The Qualifier and Tea for Two
Bulk Biceps was a bodybuilder. This fact made much of him who he was, and contributed to much of his identity. He was a naturally loud speaker, and his hardworking personality ensured that he always put one hundred percent effort into everything he did, but most obviously, it had given him great strength and power. His namesake biceps bulged out, strengthened by years and years of lifting weights, eating plenty of protein, and generally doing whatever he could to make them grow. They were his pride and joy, the envy of stallions across Equestria, and all at the same time, the most dependable assets he had. When it came to contests of physical strength, nopony beat Bulk Biceps. Absolutely nopony.
Except of course, when it came to any contest of flying ability.
“GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
The white pegasus of huge proportions screamed with effort as he flapped his tiny wings with all the muscle and power he had. The veins in his neck bulged out as he flexed every muscle in his body as he strained to put out as much wing power as he could.
Get to the ring…. I just have to get to the ring…
At the peak of all his physical effort, however, the speed that he could move at was still just over the speed a normal pegasus would consider a “float.”
The ring came closer and closer… Slowly approaching as Bulk strained himself harder and harder, forcing his way forwards with pure willpower.
Then, the ring was there, right in front of him, just waiting to be passed through, as the yellow pegasus beyond waited to receive the horseshoe that he was carrying effortlessly with his forehoof.
If only flying wasn’t so much harder than carrying a horseshoe. The latter only took a small effort, his toned muscles holding the weight with so much ease that he hardly had to think about it.
But then, he didn’t think about such things anyway, for victory lay only a few meters away.
Letting out a great bellow of effort, the last few meters grew fewer and fewer, as he forced his tiny wings to keep flapping at their incredible speed. The fragile ring that was his goal passed around him as he flew through it…
Fluttershy was in front of him in the next instant, eager to take the horseshoe from him. Her kind glance focused on him as as he reached out his hoof, and she did the same, ready to transfer the object to the next portion of the relay.
With a small clink, their hooves met, and the transfer was complete, as the horseshoe flawlessly came into the possession of the new athlete.
At least, almost flawlessly.
With a quick blur of hooves, Fluttershy lost her grip almost instantly, the metal shape flailing in the air for a few seconds before finally becoming stable in her grasp. The yellow Pegasus blushed deeply, embarrassed to have made such a clumsy display. She turned away a moment later, flying to do her part of the relay for Ponyville’s team.
Feeling his energy fail him, Bulk Biceps finally let his body relax, having played his part and made his contribution for his team. He let out his held breath as a massive gasp of air as his body suddenly fell, the mass of muscles plopping to the ground, exhausted.
At the edge of his vision, as his burst of energy faded, he could see the yellow and pink streak of the other pegasus on his team, carrying on in the race against time. She moved gracefully through hoops that lifted into the cloudy air, swaying around obstacles.
She was his teammate, and he loved and respected her. It was all up to her now. Lying with his head against the ground, he heard the cheer teams call her name, just as they had done for him moments before. He could hear other ponies from his hometown trotting towards him, ready to help him up after such physical exertion. It wasn’t easy to lift 400 pounds of muscle with naturally undersized wings, and everypony in Ponyville knew he had worked very hard to get to the level of flying he was at, despite how slow and bumbling it might seem from the outside.
For now, Bulk settled for lying there, looking up to the sky as his team continued the struggle to which he had contributed.
Funny, how from this low vantage point, he had some of the clearest glimpses of his teammate’s flying.
Unlike Bulk, flying seemed to come so naturally for Fluttershy. Her wings were perfectly suited to her frame, allowing her to glide through the air with a certain grace that he could never afford.
In a flash of Rainbow light, the horseshoe transferred once more, now in the possession of Rainbow Dash, Ponyville’s best flier. A Rainbow trail was all the eye could follow as she blazed through her section of the obstacle course in just about no time flat. Within moments, it seemed she was almost at the finish line. The timer ticked, and the Rainbow streak approached the final banner…
“Ponyville Qualifies!”
A gigantic cheer arose from all across the spectator’s field. Residents of Ponyville, Cloudsdale, and more places besides all rose together in showing their approval.
Bulk just shut his eyes, calmly nodding as he felt other ponies lift him to his feet. His team might have been a miss-matched group of misfits, but they had made a solid victory this day.
This day would be one he would not likely forget for some time.
It was now two weeks after the Equestria Games qualifiers. The competition itself had not yet come, but the date was steadily approaching, while ponies across the land waited with much enthusiasm, and athletes practiced their hearts out, preparing for a competition that demanded their very best.
Bulk Biceps was one such athlete, of course, and though his skill would be measured by one of his weakest assets, he knew he had to do his best to ensure he was at peak physical performance. Spending hours upon hours of each day honing the power of his wings, Bulk tried everything he could to increase their power, speed, and efficiency. He had even reluctantly decided to give up some of the time he spent daily in the gym, working out with his larger, much more powerful assets. Instead, he would spend hours stretching the muscles beneath his feathers, and keeping himself, through much effort and no lack of willpower, suspended in the air for even minutes at a time. It was hard work, and any progress he made was very hard to notice, but still, he worked through each day, steeling himself for the gauntlet that was yet to come, and the competition that would be the greatest in which he had ever participated.
However, despite all of the time he spent training his body, he found himself always finding the time to meet with his teammates. Sometimes, he might fly up to Rainbow’s house in Cloudsdale to talk about their recent progress, as both ponies were straining their wings to maximum capacity, though only one had much to brag about for it. Other times, He might visit Fluttershy at her cottage near the Everfree Forest. She had less time for exercise, having animals to care for and such, but her presence was calming, and the conversations she shared with Bulk over tea were delightful memories. Sometimes, all three teammates would join in ventures to Sugarcube Corner, or Sweet Apple Acres, and have friendly banter, solidifying the bond of friendship that made them a team.
Together, Bulk knew that they might not win the Equestria Games, but he regretted nothing about the time he spent, the memories he made, and the bonds that he formed with a new set of friends he could feel proud of, despite their flaws. Doing well at the competition would be just a cherry on top of an already wonderful experience.
Such thoughts made Bulk Biceps the happiest he had ever felt in years.
Knock knock knock
His hoof beat repeatedly at the wooden door to Fluttershy’s cottage. Forced to bear each hit, with the power of incredibly built legs, the unbridled power behind each pound made the door creak, barely holding up as the large hoof repeatedly slammed it.
After a few seconds, the door slowly creaked open inwards, a small yellow head poking out to answer the thundering noise that had called her attention.
“Oh… um… Hello, Bulk Biceps…” She said, in a tiny voice.
“HELLO FLUTTERSHY!”
The screaming reply, backed by huge lungs, had about as much presence and force as the knocking. Fluttershy’s hair blew backwards slightly as the thundering voice hit like a shockwave.
“Um… would you like to come in for tea? I mean… if you don’t want to, that’s okay…”
Fluttershy braced herself for the reply this time, but it came just as loud, and just as forceful as anything this stallion uttered.
“I’D LOVE TO! THANKS!”
As if oblivious to the fact that he was such a forceful speaker, Bulk smiled nicely, and trotted inside the cottage. As his voice echoed through the small building, and his large, white form entered the main room inside, a swarm of animals began to push their way out the door. They had seen this gentle giant enter the home of their caretaker before, and knew that he was a good pony inside, but that didn’t mean he was very popular, since he was prone to loud outbursts and knew very little about restraining his actions. Harry the bear lazily glanced over at the muscled pony, nodding softly in understanding as he trotted by.
Fluttershy closed the door behind bulk, before flying gently to the small table that was set in a corner of the room. She cleared some animal food off the surface, and pulled one of the matching stools away. (Bulk Biceps would only crush the feeble thing, and he preferred sitting on the floor anyway.) Flying off to the shelves to find her tea set, she glanced at Bulk as he sat in the newly cleared space by the table.
“So… um… How was your training today?” She asked, trying to sound polite.
However, Bulk had very little concept of what politeness was.
“TODAY WAS AWESOME!” He bellowed, flexing his muscles to emphasize his point.
“That’s nice… ” Fluttershy said, as she found a kettle and began to heat some water. “I’ve been somewhat busy with my little critters, so I haven’t had time for workouts… But some of the little robin chicks are starting to learn to fly. I really love watching them flap their tiny little wings… ”
Her gaze fell on Bulk’s own wings, pitifully tiny compared to the massive, strong body from which they sprouted.
“Oh… um… I mean… ”
Bulk snorted a mighty puff of air out of his nostrils.
“TINY WINGS ARE AWESOME! YEAH!”
Taking a moment to collect herself, Fluttershy let a smile slowly make its way onto her face as she focused back on the tea she was preparing. Her cheeks flushed with a bit of red hue as she giggled lightly to herself.
“AND THEN, RAINBOW DASH SAID MY TIME WAS BETTER BY ALMOST HALF A SECOND! YEAH!”
Fluttershy smile warmly as her guest hollered across the table at her, taking small breaks every few seconds to inhale, and drink some of the liquid from the small teacup on the table. In her hoof, she held her own cup, which she sipped delicately from while listening to Bulk talk about his day. Of course, she didn’t mind at all that he was yelling at the top of his lungs. In fact, she found it somewhat… cute, in its own way. A fully grown, and physically huge mass of a stallion sat across from her, telling her in a forceful, masculine voice about how much he had accomplished that day, all while acting with a childish pride, as he shared tea with her in her cozy little cottage… With just the two of them…
“That’s wonderful, Bulk!” Fluttershy said, complimenting his efforts. “I’m glad you’re trying your hardest, even though flying isn’t exactly… your specialty…”
Bulk puffed out his giant chest, a highly satisfied look on his face. Praise from Fluttershy wasn’t very hard to attain, at least for him, but he always liked hearing the gentle pony’s voice as she told him she appreciated and admired his efforts. Cockily, he pulled one of his massive forelegs up, kissing the center of a flexed bicep. He could hear Fluttershy giggle slightly as she watched the gesture, her laughter like tiny bell tones.
Reaching for the teacup that he had placed on the table, he took a long sip, feeling the refreshing liquid work its way down his throat. It's funny, he thought, after visiting Fluttershy, I always feel so… energized!
Silence fell between the two ponies for a few moments as they took the time to sip their tea. Then, Fluttershy spoke up.
“Um… mister Bulk Biceps? I was wondering if I could… um… ” Blushing suddenly, she turned away, hiding behind her flowing, pink mane.
“WHAT, FLUTTERSHY?” Said Bulk, curious.
“Well… uh… If it's not too much of a hassle… could I… possibly… um… touch your muscles?”
Bulk was surprised at the sudden request of the mare. He had never taken her for a curious one, nor one who admired a muscled body, but yet, she was asking if she could touch them, like an inquisitive little filly. Bulk frowned for a second, confused, before deciding not to worry about such things. Fluttershy was his friend, and he wouldn't mind letting her feel his strength.
"SURE!" He yelled affirmatively.
Fluttershy turned about as red as a tomato, blushing furiously as Bulk lifted a foreleg, extending it across the small table. Slowly, though, she felt her curiosity get the better of her, and she slowly extended a hoof to poke at the large, bulky muscles. The surface of such a toned appendage was rock hard as she prodded it a few times, owing to the extremely hard work that had gone into their upkeep.
“Wow… they’re so… big… and strong…”
Growing a little more adventurous, Fluttershy moved a hoof across the skin's surface, feeling the flexed muscle beneath in a gentle, curious manner.
Bulk smiled as his assets were touched, and even praised. He was proud of his body, and though many a stallion might be uncomfortable with letting a mare feel him in such a way, he trusted Fluttershy, and was sure it could do no harm. Besides, the shy mare's request could only be taken as a compliment to his physique, so he let her touch his foreleg, smiling happily as she did so.
After a brief session of running her hooves over the rippling bicep, Fluttershy pulled back. She was blushing even harder than before, embarrassed at having satisfied her curiosity in such a blatant manner.
"Um... Thanks..." She said, her head falling back between the long strands of pink hair, as if to hide behind it. She could feel the awkwardness in the air, and naturally fell silent, praying she hadn’t gone too far, nor acted too unusually to make Bulk uncomfortable.
The white pegasus merely grinned as he pulled his hoof back under him, happy to have satisfied his friend’s curiosity.
“NO PROBLEM!”
Another awkward silence held in the air as the two sat across from each other, only interrupted by the occasional sip as one of the two drank the last of the tea. Bulk calmly looked at Fluttershy with casual glances, but each time he did so, she would look away almost too quickly. Bulk Biceps wasn't the smartest stallion in Ponyville, but he could still tell that something was happening...
As the silence drew on and on, Bulk knew that he would have to be the one to break it, so he lifted his teacup to his lips, drank the last few drops from it, and then placed it back on the table, finished.
"WELL, I BETTER GET BACK TO MY WORKOUTS. THANKS FOR THE TEA, FLUTTERSHY!"
The stallion's bellowing roar as he stood up shook Fluttershy back from her distracted state, just enough to make her regain her confidence to speak once again.
"Oh... It was my pleasure. It was nice seeing you, Bulk Biceps!" She said, waving a hoof in front of her timidly as the massive white stallion opened her front door, fit himself through, and let a final wave of his own hoof before closing it behind him.
"Whew..." She sighed, now alone again with her animal friends. She felt relieved, just as she always did when company left her to herself. She didn't have to worry about embarrassing herself as much when alone, and it was calming to know that no eyes were watching her.
At least, not the eyes of any pony.
As the door closed, a white bunny hopped up beside her, a wicked grin on his face. As she watched, he pointed at the door Bulk had just left from, then made an over dramatic swooning gesture, before chuckling to himself as Fluttershy felt her face growing bright red again. She knew exactly what her animal friend was trying to tell her.
You have a crush on Bulk Biceps, don't you, Fluttershy?
Fluttershy let out a nervous giggle as she felt Angel Bunny's gaze on her. Other animals were watching her too, tiny heads peeking through the windows, and from birdhouses hanging from the ceiling. In the corner, a bear grunted happily.
They all knew.
"...Oh dear..."
