Twilight had to talk with Dax, she wanted to make him and his brothers feel welcomed, even if she was against having strangers life with her
"You've got this" said Twilight to herself as she knocked on the door, after a few seconds the door opened to reveal Dax
"Yes?" said Dax shortly
"I just wanted to say umm, welcome! and umm, I wanted you to know that I am willing to put that happened before behind me, I know you were just trying to protect them... so uhhh, if there's anything I can do just let me know" awkwardly smiled Twilight
"Thanks I guess" said Dax as he wasn't particularly excited about talking to her
Truthfully he didn't want to even be here, the only reason he was even here to begin with was because Hilm and Drake wanted to be, he really needed to learn to put his hoof down in these kind of matters
"Hey just to let you know, I'm going to have Applejack and Rarity over in two days, just thought I'd let you know" said Twilight
"Don't worry, we'll be out of your mane by then" said Dax
"Oh, I see" said Twilight slightly uncomfortable
"Is that all?" asked Dax
Twilight was very uncomfortable now, she could see he didn't want to talk with her
"Yeah, that's it..." said Twilight as Dax closed the door
Twilight silently groaned
'This is going to be hard' thought Twilight
As she walked away, thinking of ideas to make things less awkward, she heard a Knock on her front door
"Twilight! It's me! Pinkie! Open up!" Said the visitor
"Coming!" Said Twilight as she went to open up the door
"Hey Twilight! I've been thinking of making a welcome party for Dax and the two little ones! Do you know where they are?" Asked Pinkie excitedly
Twilight looked behind her at the hallway leading to the rooms
"Pinkie, uhhh, let's talk about that somewhere else" said Twilight
"Okie dokie lokie" Said Pinkie as she bounded around excitedly
Twilight left the building awkwardly, Pinkie following along, eventually they reached a place far enough away
"So what did you want to come out here for?" Asked Pinkie
"Listen, Dax and his brothers are... Living with me at the momen-" Twilight was interrupted
"THEY ARE!?!?" Asked Pinkie Loudly and Excitedly
"Listen, I don't think throwing them a party is the best Idea" said Twilight
"Why not? Sure Dax betrayed us but that was because he was protecting his Brothers, he was essentially being held captive and forced" said Pinkie
"Yes, but that's not the reason" said Twilight
"What is it than silly?" Asked Pinkie confused
"They don't like people, I won't reveal why as I'm not comfortable with revealing them without permission, but I think it's best for now to hold off on any parties regarding them" said Twilight
"But..." Pinkie objected
"How about this, we can make a small cake for them, but that's it" said Twilight, thinking it might help the awkwardness
"Yay!! Quick let's go to Sugarcube! We can get it made there!" Danced Pinkie
"Let's take out time, I do want to spend some time with my new friends after all" said Twilight wanting to take her new friendship task seriously
Pinkie got excited as she led the purple unicorn towards the bakery...
(Pov switch to Dax...)
Dax was not happy, but Hilm and Drake were, that's at least worth something
"Hilm, Drake, we need to talk" said Dax
The two knew what was coming and silently sat around him
"Look, I know you want friends, trust me, I do, but I must ask, why do you think these ponies will be any better then the others who tried to attack us?" Asked Dax trying to be reasonable
"They seem really nice..." Said Hilm
"They defeated that thing that was going to hurt us!" Said Drake
Dax had to give them that one, he knew he wouldn't have been able to do it himself
"I understand that, but remember, everypony turns eventually, It would be much safer if we stayed as little as possible" responded Dax
"But what about you? You're an Element now!" Said Hilm
"I couldn't care less about being an Element, my Job is to protect you, that is it" said Dax
"But what about them?" Asked Drake
"I don't really care, they'll turn just like the rest of them" said Dax
"But-" Hilm was cut off
"You guys know it, I know it, everypony turns on us eventually, no matter how kind they may be" said Dax
"Can't you atleast try?" Asked Drake
"I'm not being friends with them, it would serve no purpose, it would actively work against us" said Dax
The two were defeated, they knew their big brother was stubborn about these topics, and they knew it was for good reason, as much as they want to believe these new ponies are different, but he has always been right...
"I just... I don't want to run anymore..." Said Drake
"I want to make friends... All those times you caught me sneaking out to watch others play... I want that..." Said Hilm
Dax grew saddened
"I know you two... I know... I truly wish we could, I would give anything for you two to have that" said Dax as he hugged the two little ones
The two silently sobbed into their Dax
"Tell you what, how about we play that game you like" said Dax
The two slowly stopped sobbing before softly smiling
"Yes please" said the two in unison...
(A few hours later at Sugarcube Corner...)
"Aaaaaand done!" Yelled Pinkie as she marvelled at the cake they had made
"Wow, I didn't know I'd be that good at fetching ingredients" smiled Twilight sheepishly
"Nonsense you did amazing!" Said Pinkie humming
"I just hope this gets him to lighten up, I want him to see that we truly mean no harm" said Twilight
"Why would we attack them? He's silly" giggled Pinkie
Once again Twilight wanted to dodge answering that
"He has his reasons" said Twilight as she used her magic to box the cake
Pinkie could tell Twilight was hiding something from her
"Oh well, I'm sure this'll get him to loosen up" sung Pinkie
"Hopefully" said Twilight hoping to make things less awkward
"Well, I hope it works out" said Pinkie happily
"Thanks Pinkie, just remember, no parties for them" said Twilight
"Okie Dokie Lokie" said Pinkie as she bounded around
"Well, I'm off, I'll tell them it's from you as well!" Yelled Twilight
"Thankies!!" Yelled Pinkie back
Twilight was walking herself back home, she was pretty nervous about the entire situation, how would he react?
'Hopefully this helps him gain trust in me, even if by a little' prayed Twilight as she reached her front door, thankfully she had returned just before it hit night so she could make herself some dinner
'Wait, what about them? They'd probably be hungry too after what happened today...' thought Twilight as she opened the door to what seemed to be complete silence
"Well, at least they aren't noisy" said Twilight to herself as she walked up to the kitchen where she placed the cake in the fridge and began to prepare dinner, she didn't know whether or not they had food so she decided to make some for them too
"Hopefully they don't mind Pumpkin Soup" says Twilight as she begins to set the pot to boil before she hears some laughter
Twilight stayed silent, she wanted to know if she heard that correctly
There it was, more laughter!
She had to check in silently just to see what was going on
She used her magic to open the door, revealing the two little colts each trying to grab ahold of a ball held above then by Dax, who was smiling happily
Twilight was very surprised, this is the first time she's seen him express something other than distrust and/or anger
She took a few more glances as she silently closed the door without them noticing
'He must care for them a lot...' thought Twilight as she thought about her own older brother, Shining Armor
'I wonder if this is what it felt like for you when I was still young' thought Twilight as she smiled and went back to making dinner
It wouldn't take long before the soup was ready
She allowed the soup to cool down a bit before finally going back to their room door
(Knock Knock Knock)
"Hey It's me, Twilight" said Twilight nervously
After a few seconds the door opened to Dax, who stared back
"Hey... I didn't know if you guys had any food with you so I ummm... Made some dinner for you three" said Twilight
Dax stood still eying the food, he wanted to know what was in it, as he still didn't trust her
He was about to open his mouth before he heard the stomachs of both Hilm and Drake grumble, he turned to look at them and showed a saddened face for all but a split second before accepting the bowls from her
"I'll be having a taste first, just to make sure there's nothing bad in it" said Dax to Twilight as he closed the door
Twilight didn't know what to do
'He could have at least said thanks' thought Twilight annoyed
She walked down the hall back to the kitchen again
"What am I gonna do..." Said Twilight as she wanted him to know she meant no harm
She grabbed two more bowls meant for her and Spike, which was filled with Gemstones for him
She walked upstairs where she was greeted by the baby dragon
"Hey Twilight, thanks for the food!" Said Twilight
"Well, at least someone thanked me for that" said Twilight slightly annoyed
Spike automatically knew what that meant and wanted to give Dax a piece of his mind but decided it would be best to not make things more awkward in the house
"Hey Spike, if you had a younger sibling, what would you do if they were in danger?" Asked Twilight
"I'd protect them obviously, even if I had to get a bit rough and dirty to do so" said Spike
Twilight couldn't help but feel good from that comment
"After all, you’re the one who taught me that" said Spike
"What?" Asked Twilight confused
"Whenever I was being bullied for being different, you would always help and protect me, if I was to be in that same situation I would do just as you did!" Said Spike
Twilight smiled and hugged Spike, who hugged in return
"Glad I raised such a gentleman" giggled Twilight
Spike laughed in response
The two happily ate their soup, before Twilight would tuck Spike into bed and wish him goodnight
"Alright, it's late. I should probably go give them some cake as a token of friendliness" said Twilight as she walked back downstairs
She grabbed the cake from the fridge and cut it three pieces out, using her magic to walk over to the door, this time she was going to try something different, she was going to place down the cake, knock on the door and run, since Dax obviously wasn't in a talking mood she didn't want to push him
She placed down the cakes and knocked on the door before going back upstairs
The door opened to Dax, who looked annoyed but saw that no-one was in sight, he did however notice the cake pieces lying on the floor
He looked slightly regretful and saddened but also looked stoic as he took the cakes and placed them inside, the two little ones were confused before they saw the cakes
"Cake?" Said Hilm drooling
"It's been so long..." Said Drake
"Wait" said Dax as he took a small section out of all three slices
"Just making sure there's no poison, just like I did with the soups", said Dax as he inspected the cakes, finally mentally declaring them safe to consume he gave them their own slice then sliced his slice in two and gave each half to them
"You two have it, I know how much you both like cake" said Dax as he smiled slightly
"Thanks Dax! You're the best" said the two in unison as they began to dig into the cake
Dax was still very confused, why was she doing so much for them, surely she just wanted them to lower their guard so she could strike, that had to be the case!
"Savour them, we might not have another chance like this anytime soon" said Dax
The two nodded, this was the first time in ages where they felt truly happy
Dax smiled seeing their happy faces before his stomach growled, he ignored it though, as the only thing he wanted was to see his little brothers happy and safe
It wouldn't be too long until both Hilm and Drake finally began to get tired and fall asleep
Dax decided to stay up to make sure nothing could sneak in and attack them...
Back upstairs Twilight had finally begun to feel the fatigue of the day weighing on her, she began to note down her findings on friendship for the day before finally falling asleep...
(The next day, early in the morning...)
Twilight began to finally wake up, the sun just about to start rising
She didn't have much to do today, but she also didn't feel like being contained in the building, she thought of maybe talking more to Fluttershy, since she's the one Twilight knows least about
"That sounds like a plan" said Twilight as she went downstairs and thought of ways to become better friends with Fluttershy
"She does like Spike, maybe I can bring him over to her so she can study more" said Twilight herself
She then heard what sounded to be a door opening, she looked down the hall when all of a sudden two little colts were in sight
The two didn't notice her right away, instead trying to be as silent as possible
Twilight then hid behind some furniture, wanting to see what they were doing
"Okay, Hilm, you get some daffodils, I'll get the bread" whispered Drake
'they're making sandwiches?' thought Twilight to herself as she watched closely
"He'll love this" whispered Hilm
"Yeah, he barely eats anything so this'll make him feel much better" whispered Drake
'They're making sandwiches for Dax...' though Twilight as she thought back to when she'd make little things for Shining back when she was a filly
'Wait did they just say he barely eats? Did he not eat any of the soup or cake?' she wondered
"You have the daffodils?" Asked Drake quietly
"Yeah, you got the bread?" Asked Hilm back quietly
Twilight watched as they formed a sandwich, it didn't look very neat but she genuinely felt happy watching these two do something nice for their big brother, it gave her many nostalgic memories
She began to walk towards the kitchen again, revealing herself as the two colts looked in both shock and slight terror
The two looked at her and couldn't even form a sentence
Twilight was confused, did she have something on her face?
Then she remembered the conversation she had with the princesses yesterday
(Flashback)
"Everywhere they go, they get attacked" said Luna
"Attacked? By what?" asked Twilight
"Everyone, no matter how long they've been there or how much they've done, the people always begin attacking them for some reason" said Luna
(Flashback end)
'Wait, do they think I'm going to hurt them?' asked Twilight mentally
Twilight backed away slightly
The two looked terrified, as they looked down at the fact they used her ingredients without asking
Twilight then began to talk
"It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you" said Twilight softly
The two backed away slightly, they didn't know if she was telling the truth
"It's okay, I truly do not wish to harm you" said Twilight softly
The two slowly started to straighten out before speaking softly
"We... Just wanted to make big brother a sandwich for when he wakes up... I'm sorry we didn't ask..." Said Drake
Twilight got a bit sad at that comment
"It's okay, I'm fine with it, you just want to surprise him" said Twilight
"The two looked very uncomfortable, but were beginning to relax
"He stayed awake all night... Keeping us safe... He also didn't have any of the soup or cake either, he gave it all to us... We just want him to also have something..." Cried Hilm softly
Twilight's heart broke in two, tears forming in the corners of her eyes
The two colts took notice and were confused, but it did cause them to loosen up
Twilight found herself lucky, she reflected back on her brother Shining, he'd do the same...
"He's sleeping currently... He waited until we woke up and made us promise not to go outside..." Said Drake
"I'm sure he's proud of you two" Twilight said crying softly
The two were taken aback by the crying, never before have they talked to someone who didn't automatically attack them, let alone someone who is saddened over their struggles
"It's a brilliant idea" said Twilight as she neatened up the sandwich and plated it for them
The two began crying a little more, was this what it felt like to have a friend?
"I may not know you or your brother very much, and as much as we got off on the wrong foot... I do want you all to feel safe here" said Twilight as she felt two forced push into her, the two colts hugging and crying softly into her
Twilight felt guilty over their situation and hugged back, also crying a little
"You're the only one who's done this for us... Everyone else would have tried to hurt us..." Said Hilm
"Why do people hate us? We haven't done anything..." Said Drake
Twilight didn't know... She couldn't understand why people would do such nasty things, the fact that the people in Ponyville wished to do such things, it sickened her, but she was also confused
'The people here wouldn't hurt a fly... So why all of a sudden does everyone hate them?...' thought Twilight
"Thank you miss..." Said Drake
"Thank you..." Said Hilm
Twilight hugged them both again
"You can just call me Twilight, we're friends after all" smiled Twilight softly
The two colts formed a smile of what felt like pure joy
"Friends..." Said the two in unison
Twilight truly wished they didn't have to go through this
"Say, Princess Celestia's going to raise the sun soon, wanna go have a watch?" Asked Twilight to the two colts
"Yes! Dax takes us to watch it sometimes!" Said Hilm excitedly
"This is the first time someone else is doing it" said Drake
Twilight walked the two up to the observatory, which gave a clear view of the currently dark sky
"In a few moments now" said Twilight knowing Celestia
"So this princess... She's able to raise the sun and moon?" Asked Drake
"Yes, however raising the moon is actually Princess Luna's job, but since she has been absent for the past millennia, Celestia has had to do it" explained Twilight
"I don't like that one..." Said Hilm recalling yesterday
"She tried to hurt us..." Said Drake
"She wasn't herself, that thing that wanted to hurt you wasn't her, that was her corrupted magic controlling her, she really doesn't mean you any harm" explained Twilight
The two looked down, before something in the corner of their eye caught their attention
"Oooh it's starting" said Twilight as she readied the two
The three watched sky progressively turn yellow, the two marvelled at the sight, usually they didn't see much due to trees but here they had an unobstructed view
"That's so cool!" Said Drake
"That white pony does that?" Asked Hilm
"Yep, princess Celestia is amazing isn't she?" Asked Twilight
"She sure is!" Said Hilm
The sky had now fully turned blue and ponies were beginning to fill the streets, wiping the smiles off the two colts' faces...
Twilight once again went to think, why in tartarus would the people of Ponyville wish to harm them? Even if she had only been here for two days she felt like she knew the town in and out, they wouldn't hurt a fly...
"I guess I should let you two go now" said Twilight as she got up and went to wake up Spike
The two were saddened but also happy, this was the only time they could remember that someone other than Dax was nice to them, perhaps they were right about this
"Thanks Twilight" said the two colts as they began to walk down the stairs
She liked how they took to saying her name, they really do just want some friends... Or even for people to just stop attacking them...
"Spike..." Whispered Twilight trying to wake Spike up
The snoring continued
She shook his body a little to get him up
Nope, nothing
"Spike, come on, we're going out today" said Twilight as she shook a bit harder, waking Spike up finally
Spike groaned
"Just five more minutes..." Said Spike
"We know full well your not going to sleep just 'Five more minutes'" said Twilight
Spike groaned as he finally got up and went to brush his teeth
"Good, don't worry, we'll be heading to Fluttershy's" said Twilight
"She's cool" said Spike as he closed the door
Twilight opened the window to her room, letting in the air, looking at the residents below
"I still don't understand..." Said Twilight as she continued to look down at the populace before eventually spotting a light yellow mare with a light pink mane
"Fluttershy?" Asked Twilight to herself
She watched as the mare looked quite uncomfortable with the noise finally picking up
Twilight decided this would be perfect as she went downstairs and opened the door to her house
"Fluttershy!" Yelled Twilight trying to get her attention
"Twilight?" Asked Fluttershy as she looked around and noticed her, immediately flying over
"Come in, I can tell the noise is getting to you" said Twilight as she lead her inside
"Thanks Twilight..." Said Fluttershy shyly
Twilight shut the door
"You know what's funny? I was originally going to visit you today" laughed Twilight
"Oh no... My home is not very clean at the moment... I'd be very embarrassed..." Said Fluttershy softly
"Trust me, it can't be that bad" said Twilight
"So umm... What is it you wanted me for?" Asked Fluttershy
"Well, I wanted to get to know you more, since we're friends and all" said Twilight
"Oh... I see, what do you wish to know?" Asked Fluttershy
"Well... For starters... What do you like to do for fun?" Asked Twilight
"Ooooooh I like to play with animals, they're so cute and adorable" smiled Fluttershy
"Oh wait right, I do have Spike here for you, I thought you would like to know more about him" said Twilight
"Really?!? Where is he" smiled Fluttershy happily
"He's just getting ready, since we were originally going to head to yours" said Twilight
"Well... what about you Twilight? What do you like to do?" Asked Fluttershy
Twilight thought about it, she didn't really have many hobbies other than reading, magic and studying
"Umm, I like... Reading..." Said Twilight
"Something quiet, I like that..." said Fluttershy
"Did you think I was going to say something else?" Asked Twilight
"Well... Kinda... Rainbow has always been quite... Fast paced, even since we were little" said Fluttershy
"I can tell, I'll need to talk with her sometime after tomorrow" said Twilight
That's when they heard tiny feet coming from behind them, Spike had finally showed himself
"Hi Fluttershy" said Spike all refreshed
"Ooooh Spike! It's been forever since I saw you!" Said Fluttershy happily
"It's been almost a full day" said Twilight
"Tell me more about yourself!" Asked Fluttershy wanting to hear more about Spike
"We'll, I've already told you everything about me" said Spike
"Oh... I'm sorry but I'm so excited to see a baby dragon!" Smiled Fluttershy
"I can tell you about the time leading up to his hatching?" Asked Twilight
"Please do!" Squealed Fluttershy in excitement...
In the spare room, the two colts were waiting for their brother to wake up, he usually didn't sleep very long...
"Twilight is so cool" said Hilm
"She is! I can't wait to see what the rest of them are like!" Agreed Drake
The two had been excited about finally being friends with someone, they just wished their brother would also try to be friends with her, but they knew it would be nigh impossible, not that they blame him
The thought of the outside forces its way into their minds, then it finally dawned upon them
"Hey Drake" asked Hilm
"Yeah?" Asked Drake
"Why aren't they attacking us? I mean, everyone else does..." Said Hilm
"I... Don't know... Maybe they're just that amazing!" Said Drake
Hilm laughed
They would hear groans coming from the bed with Dax finally rising up
"Morning you two" said Dax smiling slightly
"Morning Dax!" Yelled the two in unison as they present to him the sandwich they made him
Dax was surprised, but he hugged them both tightly and ate the sandwich, even though he had already pieced together the fact they made it with the ingredients they snuck from the kitchen
All this did make him a bit sad, he knew that they'd be gone soon, and they'd be back on the run
"It's amazing you two" smiled Dax
"Yay!!!" Yelled the two of them as they hugged their brother again...
From downstairs the two ponies and dragon heard the noise coming from upstairs
"Oh, I'm sorry Twilight, I didn't know you had others over" said Fluttershy shyly
"No, no, it's okay Fluttershy, I'll explain things" said Twilight
"You see, Princess Celestia has asked me to house them until they can figure out what to do" said Twilight
"House who?" Asked Fluttershy
"Dax and his brothers..." Said Twilight
"...oh..." Said Fluttershy, she still didn't like Dax, he had both her and Rarity as hostages
"He's mean" said Fluttershy with a hint of anger
"Look, I know he did bad things that night, but he was only doing it to save his brothers, I'm trying to forgive him, I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I'd ask you to find it in yourself to forgive him too" asked Twilight
Fluttershy didn't know how to answer, she wasn't one to hold grudges, she knew she was a major pushover, she knew he was doing it for his brothers, but she didn't know if she had it in her to forgive him, let alone the fact he hasn't even apologised for it yet, not even to Rarity
Eventually they heard hoofsteps coming towards them, the two colts, closely followed by Dax, who they could tell really didn't want to be there
He gave them each a glare before the two colts began to notice Fluttershy, they thought it was just Twilight home
Fluttershy was both scared and angry, but mostly scared until the colts spoke
"Hey, I'm Drake..." Said Drake
"I'm Hilm..." said Hilm
"Sorry, we didn't think Twilight would have guests..." Said Drake
Fluttershy was surprised at the fact the little colts were so polite, complete opposite of their big brother who was still staring them down
"Fluttershy, meet Hilm, Drake and Dax..." Said Twilight trying to get things less awkward
"I'm... Flut..." Whispered Fluttershy
"I'm sorry, we couldn't hear that" said Hilm
"I'm... Fluttershy..." Whispered Fluttershy as she hid behind her hair, not because of the colts, but because Dax was still staring them down, making sure nothing happens to them
"Nice to meet you, Fluttershy" said Drake
Fluttershy loosened up when it came to them, but still couldn't even face Dax's direction
The two colts looked at Dax solemnly
Dax looked back at his little brothers and sighed, finally relaxing his body, as much as he could at least, no longer staring down the two mares
"My name's Dax, anything regarding them will go through me" said Dax annoyed
"Yes... I'll make sure it does..." Said Twilight who was also a little annoyed, she knew he just wanted to protect them, but did he really have to be so mean and go to such lengths?
"Well... What is it you two like to do?..." Asked Fluttershy who has loosened up a bit
"We... We like playing games..." Said Drake
"We also like... Blooming Onions..." Said Hilm
"What kind of games?" Asked Twilight as she remembered last night, watching as they tried to take a ball from Dax, who held it high above him
"We like playing Tic, Tac, Toe..." Said Hilm
"Ooooh, I also like that game" said Fluttershy who genuinely did also like playing that game as it was quiet
"I also like it, it requires quite the strategy at times" said Twilight who liked the actual mechanics more then the feeling
"Well... We have some paper and pens... Would you like to play?" Asked Hilm
Dax was about to object but didn't, he knew how much his brothers wanted to make friends and as much as he knew they would eventually turn on them, he couldn't just take this joy away from them, for him it was a full time job trying to keep them safe whilst also keeping them happy...
"Well... I guess we can" said Twilight
"I can I guess..." Said Fluttershy
The two were happy and began to set up the paper and pen, and they began to play, Twilight had to go a bit easy on them as she knew the strategies down pat, Fluttershy however was naturally at their level, each would win the same amount of games, until eventually the crowd outside started to dissipate, and the moon was going to raise soon
"Wow... Today went pretty fast..." Said Drake
"Yeah... This is the most fun I've had in forever..." Said Hilm
Fluttershy liked these two, they were quiet, and weren't aggressive like their brother
The two brothers then had an idea, they went to their brother to ask him something
"No, absolutely not" said Dax
"But why? We'd be safe" said Drake
"It's better to be sure then to take chances" said Dax
"But... The sun is going to set soon... Don't you wanna see it?" Asked Hilm
Dax really didn't want to risk it, he didn't even care about the sunset, but he knew how much it meant to his brothers...
"Fine, but you stick close to me, if even one person tries to attack us, we're gone" said Dax
The two hoped that would never happen...
"Umm... Twilight... Could we watch the sunset?..." Asked Hilm
"Yeah, we can go to the observatory and-" Twilight was cut off
"We meant... Outside..." Said Drake
Twilight couldn't say no to those two, besides, she did want to accompany Fluttershy home
"Okay, wanna join Fluttershy?" Asked Twilight
Fluttershy didn't really know, she knew she'd enjoy it but she didn't want to stay around Dax any longer, she could practically feel his distrust radiating off him, it was uncomfortable...
"I... I guess I could... If you want..." Said Fluttershy
"Of course I do" said Twilight softly as she helped Fluttershy up
"I know a hill not far from here, out of range of most places, so you won't need to worry about other ponies" Said Twilight
"I think I'm going to stay here" said Spike
Dax didn't trust her but the look his brothers gave him pushed him to agree
"Okay" said Dax shortly
"Yay!!!" Said the two colts as they hugged their big brother again
Twilight opened the door and looked around, no pony in sight
"Alright, we can go now" said Twilight as the group began to rush to the hill, making sure no one was around
Fluttershy still didn't understand the reasoning behind there having to not be any ponies around, she was shy for sure, but even she wasn't that uncomfortable around at least a few people...
Eventually they had finally reached the hill, Dax looked around, she was telling the truth, basically no buildings in sight, completely isolated
The two colts stayed near their brother whereas Twilight and Fluttershy were a bit away
"Umm, Twilight?..." Asked Fluttershy
"Yeah?" Asked Twilight
"Why does Dax hate everypony so much?" Asked Fluttershy wondering if Twilight knew the answer
"I... I can't say" said Twilight not wanting to reveal that information yet
"Oh... So you don't know..." Said Fluttershy
"It's... Complicated... I do know but... It's a bit personal let's just say" said Twilight
"Oh... I won't pry then..." Said Fluttershy
The two looked over at the three, the two colts looking at the sky
"Hey Twilight..." Asked Fluttershy
"What's up?" Asked Twilight
"Have you noticed that Dax doesn't have a Cutie Mark?" Asked Fluttershy
"Wait, what?" Asked Twilight as she looked at Dax and sure enough, no cutie mark...
"Why wouldn't he have a cutie mark? Surely he has found something he loves or is good at?" Asked Twilight
She remembered back to the conversation with Princess Luna...
(Flashback...)
"I see... how long have they been on the run for?" asked Celestia
"...8 years now..." said Luna...
(Flashback end...)
They've been on the run for 8 years...
'He was only 10 when it happened...' thought Twilight
And then it hit her
'Celestia... He never learnt what he was good at... He spent his entire childhood trying to survive...' thought Twilight finally figuring it out
Tears began to form in her eyes for a moment
‘He gave his entire childhood to protect them..’ thought Twilight
"Are you okay Twilight?" Asked Fluttershy worried as she noticed the crying
"I'm okay..." Said Twilight as she wiped her eyes
They watched before turning their attention to the now setting sun
Fluttershy found it more beautiful than she originally thought, although it wasn't her first time watching it happen
Twilight felt genuinely terrible. She truly wanted to help the three of them, but she knew that Dax wouldn't ever trust her, or anyone for that matter
The two mares looked at the three, the two little colts mesmerised at the moment, whilst Dax seemed to be somewhat both saddened and genuinely happy, even showing a solemn smile for them
"Is he smiling?" Asked Fluttershy surprised
"It would seem so..." Said Twilight
As the sun had finally set, the two colts happily embraced their brother, who genuinely looked ready to cry, but didn't as he smiled at them and returned the hug
Fluttershy was surprised...
"Well... I guess we should go now" said Twilight as she got up
"Yeah..." Said Fluttershy
The three brothers also got up and began to walk towards them
"Twilight..." Asked Fluttershy
"Yeah?" Asked Twilight
"Before they reach here, I just wanna say... I made my mind up..." Said Fluttershy
"About what?" Asked Twilight confused
"I'm going to forgive him..." Said Fluttershy
Twilight was genuinely happy to hear that, she hugged Fluttershy which surprised her
The three brothers finally made their way over
"They're ready" said Dax
"Alright, I've gotta go walk Fluttershy back home, you know where the house is" said Twilight
"Hey... Fluttershy..." Said Hilm
"Can... We call you that?" Asked Drake
Fluttershy was taken aback
"Of course you can" said Fluttershy gladly
The two colts hugged her, which Dax didn't seem to like, but still didn't react
Fluttershy was surprised but still hugged back
Dax really did not like that, he took a step forward but caught himself...
He looked at his brothers who genuinely looked happy... The happiest they had been in the longest time...
Was he supposed to stop the hug in case she wanted to hurt them? He was torn, he didn't know, he knew she'd turn on them with the snap of a finger but... He couldn't help but look at their happy faces... This is what he wanted for them... Even if he believed it would never be so...
The mare let go of the colts and smiled brightly at them
"Be safe you two" said Fluttershy without a hint of shyness
"We will!" Said Hilm and Drake as they walked back to their brother, who could only stare at the mare, not out of anger or distrust, but in confusion, everypony else would have attacked by now... Why were they so different? They had to have been planning something... But he had a feeling he was wrong, but he knew he couldn't afford to trust "feelings"
He truly didn't understand... So he just turned around and took the two now tired colts home quickly
Twilight began to take Fluttershy home, little did anyone know they had eyes trained on them from above, a light blue pony with rainbow hair
"Well that was weird to watch" said Rainbow Dash as she closed the cloud...
Twilight had finally dropped Fluttershy home and had a small talk about the three of them
"I like Hilm and Drake, they're little angels" said Fluttershy
Grunting noises came from the bunny besides her
"Oh, not you Angel, sorry" said Fluttershy
"Yes, I had something similar to them this morning whilst Dax was asleep" said Twilight
"I didn't feel shy whilst talking to them at all" said Fluttershy
"Well, I guess they're amazing friends to have for you then" said Twilight
"Friends... Yeah, I'd call them that" said Fluttershy happily
"Amazing, we'll I've gotta quickly go, I hope we can learn more about each other at some point" said Twilight having fun with Fluttershy
"Same" smiled Fluttershy as Twilight began to walk away, Fluttershy closing the door...
Twilight would get home and make some more Pumpkin soup for the 5 residents of the home, made sure to give Spike extra gems
She also cut up some more of the cake for the three of them and knocked on the door, leaving the food there for Dax to give to the two colts
She then walked up to her room, gave Spike some dinner and eventually they both fell asleep not long afterwards...
Tomorrow was a big day, Rarity and Applejack were both coming over to discuss the details of being an Element
Hopefully Dax and the two colts would also join them...
Twilight hoped everything would go well...
(Chapter 2 end...)