Lost and Found

Fluttershy awoke slowly, wanting to savor the feeling of waking up in Joy's hooves. She felt the sun beat on her back, and she heard birds twittering in the trees outside. A breeze kept her cool, made her comfortable. She also felt warm wetness on her forehead, similar to that of a kiss. All this didn't succeed in hiding one little problem. This little problem was as such: Joy's hooves weren't there. It took Fluttershy a few minutes to realize this fact, and when she did, she instantly tried to smother it.

He is just downstairs. Yeah, that's it Fluttershy. Nothing to worry about. He just woke up early and went down, maybe for a drink of water, that's all.

Except, Joy wasn't downstairs either. Angel confirmed this fact when he bounded up to Fluttershy, his eyes wild and scared. His emotions were mixed, but Fluttershy easily read his thoughts from his expression. He was looking for Joy also. They scoured the small home to the point where it seemed pointless. They looked everywhere, in and around the home. It was predictable that in their panic, they didn't even take into consideration the note that so plainly hung on the inside of the door. When they finally did find it, they treated it as a revelation. Fluttershy read the note without hesitation.

I can't stay. I just can't.

I know you want me there. I know I want to be with you. But, as fate would have it, this can't happen.

I can't let myself get close to you. If I do, something bad will happen to you. I know it will. It happens to everypony I get close to. I don't know why, and I don't care to find out. It is my curse, and I must live with it. That is how my parents went, that is how my sister went, that is how my friends have gone. All of them dead. All of them. Each and every one of them having been close to me...

There is so much we could have been, so much that I wanted us to be. A friendship blossomed between us, and maybe even a little passion. I so wish that I could let that grow, let the petals of compassion and love wrap me up with you and never let me go. But that fragile little flower would burn to the ground.

I wish I could see your face after this. I write this as you sleep. I watch your chest rise and fall, I see you smile as you dream, and I know I will miss you more than I have missed anything else in my life.

Please, take care of yourself, for my sake. One day, I will return. One day, I will find my way back to you, and we can start from where we left off, if you haven't already moved on.

I am going to leave you with a kiss. I do not want to wake you. I am sorry. My heart is breaking as I am sure yours is as you read this.

I'm so sorry...

Fluttershy sat down where she stood, unable to fully comprehend what she had just read. Actually, unable to comprehend would not be the right description in this case. Not wanting to comprehend suited the situation much better. Fluttershy did not want to comprehend what she had just read.

"He...he left me...while I was sleeping..."  A tear, and then another, after which those two were followed by a river. Fluttershy's lip trembled with sadness, and she shook her head. "No...NO! He isn't gone! He can't be gone! He just can't be!" Unable to control the flood-gates of her emotions, Fluttershy spread her wings and took off towards town, sobbing all the while.

It had taken Pinkie but a second to read the expression on Fluttershy's face as she stumbled by. Pinkie was the one pony Fluttershy had not seen after Rain. After seeing her other five friends, Fluttershy had assumed Pinkie was against her too. In reality, Pinkie was perhaps the one friend who had stayed loyal to Fluttershy. All of Rain's evil words had hurt, yes, but it hadn't been enough to turn her against Fluttershy. She still didn't understand why the others now loathed her some much. Now seeing her friend in obvious depression, her heart lurched, and she just had to make Fluttershy feel better. Before Fluttershy knew what was going on, Pinkie was leading her somewhere away from the road. They ended up in some deserted alley.

"Okay, out with it. What happened?", Pinkie asked as soon as they were a sizable distance away from the main road. Fluttershy couldn't speak. Her lips were sealed, and her body was numb. She hadn't searched the entirety of town for Joy, but just enough to know that he really was gone. Now, she was just moving unconsciously, like a zombie, though, even zombies have intent. "Fluttershy?"

"He's gone...", Fluttershy managed to splutter out, before collapsing against a wall, and sliding down it to the ground. She had lost all feeling in her limbs, and had let herself succumb to gravity. Why do I feel so sad that he is gone? We weren't that close. What is it about him that makes me need him the way I feel I need him? I shouldn't have even been falling into that trap again. But...just being around him those few days, and that one night where he...where he held me with such tenderness...made me happy. He had the key to my heart, that key being his heart. It was almost like...almost like he... "He completed me..." Pinkie, not having ever known about Joy, assumed that Rain had finally done away with Fluttershy.

"Good! Rain was not what he seemed Fluttershy! He said all these bad things about you, oh I just wanted to strangle him! All the others hate you now. I guess he said the same things to them. I just can't believe it." Fluttershy looked up at Pinkie. Her gaze was so full of contempt and underlying hurt that Pinkie couldn't help but take one tiny step back.

"Not HIM. Never, EVER, talk about HIM." The seal on Fluttershy's lips had been broken now that Pinkie had brought HIM up. The wild look in Fluttershy's eyes remained for a couple more seconds, and then she sighed, and the depression returned. "Another pony."

"Who, then?" Pinkie helped her friend up, and embraced her. She felt a few tears run down her side, and she felt tears of her own welling up. "Who was it that made you sad?"

"A pony who held my heart in his hooves from the day I got close to him. A pony who will keep my heart for as long it takes for him to come back..." Pinkie was confused. Why did Fluttershy seem to hate this pony for leaving her, but at the same time, was saving herself for him when he returned, which Pinkie doubted he would? "He left me while I was sleeping...didn't even say a proper goodbye..."

"Sounds like a coward...", Pinkie mumbled, unfortunately a little too loud. Fluttershy's eyes were in front of hers within the space of a second, and Pinkie felt afraid. Afraid of harmless, seclusive little Fluttershy. The irony was almost humourous.

"He wasn't a coward."

"Who is he, exactly? I don't believe you ever told me." This caused a pause in Fluttershy, in which during this pause, both ponies backed away from each other, then sat facing each other.

"His name was Joy Harvest, or so he told me. He showed up on my doorstep..." Fluttershy continued to explain what the past few days had been like for her. Pinkie listened intently, absorbing every word. After Fluttershy finished, there was a small silence as Pinkie let the story sink in. Then, a surprise.

"Fluttershy? Is that you?", asked the all too familiar voice of Joy. Fluttershy whirled around, and crying out in surprise and happiness, ran towards Joy. She buried her head against his neck, or at least, the part of his cloak where his neck would be.

"J-Joy...you had me so scared...I thought you left me...", Fluttershy spluttered out in between sobs.

"Why would you think that? I was only going for a morning walk."

"I searched all over town...I couldn't...couldn't..."

"Shh...it's alright...why did you think I had left you?"

"You wrote this note, and put it on the door. Why did you do that!?" Fluttershy backed up and glared angrily. She made as if to hit Joy, but found she just couldn't do it.

"What note?"

"If you are trying to trick her, that is not nice. That was a horrible prank to pull.", Pinkie added in, not knowing if her interjection would help the matter.

"I seriously don't know what note you are talking about." Fluttershy opened her mouth to argue, but her eyes were suddenly filled with a cold fear. Her mouth closed, and she stood frozen, the only movement being the trembling of her lip. "Fluttershy?"

"Oh...oh my...", Fluttershy said weakly. She looked faint, and both Joy and Pinkie rushed to her side to keep her from collapsing. "Joy...what time did you leave for your walk?"

"I dunno, 'bout...uhh...couple hours before sun-up. The moon was still high and the sky was still dark. Why?" Fluttershy shuddered.

"What is it Fluttershy?", Pinkie asked.

"HE was in my house last night...while I was alone and sleeping...and HE sat and watched me until I woke up...oh dear..." Fluttershy fainted in shock.

"Are you sure you saw her eyes open?", asked the voice of Pinkie.

"I am certain of it!", Joy replied.

"Well, she isn't waking up.", asked another voice. It belonged to Twilight.

"Hush, both of you. Give her a minute." Fluttershy, a little nauseous, but curious about what had happened, slowly opened her eyes. She strained to sit up, and noticed in the effort that she was on her couch.

How did they get me here? There's no way they could have carried me.", she thought. Blinking away the blurriness, she faced her friends.

"Doubt my judgment, now will you?", Joy scoffed.

"Whatever." Pinkie shot a glare at Joy, though it was filled with humour. Twilight just rolled her eyes. Pinkie then faced her friend. "Well, good evening."

"Wha-what happened?", Fluttershy asked.

"Well, you just kind of blacked out. We carried you from there."

I have been wrong before. Fluttershy silently chuckled. For a little bit, there was silence. Nopony really knew what to do. Finally, Pinkie broke the silence.

"So...uh...Fluttershy, I have a question."

"Yes Pinkie?"

"As you know, I kind of messed up and got the Corner burned to a crisp. I have been bunking down with Rarity, but I think she's fed up with me. Would you mind if I stayed with you until I have a place to live, and maybe I am not on Mr. Cake's hit list?" Fluttershy thought for a second.

"Oh, so that's what that smell was that one day!", Twilight exclaimed, and then looked at Pinkie. "Sorry..."

"It's alright."

"If you don't mind me asking, where did Twilight come from anyway?", Fluttershy asked.

"Well, I saw these two walking in the direction of your house. I would have ignored them if I didn't see you on his back." Twilight motioned to Joy. "I ran after them and asked what was going on, and Pinkie explained to me. Along the way, she told me what you told her. Is it all true? Like, no bull true?" Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes." It was a simple answer. Yet, it was full of contempt, full of hate. It was so simple an answer that it became complex in its absolute hatred of the matter.

"I'm sorry for believing that monster..." Futtershy had no response to this, and stared at the ground while she tried to get a hold of her bearings. Finally, she turned to Pinkie.

"To answer your question: If Joy doesn't mind. I mean, he usually sleeps on the couch." Joy cocked his head at Fluttershy.

"Assuming that I am staying."

"Oh please.", Fluttershy scoffed. Joy seemed to get a little flustered, shuffling his hooves a little and glaring. He realized the pointlessness of the act, and dropped it.

"Well...yeah...I guess I wasn't planning on leaving anyway." Fluttershy smiled, and got off the couch. She leaned on Joy, and closed her eyes. Even his presence made her happy and content. However, Pinkie's thoughts were somewhat different. Beneath her smile, there was an eclipse of doubt, of mistrust.

He is just a crutch. If Fluttershy becomes dependent on him to keep her up, she is never going to escape her misery. And what happens when that crutch disappears? I don't want Fluttershy to get hurt. I just can't let that happen to her.

Yet, Pinkie still smiled. Her cheeks hurt with the facade that she was putting on, and she just wanted to throw away the mask. But, for her friend's sake, she kept it on.

"Well then where do I sleep?", Joy asked. Fluttershy's smile grew wider, and she opened her eyes just to wink at him. His eyes widened, and he looked incredulously down at Fluttershy. "You aren't serious!"

"Mhm~", Fluttershy said, her eyes themselves glowing with happiness. Joy, shocked at the notion of being literally invited into bed with Fluttershy, could only stare at her.

"Hey Fluttershy, I think I heard something upstairs. Lemme go check and make sure I wasn't hearing things. I'll be right back.", Twilight said. She ran into Fluttershy's room. For a second, everything was quiet.

"Did you fi-" Pinkie was cut off by a scream. Twilight tumbled down the stairs, and landed still on the floor. The other three ponies ran over to her, all of them in shock. It was Joy who saw the Widow.

It had taken only a few hours. The doctors and nurses didn't understand the fast progression of the venom. They did all they could, and worked beyond their limits, but in the end, they said it was game over.

"Whatever kind of Black Widow it was, it had a particularly powerful bite. It's unnatural, and I don't think there is anything we can do.", One doctor had said.

"Do anything! Please! Just save her!", Spike had cried. The doctor had nodded.

"We are willing to try anything at this point." That had been an hour before. Now, it was over. The same doctor had come in and announced that Twilight had suffered from a total nervous failure, and her body, unable to function, shut down not long after. She was dead.

"At least she died peacefully...", Fluttershy said sadly, recalling that the fall down the stairs had knocked Twilight out. This got a wan smile from Pinkie, but Joy only looked down at the ground, and Spike trembled with anger. Sighing, she looked out a window. She saw the real Black Widow outside. Its eyes glowed with a malicious fire, and it smiled with ill intent. Then, it turned into the darkness and disappeared.