My Curse's Benefits

-Author's note: Sorry this took so long. It was actually written at the begging of June during my driver's ed classes. But it got done and I'm pretty darn proud of it.

I put the poor mare on the sofa I woke upon. Then, taking a dropper filled with water and a towel, and placing the towel under her head, I let the water drip onto her head. After a few minutes of this, she began to stir. I quickly changed back into platypus form. She opened her eyes to see me curled up on the other end of the sofa looking at her. She quickly reeled to the far end of the sofa.

“C…Can you t…talk?” She asked almost inaudibly.
“Yes… I can,” I replied.
“Oh, good! So I’m not crazy!”
“Well, before you go all high and mighty one not being insane; I need to show you something else…”
“Like what?”
“Just watch…”

She was about to say something else but I changed into pony form. She remained speechless for several minutes; just staring at me. She finally managed to get what she was trying to say out.

“H…..how?” She said quietly but louder than before.
“It’s my special talent; along with being able to communicate with aquatic animals,” I explained.
“I see… wait then why were you in that burrow when I found you?”
“I…uhhh… was taking a nap,” I lied.
“Then why was your leg cut?”
“Oh! Ummm…. It was a bite! A truly nasty one from a snakehead! Really nasty fish, I forgot that they are extremely territorial. Even with my experience with fish, I try to avoid them.”
“And what about this ‘Rainbow-colored bitch’ you mentioned earlier?”
“It was a rainbow-colored female snakehead,” you say still lying through your teeth and she knew it.
“So you took a nap after being attacked by a rainbow-colored female snakehead?”
“That’s about it.”
“Did it occur to you that you should have probably gone to the hospital?”
“It was just a flesh wound.”
“It was bleeding very heavily; you might have died if I didn’t come along.”
“I….” My sentence was cut off by a loud growling from both our stomachs.
She blushed profusely,” Oh my… are you hungry?”
“Very, but I was just about to head home and…”
“Oh no, please… It’s getting dark…” I looked out the window. Sure enough the sun was barely peaking over the horizon, “… you can stay here… if you want that is…”

I pondered her offer as she moved toward an archway on the other side of the room. I shouldn’t take her offer… but I’m not the best night flyer… Plus, she is a bit cute… WAIT! What am I thinking? I just met her and I’m already thinking about that stuff!? I don’t even know her name!

My inner debate was interrupted by the soft clinking of dishes coming from the direction of the arch was she just entered. I slowly got up and troted over to the source of the noise. Upon nearing the source of the clinking, it was replaced with a soft singing. I stopped in the door way to what looks like the kitchen. I saw her making two sandwiches. She turned to see me standing in the archway.

“Smells delicious,” I said taking a quick whiff of the air.
“It’s only a sandwich,” she said blushing slightly.
“If you say so… but on to more pressing matters; I have decided to take you up on your offer.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful; I’d hate to see anypony have to walk through this darkness!”
“I realized, though, that neither of us has told the other our names…” I was about to say my name but she decided to go first.
“Oh, how rude of me! My name is Fluttershy.”
“That is a… pretty and rather fitting name. I am Rainbow Platypus.”
“Are you related to Rainbow Dash? She is a good friend of mine,” I winched at the mentioning of Rainbow Dash’s name.
“Ah… no. I do know of her, but we are not related,” I said as we made our way back to the living room. Sitting down, she passed me a plate and I began to nibble on my sandwich.
“Sweet Celestia! This sandwich is amazing! You’re a really good cook!” I exclaimed.
“Y…You really think so?” she said hiding a bit behind her mane.
“I know so, how’d you learn to cook so well?”
“Well, Angel is always picky about what he eats; so, that may be how…” she said munching on her sandwich.
“Angel? Who is that?” Well this is awkward if she is married.
“Angel is one of my animal friends,” she said, relieving the awkwardness from me. “He should be around here somewhere…” She got up and went back to the kitchen area. After a few minutes Fluttershy came back with a sleeping bunny on her back.
“This is Angel, he is normally good-mannered,” she said. I was about to reply but the clock struck ten and she gave out the most adorable yawn ever.
“I think this conversation can continue tomorrow,” I say with a slight chuckle.
“I guess you’re right. You can sleep in my bed… If you want that is…”
“What!? No, I could never do that! This sofa is perfect.”
“OK, good night then…” she said moving toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
“Oh! Before you go to bed I have some more questions. One, how far are we from Ponyville and in what direction is it? Two, which way is Froggy Bottom Bog?”
“Ponyville is about a twenty-minute walk, taking the path on the right at the first junction, and Froggy Bottom Bog is a left at the same junction… Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I have a friend that I told I would meet when I got back to Ponyville.”
“Back from where, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“It’s no trouble, I was at the flight academy for a while, but I failed the exam and left before anything could happen.”
“Won’t they be looking for you?”
“Who is ‘they’ and why would that be?” I asked, starting to feel suspicious of Fluttershy now.
“Oh, hehe…. No reason…” It was her turn to lie now.
“Ok, then. Good night.” I say, she seemed to relax at my pretended obliviousness, and moved upstairs.

I had no intention of sleeping here at all, as far as I’m concerned she is a treat to me. Shall I scare her a bit? I shall, but first I need some paper and a writing utensil. I thought silently searching through the drawers of Fluttershy’s house.

After a few minutes of searching I came across a napkin and a pen. Gripping the pen in my mouth, I began to write:

Dear Fluttershy,

I must admit, I was not entirely truthful with you yesterday, as you might have guessed. If you want to know the truth, come to the southern tip of Froggy Bottom Bog around noon, alone or with others, I do not care. I also know what happens when the Flight Academy exam is failed, so you can drop that act, too.

Hope you come,

Rainbow Platypus

After writing the note I placed it on the table in the living room, and quietly left her home. I headed toward Ponyville. The walk gave me time to gather my thoughts. So, Fluttershy and whomever she brings will be at the bog around noon… giving me enough time to run home for some sleep and some food. I’ll also need to find Snowball and make sure she didn’t get herself killed. Suddenly a voice said faintly, “Rainbow…” I turned to face the voice but nopony was there. Before long I was in the market square in Ponyville. I quickly found a direction sign showing my bearings. I need to head toward the northern edge of the bog so… I looked for a compass rose on the sign. That way! I thought, facing to my left, but as soon as I turned a newspaper hit me in the face.

I removed the paper and read the headline, ‘Griffin Pirates to make an appearance at Gala.’ Intrigued I skimmed the article. ‘Sources say that the so called Griffin Pirates will be at the Grand Galloping Gala in three days and would be recruiting anypony willing to join them in their campaign against the injustices of the north. Story continues on page 3.’ Nope I got shit to do and no time to do it in.

The trip to the northern edge of the bog was quick and I found my house even quicker. It was just as I remember it; it still smelled like the bog, which was no trouble to me. Upon entering the old grandfather clock in the living room chimed quarter after 12 at night, perfect time to go to bed.

Once in my bed, sleep came quickly. I dreamt of being a strange bipedal creature, much like an ape, but not nearly as hairy. I was in a desert it seemed, and I had some weird camouflage clothing on. It was hot, so unbearably hot, I felt something heavy on my back… It was a saddlebag of sorts and on its side was a long stick-thing… Then, I heard some shouting in the distance; it wasn’t any language that I knew… A group of figures with... towels on their head appeared on the horizon, also carrying the stick things. I shouted for help but my calls were met with a searing pain in my knee and a loud bang! shortly after. The pain caused me to fall to the ground as one of the figures approached and promptly hit me in the head with the large part of the stick.

I awoke in a cold sweat. Not knowing how to make heads or tails of the dream. It stuck in my mind like a leech to its victim. Trying to forget it, I looked at the clock next to my bed; it read 11:45.

Processing….

Processing….

Oh, shit! I have to go meet Fluttershy at the southern end of the bog in fifteen minutes!

I rushed to the bathroom and washed up a bit before heading downstairs where I grabbed two pieces of bread and some peanut-butter to make a peanut-butter sandwich. I raced out the door with the sandwich in hoof and made a bee line toward the southern end of the bog. No time to check on Snowball, I’ll just have to trust that she is alive and will hear my call…

Upon reaching the southern tip of the bog I finally had a chance to settle down and eat my sandwich while I waited for Fluttershy to show…

-Yes this does take place in Blackwing/ Rust's world, i did ask as did about a dozen other authors and he ok'd mentioning