Equestrian Psycho

Chapter 8- Taking Strides

Chris lay in bed with only his pajama bottoms on and stared at the ceiling. Come on, Chris, Sam urged from inside his head, it's been three days, and the only thing you've done is sit here. You would have starved by now if it weren't for Sweetie Belle and Cadence. You need to get up and do something.

"What's the point?" Chris asked out loud without moving. "There's nothing I can do that'll make a change now."

For a while, all was silent again. You're wrong.

Chris gave an amused huff. "Oh, yeah?" He questioned. "How's that?"

You need to show everyone that you're not going to just roll over and give up. Samson explained. Show them that just because you got benched doesn't mean you're done fighting.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Chris asked, finally shifting to sit on the edge of the bed.

Train, Sam said simply. Train like we've never trained before. Show them that you're not only going to be ready for another fight. You're going to be better than ever.

Chris sat for a moment and collected his thoughts. "You're right," he finally said, letting a small smile reach his lips. "And besides, we've got some new moves to perfect."

Chris could feel Sam's pride growing. That's the Chris I know.

Chris gave a short laugh, grabbed his shirt off the nightstand, and pulled it over his head. He had been so busy with the conversation with Samson that he had failed to hear his door open and close.

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Sweetie Belle walked down the corridors of the Castle of Two Sisters in her favorite outfit with a tray of food in her hands. Chris hadn't shown up for breakfast again, and it had her, and the rest of the Elements worried. Her relationship with Sunset had been cold over the last few days, but the rest of the Elements seemed sympathetic to Chris' plight. Cadence had even come by several times to check on him with her, concerned over the young man's overall health.

Although, it would be a lie to say she was checking on him only for his sake. In fact, her reason for doing so was somewhat selfish. Chris had brought a particular light to her life. The way he stayed upbeat and almost always smiled warmed her heart in an otherwise cold world. But seeing him in his current state? It was almost painful. His playfulness was gone, replaced by a state of morose being. He just laid in his room and stared at the ceiling.

She sighed and looked down at the tray in her, hoping he'd be feeling a little better today. She approached the door to his room and took the tray in her magic to free her hands. She raised her fist to knock but stopped when she heard Chris talking from within.

"How's that?" She heard him ask. There were no sounds in the room for a few moments before Chris spoke again. "And how am I supposed to do that?" The sound of the mattress shifting reached her ears.

Curious, Sweetie moved her hand to the handle and slowly pushed the door open. She peeked inside and stopped when she spotted Chris. He was facing away from her, head lowered as he conversed with an empty room, but that's not what got her. As her eyes fell on Chris's uncovered back, she moved a hand to her mouth to muffle the gasp that tried to escape her lips. A long, knotted scar ran down Chris's right side, running parallel to his spine.

As Chris stood, Sweetie closed the door as quickly and quietly as she could. When the door finally closed with a click, she turned and put her back against the wall. Thoughts and fears ran through her head before she finally decided on a solution. She straightened up and took a few calming breaths before knocking on the door.