ShatterGlass

Several weeks later there was a marked change in the piebald colt. He grew bigger, his legs looked powerful and sturdy, he walked with grace instead of coltish clumsiness. The colt carried his head high, and he refused to acknowledge the taunts the appaloosa filly barbed him with. In fact, he didn’t really socialize with anyone. The colt kept to himself, but while looking so proud, and strong, he looked weak and sad.
This did not go unnoticed by the other horses in the herd. Jeddah and Iron watched with heartsick worry as the cold continued to ignore them -- it didn't help that they were making no move on their part to approach the piebald. Rika and Brooke were also furious, how dare he not give in and respond back to their pointedly mean comments!
The only two who watched with pride, were Sir and his second, Natash. The two stallions alone knew what the leader's son was doing, and they kept it that way.
 
“He’s been very quiet lately, Jet,” Clay told her sister as they nibble on the fresh grass shoots that had only just recently come up with the spring. The foals were several months old now, almost old enough to be weaned and were very independent of their dams. But the mares didn’t mind, they talked freely without worry.
“Yes, something has overcome that colt.” Jet said softly, her head lowered towards the grass. “I worry, but he doesn’t seem to be in any trouble, so I let him be,” Jet grasped at several strands and snorted.
“Iron misses him, he claims that Shatter is different, very different now,” Belle shook her head, flinging her mane left and right as she did so. Letting out a pleased grunt, the chestnut looked up over the blue roan’s back towards the foals. The two roans looked up at the burly chestnut female and nodded slowly.
"Iron and Jedah." Added another voice, this one belonged to the gray arabian mare, Ferah had come over upon hearing their conversation. She too looked worried about what had happened to the piebald colt of the leader. "It's like he's completely changed."
Jet sigh softly, "Yes, which is why I think you should start reining in that filly of yours Clay, she's becoming a tiresome brat."
Clay's ears pinned flat and she gnashed her teeth several times in annoyance, "What, Brooke? I will do no such thing!" the filly's adoptive mother spat out. Though inside she knew that Brooke was turning into a mare no stallion wanted, but she felt terrible for the filly enough though the appy had little memory of her actual mother. So she doted on the little foal, soothing her, assuring her that she was the best filly in the entire world and that no one could tell her differently. If she had realized this, perhaps so much could have been avoided.
Jet snapped at her, "Clay, though we share a mother and a father, I am the leader, not you. And if I tell you to rein your filly in, you will rein her in." The blue roan was furious at her sibling for challenging her command so readily. She nipped at everyone and herded them for a while to show them who was the real power in the herd.

Meanwhile, Iron and Jedah were nibbling on the shoots of summer grass when Shatter walked by them, he looked at them for several minutes as if forcing himself to want to speak to them. He made submissive chewing motions with his mouth as he approached the two nearly grown foals.
"Uh, hey guys." The piebald said softly, his tail shifted slowly back and forth in his nervousness.
Both of the foals watched him with unamused eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry I've been ignoring you guys, I really am. I've just been… busy," the colt finished lamely, looking pathetically at the two stoney-eyed horses.
Iron snorted, "Busy with what, might I ask?" he asked.
Shatter hesitated, "I'm… I'm sworn to secrecy, but I swear that it's for a really good reason, I'll make you guys proud of me next time I challenge Brooke to a race." His chest swelled a bit as he spoke, and then deflated at the still fridge looks on the faces of his friends. "Sorry… I'll go," he said softly before starting to turn slowly.
Before he made the full turn, Jedah's voice called him back to look, "Shatter, we miss you. But we're just not sure that we like this new side of you," the arab filly explained, she took a few steps towards Shatter. Iron followed her a few steps after.
"And we're not sure if you're still the same colt we were friends with, this obsession with beating Brooke has gone… well," the chestnut paused, "it's gone wrong somehow Shatter." He finished.
Shatter appeared to be thinking about this for a few minutes before he turned towards them, "Are you saying that you like the loser in me?"
Jeddah saw the warning signs that turned her good feelings to ice, "No, that's not what we're saying Shatter. What Iron and I are trying to say is that we don't think you wanting to beat Brooke so badly is healthy for you."
Shatter's teeth gnashed together, "So, you want me to always lose to her? A filly! And here I thought you two were my friends." Shatter's stung pride over the misunderstood words went deep and he turned from the two foalhood friends before trotting off. He didn't even turn back when Jeddah called him.