Sugarcube Corner was a very, very interesting building to Copper. It looked like a gingerbread house from some sort of story. The roof was brown and looked like melting chocolate, with frosted edging. There was a cupcake on top of a tower in the middle with three candles, and gumdrops down the archway over the door. He smiled at the candy-cane pillars, and gave the wooden sign with a cupcake on it, an appreciative look. “This place looks fun.” He tried to see if he could see inside the pink tinted windows.
“I've always thought it... Interesting.” She said, looking at the little weathercock of a pony, which held a candy-cane.
“I like it.” He took a deep breath as he walked foreword towards the door, and Twilight followed after him. This made sense for the kind of place that Pinkie would live. He stopped at the door and looked over the side of the steps at the small garden beside it, full of pink flowers.
Twilight opened the door, and Copper looked up as he heard the jingle of a bell. “Afternoon Mrs. Cake.” She said as she went in.
Copper hesitated for a moment, and then followed her in. The inside looked a lot like the outside, wonderful. There was candies and cakes everywhere. Plus, it smelled amazing. He found himself merely standing, and taking deep breaths of the place. Mrs. Cake smiled at him. “Hello there. You must be the new pony Pinkie was talking about.” Mrs. Cake was a surprisingly light cerulean color, with a crimson mane with a lighter streak though it.
He nodded and smiled at her. She didn't stare at the stub, nor did she freak out about it. Pinkie must have told her about it. Or maybe she just wasn't easily phased or... Perhaps had seen worse? “My name's Copper Feather.”
“Very nice to meet you. Please, look around. As a new pony you can have one confection on the house.” Mrs. Cake moved from behind the counter, and moved closer towards him, getting better look at him. He saw that she had three cupcakes for her cutie mark, and that she wore a yellow apron with pink frills over the shoulder. She looked over towards a passage way to the side and trotted towards it. “Mr. Cake is in the back baking a cake.” She paused a moment. “I'll go see if he can come out and meet you.”
Copper nodded, and looked around the place. “Goodness this is a lot...” He walked around, looking at cakes, candy, and enjoying it all. Just being in this place. “This is a happy place, I could really get used to-” He paused as he saw a mane of orange sticking out from behind a display case. He moved around it, looking back behind it. He was met with huge blue eyes and a tiny yellow unicorn. “Well now. Who are you?”
Twilight came around the other side of the table, and smiled. “Oh that's Pumpkin Cake.” She looked around her. “Her brother should be somewhere around here... It's hard to separate the two of them.
Copper moved closer to the ground, getting to her level, and gave her a smile. “I know that look.” She had an incredibly large smile, and was flailing her hooves at him. “That is a happy look.” He laid down, and she crawled over to him, sitting down, or more accurately flopping, in front of him, making soft bubbling noises. “You're not put off by my lack of wing... Are you...” He reached out with his wing, and she crawled up onto it. He smiled as he stood up, scooping her up as he did.
“Wow. Usually she's not too good with new ponies. You must be really good with foals.” Twilight said, smiling down at Pumpkin Cake.
“I dunno... Never really had much interaction with them.” He couldn't help smiling at the bright blue eyed face. “Never had to negotiate with one.” He said, chuckling and swaying slightly from side to side.
“That would make sense... But I guess she just likes you. Usually it's...” She looked under the table beside the case. “Ah. Here he is.” She reached under, and gently pulled the small colt out from under the table. “Usually it's Pound Cake who's super outgoing with ponies.” The little colt had a brown mane, with darker brown eyes and a light peach coat.
“Ah, you must be Copper.” Said a voice behind Copper.
He turned around to see a a tall stallion. And he immediately saw where Pumpkin got her colors from. He matched her for everything but his eyes, which where green. “Ah, yes. Mr. Cake I presume?”
Mr. Cake nodded, and smiled down at Pumpkin. “I see you found my little girl.” He wore a large bowtie, which was orange with white stripes, and a white apron. Plus a hat. Copper found himself looking at the hat rather than at his face. Though he saw that his cutie mark was of three cakes, carrot cakes.
“I do you you don't mind.” He said, looking at the little thing cupped in his wing.
Mr. Cake shook his head. “Oh no, of course not. It's good that she interacts with other ponies. She's oddly shy for her age. Usually she wines when someone she doesn't know tries to get too close.”
“Mmm... Well looks like I made a little friend, eh Pumpkin?” She made bubbling noises at him in response, and waved her hooves at him.
“Just be careful. Little unicorns-”
“Have an over abundance of magic.” Copper said, still swaying back and forth. “Usually calms down one they hit a year old...”
He arched an eyebrow at him, as did Twilight. “I thought you said you didn't have much interaction with foals?”
“Oh I haven't. But even I've seen the after effects of a parent who didn't pay attention.” He stopped his swaying, and looked at them. The looks they gave him made him feel he needed to explain. “Furniture stuck to walls, scorch marks... That sort of thing.” And that seemed to be the work, and Pumpkin's horn glowed, and she floated gently up out of his wing.
She floated gently to Mr. Cake and orbited around him a bit. “Yes, well... Twilight says she'll probably be a pretty magical pegasus once she learns control.”
“Oh yes.” Twilight said, watching Pumpkin. “She's got such a smooth flow of magic at this stage, that it should be easy for her to use magic. I'm eager to see what her main focus will be.”
Copper wasn't paying attention anymore. He was busying himself with looking at the confections around. It wasn't good for his mental health to envy little colt, just because she could fly. “I think I'd like a cupcake.” He said, eying a plate that looked quite fresh.
“Of course. Mrs. Cake always gives a free one to every new pony.” He walked over to the case that he was looking at. “Ah. One of Pinkie's cupcakes. Good choice.”
They where amazing to look at, all frosting and sprinkles and swirls and chocolates and candies. He guessed that there was more frosting and bits added on top than actual cupcake. The question now, was which one. There where so many, the entire display case was full of them. But one caught his eye, and to him it wasn't hard to figure out why. Out of all the cupcakes in the case, there was only one plain one. A brown cupcake, with pink frosting. It was the only one that he felt he would feel good about eating. “I'd like that one. The one with the pink frosting in the front.”
Mr. Cake pulled out the tray, and set it on top of the counter, and smiled. “Ah. One of Pinkie's specials. She gets a bit carried away with all the toppings.” He placed it on the table, and put the tray back on display. “Not that that's a bad thing. She makes a delicious cupcake.”
With that, they left. And it really was a delicious cupcake. He couldn't remember ever even having a cupcake before. Surely he had in the past, but he could not remember the taste, or the time, or if it was all just simply in his head. But it didn't matter. It would never have been this good.
The rest of the places seemed to blur together for Copper. He met more ponies than he could keep track of, most where put off at first by his lack of wing, but eventually it was hard to run into anypony who didn't know about it, and was prepared for it. Word got around fast, apparently, and he only had to explain a few times. As for actual buildings... There was the school, a hospital, a bookstore, joke shop, bowling alley, costume shop, market place, day spa, clock tower- That got his attention. A clock tower. “Who runs the clock tower?” He asked as they walked up towards it.
“Runs it? I don't think anyone runs the clock tower... I think Doctor Hooves comes and winds it up every now and then...” Twilight said, giving him a look.
He blinked, staring at her a moment, and then looking at the clock tower. “Well then, who makes the repairs?”
“I... Don't know.” She said, looking at the clock tower as well. “I've never seen anypony go in or out of it... But it always seems to be running. I thought it was magic.”
“Hm...” Copper looked thoughtful a moment. “Perhaps... Can we go inside?” He looked at her, trying his best to hold back the pleadingness of his voice. Which he managed. … Mostly.
“Oh I don't see why not.” She said with a smile as they got closer.
They walked around the clock tower, before they found the door. Beside it was a crank, obviously for winding the large spring that kept the clock going. It was a small door, barely big enough for a pony to get into. Twilight knocked on it, and they waited. “Probably no one inside...” Copper said, and then tried the door. It was unlocked, and dust practically poured out as it opened.
They both coughed, waving away dust. “Goodness. I guess nopony runs it.”
Copper stuck his head inside, and looked around. He was quicker to recover from the dust than Twilight, and it didn't bother him other then the initial shock. “Hm...” He mumbled as he crawled in through the door, and took a good look around. “Twilight, could you give me some light?”
“Oh. Sure.” She poked her head in, and her horn glowed, lighting up the entire tower. Everything that didn't move was caked in a thick layer of dust.
But it did move, creakily. At least most of it moved. “Wow... This place is a mess.” He brushed some dust off of a large gear that seemed to have fallen from somewhere above. And had stuck. That was a tad disconcerting.
“Do... Do you think it's safe to be in here?” Twilight said as she struggled through the small door.
“Probably not.” Something above him went TWANG. “Actually, most definitely not... When my tools get here I'll come back and fix all this up...”
“You know a lot about mechanics?” She asked, looking at him, and then up at all of the slow moving parts.
“Mhm. It's my talent. I'm good with machines... Unfortunately I never really have much time to do anything...” He walked around the room slowly, “This would make a good workshop... Once it got cleaned up...”
“It's so dusty...” Twilight said, coughing again as she brushed some dust off of something. “It looks like sand it's so thick...”
“Yeah...” Copper said, his mind beginning to wander. “Like a desert...”
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Copper looked up from his work table at the tall gray horse with her teal mane. “I mean, really work.”
Copper looked at her rosy eyes a moment, and then shrugged, bending over the table again. “It has to... My shock glove doesn't work here... Too much sand gunks up the turbine. And no turbine, means no charge.”
The mare shifted her weight slightly from side to side. “I... I meant about the negotiation...” She looked back and forth around the room.
“You have to trust me Safanad. This isn't the first negotiation I've been to.” He straightened the long hinged pole, and there was a click. He tested it a moment, trying to bend it back, but it stayed outstretched.
“I know Copper... But...” The shifting was starting to get on his nerves, he could feel it from where he sat on the carpet. Sand was a great transmitter for movement when it's under a carpet.
“Please. Just let me do my job, and stop worrying.” He bent it again, but this time at a downward angle, and there was another click, and the rod bent again. “And stop fidgeting.”
She sat down, mostly in frustration. “You can't just treat me like a little girl...”
“You aren't the ruler yet...” He mumbled, as he pushed it back into it's outstretched position and slid part of the contraption over his head. “And you may not be if your uncle has any say over it.”
“Amira says that I should be mindful of him, and trust his judgment...” The sarcastic tone was quite thick in her voice. “Cus he's a good stallion and I should be grateful he didn't banish me.” She looked down at the ground. There was a pause. “Like he did to my mother.”
He hesitated a moment, looking at her. He sighed softly, and stretched his wing out. It fit, and that was the important part. The straps wrapped around his chest and leg, and it fit over his wing perfectly. He had measured it out quite a bit. With a slight flex downward, it clicked, and bent, allowing his wing to fold. “There we go. Now I have some sort of defense, that wont get gunked up. Worst case is it gets stuck in the outward position.”
“Do you really think that you can do it?” She looked hopefully at him. “And let my mother come back?”
Again he hesitated. He needed to stop doing that. “That will be up to you when you are ruler. Princess Celestia wants you as the leader of Saddle Arabia, not your uncle. He is a thick headed fool, and would have nothing to do with her.” He stood up, and adjusted his weight slightly from side to side, checking to see what moved, and what didn't. But everything seemed to work as it should.
“Why is she so keen on me?” The frown was emphasized by her tone. Or maybe her tone was emphasized by her frown. Either way, Copper could tell she was frowning without turning around.
“I couldn't say. I do not ask questions.” He pulled on his cloak, clasping it in front, and nodding in satisfaction. “Right. I'm ready.” He turned to her, and frowned slightly. She was crying.
“I don't know if I can do this...” She was staring at the ground, and she was shaking.
He gulped, he didn't know how to deal with this. Mares where not his strong point, especially when they where emotionally compromised. … At least when he had not been the cause of the emotional compromise. He wasn't proud of that. “You have to.” He said simply, and he actually flinched when her head shot up.
“Says you!” She said, glaring at him. She was coming undone. “You and your damned princess!”
Copper decided to go for broke. “You will if you ever want to see your mother.” She made a slight choking sound. “Or to see any sort of justice against your fathers murderer.”
Her head sagged down again. He almost felt bad for that, but he needed her together. Or in pieces. That thought was worse, and he shook his head. “You're right...” She mumbled as she got to her feet. He breathed out in relief.
“Come on... You need to get ready too...” He gave her a soft smile, and she returned it slightly. “Can't overthrow a kingdom without the proper attire.”
He blinked, Twlight was staring at him again, and a cog had just struck the ground a few feet away. “I think we should be leaving...” She said, looking up into the cogs and gears.
“Yeah. I'll come back with some safety equipment.” He stared up into the darkness as Twilight was first out of the tower. It was truly a mess, but at the same time, it had been a wonderful site. Familiar. Comfortable. And at the same time, needing. It needed him. Or, well, he needed it. He needed it to be there, and to work on it. “Where to next?”
He crawled out, the sun stinging his eyes slightly, or maybe it was the dust. Either way, Twilight was waiting. “We'll stop by Fluttershy's, and then we're going to Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Oohhh. I'm looking foreword to that. Maybe I can get a few more apples...” He took a deep air, it was nice and fresh out here. It almost felt wrong.
The house, quite frankly, was not what he was expecting. He was not sure what he was actually expecting, but it was not this. From a distance, it looked like a steep hill with windows, but once you got over a hill, you saw that it was in fact a house. That looked like a hill. It appeared the roof was made of grass and bushes. But there was a nice path, with a quite natural looking bridge going over a large stream, or a small river. He could never work out what the difference was. Water was water. Oh, and there where birdhouses everywhere. Everywhere. And holes everywhere. Everywhere.
He walked cautiously behind Twilight, looking at what appeared to have been a fence or railing at one point on the tight side of the path, but was quite overgrown. He could hear the cluck of chickens somewhere off in the distance, but he couldn't see any other animals. “Oh I do hope she's in...”
She knocked on the door, and it opened slightly, revealing a pony of a soft, pale gold coloring, with pale grayish rose mane and cyan eyes. “Oh... Hello Twilight.” Everything about this pony seemed to say, soft. Gentle and kind.
Copper waited for Twilight to introduce him. “Good afternoon Fluttershy. I was hoping that you could pop down to the library and check on Spike. I'm afraid that he's been ill.” He felt almost disappointed.
“Oh poor Spike. Of course, I'll go right away.” She opened the door more, and seemed for the first time to spot Copper. She froze. “Eep.” After a few moments, she seemed to find her voice. “U-uhm... Hi...”
He did not know how to react, this was odd. He decided on no sudden movements, and a softer voice than normal. “Hi.”
And that was it. They turned, and left. That had to be one of the most timid ponies that he had ever met. “That went quite well. She didn't flee, or cower.”
Copper looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “You mean she used to be worse?”
“I... Don't think worse is the appropriate word...” She said, looking back as Fluttershy moved about her garden slowly. “But better would be appropriate to describe her now. She's just a bit...” She waved a hoof vaguely. “Off. That's all.”
The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a pleasant one. They passed by the clock tower again, and Copper made sure to close the door, after checking nothing had gotten in. That place could be considered a death trap for some unsuspecting pony. As they walked, Copper suddenly became aware that he was surrounded by apple trees. Large, great apple trees. He couldn't help but marvel at them. They where far more impressive then the ones he had ever seen. “Magnificent.”
“Hm?” Twilight said, looking at him. Seemed her mind was wandering as well. “Oh, yeah it is pretty impressive. And it's just AppleJack and Big Mac who collect all the apples.”
“Wow... Two ponies for this entire place?” He looked around, all he could see where trees. And trees behind them, and them as well. Except ahead and behind. Ahead he could see a large red barn, with a purple roof. He smiled a bit, and as they got closer, gave the apple cart a wide berth, in case it had plans to hit him for revenge. But it didn't, and he felt silly for thinking it.
They where coming up on the barn, and then suddenly, something pink bounded around the corner. “There you are! Do you know how long everypony has been waiting? I mean jeez Louise. We where about to start without you.” She practically pushed Copper towards the barn.
“I... What? Started what without who?” He looked ahead, as the doors to the barn glowed and swung inward, revealing, much to his surprise, but definitely not the readers, a party. It had everything that he had ever thought a part should have. Tons of ponies, streamers, music, cake, which was a very large cake, and balloons. So many balloons. He smiled as Pinkie's cutie mark suddenly made complete sense to him.
“You're party of course!” Pinkie exclaimed as she pushed him inside. “We've got games and candy and cake and more candy and balloons and more games and more candy!”
Copper laughed, and smiled around at everypony. So this is what it was like to have friends. Not just acquaintances who you see once for a few days, and then never see again. Or the ones who you think are your friends, but just act nice around you because you frighten them, or they want something from you. No. These where actual friends. There wasn't a pony here, he realized, that he wouldn't give anything for. Everypony seemed happy to see him, and it felt genuine. None of them had just came for the party. They came because it was a party for him, and they wanted him to feel welcomed. “Thank you.” He said, surprised to find himself trying not to cry. His eyes where swimming, but he blinked a few times, and that got rid of that. “Thank you so much.”
Pinkie just smiled at him. “Everypony deserves a party.”
He laughed, nodding. “So, you mentioned games?”
Copper had never played party games before, all the parties he had ever attended where for specific reasons and he never felt the urge to enjoy it. But now, he was at a party. A party for him. And he found out, he sucked at party games. Pin the tail on the pony ended with him jabbing it in the ponies eye. Bobbing for apples only got him soaking wet when he slipped into the barrel. He couldn't guess anything right in charade's, and no one knew what he was doing when it was his turn. All in all, it was the best time of his life.
Then there was the cake. Pinkie had made it herself, which meant she was there when they where at Sugarcube Corner. He also found out that Twilight had been stalling him the entire day, so that Pinkie could set up the party. But back to the cake. It was a seven level cake, one of the biggest he had seen. Not the biggest, but it felt like the biggest cake in the world. It sparkled, and glistened with sprinkles, and toppings. It was also the most delicious cake he had ever eaten. And he was not ashamed to say it, several times.
Even Rarity was there. “Hello Copper.”
He turned, and quickly wiped cake from his mouth. “Oh. Hello Rarity.” He couldn't help but smile.
She had a cake as well, and it was hovering slightly off to her side. “I do hope you can forgive me for my reaction this morning...”
“Oh of course.” He looked out at the party goers. “Everyone has that reaction.” His gaze turned back to her, and he smiled. “Though it seems that that wont be the case around here.”
“I... Took the liberty of making you a new cloak.” Her smile made Copper very slightly, though noticeably to him, uncomfortable. It wasn't every day you meet somepony of Rarity's beauty.
“Thank you, very much.” Part of him wanted another slice of cake. He swore he could probably live off of cake that good.
“I had it delivered to your home. I... Was not sure if I would be attending, but I felt I had to apologize...” She had an almost pained expression on her face.
He chuckled softly, smiling a bit more. “Honestly there was no need. I never really expect anyone to apologize. If I did, I'd hear nothing but them all day.”
She nodded slightly. “Yes... Well... Please stop by the Boutique if there's an alterations you would like for the cloak.” She smiled a bit.
“I'm sure it'll be perfect.” He said as he eyed the cake again. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I want another cake. Er... Slice, of cake.”
She giggled softly, and that sent a shiver down Coppers spine. “Alright. See you around.”
He watched her walk away, and then quickly busied himself with getting another slice of cake. Then someone behind him cleared their throat. Copper turned around, and his smile faltered a bit. He looked at her a moment. “Hello Dash...” He said, quite surprised to find her there. He thought that perhaps he should feel some sort of anger, or resentment of her. But he didn't. Not anymore anyways. Not now that he was looking her in those cerise eyes under that rainbow mane, and covered in that painfully familiar light cerulean.
She flinched slightly, hearing him say her name. “Hi Copper... It's.. Been a while..huh.”
He nodded. “Yeah... Very long time.” He took a bite of his cake, glancing out at the rest of the party. “So you live here in Ponyville?”
She looked down at her hooves, kicking slightly at the ground and nodded. “Yeah... I do. And yourself?"
He nodded slightly. “Yes. Now I do.”
After a moments silence, she looked up at him. “Can we... Uhm... Talk?”
There was a slight pause as he looked at her a moment. “You mean more than we have currently?” He nodded.”Yeah, sure.”
She took in a deep breath. “Copper... I....” Her wings seemed to tuck tightly to her sides as she looked at his wing.
He looked at her, guessing at what she wanted to say. “I know Dash.” He looked around the room again, anything to not look at her. “But you don't need to apologize.”
Dash looked up, here eyes slightly red. “Yes I do!” She breathed slightly heavier. “I should have stopped her...."
He gave a slight shrug. “I understand Dash. She was your friend... And no one expected her to go off like that.” He shook his head. “But... It doesn't matter. I saw her a few years ago, and I forgave her.”
She moved towards him, standing a bit taller, and he saw the feathers on her wings ruffle slightly. “Why wont you let me apologize to you... Damnit Copper...”
"Alright, alright. Go ahead." He said, chuckled softly.
Her head lowered. “I'm sorry... I didn't help you... I'm so... So sorry...”
He looked at her, and smiled. He extended a wing, and nudged her slightly with it. "Like Gilda, I forgive you.”
She blinked at him. “How could you ever forgive her?"
“It's a...” He paused a moment. “Long story.”
The rattle of the train was the only noise that he could hear. Well, that and his opponents breathing. Or was that his own? He couldn't tell at the moment. He had ran hard in order to have a chance of getting onto the train as it was leaving the station. There was a slight twinge of guilt for tossing the ticket puncher pony off the train, but he couldn't be bothered. Besides, the train wasn't moving that fast. He was sure he was alright.
But besides that, he had to worry about the griffon he had been chasing. “Just come out, and hand it over.” He said, it was worth a shot. He could see the door to the next car, but it was closed, and probably locked. The baggage he was hiding behind gave him a fairly good viewpoint of the rest of the room. “I can't promise you that you wont get in trouble, but it'll go a lot easier on yourself if you just give up.” There was no answer at all. There was a slight jingling. Where they going through bags? “Right then. No second-” He dropped as a claw came around the corner of the bag, and embedded itself into the bag. Leaping up, shoulder first, he rammed into the griffon. Both tumbled to the floor.
“Damnit!” Said the griffon, he heard the jingling as the tube rolled from where ever they had been hiding it. But Copper didn't let up, he kicked, and stomped down, till the griffon stopped struggling. He hesitated a moment, and checked to make sure they where still breathing. “Bastard.” They said, spitting blood.
Now his eyes where accustomed enough to the gloom to see the griffon clearly. “Gilda.” He said coldly, his eyes narrowing. Part of him wanted to continue the beating. Smash her face into the floor of the car. Rip her wing off. Break her leg. Break her beak. But he forced that down. He forced that down farther and farther. He moved quickly, and picked up the small metal cylinder, tucking it into a pocket on the inside of his cloak, and turning to Gilda.
“Who the hell-” She froze, seeing his face, and her eyes narrowed. “Copper. So you didn't die.” She actually sounded genuinely surprised, and Copper thought he could detect a bit of relief. “Ponies said I killed you...” She tried to get to her feet, or claws, or paws, or whatever. But couldn't.
“I wouldn't try and get up if I where you. I probably gave you a concussion, and I know for a fact I dislocated your shoulder.” He tried to circle around her, but due to the sheer amount o f bags, it forced him to get closer to her.
She slumped against a bag, and closed her eyes. “Well that's one thing off my conscious...”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “You have a conscious now? Who'd you take that from?” He did not like how close he was being forced to get to her.
Her eyes snapped open and she glared at him. “Even I have one, jerk.”
“Name calling now? Tisk tisk. That's not a nice thing to do.” Her eyes closed again, he was almost past her now. “I'll tell you one thing, Gilda...”
She did not open her eyes. “And what's that...”
He stood in front of her, this was the closest he had to get to her. It was too close for him. “I pity you.”
Her eyes opened slightly, glaring at him. “You pity me? And what of you, huh? I knew that Celestia's dog was after me, but I had no idea it was you.” She sagged further into the bag, it looked comfortable. “You have no friends, no family, nothing. And you pity me...”
Copper could see the tears glinting off the light from the window of the next car. “Yes, I do. You maimed me, and I have learned to live with it. I adapt. I moved on... But you're still the same... Just another bully. But this time, you got bullied.”
He was hesitating again. Damnit he needed to stop doing that. Her eyes opened, and she truly looked miserable. Now there was more than pity. He felt sorry for her. Memories of hearing about her family rose up from the past. “Jerk...” Was all she managed to say.
Her father was the head of Birds of a Feather. They where ruthless, and killed ponies and anyone else who got in their way. “For what ever it's worth to you... I do forgive you. Though I don't like you.” He walked away from her towards the next car.
“For what it's worth...” She mumbled. “I'm sorry...” He stopped, looking back at her. “I lost everything after you vanished... The only one who would even speak to me was Dash... Now she wont.”
He was about to say, good for her, but decided against it. She looked too miserable. Too pitiable. He almost hated himself for feeling bad for her, but he couldn't help it. Instead, he decided to try something different than hate. “I'm sorry to hear about your mother.” She closed her eyes tight, and turned away from him. “You're father is a horrible thing. And you should get away from him and the Birds before he decides you're too much of a hassle, too.”
“But it wasn't easy.” He said, sighing and shaking his head. “It took a long time, and had to find out a lot of things before it.” He looked at Dash and smiled. “I learned a lot about myself during that time.”
She smiled a bit at him. “Well... If you can forgive her, than I wont worry about you forgiving me.” He raised his wing in the air, and she gave it a slight slap with her wing. “See ya around.”
He nodded, smiling. “Count on it.”
The party ran for several hours, before anyone even started to consider leaving. Applejack showed up and showed off a few rope tricks. Copper had to admit he was impressed with the way she could use her tail like that. Pinkie was literally everywhere. Or at least it seemed that way to him. It was like everywhere he looked, there she was, doing something with somepony. The crowd was really starting to disperse, and it was just Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Mrs. Cake, who was gathering up her catering supplies, and... Fluttershy?
He blinked, looking at Fluttershy. How long had she been at the party? She was sitting at a table by Twilight, eating a slice of cake. Applejack was helping Pinkie and Mrs. Cake clean up. Copper had been considering it, but decided to instead sit by at the table. He sat in a way where he could see Fluttershy, and she could see him, but if he or she leaned back, Twilight would be in the way. He thought this was polite. “Did you enjoy the party Copper?”
“Oh without a doubt.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Best time I've ever had, to be honest.”
He was aware of more then one pair of eyes looking at him. “That's good. You'll definitely have to come to Pinkie's next party.”
“Next party?” He chuckled softly, looking at Twilight. “I'm not done with this one.”
“Hey Twi'? Can ya come help us get this stuff down offa the ceiling?” Copper looked back to see Applejack.
“Sure.” Twilight stood up, and trotted over to Applejack. Copper heard a slight whimper as she left.
He turned slightly, and looked at Fluttershy, who seemed to shrink slightly in her seat. “If you'd like, I'll leave.” He said, giving her a soft smile.
She said nothing, and occupied her attention with her cake. Copper occupied himself with counting balloons. After he reached thirty seven, or thirty eight, he wasn't sure if he had counted that one already, she spoke. “Does it hurt?”
“Hm?” He looked back at her, and she seemed to flinch under his gaze. “Does what hurt?”
That cake must be the most interesting thing in existence with the way she stares at it. “Does your...” She paused, trying to find the right words.
“Oh, that.” He said, and shook his head. “Not at all. It's never hurt, actually... I was on a lot of painkillers when I woke up, but I don't remember there being any real pain.”
“That's good.” Copper could tell with each sentence how her voice seemed to strengthen, gain some sort of resolve. Become more normal.
“It's intimidating, isn't it.” He looked away, as she finally looked at him. “Scars, and a missing wing. I understand that it's hard to talk to me. I tend to take advantage of that, and do as much talking as I can. Throws people off.” He glanced at her, she was staring at his wing. Not the missing one, the whole wing. “Sometimes...” He hesitated, but decided he might as well confide in someone. “I think of myself... Not as a pegasus... But an earth pony, who was born with a wing.” He smiled at her. “That way, I'm not missing something. I've got extra.”
She returned the smile, though it looked quite fragile. “That sounds much better.” In his book, this was a success. He made another friend.
Then a thought crept up on him. How many friends can I make before everything goes horribly wrong?
