A/N: Don't mind me, I'm just randomly working on PlotBunnies…

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Yeah.

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Scarred Hearts

Prologue

Harry hummed quietly as he opened his shop, smiling slightly at the crowded streets of Ponyville. He always opened in the late afternoon, and stayed open until the early morning. He couldn't sleep at night anymore, not after his experiences back THERE…

Not when his ebony coat was still broken up by the coarse bumps and dead-white form of his scars, and his left eye remained permanently unseeing behind the goggles he wore. He shook his head, green mane flopping about, just as messy as it had been when he was human, and turned back to his work, horn glowing as he neatly lifted clean cups onto the counter, ready for any customers he might receive, before he settled behind the counter to patiently wait, grinding herbs in the quiet, mind wandering.

He'd been in the World of Equestria for ten years, now, transported there when the backlash of his Final Battle with the now-completely-dead-Voldemort had exploded around the clearing they'd been in, after the madman had held Harry captive for nearly a year. It had taken him that long to heal from all the injuries dear old Tom had inflicted on him. Now, though his body occasionally ached from an old wound, Harry was whole once more.

Scarred like a badly made scrapbook or Frankenstein monster, but, with his goggles covering his demolished eye-socket, and a cloak to cover his patchwork of scars and the tattered-yet-totally-functional wings that he wasn't supposed to have, he looked like nothing more than a strangely-dressed Pony. He remained polite and civil to everyone who walked through his doors, made them their tea or potion for whatever mild ache or pain they had, and taught a few magician tricks to what foals occasionally wandered into his shop, Starlight Café. Here, he was only known as the reclusive Orion Black, nothing more, and nothing less.

The anonymity was beautiful.

Smiling as the bells above his door tinkled softly, he nodded at the bouncing, beaming pink pony that entered, and set his pestle down next to his mortar.

"Good afternoon, Miss Pie," he greeted in his quiet, slightly hoarse voice, smiling as the Party Pony beamed up at him. "What can I get for you today?"

"Hiya, Mister Black!" the Mare chirped happily, before peering into the glass counter and looking over all the offered teas and ingredients. "Umm… Ooh, ooh! How about the Par-Tea!?" Harry smiled as she bounced, and obligingly poured her a large cup of the energy-and-happiness-inducing tea, a mixture of herbs that was basically the non-magical version of the Pepper-Up Potion from his original world.

"Here you are, Miss Pie," he handed it to her, and accepted her five bits with a quiet thank you, before watching her bounce over to a table and sit, humming happily as she gulped most of the still-scalding liquid down without batting an eyelash. He returned to his mortar and pestle and once more waited for a customer to show. Pinkie Pie was almost always his first customer every day, and between her coming in and the next customer, they shared a peaceful "quiet time", where Pinkie didn't feel the need to bounce around and chatter, and Harry had some decent company without the usual conversation.

It worked for both of them, and neither wanted to change it.

"There's a new pony in town," Pinkie announced out of the blue after she gulped the last of her tea; Harry made a questioning hum, and she continued. "I'm gonna throw her a party, 'cause she's new and doesn't have any friends right now!" Harry smiled faintly as he carefully poured the ground herbs into a pouch and set them in the proper place behind the glass counter.

"That's nice of you, Pinkie," he told her; she smiled as she bounced over to hand him her empty cup.

"You should come!" She told him; Harry had a quick flash of being surrounded, loud music, sudden movement, and shuddered, shaking his head softly at the pony.

"I don't do well in crowded places, Miss Pie," he told her gently, as he had several other times when she'd asked the same question. Pinkie didn't sigh, or get disappointed. She just nodded her head and smiled.

"Well then, one day, we'll just have to throw you your own, small party, Mister Black!" she declared; Harry chuckled and waved as she bounced out to go begin her preparations, passing the older Mare who was carefully shuffling in, her purple coat dusted with silver. Harry greeted her politely, and unhesitantly made her some aptly named Vitali-Tea, something that eased the body's aches and provided more energy.

After that, the day picked up, and Harry quietly made teas and potions for his mostly-elderly customers, smiling faintly as he listened to their friendly chatter, discussing the Summer Sun Celebration, both past and upcoming. Harry enjoyed this part of the afternoon the best, listening to the content and kindness of the older generation.

When night fell, and left him with only the very occasional partygoer who wanted a rest or a shot of extra energy, Harry was left mostly to his thoughts, which is something he didn't, honestly, like very much, not when coupled with the relatively peaceful silence of the late-night. Sighing, he set the pestle down and leaped over the counter, his horn glowing as he called his broom and dustpan over, and began to persistently clean, humming softly. When humming only did so much, however, he began to sing softly to himself. He wasn't much for spontaneous music, like Pinkie Pie and most other ponies were, but he could carry a tune, his voice a deep bass, almost a baritone, that was so different than many of the Stallions he'd heard in the daily duties of Ponyville. There seemed to be quite a few tenors amongst the usual crowd…

"It's been so long,

Since my thoughts were quiet.

Their loud voices

Fill my head with memories.

That time is gone,

I wish I could forget.

But, though my body is healed

My heart is bleeding, yet.

For that darkness remains,

A stain on my soul...

Whispering all their names

Making me feel so cold.

I've started anew,

Why can't I rest?

What can I do?

What's for the best?"

Sighing, he looked at the time, and finished cleaning up before locking the shop and heading towards the center of town.

He hated being in crowded areas, but even he couldn't resist seeing what the Princess actually looked like.

A/N: Short chapter because meh, idek, bored and randomly working on stuff (Shrugs)

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