Portals: Paradox (Book 2 in the Portals Series)

Chapters

The End and The Beginning
Portals and Time
Rainbows, Dances and Pretty Butterflies
Blue Unicorns and Magic
Ketchup
Nightmares
Knowledge
Prologue
Epilogue: Full Circle

The End and The Beginning

Note: if you do not read past this chapter, you will not like it. I promise that it ends nicely, but don't trust your first impressions on this book. I do not welcome anyone that will not read past this chapter and ask that you not read this book at all if you are not going to read that far.

Fluttershy crawled into her cottage. She had thought that her days of being bullied were over. After several attempts on her, Dumbbell had successfully crushed her unconquerable soul. Closing the door behind her, Fluttershy turned to her animal friends: all eagerly waiting for her to tell them about her day.

Fluttershy couldn’t stand to look at them. She couldn’t stand the thought of having to live with this another day. She ascended the stairs to her room. The remaining animals at the bottom of the stairs longed for her to stop being so sad. Each of them took turns pounding on her door and trying to cheer her up. Several squirrels brought flowers. Fluttershy refused to open the doors. There was not a thing in the world that could cheer her up.

Fluttershy went to the window: leaning her feet out of it before slumping to the side and falling a few feet to the ground. She was desperate. After too many encounters, Fluttershy had found the only option she could.

Several minutes into her short walk, Fluttershy saw few friends. It was late. There shouldn’t be anypony out at this time. Maybe Hooves and Dumbbell were out. They loved to torture her. They loved to see her hurt on the inside. Fluttershy crossed the bridge to the northern side of Ponyville thinking over all that had been in her life. She had met Rainbow Dash, but not even she could take away what pain the two pegasi had given her. Dumbbell had often told her she was ugly and Hooves never stopped making fun of her for being a weak flyer. Fluttershy’s pain was beyond the point of redemption. Even as she passed Sugarcube Corner, she started to cry. Pinkie would not stand for her frowning. Fluttershy just felt worse about it. The matter that she was sad when her friends all wanted her to be happy guilted her.

She started trotting faster. Her destination seemed even nicer to her, now. How could she forgive her school bullies? They weren’t sorry now. She was surprised they even found her. Why were they looking for her?

“They hate you.” The words formed in the back of her mind and echoed throughout the whole of her imagination.

“They hate me,” Fluttershy whispered to herself. The pain of the words coming out subsided and a tear shed from her cheek.

Her destination was soon approaching. She would be there soon. She would be ready for it to take her. The pain would be gone. She just had to walk past the library. The gravity of walking past the dwelling place of her best friend struck her. It hurt so badly. She just wanted to have it all come to an end.

Hurriedly, Fluttershy walked past it before running headfirst into a less familiar face.

“Oh. Hi, Kevin,” muttered Fluttershy after she bounced off of his white coat.

“Fluttershy, is there something wrong?” Kevin asked, noticing all of the tears and her dark expression.

“There...there’s nothing.” Fluttershy said hoping that he would he would stop asking.

“There’s something,” Kevin told her, “you can tell me, Fluttershy, you’re my friend, I love you.”

Fluttershy hadn’t considered that she had friends that loved her. After some encounters with him, Fluttershy didn’t want to talk, now. She didn’t have to. She broke into tears.

She burnt with the pain of all of the words that her school bullies had thrown at her. Fluttershy, very sad, attempted to cover up her previous intentions.

“Fluttershy,” Kevin exclaimed, “Come here.” He told her so as he embraced her. Fluttershy pressed against him as he choked on his own tears.

Fluttershy barely managed her way through the hug. She trembled and cried the whole time. Kevin still held her close.

This was the final straw. No regrets now. Fluttershy had feelings for him and the one stallion that she found most caring and most perfect for her was already attracted to somepony else. He tortured her with a hug. That was all she could have. It wasn’t that he could love her any more than that.

Kevin gave up the hug as Fluttershy darted away from him.

“Fluttershy, where are you going?’ Kevin begged as she sprinted towards the well at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Tears fell from Fluttershy’s face. She screamed for the destination.

“Fluttershy!” Kevin cried. Twilight had warned Kevin that the well was empty. There was no water at the bottom. That only meant one thing through all of the nonsense.

Kevin looked away as Fluttershy brought herself to the edge and bent herself far over.

Kevin ran to Twilight’s library for help. Kevin still couldn’t fly. There was no use in him trying anything unless he wanted the same fate as Fluttershy. It was too late. Fluttershy’s body was drawn from the well the day after that.

The funeral began days after. The outside foyer was overflowing with stallions and mares of all sorts. Among the crowd was Dumbbell and Hooves. At one point, there could be seen a stallion who approached them with a combined air of fury and sadness, grumbled a few harsh words to them, and whisked away as if he were never there.

Everypony cried. Applejack cried for her pal. Rainbow Dash cried for her bud. Rarity cried for her confidant. Pinkie cried for her friend. Kevin cried for his greatest friend. Twilight weeped for an eternity. The congregation couldn’t manage a word as the whole of Equestria watched the casket be brought down six feet.

Twilight cried as she brought all of her friends into her house. Beyond reasoning, this was truly the worst thing to ever happen to any of the mane six. Each pony walked away with a small share of the poor pony’s limited wealth. It did nothing to heal the holes in their hearts. There was nothing that could replace the holes in their hearts. Kevin had lost a part of his big heart. Fluttershy had been lost to the darkness of the souls of evil.

Kevin woke up from a mild sleep. He would have no real sleep, now. Fluttershy was gone. There was absolutely no way he would ever sleep the same way again.

Kevin looked out the window at the sky. It was still nighttime. The stars flickered. Somewhere in all that time and all that space out there: there’s an Earth. Kevin came from that Earth. There had to be some way that in this the worst of all situations, Fluttershy could be saved. That even though she was gone that she could still remain on this Earth with her rightful friends forever.

A light shone from afar. Kevin shielded his face from the great light in the midst of the darkness. A small ray of hope in the purity of evil. Kevin squinted so that he could make out the carrier of this great light.

It was Scootaloo: the small flightless filly. Fluttershy was a flightless filly, Kevin thought to himself. That was the idea came a voice from the back of Kevin’s mind. Kevin thought again. There were many strange outbursts like this from Kevin’s mind. Most of them were just random thoughts that kept him entertained, but this one was different. This one meant something and he knew it.

Kevin ran downstairs and awakened the sleeping alicorn. Twilight jerked awake as her door slammed open. Kevin stood in its place. Twi turned to see if Spike was still asleep which he was. That dragon could sleep through just about anything. Twilight’s head turned back to Kevin: who now had a smile on his face. He had an epiphany. He was going to save Fluttershy.

Author's Note

Read past this chapter, you are not welcome here if you are not going to read past this.
This is your warning.
Actually your warning was when it said 'tragedy' on the category section, so don't dislike this for what it is. YOU GOT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR.
Thank you,
The Derpy Doctor

Portals and Time

Kevin stood outside the bounds of where Twilight had once stood. He knew not where the portal was nor if it would actually change anything. All he knew was that it would only work with him, because he was the only one that would likely change into a human if he went through the portal. The portal might change the time to the days that he could potentially change Fluttershy’s past. Kevin stepped into the rubbage of the building. No one behind him to observe besides Twilight. She had left the remainder of her friends to take care of themselves until she could return. She wanted to make sure that this experiment could and would take place correctly. Kevin parted the entrance before moving walking to the very edge. Kevin knew that the portal had some magical ability to change location every time somepony stepped through it, but what exactly could it do as far as time is concerned? we hadn’t tried that yet. This was the place he remembered teleporting into. He didn’t remember it very vividly. The best he figured was that it was here. He assumed the position.

He stood with his hooves at shoulder width before thinking about earth: his home. He didn’t have many ties there. So he thought about the only thing that he could think of that could count as any tie.

He thought about his parents. Although he might not remember them that well, he still knew that they were his best company. An only child, he was the only person that had to love them. The last thing he remembered of them was his ninth birthday. Soon after that, they passed away. Kevin ignored that and tried to focus on all of the good things that had happened while they were alive. Of course, after thinking about his dead parents, he arrived at the graveyard that they were buried in.

Kevin saw immediately a funeral. There was a live funeral several yard away. To make matters worse, he was a pony still. He had to get through the portal before they saw him. Quickly, he thought about Fluttershy. Filly Fluttershy. It was too late. someone looked at him and noticed every little thing about him. Kevin tried to focus more and more, but more and more people started noticing him. There were several looking at him, now. Kevin tried on more time to think about filly Fluttershy before once again disappearing into another world.

Kevin came to his new surroundings. He was in a cloud home. There were only clouds around. Kevin thought he was in Cloudsdale several years ago, but he couldn’t be too certain. What if it wasn’t? he didn’t want to have to go back to the graveyard as a pony. The people at the funeral might hurt him like the one guy did with Twilight.

Kevin moved forward. He placed one hoof in front of the other; noticing that the ground was very bouncy. It was a cloud. The whole of the earth cluttered beneath his hooves in a cloud form. Kevin continued walking before being startled out of his mind by a sudden voice.

“Excuse me, caddet!” Came the voice of an obvious flying instructor. No wonder Fluttershy became so timid. That voice made Kevin want to jump behind a cloud and weep.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He came again. Kevin turned around to see the owner of such a tone.

“I was...”

“Not on my watch!” the grey pegasus with a dark brown mane interrupted, assuming Kevin was up to trouble.

“Come with me, I will take you to class,” The instructor called as he forced Kevin toward the cloud home.

Kevin thought to himself: Do I look like a filly? Before he could ask the question he looked down and noticed that asking such a question would get a very vain response.

He was a filly. His head was no more than a foot and a half away from the ground. He was half his normal height (in pony form).

Kevin continued to be shoved forth until he finally got to the flight school.

“Oh no,” Kevin thought, “He must think I’m part of the flight school”

Kevin turned as best he could to the instructor.

“There’s been a mistake!” He managed before the ignorant pegasus walked away ignoring him completely.

Kevin was in flight school. He could be bullied here just like Fluttershy.

Kevin walked around the small patch of cloud at his hooves. He thought about what he might do if the portal had simply made him a filly and didn’t do anything to adjust time. He might have to ask Twilight to change him back into a full-grown stallion. Kevin shook the thought out of his mind. He had to get out of here before that happened. Kevin looked for a way out.

The only thing in sight was clouds. There weren’t many of them, so escaping should be very easy. He charged the edge of the cloud he stood on before realising that he couldn’t yet fly as his other pony self. He was stuck on this end of the cloud until he could find another way. Now, Kevin tried the other side which was less difficult, it was separated by a small gap in the clouds that Kevin would have to jump if he were to make it.

Kevin reared himself to the edge. Even there he was about four feet from the impending edge of the cloud and wouldn’t get that much of a running start. With as short of a body as he had, the small portion of land he had to run on wasn’t helping the thought of jump.

“Say, this sure reminds me of something,” Kevin said as he began the first verse of an all too familiar song.

“It’s not very far, just move your little rump. You can make it if you try with a hop, skip and a jump.” He began as he jolted himself at the clift.

He failed and found himself slipping at the very edge of the mound by only two hooves. Soon, he would fall and there would be no one to even know him before he died without one witness.

However, he was not doomed. Very soon, somepony grabbed his hoof and brought him up.

Kevin wondered who the mysterious pony could be.

The question of ‘who’ being answered as his face came over the edge of the cloud layer.

It was Rainbow Dash.

Kevin rested his hooves on the soft ground.

“Thank you, Ra…” Kevin commented her name and then stopped himself: both from saying her name and from having a starstruck fan moment.

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” she acknowledged. Kevin walked towards her and tried to see the strange field. There were several little fillies trying to fly. Many of the fillies were successfully flying, but few were still “earth” bound. One pony had brown fur and flew like he had been flying for several months. Another had greyish blue fur and flew mildly less majestically. Each of them were part of a group of thirty or more. Kevin watched in awe as many of the fillies passed each other and gave some bad acknowledgement to those who were caught in their way.
Kevin noticed one pony in particular that he admired. He noticed one with yellow fur and pink hair. Kevin knew this filly way too well and knew way too well what things were going to happen on a day like today.

Rainbow Dash rubbed her hoof on his face to get his attention.

“Hey!” He woke up, “Wake up! Are you okay?” Rainbow attempted.

“Sorry,” Kevin said as his eyes stopped their dilation, “Sorry, what’s um… What’s your name?”

“I’m Rainbow Dash, and You owe me your life! Sit Slave!” Rainbow demanded.

Kevin submitted. Although he knew he was not her slave, he knew better than to criticise Rainbow Dash.

That was when Rainbow Dash burst out laughing.

Kevin stared down on the filly: the filly that was currently quite literally rolling on the floor laughing.

When she finally got up, she told that she was joking.

“I’m always about a good prank,” She told pretending to punch him on the shoulder. Kevin nodded. “Right,” more thinking back on what he learned over the episodes than actually responding to the statement.

Rainbow dash spat on her hoof and then held it out for him to shake. “I really am Rainbow Dash, though, but you can call me Rainbow Dash.”

Kevin wasn’t planning on grabbing a spit-covered hoof any day. This was against basic rules of sanitary… stuff. Kevin prepared to spit on hi own hoof... He spat… Reached it out to the pegasus in front of him…

They shook. Before rainbow let him pull his hoof away, Rainbow Dash asked him: “And your name?”

Kevin forgot to respond. “Um… Kevin.”

Rainbow Dash took her hoof away and squinted at him.

“Kevin?”

“Yeah” he answered.

“What kind of a name is Kevin?” She questioned.

In the deepest recesses of Kevin’s mind came the echoing painful practice that ponies don’t have actual names. Everypony’s name was an action a verb or some noun. His name was simply an old hebrew word for some adjective. Everyone’s name on earth was. Kevin got to the response.

“It’s um… Native Equestrian,” Said Kevin to the small idol (at least the very beginnings of an idol).

“Okay,” Said Rainbow Dash in a more “whatever you say” Tone.

Kevin again turned to the large group of pegasi making several laps around the cloud-court. “Who are they?” He asked only so that he could say that he knew their names later because somepony told him.

Rainbow then continued to tell him all of the names of the pegasi in the area (I’m not gonna tell you. You already know them).

Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off of the yellow pegasus. He knew that he was there for her, but all he could think about was his girl: Twilight. Trying to concentrate, Kevin flapped his wings in an attempt to fly.

The wings carried him no farther than he could through himself. He barely made it two feet. Rainbow Dash flew away tisking.

“If you can learn to fly by the time everypony knows your name, you might not be bullied for the whole rest of your time here,” she said judgingly.

Kevin knew this to be correct. Judging by Fluttershy’s every reaction to the very subject of flight camp.

It was lunch time. Kevin approached the cafeteria.

Fluttershy was in the corner. Nopony else sat there. That was the place Kevin had to be. He took his tray over to the opposite side of her. Fluttershy turned her head a few degrees away. She clearly did not want to make eye contact. Kevin couldn’t help it though. He stared into her shy eyes. The eyes began filling with tears as Kevin swam their essence. That was when Kevin saw the sudden moisturization forming in their corner.

“Pardon?” Kevin asked Fluttershy.

“Sorry,” Fluttershy sniffed. “I’ll just go somewhere else.”

“No,” Kevin begged, “Stay, this is your spot anyway.”

Fluttershy sat back down reluctantly. She brushed her mane over her eyes so as not to be seen: crying or otherwise.
Kevin brushed the mane to the side.

“Why do you hide yourself?” Kevin asked putting as friendly of a smile as possible.

“I…” was the only real word that came out before she continued to say needless gibberish in a silent voice.
Kevin sat closer to the edge of the table to listen. All he managed to hear was mixed in with the other sounds of the cafeteria.

“Hey!” Kevin startled her.

Fluttershy jumped.

“If you feel the need to isolate yourself from the other kids then you should stop right here,” The tone scratched into Fluttershy’s ears.

“I’m here regardless,” Kevin shared, “I won’t let them tease you.”

Fluttershy’s tears formed and eventually the first one made its way down her cheek. It wasn’t that Fluttershy didn’t like his words. She just wasn’t used to strangers telling her to look forward to something.

“My name’s Kevin,” said the colt, “What’s yours?”

Fluttershy rubbed her hoof and turned away from him.

“I… I’m um…” Her words again inaudible, Kevin got up and sat on the other side of the table beside her.

“That’s okay,” Kevin said, “You don’t have to tell me your name.” He continued to his plate and began eating the small vegetarian meal.

Fluttershy remained silent. Kevin started to wonder when Fluttershy would feel comfortable with eating her own food. Was she even hungry?

He reached his hoof over to her plate and picked up the main food item (an apple. go figure) and started bringing it to his plate before putting it right back down. She really wasn’t going to put up any sort of fight for anything. Kevin brought his plate over to hers.

“Fluttershy…” He began.

Rainbows, Dances and Pretty Butterflies

Kevin began on his examination on Fluttershy. “Someday, you will have more friends than you can count.”

Fluttershy moved away. This colt was very confidence evoking, however he knew her name before she knew his and was afraid to ask how.

Kevin shrugged. There was no way to earn her trust today. He would have to do it over a long period of time.

Kevin awoke to another day on Cloudsdale. He thought on how long he would be here. He wanted to get back home to Ponyville. After this one night, he already missed his best friend.

Fluttershy woke up to another day on Cloudsdale. She didn’t know the colt that stood in front of her yesterday, nor why he knew her name. She knew one thing, however. He was nice to her and she liked him. She liked him more than anything she had ever liked. This was a different feeling. This feeling was as if someone were pulling on her heart. As if the two bullies that had made fun of her the other day were stringing threads through her heart and tugging it towards the colt that sat by her. What was the name? Kevlar? maybe his cutie mark was working on bullet-proof vests or something. Maybe that was that weird name. Either way, Fluttershy liked the colt in mind. Fluttershy didn’t know it yet, but she loved the colt and that colt had somepony else in mind.

Kevin thought about his best friend. After taking care of her for two weeks, he had gotten very fond of her.

Fluttershy stepped towards the arena. it was her first full day of flight camp and she had been bullied yesterday. She had no intention of being bullied today so instead of attempting to make friends, she hid behind her mane in hope that nopony would see her.

Kevin caught up with Rainbow Dash. She was Fluttershy’s best friend. Kevin tried to ask her how she might help Fluttershy.
As Kevin approached Rainbow, he started to notice some very different approaches.

“Rainbow Dash? What’s wrong?” Kevin began to question.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I think there’s just something wrong.”

Rainbow was right, though. As the two of them approached the field, a very bad situation was brought before their eyes. Fluttershy was being teased relentlessly by the only two pegasi that really could fly (except for Rainbow Dash). Kevin recognized this, though. This was the same setup as an episode the he saw. Soon, Rainbow Dash would dive in there and save her. Kevin turned to his idol and then gestured her to go and fix the situation.

“What?” Rainbow asked.

“Do you wanna help?” Kevin asked.

“No!” Rainbow said stomping her hoof on the ground.

Kevin was confused. Weren’t they friends at flight camp? Kevin walked over to her.

“Why not?” Kevin peratined.

“If you are to survive here at flight camp, you need to stay alone and not help to injure or help a situation.

“But Rainbow, she’s your friend,” Kevin started.

He gave up and blurted, “You don’t know it yet, but you’ll both get your cutie marks from this.”

This was a little bit of a spoiler for Rainbow Dash. The reasoning for telling her this might bend around some sort of paradox just by telling her this. Regardless, though this is how Rainbow Dash gets her cutie mark and she needed to get down there, now. Rainbow Dash skeptically made her way over to the two stallions and the mare quaking on the ground. Rainbow Dash spoke inaudibly from the platform that Kevin stood on.

The conversation went on for several moments before the first words that could even remotely be heard rang through Kevin’s ears.

“What do you have in mind?!” came the clear voice of Rainbow Dash. Kevin smiled wide.

Twilight ran around her library. Pinkie had stumbled in and declared very audibly that her Pinkie sense was acting up and that it was something she never felt before. Twilight could only guess with all of the time she had spent hanging around the doctor the one thing that this could mean: Kevin had created a paradox. Pinkie’s eyes dilated and then came back to their normal size.

“There it is again!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Given that Kevin had went into the past and that this hadn’t occurred before, it was likely that Pinkie’s sense was saying that much. Pinkie confirmed it when she was asked

“Well then,” Twilight examined, “it looks like we’re going to have to go on an adventure with one of our friends.” Twilight charged out of the newly built library. The Castle of Friendship stood high no farther than a block from there. Twilight tried her luck on the inside of the Everfree Forest. He had to be there. The stallion that she looked for had to be close by. He never moved out of her immediate reach. He was there. He had to be.

“Well!” started the eldest son.

“Well what?!” answered the elder to the younger.

“Well, did you or did you not see the pony?”

“I saw him,” said the elder.

“What are we going to do about that then?” said the younger.

“We are not doing anything. We are going to tell our friend about it, grab what was settled as ours at the funeral and you and I will go ahead and move to a bigger house,” declared the eldest. This wasn’t their battle. They didn’t care about what they saw at the funeral. They didn’t care about the thing that they dare not speak of in public. A friend of theirs did, though. He would very much like to know. Maybe there was money in it. Maybe he would pay them a hefty price for him. Any chance he got to lower any amount of their population by even the smallest amount was the sweetest nectar. Each of them turned to the other and began to think about what the other will do with his share of their parent’s money. Their parents had died. They might as well get a little bit more money doing something that would require them dead while they now could.

Kevin stood by the sidelines of the track. Rainbow Dash, Hooves and Dumbbell lined up at the starting line. As this was against school rules, each of them refused to tell the teachers. Fluttershy sat on the cloud directly in front of the track. She held the flag in her mouth and prepared to wave it. Rainbow prepped on the starting line as Fluttershy lifted up the checker flag. Kevin witnessed the flag drop and the fillies jump for the sky. Everything fell into place just like the television episode. Rainbow Dash performed her first sonic Rainboom and everyone in the whole of flight school saw the entirety of Rainbow Dash’s earning of a cutie mark. Now, Kevin was there. He was present for this great event: the cause of everypony that he admired: his very role-models biggest moment in all of their lives. And Kevin was the cause of it.

Right now was a good time to be him.

Rainbow Dash crossed the finish line first. Then came Dumbbell. Hooves never crossed. He was still stuck in a cloud. Rainbow Dash flipped her mane before declaring herself winner.

“I won!” Rainbow Dash called from beside the cloud that held up the finish line, “I won! I can’t believe I did it!”

“You also performed a perfect Sonic Rainboom,” Kevin finished declaring to her.

“Yeah, that too,” Rainbow beamed and blushed. She really loved the attention. “But still, I won! I can hardly believe it!”

“You probably shouldn’t,” came the upset and quite annoying voice from behind us, “You cheated!” he exclaimed.

Kevin shrugged. It was all too likely that he would be in denial over that. He seemed too in denial in the sonic rainboom episode. Even after he had saw one for himself he refused to believe one existed.

Kevin, being his own saint walked over to defend Rainbow’s place.

“She didn’t cheat! She participated in the event same as you! And…”

“Pardon!” Kevin was then interrupted by the instructor. Apparently it was that time already. They were all going to get it, now. It was the second day of flight camp and they had already broke the rules declaring that nopony was supposed to race unless the instructor commanded them to.

“What’s happening here?” He demanded.

Silence.

“Alright, well whatever it is, you all owe me 100 laps! Starting now!”

This was the same judgmental, mean, grey instructor that assumed Kevin was up to something bad when he first arrived. His butt-chin shined in the bright sunlight. That was what they called it on Earth anyways.

Glumly, Kevin brought himself over to the large arena where everypony seemed to do their own laps. Kevin flapped his wings just fast enough to get himself off the ground. That even was farther than many ponies other than him could fly. He flapped in several attempts getting himself to fly about two feet before stopping. He did this several times until he made an entire lap. That was when he gave up. He would never make it all the way around this track one hundred times. Three ponies flew right past him as he tried flapping his wings and running just like the other flightless pegasi did. Of course, since he was at a farther practice than the other pegasi were, his flapping got him farther into the lead. He lapped several ponies and got to a very good position. He got fourth overall in class.

There was one member of the class that he wasn’t able to compare to. Fluttershy. She still was down on earth somewhere. Maybe he could find her if he went.

The instructor was speaking some gibberish about some big dance or something or other. That wasn’t important right now, though. Kevin had to see the pony that needed him so that later, he could return to someone he liked even more.

“Fluttershy!” Kevin shouted. Where could that pony be? it wasn’t as if she was honestly that hard to see and it wasn’t as if she didn’t have animal friends now to tell her about his visit.

Fluttershy nestled with her new friends. Although she didn’t really have any friends up in the clouds, she had friends down here. Her friends loved her and wanted to be around her. These were her greatest companions. Fluttershy watched as all the animals ate and attempted to share their food with her. Fluttershy accepted the food and returned them several items of her own to compensate. This was a great day for the yellow mare.

A voice called for her. The voice comforted her. It made her feel that whatever those bullies up in Cloudsdale had forgotten her. It wasn’t that that seemed a logical hypothesis. His voice just warmed up the part of her that was recently left cold.

Kevin dipped below the trees. She had obviously made several animal friends down there. Many of which would be below the trees.

Fluttershy came to the clearing where she heard the voice. “Kevlar” would be there. He had a strange name and she wasn’t very sure if he’d be there.

As she reached the clearing, a very bad feeling washed over her.

Was she in the right place? Where was Kevin? He would hurt her, would he? Why was her stomach turning?

These questions filled the shy mare’s thoughts as started to lay herself on the ground so that her hooves could cover her face.

Kevin was mentally screaming for her to move. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

Hooves and Dumbbell came down from the sky.

Fluttershy looked up through her now closed hooves to see her bullies. She whimpered at the sight.

Kevin ran towards the scene. This can only end one way.

“So you really can’t fly,” Hooves acknowledged.

Fluttershy didn’t respond.

“What are you even doing down here?” Dumbbell pitched his argument.

Fluttershy continued her spot-on imitation of a tree.

Hooves and Dumbbell continued their attack.

“What do you have on your sides, huh?”

Both hooves and Dumbbell moved to the side of Fluttershy to get a better look: noticing that her cutie mark was butterflies. Each of them burst out laughing.

“Your cutie mark is butterflies?!” screamed Hooves from between gasps of air from laughing too much.

Kevin ran to the now crying mare’s side in defense.

“What are you here for?!” Kevin questioned.

“We were sent here to come and get you. We are the only ones that can get you back up to the cloud home,” Dumbbell exposed.

It was true. Neither of the two fillies could get themselves up to the cloud-home.

Kevin sat by Fluttershy.

“If that is true, then why do you need to make fun of her for her cutie mark?”

“Because what’s the harm in having a little fun while we can?”

Kevin stood unamused.

Each of the foals got ready to attack the mare.

“If you are so bent on making somepony miserable, then do it on me!” Kevin shouted stepping forward stomping hoof on the ground.

Dumbbell moved his head back in surprise. Who’d have thought that he would give up all the opportunities not to be made fun of for the opportunities to be teased.

Regardless, they were never going to stop at someone who was literally asking for it.

Kevin stood still beside the quaking mare as the two bullies cracked their meaningless jokes. Kevin didn’t listen; he had what friends he needed.

Fluttershy raised her head from under her hooves and looked up at the white pegasus. He beamed down at her. Fluttershy felt just as uncomfortable being around the teasing even if it were somepony else. However, the fact that he would give himself the torture of their words for her made everything better. Fluttershy gave Kevin back the smile. Kevin stood at the still shaking mare’s side as Fluttershy completed her thoughts on her new friend.

Blue Unicorns and Magic

Twilight finished her great charge at the edge of the Everfree Forest. There was no tent there, no hut, no small home. Where did he go? He had to be in her immediate reach. He always was. Twilight gazed at the empty spot: surprised that he would or even could leave so quickly. Even so, she now had no hope at helping Kevin. She would lose two of her friends to the same small event.

Saddened, Twilight turned just as the voice hit her.

“Something wrong?” the friendly voice spoke in hopes of cheering her up.

Twilight jumped in fright. The figure that stood before her firmly scared her.

She lowered her head and brushed off her negative feelings about her friends never returning to her side. After all, they weren’t always true. “Not now,” Twilight tamed.

It was him. The stallion from the funeral. The one that chewed out Dumbbell and Hooves.

The pony in front of her hid behind a khaki trench coat - something he didn’t usually do. An epic scar - a byproduct of the last time the two had met - draped in a diagonal line across his muzzle. His worried green eyes stared straight into hers.

Twilight walked towards him to ask him the favor.

“I need your help,” She told him.

“What with?” the stallion asked cocking his head.

“You know that Portal?”

Kevin, having been helped up to Cloudsdale along with Fluttershy, sat at the mess hall.

Fluttershy stared at her food. It wasn’t that she wasn’t hungry. If anything, Fluttershy just felt weird eating around someone already so special to her. She was so shy that the thought of being around him while eating was discomforting. How could she manage to choke down the food? What if she got some on her face? She considered he wouldn’t like her if she ate weirdly. Fluttershy might even get fat off of so many calories.

Fluttershy’s brain ached with so many thoughts.

“Fluttershy?” Kevin turned to the mare, “Is there something wrong with the food?”

Fluttershy thought if over and considered the best of her options to say to him.

“It’s um… fattening?” Fluttershy complained, hoping he’d buy it.

“Fattening? Why should that concern you?” Kevin asked.

“I, um…” Fluttershy tried to back up her complaint.

“You’re thin, Fluttershy. What did those boys say about you?”

“I’m fat and ugly…” Fluttershy whispered clutching her shoulders and staring at the floor.

Kevin gasped, “Fluttershy, you stop those thoughts right now!”

Fluttershy panicked. This was like some sort of hard love. A hard love that was scary.

“You’re beautiful, Flutters,” Kevin wondered.

Fluttershy looked away and assumed he was lying.

Kevin pulled his arms all the way round her: bringing her close as she drew one tear.

“You can trust me, Fluttershy. You are one of the most beautiful mares in all of Cloudsdale,” Kevin assumed.

Fluttershy saw her chance and took it.

“You’ll go the dance with me then?”

“What dance?” Kevin asked not remembering the conversation the teacher had with his students earlier.

“Nevermind,” Fluttershy decided. It was better to not ask and not get rejected or embarrassed.

“Yes,” Kevin answered. On the one hoof, he loved the magenta mare on the other side of Equestria (likely practicing magic with Princess Celestia at the “School for Gifted Unicorns”). On the other, this mare needed someone close to go to it with. Kevin, being the regular party brony when he was back on Earth was up to any dance anyway, and he himself needed someone to go with. Either way, Kevin agreed.

Fluttershy looked back at him.

“Yes?” She muttered

“Yes, I will go to the dance with you,” Kevin answered.

“Yes!” came the very evident replacement to Flutter-yay.

It was Fluttershy’s turn to hug Kevin. She leaned forward and barely managed the hug with both her small size and her general shyness holding her from completing it.

Kevin calmed the attitude, He leaned into the hug and braced her against him.

Bellus began towards the cemetery. The ground was wet with rain as it poured down.

“So it appeared here?” He asked the brothers: his voice like the echoing noise of a thousand serpents.
Each of them nodded.

“What did he look like?”

The brothers each took turns notifying his traits with the occasional slip up of telling the wrong characteristic and completely exaggerating everything like: “he had claws instead of hooves” or that “he had sharp teeth.”

Bellus stood at the end of the portal in wait. If a pony had appeared here, it would have to show up at one point to get back to its world. Maybe he could get his mitts on that purple one and finish her in those ways he had thought over. She would be the very description of pain.

“So, you can get the portal to send us to Earth?” Twilight questioned the stallion as he worked on a spell.

“I can,” he started over his shoulder as he worked, “It’s complicated, though. This spell I’m making will have the portal send us back to wherever it was that Kevin was last sent to.”

“So, we just have to do the same thing that Kevin did?” Twilight asked.

“Should work,” he proclaimed.

Twilight was quite desperate. One of her closest friends was gone. Maybe forever. She might never see the beautiful mare again. If this was her last option, she would do it. Even if it weren’t successful, Twilight needed the reassurance that she did everything that she could.

After about a half hour of investigating, the stallion finally finished his spell writing and came to the edge of the ruins.

The blue unicorn put away the spell book that he was currently working on along with the corresponding quill and began with it.

His horn glowed bright green and an aura floated all about him. It consumed the stallion’s entire body and then began to coat the building itself: bringing it to a completely different shade than it was this morning.

Before long, the spell ended and the stallion rubbed his head as he stared deeply into the shadows of the broken house.

There was nothing visible. He would have to go inside.

“Did it work?” Twilight’s voice brought to mind exactly what he was thinking.

“Probably,” he confirmed as he walked in, “Come on, let’s see.”

They both stepped into the empty house looking for the possible hiding place of the portal. He tall stallion ducked his head under several beams as his head was already so high off the ground. Twilight followed not far in his footsteps.

A glow caught the stallion’s eye as he stumbled into the living room (at least what looked like to be a living room after the sudden “change in scenery”).

He carried himself to the spot in discovery that his spell had at least worked on front. The portal had shown itself and regardless of its current position on Earth, he could still know where this one is. The stallion again tried to cast the same spell just to see if the portal had really made itself formidable. The portal glowed bright. It wasn’t bright like it was before. It was a different color. It was as if it were bright black. The sensation of both dark and light flooded the unicorn and he looked around to find Twilight in the same state. Although stunned, the stallion moved towards the portal is if hypnotized and attempted to confirm his theory. He put his hoof to the edge of the portal. It was difficult to tell if the hoof came out on the other side.

In order to be sure, he would have to go through the portal at a full charge. If not, then he would never know if the portal just transported part. It was too dark to tell otherwise. The stallion invited Twilight through the portal even though it was clear that the adventure was dangerous (and maybe only applicable to Twilight in the sense that she tends to be in those situations. This would also only apply to her in the matter that Kevin was her friend and she would want to help. As such, it is probable that that was the reason why she agreed. She nodded to the unicorn and came over to his side in preparation for the event to come.

The stallion continued through the portal in one swift moment finding the spell had worked. His head appeared in a very plain world. The very monochrome environment almost made him want to have an epileptic seizure. Twilight came soon after. Each of their heads being curiously too close together in another world. The stallion continued through the portal. He turned to help the mare after him. Being the gentlecolt that he was, he brought the mare forward with one hoof as a coach-pony would help a date from a carriage.

“Thank you,” Twilight said as she exited her dimension.

The stallion unicorn’s spell had worked and the portal had transported them to the very same place that Kevin had teleported to. Each of them turned to take a look at their new surroundings. They were in a graveyard. There was barely any light out and the rain trickled very slightly down to the mildly brown grass. The tombstones were in somewhat good condition with a small discoloration in one of the bunch. The stallion began to walk toward the portal to cast a second spell. The Portal will maintain visibility, but will act as it did before: they can think of their friends in another time and they can use their memories to go to their friends. The stallion brought his horn down to cast the spell before Twilight let out a sharp gasp.

This unicorn had only heard about humans from Twilight’s many stories. He had listened very fluently and was all too aware of the incoming threat. The assault came from behind the Tombstones. The unknown intruder quickly drew a gun from his back pocket and pointed it directly at the stallion standing in front of the portal.

The unicorn smiled as he turned his head to meet the threat, but no more than two seconds later, the hand-held weapon was fired. The stallion drew two swords from his horn: directly covering his face to keep the shot from reaching him, soon following the second spell: smoothly picking the human up and throwing him several feet to the side. The assaultist hit his leg against the ground and his head against a grave. Blood trickled from the new open wound of the side of the very infant adult that had moments before been the one attacking.

The recent guest to the new world turned to the mare beside him: still startled from seeing the ghost of an earlier month. The other unicorn went in for the hug that they both knew would come and they embraced each other in a tight hug.

Kevin trotted down the halls. All week had been like this. Fluttershy would be picked on and then he would step in and instead he’d be picked on. It didn’t matter, though. All this would be over with soon and he could see the pony that he really cared about. With this in mind, Kevin walked the schoolhouse: getting ready for his test today. If he could fly by the end of the month, he would pass flight school. Fluttershy would most likely not. That was too unfortunate. Hopefully, he could change that with the help of Rainbow Dash. Kevin began to walk towards the track. After practicing as much as he could, he might be able to fly after the very first couple of weeks.

Fluttershy sat in the corner, alone… again. Why does she insist on torturing herself like this? She had friends even as rare as they were. She didn’t have to hide herself so.

Kevin trotted over to the hallway corner and sat down beside the yellow scare in the wall.

“Why the long face?” he asked without thinking about the pun (Yeah, that pun’s old, reader, but what else was I supposed to say?)
Silence. Kevin put his arm around the still mass. Her warm fur pressed against his. Kevin was repetitively put in the type of situation where all he could do was give the yellow pegasus, or any other mane six for that matter, a hug. Kevin began to regret several instances where he had done this without much cause. That, though, was not as important to him as the fact that he gave what he had. He gave them a hug.

Kevin heard the pegasus hiccup. It wasn’t a hiccup as in when someone’s lungs stop working as they’re supposed to. It was a hiccup as in: one that comes when that particular person has been crying for enough time that the diaphragm becomes hard to control.

Kevin pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” He begged.

Fluttershy kept her mane over her eyes: hiding them from whatever judgment may come. Kevin still held his hooves on either side of the mare.

“I’m…” Fluttershy gasped before pulling back and bringing her head to her own chest.

Kevin leaned forward and lifted her head up with his hoof. Fluttershy reluctantly brought her head with it before noticing people passing through the halls and again throwing her head at a stare-down with the floor.

“Fluttershy,” Kevin again begged, “You need not fear judgement from me.”
Fluttershy still kept her head low until slowly bringing it up.

“There,” He stated, “Now what’s wrong?”

“That’s just it,” Fluttershy barely managed. “I’ve been nice, and tried everything I could to make friends. Nopony will. I’m not good at sports, I’m not really smart, and I’m not…” Fluttershy paused, “Pretty.”
That was enough, if not too much for Kevin. He had to get the brilliant character that she really was back into herself. Kevin recognized those words. He himself used to repeat them on a regular basis. He was not greatly popular, if anything he was an outcast. The only thing he was good at was being nice. Being nice to others, though, was being torturous to oneself. Not only was he unpopular, but he had to put up with other’s mocking. He was the dungeon for which their hate was kept and never released back.

Kevin was more relatable now than anyone to Fluttershy. The best thing that he could do is just what he was doing all his life. He would make the one he considered friend smile: regardless of what he or she thought of him. If he was their friend.

Kevin again lifted up the quaking head before bringing himself to communicate whatever lines he could to make her happy again. The sight of his dear idols crying this way completely burnt his heart. It almost made him think of it as his heart just being pulled right out of its cavity. But to make them smile was greater than all of that. When their cheeks are pulled all the way back to their ears and their manes just seem to come to life with the same type of passion that fills their bright faces was the greater emotion.

“Pretty?” Kevin examined.

Fluttershy shook her head as to confirm that she was firmly opposing that feeling.

“No, Fluttershy. Not pretty. You’re beautiful.”

Fluttershy raised her head all on her own, now. How could he say such a thing? How was he going to try to push her down like this? He would call her pretty. Even more than pretty, even and then go as far as to mock her for her very own feeling about herself.

“Don’t say that?” Fluttershy cried, “...I know it’s not true.”

Kevin was mentally gasping. He was only able to keep in the shock of this thought with the small figure that he would refuse his own words back when he was human. It upset him just as much, though.

“But you are,” he spelled out.

Fluttershy gave a sharp “No” in her squeaky voice.

Kevin couldn’t take it anymore. He had been sitting by her for about five minutes. The pauses in their conversation led it to be a lot longer than it would if it were spoken casually.

Fluttershy again hid behind her hair. Her big eyes fled from any chance at conversation.

Kevin avoided the conversation. He had one more trick up his sleeve. He had one: stupid and straight-up impulsive trick left up his sleeve.

Kevin arched his back: barely popping one joint before pushing the mane out of the way of her eyes.

Fluttershy was stunned. What was he doing?

Kevin put his lips against hers and kissed the shaking mare. It wasn’t really hard. It was really just one of the kisses that one would do as a little kid. It was without tongue (needless to say) and Kevin regretted doing so before even starting.

Twilight was his closest friend and he was starting to get to know her on a completely different level recently. He might have just blown it with a simple trial at telling a beautiful filly that she was in fact a beautiful filly. Another problem: she is the one accepting the kiss. What is she thinking right now? She might be quite violated by this and never want to be around him at all ever again.

Fluttershy had never been kissed by anypony before. This was her first time. To think that it was pretty much stolen was beyond her emotions at this point. She had no control over it. She just waited it out and attempted to move her lips as he did.

The stallion held Twilight awkwardly as she shook from the shock. She knew he’d stop at nothing to take as much of the burden as he could. Judging by the expression on the limp hairless creature that sat completely unconscious on the ground by the tombstone.

Twilight finally separated herself from the blue stallion and looked to the portal. They had to warn their friend that there was in impending doom about to kill him if he were to stay. Kevin could be saved. Since he wasn’t alive during this reality, he could be saved. After losing one friend, Twilight was unwilling to lose another one or to ever lose one in the first place.

The portal shimmered regardless of its positively black and lightless appearance: the illusion drove the stallion’s eyes mad.

The party of two dried their tears in preparation for the travel back through the portal.

Kevin pulled away from the kiss. He wasn’t as reluctant as he thought he’d be. Now that that was done was over, he had to face whatever consequences she thought were necessary. Perhaps maybe, she’d suffer long-term effects from this and she’ll end up even more shy than before. Even so, Kevin retreated from his action and acknowledged everything that he had just done in the possible last two minutes.

Fluttershy brought her hoof up to her face and blushed. This made her rethink her previous stance. Was he really telling the truth? did he really want her to know the truth? Her thoughts filled her head. The last one entered: “He might be lying so that he could hurt you worse later,” It hurt Fluttershy at a point that she decided to ignore the thought.

Kevin looked at the mare: deep in thought. Her immediate expression told him that in fact she was not upset. Kevin stood up from the conclusion of his moral stance.

“So,” Kevin pertained, “we have a dance to go to later, yes?”

“Um…” Fluttershy had forgotten about the dance and stared into the floor trying to realise what her impressions were as of earlier this evening. What dress was she wearing? What hair? What shoes? What colt? Silly questions, she knew each of them, but the shock of the moment before had wisped it all away. Everything from her memory was gone - including the who. She pondered as Kevin bended over and grabbed her hoof to help her off the ground.

Fluttershy took it with both slow reaction and eager shyness.

Kevin pulled her hoof until she was standing on all fours. He then continued his cooperations.

“I’ll see you there?”

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly.

Kevin bowed and then walked away to the ring. afterwards, he would have to get himself dressed for the dance tonight. The day after: test day. He would have to be able to fly or he’d fail the course and either have to stay for summer flight camp otherwise, The Rainbow Factory. It seemed unlikely, but maybe popular fanfictions had actually come true in this reality. Kevin shook the thought off and continued toward the track.

Ketchup

Kevin dressed in his room. He started by putting on a button-down shirt and a bowtie. He attempted to find pants, but failed. Apparently there were no pants in Equestria at this time. Perhaps not at all. Kevin searched his school closet for a jacket to make the outfit a tuxedo, but found none. As so, he looked towards friends for one. Although unlikely, there might have been a mixup in the laundry and his suit is possibly in a girl’s room. Even if it weren’t in a girl’s room, he wanted to see Fluttershy again before the dance. He wandered the halls to her room and knocked. A whining reply came telling him to let himself in.

Kevin opened the door and stepped hoof in the small bedroom. In the corner was the yellow pegasus half-dressed in her own dress. She didn’t appear to be sad, but her voice at the door was self-evident that that reality might not be so true.

“Hi there, Fluttershy,” Kevin said in a questioning tone, “I was just wondering if you had a suit… jacket,” He stumbled on the last syllables as he wondered to himself about how weird a question he had asked. It was worth a shot, though. She’d already said yes to going with him. What’s the worse that could happen?

“I have one.” Fluttershy said pointing her hoof at the closet a bit of worry coming into her already high-pitched voice.

“Is something wrong?” Kevin asked.

“No,”

“No,” Fluttershy attempted a lie.

“I know something’s wrong,” Kevin tried.

“It’s just… I don’t know what to wear.” Fluttershy ducked again under her hair and blushed from embarrassment.

Kevin dropped the conversation before hoof and brought himself over to the mare in the corner.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Fluttershy. It is easy to get concerned over Your clothes on a day like this,”

Fluttershy’s eyes tensed and confused. Kevin had only to tell her one thing.

“You wear whatever you think is best,” Kevin told, “It doesn’t matter that strongly. I know whatever you choose, you’ll wear it well enough.”

Kevin emphasized his confidence in her by smiling. At that time, Kevin went for the suit in the corner of the room in the closet.

Fluttershy still worried about him. Her school bullies were very cruel. Maybe there was one that had decidedly became friends with her so as to crush her spirit with betrayal. Kevin had proved himself above such a stunt, but it still remained the option that he was here to displease her.

“Kevin?” she started towards him.

“Yes?” Kevin asked.

Fluttershy, having realised what she was going to ask would make for a fight she did not want to happen, declined. “Nothing. Silly question.”

Kevin left the room telling the mare thanks and good luck.

The dance would start soon.

“It didn’t feel right,” said Hooves to Dumbbell.

“I know it didn’t. He could fly just like us. He could have been one of us,” Dumbbell responded.

“I know that.” He then hesitated to himself. “It’ll all be over soon, though. He won’t stick around after tonight. Especially during summer flight camp. We’ll be there, right?”

“Of course. You think we would stay away from that. We are so allowed here after the normal school year is over. We’ll be there.”

Kevin walked the halls in his best clothes. The floor that they said the dance would be on was a few feet ahead (if that were the correct measurement in Equestria. Maybe it was hooves) Kevin trudged forward and thought on his success. He had gotten by far the most beautiful character at the school to go with him. The chances of this happening to him on earth were a whopping: zero to none. Perhaps he was bringing his mind to wish and hope that this was going to show up. She was not fond of being around so many people in a room doing something like this. Kevin managed his way through the entrance to find that Fluttershy wasn’t there. But there was still time. He could wait. He believed in her she’d make it here by herself. She wouldn’t let him down.

The day dragged on and Kevin continued to stare at the entrance: hoping that she’d show up for him. That she’d be here and that he could heal her through a good night out. So he waited and waited.

Fluttershy was in her room: glaring at her reflection. Pretty? She supposed not. She didn’t want to be considered so. It would attract attention to her.Attention that she didn’t want. She gave it her best efforts. She had to try for Kevin. He was probably the only other pony to accept her. That was discluding her parents, but she could probably forget about them appreciating her after she got her cutie mark in taking care of defenseless animals. Kevin would accept her if she appeared to the dance in any clothing whatsoever. She wouldn’t Fluttershy attempted to open the door several times, but she stopped herself and sat down to examine herself. She was done, now. What else was there to do? She still couldn’t go. She sat under those conditions.

A knock echoed on the door. Fluttershy turned and guessed to herself that is would be Kevin.

“Come in.” Fluttershy moaned.
The door opened. Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she found the figure to be Rainbow Dash.

“What are you doing in here?” Rainbow questioned.

“Oh, I was…” Fluttershy muttered.

“You got to be out there. People want you to show up.” Rainbow explained.

“Really?” Fluttershy announced.

“Yeah. I’ve hear Kevin is waiting very anxiously for you. Even Dumbbell and Hooves are.”

Fluttershy was filled with warmth at the thought that Kevin was there for her. She liked him strong enough for this to be a scene for her, but the thought of the other two made her shake in fear. Perhaps they were anxious because they want to be her friend, but Fluttershy questioned those thoughts to the point that they were mostly silent.

“Come on, Fluttershy. It’ll be fun.” Rainbow explained.

Fluttershy got off her chair.

“What if they laugh at me?” Fluttershy complained.

“They won’t! You look beautiful,” Rainbow reassured her.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Fluttershy said below her voice so that Rainbow dash couldn’t hear her.

Kevin was just about ready to go ahead back to his room. Or maybe he’d just start dancing without her. He looked at himself and realised that he should probably just go to her room to help her out as friendly as he could.

He got up from his chair to go the door. Only to find that his date stood right there. He didn’t recognise her as quickly as he’d imagined. She had her hair laced up with several flowers that seemed to shine like the brightest of stars. Her mane pulled back and arched across her back before bending off to the side and flowing down the side of her neck. It dipped as to almost reach the ground. Her dress was white with several stitching patterns used to hold the front to the back. Each pattern was used differently. Most of them were used to draw out a colorful array of designs that made the dress all the more intricate. Her tail was tied back in the same way as her mane and her eyes shone with a bit of excitement and a bit of dread. Her entire expression was as if she were happy, but not happy on her own. As if she were just cheered up by a friend and that she longed the attention of only one individual that she knew cared about her more than any other.

Kevin’s impressions were all made in less than a heartbeat (which in his case was longer than most; He skipped one just looking at her). He walked the distance to be at her side. As doing so, he thought about what a short distance it were. That he would only have to walk this far to be with her. He would walk so much farther. He would walk for miles. Even so, he wished he could say the same thing about Twilight. She was worlds away. He might not see her again for until Summer flight camp is over. He had to be there for this pony above another. So Kevin walked across the gym. He walked and smiled about the short walk that he would walk over and over just to see her face again.

Twilight wasn’t worlds away. Just one. She stood at the end of the portal and prepared herself for a home that took place a long time ago.

Kevin held the mare’s hoof in one arm and held her shoulder in the other.

Fluttershy blushed at her partner. He was very experienced at this. Fluttershy had never been to one of these and felt awkward being here. Not to mention the matter that Kevin was very close to her and she was more than a little excited to be in his arms. She was also embarrassed. She was beautiful. Everyone took turns looking at her. She felt scared and ashamed. She almost forgot about her partner.

“Fluttershy?” Kevin asked when Fluttershy’s gaze failed to meet his.

Fluttershy looked back up at him: her eyes revealing her cautions. Her big eyes almost seemed to reach out and speak to him. As if to tell him what was wrong.

“Fluttershy, I won’t let you get embarrassed. If we fall over, it’s my fault, okay?” He hesitated before concluding. “I’ll lead. No one will judge you.”

Fluttershy was reluctant to believe his words. It was very difficult to not get judged at a social event. Kevin was one of the more likely people to judge her on paper. He was able to fly just fine. That alone was enough to make him a bully at the school. Not to mention, no matter how he tried, it was difficult to get friends. Fluttershy guessed that it was just that way for everyone nice. In any case, Fluttershy believed him. She could trust Kevin. She loved him.

Her thoughts almost made her giggle. “I don’t love him.” She lied to herself. The evidence was overwhelming and even so, the thought was held inside of her head in a subconscious state.

Fluttershy had essentially blacked-out on Kevin’s face and was thinking too much about her thoughts: thinking too much about how right now she was judging him and about her own thoughts and her own feelings about him. She had neglected to see that the stallion had already started counting down from three to begin dancing. She came back to reality as Kevin finished on “one.” With such an unexpected start, she stumbled and tripped in the first few seconds.

Kevin didn’t mind. He looked into the mare’s sweet eyes. They identified gentleness and hospitality. In them, Kevin saw himself. She was a lot like him. This was different, though. She was someone that he loved beyond reason. He loved each of the characters this way, but even much more with Fluttershy and even more so with Twilight. Kevin stopped leading when Fluttershy tripped a second time and he straightened her up.

“Are you okay?” Kevin asked in his most gentlecolt tone.

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy lied again. She was cluttered up with many thoughts her own values on her own life interfered with her opinions and what to do and Kevin was counting on her this very moment. Fluttershy looked back into Kevin’s eyes. She was not ready to dance. She had too much on her mind.

“Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’ gaze hit his entire face as he spoke. She knew now: looking into his caring eyes that he cared. She could see the emotions bleeding through to concern in his face.

“You put your eyes on on mine and forget anything that you’re thinking about, okay? This seems weird, but you’ll get it. I know you will.”

Again, Fluttershy trusted Kevin and put her hooves back into position and prepared herself: thinking of nothing, just Kevin. And when Fluttershy looked down, she was dancing along with Kevin. That was the best part of the night. That she realised she could do this all night. That She was wanted by somepony.

Hours passed. Fluttershy thought those hours mere moments before the voice finally got over the speakers to do the announcements.

“Hello, Cloudsdale Students! Welcome to the student-only dance. We all came here for a good time, and because we are he here for that reason, Let’s announce the queen of tonight’s dance.”

Kevin held only one of Fluttershy’s hooves as each of them stared at the announcer: She was just a short mare that stood not far from the edge of the stage.

Kevin eyed the mare suspiciously. She didn’t look like she was up there for all of the right reasons.

The mare opened the envelope and read the paper aloud to the gym full of people.

“Fluttershy!” She shouted into the microphone. He teeth went over her bottom lip and her eyes flushed as if she had expected her to be the queen. The mare then got off of the stage bringing the crown with her. Kevin watched as the timid filly made her way up the stage to accept the award. She hardly moved. The whole way, she looked at the floor and made a short duck-face.

Being the best that he could be, Kevin escorted the mare to the stage and let her crawl the rest of the way onto it. Kevin waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Fluttershy made her way to the tip of the wooden stage and made a toe reach for the plastic crown. Something about the entire incident bringing deja-vu and curiosity into Kevin’s mind. He recognized the scene, but not enough to know what was about to happen.
It finally hit Kevin at the last second. Fluttershy had reached out her shaking hoof to grab the small prop and place it on her head when the bucket fell.

Kevin witnessed the filly’s expression go from shy to devastated.

A large dose of syrupy condiment was quickly flushed all over Fluttershy’s head. It ran down her back and all over her dress. Her beautiful hair was caught victim and when the entirety of the contents were emptied from the bucket, Fluttershy’s body was plainly covered in red ketchup. Her eyes burned with a combination of tears and red tomato.

Kevin ran to the stage. He knew that even if he were not part of the people that did it, he’d still get some distrust from Fluttershy.

Kevin was more of a poetic guy than a fighter. He knew he could do the littlest thing that would mean so much more than the big. He hugged the quaking mare: getting the condiment all over himself and all over his nice clothes. He whispered in Fluttershy’s ear as he did so. “It’s okay, Fluttershy, I’m here. They won’t hurt you.” Fluttershy’s tears streamed down her face and down her mane. The mane that she had worked so hard on. The night that she had worked so hard on was just destroyed. Kevin tore the microphone from the mare in the audience below and brought it to his face.

A few words can be of more meaning than anything. They can do more damage, they can bring more people up. The thing with short speeches, is the more small they are, the more meaning is packed into it. Kevin demonstrated his hate for this act, his defense against everything right that he would do and was doing, and all his love in single sentence. He demonstrated the right thing to do.

“It’s on me, too.” He examined before dropping the mic on the floor in front of the filly below the stage.

He turned to the silent mare that had already started making her way to the stairs at the edge of the stage. He reached his right hoof around her now red back and guided her back to her room.

Kevin himself was holding back tears. The matter that something like this happened was against every thought in his head. He recognized that the scene looked much like one from Pony.mov (hotdiggetydemon). That part wasn’t funny when it was fiction. Now the scene was completely below him.

Kevin walked her to the door to her room before taking his hoof away from her shoulder and giving her a sincere hug. The moment was unbearable. She quaked under the shock from a few moments ago. The thought of such a shy girl with such sensitive emotions being treated that way. The brutal tormenting of one of his greatest models was far below Kevin’s standards.
He took a few moments to complete the hug before pulling away and opening the door for her.

Fluttershy didn’t respond. She took her time walking into the room with a sad expression.

Kevin closed the door, gingerly wishing her a good night (stupid request given the circumstances).

As he did so, he slowly watched the silhouette of a slightly larger pony come into his line of view. The pony was a stallion with a sky-blue coat and a deep blue mane.

Nightmares

Kevin was startled. He had never seen a pony like this in the series. It seemed whenever the producer created a new character out of thin air, that character was a bad guy. The look on this new pony’s face (along with the scar on his muzzle) confirmed in Kevin’s mind that he was here for some off intentions. “How could a pony so young even have a scar like that?” he thought.
The impressions floated amongst all the other’s in the young mind of the colt until a purple hoof trailed around the edge of the cloud door and pulled it the rest of the way open.

“Twilight?” Kevin asked.
The alicorn nodded.

“Who’s he?”

“That’s not important right now. I need to speak with you.”

“Well… what?! I think I have some sort of a privilege to know who that is.” Before Kevin could continue, the stallion stepped forward and introduced himself.

“My name is Blizzard Blast,” his slightly deep tone crawled in through Kevin’s ears and tickled his acoustic nerve.

“What are you doing here?” Kevin asked not giving him a chance to explain.

“That’s what I was going to explain,” continued Twilight, “I was going to tell you. We’re here to get you home.”

“Why?!” Kevin asked, reflecting over the matter that he was here to help a mare that he had gotten to know through interaction with a TV screen nonetheless, but someone very significant to him. He was here helping her through her hardest time and now he was just going to throw that away?

“There’s a paradox, we…”

“I can’t though, the finals…” The interruption got interrupted.

“You’ll be killed!” yelled the mare. Kevin stepped back professionally so that they could talk a little more intimately(look up what this word means if you are giggling right now. For my purposes use definition one).

The news hit Kevin like a bag of used toasters. He couldn’t die there.

“You’ll be killed as the only thing that doesn’t belong here. You’re a paradox in this reality. I’ll lose you, and then I’ll lose Fluttershy in the future!” Twilight explained.

Kevin put his face between his hooves and looked upon all he did so far.

He had taken the hurt out of all of Fluttershy’s encounter bullies. Taken their names. Taken their insults, their carnage, their destruction. He was there tonight when Fluttershy was hurt beyond belief. Yet none of it hurt. He didn’t feel any pain, because he’d look into her eyes and she’d know that he was her friend. That he loved her. Everything would be okay. They both had a friend that cared more about the other than him/herself.

“I’m staying,” said Kevin, a bit muffled.

“Staying?” Twilight repeated, confused.

“I’m staying.” Kevin took his hooves away from his face and stood tall to make his voice clear as if he were confident in his decision (he wasn’t).

Twilight took a step back. “Why?” She said on the verge of tears.

“You don’t like me anymore?” Twilight whimpered to Kevin.

Blizzard Blast’s eyes turned colors from green to a milky white. Judging by that alone, it was likely he didn’t like what he was seeing.

Kevin hurriedly stepped forward and raised the mare’s head. “It’s not that,” Kevin said, “You need Fluttershy more than you need me. I’ll stay. I’ll stay. I’ll do whatever I can to get her back.” Kevin meant what he said, but he didn’t say all of it. The truth was he was also doing this for Fluttershy. He’d grown to love her. He’d grown to love her too much and Twilight was the wrong mare to say that in front of.

“I’m sorry.”

Twilight and Blast turned and left him alone at Fluttershy’s door.

“Twilight?” Kevin called after her in a now weeping voice.

Twilight turned only her head.

“Is he-?” Kevin gestured to the stallion to her left.

“My colt friend,” Twilight concluded his statement.

“Just what I thought,” Kevin thought barely aloud as he turned and walked.

Twilight put her arm over her greatest friend of all and continued to walk.

Twilight had someone else.

Morning was the flight test. Kevin would pass. That was a given.

He got out of bed with his mane in a mat. His face looked as if it had been held over an opened flame and melted like wax. His eyes were bloodshot. He was depressed. He might not ever be able to muster the strength that Fluttershy needed today, but he would have to. He would always have to.

Kevin climbed to the bathroom and took a shower that would outlast a bath before going to the door and walking the halls. His coat was still wet. His mane was slightly moist, but he could care less. Let the world mock him as if he still felt their words.

Kevin trudged onward until he reached Fluttershy’s room and knocked on the door, faking a smile as he did so.

Fluttershy opened the door and saw Kevin. Today was no day for a test. Fluttershy was still embarrassed from last night. She couldn’t face any crowds today, but Kevin had come here for her. There was one stallion that she couldn’t let down, here. The one word trailed Fluttershy’s mind. She had one stallion here. Her father undoubtedly wouldn’t show up after she got her cutie mark in taking care of animals.

Fluttershy sniffled and walked out of her room with the stallion’s hoof in hers. Each of them walked the halls.

Kevin saw the mare’s eyes as they walked: bloodshot. More than his. She hadn’t slept all night.

Kevin would hug her forever if it wouldn’t embarrass her. He thought of kissing her on her adorable forehead. It might seem weird to do that anywhere, even if they had kissed before.

He wisped away the thought as each of them approached the testing facility. Kevin took a deep breath in. This is where he would die. He would finish his test and then die here as a nameless, joyless, colt. Kevin walked her to the side of the arena and waited for the command to start. The track had already been set up. He would wait with the one he would later die with.

Twilight approached the portal with the one that she held most dear. It felt terrible to break Kevin’s heart and even worse to let him stay and die to help her friend. She wouldn’t let another pony die from this. It was Fluttershy or Kevin and Kevin had the choice. Everypony has choices.

Both Blizzard and Twilight were reluctant to return to the portal without what they came here for. Still, they had to go. The town would miss them if they didn’t. Twilight held Blast’s hoof as they began to pass dimensions. Blast knew the spell. He cast it and transcended his current world with his love. A white stallion forced his way past the couple and into the confused world of the past. Twilight looked to identify the figure as he darted quickly into the old world.

“Kevin?” Twilight squinted at the mysterious pegasus.

“Get down!” Blast shouted turning and thrusting Twilight’s head towards the ground: moving her head out of the way of a bullet.

The stallion moved his body the rest of the way through the portal and summoned two glimmering swords from his horn. He threw one of them at the human before him: cutting the destructive weapon in half.

The ground turned white with snow, but black with hatred as the warrior’s eyes flushed white with rage.

Colt after colt after mare after mare, Kevin waited his turn. It was useless to be sitting here waiting for his turn. What time did he have to fly if he was to be pronounced dead in no more than a few moments? Kevin shut his eyes as he sat in woe. His life reflected in his pupils. Only a small portion of it was spent knowing anything about My Little Pony™. Only two months was spent with them, but in that short time, Kevin had accomplished so much and saved so many lives. His was ending.

“Alright! I think it’s Kevin that’s up next!” shot the instructor with the hard voice.

Kevin passed himself up to front of the starting line as the instructor mumbled to himself.

“What’s a Kevin?” He muttered trying to hide what he was saying although failing.

“It means kind and gentle in Irish,” Kevin told the pegasus, annoyed at the matter that he had such a weird name in this reality.

“Fair enough,” said the stallion obviously again confused at the name of the language that Kevin had said.
With that, Kevin pushed off the edge of the cloud and flew the obstacle in a mild fashion, passing everything smoothly, but slow enough to be a humble flight to encourage Fluttershy.

Kevin turned the entire loop and found himself at the starting line again. His heartbeat fell out of time and he breathed hard.

“Passed!” Shouted the harsh voice as Kevin fell backward from dizziness.

The world around him spun and turned. Ripples turned from his very insides. He turned a spasm on the ground as he felt his stomach burn and his flesh felt as if it were being torn away and burnt.

And then it all vanished.

Fluttershy’s face entered his vision. Everything would be alright while she was here.

A single tear fell from the end of her nose. Kevin felt his own tear being brought forth.

He wanted to tell her it was all okay. That she would be alright. It was his decision, but the words choked in his throat. He blinked just for a minute and felt the shocking pain in his chest.

Kevin lay on the side of the test track: dead.

A mysterious figure entered very timely to the scene. He was a white pegasus with blue hair. That approached the body: now rippling into nothing and finally disappearing. The figure approached the mare: now shaking a third and final time.

Twilight scanned her library. After the encounter with the man with the gun, she ran through the portal and immediately passed anypony that wanted to carry out a conversation with her. A stallion had passed her that looked too much like Kevin for it to be real.

“WHO WAS HE?!” She screamed in her mind.
She looked over everything in her library in a rush.

“Spike!” She finally turned to her #1 assistant to get her book for her.

A stallion opened the door and marched in: seeing tears at his mare’s eyes.

It broke his heart that she would act this way.

“Twilight?” he asked awkwardly.

“There you are!” she shouted, “You know, don’t you?”

“Yes,”

“Who was that?” She responded in question.

“Kevin.”

“I knew it!” she calmed and then thought back, “How?”

“He is a paradox. A person cannot be a little kid in two worlds.”

“How’d you know?”

“I recalled his description from one of Fluttershy’s stories. I thought it was just a coincidence until I saw him.”

“So… the paradoxes? They’ll mark themselves out?”

“Yes, Twilight. They will. you can’t be a paradox that causes paradoxes. That just doesn’t make sense.”

“But why was that Kevin?”

Blast smiled at the mare as his horn lit up.

“I know what happens. I can’t tell you, though. It’d cause a paradox.”

“So what, now, then?”

“We wait.”

Knowledge

Kevin woke up. He was in the same spot at the same funeral he had attended a week and a half ago. Twilight cried over by the casket. A sky-blue stallion chewed out the two school bullies meters from the wake.

Kevin closed his eyes and cried into the palm his hoof. Fluttershy’s face mirrored back at him. He could see her face so vividly. Her tear falling onto his cheek. He saw it all. His tears flowed quickly. The pain of seeing her cry for him was unbearable. No matter how he thought of it, it hurt. It was the only thing that could save him, though. Stopping thinking about her was even more painful. He knew one thing. Love is the thing that happens when one person finds another and can’t stand to be without her. He opened his eyes for just one moment to look at Twilight. His thoughts cluttered and he couldn’t stand to think of it anymore. He was in love with Fluttershy. As the words filled his mind, he felt even worse. He had even died for her. Why was he here? He should be dead. He should be dead for the one that he loved. Why was it ironic that he had to die to figure out how much he loved his “friend”? Her beautiful face calmed the pain and he tried to focus on that. The tear on her cheek fell from her perfect nose and glided its way down onto his cheek. He took his eyes away from her to blink. Her face can’t take away pain when he blinks. Now she was gone. He’d never see her again.

The tear fell and hit his cheek.

Kevin could feel the tear, now. It rested on his cheek reminding him of how stupid he was not to confess his feelings for her before he had so foolishly died on a cloud. The tear was still there. Fluttershy was gone. She had died just as she had before. “Why was I here? Why did I go back, anyway?” his thoughts burnt like a ring of fire circling his head. The tear was still on his cheek. It burnt with… The tear was on his cheek. Again, Kevin felt so stupid. His own tear never moved. He was too in love. Love works in weird ways like that. He knew what he was supposed to do and he knew what mare he loved more than anything in any corner of the galaxy; a mare he loved more than anything in any universe and beyond anything he’d ever felt before. Kevin charged off of his chair and left the funeral: not giving himself any time to pardon himself to anypony he ran over on his way to the door. Kevin’s frown turned to a smile and a tear still stuck to his thick, grinning cheeks.

Twilight turned to Blast.

“Why do we have to be here a second time? As if it weren’t hard the first time?” She weeped.
Blast gave a weak smile.

Kevin turned to the wreckage of the old house and lept for the portal-now visible and flickering with excitement just for him. He stood in it for a few seconds only to find that it was automatically teleporting him, not as a whole.

He dashed in and out of the portal on the other side: in the human world only finding that it never changed in time. It was held at the same place at the same universe at the same time. Kevin sat at the entrance in the human world and investigated his surroundings. He was in a graveyard. No one was around. There was one guy passed-out on a tombstone, but he was probably just drunk. He searched for why he was here only to look down and see that his parents’ grave was right here. That was the saddest day of his life.

“Until earlier today,” He thought to himself.

He heard a small groaning noise coming from the corner of the yard.

The “drunk” person got up and wielded a gun.

As Kevin looked at the man, he realised he was anything but drunk. He had a stern expression, with no signs of a hangover and no dilation in his eyes. Kevin was a helpless pegasus.

Kevin leaned against the portal only to find himself falling headfirst into the pony world. Two figures held each other’s hooves as they themselves parted dimensions. Kevin had no time to question it. He turned and ran for his life. He looked behind himself mid-trot to see if he was following. He wasn’t.

When he turned back, his hooves barely skidded to a stop at the edge of the cloud-home. He was back in Cloudsdale. Kevin’s frown again turned to a smile as he backed away from the cliff and ran flapping his wings at the testing grounds. He got half-way there when he remembered he had wings and flew himself there.He realised how weird it might seem what he was going to do as a colt, but he didn’t care. He looked gingerly over the scene before him. He started shaking with excitement.

“Passed!” Shouted the harsh voice as Kevin fell backward from dizziness.
The world around him spun and turned. Ripples turned from his very insides. He turned a spasmed on the ground as he felt his stomach burn and his flesh felt as if it were being torn away and burnt.

And then it all vanished.

Fluttershy’s face entered his vision. Everything would be alright while she was here.

A single tear fell from the end of her nose. Kevin felt his own tear being brought forth.
He wanted to tell her it was all okay. That she would be alright. It was his decision, but the words choked in his throat. He blinked just for a minute and felt the shocking pain in his chest.

Kevin lay on the side of the test track: dead.

“Fluttershy?” The figure asked.

“Go away!” She shouted behind her closed adorable hooves.

The figure-Kevin-stooped down and moved her hooves away from her face.

She stared into blank space before her eyes met his.

Kevin was immediately embraced by her shaking arms as she leaned over and hugged him.

“It’s okay, I’m here. I won’t hurt you,” he told her, his voice stooping low.

Fluttershy sniffled.

Kevin pushed her away so that he could say what he was going to say.

“I’m sorry that you saw what you just saw,” he said, “I just gave my life for you. I’m sorry that that’s what happened. But regardless of what you just saw, whatever I just gave to save your life, I’d be more than happy to share the rest of my life with you.

Fluttershy cried. She didn’t know exactly what he meant. She wasn’t there for the full story, but she knew it’d be explained later.

She also was absolutely certain that he was the right stallion for her. It was undeniable that they were each other’s special somepony.

Kevin and his new love travelled through the portal together, they held hooves as they forged themselves on through.

Blast was busy there apparently. He was throwing bricks and grass chunks and many, many things at a human that stood before him.

Finally, he called it good enough and turned to see the couple holding hooves together.

“What happened to you guys?” asked the confused unicorn.

Kevin explained what happened and Blast understood every moment of it.

Kevin and Fluttershy smiled at each other as they began their own lives in future Equestria.

Fluttershy came to remember all about her friends at the current time and was found to be the exact same Fluttershy and at the end of every day, Kevin would get to come home to his new home in Fluttershy’s cottage. Where he would be able to completely relieve the pain of the day by looking into the mare’s soft, blue eyes. He’d forget all of his pains and her to him.

Prologue

Can portals change time? If one were to go through a portal and come back out, would the time have changed by the same proportion? When crossing through dimensions, is there a way that someone you love means more to you than the time of your life you have remaining. Is there a way that through all of the mesh of transportation, there might be paradox, or do they exist? Is there room for such a proposal?

Epilogue: Full Circle

So went this addition to Portals. Blast-the mysterious unicorn stallion became Twilight’s colt friend.

Bellus lay in a graveyard: torn to shreds. He sought revenge in the cold hours of the night.
The flight instructor called in to headquarters and reported a flightless pegasus got away to the weather factory before asking about the Irish language. Did Kevin really mean that in any language?

Dumbbell and Hooves forgot all about Fluttershy and remained working in Cloudsdale until later adventures.

Rainbow Dash Kept hanging out with her best friend, Fluttershy. Notice that the paradox’s outweighed each other. Since they out weighed each other, one dimension became completely parallel (that takes place in the same world). It was only parallel to the point that Fluttershy dies (Where the paradox ends). If you have questions, please ask me one my blog.

As for Kevin, He remained happy with his mare. His love.

Until next time,

The Derpy Doctor

Acknowledgements:

The Blizzard Chronicles is Written by PL4SM0D1UM (this fanfiction has not been applied to FIMfiction yet)

Doctor Whooves was written by somepony besides me.

My avatar photo was drawn by: zutheskunk at Deviantart.com

My own OC will be posted on Deviantart at TheDerpyDoctors.

In close proximation with PL4SM0D1UM.

The scene from Ketchup was inspired by Shed.mov (not that I recommend it)

again, this will not become a clopfic.

A special thanks to those that inspire me: mythic strings, SahasaV, PL4SM0D1UM, Soft Taco, and argotherelentless. Thank you all.

People that inspire me that don’t have an account include: Braxten Gebert and Justin (sorry, I don’t know your last name. As well as my own supporting sister and brother.

Thank you,
The Derpy Doctor