Part 2: Chapter 6: "You have been out for 48 hours."

The white colt groaned as he woke up. Although he was well rested, which was a first in 5/6 years, he was still tired, which wasn't a first and it won't be the last. His eyes slowly opened, the dry, crusted tears cracking as the eyes opened. He wiped away the dried tears with a hoof and slowly pushed himself up off the metallic table. He looked around to get his bearings and noticed that his wing was on the ground. Without getting off the table, the colt with the missing right wing reached down and grabbed his metallic limb then slipped it on the destroyed limb that used to be a right wing years ago. He took a deep breath as he felt the magnetic metallic bones in his limb expand inside the wing, connecting him to the wing.

"You know, you really shouldn't be moving, considering what happened to you." Said a voice.

Alpha looked up to see Charlie leaning on the swing-open door, the light from the hallway spilling into the dark room. He could see Delta's blue glowing eye. Although the light behind Charlie created a shadow effect in which most couldn't see his face, Alpha's eyes, enhanced by Beta presence and by his time in the RF, could just make out a rare-smile on Charlie's face.

"Yeah, I know." Alpha replied as he struggled to get off the table. He pushed himself off the table and fell to the dried blood-covered floor with a thud. He growled as he stood up and slowly made his way to Charlie. "Never mind me, how are you doing?" He stooped low and picked up his fallen welding torch.

Charlie took a step back, caught off guard by the sudden change of subject. "I'm fine, why?"

Alpha tilted his head to the side at a 10 degree angle and his mouth turned into an emotionless frown.
He looked up and down at Charlie, checking him over.

"Alpha…" Charlie replied unsteadily. "What's wrong?"

Alpha stopped and looked at Charlie. "I know something is wrong. What is it?"

"What do you mean?" Charlie replied with a nervous chuckle.

Alpha lifted his right front hoof and placed it on Charlie's shoulder. "I know something's up."

Charlie sighed. "Alright, you caught me." He admitted. "I've been depressed for a while."

"May I ask why?"

"Do you really need to ask that? Are you blind?" Charlie asked, annoyed. "I have a shitty personality, my original parents didn't want me so they adopted me, I ran away from my adopted parents' home, and I am the reason you went to the factory and fought Celestia!" He shrugged off Alpha's hoof. "And I'm gay."

Alpha cocked his head back. "Gay?"

"Yes, gay."

"Sorry for asking this, but what is gay?"

Charlie sighed violently.

"Gay means being attracted to the same gender." Beta answered.

"How is that bad?" Alpha asked.

"What do ya mean "How"?" Charlie replied, shocked that Alpha didn't know.

"Why is it bad being gay?"

"Because it's against the social laws of Equestria; one cannot love the same gender, only opposite genders."

Alpha chuckled. "You are aware that I was in the factory for 5 years, right?"

Charlie nodded.

"That means that I have no clue on what happens in society. Are you also aware that I break laws?"

Charlie continued to nod.

"Are you also aware that I am gay as well?"

Charlie froze. "What?! No you aren't."

"I can remember not being attracted to the mares in the facility that the other colts were talking about. Never really found them interesting. Character wise I did, but sexually? Never."

"Yeah so?"

"Four years ago, I broke into the Rainbow Factory to save Scootaloo as she was taken there. While the colts and mares broke free and escaped, I decided to check the cells one last time to see if any pony was left behind." Alpha explained. "At the last of the cells was a cell that had its door reattached. Curious, Beta and I decided to open it. Do you know what we found inside?"

Charlie's eyes widened as he realized what Alpha was explaining.

"I found a colt inside. He had tan-colored skin, brown-turning-cherry-red mane and tail. I thought he was just another colt when I saw his eye change color for a split second." Alpha smiled as he leaned close to Charlie.

"Alpha….What are you doing?" Charlie said nervously.

Alpha smiled then winked at him before walking past him. "Nuthing." He said in a joking tone.

"Hey wait up!"

"What time is it?" Alpha asked over his shoulder.

"3 o'clock at night." Charlie responded as he rubbed his eyes.

"How long have I been out?"

Charlie was silent as he counted the number of hours.

"Charlie?"

"About 48 hours, two days."

Alpha was silent for a full heartbeat. "Well, I needed it." He turned around the corner.

Charlie turned the corner and froze, staring at Alpha. "What are you doing?"

Alpha was flying upside-down. "Just screwing around."

"Why?"

"I never really got the chance to joke around." He said as he continued to flip forward.

"Oh." Charlie replied, somewhat embarrassed at the fact of how Alpha was acting. "Why are you acting so strange?"

Alpha was now upside-down on the ceiling and walking forward, his wings flapping as they tried to keep him glued to the ceiling. "What do you mean?" He looked up at Charlie, who was in turn looking up at him.

"Are you looking up or down?" Charlie said, distracted at his friend walking on the ceiling.

"I'm currently looking up."

"If you were looking up, you would be looking at the ceiling."

Alpha smiled. "I am confusing you. Although you see me as upside-down, I am right side-up in my view."

"You are seriously not acting like yourself right now."

Alpha frowned as he righted himself to the floor and landed, facing Charlie. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, you are usually more serious."

Alpha's wings extended automatically. He became very self-conscious for a few seconds, his eyes wide, and his frown gone.

"Why does that happen?" Charlie asked, confused.

Alpha's face reddened. "No…Reason…" Alpha said slowly. His wings lowered. He turned around and headed for the main hall.

"Where are you going?"

"Come on, I wanna show you something."

"What?"

Alpha stopped and grinned. "The Heart of Equestria."