The Romance of Invention

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” grumbled Chrome as he slouched away towards the forest, and he glanced back towards town. He had to make sure that he wasn’t being watched by Rainbow, he didn’t see any pony but he kept going in this direction just in case some pony would come up and ask why he wasn’t going to Fluttershy’s. He finally made his way right up to the forest and found a nice looking tree to sit down against moodily. As he looked up at the leaves and watched them sway above his head he shook his head while he mentally replayed what just happened.

“What did you think she was going to?” he questioned to himself. As he thought about it for a moment all the images of what he had fantasized she might have done started popping back into his head. The fact that the all too real hugs were mixed in with all the other wild fantasies wasn’t helping at all either as he laid down and covered his head with his hooves trying to force the images out. He succeeded at least somewhat in getting those images to fade away but then they were replaced by the truly excited look on her face when she said he would make a good coltfriend for Fluttershy. He stamped his hooves on the ground in frustration a few times before finally settling down somewhat.

“Of course she wants me to be with Fluttershy, all the rest of her friends do.” He sighed and rolled over onto his back to stare up at the leaves as they swayed in the gentle breeze. He just closed his eyes for a few more moments trying to mentally focus on the sound of the rustling leaves, the occasional bird calling out and the feel of the cool breeze as it brushed across his face. He focused in mentally on all of these sensations and tried to force the other bad thoughts out, he focused in on the microcosm of peace that surrounded him with all his might.

Try as he might though, he couldn’t seem to fully drive all the bad thoughts out they kept popping back in unexpectedly and making him stamp his hooves in frustration. He rolled over and lashed out at the tree a few times with his back hooves as he whined and whimpered like a little foal. He tried to wrap his forelegs as tightly around his head as he could while he curled up into the foetal position with his eyes shut tight desperate to force them out. Eventually he tired himself out from the frustration and the raw emotions that were surging through him and he fell into a fitful slumber.

*****

“Umm, Mister Chrome are you okay?” came a quiet voice as he stirred from his slumber. “The forest is a dangerous place, you shouldn’t be sleeping here all alone…”

Chrome let out a quiet whimper and rubbed his face with his hooves as he tried to uncurl himself and sit up. His muscles seemed to all be screaming at him at just the slightest movements and it took him quite a while to accomplish this. As he turned his head towards the source of the voice his eyes refused to come back into focus and he was faced with the very slowly sharpening outline of Fluttershy looking at him with a concerned look on her face. The feelings of frustration were suddenly welling back inside him with new vigor and he wanted to lash out at the tree again. Why couldn’t he just have some time alone without the very mare the entire town seemed to be trying to force on him showing up and bothering him? Finally Chrome settled himself into a comfortable sitting position against the tree and made a show of looking around him with a disbelieving look on his face.

“What do you mean dangerous? It’s just a forest isn’t it?” he asked curiously while he looked back at her dubiously. The scenery around here was so peaceful how could it ever be dangerous? “I thought you guys had a traditional run through the forest every year as well?”

“Ohhh noooo that’s the

other

forest, this one is The Everfree Forest; it’s much more dangerous and mysterious. The animals and weather all take care of themselves without the help of the ponies and there are dangerous beasts that come out at night. Come on Mister Chrome we should come away from the forest… please?” Fluttershy pleaded as she shifted back and forth between her hooves nervously.

“Okay okay if it bothers you that much…” he said reluctantly as he slowly clambered to his feet and promptly stumbled to the side having to catch himself on the tree. His legs felt like they were about to collapse under him they were so weak and wobbling under him like jelly. He took a few deep breaths taking in the fresh air and tried his best to compose himself. Finally after a long moment of leaning against the tree he seemed to regain enough strength in his screaming muscles to stand a bit more steadily.

“Are you sure you’re okay Mister Chrome? You look ill…” Fluttershy asked as she trotted closer with a worried look on her face and moved to help support him with her wing. She started to walk him off towards her cottage completely ignoring his quiet protests.

“Could you please not do the whole Mister Chrome thing Fluttershy?” he asked with a sigh as he tried his best to evade the question and put his hoof to his face as he paused for a moment while he paused to try and clear the sudden nausea that was washing over him. Fluttershy remained stubbornly at his side with her wing supporting him and as he tried to speak up and ask her to give him some space he was overcome by another wave of nausea. He let out a quiet sigh as he just gave in allowing her to keep walking him off towards her cottage as he tried his best to take deep breaths through his nostrils.

“Umm why don’t you go sit down Mi… erm Chrome, I’ll go get you something hot to drink okay?” Fluttershy asked as she led him through the door carefully. She made it sound like a question but she punctuated it by nudging him towards the couch then pushing him again gently until he gave up and sat down on it. She paused on her way out the living room to the kitchen while she looked at him with a concerned look on her face then kept going.

Chrome just sat there in a daze not even really paying attention to the room he was sitting in, his whole body was just aching and he was filled with the desire to just curl back up and go to sleep. He considered it for a moment but decided against it not wanting to make Fluttershy have to fuss over him any more than she already was. Instead he just allowed himself to sink into the couch cushions as he let out a quiet sigh and continued to look miserable his eyes losing their focus as he just sat there and awaited her return with something to drink.

“I’m not being fair to Fluttershy…” he finally concluded after a moment as his eyes slipped back into focus. “She probably doesn’t even know what her friends are up to. I shouldn’t take this out of her…” he admitted with a sigh. He tried to sit himself back up into a more normal position but found that he had sank down between two of the cushions and had to try to struggle to pull himself free with his screaming muscles. Of course right when he was struggling to do this was the exact moment that Fluttershy re-appeared from the kitchen clutching a large mug of a tea. Her face immediately flashed back to that of concern and he let out a quiet groan as she rushed over to help him.

“Oh my, Chrome are you okay? Here let me help you.” She set the tea down on the table in front of him and grabbed him under the forelegs to give him a gentle upward tug. She helped him back up into a comfortable sitting position on the couch as she continued to ignore his mumbled protests. In fact she seemed to snap at the fact that he wouldn’t stop and she pushed him back into a sitting position again more forcibly and pressed the mug into his hooves suddenly.

“SIT! And drink your tea mister, stop complaining; you’re obviously sick so you are going to relax and get better. So stop trying to fight me and just drink your tea.” She said while giving him a fierce look and held her face a few inches from his.

“Yes ma’am…” Chrome mumbled weakly as he took an obedient sip of the tea. The hot liquid seemed to slowly make its way down his throat and fill his entire body with warmth. He took a few more sips curiously as he tasted it and wondered about the flowery taste. He couldn’t help but wonder to himself about caused the normally timid mare to snap and yell at him like that. He pondered the situation for a moment longer and in the process forgot to keep sipping his tea, a problem which was quickly rectified by Fluttershy shooting him another nasty look. He gulped audibly and resumed drinking his tea as he half cowered behind the mug in the process.

“That’s better, now you just stay there and finish your tea. I have to tend to the animals but I’ll be back soon to check on you okay?” she asked as she started to walk out the door. She stopped and watched him for a moment to make sure that he was still firmly in place and sipping his tea before she walked out the door.

Chrome remained there obediently sipping on his tea completely terrified that if he stopped even for a moment she might reappear and start giving him that look again. He started to ponder about his stupidity earlier with Rainbow before he shook his head and distracted himself by looking around the room curiously. He hadn’t really stopped to take in the look of the room at all, everything seemed to be very animal friendly, lots of different vacant bird houses were scattered throughout and there was small sized animal flap in the door for he assumed the animals to come inside.

He stopped and considered the situation; she was being awfully nice and concerned… He didn’t think she was involved with the rest of her friends pestering him but was it possible? As he thought about this for a few more moments he remembered the genuine looks on concern that had taken up her face earlier, and the fierce look she had given him while he was trying to resist her help. That alone was enough for him to make up his mind.

No, there’s no way she was acting; so she must not be aware of her friends’ little plot… Chrome thought to himself then considered the implications of this statement. Oh Luna that meant that his behavior earlier probably seemed all the much worse to her when he was struggling and trying to get away from her. He sighed deeply then drank the rest of the tea in a quick gulp; he set the mug down onto the table in front of him as he yawned wide. His eyelids were starting to weigh down on him, he tried his best not to fall asleep since Fluttershy was coming back but he was having a hard time of it…

*****

Chrome was started awake suddenly and found his movements curiously restricted as he tried to shift himself up to a sitting position. He suddenly found himself wide awake as he tried to figure out what it was that was restricting him, his legs were tangled in something… a blanket? He pulled at it trying to get his legs free when he noticed the face of an angry bunny looming down mere inches from his face. He let out a loud yelp of fright then fell off the side of the couch with a loud thump still tangled up in the blanket.

“Angel Bunny! I thought I told you not to scare our guests like that anymore. Are you okay Chrome?” Fluttershy asked with a worried look on her face as she appeared in the doorway from the kitchen. Suddenly seeing him on the floor, she rushed over to help him extricate himself from the offending blanket.

“Yeah I’m okay; I just wasn’t expecting that kind of an awakening is all…” He glanced back over to the couch where he noticed Angel Bunny curled up in the middle of it pretending to be fast asleep and completely ignoring the two ponies. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I’m sorry for intruding so much…” he said meekly as he got up to his hooves and avoided her gaze bashfully.

“It’s okay, sorry about Angel; he likes to nap on the couch and doesn’t like it when other ponies are occupying it. I’ve tried to get him to stop that but he just doesn’t listen to me sometimes. Are you feeling better now? You really needed the rest so don’t worry about intruding at all. You should probably try and get back to sleep honestly…”

Chrome stopped and glanced at himself moving his legs back and forth curiously as he considered the question. The strange aching seemed to have left his muscles and he wasn’t feeling quite as crappy now for sure. He shifted back and forth between his hooves and stretched his neck out not really encountering any of the weariness from before.

“Yeah I guess so; I don’t even know what to say. Thanks Fluttershy.” He admitted with a blush as he looked up at her shyly feeling even worse now that he had acted so poorly earlier. He had even tried to mentally wish her away he remembered while the blush intensified. Yet here she was still being so nice to him and had even yelled at him when he was acting like a foal. What did he do to deserve this kindness?

“Don’t worry about it...” she mumbled under her breath shyly. “I take care of animals and ponies alike when they are sick. Just do me a favor and don’t hang around the Forest alone anymore okay?” She picked up the blanket and gently laid it over the sleeping bunny on the couch with care.

Chrome just stood there awkwardly not sure what to say once the familiar awkward silence between them started to fall. He felt like he should thank her again but he didn’t know what to say. He just stood there for a long moment trying to figure out how to leave politely, and started to consider making something up about having to go home but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Don’t you dare skip out on one of my friends rudely again Chrome!” rang Rainbow’s voice in his head so clearly that he winced and turned towards the door with a frightened look on his face. After a moment’s inspection he couldn’t find her anywhere and he let out a sigh of relief as he turned back towards Fluttershy.

“Are you sure you’re okay Chrome? Did something hurt you?” she asked her voice still full of concern.

“Yeah I’m fine sorry,” he affirmed with a wave of his hoof as he made a mental note to avoid doing that again as apparently she was very observant. “I think I just need to go home and get some more rest. I can’t sufficiently express my thanks; you took me into your home and cared for me while I was feeling bad. I hardly even know you either… thank you so much for your help.” He concluded as he lowered his head avoiding her gaze once again.

“Don’t worry about it… like I said it’s what I‘d do for any sick pony” she said as she blushed bright red and scuffed her front hoof on the floor shyly. “Just get better okay?”

He chuckled quietly and nodded before turning towards the door and taking a few experimental steps. His legs still felt much better and it seemed like he’d be able to walk home under his own power so he just stopped at the door and gave her a meek little wave.

“Thanks again Fluttershy…” he added as he walked out the door and started the long walk home.