Don Mane De Polo and the centermareby GratzaliaChaptersPrologue: Friendship is picnicsChapter one: a stranger approachesChapter two: all he seems?Chapter three: "I hope they like him..."Chapter four: green-eyed monsterPrologue: Friendship is picnicsPrologue: friendship is picnics To say it was a beautiful day would be an understatement. The sky was a soft, powder blue and filled with clouds that bloomed and towered into the heavens like plumes of smoke or towers of ice-cream. The air was warm and filled with the scent of new spring flowers, and a cool breeze was blowing softly in from the North. The weather Pegasi had done such a good job that morning, that they were given the afternoon off to enjoy the glorious weather. In response to this, Rainbow Dash had gathered her friends together for a picnic in the fields that bordered the everfree forest. ************ It was late in the afternoon and the picnic was in full swing. Rarity was sunning herself on a velvet chaise-lounge with garlands of daisies round her neck and wrists and woven into her mane, while Spike lay on his scaly belly a few feet away from her, making another one. Twilight sparkle was reading a book on the courtship rituals of Zebras that Zecora had leant her; absent-mindedly nibbling an apple tart as she did so. Pinkie Pie had found herself in the possession of a battered old parasol and was using it to float on the warm evening breeze as she chased butterflies. She drifted through the air about tree-height as Rainbow peered up at her from the picnic blanket. She was not flying, like she usually was, as she was so worn out from her morning’s work that she had spent most of the afternoon dozing on her back, sipping apple cider next to a similarly prone Applejack. Fluttershy had not yet arrived. “Well I have to say,” said Applejack dozily from under her hat. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time Rainbow.” “Glorious day, darling!” agreed Rarity as she stretched on her chaise-lounge. “Totally,” added Spike. “This is the best weather we’ve had since the start of the year!” “Yeah; it’s a good one alright,” the blue Pegasus yawned. “But don’t expect every day to be like this you guys. Just doing this one really took it out of me.” “Worth it,” chanted Pinkie Pie in a sing-song voice from somewhere above their heads. “Ooh: a tiger-stripe!” she added as she spotted another butterfly and blew into the parasol to propel herself after it. Applejack noticed that Twilight hadn’t really said anything throughout all this. She lazily rolled over and peered up at the lilac unicorn who at that point was still absorbed in her book. “Put down that book for a while, sugarcube. You’re going to hurt your eyes reading when the sun’s so bright.” “But sunny days are the best kind of weather for reading,” Twilight asserted as she turned the page. “You think every kind of weather is best for reading,” Rainbow Dash laughed, not unkindly. “Rainy days, snowy days, cloudy days, thunderstorm-y days…” “Why courtship habits of Zebras?” Applejack interrupted, peering at the cover. “Well; it is the start of spring,” said Twilight Sparkle. “The season of lurve.” She batted her eyelashes and held her hooves coyly under her chin to demonstrate. Rainbow Dash snorted derisively. “Horseapples,” she said. “You’re as likely to fall in love any other time of year than this one.” “I agree with Rainbow,” said Applejack, plucking an apple from the picnic basket and taking a bite out of it. “Your feeling shouldn’t be determined by the time of year.” “I agree,” said Spike, looking up from his daisy chain and staring moonily at the reclining Rarity. “You can never tell when you’re going to fall in love until it hits you like a ton of beautiful, beautiful bricks.” Rarity scoffed, albeit in a very ladylike manner. “No romance in your souls, any of you! Except for you of course, Spikey Wikey,” she said blowing a kiss to the suddenly sheepish dragon. “The sun, the flowers in bloom, the promise of you beginnings. All of it spells romance in my book!” She suddenly sighed and looked up to the clouds with a dramatically hopeful, tender expression. “Oh I do hope that I find that very special somepony this year!” “I don’t,” said Pinkie Pie as she landed softly on the ground next to the blanket and closed her parasol. “If I had a fella then I wouldn’t get to spend so much time with you guys.” Upon saying this she beamed at her friends to all smiled fondly back. Then her expression turned to one despair. “But wait! Fluttershy’s not here! How can I have the most-amazingly-awesome-summer-with-my-friends EVER, if she’s not here?!” The smiles on her friends faces suddenly turned to looks of concern. “Pinkie’s right,” said Twilight. “Fluttershy said she’s be here, but hours have gone by and she’s nowhere in sight!” “I’ll go look for her,” said Rainbow Dash, lifting herself off the ground. As if by magic, Fluttershy then appeared over the horizon holding a small wicker basket and looking worried. When she finally reached the blanket she was quite out of breath, so she sat herself down and tried catch it while Pinkie Pie plied her with apple cider and various confectionary. “I’m fine thank you Pinkie,” she said, politely pushing the food and drink away. “I just need a minute.” “Where were you?!” Pinkie cried. “We were waiting for you all day!” “Did something happen dear?” said Rarity, sitting up with concern on her face. “Oh; I’m alright,” Fluttershy assured her friends. “But Angel is sick. He’s got a terrible case of the whooping cough, so I’ve spent the day nursing the poor dear. I hope I didn’t worry anyone,” she added, looking abashed. “Nah, you’re okay,” said Rainbow Dash. “But we did miss you.” “Poor Angel,” said Twilight, closing her book. “But it’ll be good to take your mind off him and have some fun for a few hours!” “Yeah; pull up a pew sugarcube!” offered Applejack, patting the space on the blanket next to her. “Oh; I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy dejectedly. “But I have to get some ingredients to make this special tea for Angel, so I can’t stay.” “Why; do the stores close in an hour, or something?” asked Rainbow Dash. “No,” said Fluttershy, who started shaking noticeably. “See, the only place I can get the final ingredient I need is in…” Here she took a deep breath and said in a tiny voice; “the everfree forest.” “You’re going to the everfree forest alone!?!?!? Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, leaping up from her place on the picnic blanket. “Do you want one of us to go with you Shug?” inquired Applejack. “Oh no,” said Fluttershy, trying to sound confident. “I’ll be fine by myself. I know where it is; I’m not scared or anything. I just feel really bad about missing out on this picnic.” Here she hung her head, letting her sugar-pink mane fall in front of her face to unsuccessfully hide her disappointment. “Can’t you go tomorrow?” asked Pinkie Pie, as Rarity put her hand comfortingly on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I would but…Angel is in such a bad way. I can stand the thought of the poor dear being in distress any longer. I really want to get this ingredient sooner rather than later.” With this the group was silent for a moment. Then Pinkie Pie gasped at the simplicity of the solution. “Well then: let’s just have another picnic tomorrow night!” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in agreement. “I think it’s scheduled to be nice weather tomorrow too. We could totally do it tomorrow!” “I could bring some special apple family reserve apple shnapps,” suggested Applejack. “I have just the outfit for an evening party!” added Rarity, her eyes lighting up. “The fireflies will be out,” added Twilight,, smiling at the thought. “And I could bring my grammaphone.” They all looked expectantly at Fluttershy who smiled and rolled her eyes. “Okay; if you insist.” “Yeah!” said Spike, punching the air excitedly. “Tommorow we’re gonna party like it’s…whatever date it is at the moment.” “Pinkie; do you think you can get a good picnic party ready for tomorrow?” asked Twilight, already knowing the answer. Pinkie Pie saluted solemnly and sat astride her party cannon, wearing an army helmet that she had managed to pull from somewhere. Fluttershy was touched that he friends were all so keen to throw a party just so she could hang out with them. “Well; I have some little errands to do tomorrow, but I’m free in the evening,” she said, picking her basket back up. “I’ll see you all then.” “I can’t wait!” cried Pinkie, hopping up and down. “Looking forward to it,” said Applejack, tipping her hat at the retreating Fluttershy. “I hope Angel gets better,” Spike called after her. Fluttershy didn’t turn back, but smiled as she walked towards the everfree forest, feeling considerably braver despite the cold breeze that had picked up, and the fading light of evening. The rest of the ponies started to pack up, chatting excitedly about the forthcoming picnic. Spike, however, stayed to watch Fluttershy walk into the forest, and couldn’t shake the feeling that she was heading into something…unfavorable. ************** Somewhere deep in the everfree forest, a pair of eyes opened. They glowed a luminescent green in the pitch black darkness. Then they were closed again. Closed, but not gone. Chapter one: a stranger approachesChapter one: a stranger approaches As the dried leaves crunched like the bones in a dragon’s lair and the wind sowed bleakly through skeleton trees, Fluttershy wondered to herself why she had even considered coming to the everfree in the first place. Of course she knew the was answer was ‘it’s the only place where I can get the bitterweed needed for Angel’s chronic whooping cough’ but even that seemed like an inconsequential answer in the cold, silent darkness of the everfree forest. “I just know that gorge is around here somewhere,” Fluttershy whimpered to herself as she crept sideways through some bushes. It was fortunate enough that through those bushes stood the edge of the gorge. Fluttershy didn’t quite see it that way at first, and shrieked like a banshee before leaping up into the branches of an overhanging tree. All the courage she had felt when she had left her friends just moments earlier seemed to melt away like an icicle in the summer heat. Ten minutes later when she had stopped shaking, the timid Pegasus slipped back onto the edge of the gorge and peered over, immediately wishing she hadn’t. The gorge was deep, but not deep enough to conceal the almost inappropriately sharp rocks at the bottom. The world around her span like a merry-go-round and Fluttershy was just considering turning back when she saw it: a bright orange flash of bitterweed just a few feet away from her on a ledge. Fluttershy beamed and then, thinking of Angel’s grey face and drooping ears, started to slowly, very slowly, inch her way down the face of the gorge to reach the bitterweed. If there was anypony around to observe fluttershy’s descent down the face of the gorge (and there may well have been; the everfree forest is a mysterious place) they would have seen a quivering, butter-yellow Pegasus clambering, and occasionally hovering, down some pretty precarious-looking ledges and hoof-holds. They would have seen a knarled branch of bitterweed, just enough for a small rabbit to ingest, creaking in the wind. And they would have also seen a small, green, shimmering flash of magic slide up the gorge like a slithering snake and flash under the hoof of the intrepid Pegasus. Fluttershy did not see all this, of course. She did, however, see the swirling clouds above the everfree forest falling away from her at great speed, as a chunk of the rock-face crumbled under her hooves and sent her hurtling down into the merciless pits of the everfree gorge. Fluttershy screamed like a newborn filly and flailed her limbs wildly as if she were trying to run on air. She was vaguely aware that she could, in fact, fly but she was so terrified that her wings were clenched to her sides and wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried. As tears streamed out from under her tightly-clenched eyelids, Fluttershy braced herself for a gruesome impalement. “Goodbye friends,” Fluttershy thought to herself in her terror. “I want to be thinking of you before I die.” But death didn’t come. Instead, she felt herself being held in strong arms and lifted up above the treetops of the deadly forest. She dared not look up at her savior but she could tell that whoever had saved her had big, powerful wings. And a strong, smooth ribcage. And smelt like fresh spices and wood smoke. Soon, Fluttershy was back on the ground, and once she had stopped shaking like an apple-tree in hurricane season she looked up to see who had rescued her. He was quite simply put, the most magnificent stallion she had ever seen. He was about as tall as princess Luna and built well; not quite as bulky as Big Mac but sleek and strong and graceful. His coat was deep indigo blue and his mane cascaded in long violet waves down his strong shoulders. He had deep, panther-like green eyes and a little patch of lilac hair on his chin like a goatee. Fluttershy saw that he did indeed have wings and they were as strong and beautiful as she had imagined. His cutie mark was of a big red heart with outspread wings and a golden crown and she also saw that he had a really rather large horn on his head. An alicorn! “Is he a relative of Princess Celestia?” Fluttershy though idly to herself. The stallion was also dressed rather finely with a short blue cape covering his back and a large trilby in a matching colour perched jauntily on his head. The strangest thing about him though was that he wore a black domino mask, like the kind Canterlot stallions wore to masquerade balls. “Hola Donna mare,” the stallion said in the dreamiest accent you could possibly imagine and bowed low before Fluttershy as if she were Princess Celestia herself. “It is a pleasure to be making your fair acquaintance.” Flutteshy emitted a sound which sounded like a beach-ball being deflated. Her eyes were as wide as dinner-plates. The stallion just smiled at her like it was the cutest thing ever. “Allow me to introduce myself: I am Don Mane de Polo, traveling port and stallion of fortune, at your service.” With this the stallion bowed his head, took Fluttershy’s hoof gently in his and planted a kiss on it. It was the softest, tenderst, sweetest kiss Flutteshy could have ever dreamed of and it felt so good that the tips of her wings tingled as if sparklers had been set off in them. But what really got her was the way Don Mane looked right into her eyes as she did it, as if he could scarcely bare to keep his eyes off her for a second. Fluttershy’s stomach turned over and her head and mouth felt as if they had been filled with cupcake icing. Somehow she managed to stutter out; “I…I’m…F…Fluttershy.” Don Mane’s tender-yet-dangerous smoulder that he had managed to maintain suddenly melted away into an expression of genuine delight. “What a relief,” he said, somewhat breathlessly. Fluttershy was puzzled “What is?” “Usually a mare’s name is nowhere near as pretty as her face. I’m just so pleased to meet one whose is.” Fluttershy could not see, but she guessed that her face had turned as pink as her mane, and was right. She beamed at Don Mane who smiled back at her, his eyes filled with a light that could power Fillydelphia for a week. Fluttershy’s heart was flying better than she ever could: doing loop-de-loops around the moon and pinballing between the stars. She had never felt this kind of connection in all her life. She felt suddenly calm, as if nothing could ever be quite so bad or scary again when somepony as small and insignificant as her could feel like this. She was just about to say something, anything, when Don Mane suddenly took a sharp step towards her and looked deep into her eyes. Fluttershy suddenly stood stock-still and rigid, as if Don Mare’s gaze had turned her stone. The mysterious stallion’s eyes slowly began to fill with a pulsing green light that seemed to enrapture Fluttershy like a moth to a flame. “It was always you Donna Fluttershy,” Don Mane said in a soft, lilting voice that nonetheless suddenly has a strange, scratching, echoing quality to it.. “Before I knew you, it was you. I never knew how lonely I was until I found you…” The words he was saying: they sounded so…beautiful. Nopony had ever spoken to her like that before. Fluttershy felt so complete and happy. She adored Don Mane de Polo; she worshiped him. She would follow him to the ends of Equestria, she would do absolutely anything for him. Don Mane was centimeters from Fluttershy’s face. “You are the Princess of my dreams, the goddess of my heart. You are a fallen angel cast down from heaven to purify my soul and make me born anew.” Here, he opened wide his mouth, revealing sharp fangs, dripping with saliva. Fluttershy was just thinking that he had the most beautiful fangs she had ever seen when something clicked in her mind. ‘princess…goddess…angel….angel?…ANGEL!’ “OMIGOODNESS!” she shrieked, suddenly. I forgot the bitterweed for Angel’s whooping cough! I must go back for it!” Fluttershy was too busy running around in circles to see Don Mane’s expression melt into a dark glare that would strike fear into the bravest of ponies, before fixing itself back into his trademark smoulder. “You mean: this weed?” he purred, producing the weed from under his cape. “Oh yes!” squealed Fluttershy. I need that to make my bunny Angel better! Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!” “So; the angel has a pet named Angel. How strange…”Said Don Mane softly, smiling and casted his eyes downwards as if this information somehow deeply affected him. Her heart pounding, Fluttershy took the root from the Stallion’s outstretched hoof and placed it in her, now rather battered and broken, wicker basket. She the turned to head for home. She paused. “Say; um…Mr Don Mane?” “Si Donna flutter shy?” said Don Mane, suddenly all wide eyes and innocent smiles. “In which direction are you…um…headed?” At this question Don Mane turned his head to the horizon and sighed wistfully. “I wasn’t headed anywhere Donna Fluttershy. I only travel for travel’s sake. Many years ago I was turned away by a mare: a beautiful Mare who taught my heart to sing. Then she left to follow her dreams and left me behind with my broken heart. That is why I wear this mask.” He gestured towards his masked visage. “To hide my humiliation I swore I would never show my face to anyone again…until I found someone I could love half as much.” ‘Like me,’ thought Fluttershy. Don Mane suddenly turned vague, unfocused eyes to look at her. He looked to lost and helpless that Fluttershy was struck with the urge to embrace him right there and then but before she could he had turned away again. “So you see; I have no home-for home is where the heart is and I lost mine long ago. And so I travel from place to place, searching for…” There was a brief silence as his violet mane blew dramatically in the wind. “Searching for?…” whispered Fluttershy. Don Mare turned to look at her and smiled. His smile was so sweet and full of hope that Fluttershy’s stomach did it’s 137th consecutive somersault. “Searching for a reason to stay.” After fighting the urge to swoon, Fluttershy somehow managed to say “you know…um….it must be hard sleeping rough all the time…er….you know…I may not be able to give you a reason to stay…b…but you’re welcome to stay at my house until you’re ready…to get back on the road, that is. Hehe.” Don Mane beamed at her like a foal tasting Honey for the first time and swept her off her hooves in a giant bear-hug. “Oh Donna Fluttershy; Gracias! Muchos muchos gracias!” He then put her down, looking a little embarrassed. “You are truly kind.” “Yes I am,” said Fluttershy dreamily as she led him out of the forest by his hoof, never once noticing that wherever he stepped, flowers would die beneath him. Chapter two: all he seems?Chapter two: All he seems? When the two reached Fluttershy’s cottage the light had faded and stars were beginning to appear in the sky above Ponyville. Fluttershy had been sneaking glances at her handsome guest all throughout their journey, but on this last stretch she could barely stand to look at him. She opened the door and led Don Mane into her front room. “Well: here it is. Home sweet home,” Fluttershy said softly. Don Mane looked around and smiled. “A more appropriate abode I could not imagine Dona Fluttershy. I‘m sure I will be very comfortable here.” Fluttershy let out a happy little squee and took the bitterweed into the kitchen to make it into tea. Don Mane waited until she was out of sight and then proceeded to inspect the living room. He looked at the framed photos his hostess had of her friends above the mantlepiece; Twilight in the library, Applejack joyously apple bucking in the orchard, Rarity posing in a new outfit, Pinkie astride her party cannon and Rainbow Dash flying through the skies. Don Mane’s handsome face cracked into a truly terrifying toothy grin as his eyes widened in delight. He was just picking up Rarity’s photo to inspect it closer when he heard a sound from behind him. “A-WHOOP!” He span around to see a small white bunny with large, dark circles under his eyes and a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was holding a slipper in his right paw, apparently meaning to throw it at Don Mane while his back was turned. There was a pause while Angel decided what to do. In the end he threw the slipper anyway, which Don Mane dissolved in mid-air with a burst of green magic. It landed in a pile of dust in the middle of Fluttershy’s floor as Angel let out another loud “A-WHOOP!” Don Mane looked into Angel’s eyes. Angel looked into Don Mane’s eyes. A more instantaneous hatred would have been hard to find. The two men in Fluttershy’s life stared each other down. Anypony looking in could almost certainly imagine the soundtrack to a western showdown playing in the background (you know the one I mean.) Just as the two were about to lunge at each other Fluttershy hovered into the living room holding a steaming bowl of foul-smelling liquid in her front hooves. “Oh; Angel! I see you’ve met Mr De Polo.” She fluttered over to her guest and stared deep into his eyes. “Isn’t he wonderful?” An indignant “A-WHOOP!” was the only reply. Don Mane returned Fluttershy’s loving gaze while surreptitiously taking the bowl gently from her hooves. Then, without looking, he shoved the bowl into Angel’s face, who promptly choked on the vile-tasting bitterweed tea. “Drink your tea nicely Angel,” Fluttershy said dreamily, without looking away from Don Mane’s face. Angel ‘A-WHOOPed!’ mournfully as he stared up at his mistress with genuine concern. ******** Later that night the three were sitting around Fluttershy’s table, eating supper. Fluttershy and Don Mane made gooey eyes at each other over the spinach while Angel sullenly chewed on radishes between them. “This is a beautiful cottage you have Donna Fluttershy,” purred Don Mane, causing Fluttershy to giggle bashfully and Angel to make retching noises. Again, without looking, Don Mane deftly dumped the salad bowl onto Angel’s head and arranged his handsome features into a look of gentle concern. “But what a shame that you live here all alone. You must get terribly lonely” “Oh, that’s quite alright Mr De Polo,” said Fluttershy earnestly. I’m not entirely alone you know: I have my animals,” (here she indicated a positively livid angel.) “And I see my friends all the time. You really needn’t be concerned.” Fluttershy let herself smile a little and added “but it’s terribly nice of you to do so.” This was the straw that broke the pony’s back as far as Angel was concerned. The surly rabbit snorted in disgust, downed his carrot-juice in one, and stormed out of the kitchen grumbling. Fluttershy didn’t even notice. “It’s just you’re so…pure…and kind,” the visitor said softly to his glowing hostess. “I’m worried that you‘re vulnerable out here…” After saying this he suddenly looked horrified with himself. “Not-not that you can’t take care of yourself, of course; I’m sure you can,” he stuttered in an adorably flustered fashion. Seeing an opportunity to subtly talk herself up, Fluttershy gently silenced him and said “don’t trouble yourself Mr De Polo; I know you don’t mean any offence by it. It’s an easy assumption to make, but you know, under my timid exterior I’m tougher than I look. Me and my friends have been through some very hairy scrapes together, and I always come out the other side in one piece.” After saying this Fluttershy smiled as she remembered all the various adventures she and her friends had been through together. “Wow,” she thought to herself. “I really have been through things that nopony else could ever even imagine. And I couldn’t have done it without them.” Don Mane, seeing the happy smile on her face, and realizing it was nothing to do with him, snarled and his horn glowed an ominous green colour. He used his magic to pull her face closer to his and stared deep into her eyes with his which once again seemed to throb with a deep, luminous green. “That sounds wonderful,” he said in a deep, hypnotic voice that seemed to resonate throughout Fluttershy’s entire trembling body. “You must introduce me to these lovely friends of yours who have kept you safe for me for so long.” Fluttershy once again felt that same rush of devotion fall through her like rain. “Of course Mr De Polo,” she cooed. “I’m visiting them tomorrow; I have some errands I need to complete, and then I‘m seeing them again in the evening. You can come with me if you‘d like.” “Good,” drawled Don Mane as he once again opened his jaws wide to reveal a set of sharp, dripping fangs. “Good girl Donna Fluttershy.” Angel, of course, heard the ominous voice from where he was pouting in the garden, and swiftly rushed into the kitchen to aid his mistress. When he got there however, all he could see was Fluttershy smiling dreamily off into the distance and the intruder demurely finishing his dinner. Looking up from his plate, Don Mane grinned smugly at Angel for a moment, before emptying his glass in three deep, noisy mouthfuls. Chapter three: "I hope they like him..."Chapter three: ‘I hope they like him.’ The next day Fluttershy set off into Ponyville with her handsome guest in tow. They talked all the way there, though Fluttershy couldn’t really remember what about. She was just happy to be with him. His strong fetlocks grazed against hers every so often, quite by mistake of course, and his gentle green eyes stayed on her at all time. His soft violet mane fell about his broad shoulders and when he laughed his teeth glinted in the sun like freshly-fallen snow. Fluttershy was so wrapped up in him that she didn’t notice that every single mare that they passed stopped dead in their tracks to stare at him; their jaws slack and their eyes wide. Derpy’s eyes even momentarily went into focus just to ogle him. “Donna Fluttershy,” said Don Mane, sounding somewhat puzzled. “I thought we were going to run some errands in Ponyville today-but we seem to be walking out of town.” “Oh; I have to stop off at Applejack’s first to check on her rooster. He’s been a bit under the weather lately. That’s Applejack’s family farm up there.” She indicated sweet Apple acres on the near horizon and her companions face lit up with understanding. “Ah: I see,” he said. “So your friend runs a farm. How industrious!” Fluttershy beamed at this remark, but her expression quickly fell into one of concern. “What is wrong Dona Fluttershy?” said Don Mane. “Have I said something wrong?” ‘Oh, it’s nothing,” muttered Fluttershy. “It‘s…it’s just….oh: I do hope you get on with my friends,” said Fluttershy all in a rush. “ I just couldn’t stand it if you didn’t like them! I mean of course they’ll like you but…” Don Mane silenced her by gently closing her mouth with his hoof. “Dona Fluttershy,” he said smiling at her with cotton-soft eyes. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Fluttershy sighed with relief and rested against the warm side of her companion who put his wing around her and starting steering her towards sweet apple acres. “I’m sure I’m going to love them.” ************************************************************************ Applejack noticed Don Mane before she noticed Fluttershy. She thought he was handsome, sure, but nothing remarkable. She smiled when she noticed her friend trotting next to him and waved her over. “Hey there sugar cube,” she called happily, and Fluttershy ran up to meet her. Don Mane, the perfect gentleman that he was, hung back to let the girls get reacquainted. “You ready to give old Raymond the old once-over ?” asked Applejack, holding up a very sorry-looking rooster. “He just hasn’t been himself lately.” “I’ll see what I can do,” said Fluttershy, taking the bedraggled bird very gently off of Applejack. “Now then Raymond; what seems to be the problem?” The rooster made a noise like a dying chainsaw and then flopped against Fluttershy’s chest. “Oh dear! Well you can’t tell me what’s wrong with a sore throat like that!” She turned to Applejack. “Where do you keep the cough medicine?” “Beneath the sink in the kitchen.” “Thanks jack. I’ll be right back.” She began to hover away until Applejack piped up with “aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?” “Oh; of course. Applejack this is Don Mane De Marco.” Fluttershy said the stallion’s name as if it was the single most glorious sound ever uttered. Don Mane gave her yet another tender glance and Fluttershy blushed on cue. Applejack looked from one to the other and cocked an eyebrow. “Don Mane is a traveling pony who saved me from a gorge in the everfree forest. He was passing through Ponyville but he didn’t have anywhere to stay the night so…” With this Fluttershy sort of shrugged and grinned shyly. Applejack nodded in understanding. ”And this, Don Mane, is my friend Applejack.” “Hey,” said Applejack, slightly more cautiously than usual. Still; she extended a hoof to the newcomer and smiled. “Always nice to see a new face around these parts.” Fluttershy expected Don Mane to kiss Applejack’s hoof like he did with hers but, much to her surprise, he instead took Applejack’s hoof in his and shook it firmly. “It is a pleasure Dona Applejack.” Quite satisfied, Fluttershy floated off towards the kitchen to find the cough medicine. Once she was out of sight Applejack turned to Don Mane and said gently, but with a slight edge to her voice “now look here handsome. I hate for it to seem like I’m accusing you, and you do seem to be on the straight and narrow, but I must tell you now that you better not be playing our Fluttershy for a silly-filly. ‘Cause if you are; you and I are going to have a problem.” Don Mane looked into Applejack’s eyes and said “Dona Applejack: I promise you now that I have no intention of hurting Dona Fluttershy in any way. I am perfectly aware that it would be no way to repay her kindness.” Applejack and Don Mane stared at each other for a long, hard time. Little beads of perspiration had just started to form on Don Mane’s brow when Applejack beamed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Ah: you’re alright. Sorry to get on your case there, but Fluttershy can be very trusting sometimes, and I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t hitching her star to the wrong carriage, you know?” “I understand,” said Don Mane, smiling and tipping his hat back. “I suppose I am somewhat suspicious.” He smiled gently at Applejack; a different, more-earnest-less-smoulder-y gentle smile than the ones he gave Fluttershy, but a gentle smile nonetheless. “You’re a good friend Applejack,” he said softly. Applejack faltered at this an ducked behind her hat slightly. “Well…you know…” After a moment of silence she said “I’m just going to buck some apples now…you’re welcome to go inside if you want; granny Smith’ll make you some cocoa…” “I want to help you with the bucking of the apples Dona Applejack,” said Don Mane brightly, lifting up a nearby basket with his magic. “Uh, I don’t know…” said Applejack, shifting awkwardly from one hoof to the other. “Please let me help,” was the reply. “I feel so rude: standing idle while taking advantage of your hospitality. Let me buck the apples with you.” “I appreciate the help but uh…” “What is it Dona Applejack?” Applejack sighed. “Look: you’re an Alicorn…” “Correct.” “Well…that means you have a horn…” “Dona Applejack,” cried Don Mane in mock indignation. “You are an unusually prejudiced pony indeed. Most mares have nothing but the greatest appreciation for my horn.” To demonstrate he playfully tapped the tip of his horn with his hoof and winked at Applejack, who rolled her eyes but still couldn’t suppress a smile. “It’s just…you’ll pick every apple in an instant using your magic and I won’t have anything left to buck.” Don Mane seemed to consider this for a moment before saying “well then; I shall simply have to buck the apples like you do.” Before Applejack could object, he had kicked a nearby tree with his back hooves and several apples fell into the adjacent basket. He grinned at Applejack, who grinned back. She knew a challenge when she saw it. The two set about bucking apples at a ferocious pace. They were level-necking for a while until Applejack started to pull ahead. Before either of them knew it there was only one tree with apples still on it. They both thundered towards it, each trying to get there before the other. Suddenly, Don Mane spread out his wings and propelled himself forward, colliding with Applejack in the process. The two fell in a sore, laughing heap on the ground. After their giggles had subsided Don Mane stood up and offered a hoof to the orange mare lying on the ground. Applejack looked up at him and the sun haloed around his violet head as he grinned down at her. ‘Dang,’ thought Applejack to herself. ‘I can see what Fluttershy sees in him.’ Once she was on her feet Applejack said to Don Mane “you cheated! You used your alicorn powers. That means I win.” “Fair enough,” shrugged the stallion. “Though if I recall, it was my horn you told me not to use.” “Even so; I still win,” said Applejack, proudly indication her twenty full baskets as opposed to Don Mane’s seventeen. Don Mane nodded defeatedly and smiled at Applejack. “You are a pretty formidable mare Dona Applejack,” he said softly. “You remind me of a statue of an ancient mare-goddess I saw back in Saddle Arabia. So strong and beautiful. Like an empire that could never fall. You even have the same golden hair as her.” Here he smoldered dangerously at her and though Applejack knew he was speaking nonsense, she didn’t much care. “Not bad yourself,” she said dreamily as Flutteshy came out of the house carrying a relieved-looking rooster. “Raymond is feeling much better,” she said brightly. “His throat is less sore and his temperature’s gone down. He tells me he has the sniffles because there’s a leak in the roof of his coop.” Here she handed the rooster back to Applejack. “I’ll get on it right away,“ said Applejack chirpily, trying her hardest not to look at Don Mane. “Thank you kindly Fluttershy: once again your natural affinity with critters has saved the day!” The two mares were so busy conversing that they didn’t notice that Raymond was glaring at Don Mane who simply stared back contemptuously. Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, the bird started to squawk raucously and flap his wings frenziedly at the dark stallion. “Whoa there Ray; what’s gotten into you?” said Applejack clutching at the struggling bird. “It’s possible it could be me,” said Don Mane apologetically. “I never did understand roosters, ganders, game or goslings.” Here he shot a devilish look at the mares and said “ I have always was more of a friend to female animals.” Applejack and Fluttershy blushed accordingly. A few moments later Fluttershy found herself trotting happily down the road out of Sweet Apple Acres with Don Mane chivalrously carrying a basket of apples for her with his magic. “I’m sooo glad you like her,” she said, beaming and resting her head on his shoulder. “And that she likes you. I always thought that anyone Applejack approves of couldn’t ever really be that bad.” Don Mane said nothing but pulled her close to him with his wing. “Where to next Donna Fluttershy?” he said after some time. The sun was almost at it’s highest point in the sky and it warmed Fluttershy to the roots of her feathers. “Hm? Oh: we’re going to sugar-cube corner next!” “Sugar-cube…” “It’s the bakery. I have to pick up some honey scones for Angel. My friend Pinkie Pie works there; so you’ll get to meet her too!” “Good.” said Don Mane, smiling at nothing in particular. “Good.” ************************************************************************ Pinkie pie was icing cupcakes when the two arrived at the bakery. She was doing a surprisingly efficient job of it too, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice that some of the cupcakes at the back of the tray had the occasional sneaky bite taken out of them. Fluttershy smiled and shook her head affectionately. “Hey Pinkie,” she said taking a small pouch out of her saddle-bag and emptying three bits onto the counter. “Are those scones ready?” “Sure are!” beamed Pinkie extending her tongue out to lick some icing off her cheek. She then held out her icing bag and said “want some frosting as an appetizer?” “No thank you Pinkie,” her customer smiled. Pinkie shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And with this she rolled out her tongue like a carpet and emptied half the contents of the piping bag onto it. “The scones are out back in the fridge,” she said indistinctly through a mouthful of frosting. She then swallowed and said “I’ll go get them for you.” She clumsily tried to wipe some of the frosting off her hooves and struggled with her apron. “Oh, it’s okay Pinkie; I’ll go get them. I know where they are.” “Thanks Fluttershy! I‘m kinda busy with these cupcakes.” Fluttershy was just about to walk through the saloon doors and into the back room when Pinkie noticed Don Mane. “Hey; who’s the hunk?” she said, smiling and winking. Don Mane gave her a shadow of a mysterious smile in return. “Oh, that’s Don Mane,” was the reply. “He’s staying with me for a few days. “Oh, okay,” chirped Pinkie as Fluttershy disappeared into the back room. “Howdy doody Don Mane!” “Howdy doody Dona Pinkie,” he replied with the glimmer of laughter in his eyes. Pinkie giggled. “It sounds so silly with your accent.” “I could say the same about you.” And with this Don Mane proceeded to inspect the various baked goods in the display cabinets while Pinkie continued with her cupcake icing. Subtly and without looking Don Mane turned the cupcake tray round with his magic so that the cupcake that Pinkie had just iced was facing her again. Humming happily to herself, Pinkie turned to the tray and hastily squirted some icing onto the cupcake which hung sloppily off the icing that was already there. Pinkie looked befuddled for a moment before turning the tray around again to an un-iced cake and returning to her mixture. Don Mane did this four more times until Pinkie was quite confused. By this point the cupcake was piled so high with icing that it had doubled in height. Pinkie picked it up and glared at it accusingly. Don Mane started whistling to himself and Pinkie Pie, looking from the cake Don Mane and back again, gave a wicked little smile. Don Mane was just inspecting a really rather fabulous-looking éclair when he felt something wet and mushy smack against his ear. He whipped round to see Pinkie grinning like a jack-o-lantern and holding her bowl of icing behind her back. Smiling sweetly, Don Mane levitated a big glob of mixture out of the bowl and smacked it into the back Pinkie’s head. Pinkie shrieked with delight and before either of them knew it they were both running round the bakery, laughing and hurling globs of icing at each other. An unobserved glob of icing on the floor was suddenly illuminated with green magic and slipped into the path of Pinkie’s hurried hooves which she then tripped over and landed with a thump on the bakery floor. Don Mane then promptly tripped on it too and landed neatly on top of Pinkie. The two stared into each others faces for a moment, flushed and panting. Don Mane looked as though he was going to say something when Fluttershy came in through the swing doors holding a brown paper bag in her mouth. Being greeted with the sight of the object of her maidenly affections astride one of her best friends and covered in cupcake icing, Fluttershy stood stock still while she tried to think about how to react to the situation. Don Mane, however, was quick to react. “Thank you for letting me help with the icing, Donna Pinkie Pie,” he said smoothly, helping Pinkie up. “I must say; I have done a great deal of traveling in my time but I’ve never seen it done like that before.” Dazed Pinkie Pie returned to her post, as Don Mane began to usher Fluttershy out of the shop. Through her daze, Pinkie Pie noticed that Fluttershy was trying her hardest not to look at her. “Hey wait!” she called after the retreating couple. “Since I got you all dirty Don Mane; why don’t you take a free cupcake as an apology.” She smiled warmly at her frowning friend. “You have one too Fluttershy.” Fluttershy smiled and took a cupcake from the tray and put it in her saddle-bag. Pinkie offered the tray to Don Mane who, without thinking, took the cupcake with the mountain of icing. The icing was bright pink and was piled high on the cake in uncontrollable swirls. “It looks like your mane,” he said softly. Pinkie Pie flushed deeply at this (not that anyone could tell) and busied herself with making more icing. ************************************************************************ Once out of the bakery, Fluttershy stormed ahead of Don Mane, glaring at her shopping list and trying her hardest to look at anyone but him. Don Mane made a pretense to struggle to keep up but after a while he grew weary of the silent treatment and quickly closed the gap between them with a few strides. “Dona Fluttershy…” “Don’t start with me,” snapped Fluttershy, still not looking at him. There was another length of silence before Dona Mane spoke again. “Dona Fluttershy, why are you so angry?” “You have the nerve to ask me that!” cried Fluttershy, spinning round to face him, tears in her eyes. “To stand there and ask me why I’m angry that you were all over my friend and covered in goop on the floor of a bakery!” After this the only sounds that came out of Fluttershy’s mouth were inaudible squeaks of despair. Don Mane waited for them to calm down before talking. “Dona Fluttershy,” he said in a steady, calm voice. “I don’t want you to get me wrong. What you saw in the bakery was not what it seemed.” Fluttershy scoffed at this but Don Mane silenced her and continued. “I did not want to say anything in front of you or your friend in case I embarrassed you both but the truth of the matter is…what you saw in there was all your friends doing.” Fluttershy was dumbstruck. That Pinkie could be so forward with somepony she just met was…Fluttershy was bout to think the world ‘inconceivable’ when she realized that it really wasn’t. “She started flicking globs of frosting at my head,” said Don Mane, flushing slightly. “I didn’t want to say anything about it because I thought it would be rude, but before I knew it she was chasing me round the bakery and then she…” Don Mane averted his gaze from Fluttershy’s and said “she pulled me on top of her.” He looked up at her again; his eyes pleading. “I honestly wouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation Donna Fluttershy; not after all your hospitality. The truth is…” he paused a moment and the looked away again, blushing deeply. “The truth is…you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.” When Fluttershy heard this she felt as though a sun blazing throughout her entire body and words quite simply failed her. Instead she reached out with her hoof, tugged on Don Mane’s cape and pulled him in the direction of carousel boutique. The two trotted side by side for a while when Fluttershy decided to break the silence. “We’re going to my friend Rarity’s boutique next,” she said. “I have to return her umbrella now that the rainy-season is over.” With this she took it out of her saddle-bag and opened it over their heads to shield them from the sun. “Very well,” said Don Mane and they trotted in silence once more. Fluttershy, once again, was the one to break the silence. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said in a tiny voice. Don Mane smiled warmly and put his wing around her. “It’s quite alright Dona Fluttershy,” he said. “I would have done the same thing. And you know; I really hope you’re not angry at your friend. I’m sure she didn’t mean to be rude. She’s just friendly. Like Applejack!” Fluttershy thought about Applejack and the way she had smiled at Don Mane that morning at sweet apple acres. A million doubts suddenly buzzed in her mind like angry parasprites. She didn’t have much time to reflect on them though, for at that very moment a lightning bolt flashed out of the heavens and sent a huge shock right through the bodies of the two unsuspecting ponies. Chapter four: green-eyed monsterChapter four: green-eyed monster Once the shock had passed Fluttershy stood swaying woozily on the spot, her mane and tail singeing lightly. Surprisingly, she didn’t shriek or run, but she was very shaken. Don Mane was breathing heavily, and his legs quivered slightly while he tried to contain his shock. Neither of them were really hurt but the attack had been so sudden that they were both stunned into silence. After a moment, husky laughter could be heard above them. Don Mane lowered the umbrella and glared up at the perpetrator, who turned out to be a slight blue mare with a rainbow mane who was, at that moment, kicking her hind quarters about in fits of mirth on a grey cloud hovering just over their heads. Don Mane recognized her as one of Fluttershy’s friends from the mantelpiece. The mare wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced down at her victims. In an instant her expression turned from one of impish delight to one of abject horror. “Omigoshomigoshomigosh! Fluttershy; I’m so sorry! With the umbrella up I didn’t see it was you!” She rushed down to the limp Fluttershy and shook her vigorously. “Fluttershy! Speak to me girl!” Fluttershy, somewhat punch-drunk and wall-eyed, gave a hesitant smile and patted the Pegasus’ nose. “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?” Her eyes came back into focus and she grinned shyly at Dash. “Oh; it is.” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief and wiped her brow. She then turned angrily to Fluttershy’s companion. “Hey! Who’s this guy? I haven‘t seen him before.” She punctuated this inquiry by putting her face half and inch from his and boggling an eye at him. Don Mane responded by promptly blowing into it. Dash flinched and fixed Don Mane with a glare that was readily returned. “Oh, yes, where are my manners; Dash this is Don Mane De Polo. He’s staying with me for a little while. Don Mane-this is my friend Rainbow Dash.” Seeming to realize that her initial reaction was a little rude, Rainbow Dash smiled at Don Mane and held her hoof out to him. “Nice ta meet ya Donny,” she said perkily, but with the slightest edge to her voice. She didn’t much care for having her eye blown into. “Any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine.” She held out a hoof to him, which he did not take. Don Mane instead smiled coldly at her. “Does it give you great amusement to prey on innocent ponies for your own childish amusement Donna Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash flushed in anger and embarrassment. “I told you,” she snapped, her voice breaking in frustration. “If I knew it was her I wouldn’t have shocked you two. Well…” She sneered at him. “I wouldn’t have shocked her.” “Yes, but, as a matter of fact you did shock her. And now I must defend my lady’s honour.” Don Mane used his magic to take of his cape with a flourish and discarded it on the ground. He drew himself up to his full height, eyes flashing. Fluttershy was beside herself at this point, tugging at Don Mane’s wing, pleading with him to come away with her, that Rainbow Dash didn’t mean it, that she does this all time, that she’s sorry so please forget it. Rainbow Dash, however, had a different reaction. “Ha…Ha…BWAHAHAHAHA!” The blue mare rolled onto her back on the floor and kicked her back hooves in the air, holding her sides as she guffawed. “De…‘defend my lady’s honour?’ Seriously?” She burst into fresh peels of laughter, tears leaking from her fuchsia-colored eyes. She only stopped when a bolt of green lightning shot from Don Mane’s horn, launching her several feet into the air. She wasn’t hurt, just shaken, but once her senses returned to her, she fumed with rage and zoomed down towards Don Mane. She slammed her snout against his and stared daggers into his laconic face. “Try that one more time; I dare you.” The two fumed at each other for a moment while Fluttershy trembled on the sidelines. After a brief silence Don Mane steadily said “I make it my policy to not fight mares.” Rainbow Dash scoffed at this. “You mean you don’t have the horse-apples.” “Well; with my magic it’s pretty clear that I could decimate you in a fair fight.” “Well then.” Rainbow Dash pressed her body close to the ground and grinned up at Don Mane. In one swift movement she spread her wings and flapped them threateningly. “Let’s settle this with something I have a fair shot at winning.” In an instant she was up in the air, grinning down at a resolutely unimpressed Don Mane and a gently sobbing Fluttershy. “First one to Sweet apple acres and back is the winner. We’ll see how your fancy talk’ll get you out of this one!” The tempestuous Pegasus was about to set off for the farm when Don Mane shouted up at her “Wait!” Rainbow Dash glared haughtily down at him. Don Mane ignored her and went over to Fluttershy who had tears streaming quietly down her face. He smiled fondly at her and used one strong and agonizingly gentle wing to wipe the tears from her face. “Don’t worry Donna Fluttershy,” he said softly. “No-one will get hurt. She just needs to burn of some energy. Too much fire in the belly that one. We’ll be back before you know it.” Fluttershy breathed a little easier after this. Then her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “But why are you racing her. You could just admit that you were wrong, Rainbow Dash would consider this it victory and leave us alone. Are you really so proud?” Don Mane chuckled very sexily at that. Fluttershy flushed, wondering if she’s said something foolish. “I’m not doing this out of pride Donna Fluttershy.” What Don Mane said next was said so quietly that Fluttershy had to lean forward and strain her ears to hear what he was saying. Then Don Mane put his mouth up to Fluttershy’s ear and said just quietly enough for only her to hear: “I want to show that I’m willing to fight for you.” He then blew into her ear and flapped his wings until he was in the sky next to Rainbow Dash. “Even if I lose,” he called cheerily down to a peony-pink and saucer-eyed Fluttershy. “Which you will,” said Rainbow Dash matter-of-factly to him. Don Mane grinned at her, his eyes blazing; a look which she readily returned. “Says you,” he purred. He then flapped his powerful wings and shot away from her like a bullet across the skies of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash looked nonplussed for a moment and then a huge grin crossed her face. “Finally: a challenge!” she squealed, and shot after him. Several feet below them Fluttershy, who had not moved a millimeter since Don Mane had whispered in her ear, let out a little squeaking noise and swooned into the cobblestones. **************** Rainbow had to admit, as she soared above the skyline of Ponyville, that the stallion had talent. He shot across the sky like a sleek indigo and violet missile-about ten feet away from her, but level-pegging her distance all the way. He was good! But she knew she was better. They were close to the edge of town now. Rainbow Dash had started to pull ahead slightly and was feeling decidedly cocky. Then Don Mane made his move. He started to pull forward, inching the distance by a nose at first, but he kept raising his speed until he was a good couple of feet in front of her. Rainbow Dash realized with horror that he had been biding his time and that he really did have the speed to match his stamina. ‘Okay,’ she thought to herself. ‘If that’s the way you want it: no more Miss nice mare!’ Don Mane was fast, for sure, but Rainbow Dash was a pony who could break the light barrier if she wanted, and she soon found herself flank to flank with the troublesome stallion. She turned her head to smile smugly at him, and saw him laughing at her. It was not a mocking laugh. It was a wild and untamed laugh, filled with joy and passion and lust for life. Don Mane’s eyes sparked like firecrackers and his tangled mane seemed to float for a moment-suspended in the warm mid-day sun. But it was the way he was looking at her that made Rainbow Dash’s heart stop in her chest. She knew those sparkling eyes and that wild laugh all too well. She saw that Don Mane knew what it was like to yearn for speed and danger; knew what it was like to want to go so fast that it burned and that he too wanted to grab life as had as he could before it slipped away into the darkness. And he was looking at her like she was the only person who could give it to him. Rainbow Dash’s heart started pounding like a jack-hammer in her ears and she was so distracted that she didn’t see the roof on the sweet-apple acres barn until it was too late. She slammed into it, full-force, while Don Mane turned round sharply in mid-air and started heading back into town. The roof crumbled like gingerbread under Rainbow Dash and she found herself falling head first into a bale of hay. After a split-second of silence, a blue flash emerged from the depths of the disheveled bale, as Rainbow Dash burst out of the roof of the barn and into the clouds above Ponyville. The holes that had been left by Rainbow dash entering and exiting the barn roof coalesced, causing the roof to collapse in on itself and the barn walls to fall in four different directions. From the apple fields, Applejack sighed and walked up to the house to get her tools. “Raise this barn, raise this barn,” she sang wearily under her breath. Don Mane was almost at the finishing point and Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found. He saw a little butter-yellow figure hovering next to the town fountain. He imagined tears in her eyes as she waited, hooves clasped, for his return. Grinning widely, he zoomed downwards to meet her. Suddenly; a blue flash appeared from out of the clouds and in an instant was next to Don Mane. Don Mane recognized the cone of light surrounding her as the beginning of a sonic rainboom. In a flash he propelled himself towards her with a discreet flash of green magic and grabbed her waist just as all the colours of the rainbow began to dance violently at the tip of the light cone. They were three feet off the ground when the rainboom hit. The resulting force knocked everyone in the town centre, including Fluttershy, clean off their hooves. As for Don Mane and Rainbow Dash; they hit the ground with such force that they bounced down the street in a feathery jumble and ended up in a crumpled heap in a small back-alley. Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment as she lay on top of her adversary. She was aching slightly-nothing she couldn’t shake off, of course. She felt the smooth, strong body of Don Mane rise and fall with under hers as he took in several deep breaths. Then it began to shake as it’s owner started to laugh uproariously. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help it; she started to laugh too. The two lay in a giggling heap, until the two sat up and face each other, still snickering. “I underestimated you,” said Don Mane breathlessly. “Darn straight you did,” giggled Rainbow Dash in return. The two stared at each other while they both tried to get their respective breaths back. Don Mane’s mane was falling in front of his gleaming eyes as he panted happily. He was smiling at Rainbow Dash-softly, but with the same fire in his eyes she had seen when he was flying. Rainbow Dash blushed and tried not to look him in the eye. “I’ll remember that race all my life Donna Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow looked at him when he said that. He was looking at her that same way as he did when they were flying; like she was the only one who could give him what he needed. As he looked deeply into her eyes, she began to wonder if her was the only one who could give her what she needed. He was so perfect. His eyes were so perfect: they were so green! They even seemed to glow slightly! She leaned in, her eyes soft and Don Mane moved his head forward too and Rainbow Dash could feel his warm breath on her cheek. Without warning, there was a little cough emitting from the entrance to the alley, and the two flyers turned around to see Fluttershy standing behind them. She was smiling at them, but said smile was a little stretched and her right eye was twitching ever so slightly. Without missing a beat, Don Mane pulled himself to his hooves, and extended a hoof to Rainbow, pulling her up too. “Thank you for the race Donna Rainbow Dash,” he said, evenly. “It was quite an experience. I apologize for my earlier belligerence.” “That’s okay,” said Rainbow Dash, dazedly. “I guess I was kinda rude too.” “I forgive you. My hostess forgives you too, don’t you Donna Fluttershy?” “Yes, I do,” Fluttershy replied, a little too calmly. “Well; we must be on our way. I hope to run into you again sometime Donna Rainbow Dash.” With this he shook Rainbow’s hoof politely and, out of Fluttershy’s eye line, winked playfully at his new admirer. In return, rainbow grinned and blushed at him. As Don Mane and Fluttershy walked away, Fluttershy said coldly “I suppose she was just being friendly too?” “Like I said,” said Dona Mane off-handedly. “Too much fire in the belly.” Fluttershy wanted to object to this, but she just couldn’t find the energy. As Don Mane pulled his wing round her, she rested wearily against his side and didn’t say anything else. Behind them, back in town square, Rainbow Dash waved dreamily to their retreating forms as a little part of her wondered whether or not she had won the race, and why didn’t she really care? **************** Fluttershy knew she was being silly. She thought that to herself as she perused the reels of ribbon in Rarity’s storeroom. She had returned Rarity’s umbrella and in return she had offered to let Fluttershy pick out some ribbon. Fluttershy had opted to pick some out for Angel, as the poor thing seemed to have become quite unsettled since Don Mane turned up. Fluttershy figured he was probably just unsettled about the fact that he was no longer the only man in Fluttershy’s life. Fluttershy shook her head and reminded herself that she was being foolish. ‘I’ve only known Don Mane for a day,’ she told herself. ‘He’ll probably move out soon, and then I’ll never see him again.’ This thought saddened Fluttershy so that she paused to wind a some red satin ribbon rough her hoof as she pondered further. ‘I’m acting like he’s mine, and he’s not. He doesn’t owe me a thing and yet I’m acting like he’s betraying me just because some of my friends might like him.’ This thought angered Fluttershy so that she started to pull on the ribbon in agitation. Feeling her anger rise up inside her she took some deep breaths and told herself to calm down. ‘So what if my friends do like him? There’s nothing wrong with that.’ ‘Yes there is.’ A little voice was speaking to her from a corner of her mind. Fluttershy wasn’t alarmed. It seemed to her like the voice had always been there. ‘You know as well as I do that you’re the only mare for Don Mane.’ ‘I don’t know. Maybe he’d be better off with someone brave like Rainbow Dash or fun like Pinkie Pie or…’ ‘Nonsense. No one loves him as much as we do. We have more right to him than anypony.’ ‘But what if he doesn’t love us?’ ‘He will. He has to. We’ll just die if we can’t have him. Fluttershy felt a pang in her chest as she realized it was true. She felt like she couldn’t go on if she couldn’t have Don Mane all to herself. ‘If our friends really loved us they would see how much we needed him and they would leave us alone.’ ‘But if I tell my friends to get lost then they might hate me. They might never speak to me again.’ ‘We don’t need them. We don’t need anyone but him.’ The ribbon snapping in her hooves is what brought Fluttershy back to reality. She was thinking so intently that she had pulled the ribbon apart without noticing. She also saw that she had unraveled the entire reel. She put the two halves of ribbon into a brown paper bag and started heading back to the shop part of the boutique. ‘She only sent you back here so she could have Don Mane all to herself,’ said the voice. Fluttershy didn’t reply. As she walked back into the shop she saw that Rarity was rolling about on the floor, giggling so hard that she had turned bright red, as an utterly nonplussed looking Don Mane looked on. “What’s going on Don?” asked Fluttershy. “I…don’t really know,” was the perfectly honest reply. I just complimented her on the entrepreneurial spirit she must have to have opened up this boutique and then she started…doing that.” “Rarity I’m taking this ribbon. How much,” said Fluttershy coldly. Rarity let out huge gulping breaths as she tried to speak, but she would then look up and Don Mane and then squeal and start giggling uncontrollably again. “I’m leaving three bits,” her customer said and left some coins on the table. “See you round. Let me know when you get over whatever mental disease you seem to have developed.” With this Fluttershy sauntered out the door. Don Mane followed, pausing only to shoot another confused look at Rarity. Then he left, leaving a scarlet Rarity to hyperventilate on the floor of her boutique. *********** The final stop was Twilight’s library. Fluttershy felt actually quite hopeful as she approached the red oak door. Through thick and thin she knew that she could always rely on Twilight. Faithful, just, clever, steadfast old Twilight Sparkle. She would never get a crush on Fluttershy’s soul mate and, even if she did, she would at least be honest about it. Fluttershy knocked on the door of the library, feeling relatively cheerful. “Come in,” Twilight called from inside and the two visitors entered. “Oh hey Fluttershy!” said Twilight cheerfully, closing the rather large book that was resting on her haunches. “Have you come to pick up that book I told you about?” “Yes please Twilight. It’s the next one in the series of…” “Derring Do, right? Derring Do and the ruby shinbone to be precise.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “That’s it!” “It’s over here. I have it all wrapped up for you.” Twilight ushered her friend over to her desk where said Derring do book was lying open in a nest of brown paper and string. “Well,” Twilight blushed. “I did wrap it up for you, but the I figured I should read it again before I leant it to you, so we could talk about and...” Her hasty explanation was cut off by Fluttershy’s fond giggling. Twilight smiled and began wrapping it back up for her. While the two mares talked and fussed over the book, Don Mane inspected the shelves of books on the other side of the room, seemingly ignoring them. Suddenly, Spike walked into the room, nonchalantly eating an apple. He looked over at the two mares, who were now catching up about some festival that one of them had been to recently. He then turned to look at Don Mane, who had lifted a book on Unicorn history of one of the shelves and was idly flicking through it. “You know,” Spike started, trying to be a good assistant. “If you’re new here you can get a card that…” He stopped when Don Mane turned to glare at him. It was a look of utter loathing that chilled Spike deep in his bones. There was something about that look that frightened Spike on a level he didn’t know he had. It was a look that promised all the pain and cruelty in the world: that there would never be enough bones to break, never enough mountains to shatter and not a cry for help in the world he would answer. Spike felt a tinge of that dread that he had felt when he had watched Fluttershy walk towards the everfree forest the previous evening. The baby dragon stood, shaking under the stallion’s gaze until Fluttershy’s voice snapped them both out of it. “Well, Don Mane; we should be going. I have to get back in time to make the animals’ dinner.” In an instant Don Mane was handsome and pleasant again. “Coming Donna Fluttershy.” Twilight Sparkle, who had been too polite to mention it before, enquired, “by the way Fluttershy; is this a friend of yours?” Don Mane smiled and nodded politely at her. “Oh…sort of. Twilight, this is…” Fluttershy was distracted from the introduction when Spike started pulling at her tail. “What is it Spike?” asked Fluttershy, somewhat sharply. “Fluttershy, I…need some advice….about animals,” said Spike falteringly, obviously making up the request on the spot. “Can I give it to you later Spike?” asked Fluttershy impatiently. “…no?” “Well then tell it to me quickly then.” “NO!” shouted Spike, who the looked embarrassed. “No…it’s too personal.” “Personal? Personal how?” “It’s about…um…the, erm….mating habits! Yeah, that’s right! The mating habits of…um…muskrats!” He beamed triumphantly up at the three ponies who all stared back with various levels of confusion and disgust. “Why muskrats?” asked Fluttershy, puzzling her brow. Spike buried his face in his talons and growled in frustration. He then grabbed Fluttershy’s wing and started pulling her towards a nearby door. “Just come with me!” Before she could object, Fluttershy was hurried through the door and into a small, dark room. Spike slammed the door shut. “Spike, this is a broom closet.” “There’s something wrong with that stallion!” If Spike could see Fluttershy in the darkness of the closet, he would see that she looked quite shocked at the accusation. “Something wrong? With Don Mane?” “Yeah: serious bad vibes I’m getting from that guy!” “What do you mean? What exactly is wrong with him? “I can’t really put it into words, but he’s just…not right.” “But he is right Spike,” said Fluttershy softly. “He’s right in every possible way.” “No he isn’t! Look: sometime your gut just tells you stuff and you know it’s true, even if you can’t say why. And my gut is telling me that that guy is…evil.” Fluttershy grabbed Spike by the shoulders (or at least what felt like shoulders) and shook him. “He’s not evil! He’s the most wonderful stallion I’ve ever met! I never knew I could feel so complete, so…loved!” Spike looked hurt, though Fluttershy couldn’t see that. “But you are loved. Your friends…” “Some friends they are,” hissed Fluttershy angrily. “All they’ve done since I met Don Mane is try and come between us. Well it’s not going to happen see? I’m going to be with Don Mane no matter what my so-called-friends have to say about it!” With this she stormed out of the closet and back into the library. Twilight and Don Mane were deep in a conversation about books. Don Mane was looking at the big, leather tome that Twilight had been reading. He looked utterly absorbed as he pointed to passages in the book and talked about what they meant, and what he had read elsewhere that reminded him of them, and many other perfectly fascinating things. His eyes were soft and he looked impassioned about the things he was talking about. He didn’t look at Twilight but she clearly couldn’t keep her eyes off him. ‘Finally,’ she was clearly thinking. ‘Someone who appreciates the realm of knowledge as much as I do.’ Fluttershy saw that Twilight clearly thought that Don Mane was what she had been missing all her life and didn’t know it, and that she was feeling a completeness that she never had before. Tears suddenly sprung up in Fluttershy’s eyes as she sprinted for the door. “Come on Don Mane,” she choked as she passed him. When he didn’t join her instantly, she span round and shouted “Don Mane!” in a strangled voice. Before she could make a fool of herself, Don Mane was by her side. “I’m here,” he said, softly. He put his strong wing around her and ushered her towards the door. “So I’m assuming Angel’s better?” Twilight called after them cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong. Fluttershy just grunted in reply but Don Mane smiled back at the librarian and said, “oh yes; he’s quite the little bundle of energy now.” “Great,” said Twilight happily. “Then you can come to the party tonight!” “Party?” said Fluttershy dazedly, her eyes still all blurry. “Yes,” Don Mane replied in her stead. “She’ll be there.” “You can come too if you want Don Mane,” cooed Twilight, batting her eyelashes, utterly unironically this time. Before Fluttershy could react, Don Mane nodded and said, “I’ll be there,” and then promptly hurried Fluttershy out of the library, leaving behind a serenely smiling Twilight and a very worried-looking Spike. *************** They were almost back at Fluttershy’s cottage. The sky was full of riotous colour as evening approached. Fluttershy was sobbing softly against Don Mane’s side, making his coat all damp where her head was rested. He hadn’t let go of her since they left the library. When they finally reached the door of Fluttershy’s cottage, she couldn’t hold it in any longer, and she buried her head in his shoulder and bawled as much as she wanted. Don Mane put his arms around her and held her, not saying a word as he did so. After she had cried her fill, Fluttershy looked up at Don Mane with eyes raw from crying. “I feel like I don’t know who my friends are anymore,” she said quietly. Don Mane took her face gently in both his hooves and said gently, “I’m your friend.” Fluttershy smiled up at him. “You really are, aren’t you?” He only smiled gently back at her in reply. The two stood in the entreating starlight for a while, simply staring into each others eyes. Fluttershy wondered if she would ever feel this at peace ever again. After what felt like an eternity she scowled and said “I can’t go to that party. I just can’t” “Then don’t,” said Don Mane, smiling rakishly. “Come to my party instead.” “Your party?” asked Fluttershy, her eyes shining. “Tonight,” said Don Mane, taking her hooves excitedly in his, “we’ll pack a picnic and I’ll take you a clearing I know in the everfree forest, down by a running stream, and we’ll have our own party. We’ll drink and laugh and talk, and I’ll make you forget about all you troubles.” Tears had come to Fluttershy’s eyes once more, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of happiness that someone cared for her so much. “I’d like that,” she said softly, and Don Mane beamed and threw his arms round her. She sank into the warmth of his embrace and closed her eyes in ecstasy. “Oh Fluttershy, you’ve made me so happy,” he laughed with her face buried in his chest. His voice was full of love and mirth but his face was as cold and expressionless as a mask as he stared off into the warm evening sky. Then his face broke into an evil smile that showed his fangs to the silent sunset. “I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember.” He was the first to break the hug. “Come Donna Fluttershy,” said cheerfully. “We must prepare for this evening.” He was about to go inside when Fluttershy took his hoof in hers and gently pulled him back. He looked surprised, obviously not used to romantic situations he was not in control of, but he went along with it nonetheless. “Ah-ha, Donna Fluttershy, I…” “It feels like I’ve been waiting for you,” she said softly, encircling her arms around Don Mane’s neck. “Waiting for this.” She gazed up at an utterly bewildered Don Mane with a look of utter and complete love. She then reached up and pressed her lips gently against his. She was so lost in his kiss that she couldn’t see that his eyes were wide open with shock. But after a moment, he closed his eyes and kissed her back, and the two of them stayed locked in that embrace as the sun sank slowly down in the west.
Prologue: Friendship is picnicsPrologue: friendship is picnics To say it was a beautiful day would be an understatement. The sky was a soft, powder blue and filled with clouds that bloomed and towered into the heavens like plumes of smoke or towers of ice-cream. The air was warm and filled with the scent of new spring flowers, and a cool breeze was blowing softly in from the North. The weather Pegasi had done such a good job that morning, that they were given the afternoon off to enjoy the glorious weather. In response to this, Rainbow Dash had gathered her friends together for a picnic in the fields that bordered the everfree forest. ************ It was late in the afternoon and the picnic was in full swing. Rarity was sunning herself on a velvet chaise-lounge with garlands of daisies round her neck and wrists and woven into her mane, while Spike lay on his scaly belly a few feet away from her, making another one. Twilight sparkle was reading a book on the courtship rituals of Zebras that Zecora had leant her; absent-mindedly nibbling an apple tart as she did so. Pinkie Pie had found herself in the possession of a battered old parasol and was using it to float on the warm evening breeze as she chased butterflies. She drifted through the air about tree-height as Rainbow peered up at her from the picnic blanket. She was not flying, like she usually was, as she was so worn out from her morning’s work that she had spent most of the afternoon dozing on her back, sipping apple cider next to a similarly prone Applejack. Fluttershy had not yet arrived. “Well I have to say,” said Applejack dozily from under her hat. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time Rainbow.” “Glorious day, darling!” agreed Rarity as she stretched on her chaise-lounge. “Totally,” added Spike. “This is the best weather we’ve had since the start of the year!” “Yeah; it’s a good one alright,” the blue Pegasus yawned. “But don’t expect every day to be like this you guys. Just doing this one really took it out of me.” “Worth it,” chanted Pinkie Pie in a sing-song voice from somewhere above their heads. “Ooh: a tiger-stripe!” she added as she spotted another butterfly and blew into the parasol to propel herself after it. Applejack noticed that Twilight hadn’t really said anything throughout all this. She lazily rolled over and peered up at the lilac unicorn who at that point was still absorbed in her book. “Put down that book for a while, sugarcube. You’re going to hurt your eyes reading when the sun’s so bright.” “But sunny days are the best kind of weather for reading,” Twilight asserted as she turned the page. “You think every kind of weather is best for reading,” Rainbow Dash laughed, not unkindly. “Rainy days, snowy days, cloudy days, thunderstorm-y days…” “Why courtship habits of Zebras?” Applejack interrupted, peering at the cover. “Well; it is the start of spring,” said Twilight Sparkle. “The season of lurve.” She batted her eyelashes and held her hooves coyly under her chin to demonstrate. Rainbow Dash snorted derisively. “Horseapples,” she said. “You’re as likely to fall in love any other time of year than this one.” “I agree with Rainbow,” said Applejack, plucking an apple from the picnic basket and taking a bite out of it. “Your feeling shouldn’t be determined by the time of year.” “I agree,” said Spike, looking up from his daisy chain and staring moonily at the reclining Rarity. “You can never tell when you’re going to fall in love until it hits you like a ton of beautiful, beautiful bricks.” Rarity scoffed, albeit in a very ladylike manner. “No romance in your souls, any of you! Except for you of course, Spikey Wikey,” she said blowing a kiss to the suddenly sheepish dragon. “The sun, the flowers in bloom, the promise of you beginnings. All of it spells romance in my book!” She suddenly sighed and looked up to the clouds with a dramatically hopeful, tender expression. “Oh I do hope that I find that very special somepony this year!” “I don’t,” said Pinkie Pie as she landed softly on the ground next to the blanket and closed her parasol. “If I had a fella then I wouldn’t get to spend so much time with you guys.” Upon saying this she beamed at her friends to all smiled fondly back. Then her expression turned to one despair. “But wait! Fluttershy’s not here! How can I have the most-amazingly-awesome-summer-with-my-friends EVER, if she’s not here?!” The smiles on her friends faces suddenly turned to looks of concern. “Pinkie’s right,” said Twilight. “Fluttershy said she’s be here, but hours have gone by and she’s nowhere in sight!” “I’ll go look for her,” said Rainbow Dash, lifting herself off the ground. As if by magic, Fluttershy then appeared over the horizon holding a small wicker basket and looking worried. When she finally reached the blanket she was quite out of breath, so she sat herself down and tried catch it while Pinkie Pie plied her with apple cider and various confectionary. “I’m fine thank you Pinkie,” she said, politely pushing the food and drink away. “I just need a minute.” “Where were you?!” Pinkie cried. “We were waiting for you all day!” “Did something happen dear?” said Rarity, sitting up with concern on her face. “Oh; I’m alright,” Fluttershy assured her friends. “But Angel is sick. He’s got a terrible case of the whooping cough, so I’ve spent the day nursing the poor dear. I hope I didn’t worry anyone,” she added, looking abashed. “Nah, you’re okay,” said Rainbow Dash. “But we did miss you.” “Poor Angel,” said Twilight, closing her book. “But it’ll be good to take your mind off him and have some fun for a few hours!” “Yeah; pull up a pew sugarcube!” offered Applejack, patting the space on the blanket next to her. “Oh; I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy dejectedly. “But I have to get some ingredients to make this special tea for Angel, so I can’t stay.” “Why; do the stores close in an hour, or something?” asked Rainbow Dash. “No,” said Fluttershy, who started shaking noticeably. “See, the only place I can get the final ingredient I need is in…” Here she took a deep breath and said in a tiny voice; “the everfree forest.” “You’re going to the everfree forest alone!?!?!? Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, leaping up from her place on the picnic blanket. “Do you want one of us to go with you Shug?” inquired Applejack. “Oh no,” said Fluttershy, trying to sound confident. “I’ll be fine by myself. I know where it is; I’m not scared or anything. I just feel really bad about missing out on this picnic.” Here she hung her head, letting her sugar-pink mane fall in front of her face to unsuccessfully hide her disappointment. “Can’t you go tomorrow?” asked Pinkie Pie, as Rarity put her hand comfortingly on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I would but…Angel is in such a bad way. I can stand the thought of the poor dear being in distress any longer. I really want to get this ingredient sooner rather than later.” With this the group was silent for a moment. Then Pinkie Pie gasped at the simplicity of the solution. “Well then: let’s just have another picnic tomorrow night!” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in agreement. “I think it’s scheduled to be nice weather tomorrow too. We could totally do it tomorrow!” “I could bring some special apple family reserve apple shnapps,” suggested Applejack. “I have just the outfit for an evening party!” added Rarity, her eyes lighting up. “The fireflies will be out,” added Twilight,, smiling at the thought. “And I could bring my grammaphone.” They all looked expectantly at Fluttershy who smiled and rolled her eyes. “Okay; if you insist.” “Yeah!” said Spike, punching the air excitedly. “Tommorow we’re gonna party like it’s…whatever date it is at the moment.” “Pinkie; do you think you can get a good picnic party ready for tomorrow?” asked Twilight, already knowing the answer. Pinkie Pie saluted solemnly and sat astride her party cannon, wearing an army helmet that she had managed to pull from somewhere. Fluttershy was touched that he friends were all so keen to throw a party just so she could hang out with them. “Well; I have some little errands to do tomorrow, but I’m free in the evening,” she said, picking her basket back up. “I’ll see you all then.” “I can’t wait!” cried Pinkie, hopping up and down. “Looking forward to it,” said Applejack, tipping her hat at the retreating Fluttershy. “I hope Angel gets better,” Spike called after her. Fluttershy didn’t turn back, but smiled as she walked towards the everfree forest, feeling considerably braver despite the cold breeze that had picked up, and the fading light of evening. The rest of the ponies started to pack up, chatting excitedly about the forthcoming picnic. Spike, however, stayed to watch Fluttershy walk into the forest, and couldn’t shake the feeling that she was heading into something…unfavorable. ************** Somewhere deep in the everfree forest, a pair of eyes opened. They glowed a luminescent green in the pitch black darkness. Then they were closed again. Closed, but not gone.
Chapter one: a stranger approachesChapter one: a stranger approaches As the dried leaves crunched like the bones in a dragon’s lair and the wind sowed bleakly through skeleton trees, Fluttershy wondered to herself why she had even considered coming to the everfree in the first place. Of course she knew the was answer was ‘it’s the only place where I can get the bitterweed needed for Angel’s chronic whooping cough’ but even that seemed like an inconsequential answer in the cold, silent darkness of the everfree forest. “I just know that gorge is around here somewhere,” Fluttershy whimpered to herself as she crept sideways through some bushes. It was fortunate enough that through those bushes stood the edge of the gorge. Fluttershy didn’t quite see it that way at first, and shrieked like a banshee before leaping up into the branches of an overhanging tree. All the courage she had felt when she had left her friends just moments earlier seemed to melt away like an icicle in the summer heat. Ten minutes later when she had stopped shaking, the timid Pegasus slipped back onto the edge of the gorge and peered over, immediately wishing she hadn’t. The gorge was deep, but not deep enough to conceal the almost inappropriately sharp rocks at the bottom. The world around her span like a merry-go-round and Fluttershy was just considering turning back when she saw it: a bright orange flash of bitterweed just a few feet away from her on a ledge. Fluttershy beamed and then, thinking of Angel’s grey face and drooping ears, started to slowly, very slowly, inch her way down the face of the gorge to reach the bitterweed. If there was anypony around to observe fluttershy’s descent down the face of the gorge (and there may well have been; the everfree forest is a mysterious place) they would have seen a quivering, butter-yellow Pegasus clambering, and occasionally hovering, down some pretty precarious-looking ledges and hoof-holds. They would have seen a knarled branch of bitterweed, just enough for a small rabbit to ingest, creaking in the wind. And they would have also seen a small, green, shimmering flash of magic slide up the gorge like a slithering snake and flash under the hoof of the intrepid Pegasus. Fluttershy did not see all this, of course. She did, however, see the swirling clouds above the everfree forest falling away from her at great speed, as a chunk of the rock-face crumbled under her hooves and sent her hurtling down into the merciless pits of the everfree gorge. Fluttershy screamed like a newborn filly and flailed her limbs wildly as if she were trying to run on air. She was vaguely aware that she could, in fact, fly but she was so terrified that her wings were clenched to her sides and wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried. As tears streamed out from under her tightly-clenched eyelids, Fluttershy braced herself for a gruesome impalement. “Goodbye friends,” Fluttershy thought to herself in her terror. “I want to be thinking of you before I die.” But death didn’t come. Instead, she felt herself being held in strong arms and lifted up above the treetops of the deadly forest. She dared not look up at her savior but she could tell that whoever had saved her had big, powerful wings. And a strong, smooth ribcage. And smelt like fresh spices and wood smoke. Soon, Fluttershy was back on the ground, and once she had stopped shaking like an apple-tree in hurricane season she looked up to see who had rescued her. He was quite simply put, the most magnificent stallion she had ever seen. He was about as tall as princess Luna and built well; not quite as bulky as Big Mac but sleek and strong and graceful. His coat was deep indigo blue and his mane cascaded in long violet waves down his strong shoulders. He had deep, panther-like green eyes and a little patch of lilac hair on his chin like a goatee. Fluttershy saw that he did indeed have wings and they were as strong and beautiful as she had imagined. His cutie mark was of a big red heart with outspread wings and a golden crown and she also saw that he had a really rather large horn on his head. An alicorn! “Is he a relative of Princess Celestia?” Fluttershy though idly to herself. The stallion was also dressed rather finely with a short blue cape covering his back and a large trilby in a matching colour perched jauntily on his head. The strangest thing about him though was that he wore a black domino mask, like the kind Canterlot stallions wore to masquerade balls. “Hola Donna mare,” the stallion said in the dreamiest accent you could possibly imagine and bowed low before Fluttershy as if she were Princess Celestia herself. “It is a pleasure to be making your fair acquaintance.” Flutteshy emitted a sound which sounded like a beach-ball being deflated. Her eyes were as wide as dinner-plates. The stallion just smiled at her like it was the cutest thing ever. “Allow me to introduce myself: I am Don Mane de Polo, traveling port and stallion of fortune, at your service.” With this the stallion bowed his head, took Fluttershy’s hoof gently in his and planted a kiss on it. It was the softest, tenderst, sweetest kiss Flutteshy could have ever dreamed of and it felt so good that the tips of her wings tingled as if sparklers had been set off in them. But what really got her was the way Don Mane looked right into her eyes as she did it, as if he could scarcely bare to keep his eyes off her for a second. Fluttershy’s stomach turned over and her head and mouth felt as if they had been filled with cupcake icing. Somehow she managed to stutter out; “I…I’m…F…Fluttershy.” Don Mane’s tender-yet-dangerous smoulder that he had managed to maintain suddenly melted away into an expression of genuine delight. “What a relief,” he said, somewhat breathlessly. Fluttershy was puzzled “What is?” “Usually a mare’s name is nowhere near as pretty as her face. I’m just so pleased to meet one whose is.” Fluttershy could not see, but she guessed that her face had turned as pink as her mane, and was right. She beamed at Don Mane who smiled back at her, his eyes filled with a light that could power Fillydelphia for a week. Fluttershy’s heart was flying better than she ever could: doing loop-de-loops around the moon and pinballing between the stars. She had never felt this kind of connection in all her life. She felt suddenly calm, as if nothing could ever be quite so bad or scary again when somepony as small and insignificant as her could feel like this. She was just about to say something, anything, when Don Mane suddenly took a sharp step towards her and looked deep into her eyes. Fluttershy suddenly stood stock-still and rigid, as if Don Mare’s gaze had turned her stone. The mysterious stallion’s eyes slowly began to fill with a pulsing green light that seemed to enrapture Fluttershy like a moth to a flame. “It was always you Donna Fluttershy,” Don Mane said in a soft, lilting voice that nonetheless suddenly has a strange, scratching, echoing quality to it.. “Before I knew you, it was you. I never knew how lonely I was until I found you…” The words he was saying: they sounded so…beautiful. Nopony had ever spoken to her like that before. Fluttershy felt so complete and happy. She adored Don Mane de Polo; she worshiped him. She would follow him to the ends of Equestria, she would do absolutely anything for him. Don Mane was centimeters from Fluttershy’s face. “You are the Princess of my dreams, the goddess of my heart. You are a fallen angel cast down from heaven to purify my soul and make me born anew.” Here, he opened wide his mouth, revealing sharp fangs, dripping with saliva. Fluttershy was just thinking that he had the most beautiful fangs she had ever seen when something clicked in her mind. ‘princess…goddess…angel….angel?…ANGEL!’ “OMIGOODNESS!” she shrieked, suddenly. I forgot the bitterweed for Angel’s whooping cough! I must go back for it!” Fluttershy was too busy running around in circles to see Don Mane’s expression melt into a dark glare that would strike fear into the bravest of ponies, before fixing itself back into his trademark smoulder. “You mean: this weed?” he purred, producing the weed from under his cape. “Oh yes!” squealed Fluttershy. I need that to make my bunny Angel better! Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!” “So; the angel has a pet named Angel. How strange…”Said Don Mane softly, smiling and casted his eyes downwards as if this information somehow deeply affected him. Her heart pounding, Fluttershy took the root from the Stallion’s outstretched hoof and placed it in her, now rather battered and broken, wicker basket. She the turned to head for home. She paused. “Say; um…Mr Don Mane?” “Si Donna flutter shy?” said Don Mane, suddenly all wide eyes and innocent smiles. “In which direction are you…um…headed?” At this question Don Mane turned his head to the horizon and sighed wistfully. “I wasn’t headed anywhere Donna Fluttershy. I only travel for travel’s sake. Many years ago I was turned away by a mare: a beautiful Mare who taught my heart to sing. Then she left to follow her dreams and left me behind with my broken heart. That is why I wear this mask.” He gestured towards his masked visage. “To hide my humiliation I swore I would never show my face to anyone again…until I found someone I could love half as much.” ‘Like me,’ thought Fluttershy. Don Mane suddenly turned vague, unfocused eyes to look at her. He looked to lost and helpless that Fluttershy was struck with the urge to embrace him right there and then but before she could he had turned away again. “So you see; I have no home-for home is where the heart is and I lost mine long ago. And so I travel from place to place, searching for…” There was a brief silence as his violet mane blew dramatically in the wind. “Searching for?…” whispered Fluttershy. Don Mare turned to look at her and smiled. His smile was so sweet and full of hope that Fluttershy’s stomach did it’s 137th consecutive somersault. “Searching for a reason to stay.” After fighting the urge to swoon, Fluttershy somehow managed to say “you know…um….it must be hard sleeping rough all the time…er….you know…I may not be able to give you a reason to stay…b…but you’re welcome to stay at my house until you’re ready…to get back on the road, that is. Hehe.” Don Mane beamed at her like a foal tasting Honey for the first time and swept her off her hooves in a giant bear-hug. “Oh Donna Fluttershy; Gracias! Muchos muchos gracias!” He then put her down, looking a little embarrassed. “You are truly kind.” “Yes I am,” said Fluttershy dreamily as she led him out of the forest by his hoof, never once noticing that wherever he stepped, flowers would die beneath him.
Chapter two: all he seems?Chapter two: All he seems? When the two reached Fluttershy’s cottage the light had faded and stars were beginning to appear in the sky above Ponyville. Fluttershy had been sneaking glances at her handsome guest all throughout their journey, but on this last stretch she could barely stand to look at him. She opened the door and led Don Mane into her front room. “Well: here it is. Home sweet home,” Fluttershy said softly. Don Mane looked around and smiled. “A more appropriate abode I could not imagine Dona Fluttershy. I‘m sure I will be very comfortable here.” Fluttershy let out a happy little squee and took the bitterweed into the kitchen to make it into tea. Don Mane waited until she was out of sight and then proceeded to inspect the living room. He looked at the framed photos his hostess had of her friends above the mantlepiece; Twilight in the library, Applejack joyously apple bucking in the orchard, Rarity posing in a new outfit, Pinkie astride her party cannon and Rainbow Dash flying through the skies. Don Mane’s handsome face cracked into a truly terrifying toothy grin as his eyes widened in delight. He was just picking up Rarity’s photo to inspect it closer when he heard a sound from behind him. “A-WHOOP!” He span around to see a small white bunny with large, dark circles under his eyes and a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was holding a slipper in his right paw, apparently meaning to throw it at Don Mane while his back was turned. There was a pause while Angel decided what to do. In the end he threw the slipper anyway, which Don Mane dissolved in mid-air with a burst of green magic. It landed in a pile of dust in the middle of Fluttershy’s floor as Angel let out another loud “A-WHOOP!” Don Mane looked into Angel’s eyes. Angel looked into Don Mane’s eyes. A more instantaneous hatred would have been hard to find. The two men in Fluttershy’s life stared each other down. Anypony looking in could almost certainly imagine the soundtrack to a western showdown playing in the background (you know the one I mean.) Just as the two were about to lunge at each other Fluttershy hovered into the living room holding a steaming bowl of foul-smelling liquid in her front hooves. “Oh; Angel! I see you’ve met Mr De Polo.” She fluttered over to her guest and stared deep into his eyes. “Isn’t he wonderful?” An indignant “A-WHOOP!” was the only reply. Don Mane returned Fluttershy’s loving gaze while surreptitiously taking the bowl gently from her hooves. Then, without looking, he shoved the bowl into Angel’s face, who promptly choked on the vile-tasting bitterweed tea. “Drink your tea nicely Angel,” Fluttershy said dreamily, without looking away from Don Mane’s face. Angel ‘A-WHOOPed!’ mournfully as he stared up at his mistress with genuine concern. ******** Later that night the three were sitting around Fluttershy’s table, eating supper. Fluttershy and Don Mane made gooey eyes at each other over the spinach while Angel sullenly chewed on radishes between them. “This is a beautiful cottage you have Donna Fluttershy,” purred Don Mane, causing Fluttershy to giggle bashfully and Angel to make retching noises. Again, without looking, Don Mane deftly dumped the salad bowl onto Angel’s head and arranged his handsome features into a look of gentle concern. “But what a shame that you live here all alone. You must get terribly lonely” “Oh, that’s quite alright Mr De Polo,” said Fluttershy earnestly. I’m not entirely alone you know: I have my animals,” (here she indicated a positively livid angel.) “And I see my friends all the time. You really needn’t be concerned.” Fluttershy let herself smile a little and added “but it’s terribly nice of you to do so.” This was the straw that broke the pony’s back as far as Angel was concerned. The surly rabbit snorted in disgust, downed his carrot-juice in one, and stormed out of the kitchen grumbling. Fluttershy didn’t even notice. “It’s just you’re so…pure…and kind,” the visitor said softly to his glowing hostess. “I’m worried that you‘re vulnerable out here…” After saying this he suddenly looked horrified with himself. “Not-not that you can’t take care of yourself, of course; I’m sure you can,” he stuttered in an adorably flustered fashion. Seeing an opportunity to subtly talk herself up, Fluttershy gently silenced him and said “don’t trouble yourself Mr De Polo; I know you don’t mean any offence by it. It’s an easy assumption to make, but you know, under my timid exterior I’m tougher than I look. Me and my friends have been through some very hairy scrapes together, and I always come out the other side in one piece.” After saying this Fluttershy smiled as she remembered all the various adventures she and her friends had been through together. “Wow,” she thought to herself. “I really have been through things that nopony else could ever even imagine. And I couldn’t have done it without them.” Don Mane, seeing the happy smile on her face, and realizing it was nothing to do with him, snarled and his horn glowed an ominous green colour. He used his magic to pull her face closer to his and stared deep into her eyes with his which once again seemed to throb with a deep, luminous green. “That sounds wonderful,” he said in a deep, hypnotic voice that seemed to resonate throughout Fluttershy’s entire trembling body. “You must introduce me to these lovely friends of yours who have kept you safe for me for so long.” Fluttershy once again felt that same rush of devotion fall through her like rain. “Of course Mr De Polo,” she cooed. “I’m visiting them tomorrow; I have some errands I need to complete, and then I‘m seeing them again in the evening. You can come with me if you‘d like.” “Good,” drawled Don Mane as he once again opened his jaws wide to reveal a set of sharp, dripping fangs. “Good girl Donna Fluttershy.” Angel, of course, heard the ominous voice from where he was pouting in the garden, and swiftly rushed into the kitchen to aid his mistress. When he got there however, all he could see was Fluttershy smiling dreamily off into the distance and the intruder demurely finishing his dinner. Looking up from his plate, Don Mane grinned smugly at Angel for a moment, before emptying his glass in three deep, noisy mouthfuls.
Chapter three: "I hope they like him..."Chapter three: ‘I hope they like him.’ The next day Fluttershy set off into Ponyville with her handsome guest in tow. They talked all the way there, though Fluttershy couldn’t really remember what about. She was just happy to be with him. His strong fetlocks grazed against hers every so often, quite by mistake of course, and his gentle green eyes stayed on her at all time. His soft violet mane fell about his broad shoulders and when he laughed his teeth glinted in the sun like freshly-fallen snow. Fluttershy was so wrapped up in him that she didn’t notice that every single mare that they passed stopped dead in their tracks to stare at him; their jaws slack and their eyes wide. Derpy’s eyes even momentarily went into focus just to ogle him. “Donna Fluttershy,” said Don Mane, sounding somewhat puzzled. “I thought we were going to run some errands in Ponyville today-but we seem to be walking out of town.” “Oh; I have to stop off at Applejack’s first to check on her rooster. He’s been a bit under the weather lately. That’s Applejack’s family farm up there.” She indicated sweet Apple acres on the near horizon and her companions face lit up with understanding. “Ah: I see,” he said. “So your friend runs a farm. How industrious!” Fluttershy beamed at this remark, but her expression quickly fell into one of concern. “What is wrong Dona Fluttershy?” said Don Mane. “Have I said something wrong?” ‘Oh, it’s nothing,” muttered Fluttershy. “It‘s…it’s just….oh: I do hope you get on with my friends,” said Fluttershy all in a rush. “ I just couldn’t stand it if you didn’t like them! I mean of course they’ll like you but…” Don Mane silenced her by gently closing her mouth with his hoof. “Dona Fluttershy,” he said smiling at her with cotton-soft eyes. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Fluttershy sighed with relief and rested against the warm side of her companion who put his wing around her and starting steering her towards sweet apple acres. “I’m sure I’m going to love them.” ************************************************************************ Applejack noticed Don Mane before she noticed Fluttershy. She thought he was handsome, sure, but nothing remarkable. She smiled when she noticed her friend trotting next to him and waved her over. “Hey there sugar cube,” she called happily, and Fluttershy ran up to meet her. Don Mane, the perfect gentleman that he was, hung back to let the girls get reacquainted. “You ready to give old Raymond the old once-over ?” asked Applejack, holding up a very sorry-looking rooster. “He just hasn’t been himself lately.” “I’ll see what I can do,” said Fluttershy, taking the bedraggled bird very gently off of Applejack. “Now then Raymond; what seems to be the problem?” The rooster made a noise like a dying chainsaw and then flopped against Fluttershy’s chest. “Oh dear! Well you can’t tell me what’s wrong with a sore throat like that!” She turned to Applejack. “Where do you keep the cough medicine?” “Beneath the sink in the kitchen.” “Thanks jack. I’ll be right back.” She began to hover away until Applejack piped up with “aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?” “Oh; of course. Applejack this is Don Mane De Marco.” Fluttershy said the stallion’s name as if it was the single most glorious sound ever uttered. Don Mane gave her yet another tender glance and Fluttershy blushed on cue. Applejack looked from one to the other and cocked an eyebrow. “Don Mane is a traveling pony who saved me from a gorge in the everfree forest. He was passing through Ponyville but he didn’t have anywhere to stay the night so…” With this Fluttershy sort of shrugged and grinned shyly. Applejack nodded in understanding. ”And this, Don Mane, is my friend Applejack.” “Hey,” said Applejack, slightly more cautiously than usual. Still; she extended a hoof to the newcomer and smiled. “Always nice to see a new face around these parts.” Fluttershy expected Don Mane to kiss Applejack’s hoof like he did with hers but, much to her surprise, he instead took Applejack’s hoof in his and shook it firmly. “It is a pleasure Dona Applejack.” Quite satisfied, Fluttershy floated off towards the kitchen to find the cough medicine. Once she was out of sight Applejack turned to Don Mane and said gently, but with a slight edge to her voice “now look here handsome. I hate for it to seem like I’m accusing you, and you do seem to be on the straight and narrow, but I must tell you now that you better not be playing our Fluttershy for a silly-filly. ‘Cause if you are; you and I are going to have a problem.” Don Mane looked into Applejack’s eyes and said “Dona Applejack: I promise you now that I have no intention of hurting Dona Fluttershy in any way. I am perfectly aware that it would be no way to repay her kindness.” Applejack and Don Mane stared at each other for a long, hard time. Little beads of perspiration had just started to form on Don Mane’s brow when Applejack beamed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Ah: you’re alright. Sorry to get on your case there, but Fluttershy can be very trusting sometimes, and I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t hitching her star to the wrong carriage, you know?” “I understand,” said Don Mane, smiling and tipping his hat back. “I suppose I am somewhat suspicious.” He smiled gently at Applejack; a different, more-earnest-less-smoulder-y gentle smile than the ones he gave Fluttershy, but a gentle smile nonetheless. “You’re a good friend Applejack,” he said softly. Applejack faltered at this an ducked behind her hat slightly. “Well…you know…” After a moment of silence she said “I’m just going to buck some apples now…you’re welcome to go inside if you want; granny Smith’ll make you some cocoa…” “I want to help you with the bucking of the apples Dona Applejack,” said Don Mane brightly, lifting up a nearby basket with his magic. “Uh, I don’t know…” said Applejack, shifting awkwardly from one hoof to the other. “Please let me help,” was the reply. “I feel so rude: standing idle while taking advantage of your hospitality. Let me buck the apples with you.” “I appreciate the help but uh…” “What is it Dona Applejack?” Applejack sighed. “Look: you’re an Alicorn…” “Correct.” “Well…that means you have a horn…” “Dona Applejack,” cried Don Mane in mock indignation. “You are an unusually prejudiced pony indeed. Most mares have nothing but the greatest appreciation for my horn.” To demonstrate he playfully tapped the tip of his horn with his hoof and winked at Applejack, who rolled her eyes but still couldn’t suppress a smile. “It’s just…you’ll pick every apple in an instant using your magic and I won’t have anything left to buck.” Don Mane seemed to consider this for a moment before saying “well then; I shall simply have to buck the apples like you do.” Before Applejack could object, he had kicked a nearby tree with his back hooves and several apples fell into the adjacent basket. He grinned at Applejack, who grinned back. She knew a challenge when she saw it. The two set about bucking apples at a ferocious pace. They were level-necking for a while until Applejack started to pull ahead. Before either of them knew it there was only one tree with apples still on it. They both thundered towards it, each trying to get there before the other. Suddenly, Don Mane spread out his wings and propelled himself forward, colliding with Applejack in the process. The two fell in a sore, laughing heap on the ground. After their giggles had subsided Don Mane stood up and offered a hoof to the orange mare lying on the ground. Applejack looked up at him and the sun haloed around his violet head as he grinned down at her. ‘Dang,’ thought Applejack to herself. ‘I can see what Fluttershy sees in him.’ Once she was on her feet Applejack said to Don Mane “you cheated! You used your alicorn powers. That means I win.” “Fair enough,” shrugged the stallion. “Though if I recall, it was my horn you told me not to use.” “Even so; I still win,” said Applejack, proudly indication her twenty full baskets as opposed to Don Mane’s seventeen. Don Mane nodded defeatedly and smiled at Applejack. “You are a pretty formidable mare Dona Applejack,” he said softly. “You remind me of a statue of an ancient mare-goddess I saw back in Saddle Arabia. So strong and beautiful. Like an empire that could never fall. You even have the same golden hair as her.” Here he smoldered dangerously at her and though Applejack knew he was speaking nonsense, she didn’t much care. “Not bad yourself,” she said dreamily as Flutteshy came out of the house carrying a relieved-looking rooster. “Raymond is feeling much better,” she said brightly. “His throat is less sore and his temperature’s gone down. He tells me he has the sniffles because there’s a leak in the roof of his coop.” Here she handed the rooster back to Applejack. “I’ll get on it right away,“ said Applejack chirpily, trying her hardest not to look at Don Mane. “Thank you kindly Fluttershy: once again your natural affinity with critters has saved the day!” The two mares were so busy conversing that they didn’t notice that Raymond was glaring at Don Mane who simply stared back contemptuously. Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, the bird started to squawk raucously and flap his wings frenziedly at the dark stallion. “Whoa there Ray; what’s gotten into you?” said Applejack clutching at the struggling bird. “It’s possible it could be me,” said Don Mane apologetically. “I never did understand roosters, ganders, game or goslings.” Here he shot a devilish look at the mares and said “ I have always was more of a friend to female animals.” Applejack and Fluttershy blushed accordingly. A few moments later Fluttershy found herself trotting happily down the road out of Sweet Apple Acres with Don Mane chivalrously carrying a basket of apples for her with his magic. “I’m sooo glad you like her,” she said, beaming and resting her head on his shoulder. “And that she likes you. I always thought that anyone Applejack approves of couldn’t ever really be that bad.” Don Mane said nothing but pulled her close to him with his wing. “Where to next Donna Fluttershy?” he said after some time. The sun was almost at it’s highest point in the sky and it warmed Fluttershy to the roots of her feathers. “Hm? Oh: we’re going to sugar-cube corner next!” “Sugar-cube…” “It’s the bakery. I have to pick up some honey scones for Angel. My friend Pinkie Pie works there; so you’ll get to meet her too!” “Good.” said Don Mane, smiling at nothing in particular. “Good.” ************************************************************************ Pinkie pie was icing cupcakes when the two arrived at the bakery. She was doing a surprisingly efficient job of it too, but Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice that some of the cupcakes at the back of the tray had the occasional sneaky bite taken out of them. Fluttershy smiled and shook her head affectionately. “Hey Pinkie,” she said taking a small pouch out of her saddle-bag and emptying three bits onto the counter. “Are those scones ready?” “Sure are!” beamed Pinkie extending her tongue out to lick some icing off her cheek. She then held out her icing bag and said “want some frosting as an appetizer?” “No thank you Pinkie,” her customer smiled. Pinkie shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And with this she rolled out her tongue like a carpet and emptied half the contents of the piping bag onto it. “The scones are out back in the fridge,” she said indistinctly through a mouthful of frosting. She then swallowed and said “I’ll go get them for you.” She clumsily tried to wipe some of the frosting off her hooves and struggled with her apron. “Oh, it’s okay Pinkie; I’ll go get them. I know where they are.” “Thanks Fluttershy! I‘m kinda busy with these cupcakes.” Fluttershy was just about to walk through the saloon doors and into the back room when Pinkie noticed Don Mane. “Hey; who’s the hunk?” she said, smiling and winking. Don Mane gave her a shadow of a mysterious smile in return. “Oh, that’s Don Mane,” was the reply. “He’s staying with me for a few days. “Oh, okay,” chirped Pinkie as Fluttershy disappeared into the back room. “Howdy doody Don Mane!” “Howdy doody Dona Pinkie,” he replied with the glimmer of laughter in his eyes. Pinkie giggled. “It sounds so silly with your accent.” “I could say the same about you.” And with this Don Mane proceeded to inspect the various baked goods in the display cabinets while Pinkie continued with her cupcake icing. Subtly and without looking Don Mane turned the cupcake tray round with his magic so that the cupcake that Pinkie had just iced was facing her again. Humming happily to herself, Pinkie turned to the tray and hastily squirted some icing onto the cupcake which hung sloppily off the icing that was already there. Pinkie looked befuddled for a moment before turning the tray around again to an un-iced cake and returning to her mixture. Don Mane did this four more times until Pinkie was quite confused. By this point the cupcake was piled so high with icing that it had doubled in height. Pinkie picked it up and glared at it accusingly. Don Mane started whistling to himself and Pinkie Pie, looking from the cake Don Mane and back again, gave a wicked little smile. Don Mane was just inspecting a really rather fabulous-looking éclair when he felt something wet and mushy smack against his ear. He whipped round to see Pinkie grinning like a jack-o-lantern and holding her bowl of icing behind her back. Smiling sweetly, Don Mane levitated a big glob of mixture out of the bowl and smacked it into the back Pinkie’s head. Pinkie shrieked with delight and before either of them knew it they were both running round the bakery, laughing and hurling globs of icing at each other. An unobserved glob of icing on the floor was suddenly illuminated with green magic and slipped into the path of Pinkie’s hurried hooves which she then tripped over and landed with a thump on the bakery floor. Don Mane then promptly tripped on it too and landed neatly on top of Pinkie. The two stared into each others faces for a moment, flushed and panting. Don Mane looked as though he was going to say something when Fluttershy came in through the swing doors holding a brown paper bag in her mouth. Being greeted with the sight of the object of her maidenly affections astride one of her best friends and covered in cupcake icing, Fluttershy stood stock still while she tried to think about how to react to the situation. Don Mane, however, was quick to react. “Thank you for letting me help with the icing, Donna Pinkie Pie,” he said smoothly, helping Pinkie up. “I must say; I have done a great deal of traveling in my time but I’ve never seen it done like that before.” Dazed Pinkie Pie returned to her post, as Don Mane began to usher Fluttershy out of the shop. Through her daze, Pinkie Pie noticed that Fluttershy was trying her hardest not to look at her. “Hey wait!” she called after the retreating couple. “Since I got you all dirty Don Mane; why don’t you take a free cupcake as an apology.” She smiled warmly at her frowning friend. “You have one too Fluttershy.” Fluttershy smiled and took a cupcake from the tray and put it in her saddle-bag. Pinkie offered the tray to Don Mane who, without thinking, took the cupcake with the mountain of icing. The icing was bright pink and was piled high on the cake in uncontrollable swirls. “It looks like your mane,” he said softly. Pinkie Pie flushed deeply at this (not that anyone could tell) and busied herself with making more icing. ************************************************************************ Once out of the bakery, Fluttershy stormed ahead of Don Mane, glaring at her shopping list and trying her hardest to look at anyone but him. Don Mane made a pretense to struggle to keep up but after a while he grew weary of the silent treatment and quickly closed the gap between them with a few strides. “Dona Fluttershy…” “Don’t start with me,” snapped Fluttershy, still not looking at him. There was another length of silence before Dona Mane spoke again. “Dona Fluttershy, why are you so angry?” “You have the nerve to ask me that!” cried Fluttershy, spinning round to face him, tears in her eyes. “To stand there and ask me why I’m angry that you were all over my friend and covered in goop on the floor of a bakery!” After this the only sounds that came out of Fluttershy’s mouth were inaudible squeaks of despair. Don Mane waited for them to calm down before talking. “Dona Fluttershy,” he said in a steady, calm voice. “I don’t want you to get me wrong. What you saw in the bakery was not what it seemed.” Fluttershy scoffed at this but Don Mane silenced her and continued. “I did not want to say anything in front of you or your friend in case I embarrassed you both but the truth of the matter is…what you saw in there was all your friends doing.” Fluttershy was dumbstruck. That Pinkie could be so forward with somepony she just met was…Fluttershy was bout to think the world ‘inconceivable’ when she realized that it really wasn’t. “She started flicking globs of frosting at my head,” said Don Mane, flushing slightly. “I didn’t want to say anything about it because I thought it would be rude, but before I knew it she was chasing me round the bakery and then she…” Don Mane averted his gaze from Fluttershy’s and said “she pulled me on top of her.” He looked up at her again; his eyes pleading. “I honestly wouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation Donna Fluttershy; not after all your hospitality. The truth is…” he paused a moment and the looked away again, blushing deeply. “The truth is…you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.” When Fluttershy heard this she felt as though a sun blazing throughout her entire body and words quite simply failed her. Instead she reached out with her hoof, tugged on Don Mane’s cape and pulled him in the direction of carousel boutique. The two trotted side by side for a while when Fluttershy decided to break the silence. “We’re going to my friend Rarity’s boutique next,” she said. “I have to return her umbrella now that the rainy-season is over.” With this she took it out of her saddle-bag and opened it over their heads to shield them from the sun. “Very well,” said Don Mane and they trotted in silence once more. Fluttershy, once again, was the one to break the silence. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said in a tiny voice. Don Mane smiled warmly and put his wing around her. “It’s quite alright Dona Fluttershy,” he said. “I would have done the same thing. And you know; I really hope you’re not angry at your friend. I’m sure she didn’t mean to be rude. She’s just friendly. Like Applejack!” Fluttershy thought about Applejack and the way she had smiled at Don Mane that morning at sweet apple acres. A million doubts suddenly buzzed in her mind like angry parasprites. She didn’t have much time to reflect on them though, for at that very moment a lightning bolt flashed out of the heavens and sent a huge shock right through the bodies of the two unsuspecting ponies.
Chapter four: green-eyed monsterChapter four: green-eyed monster Once the shock had passed Fluttershy stood swaying woozily on the spot, her mane and tail singeing lightly. Surprisingly, she didn’t shriek or run, but she was very shaken. Don Mane was breathing heavily, and his legs quivered slightly while he tried to contain his shock. Neither of them were really hurt but the attack had been so sudden that they were both stunned into silence. After a moment, husky laughter could be heard above them. Don Mane lowered the umbrella and glared up at the perpetrator, who turned out to be a slight blue mare with a rainbow mane who was, at that moment, kicking her hind quarters about in fits of mirth on a grey cloud hovering just over their heads. Don Mane recognized her as one of Fluttershy’s friends from the mantelpiece. The mare wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced down at her victims. In an instant her expression turned from one of impish delight to one of abject horror. “Omigoshomigoshomigosh! Fluttershy; I’m so sorry! With the umbrella up I didn’t see it was you!” She rushed down to the limp Fluttershy and shook her vigorously. “Fluttershy! Speak to me girl!” Fluttershy, somewhat punch-drunk and wall-eyed, gave a hesitant smile and patted the Pegasus’ nose. “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?” Her eyes came back into focus and she grinned shyly at Dash. “Oh; it is.” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief and wiped her brow. She then turned angrily to Fluttershy’s companion. “Hey! Who’s this guy? I haven‘t seen him before.” She punctuated this inquiry by putting her face half and inch from his and boggling an eye at him. Don Mane responded by promptly blowing into it. Dash flinched and fixed Don Mane with a glare that was readily returned. “Oh, yes, where are my manners; Dash this is Don Mane De Polo. He’s staying with me for a little while. Don Mane-this is my friend Rainbow Dash.” Seeming to realize that her initial reaction was a little rude, Rainbow Dash smiled at Don Mane and held her hoof out to him. “Nice ta meet ya Donny,” she said perkily, but with the slightest edge to her voice. She didn’t much care for having her eye blown into. “Any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine.” She held out a hoof to him, which he did not take. Don Mane instead smiled coldly at her. “Does it give you great amusement to prey on innocent ponies for your own childish amusement Donna Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash flushed in anger and embarrassment. “I told you,” she snapped, her voice breaking in frustration. “If I knew it was her I wouldn’t have shocked you two. Well…” She sneered at him. “I wouldn’t have shocked her.” “Yes, but, as a matter of fact you did shock her. And now I must defend my lady’s honour.” Don Mane used his magic to take of his cape with a flourish and discarded it on the ground. He drew himself up to his full height, eyes flashing. Fluttershy was beside herself at this point, tugging at Don Mane’s wing, pleading with him to come away with her, that Rainbow Dash didn’t mean it, that she does this all time, that she’s sorry so please forget it. Rainbow Dash, however, had a different reaction. “Ha…Ha…BWAHAHAHAHA!” The blue mare rolled onto her back on the floor and kicked her back hooves in the air, holding her sides as she guffawed. “De…‘defend my lady’s honour?’ Seriously?” She burst into fresh peels of laughter, tears leaking from her fuchsia-colored eyes. She only stopped when a bolt of green lightning shot from Don Mane’s horn, launching her several feet into the air. She wasn’t hurt, just shaken, but once her senses returned to her, she fumed with rage and zoomed down towards Don Mane. She slammed her snout against his and stared daggers into his laconic face. “Try that one more time; I dare you.” The two fumed at each other for a moment while Fluttershy trembled on the sidelines. After a brief silence Don Mane steadily said “I make it my policy to not fight mares.” Rainbow Dash scoffed at this. “You mean you don’t have the horse-apples.” “Well; with my magic it’s pretty clear that I could decimate you in a fair fight.” “Well then.” Rainbow Dash pressed her body close to the ground and grinned up at Don Mane. In one swift movement she spread her wings and flapped them threateningly. “Let’s settle this with something I have a fair shot at winning.” In an instant she was up in the air, grinning down at a resolutely unimpressed Don Mane and a gently sobbing Fluttershy. “First one to Sweet apple acres and back is the winner. We’ll see how your fancy talk’ll get you out of this one!” The tempestuous Pegasus was about to set off for the farm when Don Mane shouted up at her “Wait!” Rainbow Dash glared haughtily down at him. Don Mane ignored her and went over to Fluttershy who had tears streaming quietly down her face. He smiled fondly at her and used one strong and agonizingly gentle wing to wipe the tears from her face. “Don’t worry Donna Fluttershy,” he said softly. “No-one will get hurt. She just needs to burn of some energy. Too much fire in the belly that one. We’ll be back before you know it.” Fluttershy breathed a little easier after this. Then her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “But why are you racing her. You could just admit that you were wrong, Rainbow Dash would consider this it victory and leave us alone. Are you really so proud?” Don Mane chuckled very sexily at that. Fluttershy flushed, wondering if she’s said something foolish. “I’m not doing this out of pride Donna Fluttershy.” What Don Mane said next was said so quietly that Fluttershy had to lean forward and strain her ears to hear what he was saying. Then Don Mane put his mouth up to Fluttershy’s ear and said just quietly enough for only her to hear: “I want to show that I’m willing to fight for you.” He then blew into her ear and flapped his wings until he was in the sky next to Rainbow Dash. “Even if I lose,” he called cheerily down to a peony-pink and saucer-eyed Fluttershy. “Which you will,” said Rainbow Dash matter-of-factly to him. Don Mane grinned at her, his eyes blazing; a look which she readily returned. “Says you,” he purred. He then flapped his powerful wings and shot away from her like a bullet across the skies of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash looked nonplussed for a moment and then a huge grin crossed her face. “Finally: a challenge!” she squealed, and shot after him. Several feet below them Fluttershy, who had not moved a millimeter since Don Mane had whispered in her ear, let out a little squeaking noise and swooned into the cobblestones. **************** Rainbow had to admit, as she soared above the skyline of Ponyville, that the stallion had talent. He shot across the sky like a sleek indigo and violet missile-about ten feet away from her, but level-pegging her distance all the way. He was good! But she knew she was better. They were close to the edge of town now. Rainbow Dash had started to pull ahead slightly and was feeling decidedly cocky. Then Don Mane made his move. He started to pull forward, inching the distance by a nose at first, but he kept raising his speed until he was a good couple of feet in front of her. Rainbow Dash realized with horror that he had been biding his time and that he really did have the speed to match his stamina. ‘Okay,’ she thought to herself. ‘If that’s the way you want it: no more Miss nice mare!’ Don Mane was fast, for sure, but Rainbow Dash was a pony who could break the light barrier if she wanted, and she soon found herself flank to flank with the troublesome stallion. She turned her head to smile smugly at him, and saw him laughing at her. It was not a mocking laugh. It was a wild and untamed laugh, filled with joy and passion and lust for life. Don Mane’s eyes sparked like firecrackers and his tangled mane seemed to float for a moment-suspended in the warm mid-day sun. But it was the way he was looking at her that made Rainbow Dash’s heart stop in her chest. She knew those sparkling eyes and that wild laugh all too well. She saw that Don Mane knew what it was like to yearn for speed and danger; knew what it was like to want to go so fast that it burned and that he too wanted to grab life as had as he could before it slipped away into the darkness. And he was looking at her like she was the only person who could give it to him. Rainbow Dash’s heart started pounding like a jack-hammer in her ears and she was so distracted that she didn’t see the roof on the sweet-apple acres barn until it was too late. She slammed into it, full-force, while Don Mane turned round sharply in mid-air and started heading back into town. The roof crumbled like gingerbread under Rainbow Dash and she found herself falling head first into a bale of hay. After a split-second of silence, a blue flash emerged from the depths of the disheveled bale, as Rainbow Dash burst out of the roof of the barn and into the clouds above Ponyville. The holes that had been left by Rainbow dash entering and exiting the barn roof coalesced, causing the roof to collapse in on itself and the barn walls to fall in four different directions. From the apple fields, Applejack sighed and walked up to the house to get her tools. “Raise this barn, raise this barn,” she sang wearily under her breath. Don Mane was almost at the finishing point and Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found. He saw a little butter-yellow figure hovering next to the town fountain. He imagined tears in her eyes as she waited, hooves clasped, for his return. Grinning widely, he zoomed downwards to meet her. Suddenly; a blue flash appeared from out of the clouds and in an instant was next to Don Mane. Don Mane recognized the cone of light surrounding her as the beginning of a sonic rainboom. In a flash he propelled himself towards her with a discreet flash of green magic and grabbed her waist just as all the colours of the rainbow began to dance violently at the tip of the light cone. They were three feet off the ground when the rainboom hit. The resulting force knocked everyone in the town centre, including Fluttershy, clean off their hooves. As for Don Mane and Rainbow Dash; they hit the ground with such force that they bounced down the street in a feathery jumble and ended up in a crumpled heap in a small back-alley. Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment as she lay on top of her adversary. She was aching slightly-nothing she couldn’t shake off, of course. She felt the smooth, strong body of Don Mane rise and fall with under hers as he took in several deep breaths. Then it began to shake as it’s owner started to laugh uproariously. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help it; she started to laugh too. The two lay in a giggling heap, until the two sat up and face each other, still snickering. “I underestimated you,” said Don Mane breathlessly. “Darn straight you did,” giggled Rainbow Dash in return. The two stared at each other while they both tried to get their respective breaths back. Don Mane’s mane was falling in front of his gleaming eyes as he panted happily. He was smiling at Rainbow Dash-softly, but with the same fire in his eyes she had seen when he was flying. Rainbow Dash blushed and tried not to look him in the eye. “I’ll remember that race all my life Donna Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow looked at him when he said that. He was looking at her that same way as he did when they were flying; like she was the only one who could give him what he needed. As he looked deeply into her eyes, she began to wonder if her was the only one who could give her what she needed. He was so perfect. His eyes were so perfect: they were so green! They even seemed to glow slightly! She leaned in, her eyes soft and Don Mane moved his head forward too and Rainbow Dash could feel his warm breath on her cheek. Without warning, there was a little cough emitting from the entrance to the alley, and the two flyers turned around to see Fluttershy standing behind them. She was smiling at them, but said smile was a little stretched and her right eye was twitching ever so slightly. Without missing a beat, Don Mane pulled himself to his hooves, and extended a hoof to Rainbow, pulling her up too. “Thank you for the race Donna Rainbow Dash,” he said, evenly. “It was quite an experience. I apologize for my earlier belligerence.” “That’s okay,” said Rainbow Dash, dazedly. “I guess I was kinda rude too.” “I forgive you. My hostess forgives you too, don’t you Donna Fluttershy?” “Yes, I do,” Fluttershy replied, a little too calmly. “Well; we must be on our way. I hope to run into you again sometime Donna Rainbow Dash.” With this he shook Rainbow’s hoof politely and, out of Fluttershy’s eye line, winked playfully at his new admirer. In return, rainbow grinned and blushed at him. As Don Mane and Fluttershy walked away, Fluttershy said coldly “I suppose she was just being friendly too?” “Like I said,” said Dona Mane off-handedly. “Too much fire in the belly.” Fluttershy wanted to object to this, but she just couldn’t find the energy. As Don Mane pulled his wing round her, she rested wearily against his side and didn’t say anything else. Behind them, back in town square, Rainbow Dash waved dreamily to their retreating forms as a little part of her wondered whether or not she had won the race, and why didn’t she really care? **************** Fluttershy knew she was being silly. She thought that to herself as she perused the reels of ribbon in Rarity’s storeroom. She had returned Rarity’s umbrella and in return she had offered to let Fluttershy pick out some ribbon. Fluttershy had opted to pick some out for Angel, as the poor thing seemed to have become quite unsettled since Don Mane turned up. Fluttershy figured he was probably just unsettled about the fact that he was no longer the only man in Fluttershy’s life. Fluttershy shook her head and reminded herself that she was being foolish. ‘I’ve only known Don Mane for a day,’ she told herself. ‘He’ll probably move out soon, and then I’ll never see him again.’ This thought saddened Fluttershy so that she paused to wind a some red satin ribbon rough her hoof as she pondered further. ‘I’m acting like he’s mine, and he’s not. He doesn’t owe me a thing and yet I’m acting like he’s betraying me just because some of my friends might like him.’ This thought angered Fluttershy so that she started to pull on the ribbon in agitation. Feeling her anger rise up inside her she took some deep breaths and told herself to calm down. ‘So what if my friends do like him? There’s nothing wrong with that.’ ‘Yes there is.’ A little voice was speaking to her from a corner of her mind. Fluttershy wasn’t alarmed. It seemed to her like the voice had always been there. ‘You know as well as I do that you’re the only mare for Don Mane.’ ‘I don’t know. Maybe he’d be better off with someone brave like Rainbow Dash or fun like Pinkie Pie or…’ ‘Nonsense. No one loves him as much as we do. We have more right to him than anypony.’ ‘But what if he doesn’t love us?’ ‘He will. He has to. We’ll just die if we can’t have him. Fluttershy felt a pang in her chest as she realized it was true. She felt like she couldn’t go on if she couldn’t have Don Mane all to herself. ‘If our friends really loved us they would see how much we needed him and they would leave us alone.’ ‘But if I tell my friends to get lost then they might hate me. They might never speak to me again.’ ‘We don’t need them. We don’t need anyone but him.’ The ribbon snapping in her hooves is what brought Fluttershy back to reality. She was thinking so intently that she had pulled the ribbon apart without noticing. She also saw that she had unraveled the entire reel. She put the two halves of ribbon into a brown paper bag and started heading back to the shop part of the boutique. ‘She only sent you back here so she could have Don Mane all to herself,’ said the voice. Fluttershy didn’t reply. As she walked back into the shop she saw that Rarity was rolling about on the floor, giggling so hard that she had turned bright red, as an utterly nonplussed looking Don Mane looked on. “What’s going on Don?” asked Fluttershy. “I…don’t really know,” was the perfectly honest reply. I just complimented her on the entrepreneurial spirit she must have to have opened up this boutique and then she started…doing that.” “Rarity I’m taking this ribbon. How much,” said Fluttershy coldly. Rarity let out huge gulping breaths as she tried to speak, but she would then look up and Don Mane and then squeal and start giggling uncontrollably again. “I’m leaving three bits,” her customer said and left some coins on the table. “See you round. Let me know when you get over whatever mental disease you seem to have developed.” With this Fluttershy sauntered out the door. Don Mane followed, pausing only to shoot another confused look at Rarity. Then he left, leaving a scarlet Rarity to hyperventilate on the floor of her boutique. *********** The final stop was Twilight’s library. Fluttershy felt actually quite hopeful as she approached the red oak door. Through thick and thin she knew that she could always rely on Twilight. Faithful, just, clever, steadfast old Twilight Sparkle. She would never get a crush on Fluttershy’s soul mate and, even if she did, she would at least be honest about it. Fluttershy knocked on the door of the library, feeling relatively cheerful. “Come in,” Twilight called from inside and the two visitors entered. “Oh hey Fluttershy!” said Twilight cheerfully, closing the rather large book that was resting on her haunches. “Have you come to pick up that book I told you about?” “Yes please Twilight. It’s the next one in the series of…” “Derring Do, right? Derring Do and the ruby shinbone to be precise.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “That’s it!” “It’s over here. I have it all wrapped up for you.” Twilight ushered her friend over to her desk where said Derring do book was lying open in a nest of brown paper and string. “Well,” Twilight blushed. “I did wrap it up for you, but the I figured I should read it again before I leant it to you, so we could talk about and...” Her hasty explanation was cut off by Fluttershy’s fond giggling. Twilight smiled and began wrapping it back up for her. While the two mares talked and fussed over the book, Don Mane inspected the shelves of books on the other side of the room, seemingly ignoring them. Suddenly, Spike walked into the room, nonchalantly eating an apple. He looked over at the two mares, who were now catching up about some festival that one of them had been to recently. He then turned to look at Don Mane, who had lifted a book on Unicorn history of one of the shelves and was idly flicking through it. “You know,” Spike started, trying to be a good assistant. “If you’re new here you can get a card that…” He stopped when Don Mane turned to glare at him. It was a look of utter loathing that chilled Spike deep in his bones. There was something about that look that frightened Spike on a level he didn’t know he had. It was a look that promised all the pain and cruelty in the world: that there would never be enough bones to break, never enough mountains to shatter and not a cry for help in the world he would answer. Spike felt a tinge of that dread that he had felt when he had watched Fluttershy walk towards the everfree forest the previous evening. The baby dragon stood, shaking under the stallion’s gaze until Fluttershy’s voice snapped them both out of it. “Well, Don Mane; we should be going. I have to get back in time to make the animals’ dinner.” In an instant Don Mane was handsome and pleasant again. “Coming Donna Fluttershy.” Twilight Sparkle, who had been too polite to mention it before, enquired, “by the way Fluttershy; is this a friend of yours?” Don Mane smiled and nodded politely at her. “Oh…sort of. Twilight, this is…” Fluttershy was distracted from the introduction when Spike started pulling at her tail. “What is it Spike?” asked Fluttershy, somewhat sharply. “Fluttershy, I…need some advice….about animals,” said Spike falteringly, obviously making up the request on the spot. “Can I give it to you later Spike?” asked Fluttershy impatiently. “…no?” “Well then tell it to me quickly then.” “NO!” shouted Spike, who the looked embarrassed. “No…it’s too personal.” “Personal? Personal how?” “It’s about…um…the, erm….mating habits! Yeah, that’s right! The mating habits of…um…muskrats!” He beamed triumphantly up at the three ponies who all stared back with various levels of confusion and disgust. “Why muskrats?” asked Fluttershy, puzzling her brow. Spike buried his face in his talons and growled in frustration. He then grabbed Fluttershy’s wing and started pulling her towards a nearby door. “Just come with me!” Before she could object, Fluttershy was hurried through the door and into a small, dark room. Spike slammed the door shut. “Spike, this is a broom closet.” “There’s something wrong with that stallion!” If Spike could see Fluttershy in the darkness of the closet, he would see that she looked quite shocked at the accusation. “Something wrong? With Don Mane?” “Yeah: serious bad vibes I’m getting from that guy!” “What do you mean? What exactly is wrong with him? “I can’t really put it into words, but he’s just…not right.” “But he is right Spike,” said Fluttershy softly. “He’s right in every possible way.” “No he isn’t! Look: sometime your gut just tells you stuff and you know it’s true, even if you can’t say why. And my gut is telling me that that guy is…evil.” Fluttershy grabbed Spike by the shoulders (or at least what felt like shoulders) and shook him. “He’s not evil! He’s the most wonderful stallion I’ve ever met! I never knew I could feel so complete, so…loved!” Spike looked hurt, though Fluttershy couldn’t see that. “But you are loved. Your friends…” “Some friends they are,” hissed Fluttershy angrily. “All they’ve done since I met Don Mane is try and come between us. Well it’s not going to happen see? I’m going to be with Don Mane no matter what my so-called-friends have to say about it!” With this she stormed out of the closet and back into the library. Twilight and Don Mane were deep in a conversation about books. Don Mane was looking at the big, leather tome that Twilight had been reading. He looked utterly absorbed as he pointed to passages in the book and talked about what they meant, and what he had read elsewhere that reminded him of them, and many other perfectly fascinating things. His eyes were soft and he looked impassioned about the things he was talking about. He didn’t look at Twilight but she clearly couldn’t keep her eyes off him. ‘Finally,’ she was clearly thinking. ‘Someone who appreciates the realm of knowledge as much as I do.’ Fluttershy saw that Twilight clearly thought that Don Mane was what she had been missing all her life and didn’t know it, and that she was feeling a completeness that she never had before. Tears suddenly sprung up in Fluttershy’s eyes as she sprinted for the door. “Come on Don Mane,” she choked as she passed him. When he didn’t join her instantly, she span round and shouted “Don Mane!” in a strangled voice. Before she could make a fool of herself, Don Mane was by her side. “I’m here,” he said, softly. He put his strong wing around her and ushered her towards the door. “So I’m assuming Angel’s better?” Twilight called after them cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong. Fluttershy just grunted in reply but Don Mane smiled back at the librarian and said, “oh yes; he’s quite the little bundle of energy now.” “Great,” said Twilight happily. “Then you can come to the party tonight!” “Party?” said Fluttershy dazedly, her eyes still all blurry. “Yes,” Don Mane replied in her stead. “She’ll be there.” “You can come too if you want Don Mane,” cooed Twilight, batting her eyelashes, utterly unironically this time. Before Fluttershy could react, Don Mane nodded and said, “I’ll be there,” and then promptly hurried Fluttershy out of the library, leaving behind a serenely smiling Twilight and a very worried-looking Spike. *************** They were almost back at Fluttershy’s cottage. The sky was full of riotous colour as evening approached. Fluttershy was sobbing softly against Don Mane’s side, making his coat all damp where her head was rested. He hadn’t let go of her since they left the library. When they finally reached the door of Fluttershy’s cottage, she couldn’t hold it in any longer, and she buried her head in his shoulder and bawled as much as she wanted. Don Mane put his arms around her and held her, not saying a word as he did so. After she had cried her fill, Fluttershy looked up at Don Mane with eyes raw from crying. “I feel like I don’t know who my friends are anymore,” she said quietly. Don Mane took her face gently in both his hooves and said gently, “I’m your friend.” Fluttershy smiled up at him. “You really are, aren’t you?” He only smiled gently back at her in reply. The two stood in the entreating starlight for a while, simply staring into each others eyes. Fluttershy wondered if she would ever feel this at peace ever again. After what felt like an eternity she scowled and said “I can’t go to that party. I just can’t” “Then don’t,” said Don Mane, smiling rakishly. “Come to my party instead.” “Your party?” asked Fluttershy, her eyes shining. “Tonight,” said Don Mane, taking her hooves excitedly in his, “we’ll pack a picnic and I’ll take you a clearing I know in the everfree forest, down by a running stream, and we’ll have our own party. We’ll drink and laugh and talk, and I’ll make you forget about all you troubles.” Tears had come to Fluttershy’s eyes once more, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of happiness that someone cared for her so much. “I’d like that,” she said softly, and Don Mane beamed and threw his arms round her. She sank into the warmth of his embrace and closed her eyes in ecstasy. “Oh Fluttershy, you’ve made me so happy,” he laughed with her face buried in his chest. His voice was full of love and mirth but his face was as cold and expressionless as a mask as he stared off into the warm evening sky. Then his face broke into an evil smile that showed his fangs to the silent sunset. “I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember.” He was the first to break the hug. “Come Donna Fluttershy,” said cheerfully. “We must prepare for this evening.” He was about to go inside when Fluttershy took his hoof in hers and gently pulled him back. He looked surprised, obviously not used to romantic situations he was not in control of, but he went along with it nonetheless. “Ah-ha, Donna Fluttershy, I…” “It feels like I’ve been waiting for you,” she said softly, encircling her arms around Don Mane’s neck. “Waiting for this.” She gazed up at an utterly bewildered Don Mane with a look of utter and complete love. She then reached up and pressed her lips gently against his. She was so lost in his kiss that she couldn’t see that his eyes were wide open with shock. But after a moment, he closed his eyes and kissed her back, and the two of them stayed locked in that embrace as the sun sank slowly down in the west.
