private The Mute And the Outcasted (1x1 With The Ceberus)

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple looked a speechless "You know I used to walk around during the day sometimes. It was nice as long as I had my black cloak on. I eventually decided to stop mostly because there was no point in me being awake since I felt I couldn't interact with many ponies out of fear of them finding out I was a bat." She explained this a bit awkwardly as if she was simply trying to make conversation what she said was true though.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless made a sound that was equivalent to friendly 'I see', he then wrote, it was lot easier now that his wing wasn't hurting that much anymore, making it possible to write while walking "I sometimes go out at day too, hiding myself of course." "But I don't really like the sun, the brightness hurts my eyes, Probably because I'm used to the darkness of the Everfree."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Maybe." Maple replied "Might be the nocturnal eyes I do have that too but I usually get used to it rather quickly" Something was bothering Maple a thought perhaps and she decided to share what was bothering her. "You thought I looked good in the dress... Didn't you." She asked with a hint of a blush.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless' reaction as of itself already gave away his answer, as he got visibly embarrassed. He wrote, but it did take a second before he showed his answer to Maple. He was planning to understate it a little bit, but he choose be honest. "Yes" There was a 'I', but Speechless had crossed over it and started a new sentence, "You looked beautiful." 

Edited October 11, 2017 by The Cerberus

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple smiled and blushed a bit deeper "Thanks... Like I said I've never worn something like that before and I did worry I looked stupid. Glad to know those fears where misplaced." She kept walking beside Speechless. She felt like she could trust him more so now. But what if he's a changeling. She told herself Be cautious.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless smiled too, he was glad for the positive reaction, he had been afraid beautiful was too strong word to use, that it would make things awkward, but luckily that wasn't the case. He was little thoughtful though, thoughtful about himself, or more precisely, his feelings. He had started wondering if it could be possible that he liked Maple, more than as a friend that is, because he wasn't sure, he had never had the kind of feeling he felt before, but neither he had had close friends, so he didn't know if it was normal part of being friends.

The park where Speechless was leading maple wasn't far from his parent's apartment, it was small park with few trees here and there, and small fountain in the middle, though the fountain wasn't on, and looked like it wasn't been in use for a while. 

Edited October 11, 2017 by The Cerberus

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple looked around and sat down by the fountain looking up at the sky. Speechless was right it was very clear from the park. "Wow..." Maple said, "You where right this is much better than anything I could have seen in Canterlot!" She was amazed "Hehe, I guess I'm star-struck right now." She was still looking up. She'd never been one to look at the stars but with Speechless around she felt unnaturally safe. Which was an odd feeling for her since her whole life she worked to give that feeling to others.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless answered with sound of agreement and amusement as he sat next to Maple, he too looking up, but soon looking back down and at Maple, he was still thinking about the same thing as earlier, his parents had teased him about it, but what if it wasn't just a joke, after all, it's said that mother knows. He gave a soundless laugh to himself in his mind, did it really matter? It wasn't like Maple would feel the same, after all, Speechless was just a mute pony who talked to animals. 

Speechless started letting out high frequency sounds, that could just barely be heard by a pony, so barely, that even slightest of other sounds would drown it under themselves. Only a moment later, a single bat flew towards them, landing on Speechless' hoof that he was keeping up, and Speechless started petting it gently. 

Edited October 11, 2017 by The Cerberus

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple watched the bat fly up to the two. "Wait? You can call bats?! That's cool!" Maple said impressed "You seem to be really good with animals. Almost like how I'm good at combat. It... It seems like you really care about nature huh? Like how I care about Equestria." She laughed "It's sweet."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless nodded with a smile and made a sound that was equivalent to somepony saying 'yep', didn't he tell Maple about his talent already? he at least called one bat when Maple was around, when he sent the letter to his parents. Though could he really blame her if she had forgotten, she had been through a lot.

He kept petting the bat with his wing, while writing using his mouth and other wing, "Thanks, though I'm good with only some animals, because I have to learn to understand each animal separately, and then learn to imitate them." He smiled, he was happy that Maple thought that way.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Still notable progress since you do have the few. Plus that skill helped you save my life earlier." Maple added with a laugh. Maple leaned back again against the fountain looking up. Maple was still concerned why she felt so safe around Speechless... Could it be that he was so adamant about protecting her? Or was it another reason? Maple silently went "Ugh." irritated at why she felt protected.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless responded with a short laugh, it was true, though he didn't really like to, he had to give himself little credit on that, he knew that if he would just attacked the snake, neither of them would have made it out. Speechless sent the bat back to air, watching as it flew few rounds around them before flying away. He looked at Maple looking up, was she thinking about something? Was she annoyed? Bored? more importantly, why was he so worried about it?

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"You know what has to be the worst thing about being as strong as I am in the guard?" Maple said breaking the awkward amount of silence. "Other ponies see me as leagues above them all the time so it's really hard for me to get ponies to train as much I have. But it's more than that..." Maple stopped and sighed as she kept looking up. 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless had sunken in his thoughts and jumped a tiny bit from Maple's question, realizing that he was still looking towards Maple. To Maple's question, and answer, he responded with a sound that implied that he had listened, and cared what she had said, but there was also certain tone of curiosity, asking her to continue. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Well... Being... Different from the other bat ponies left me with a sorta... Empty feeling... Like a loneliness." Maple seemed to turn from the relaxed and calm mood to be a bit sadder tone, generally disheartened by what she was talking about. "Becuase no one thinks they can reach my level... They think I'm too good for them... Few people want to be friends with me and many of them are changelings... It's getting to the point where I feel I'm scared to form relationships... You, however, you seem different. It's like you don't care about my status or strength, not even my parentage you just see... Me."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless was yet again speechless, he didn't even know what to think, he felt sad for Maple being sad, but didn't know how to react. But what he knew was that he couldn't do nothing, so he wrote wrote without thinking, and after being finished with the writing, he gently put his hoof on Maple's shoulder. "You're right that I don't care about your status or your parents, that only thing I care about is you." "I admit that I was worried about that first, but you quickly proved it wrong." "You're good friend and..." the word 'and' in the end was crossed over. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"And?" Maple asked "There's more to that? Please continue..." Maple sighed "I mean only if you want to... I don't want to be pushy or anything about something that's probably a sensitive topic." Maple paused leaving an awkward silence. "I'm sorry... I should have just kept that to myself as I always have."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless wrote quickly, "No, it's good you said it, I just..." Last words were again crossed over, but then Speechless sighed and flipped the notebook back over, continuing, and after finishing he turned away, embarrassed, among other feelings, and dropped the notebook behind him as he walked a little distance away, "I think I have feelings for you." "I understand whatever your reaction is, but I just wanted to get that out of my chest."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple giggles after reading it the second time. "I think I do too. Is it like an odd feeling that you can't describe... I feel safe around you... Like as in I feel like I can't get hurt or made fun of. It's like I don't have to be strong anymore..." She smiled at him the kind of smile a weary travel gives to an innkeeper "A feeling I give to other."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless looked pleasantly surprised when he turned back towards Maple, and walked to grab his notebook back, he had expected a lot worse reaction. He was also smiling while he wrote his response, "Odd feeling indeed." "I thought first that it was just my instincts, that I felt obligated to protect and help you because I felt guilty, but at the Rarity's shop I realized it was something more." "I can't really explain it, but it's like as if your existence as of itself brings me joy of sorts."

Edited October 12, 2017 by The Cerberus

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Maple smiled "Well perhaps that explains the feeling of me being so safe around you. Since you want to protect me so much." Maple smiled. "And to think... We met by complete accident. Still, why risk your like for mine though? I've accepted risk like that I don't like putting those on others..."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless wrote smiling "I don't know to be honest, I just can't bear to see you hurt, especially if I can do something to stop it." "Maybe it's hereditary, my father would sacrifice himself without question for me and my mother." "Or maybe it's my animalistic side, animals are pretty protective of their own." "Or, maybe it's just part of these feelings, the fear of losing the another."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Yea it's probably the animalistic part or something... No one could have those kinds of feelings for someone like me..." She sighed but she was ok with that she'd already come to terms with her appearance. "If you uhh... I mean if you were implying that of course." Maple blushed and looked away from speechless.  Why am I blushing? Did I do something? 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,588]

Speechless chuckled a little and after writing, he again put his hoof on Maple's shoulder, "You are underrating yourself." "But does the exact reason actually matter?" "It doesn't change the fact it's towards you, and only you." This was one of the few times it was benefit that Speechless had to use text to communicate, because it allowed him to seemingly without trouble 'talk', when in reality, he was nervous and worried about screwing something up, meaning that if he would have been speaking, he wouldn't have been able to get even one word out. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"That part is a bit weird. Maybe it's because I showed you a lot of kindness back when we first met. Given that you were mostly alone before that." Maple acknowledged "It's fine you know. I don't need love to keep going... So you can stop pretending to like me to make me feel good." Maple sighed the last bit genuinely believing what she said was true