I took a step back, head shaking and eyes wide open.

He sneered at me.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Or in our case, humans!" Dark Mane said icily.

I lay back my ears and bared my teeth at him, pawing the ground in frustration.

"No use getting shirty with me, missy. I could take you down in seconds!" He continued.

I swallowed hard.

"I was going to tell you that I had an escape plan!" I replied, gritting my teeth.

Dark Mane laughed.

"I don't need an escape plan! I can force my way out of here!" He cried.

With that, he half-reared and threw his hooves down on to the stable door, making it smash open.

He cantered out of the stable and completed a whole circle before charging at me.

I stood my ground and eventually, Dark Mane stopped in front of me, snorting in my face.

I glared at him and Rhubarb came to stand beside me.

"Is this…gentleman…giving you trouble?" Rhubarb asked, eyeing Dark Mane suspiciously.

Before I could answer, Dark Mane laughed.

"No I'm not giving her trouble. We're old friends aren't we sweetheart?"

I shook him off.

"NO WAY! Get off me you creep!" I cried, bucking fiercely.

"I was asking Sadie, not you. Have some manners!" Rhubarb shouted, laying his ears back.

Dark Mane rolled his eyes then sneered at us again.

"Sadie, are you alright?" Rhubarb whispered.

"I'm fine thanks. Yes he is bothering me." I replied, walking away.

Rhubarb looked Dark Mane in the eye.

"If I ever see you bothering my friend again, you'll be so sorry!" He said.

Dark Mane turned his back on Rhubarb and walked away again.

Rhubarb caught up with me and asked: "Are you okay now?"

I nodded uncertainly.

"I was only going to tell him about our escape plan." I mumbled.

"I know." Rhubarb replied, rubbing his head on my neck.

"This is what I said to him: 'If I ever see you bothering my friend again, you'll be sorry.' " Rhubarb told me.

"I think he got the message."

I shook my head. The word 'friend' swum around in my mind. I thought we were more than friends?

"Sadie?" Rhubarb asked.

I closed my eyes and turned away at a gallop.

"Sadie! What's wrong?" Rhubarb called.

I knew what was wrong. The fact that Rhubarb only saw us as friends. I began to cry and I hurried back to my stable, flopping down on the straw.

Feather saw me return and poked her head over the divide.

"Oh Sadie, what's wrong?" She asked softly.

"Stalions! The lot of them! HOPELESS HEARTBREAKERS!" I cried.

Feather walked to the door to her stable and popped her head over, sliding the bolt back with her teeth, and letting herself out. She entered my stable and sat next to me, comforting me.

"I know," she whispered, "stallions have done heartbreaking things to me in the past."

Rhubarb walked past my stable, but I didn't realise at the time…

He must have heard me saying that stallions were hopeless heartbreakers, because he walked straight off again, ears down.

"Oh Sadie, why didn't you tell me you loved Dark Mane?" Rhubarb whispered.

How wrong was he!…