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@@Mint Drop Glacier sighed mentally as Sunset squeaked and hid. 'Think damn it! You don't want anypony to think you're causing her grief. Calm her down some how.' ​ Seeing all of the ponies outside glaring in gave Glacier a clue as to what was occurring. Glacier put on a calming voice and began to speak. "Relax," she said. "It is not you they're looking at. I know what they're thinking and I know why they're thinking it. And I can understand why you'd feel strange eating near somepony who wasn't. But I don't need to eat. Enjoy your... whatever it is. It's yours and I will not take it from you."

Glacier nodded gently. "I'm positive," ​she said. "I'm not much of a fan of the things they serve in places like this and even if I was, I have nothing to pay with and I don't want to take your money." ​Struggling to sit still, Glacier saw that, just as outside, ponies were still staring at her and her ring. 'Have these ponies never seen an 'insane' pony before? They're transfixed like I'm some sort of unicycling elephant!'

@, @Skycoaster and As the berries from earlier had filled him up, Pondah worked through his sandwich at a more traditional rate, not his usual 'shove it down as fast as you can before you drop dead' rate. As Skycoaster whispered his secret, Pondah gave a straight face. "Your secret's safe with me," ​Pondah said reassuringly. "If there's one thing the being a hermit has taught me, it's how to not converse with ponies for extreme lengths of time. If money's a problem, I can lend a hand. I've only spent one bit in the past five months!" ​Pondah's eyes were drawn to Thunder's electrickery and the creation of the mystical life-blood known as ketchup. As he followed the blobs of sauce, he smirked slightly. "So you're an omnivorous pony, huh?" ​Pondah asked. "I never thought I'd meet one."

@, and @Skycoaster Pondah's eyes scanned the menu. There was barely anything on the menu that he had ever heard and with the prices being so high, the last thing he wanted to do was order somethingthat he would hate. "If I'm allowed I'll just have a lettuce sandwi..." ​Pondah said. Before he could finish, the voice in the back of his head returned. 'Really? Out of every culinary delight this place has to offer, you pick that? Even if you're not hungry, there must be something more interesting.' ​Pondah nodded in agreement with the voice and resumed speaking. "Actually," he said. "Scrap that. I'm feeling adventurous. If I may, I'd like to have a tomato sandwich." 'That's not quite what I had in mind...'

@ & Pondah nodded as Thunder Dash told him about a place that he could try skating at. He smiled as Bubble burst into her usual enthusiasm but his smile was short-lived as worry swept over the excitable mare. "The situation we have right now is easy enough to solve," ​Pondah said with a reassuring tone. "Tonight, you can go and see this Ember friend of yours and at another, more convenient time, we can do some skating."

@, & @Skycoaster Pondah sat as Bubble spewed words at him without pause. As he tried to decipher what she'd actually said, Skycoaster gave a much easier to understand view of things. "Skating sounds like it could be interesting," ​Pondah said to the four at the table. He then turned to Bubble and continued. "If it isn't to much of an inconvenience, would you mind showing me the mystical arts of skating?"

Glacier nodded and followed as Sunset began to take her to the café. She kept looking around at the buildings, streets and alleys asshe walked, all the time building a stronger and stronger cognitive map. As Sunset turned to speak to her, Glacier focused her eyes back onto her. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sunset," ​Glacier said with a sweet smile. "I'm Glacier Shard." ​'Bleh! This 'social' crap really isn't that great.'

@ & @Skycoaster "I don't know how good I am at ice-skating," ​ Pondah replied quickly. "I'm probably hopeless seeing as I've never tried it before." Pondah surprised himself with his response. Usually, being asked if he was any good at something would lead to a lot sadness and self-loathing at how he can't do anything in practice, only know how to do it. But something seemed different. He didn't feel sad at how he couldn't skate, just a sense of encouragement. 'Damn... she's good.'

@@Skycoaster & Before Pondah could raise a hoof in arguement at Bubble's comment, a voice in his head held him back. 'Just let her have this one...' Obeying the voice, Pondah smiled slight and nodded. "It appears that you are," ​Pondah replied. He smirked before continuing. "I guess I know who to complain to should the rains give me any problems." ​Pondah gave Bubble a playful nudge in the side.

@@Mint Drop 'I may as well go with her. Might make some sort of acquaintanceship.' ​Glacier smiled before replying to Sunset's offer. "Sounds good to me," ​Glacier said. "I won't be eating anything though. I'm not fond of the sorts of things they serve in those sorts of places." ​This was true. An extended period of living in the Everfree Forest had changed her diet from the conventional pony diet to a more carnivorous one. This made the early months in the Institute hellish as her body struggled to keep down the meals she was given.

@, & @Skycoaster Seeing that Bubble had already jumped into conversation with Thunder and Skycoaster, Pondah decided to the let the trio have their conversation before he jumped in. He took a step forwards to place Skycoaster's room keys on the table before stepping back. 'Ergh. My mane-scarf-storage is heavy on my neck when I'm still. I'll have to keep it unwrapped for know. Pondah unwrapped his mane from around his neck and, after sitting on the floor for a moment, returned it to it's usual position down his back.

@ As the duo entered the bottom floor resteraunt area, Pondah pointed to the raised area where Skycoaster and Thunder Dash were sitting. "There they are," Pondah said. "I hope they're not to angry at the fact we kept them waiting for a while." ​Pondah began to walk towards where Skycoaster sat as he withdrew the room keys from his mane-scarf-storage.

@ "I guess I've just got something to smile about," Pondah replied with lightning speed. He turned to look Bubble straight in the eyes before continuing. "I'm finally happy for once and it's all down to you." Pondah's smile changed from one forged from excitement and joy to a smaller, refined one of gratitude and thankfulness.

@@Mint Drop Glacier could feel that the pegasus was distressed so she decided to do what she'd do when she meets a frightened animal in the wild. Kneeling down slightly, Glacier smiled slightly before answering Sunset's question. ​"I haven't really got anything planned for today," Glacier replied in a hushed tone. "I just see where I end and what happens. And of course I don't mind you asking questions. Everypony has an equal right to the answers."

@@Mint Drop Glacier was just rounding a corner when she bumped into a small orange pegasus. Before she could completely register the incidence, the pegasus had already started apologising to her. "Meh," ​Glacier said with a blank expression. "I've been hit and tripped over other things today. There is no need to apologise." ​Glacier's eyes scanned the pegasus for any info about her but one thing caught her eye before she'd even started. 'Oh yes! How handy and lucky is that? Just when I wanted something to put in the after-rehabilitation report thay doesn't involve knocked-out bodies, this little thing comes along. She is of use to me. She seems shy though. I let her talk to me at her own pace.'

@@TheLineTrotter & Glacier smiled as the mortally wounded ponies were quickly dealt with and Acid was called up to the desk. Before she even had a chance to move, Vincent had taken Acid to the desk. Glacier followed behind and, after seeing that Vincent has the situation under control, she said, "He seems like he'll be fine now. I'm going to leave and see if I can find other stuff to do. It's hardly going to look good when the main thing I write on my after-rehabilitation report is that I carried an unconscious pony through a busy city. Although, if you need more bodies carried just find and I'll happily be a corpse carriage again." Without waiting for a reply, Glacier left the hospital and began to move quickly around the streets of Manehatten, looking for someone she could interact with that wasn't carrying an unconscious body. 'Hm... doesn't seem like anypony's by themselves. Socialising is much harder work then they said it was.'

@ Pondah shrugged before replying. "This is cheaper and more convenient," ​Pondah replied "And much softer..." ​Whilst burying his face into his mane-scarf, Pondah stumbled on a loose piece of carpeting and fell to the ground. "I'm completely intended to do that!" ​Pondah exclaimed with a feeble smile on his face. "But to get back to what you were saying, I doubt they'll have iced cream here. I think an establishment of this grandeur would want to put edible things on the menu." Pondah's smile turned into a cheeky grin at his latest remark.

@ Pondah walked out of the room with his mane-scarf dangling by his neck. He turned to lock to the door before escorting Bubble back down to the hotel's resteraunt. "What do you feel like having?" ​Pondah asked. "If they made your favourite food, what would you get?" A sudden wave of genius hit Pondah while he was waiting for Bubble's answer. 'I can store stuff in my mane-scarf! ​​With a grin on his face, Pondah took the keys and buried them in his mane-scarf like an animal secreting its eggs.

@ "My turn to deal with a fear," ​Pondah replied. "I've always had my mane long partly because I like it long and partly to cover my blank flank. I've beaten my fear of being touched and now it's time to beat my fear of getting judged for my flank." ​Walking to the door, Pondah motioned to his flank. "I'm ready to get out there and get fed. Are you coming along?" ​Pondah walked out of the bathroom and held the door open for Bubble to follow.

@ Pondah wondered at looked into the full body mirror. He stared, awestruck, at the pony that looked back. "It's... it's great," Pondah said quietly. "You've done a good job here. It feels lighter and softer." Pondah ran a hoof through his main and hummed with approval at it's texture. "Quit playing around! You're not interested in the fact she made your mane better. Tell her what's really more important.' ​This new inner monologue gave Pondah yet more guidance on his next move. "I have to thank you," ​Pondah said whilst looking into Bubble's eyes. "I feel more comfortable being touched, I spend my time on furniture and not under it and I just feel more confident. I don't know if you plan on having foals but if you do, I will tell them myself that their mother is a miracle worker. You've broken some of my fears. Now it's my turn." Pondah pulled his hair round so it was all in front of him and began to wrap it round his neck. When the length began to run short, he pulled it through itself and created a sort of hairy scarf. "What do you think?" ​he asked.

In response to being asked whether Glacier could teach Vincent the basics of herbal remedies, she thought for a moment before replying. "I might be able to. I've never tried teaching before. The main problem I see is that we may not find the plants we need and we may not find somepony to use the herbs on." ​Glacier turned her attention back to Acid as he stirred. "As Vincent said, I'm Glacier,"​ she told him. She bent down and removed the all-heale from Acid's face. "Now that you're awake, we don't really need this any more. That definitely doesn't mean that everything's fine. Stay still until someone more trained can help. That is, once they've finished with the life-threatening cuts and bruises everypone else seems to be sporting."

@ Pondah fidgeted slightly as Bubble resumed her hair-repair but Pondah was otherwise in control of his urge to run. "I've never had it trimmed," ​he replied to Bubble's question. "I've cut it myself though. I like to keep it long and, as you know, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting somepony else cut it." ​As Bubble scooted back into Pondah's sight when she made her joke, he smirked. "Hey..." ​he said in defence. "It's not that bad."

@ "I... I think I can manage it." ​Pondah replied. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if he could last at all. Once he becomes scared or frightened he normally doesn't get back to his normal self in days, possibly weeks. ​With Bubble dabbling in the mix, however, these were not normal times. 'Damn it! I think I can manage it. Listen to yourself! Stop being sorry for yourself and take life by the cojones! Don't livd life by hopes and wishes, live life making things happen!' ​This mental pep talk burrowed into Pondah's mind. He sat upright, put his hooves by his sides and with a sudden burst of determination said, "No. I don't think I can do it. I will do it. Bubble, continue whatever you're doing and don't stop till I drop. Or until you finish, whatever comes first."

@ Pondah's short period of isolation worked wonders for calming Pondah down and he was soon back to his slightly less frightened self. "I'm sorry that I'm wasting your time," ​Pondah said in a calm voice. "I'm ready to continue. Let's get this done with so I can stop inconveniencing you and you can get some food. Despite the fact that Pondah was feeling much steadier, he still kept a frown on his face.