now, replaced entirely with fear.

"Luna, I will not tolerate his behavior anymore." I said coldly, shaking her off of me. "He needs to be dealt with and if I must be the one to do it, then so be it." I didn't need to look back to realized that she was holding on to my hind leg, senselessly trying to stop me.

"Sister, please!" She continued to beg, "Don't do this! Please!"

"That enough, Luna!" I snapped, turning back to look down at her. Shaking myself free from her grip, I turned around so I could face her at least somewhat properly as she remained on the floor. "For heaven's sake! You are a princess and you are acting like a child!" It brought me no pleasure to talk down to her like this, but it had to be done. "I am going to speak with him and you are going to get to night court and do your job! Are we clear?"

Luna cowered some at my words, the resistance still showing in her weak gaze. She let out a breath, her head dropping some as she finally submitted. "Yes, sister..."

"Good..." I couldn't stand to look at her any longer. If I did, my authoritative stance would have crumbled.

Turning around, I continued to my sister's chamber. Frustration and determination filled me as I trotted with purpose, intent on making that stubborn little pony see the error of his way and give my sister the respect that she deserves. I approached the door, not bothering to knock as I flung it open with my magic and marched into the bedroom, scanning every inch to find Ebah.

It wasn't too difficult to find him, but it wasn't anything like I expected. When I came in here, I was half expecting a fight to break out upon entry, but was met with something else entirely. With my neck craned to the side, I spotted the oddly relaxed colt sitting just beyond the open balcony doors, looking out over the city as he rested himself on his haunches. A soft breeze gently pushed his mane to the side. Accompanying the breeze was the sound of him breathing in deeply, taking in the air as he huddled into the tattered vest that hung loosely from his form.

This all caught me a little off guard, having grown accustomed to his typical, hostile behavior. I think this is the first time I've seen him in any sort of relaxed fashion. Much to my own surprise, I calmly made my way to the balcony, unable to take my eyes off of him. I took a seat by his side and leaned forward, trying to get a look at his face.

Ebah's features were calm, but his eyes were shining with a burning anger I could almost feel. It actually made me a little uncomfortable. Leaning back so I was sitting up proper, I decided that it was high time that I start things off. "Ebah, we need to talk."

"Just leave me alone." Ebah replied with hushed venom, as if he were trying desperately to remain in this state. I found this more than a little shocking. Normally he's the first one to raise his voice.

"Please, child." I asked nicely, hoping for a better response before I let myself get too carried away. "It's important that we discuss the way you been behaving."

Ebah's head turned to face me; His face was cold and emotionless, but those piercing eyes made me feel like I was staring into the sun itself. "I am in no mood. This is your last warning."

"Ebah, I am serious!" I began in a raised tone to emphasize my frustration. "Your blatant disregard for others is taking its toll and it's hurting the pony I care for the most. I understand that you've had it rough for a while and that you're a long way from-"

"I said, 'Fuck off'!"

I hardly had a moment to react as I was thrown through the balcony doors, hitting the wall on the other side of the room with a loud thud. If not for my alicorn blood, that probably would have hurt more. Instead, it only fueled my own anger. It was time that I taught him a lesson, one he wouldn't soon forget.

Grabbing Ebah in my magic, I yanked him into the room with me. I got back back on my hooves, dangling the now furious colt in front of my face. "That is the last straw, Ebah!" I yelled, letting my anger out in full force. "I have had it up to here with you. I refuse to let you treat myself or Luna this way any longer!"

"It's about fuckin' time..." The way Ebah looked at me in this moment was odd, adding a bit of confusion into my mix of emotions. "Do something, anything! Make me stop!" He shouted in anger, but also something else. Through the hate that was practically glowing in his eyes, I could see a glint of hurt flash through them. "I can't take it anymore, man...I don't care what you do, just make it stop."

This isn't right...He isn't right...

For the longest time I thought that he was just angry for the sake of being angry. But, his defeated tone, his sudden lack of resistance; This was cause enough for me to think twice. I prided myself on being able to read ponies and understand their true intentions, but it was difficult to see through this child. It took a bit of searching, but it became clear that he isn't angry. Well, he is, but that's not all of it. The more I stared into his eyes, the more obvious it became that something was bothering him. He was troubled.

I let out a sigh, unable to stay mad at him as I began to read into the emotions locked within his gaze. I have to learn more, to figure him out so we could put an end to at least some of his troubles. "Ebah, what is the source of all of this?" I asked, earning a certain look from him. "Why are you so mad?"

There was no pause, no hesitation, no searching. He knew the answer and he said it as it was. "Because I'm mad." He said plainly before going into some detail. "I'm just...mad all the time and I don't want to be. But, I can't stop it. I can't make it go away no matter how hard I try and it just pisses me off even more." His form didn't become relaxed per se, moreover it felt as though his body was giving out. "I feel like I'm losing my mind...I don't want to keep feeling like this but it just keeps getting worse and trying to fight it off all the time...I'm tired...I'm frustrated...I don't know how much more of this shit I can take."

Ebah looked at me, the anger in his eyes shoved into the background and replaced with, what I could only describe as, hopelessness. "The more I fight it, the worse it gets. It wants to come out, but the second it does-" His rage returned to the forefront, his expression now matching his hateful gaze. "I get my ass chewed out by one of you pricks for trying to relieve myself of something I am growing tired of fighting off. At this point, I'd rather kill everyone in this fucking castle than waste any more of my energy trying to save you from it!"

Relieve yourself, huh?

I hummed out loud to myself, coming up with a rather unorthodox plan. It was risky and could lead to some very complicated issues if it backfired, but it was something. If I'm right in my assumption, he needs to be able to work this out of his system naturally. And, if all he really needs is an outlet to balance him out, then perhaps there's a chance of making things right again. However, it would take both my sister and I keeping an eye on him to make sure he wouldn't go overboard and hurt somepony. This will put a dapper on my much needed rest, but if it worked, the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks.

"I have a terrible idea..."

Burn it...Burn it down...

"What the hell are we doing here?" I asked the white bitch who had forcibly put me on her back while she walked off to a courtroom. We were on the sidelines, hidden from view. Several piews were laid out in rows before us near the entrance, filled to the brim with various ponies. Most of which were unicorns for some reason. At the end sat the large bench that the woman was currently sitting behind as she addressed two ponies that stood behind their respective bailiffs.

The only response I got was a shushing sound from Miss Tall Horse. I let out an annoyed sigh, looking over the courtroom one last time before settling my sights on the plaintiff, who was bickering about something to do with his lawn. I raised a brow at this as I started to listen in on what he was saying. From what I had gathered, this guy was upset because the defendant didn't mow his lawn to the right size.

I felt my jaw drop a few inches as I looked down at Tia. "Is this guy fucking serious right now?" Once again, no response. She didn't even shush me, just glanced over in my direction with a stupid grin on her face for like two seconds. I turned my attention back to the plaintiff, dumbstruck by his complaints.

"Your highness," The pony spoke with his nose held up high. "This is the seventh time I have come here because of their arrogance." He pointed a hoof to the defendant without looking at her. "I urge you to have her removed from her position before she can cause anymore damage."

The woman looked over to the defendant and I could tell she was trying hard not to roll her eyes. "Is there anything the defendant would like to say in response?"

The mare nodded and cleared her throat, "As you know, I am the seventh pony who has been sent to work on Mr. Green Hoof's property." She began, sounding pretty chill about this whole thing. "Each has ended up in this exact same position. To put it in simply, and in the nicest way I can, he cannot be pleased. It's impossible!"

"I would be pleased if your company could do it right the first time." Green Hoof interrupted, each word coming out of his mouth causing my eye to twitch as I tried desperately to keep to myself. "If you don't know how to follow orders and do as your told, then you have no place in the workforce. It's your job to do as I say to the letter and you have failed to comply, leaving me no choice but to take drastic-"

You know what; Fuck this guy!

"If you don't like it, then why don't you do it yourself you pompous, lazy, entitled piece of shit!" Oh my god! I don't even care how much trouble I get in. That felt good!

In an instant, all eyes were on me and Princess Sunny Cheeks. I didn't bother to gauge a reaction from her or the woman, I knew I was fucked. But hell, the train's rolling so I might as well blow the whistle. I hopped off of my living pedestal, marching down the center of the courtroom until I was standing right in front of the bench that the woman was behind. Once I was there, I turned around and began my own assessment.

"So, let me get this straight real quick." I looked over to the defendant, pointing a hoof at her. "You say that you are the seventh pony to visit this dude and he brought all of them to court?"

"Uhh..." She glance up, looking at the mare behind me.

I clapped my hooves loudly, making sure her eyes were focused on the tiny pony up front. "I'm talking to you! You look at me! Now answer the fucking question!"

"Y-yes, Prince Ebah!" She finally said, looking very unsure of herself...and knowing who I am somehow.

Ignoring that, I looked over to Green Hoof. "Is this true?"

Green Hoof stuck his nose back into the air, closing his eyes as he ignored me. "Princess Luna, would you please control your child. This is a very serious-"

"You're askin' for it. Aren't ya, mister?" I've been finding it incredibly easy to grab things in my magic lately. They don't usually survive for long, but it works. That being said, I had dude's tie smoking in my hold as I yanked him into the bailiff. "Yes...or no..."

The stallion rolled his eyes at me and answered. "Yes, that is true." He said in a tone that made my skin crawl.

"Talk to me like that...one more time...and I will set your fuckin' pubic hair on fire..." I growled, finally earning a rather pleasant reaction from him. Satisfied with that, as well as the answer he gave me, it was time to get rid of the poor mare on trial. I pointed my hoof at her again. "You. Leave."

Green Hoof didn't seem to like this at all, quickly losing his cowering demeanor as he went on the defensive. "Hold on, you can't just send her out! We have a case to-"

"Shut your whore mouth! I'm not talking to you!" I shouted, accidentally launching- what I assume was the gavel- into the pony's mouth before turning my attention back to the mare still standing behind the bailiff. "Why are you still here?" The mare took exception to that, levitating several papers from in front of her before running out of the courtroom. Once again, Green hoof had something to say about me letting her leave, but it was a little difficult to hear him with all that wood in his mouth.

Spitting out the gavel, Green Hoof shot me a glare, clearly displeased with my interference and influence. However, he decided to take this up with my mom rather than myself. "Your highness! Your child is making a mockery of this court and interrupting a very delicate case! Are you just going to sit there and let him get away with this?"

I had to admit, I was a little curious about how she was taking all of this. I was only recently thinking about it though, having been a little distracted with everything else. But, with those thoughts in mind, I turned toward the bench and looked up at the woman, awaiting her response. Her gaze shifted back and forth between myself and Green Hoof for a few seconds. Then, to my utter surprise, she smiled.

"Mister Green Hoof..." She began, a shit-eating grin spread across her face as she offered me one last look. "My son here is merely cutting to the chase. You see, over the years we have gone easy on ponies in this courtroom. But that is something we hope to change with the help of Prince Ebah." That smug smile only grew as the stallion's expression went from pissed to shocked. "My son, you may continue."

Now wearing my own smile, I approached the bailiff where Green Hoof resided, keeping enough distance so I wouldn't have to kill my neck looking up at him. "Alright, you hoity fuck; Here's the verdict." I began, quickly coming up with an easy solution that I knew this uptight prick would absolutely despise. "Seeing as no one else can seem to please you, I am officially declaring you blacklisted from any and all landscaping and/or groundskeeping company in Canterlot."

His eyes went dead! And it was nothing short of bliss to my young, devious heart. "W-wha..."

"That's right!" I confirmed, wearing a proud smile. "Since no one else can meet your expectations, you are now free to do all of the yard work for your property; on! Your! Own!" I turned around not wanting to see anymore of this guy than I needed to. "Judgment in favor of the defendant, Green Hoof is to be blacklisted on all accounts previously stated. This court is now adjourned..." My eyes went to the floor, noticing the saliva coated gavel. Wanting to keep it official, I picked it up in my magic and banged it on the bench.

I ignored the sounds of protest coming from the obnoxious stallion, reveling in my small victory. It's odd really. Something about taking that guy down a peg, being in charge, putting him down like the filth he is; It just felt so...satisfying... But, I couldn't dwell on that for too long. There was something I had to take care of. I was on the move once more and making my way behind the bench and toward the mare who had claimed me as her own. Her eyes followed me the whole way, just watching with a mix of joy and worry as I closed in on her. Taking a seat next to her, I said the only thing I could.

"Sup..."

The woman let out a quiet laugh, still clearly uncertain of how to feel and having a hard time even looking in my direction. "So...You're talking to me again?" She asked nervously, rubbing her front hooves together.

"So YoU'rE tAlKiNg To Me AgAiN?" I mocked, "No shit, I'm talking to you again!" This got a smile out of her, but I could still see the doubt in her eyes even as she faced the floor. I'll be honest, it kinda made me feel like a dick. "Okay, I know I've been acting like a total emo kid lately, but I..." I paused, not knowing how exactly to explain it. Or even what it was I was trying to explain. "Scratch that, moving on. I don't know what crawled up my ass, but I'm feeling better and I'm sorry."

Didn't come out as genuine as I intended, but it's better than nothing?

My not-so-mother gave me a look, which was concerning at first. But, there was a smile creeping across her face and I couldn't help but to grin in return. "You know you are one crafty fuckin' pony." I turned to look back at Celestia, who was slowly making her way over to us.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." She said with a grin of her own, coming to a stop on the other side of the woman.

"Don't feed me that line of bullshit, you know exactly what you did." I stated with a somewhat playful glare, pointing a hoof at her. "You knew this was going to happen..."

The woman's face shifted to one of confusion as she looked back and forth between us. "Knew what? What did she do?" Her sights rested on her older sister. "Tia, what did you do?"

Celestia pretended like she was going over it in her head before giving an actual answer, "During my little talk with Ebah-"

"Fuck you, by the way."

Ignoring me, she continued, "I came to a conclusion that this very incident proved to be quite solid." Oh god, she starting to sound like Twilight. I knew those brains had to come from somewhere. "I believe I may have finally discovered the meaning behind his cutie mark as well." The woman's eyes widened at her sister's words, obviously very curious.

I was in no better a state. I blinked a few times, relaxing my stance as I looked up at her. "Go on..."

"Since you've gotten your mark, you've claimed to be feeling a constant flow of anger, right?" She asked, her attention mostly on me now. I nodded so she would continue. "A cutie mark is supposed to be a representation of talent, the physical manifestation of what makes a pony unique. Being angry all of the time isn't a talent. However, perhaps it's the way you use it that makes you gifted."

I felt my eyes widen as my brain farted into a state that was clearly revealed with one simple word. "What???"

Celestia rolled her eyes and placed a hoof to her temple. "Let's try this again; You remember our niece, Cadence?"

"The pink one?"

"Yes.. the pink one..." Celestia groaned, lowering her hoof back to the ground. "Luna, please tell me you know what I'm getting at."

The woman nodded, "I believe I do." And like that, her eyes are on me as well. "Our niece is the Princess of Love. Her special gift allows her to know what others are feeling, to sense their hurt. Using her power, she can provide them with a feeling of love so strong that it helps mend their aching hearts and even resolve issues among couples."

"I'm following you so far." And for once I'm being honest, but I'm still lost on where they were going with all of this.

Celestia took over once again, speaking quite confidently. "Your anger is sort of a power source for you, just as love is for my niece. You can tap into it at any moment and use it however you see fit, which has been proved through your magical studies. But, rage is a powerful and unstable emotion; Unlike love, it can easily cloud judgment and even overshadow other emotions."

"I think that once you truly realized what rage made you capable of, your body reacted in kind." Celestia went on to explain as I began putting the pieces together in my own head. "Now, you are constantly feeling that emotion because that is where you draw your power from. It fuels you and makes you stronger. But, without some way to let it out, it overwhelms you."

Okay, I think I get it. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. "So, what you're saying is; I'm allowed to start acting out again?"

"No!" The two shouted in unison, nearly making me leap out of my fur.

Celestia let out a sigh, relaxing herself for a second. "What I'm saying is that we can find ways for you to work it out of your system. Preferably with as little collateral damage as possible."

The woman kept her sights on me. Unlike her sister though, she looked concerned. Well, maybe not concerned, but something was clearly bothering her. "Ebah, why didn't you tell anypony that you were feeling this way."

I didn't answer her directly. I sort of leaned over to get a good look at sunny buns and raised a brow. "I'm sure that there are several parties here that would agree that I was in no state to be discussing things."

The woman followed my gaze to her sister, who said nothing, just nodded oddly which was- luckily- enough to end that little discussion then and there. I think she's finally learning that it's easier to just accept the things I do, rather than go about trying to find an answer. It's safer for everyone that way...

Fuck me!

I felt my eyes widen as a realization dawned over me. "I gotta go!" I announced, literally jumping the fuck away from them and running my small ass off to the entrance. I heard one of them call out to me, but this was too important. I had to fix it and I had to fix it NOW. "I gotta go!!!"

Armor; Check.

Spear; Check

Helmet; Check.

I turned away from the small mirror in my locker once I noted that I had everything I needed equipped and ready to go. Night court has already started, and with my colt sitting job on hold, that meant I was to return to my old post; Guarding the long, boring, seemingly endless hallways. The post, albeit a bit boring, wasn't bothering me much at all. What did bother me was that Ebah, the colt who had somehow won my heart, was refusing to so much as be in the same room with me and I can't figure out why!

I know he's been acting strange since that thing with Thick Armor went down, but why has he suddenly turned on me? Did I do something wrong? Did I upset him? Has he just gotten sick of me? I don't know! And I can't help but feel like it's somehow my fault...

Ebah's turned down every visit I've tried to make, choosing to stay locked in Princess Luna's chambers without saying a word. I don't see him pacing the halls, I don't hear the other guards talking about him, I couldn't even hear his voice the few times I was stationed near his and Luna's room. This distance he's putting between us...it hurts more than I would like to admit.

For once, I thought that I had found a pony who I could actually talk to and be myself with. Somepony who, despite how young he is or how crazy he comes off as, truly held a special place for me in his heart, And now, here I am; Getting ready to do my duty for my princess and my country and feeling like my heart's been stomped into pieces...

"What has my life come to?" I asked myself with a sigh, closing the door to my locker. I turned to the side, ready to exit the barracks, but it would seem that fate had other plans for me. "Luna, dammit!"

I didn't even have to see her face. The long red hair dangling in front of my was enough to tell me how fucked I was. I lifted my head to see Penny's face looking directly at me as she hung upside down, her tail wrapped around a thick, water pipe. "I can't say for sure, but it's a lot more interesting than any of the other guards."

My irritation made itself known with a groan as I went to walk through her mane and get to my post. But, I know this mare all too well. I barely made it three steps before she dropped down, flapping her wings a few times so she could carefully land in my path. I didn't dare speak, knowing that no good would come out of my mouth, not with how I'm feeling.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" She asked in an almost cocky, playful manner. "I say cat, cause I know your colt certainly hasn't. Not lately, that is." I could only glare at her, a slight groan breaking through my clenched fangs. Apparently, this only fueled her- If the shit eating grin was anything to go by. "You know, if he's really got you this upset; I know a guy who would be perfect for you. He's got all the same qualities, AND, is half your current lovers age!"

I am going to fucking-

Before I could finish that thought, the locker in front of me swung open and struck Penny straight in the muzzle with a loud bang before closing itself. The annoying mare recoiled a bit, placing a hoof to her nose. "Ow! What the-" Before she could finish, the locker behind her swung open, smacking her flank hard enough to make her take a step forward. She let out a pained yelp, a deep red blush appearing on her face. "What is happ-" Suddenly, the lockers came to life, as if my prayer had been answered, and began hitting her over and over again. They worked fast, preventing her from getting her bearings back enough to just step away from them by keeping her moving in a back and forth motion before one of them took out her hind legs, causing her to drop.

I wasn't sure what to say, but it was nothing short of entertaining to watch. That is, until I saw the pony responsible step out from the shadows. That's when my heart sank.

Ebah's gaze was locked on to Penny, a satisfied look on his face as he stood by her side. "How's it goin' down there?"

I saw Penny's eyes shoot open, her head turning to see the young alicorn. "Prince, Ebah!" She all but yelled, quickly getting back on her hooves, "Lieutenant Penny at your-" Only to be knocked back down when the locker in front of her swung open and bashed her forehooves. "Ow!"

"Stay down!" Ebah ordered, leveling an angry hoof at her. The colt lowered his hoof back to the floor, his eyes refusing to leave Penny's as hers stared back in what looked like fear. "I'm all about fucked up humor, believe me; I know enough dead baby jokes to make a sadist shit themselves." This got more than just Penny and I to raise a brow at him as the surrounding guards started to tune in. "But...The pedo jokes are starting to get on my nerves."

Penny face became panicked as she immediately went to defend herself, but didn't dare to attempt standing again. "Your highness, you have my sincerest apolo-" Yet another locker cut her off, this one hitting her in the back of her head. "...ow..."

"I'm not done talking..." Ebah stated in a calm anger, clearing his throat before continuing. "I don't know you...And so far, you haven't made a very good impression." He stated, moving his hoof around to emphasize his words. "In fact, it's taking a lot out of me to NOT boil those pretty little eyes of yours until they melt out of their sockets."

Forget my heart sinking. My stomach twisted into a knot just at the mental image of that.

"I don't need anymore enemies than I already have, so how about we bury this hatchet before it's even done being constructed." Ebah purposed, his voice sounding rather calm at first. "All you gotta do...is shut fucking mouth...and stay the hell out of our business." He clarified that statement by pointing a hoof back and forth between himself and I. "Sound good to you?"

It was likely out of fear that Penny kept her mouth closed, choosing to nod her head up and down rapidly to answer his question. "Good...Now get the hell out of here. I'm sick of looking at you." It was clear through her movements that she was fighting all of the pain in her body to do this, but she quickly got up and scurried away. Out of sight and out of mind. "Nosy ponies..." He muttered, looking around at the surrounding guards whose eyes were still locked onto him. "And what the fuck are you all looking at!?" The guards vanished faster than I could blink, almost as if vanishing into thin air.

The moment of truth follow soon after as Ebah's small form turned towards me. His eyes locked onto mine and I was so conflicted on how to feel that I couldn't find it in me to say anything. I was sad that he was ignoring me, but also mad for some reason. First he treats me like I don’t exist, then he comes in here and does this? I don't know whether to hug him or storm out. Does he think that this fixes everything?

If he does, he has another thing coming...

"So..." Ebah said awkwardly as I found myself glaring at him. "I...I have some explaining to do."

"You're damn right you do!" Whether I wanted to or not, I couldn't stop myself from saying it. The words flew out of my mouth as if they were rehearsed.

Ebah's forehooves shot up defensively, "Easy now!" He said, appearing more than a little uncomfortable. "Let's just talk this out like adults. I'm gonna lay it all out on the table as best as I can."

It doesn't matter how upset I am, I NEED to hear this. I need to know where it all went wrong. I don't want to be mad at him. Submitting, I lowered my flank to the floor. Still wanting to look like I was in charge of the situation though, I raised my front hooves and crossed them in front of me. "Go on..."

I noticed his gaze lowering to- "Nice teats."

And like that, my face is on fire...

I quickly dropped my hooves back down to block his view, trying to hide my fluster by coming off as angry as possible. "Y-you were saying-!"

"Right, sorry!" Ebah redirected his gaze back to my face, rather than my...you know! "Okay, I've been avoiding you. I will admit this." He must have seen the scowl growing on my face, because he was very quick to defend himself. "BUT! But...I had a good reason."

"It fucking better be good!" I snapped just a little, my emotions starting to get the better of me. "Why, Ebah? I happily accepted you! I told you on day one that I would be there for you!" My eyes started to feel wet as I looked back on all of the time I spent with him and how much fun we had, only for it all to be overshadowed by how betrayed I felt when he stopped letting me see him. "And now you- YOU- are avoiding ME!?"

I barely registered the sad look in his eyes, being caught up in my own hurt to really notice. It killed me not knowing this and I have to know, "What did I do wrong?"

"No, no, no!" Ebah all but pounced on me, his small hooves pressed against my armor as he stood on his hind legs, being just tall enough to meet me face to face. "It's not you, it's me! I know that sounds cliche and stupid, but it's true!" I couldn't hold my gaze, I turned away from him, only for his hoof to force me to look back. "Gar, look at me!"

"It wasn't you..." The look in his eyes probably hurt me more than anything else. It was clear as day how much this was upsetting him and I don't think I've ever seen him so vulnerable. "I promise, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why were you avoiding me?"

Ebah removed his hooves from me and sat down, his head hanging low. "You saw how I was acting...and every day I just felt worse. I just wanted to...fffuckin' strangle someone a little bit more every day!" I find it odd how quickly he can switch from sad to mad, then back again. "And it was only made worse because I was mad that I was always mad...Then I got scared cause...I thought that if it got bad enough...I might lash out at you."

Part of me wanted to think that he was making this up just to make me feel better, but I know him all too well. I could tell a pony when he's lying at any point in time, but this wasn't one of those times. "You were scared?"

"Yes!" He admitted, somehow sounding both defeated and mad. "I didn't want to take the chance of doing something, or saying something...I didn't want you to be on the receiving end of whatever the hell it was." He went on to say, a conflicted look coming about him. He wanted to say something, but he was struggling. "I couldn't risk it it. I just....I...fffuckin'-!" He placed a hoof to his head, now angry with himself, unable to relax until he finally got the words out. "I love you...way too much to make you go through that."

I felt my spine tingle at his words, a warm fluttering filling my chest at his confession. I was shocked, stunned silent. I knew he liked me a lot, even finding me physically attractive despite his age and his claims of being from another world. But, to hear him say that...And to share those feelings...It's just so surreal to me.

"I...I uh..." Come on! If a nine year old can say it then so can I! "I-I love you too...A-and I didn't m-mean to get so mad. I missed you...a lot."

Ebah took a breath, looking much more relaxed. "I missed you too."

I couldn't stop the small smile from forming as he said this. It really did help me feel better to know that he wasn't abandoning me. And that I hadn't done anything wrong. "So...Are you feeling better then."

Ebah looked a little unsure of how to answer that. "Yes and no." He simply stated, not really giving me much to go on at first. "The theory so far is that I am basically the embodiment of rage." I can't tell if he's being genuine here, or if he's just full of himself. "So my brain is constantly pumping out shit that makes me mad cause it... It's fuels me, I guess? But, if I don't work it out of my system it just kinda builds up, you know?"

"I...guess that makes sense?" It seems a little weird, but it's not the strangest thing I've ever heard. Especially from him!

"Yeah, so I think the woman and Sunny Buns are gonna try to find ways to help me work it out so it can't build up like that anymore." Ebah explained, not sounding very sure of himself. "I mean, it did work a little when I chewed that guy out in court. Then that thing with the red head earlier..." He tilted his head back, letting out a soft moan. "Oh, god. That was almost as good as sex."

I giggled at his display, "It was really fun to watch. That mare is such a pain."

"What's her fucking problem, anyway?"

"I don't know, she's been that way forever." As fun as it is to talk about how much I hate another pony, something he said earlier caught my attention. "So what is this I heard you say about being in court?"

Ebah's eyes lit up in excitement when I asked this. "Oh, this is good! It's a bit of a short story, but it's well worth it. See, what happened is-"

It's so nice to be talking like this again. I know it's only been a few days since he closed me off from him, but it feels like ages. If I had known sooner how he was feeling and why he did what he did, then I wouldn't have been so upset. But, I can't stay mad at him. Especially when he only does things like this to spare me. I would have preferred he came to me directly in the first place, but he probably wasn't in the right mind to do so. I wanted to be mad, but how can I be? Even at his worst, all he wanted to do was protect me. This is just one of the many courtesies he's given me that no other has. If anything, it only makes me feelings for him stronger, because it shows how much he really cares for me.

No. How much he loves me.

This twisted and all around unstable little colt loves me with everything he has. So much so, that he's willing to fight himself just to make sure that I don't have to. Regardless of how mean he can be to literally everypony, he is the absolute sweetest. And...I love him...I really do.

"-so I told the mare she could leave after shoving a gavel right into dude's cocksucker. After that I-MMPH!" His words were lost as I pressed my lips into his, no longer caring for my previous reservations. Fuck how young he is, fuck what other ponies think and fuck me for trying to fight off these feelings. All became bliss as he return my affection in full, his small form pushing against mine.

I broke the kiss, offering the dazed colt a warm smile. Ebah shook his head, which was just plain adorable. "Well then..." He said, sounding both confused and pleased. "That was a little unexpected, but I'm not opposed to it." His tone became a bit cocky as he used his front hooves to slide himself closer to me. "Or maybe even something a little more fun~"

Yeah, no.

I laughed a little at his advances, but pushed him away pretty easily with one hoof. "Not gonna happen, little guy. You may talk big, but you're still too young for me."

Ebah rolled his eyes as he wore a playful scowl. I almost didn't hear him, but being a thestral makes my ears more sensitive than the average pony. "Fuckin' cock-tease..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Author's Notes:

And we are back on track! Good evening ladies and gents! I am finally drunk enough! That being said, I might just end up passing out right here on my keyboard. My gut feels funny. Very warm. It's kinda nice, but a little concerning.
Anyway! Slap that like button, cause fuck that guy. Leave comments. Use words. Express our toxic friendship!