Punch Your Feelings: Not Half Enough

                “…So then we attach the chain and then it just looks like one of those giant gold chains that look like you could tie a barge with them. Heck my parents would love it. It would be the only thing they were pleased about honestly. Celestia’s Laminated Left hind hoof… don’t just stand there looking at me like I have two heads. THINK OF SOMETHING!”

                Pas wasn’t exactly clear on who Gold Standard had bribed to get here at this speed, or how much the bribe had been (but would be curious about it late at night when he needed something aimless to wonder about) but if nothing else he could say this.

                It was somehow the most impressive and simultaneously the worst breakout plan he’d ever heard. He had to give the other pony that at least. Maybe he should tell Gold about it, if only because under circumstances… she could definitely use the laugh. Assuming laughing didn’t hurt, with those crystals growing on her chest. He tried not to wonder how they anchored to flesh. It was one of the few times he was grateful for his ignorance on a matter.

                “Gold.” He raised a hoof to encourage the earth pony to sit down, sucking in a deep breath holding it for a moment, wondering if he’d be attacked over what he was going to say next. (Could he blame the other stallion if he did?) “I’m not going to help you break Brave out of Quarantine.”

                Gold didn’t hit him. That was… almost somehow disappointing. He felt as though he deserved to be hurting more for not being sick like she was. His stare, confused and rage filled was almost as painful though, and Pas forged on, trying to keep a small quaver of distress out of his voice.

                “I don’t want her there any more than you do, but it spread so fast… and we don’t know how to stop it from advancing, let alone spreading! We need to at least have a stop for one, preferably both, before the walls come down and I hate that for them… but they’re right… I hate it so much but they’re right. If we can stop it at all we have to stop it and buy time to try and fix it.”

                He couldn’t stop the shake in his tone as he cut across Gold’s protest with his own outburst.

                “Gold there are FOALS in there! Do you think that if I was going to break someone out I wouldn’t have started already?”

                Gold settled back onto his haunches with an heavy huff of breath, the large stocky white earth pony seeming to deflate before his eyes.

                “She wouldn’t go either, would she.”

                “Probably not, no. Not without the others.”

                “I hate this.”

                “Me too.” Paz sat down across from the earth pony, ears drooping. “I wish we hadn’t come. I mean I do but I don’t? I wish I’d caught it instead, but also the thought makes my skin crawl. I feel like a coward and a failure…”

                “You beat yourself up when ponies catch the flu too?” Gold snorted; his voice drained but dripping with sarcasm.

                “No…”

                “Don’t be stupid then.” Gold grumbled, but despite the sarcasm, the other pony sounded drained. Defeated.

                He understood the feeling.

                “Hey. I’m going to help more later with handing out supplies. If you want to help, you could come? Or if you have any contacts who could help ship in more supplies that would also be amazing.”

                “Yeah… yeah actually I can probably put some feelers out. I mean the people in quarantine probably won’t care if some smug ass thoroughbred type is patting themselves on the back for helping unfortunates, they can brag about from a distance…”

                “Yeah probably not, as long as they’re not sending something no one can use or want. Toys wouldn’t hurt along with more food though. You know we’ve got our best researchers on it right?”

                “I know. I know…”

                “It doesn’t feel like half enough, does it?”

                “Not even close.”