"are you sure that's what happened Twilight?" Vinyl asked her as she treated my big bruises.
"remember I said magic doesn't work on ponies and Applejack is out of town at the moment... so I'm limited on what I am able to find out. Even if he did jump them they have a single warning before they are sent to another town."
"but do you even see the wounds on him!" Vinyl yelled at her as she pulled back surprised. "these aren't from a fight! It's a one-sided beating!"
"Vinyl... I know what he looks like but its one's words against another... as well as others saying that he has always been a problem where they went to school. While I believe most of them being untrue there is still a chance he did jump them."
"he didn't jump them princess Twilight." I heard Octavia say as she walked down the stairs rubbing her eyes. " I was there with him when we were stopped, princess." Twilight smiled hearing this.
"then at least I will know if they were telling the truth. Could you please explain Octavia?" she nodded as she walked over and sat down on my other side.
"We were returning home from getting his bathroom suppliers when they stopped us in the empty marketplace. While they asked me to leave so they could 'catch up' with Alex I was hesitant to do so... but I foolishly listened to Alex for me to go on as I left him behind... but anypony could tell that with their smiles and stopping us in an empty area that they wished to harm Alex... if I didn't listen to Alex they might have just walked away."
"thank you for being honest Octavia... ill be sure to let them know should something come up again they will be sent to a different town and left to fend for themselves." she said before she gave a loud yawn. "well if you two don't mind... its been a long day for everypony. So I must be off." she got up stretched her wings slightly. "sorry for intruding."
"no problems princess... happy that you went out and found him before I went out..." Vinyl said with a smiled. Twilight repeated her goodbyes as she walked out the door... then I was smacked by Octavia with her hoof.
"why did you tell me to keep going! You had to of known what they were going to do to you!" Octavia yelled with tears in her eyes as I stared at her crying eyes.
"Octavia I think he just doesn't want us to get involved in personal matters. For reasons I believe he doesn't want to tell us." Vinyl said putting a hoof on her shoulder.
"for once Vinyl..." she sniffled. "the roles are reversed..." Vinyl gave a chuckle as she packed away the first aid kit and levitated it back to its place on the wall. "sorry for... overreacting Alex." I gave her a small wave of my hand. " it's my job to worry about Vinyl whenever she isn't home in the morning... for past reasons that both Vinyl and I wish to forget. Just please don't do anything reckless. Please?" I gave her a reassuring nod as she smiled.
"well since that's all over with! You should get back to bed Octy! You do have a testing to do tomorrow." Octavia nodded as she walked back up the stairs. "she's a good pony Alex... always worried for her friend's safety but not always the brightest one in how to deal with them. Because of how few friends she truly has and how many she thinks she has. Shes had a hard life due to her parents as anypony with parents like her would... either submit or defy... only two options when it comes to them... it's up to her to tell you the full story though... but thanks for not bringing her into your... 'business'. Now if you don't mind!" she stretched upwards and gave a yawn. " it's my one of my few days off of the week so I would like to actually have a full amount of sleep for once!" she trotted up the stairs as I gave a soft chuckle.
I guess I really hit the jackpot being put with them... they were nice ponies. Definitely a bigger improvement from the people from my school.
I stood up from the couch with a small grimace as I walked up the stairs and into my bedroom... I took off my clothes as I finally saw all the different colored bruises on my body... it was like my skin were islands in the sea of bruises on my body. I was numb over most of my body but I know I will be feeling sore tomorrow morning when its time to go with Octavia to go to the testing...
I had a horrible feeling that something was going to happen tomorrow... and considering I woke up feeling like something was going to happen today I'm going to trust my instincts from now on. Taking off my pants carefully I laid down on my bed and just stared at the ceiling with my hands behind my head.
Hopefully, Max won't think about coming for me tomorrow. Most likely after this, he will be secretly watched since its now known that he instigated the beating with his two friends. Although I am mad about what the other people that came with us said about me. I can't blame them. I was a secret individual who never made any friends and lost all his friendships after I quit choir and became mute. No one wanted anything to do with me anymore after I just stopped singing... only being bullied was the only thing that really happened to me. Even the teachers started to ignore me and I could never figure out why...
grandma, although being a good teacher was a loon at times, always spouting out stuff about our ancient history and why I should learn it from her... before she died and she spouted out a bunch of nonsense. Although now that I think about it if I recall correctly she one time talked about colorful ponies... maybe I should try to remember everything she has attempted to talk to me about...
if I could remember that is as almost everything she told me disappeared once she died. Mom even burned all her belongings and dad as always approved of it... even if he did like her before mom made him submissive somehow...
when I next blinked I found myself in a memory... me standing in the hospital room for Grandma. Hearing her tell me a few things.
"you must not talk child... not after today..." I looked at her confused.
"may I ask why grandma?"
"because I fear that once I passed... you won't be able to control your inner voice as you have already wonderfully. But you must remember..." she began to have a coughing fit as a nurse ran into the room... but was stopped by grandma raising a hand. The nurse only nodded as she walked back out. "that everything I have taught you and told you was true..."
"really grandma? A world of talking colorful ponies? An artifact is hidden in our backyard that would take me there? Grandma your old age must finally be catching up to- ouch!" she proceeded to hit me on the head with her cane that laid beside her bed.
When I closed my eyes in the dream I woke up to the suns rays waking me up. I frowned as I instantly held up my arms to block the blinding sun as I sat myself up and looked at myself in the vanity mirror ahead of me. Most of my bruises seemed to have gone away, I was always a fast healer, but the bruises around my throat seemed to have not even shown a fraction of being healed yet... I narrowed my eyes as I tenderly touched the bruises and flinched when I touch around where my grandma's necklace was.
Deciding to worry about it later I stood up and got dressed once more on the only clothes I had. Even though they were slightly damaged.
Walking downstairs I was greeted by both Octavia and Vinyl talking in the living room with cinnamon buns in their hooves. "morning!" Vinyl yelled seeing me come down the stairs. "was about to come wake you up!" I gave her a thankful nod as she floated a cinnamon bun over to me. Grabbing the plate it was on I took a quick bite as its wonderful taste entered my mouth.
"I see we will have to make another stop after the testing for new clothes." Octavia stated as she looked up and down my form. "the testing shouldn't take long anyway." I nodded at her judgment "although this time if we are stopped..." she looked at me with narrowed eyes. "we are going to keep on walking..." I looked at her a few seconds before I gave her a nod. Her frown soon turning into a small smile as she took another bite out of her cinnamon bun.
In one hour both me and Octavia were off towards the Guard station. I noticed while we walked I noticed several people from my school glaring at me for some unknown reason, besides the fact that they hate me after I quit choir, which confused me. Soon we reached a two-story building that appeared to also have a floor underground.
Walking in I watched as a stallion with wide eyes and bags under his eyes walk out with a look of disbelief on his face... I raised an eyebrow at his behavior as he ignored me as I walked past him, slightly bumping into him on accident. He must have been an apart of the music group Octavia was with. "hello. Octavia Melody here for drug testing." she said to the mare at the front desk. The mare was chewing a piece of gum as she put a glass onto the counter and poured a cup of water. "please drink the water to allow the machine to get a better read for your system. Drink in sips please."
I immediately narrowed my eyes at what she said. No machine needs water, of all things, to have the machine work better. Octavia took the glass as we both sat down. As she was about to take a sip I put my hand over the top as she looked at me confused. I slowly shook my head as she was very confused. When the receptionist looked away I grabbed the glass from her and poured it straight into the plant next to me. She looked like she was going to yell until I covered her mouth and put the glass back in her hoof as the mare looked at us. She raised an eyebrow at me covering her mouth but shrugged and went back to her magazine.
"why did you do that?!" she whispered to me as I watched Twilight suddenly walk into the station, looked around, and then walked over to us with a smile.
"Hello, you two. I came to hopefully give my support in case things went wrong," she said.
"I thank you for your support princess," Octavia told her kindly as I gave her a quick nod. Before she could speak some more a guard walked out and I watched as his eyes seemed to go straight to the glass that Octavia held before he smiled... I narrowed my eyes as he called out Octavia's name. We both got up to walk in until I was stopped by the guard. "I'm sorry sir but you cant come with her."
"actually by pony law 57 subsection 6 paragraph 3 if a friend of the pony being tested doesn't trust the ponies doing said test then they will be allowed to come in." Twilight quickly spoke up as the pony started to sweat a little but then smiled again.
"very well then. You drank your water correct?" Octavia hesitated for a moment, thankfully it seemed I only noticed, but gave a nod as the guard gave a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "excellent! Follow me please." Twilight stayed outside while I followed the guard into another room with Octavia. "alright please sit down over here please." he said as another guard walked into the room and stood by the door. "have you had any drugs in the past?"
"when I was a filly my parents got me a prescription for my anger management... haven't taken it in 10 years." he nodded.
"OK, now let's begin shall we... this will let us know if there are any drugs in your system. Its old but very very efficient." I tuned him out as I saw a notice on the side of the machine.
Make sure the pony being tested has not drunk anything before test begins. At least 10 minutes before.
I narrowed my eyes as a needle entered her front right hoof as she flinched a little from it going in. "just have to leave it in for a couple of minutes... once it beeps we will know if there are any drugs in your system or not." I stared at the screen out of the corner of my eye, while faking watching Octavia, and watched as it lit up a few minutes later. I gave a small smirk as the guard seemed to sweat a little. The screen showed that she was clear of any drugs which all but confirmed my suspicion. "did you happen to drink the water given to you?" the guard then asked as the other guard stood still.
"yes I did... is there a problem?" Octavia lied as she looked at me only for me to give her a keep calm gesture.
"I believe that the mare up front didn't give you enough water to get a clear enough scan." he pulled out a glass of water and handed it to her as I quickly moved over and pulled it from his grasp... "sir... she needs to drink the water," he stated with grit teeth as his eyes filled with anger. The other guard in the room was prepared to move when I pointed at the notice on the side of the machine.
The first guard would have walked over to read it... if I didn't stop him and had the other guard come over and read it. He raised an eyebrow as I held on tightly to the glass of water. He then walked over to the screen and raised his eyebrows. "is your eyesight alright Trade? It says she's clean." he asked in a very deep tone.
"m-must of been a glitch in the system," he said. "I guess your free to go miss Melody." she looked happy until I near slammed the water down and slammed his helmeted head into the wall causing the guard to hold a sword to my back.
"Sir I ask that you release him before I arrest you for assaulting a guard!" he yelled as I turned my head to look at him.
"Alex what are you doing?!" Octavia yelled as I turned my head to the water I had put on the counter. They were both confused until Vinyl got what I was saying. "test the water..."
"Miss Melody?"
"test the water... he wouldn't do something like this unless it was for a reason... test the water!" she quickly said as he snatched the water up and left the room. When he returned his eyes were narrowed towards the guard I was still holding against the wall. "Lieutenant Silver Trade you are hereby under arrest for attempting and succeeding to frame the Tame Melody group by putting drugs in their drinks!"