Don Mane De Polo and the centermare

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.