Plumeria, Connie and Clarabelle rushed to find Niko in the medical ward. Clarabelle reached the door first, magicking it open. Connie blasted past her.

 “WHERE’S NIKO?” They demanded and was immediately hushed by Nurse Boysenberry. She pointed down the line of beds to one near the middle of the room. Niko was sitting on the edge of his bed, rubbing his throat, when he was alerted by the bombardment of his friends. 

 Connie wrapped their hooves around Niko, “Oh thank Celestia!! I was so goddamned worried about you, kid! I’M. SO. GLAD. YOU’RE. SAFE.” With each word they embraced Niko tighter, almost lifting him off of his bed.

 “Ack! Connie, you’re killing me!” He said with a strained smirk. 

 They immediately released him, but kept a firm hoof on his shoulder, “Sorry…after we heard Starshade got to you, we didn’t know what to think.” Plumeria and Clara got their own hugs in, and Clara wrapped his scarf around his neck.  

 Plumeria folded her ears back, “To be honest, we feared the worst…we’ve all heard stories…”

 “Well…it did feel like she really wanted to kill me, ha…but I did get a good punch in!” His voice was still raspy but full of mirth. 

 Clara asked, trying to be polite, “What was it like? To be choked like that, I mean. It must have been really scary…”

 “It was…like, time seemed to slow down, I started to lose sight…there was so much pressure in my head and then…Larkspur saved me.” 

 “Larkspur saved you?” They asked in comical unison. 

“Yes! Where is he?” Niko replied excitedly. 

 They looked at each other, as if they knew something he didn’t. 

 Finally, Clara piped in, “Starshade’s badly hurt…she said he attacked you and then turned on her when she tried to help…Not that we’re inclined to believe her…but the scratches, the bites…I think Headmare Twilight and her faculty are.”

 Niko’s heart sank. He started to remember…by the time he got back inside the school to get help, he could only utter a few words before losing consciousness. After what Starshade did to him, he was lucky to be able to run away from her at all. He had meant to get help for Larkspur, but what he must have said might as well have been nonsense. “Larkspur…Starshade…attack…” That was all he had said. 

 Niko put his hoof to his forehead, “Oh no…” He wasn’t sure what to think. It all happened so fast. He couldn’t remember what Larkspur did to Starshade as he ran away. Ponies would have to trust Larkspur’s words. Fat chance of that. “I have to do something…Lark isn’t a killer…”

 Connie tilted their head, looking at Niko flatly. “He turned me into a rabbit after being a total dick to Plumeria. I thought he was going to eat me…I think he has the potential.”

 Plumeria shrugged, “That was five years ago…maybe he’s changed?” 

 Clara frowned, “One thing’s for certain: He’s still a huge jerk.”

 “But being a jerk doesn’t make one a killer…” Niko asked, thoughtfully resting a hoof under his chin. “Maybe I can work with that.” He slipped off of the edge of the bed and with some support from Plumeria, he walked to the nurse, who was reading a newspaper. 

 She looked at him over her glasses, “Doc says you’re free to go…just take it easy, don’t exert yourself, and rub your throat with this arnica ointment if you feel any pain. Do contact us if you need any extra help, mmkay?” She handed him a small baggie with his medicine and returned to her newspaper with a bored expression.