Strange Love

“Fluttershy!” a stallion gently called. He lifted his hoof, knocking on the door a few times and waiting for a response. The door cracked open nearly instantly, a wide-eyed Pegasus staring out. “Hello, Fluttershy. May I come in?” he asked.

The door creaked wide, giving him permission to enter. As he stepped in, he turned and looked at her with a short smile. “Thank you, Fluttershy. It's freezing out there and I knew I could count on you to let me in.”

She shut the door silently, the cold breeze no longer able to get into her house. “I've never seen you before,” she quipped, talking more to herself than to him.

“I'm sure you wouldn't. I'm homeless and I tend to stay hidden from society. I usually only walk the streets at night. You know, looking for food in a dumpster. I remember that just the other night I received quite the bounty,” he said, mouth salivating...

“H-h-homeless?” she exclaimed in astonishment. “Eating out of dumpsters? No, don't do that! You could get sick!” She quickly dashed out of the room, getting him some leftover spaghetti she had in her ice box.

“Oh, no, Fluttershy, I don't need anything to eat. I had a good dinner, but I can't find a place to sleep. My back has started to ache and I just can't sleep on the ground tonight. The cold I can bear, but my back...” To emphasize the extent of his ache, he nearly collapsed on the spot.

She lifted him up. “I won't make you sleep on the floor. Here, you can have my bed. I've slept on the couch before.” Hoisting him onto her back, she walked up the stairs, legs barely able to support the extra weight.

“No, I'll sleep on the couch, Fluttershy. I can't evict you from your own bed. You don't even know me! So readily you accept me into your home...” He shook his head and slipped off her back, much to her protest and relief.

He trotted back to the living room, the yellow mare close behind. “Would you happen to have a blanket? A towel perhaps? Anything I can use to cover myself?”

“Oh, of course, but I have a fireplace. I c-”

“No, I'd much rather have the blanket.” His eyes cast downward, he added, “A blanket is something I haven't had in over five years. Fires, sure. A blanket? No.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” She grabbed him gently into a hug. “I'll go get you a blanket.” She departed without another word, going upstairs to find him a comfortable blanket.

“Oh, that mare...can I tell her? If I do, what will she say? Oh, she's the Element of Kindness, of course she'll say yes! And you just told her you're homeless and eat out of the garbage! She'll do anything, you ninny!” he hissed at himself.

A shudder went down his spine at a thought. “If Rainbow Dash sees me trying to get close to her, I'll be in more trouble than a pig surrounded by Gryphons.” Hopping on the couch, he looked around, listening to the relaxing silence around him.

At the sound of hooves, he nearly had a heart attack. When Fluttershy touched his shoulder, he turned around, smile plastered on his face. “Here you go, sir. It's the best one I have. Made with cloud and feathers. Pegasus and Gryphon.”

“Oh, thank you!” He yanked her into a hug, not hearing her yelp. “I've wanted to use a blanket like this my whole life!”

She whimpered quietly. “I-I-I'm glad t-t-to hear that.” She struggled as weakly as she could, not wanting him to notice he was scaring her. “I h-h-hope you enjoy it.”

He snatched his hooves back in shock. “Oh, Fluttershy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you like that! I was just so happy that I didn't think. Oh, please forgive me. No, I-I-I'll go.” He quickly got up, ready to fly out of the cottage.

“N-n-no, it's okay! It wasn't your fault. Don't go back on the streets, please. You need to stay here. You can stay as long as you like, okay?” She looked right into his eyes and stared deep into his soul.

He returned the gaze, noticing how intoxicating her eyes were. The glistening teal the shined perpetually yet belonged to a mare that wanted anything but the limelight. “Do you have a map?” he asked softly.

“Y-yes...why?” she replied unsurely.

“I think I'm lost in your eyes. But what I really want is to find my way to your heart.” He didn't know why he said it or what made him, but he did. Perhaps the cheesiest pick-up line known to Equestria and he used it.

“W...what?” she whispered, her cheek glowing red. “Did...did you just say...what?” Their eyes stayed lock as neither of them knew what to do or say. She took a slight step back, her eyes unable to focus on anything but his face.

“I have watched you for several years, Fluttershy. I took my time, taking notes of everything you enjoy most in life. So far, I've got a good deal down, but the one thing I've never been able to find out is how you look at stallions.”

The confusion on her face spurred him forth. “Are you looking for love? Have you had heartbreak? Do you want to meet the one that will make you happy? I've been looking and I know it will be you. I know I'm not much, but at least consider me.”

“I...I don't even know your name.” That was all she could say. She was at a loss for words and couldn't even think of anything else to say.

“Call me Art.” He pointed at the pencil that was his Cutie Mark. “I'm an artist. A starving artist, as I'm sure you've come to notice.” His cheesy smile was infectious, hitting the mare with a grin not too unlike his own.

“Art...it's a very nice name. I would but...I just don't know anything about you. You said you've watched me, but I never even saw you. Tell me about you, Art, and I'll try to consider you,” she suggested kindly.

With a smile on his face, he gave her his life, from joyful foalhood to troubled teen years and onto his current life a homeless stallion that's stalked an Element for years. “My life has been a downward spiral. Suicide attempts litter my life like books at the library.”

“Oh, Art, you had a rough life. I'll try to make it better, but I just...we only met. We can't rush into this, okay? Please let me see how things will go between us. Maybe we can go on a few dates, but I don't know if we'll ever be together,” she admitted. “Are you okay with that?”

“Fluttershy, just being here and telling you my life story is enough. I could step outside and die happily. You're actually what kept me going for the past three years. It was winter, too, but deep winter. You remember it?” he asked.

“Oh, yes, it was horrible! Snow was everywhere and it was so cold! I had three blankets on and I slept by the firepl- oh you must have been freezing cold! How did you survive?” she blasted, her voice soft and caring.

“Well, I almost didn't. I had been watching you on and off, trying to find you amidst the snow. Wasn't easy. One day, I was hovering by a tree, trying to stare without being caught. I went too far back and hit a branch. I got hit good.”

He pointed to a small scar on the back of his neck, near the base. “One of my vertebrae was crushed and they had to remove the pieces to prevent damage to my spinal cord. And in my back, one was actually twisted sideways. They removed that, too.”

The amazement on her face made him chuckle. “I'm pretty flexible now...” His face turned deep red. “Yeah...sure came in handy...” The more he thought about it, the redder his face got. “Oh, I was such a lonely stallion...”

“What?” she pressed, poking him. “What do you mean? It came in handy for what?”

“Well,” he said, face akin to a cherry, “I got very lonely and I couldn't pay for a mare's...attention and I had to...improvise.”

Her face contorted in confusion. “What do you mean? Improvise?”

He laughed humorlessly at her lack of knowledge. I'm glad you don't understand. That means you're an innocent mare. But I really don't want to elaborate, he rumbled in his head. “I had oral sex...with myself.”

If she was at a loss for words earlier, she was completely speechless now. She was sure he had been lonely, but she never thought he would be so lonely that he had to do such a thing. She started to clutch him, but felt something prod her stomach and she leaped back.

“S-s-s-sorry about that. I had hoped y-y-y-you wouldn't see. Please don't kick me out. I c-c-can't do it again. I'll cut it off. I'll snip my wings. Please, Fluttershy, don't make me leave. I can't go back out there,” he sputtered, nearly grabbing her.

“Art, calm down, I'm not going to do that! You don't have to get your wings clipped or anything! Just...” She looked down, wanting to finish her sentence without using many words, but feel silent at the sight of his erection.

“Wow,” was all she could say. She had read, back in school, how large a normal stallion's shaft was, but she was convinced that either the book lied, or Art was well endowed. She gulped, poking curiously at it without even realizing it. “It's big,” she whispered.

His face was redder than a cherry, tomato and apple put together. He hardly could believe what he heard, even when she reiterated it. Another poke made him gasp and snapped her back to reality.

“Oh, Art, I...” She hung her head. “If you're going to, wait until I'm asleep. And p...please t-take it out bef-fore you f-f-finish.” She squeaked and gulped, body starting to slightly shake.

“No, Fluttershy! I...I could...no, I wouldn't make you do anything like that! Oh, yes, I've had so many dreams...but you'd never let me. Yes, you are the Element of Kindness, but there are some things I should not even expect,” he grunted.

“I just...I want to make you happy. I want you to be my mare. I mean, I saved up the bits I got from begging and working to buy this and...well, I guess it was stupid. But you can keep it. You know, as a little souvenir,” he whimpered, taking a small box from beneath his wing.

She took it from him and opened it, revealing a diamond encrusted ring on a petite silver chain. As tears streamed down Art's face, he stood up. “I can't believe I expected so much...I wanted to take advantage of your character...I thought you'd say yes because you're the Element of Kindness...”

“No, that's not why I'll say yes. I'll say yes because you've done the most courageous thing anypony has ever done. I've never loved a stallion and I'm not sure I love you, but I'm sure I will eventually. Just keep this secret until I'm sure, okay?” she replied.

“You...you what?”

“I'll say yes, but you can't say anything. We only just met. Please, don't make me rush this. I don't want to say no because it would hurt your feelings, but saying yes could be very bad. Please, can we date first?” she said.

“Yes, of course! I'm sorry for putting you in such a spot. I just...I thought you'd say yes automatically. Because you are who you are. But you didn't. And I just want to say thank you.” He gently poked her side. “I love you.”

With no hesitations, she kissed him deeply. When it broke, four words followed. “I love you, too.”

With a sigh, Luna left the dream. “Oh, Fluttershy, you really deserve a special somepony in your life. You're so deserving. Maybe one of my Guards could help...hm...” The name slapped her and nearly made her jump out of bed.

“Fireball! Get in here!” she growled, the gray Pegasus stepping into the room silently. “I want you to go to Ponyville. There is a cottage on the edge of the Everfree. Your mission is to make that mare happy.”

He bowed. “Yes, Your Highness. May I ask this mare's name and why it is I who should be the one to make her happy?” he quickly questioned.

“Fluttershy. Element of Kindness. And I request you because I'm sure you'd make a wonderful husband. If you fall for her and she falls for you, please don't hesitate to ask me to unite you... I want her happy and you, too.”

Before he got a chance to comment, she added, “You're my favorite Guard, Fireball. If I didn't feel Fluttershy deserved you more, I'd be snatching you up. Now get your flank to her house and make sure to keep me updated on your relationship, okay?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for this opportunity and...for the compliment.” He turned red. “Your favorite Guard?”

“Yes. And you are a Royal Guard, but you are to serve Fluttershy before me or my sister, understand? You are relieved of duty as a Lunar Guard. You are now the one and only Guardian of Kindness.” With a smile, she said, “Have fun, Fireball. Make me proud.”

He bowed again. “I will, Princess. Thank you. Thank you. I will write bi-monthly and on special occasions. It has been a pleasure serving under you. Until we meet again.” With a swift salute, he was out the window on his way to the cottage by the Everfree.

“Oh, Fluttershy, you have always had the oddest dreams...” Snuggling under her blankets, Luna shut her eyes. I wonder what kind of dreams I'll get from Fluttershy now...